“We’re leaving,” Zeran said, then he turned to Black Mamba. “Don’t try to stop us.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Billu said. Spirals of white smoke curled around him. “You don’t care about me—you only care about yourself and that girl.”

Billu thrust a finger in my direction, and a web shot out and slammed me against the wall. My staff hit the floor and rolled away.

“Billu, no!” Zeran said, but as he did, the white smoke curled into a giant monster.

“Laissez les bon temp rouler!” Black Mamba cheered. “Let the good times roll!”

I struggled to free myself from the spiderweb. It was ridiculous. The threads were so thin that I should’ve been able to punch through them, but they were strong. As I fought to free myself, new fibers sprouted from the threads.

Billu’s smoke monster, which bore a striking resemblance to Godzilla, stood ten feet tall with three barbed tails and a row of sharp spines down its back that would put an impundulu to shame. It was the weirdest thing. I could see through the smoke as it swiveled around, but it was also solid in a way that defied logic. Darkzilla swept Zeran up with one claw and dangled him upside down by his ankle.

“Traitor!” Billu said, wiping away tears. Darkzilla roared in anguish, and I had a feeling that it was projecting Billu’s emotions. “You don’t belong with us. You belong with her kind. That’s where your loyalties lie.”

Billu looked to be nine or ten years old, and the way he talked made me think that his father, Commander Rovey, had said those things to him. I could understand why he was mad at Zeran. It must’ve seemed like his big brother had abandoned him.

“Billu,” Zeran pleaded. “Remember that day when Father said that you would be joining the military, and you said you didn’t want to? I promised that I would find a way to get you out.”

“But you didn’t!” Billu sniffled. Darkzilla roared, and the room shook. “You ran away and left me behind.”

“I didn’t run away!” Zeran whipped his tail at the monster’s scaly paw. “I had to help Maya and her friends stop the Lord of Shadows from destroying the veil.”

“Our lord wants to put the world back the way it’s supposed to be,” Billu said.

“No, Billu!” Zeran shouted. “He wants to start another war that will hurt a lot of people. You’re smarter than this. Think for yourself. Don’t let the Lord of Shadows trick you like he’s done to Father and so many other people. A war would be bad for all sides—humans, godlings, darkbringers, even the celestials.”