City of Shadows

Chapter 20: The Angel's Chosen

The sun was setting by the time Ember Fairose stepped out of the Gard. She had spent the entire morning with Jia looking at maps of Alicante and the terrain surrounding it, as she had for the past three weeks or so.

Ember had not wasted time. She had demanded to speak with Jia as soon as she had stepped foot in Alicante, and the Consul had been wise enough to listen and treat the issue with the urgency it required. They set to work right away and had spent days gathering information, studying maps, the city itself, the demon towers, inquiring about weapon production in the Adamant Citadel and those stored in the Armory. They took the numbers of the city's inhabitants as well, how many could fight, and how many would have to be sheltered when the time came, or even Portaled away. Ember hoped it would not come to that, but what happened in the Mortal and Dark Wars would not happen again. Precautions had to be taken regardless, even extreme ones.

That included studying the land bordering the city. To do so, Ember took walks around the city and outside its limits in the little free time she had—by the walls, the North gate—searching for any possible weak spots that Jacob would easily find, taking mental notes to share with Jia as to how they could improve. She took walks near the Forest as well, in the Plains, searching for any spot that would best suit a battle and would be advantageous for them, a place far enough away from the city, but not far enough so they wouldn't be able to retreat if the need came. She was extremely thankful for Jonathan's rigorous training then. If it weren't for it, she wouldn't have had the knowledge or insight to do all the things she was doing now.

And now, finally, after extensive thought and planning, a plan of action was formed, explicit down to the last detail. It provided battle plans, lodgings and provisions for Downworlder forces and the members of Conclaves that would join them in the fight, and several alternatives to ensure chances of survival if, even through all their efforts, the city were to fall.

There had been a gathering in the Council Hall immediately after they had finished, as Jia was eager to gain the Council's approval to begin the work. The Downworlder representatives arrived promptly, and Ember had had the pleasure of seeing and speaking with Magnus and the delightful surprise of reuniting with Maryse, who had come along to represent the New York Institute. It had been refreshing, as brief as their time together was, and when the time came, she parted from them with a tight embrace and asked them to send warm greetings to everyone back home.

The gathering did not last long, and to Ember's profound relief, the plan was approved after a thorough explanation provided by Jia and herself. None dared to oppose them then, not when their sacred city, their homeland was at risk. Not even Horace Dearborn or other members of the Cohort rose at the mention of fighting alongside Downworlders, though their discontent was evident from their seats. It did not matter. The plan was approved. Copies would be sent to the Conclaves and Downworlders throughout the world in the following days to prepare and be ready, and that was that.

Breathing came easier to Ember as she had left the Hall that day, but she knew it was merely the beginning. There was much work yet to be done. She met back with Jia after the meeting, this time to begin to work on a different set of plans. Lists had to be made, and letters written to acquire the materials and provisions required. Working together, they had finished in a matter of hours.

Needless to say, it had been a long day, satisfactory, as they had got a lot of work done, but tiring nonetheless. Ember trudged out of the fortress-type building, feeling completely and utterly mentally drained, but the stress in her body instantly faded away as soon as the fresh evening air hit her face and she found herself surrounded by open space.

Well, mostly open.

There was a group gathered a short distance away from the gates, murmuring about what had occurred in the meeting in the Council Hall earlier. One voice was distinguishable among the rest as Ember walked past the silver and cold-iron gates, and she suppressed the urge to grimace.