Irin was about to open the next page when suddenly, Levi stood up so fast his chair toppled to the floor.
"Levi?" Edmund looked at him with concern.
"What is it?" Cassian asked, noticing the way Levi's expression turned dark and serious.
"It's Gizmo," he said at last.
Irin blinked, trying to catch up. "The chameleon?"
"Yes," Levi nodded. "He's found the location of the occult group."
"Already?" Violet made a tired expression. She knew what this meant for them.
Levi walked slowly toward the door. "They're moving. Fast. Whatever ritual they were planning, it's starting soon."
No one spoke when Levi said that.
"Then we need to act fast. Get your things ready, you are all leaving in the next few minutes," Edmund said.
Cassian, Violet, and Levi all took the essential gear they needed for the operation.
"How was… it…possible?" Irin stammered, looking at them. "I saw Gizmo minutes ago. He was on the bookshelf. How could he have found their hiding spot already?"
Cassian glanced back at him, grinning as he fastened the final strap of his gear. "I told you that Gizmo is fast. He's the best spy we've ever had."
"But-"
"Gimzo's been tailing them for days," Cassian continued. "Levi deployed him even before you officially picked your first case. That chameleon has been on their tail for days while we sat back here drinking coffee."
"I love this chameleon already," Irin smiled.
"All we needed was the last clue, which you found. It was just a matter of minutes before Gimzo would find them."
They were halfway to the door when Edmund's voice rang out, stopping them in their tracks.
"Irin, get your things. You're following them."
"What? I'm following them?" Irin pointed at himself.
Levi stopped with his hand on the doorframe, and Cassian turned in disbelief.
"I don't think so. This is a suicide mission." Cassian said. "It's dangerous to have him there. We can't afford to lose anyone right now."
"Trust me, I have handled situations like this," Irin thought.
"It's true," Levi agreed with Cassian. "He's a liability. 'Anything could happen' is a statistical certainty. He'll get himself killed, or worse, get us compromised."
"He won't gain experience sitting here all day. He needs to see how you guys operate. They said experience is the best teacher, right?" Edmund spoke.
None of them argued. They knew Edmund had a point. The only way one could gain depth of knowledge was through practice.
"Fine," Cassian let out a frustrated sigh before he turned and walked out the door. "He should not slow us down. Let's see if he can even keep up with a chameleon."
'Did he compare me to Gimzo? A chameleon? Irin tried to hide the disgust on his face.
The cool night air hit Irin's face as they stepped out of the building. His eyes immediately locked onto the carriage waiting at the curb. It was a magnificent carriage pulled by four powerful white horses.
The driver, who sat on the high bench with a flat-topped hat, waved at them.
"That's Silas," Edmund noted, placing a hand on Irin's shoulder. "He's been our personal driver for over a decade. He knows how to make these horses run faster than a steam engine when the situation calls for it."
Irin gave a small, hesitant wave back to Silas while Levi, Violet, and Cassian climbed inside the carriage without a word.
Just as Irin reached for the brass handle to climb into the carriage, Edmund caught his arm.
"Wait," Edmund said, handing him a brown leather backpack. "Take this. Put the book-guide and the compass inside. Those artifacts are the only reason we're one step ahead; if we lose them in the fray, we're walking into a trap blind."
"Thank you, sir. I'll keep them safe," Irin promised, carefully sliding the book and the brass compass into the bag.
He held the straps tight and climbed into the carriage just as Silas cracked the whip.
The journey to their destination was fast. They passed through the streets of Nikara and traveled until they reached an isolated settlement on the city's outskirts.
They saw no one on arrival. Everywhere was silent.
"Why is nobody here?" Irin felt the hair on his arms stand up.
Violet, who had been staring out the window in the carriage's corner, looked up at him.
"Don't be afraid, Irin. People don't live here much right now because of the ongoing massive construction projects. It's mostly just dogs and scavengers you'll find here."
Suddenly, Levi raised his hand, signaling for silence. He closed his eyes and tilted his head.
"Stop," he commanded. "Silas, pull over here. I sense movement here."
The carriage slowed to a stop, and they stepped down. As soon as the last of them got off, Silas gave a solemn nod and drove the carriage off into the darkness to avoid drawing attention to their position.
The group fanned out in different directions. Cassian went left, scanning the surroundings, while Violet moved to the right. Levi led the way, with Irin walking cautiously behind him.
They walked until Levi led them to the front of an abandoned construction house.
"Gizmo is inside," Levi said in a low voice. "And so is the cult."
They pushed the door open and sneaked inside. Theoretically, they expected the inside of the house to be dark; however, hundreds of candles were lit on stacks of cinderblocks, the steel beams, and some encircling the base of the central pillars.
"Look," Violet whispered, pointing toward the far wall that had the symbol of the cult group painted with blood.
"Careful," Levi's eyes darted toward the ceiling. "They're around us."
A cold, maniacal laugh echoed through the area the moment he finished speaking.
Looking towards the sound of the laugh, they spotted a man in a red hood standing some distance away by an altar.
He dragged back his hood, revealing a face marked with various occult signs.
"So," the cult leader finally spoke. "The hounds of Nikara have finally found the scent. I must admit, I admire the effort. Took you less time than I imagined."
"We've come to put an end to this," Levi said, stepping forward.
"You won't see the sunshine tomorrow."
The cult leader threw his head back and laughed again.
"Tomorrow? Oh, you sweet little fool. Many have stood where you stand. Acclaimed heroes and men far stronger than you. They all promised me one thing: 'I wouldn't see the dawn' …yet here I am, basking in all glory."
The cult leader moved three steps away from the altar. Stretching his hands sideways, he looked up and merrily inhaled the air before saying:
"It would delight me to send you to the same shallow graves where others before you now rot."