Call of the Wilde
Page 29
“Dissipated.” I passed a hand over my eyes, though I’d already known this fact. “Great.”
“The energy was unable to be tracked, given our focus on reversing the damage done to the site. We don’t have any idea which of the pantheon—”
“It’s Zeus,” I said flatly, as my mind whispered the possibilities. Zeus…Lovers. Zeus, Lovers. Zeus…
It might work, I thought. It might just work.
“Zeus.” It took the Magician all of one-point-four seconds to put the rest of it together. “The Myrmidon. Rangi himself made the summons. In exchange for—”
“Manpower, quite literally.” I nodded. “Same deal as before, except Zeus isn’t making men out of ants, but turning existing soldiers. And it’s happening right now.”
“They’re no longer living on Aegina Island, that’s for sure,” Simon put in. “Based on his upcoming flight manifest, he’s heading to New Zealand. Gotta believe he’s going to end up on one of the more remote islands in that region.”
“Wherever he goes, that’s where Zeus will be too.” I met Armaeus’s gaze. “He’ll need to be sent back,” I said, setting the pendulum of my idea in motion in the sneakiest way possible. “And so will Hera.”
Now it was the Magician’s turn to frown. “Her information remains invaluable.”
I caught the pendulum as it swung back to me, then pushed it out again. “Well, imagine how good Zeus’s information is. I’m pretty sure the two of them didn’t hang out anywhere near each other out there beyond the veil. Between the two of them, they could give you a much more complete picture of everything going on in Deityville, no? And there’s all that god-of-all-gods power he had, once upon a time…”
Armaeus’s brows knit together. “Your mind is blocked to me, Miss Wilde, and I fail to see…”
Exasperated, I practically beaned him with the pendulum. “If you really wanted to get the most bang for your buck, since Zeus is already here…I don’t know. Don’t you guys maybe have an extra seat for the, ah, Lovers…on the Council…?”
“What?” Simon practically fell out of his chair, spinning around to stare at us. “Zeus and Hera as the Lovers? Are you serious?” He turned to Armaeus. “Can we do that?”
Armaeus’s only response was the barest lifting of his eyebrows, but the eyes beneath those wicked arches had transformed to deepest black. There, I thought. I’d made my case. The cards might not know what they were doing, but they certainly had a well-defined sense of humor.
“New intel coming in,” Simon said as his computer whirred to life once more. He leaned forward and scowled down at it. “Well, this isn’t good.”
He continued before any of us could growl at him. “Says here you’re armed and dangerous, Sara, but it also says here that you have the suspected ability for psychic coercion and that you’re a terrorist threat to any government that might harbor you. Orders are to incapacitate on sight, but not kill.” His lips retracted in a grimace of distaste. “Not until you can be properly evaluated.”
“Evaluated.” I didn’t even want to think about what that meant, and I also didn’t want to spend any more time dithering. I knew what I had to do, now. Or at least I knew where to start. I looked around the room, and realized with a pang that Nikki had stepped away. Probably to field another phone call.
There was nothing for it, though. Additional reports were pinging in on Simon’s computer, and it would only get worse from here. As the head of the House of Swords, I had lots of places to hide, as Ma-Singh had already pointed out. But what good would hiding do now that all four Houses of Magic were back in operation and the Council was bursting with power? What better time than now to strike at everything that threatened the Connecteds of this earth?
To do that, though, I had to have freedom to move. To breathe.
To finally own who I really was.
“I, uh, need some fresh air.”
Nobody stopped me as I left Armaeus’s penthouse war room, but I took a few wrong turns getting out of the hotel, stumbling blindly by the end. My thoughts were moving too fast to fix upon a single course of action, more a burst of panicked blurts than anything resembling a plan.
The doors of the hotel’s main lobby suddenly loomed before me, and I moved through them quickly, picking up speed. I stepped out into the cool night air.
Nikki was waiting for me. “I’m going with,” she said.
“You can’t,” I said, and without even meaning to, I realized I was using vocal projection. I backed it down a notch, but the technique had already done its job. Nikki blinked once, twice, then nodded, almost like a woman in a dream. My stomach twisted at how quickly and easily I’d manipulated her, but there was no going back now. There was no way out but through.
“How long will you be gone?” she asked.
“Not long,” I said. “Enough for Armaeus to put Hera and Zeus on ice, and maybe for you to figure out who, if any, of the other gods escaped. Enough for me to learn what Gamon’s plans are, especially if she’s working with Interpol too.”
Nikki made a face. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She chummed up to SANCTUS as they were turning on Connecteds. Interpol wouldn’t be a leap. Can’t see her working with Dixie, but…there’s a lot about Dixie I couldn’t see up to now.”
I nodded, then pushed on. “The House of Swords needs to hold the line. Keep Interpol out of our business, and shore up our defenses.” I glanced up. “I think we’ve seen a taste of what’s coming, and we’re going to need to be ready for a lot more.”
“Ma-Singh’s not going to be happy.”
