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Was that Ben?
Holy shit! Ben was behind this mess? Average, bar creep, boat-owning Ben? Supposed-to-be-murdered-by-Saxon Ben? Ben, the missing human who she assured Kahn was not at all suspicious? God, her Match would never let her live this down. …Assuming they survived.
“I fucking knew it!” announced to the world at large, as Ben strolled in from some back room. “I knew Ben was the stalker!”
“What stalker?” Gion demanded. “Who the hell is Ben?”
“He’s the zombie dickhead that’s ruining my party.” Isaacs complained.
Everyone ignored them, their attention moving from Ben to the huge figure at his side. Vandal, of the Light House. The Elementals’ most wanted criminal.
Randa’s eyes narrowed in fury. She hated him.
“You should never have doubted me.” He intoned at Ben, his accent thick and ancient. “This has all been foretold.”
Ben made a face, but didn’t argue. The human looked immaculate in a gray suit and loafers. A jaunty yellow flower was stuck in his lapel. Vandal wore white ceremonial robes, his long hair styled like a Light House warrior. How in the hell did they even know each other?
Everyone inside the purple domes stiffened, as the Banished general circled their cages like a shark. “The day of Darkness and Light is here, my brethren.”
“What are you doing, Vandal?” Julius demanded. “Why are you doing it? How?”
“It took some planning.” Vandal assured him, answering the “how” part and ignoring the rest. “Especially after that Daphne bitch from the future started meddling in my affairs. But the Water House hiring a human event planner helped me to know when you’d all be together.”
Ben lifted a shoulder, looking bored.
Kahn’s snarled at him, visibly plotting the human’s death.
Vandal noticed him staring. “The one who stole my eye.” He pointed to the black patch on his face. “Wounding a fellow Light Phase brought shame to our House.”
“You’re not part of our House.” Daven interjected. “You were Banished.”
“Yeah and how is kidnapping us not bringing shame?” Mannis wanted to know.
“Because I do this for the good of us all.” Vandal kept smirking at Kahn, wanting a reaction. “What do you think of my cages this time? I’ve improved your design. You won’t be getting out of there, again.”
“I think you’ve lost every fight for five hundred years.” Kahn told him flatly. “You’re stealing my ideas, because you’re a failure. And you know I’m better than you.”
Randa winced. Sometimes she wished her Match understood subtlety.
Vandal chuckled, but it sounded angry. “I now hold most of the Phases powerful enough to stand against me. On their authority, I’ll be disbanding the Council, taking control of the realm, and ushering in the reign of the Dark King. Nothing can stop me. Certainly not you, boy.”
Robots clanged around the room keeping watch with glowing eyes.
“Who is the Dark King?” Job asked, drawing everyone’s attention. He was standing in front of Tessie, his hands behind his back military “at rest” style.
“The Dark King is a prophet from Gaia, leading us towards a more prosperous world. He sees the actions of that bitch from the future, trying to disrupt what is inevitable, and counters them with moves of his own.” Vandal flashed Job a venomous look. “And you stand in his way.”
“I hope so. Anyone who calls themselves a prophet tends to be an asshole.”
Tessie reached up to flick Job’s ear. “Don’t antagonize the psycho, honey.”
“Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.” Job told Vandal, not listening to his Match’s scolding.
“It already has worked!” Vandal mocked. “Years ago, you Banished me for speaking the truth. But I kept faith, until the divine plan was revealed. Now the tides have turned.”
“You were Banished for attacking the Agora.”
“To depose you and the Council. The other Phases will soon thank me for starting this revolution. No one is coming to save you, Job. No one.”
