“I don’t know how it happened,” Abel watched Patricio say to his phone, which he had held up in front of him and on speaker. “It’s like they knew the golem were to attack.”

Abel was in his room with him, though he’d mind-controlled Patricio into not seeing him, as well as putting the call to his superiors on speaker so Abel could listen.

It was the morning after the attack.

They’d sent a shit-ton of golem. And golem were huge, strange-looking, lethal motherfuckers that Abel hoped he never encountered again. They’d sent so many because it was clear they meant business. It wasn’t an exercise. They meant to annihilate The Three, or as many of them as they could get.

And the golem who showed absolutely meant business. It was lucky they’d found the traitors, or Abel didn’t know what the outcome would have been.

It could have been ugly.

It could have been the end.

But it wasn’t and that was where they were now.

Still alive.

Still breathing.

Now they had to move the fuck on.

They just didn’t know to where.

“Bjorn?” the voice on the other end asked.

“I can’t ask him, seeing as he was killed in the fight,” Patricio answered.

This was true. Bjorn lost his head and he’d done it to Wei’s sword. Abel had been close. It was unavoidable. It was Wei or Bjorn and Abel thanked God it came out the way it did.

“As far as I know, he was faithful to The True until the end,” Patricio finished.

“He was killed by golem?” the voice asked.

“I wasn’t there, but as our orders were to remain covert, which meant he had to at least pretend to fight them, I can only assume that’s the case,” Patricio told him.

That wasn’t the case. When they’d met the surprise attack with prepared force, things turned pretty quickly for the golem, which meant Bjorn switched sides pretty quickly, to his detriment.

Press for details of what they’re doing next, Abel ordered.

“What are your plans?” Patricio asked into the speaker.

“None of your concern,” the voice replied. “Find out if they knew about the attack, and if they did, how.”

Keep pushing but be smart about it, Abel commanded.

“I could be of further help if I knew what Etienne was planning for his next move,” Patricio said.

“I’m not certain how that would be or why you’re requesting this information, Patricio, when you know it isn’t yours to have unless we feel it pertinent to share it with you,” the voice returned.

Back off, Abel demanded.

“You weren’t here,” Patricio snapped. “They were merciless. You sent two hundred and fifty golem and only seven survived the fight.”