Page 9 of The Song Rising

“I didn’t know Senshield was a military brainchild. That’s very interesting.” She removed a cigarette and lit up. “A link to the army gives its increased presence an even more sinister touch.”

A tremor scuttled across my abdomen. We had security measures in place to protect us from Vigiles and enemy Rephaim, but I hadn’t seriously considered the army as a prospective threat at this stage. Most of it was stationed in Scion’s overseas territories.

“I’m all for going after Senshield, but if we bait the beast, we have to be prepared for one hell of a bite,” Maria said, “and that bite might well include a certain Hildred Vance, Grand Commander of the Republic of Scion and authority maximum of ScionIDE.”

Tom muttered some choice words.

Vance. . . I had heard that name before.

“Vance,” Glym said. “She spearheaded the invasion of Bulgaria.”

“That’s the one. The mastermind behind Irelandandthe Balkans.” Maria blew out a fine mist of smoke. “She may well be sponsoring Senshield’s expansion. For military use.”

Eliza’s knee bounced. “What does it mean if she comes here?”

Maria drew on her cigarette again, eyes closed. “It means,” she said, “that we will be fighting one of the most intelligent and ruthless strategists alive. One who is used to dismantling cell-based rebel groups.”

There was a long silence. Our movement wasn’t strong enough to deal with the army yet.

“Well,” I said finally, “whether or not itislinked to Vance—”

I stopped when Warden appeared in the doorway, wearing his heavy black overcoat. The commanders observed him with apprehension, taking in the ice-blue irises, the statuesque build.

“Apologies for my lateness, Underqueen,” he said.

The color of his eyes betrayed the reason for it—he had stopped to feed.

“Where’s Terebell?”

“She is engaged tonight.”

I was aware of his every movement as he took the seat beside Glym. His eyes were unnerving, reminding me of exactly what he had to do to survive, but I couldn’t resent him for it. For his sake, I briefly explained again about the hidden scanners and the threat they posed.

“We could use your advice,” I said, “if we’re going to have any chance of disabling Senshield. You were close to the Sargas. What do you know about it? About what powers it?”

“Knowing the Sargas, the core is likely a form of ethereal technology, which harnesses the energy created by spirits,” Warden said.

Tom raised his eyebrows. “Technology that uses spirits? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Even most Rephaim know precious little about it. The Sargas are the only family to have spliced the energy of the æther with human machinery. Many of my kind consider it obscene,” Warden said. “Unfortunately, I do not know the workings of Senshield’s core.”

I nodded slowly. “Do you think it might be in the Archon?”

“I will ask our double agent if he has any idea, but I imagine that if it was, he would already have told us.”

Alsafi Sualocin, the Ranthen’s most valuable spy in the Archon. I had known him in the colony as Nashira’s brutal and loyal guard. It had been a shock to discover that he was Ranthen, working in secret to undermine her.

“Although we do not know the location of the core, this may be the time to consider something we do know about the scanners.” Warden glanced around the table. “As you are all aware, Senshield can currently only detect the first three orders of clairvoyance. Hard as they have tried, Scion has been unable to tune it to detect the higher four.”

Maria tilted her head. “How do they do this . . . tuning, exactly?”

“No one knows, but I have long suspected that exposure to aura is involved. It would be logical for Senshield to recognize what it has already encountered.” He paused. “It is possible that any of you could be used to improve its ability to detect aura.”

That was all we needed. If walking on the streets could not only get us arrested, but potentially increase Senshield’s power, then going into hiding had to remain an option, even if we only used it as a last resort.

“On the subject of the core—do you think it can be easily replaced?” I said. “If we destroyed it, would they just build another?”

“Unlikely,” Warden said. “Not being a Sargas, I am no expert in ethereal technology—but I know it is complex, volatile, and delicate. If you destroyed the existing core, I imagine it would take them many years to return it to its current operational state.”

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