“So the most logical conclusion is this power is not of our world,” said Rehtul.

Across the table, Elijah narrowed his eyes. “You don’t mean…”

“Demons? It wouldn’t surprise me.” Rehtul tapped his chin and searched in his coat for a small notebook, flipping it open..

“Ever since Haidia was sealed off, priests around the world have been afraid something else was keeping the demons left in our world…” He searched for the right word. “...stable, I suppose you could say. This is all conjecture, however.”

Elijah nodded. “I’m less concerned with how the ‘Terrestrial’ demons in Tular have adapted, and more concerned with their Hadian ancestors. Could this be a breach?”

“Whatever is interfering with the stars is magic on a scale we haven’t seen since the time of the Tap. More importantly, whatever this is, it’s nearby. There’s a… premonitory sense of dread I feel the further into Alerar I’ve ventured. I assume that’s no coincidence.” The ice mage snapped the book shut and slipped it into one of the many hidden interior pockets within his coat.

“We passed three carriages on the way,” said Felicity. “Our driver said they were with the Guilds. Maybe they were looking for the same thing?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Elijah let out a long, hissing breath. “It can’t be good if all three Guilds are interested.”

“They had a lot of mining equipment with them. I thought they might be doing an archeological dig in the ruins nearby. I hadn’t considered that what we saw was the reaction to actually finding something, though.”

“Perhaps they didn’t know what they had found, else they would have sent more people.” Elijah muttered a few choice Salvic curses. “It’s only a matter of time.” He jumped to his feet. “Time to go, now.”