The Prince's Wedding (The Erik Midgard Case Files Volume 3)

Chapter 15

Back upstairs, Endovelicus's coup attempt had been defeated.

He and the surviving J.N. members were being teleported straight into the holding cells. We arrived just in time to see them dematerialising. Thoth was by the wallcom with Eris, who was trying to get the security systems unlocked. Duong was having his arm bandaged by another guardsman. Odin, who evidently had plenty of experience with combat injuries, was helping the other injured guards alongside the prince. Megan, Ishtar, Zeus and Washington-Allah were all unhurt, though Erecura was still missing. The uninjured guards were carrying their dead comrades and the dead J.N. members out of the room. For all of the J.N. faction's determination to save the Imperia from itself, it seemed only a few of them had been prepared to shoot to kill at their own countrymen when the moment came. Everyone stopped what they were doing as the robots marched into the room.

Janus had only brought ten of them upstairs with us, but they were obviously more than enough. Thor, Chernobog, Princess Anna and I were walking behind them, but in front of the cultists, with our hands clasped behind our heads.

"Hello again, everyone," said Janus, striding to the front. "Let's have all weapons by that door, please."

"Do it," said the prince. "Now."

My heart sank. I had been hoping the Justinians might have some emergency override for the Last Guard that Princess Anna didn't know about. The expression on the prince's face made it clear they didn't, and that he knew a real threat when he saw one.

"Thank you, your highness," said Janus. "Let's make this as painless as possible."

"What in Darwin's name do you...?" said Thoth. He stopped as he saw Janus's tattoo.

"No questions right now, please, Lord Thoth, but don't worry. We'll explain everything later," said Janus. "You'll all get your chance to join us."

Four of the robots walked around the room in both directions, each with both of their weaponised arms extended, making sure they were covering all angles. The guards carefully moved over to the door and dropped their weapons in a pile. One of the robot's suddenly trained its laser sight on Nerio as he dropped his rifle and started to move back.

"All your weapons, please," said Fontus, as Nerio froze.

Nerio's face fell. He crouched, pulled up his trouser leg and pulled a knife out of a calf sheath. He tossed it onto the pile and moved back. Several of the other guards turned over concealed weapons.

"Good. Join your friends there when you're done," said Janus, indicating the J.N. survivors. "You too, Chernobog, Princess."

Princess Anna ran across the room to the prince, who pulled her tight to his side. Thoth, Odin, Megan, Mirabi and the others were left standing in the middle of the room. I hesitated, then walked over to them.

"What in Newton's name is going on?" whispered Ishtar.

"Are they really...?" said Megan.

"I'm afraid so," I said.

"Never mind that," said Mirabi. "What's wrong with you now?"

She was looking at me with more concern than I had ever seen on her face before. It was exactly the level of sympathy I had always wanted from her in my darkest, most depressed and hopeless hours of thinking I had an inescapable destiny. But now that it was here, I didn't find it comforting at all.

"It's complicated. You were right," I said to Megan. "The Justinians do have temporal tech from the cults. They're planning to use it. To change the universe."