Ilya could have actually died at ththe end of book 1 and not be miraculously saved at the end. The inhibitors could have attacked immediately after activating Hades and they could have used up half the weapons to defeat them (with the threat of more coming left in the air.) Sylveste still gets put in Hades and Yellowstone becomes where all the refugees come from instead of Regusam(sp). And then I think they had the same "maybe they're telling us the truth, or maybe they're lying. Maybe they're telling us to try and mislead us, knowing we know they know we know they're lying" conversation at least three different times.