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strength for most Arcanes, and Daelissa only seemed to get stronger while my side lost powerful allies like Nightliss.
    Bella and Shelton walked through the front door, Cinder close behind. Adam Nosti and his girlfriend, Meghan Andretti, showed up shortly thereafter. Neither Katie nor Stacey could make the meeting so I decided to go ahead and start with the current group. I filled them in on my meeting with Mr. Gray, including his assertion that the Seraphim had not created the arches, and the importance of my mother.
    "This is unbelievable, Justin," Nightliss said.
    "You didn't know?" Bella asked.
    She shook her head. "The Desecration damaged my memory. I remember some things with uncanny clarity while others only seem to return with time."
    "Who built the arches if the angels didn't?" Meghan asked.
    I met Shelton's eyes. "Remember the omnidirectional arches?"
    "Yeah." A shrug. "It looked like the angels added them on later because they didn't fit with the original design of the room."
    "Right. What if the angels figured out how to build arches, or tried to make versions of their own?"
    He nodded. "Makes sense they'd try."
    "But the Grand Nexus leads from our world to the angel realm," Bella said. "What if there are arches leading to the realm of their creators?"
    "Or what if they created other artifacts that are even more powerful?" I said.
    Elyssa's gaze flicked to me. "The Map and Key of Juranthemon," she said.
    "Exactly." The key could be used to open a door to just about any location so long as a person used the map to activate the portal. Underborn had sparingly informed me about the ancient relics, but I had no doubt he'd omitted critical facts. The key changed its appearance depending on the expectations of the wielder. The map looked like old parchment but scrolled like the map on an arcphone or arctablet.
    "You mean the key you used to go from Bogota, Colombia back to Atlanta?" Bella said.
    I nodded. "The same. What if the beings who made the arches also made the key and map?"
    "What if there are more than just those two relics?" Shelton added.
    Several competing conversations broke out at once. I clapped my hands together. The room went silent. "Look, it doesn't matter right now. I've tried searching for information on those relics and found nothing. What we do have is a way to access an Alabaster Arch in El Dorado." I held up the memory card Lornicus had given me. "I say we go check it out."
    "You're insane," Shelton said, his face a mask of disbelief. "You need to toss that memory card in the fire and forget you ever saw it."
    "That would be stupid," Elyssa said. "We should let Lornicus think he's controlling our actions. Once we figure out what he's up to, we spring a trap of our own."
    "Terrible idea," Shelton said. "I think Michael proved you can't outthink these people, or have you forgotten how Underborn schooled him?"
    "I disagree, Harry," Bella said, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "I agree with Elyssa. This merits investigation."
    "With extreme caution," Adam said. "After reading Cinder's account of what you went through in those caves last time, I suggest we take plenty of flashlights, batteries, and glowballs."
    Cinder nodded. Even though he'd improved with his gestures, he came nowhere near to Lornicus's mastery. "Justin, do you think these creatures could affect me?"
    I felt my mouth drop open slightly. I hadn't even considered such a question. "Can husks feed on a golem's spark?" I asked, looking at Nightliss.
    She shrugged. "I do not know."
    "A golem's spark isn't a soul," Shelton said, giving Cinder an apologetic look. "Sorry, buddy, but it ain't like soul essence. So I don't think those little freaks could do anything to you."
    "In other words," I said, a revelation coming into my mind, "Lornicus probably sent in gray men to scout the area. That's how he knows what's in there."
    "It is possible," Cinder replied. "If you ask, Justin, I will go to El Dorado alone and confirm this without