Despite everything, I chuckled. “No. But tell him not to worry too much. I’ll be back when I’ve handled this Interpol mess…and when I’ve gotten a better handle on what I’ve become,” I said. “I need to do more than strike out blindly against our enemies when I’m backed into a corner. If I can’t control my abilities, I’m as big a threat to the Connecteds as Gamon or the gods.” Or the Council, I heard Rangi’s voice reminding me stridently. Rangi, who’d defied the Council, magic, and the gods themselves, to shore up his own House. How could I do any less for all the Connecteds?
“Where will you go?” Nikki’s voice seemed quieter now, more distant. And when I turned back to her, I almost wavered in my resolve.
“I don’t know yet,” I said honestly. “But if you need me—say the word, I’ll be there. Please know that.” Beneath the sleeve of my jacket, my newly reinked arm throbbed with sudden urgency. When I’d asked Death to create a path that would always take me back to Nikki, I thought it’d been for Nikki’s benefit, not mine. Then Jimmy had taken his gun to me more recently…
I blinked.
Was this new path what I was supposed to follow now?
Another flare of pain snaked around my arm, lighting up the carefully inked trail, and I felt—no I knew, it was, sudden excitement kindling along my nerves. What was it Jimmy had said? Sometimes all other paths are closed to you, and you need to open your own doors.
The Eight of Cups was all about leaving the past behind, striking out on new paths, and becoming the person you were destined to be.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was time to do that and more.
“Miss Wilde.” The Magician’s voice was surprised, faintly strained, as if Armaeus had only now realized I was no longer in his penthouse, no longer even in the hotel. No longer where he could reach me, touch me, draw me quite so easily into the circle of his magic or his mystery. I left my barriers down for the briefest moment, savoring his touch, his question, his—
“Oi!” The shout in its sharp Cockney accent cracked across the night, shattering the moment. Nikki and I whirled. Two cops were rounding the corner, suddenly breaking into a jog. One of them pointed at me, picking up the pace. “You, stop right there!” he cried.
Gotta run, I thought to the Magician.
And I did.
~ ~ ~
Running Wilde
Join Sara in Decem
ber, 2017 as she masters her newly-strengthened abilities while on the run from enemies old and new. Interpol, SANCTUS and a host of competitors from Sara’s past join forces to stop her at any cost. The Devil himself becomes Sara’s closest ally in exploring the darkest corners of the world’s arcane strongholds to prepare for the violence to come. Meanwhile, mischievous magical vortexes, created by the presence of gods on earth, energize an increasingly restless Connected community—and shine a brutal light on how divided that community truly is. As Sara finally confronts the real combatants in the war on magic, she realizes everything she thought she knew…about the Arcana Council, the Houses of Magic, the Magician, and especially herself…was spectacularly wrong.
Want to keep apprised of the latest news of Immortal Vegas, get sneak peaks and free books? Sign up for my newsletter at www.jennstark.com/newsletter!
A Note From Jenn
Sara’s reading in the opening chapter of Call of the Wilde was challenged by her limited understanding of the target she’s trying to find, but the cards knew the truth of it all along. Those cards’ general interpretations are below, and here’s wishing you a world filled with the Empress, Ace of Swords and Two of Cups in only the most positive ways!
The Empress
Welcome to a time of bountiful harvest, productivity, fertility, creativity, love—essentially anything that involves an outpouring of generosity and abundance, it’s yours with the Empress. This card is a positive addition to any reading, and indicates that the universe is filled with gifts that it is just waiting to bestow upon you, and that your path will be lined with good luck and success. If you draw the Empress at the onset of a creative project, rest assured that project will go well and will bring you great abundance. The card is also a traditional indicator of motherhood/childbearing and robust health. In questions of money or career, once again…all indications are good for prosperous developments! You can’t go wrong with the Empress. If there’s any small warning at all, it’s to avoid over-indulging…the feast is yours to enjoy, but there’s nothing wrong with exercising a little moderation.
The Ace of Swords
Are you ready for a brand new project, intellectual pursuit, class or thought experiment to begin? You’d better be, because the Ace of Swords is all about fresh starts and jumping whole-heartedly into a new challenge. Most likely things are going to be moving fast and your thoughts will be churning to keep up with events, but with the crown pierced by the tip of the sword (crown chakra, anyone?) prepare to embark on an adventure that will require your highest thoughts. In a reading, drawing multiple Aces can also signify a general positive spin for the answer to your question, or the feeling that things are moving again after a delay. If you’re in the middle of a project or challenge and are feeling like you’re losing steam, the Ace of Swords signifies that you’re about to get your second wind. Now is not the time to slow down—instead, it’s all systems go, full steam ahead!
The Two of Cups
When the Two of Cups shows up in a reading, nearly everyone breathes a sigh of relief—whether the question is about romance, career, or health concerns. Why? Because this is the card of contracts made and honored, balance and harmony. Often considered the “marriage” card of the Tarot, when this Two shows up in your reading expect to come to some agreement with either a business partner, client, or loved one. You could get engaged or married, or you could find your soul mate or best friend, but no matter what, you’ll see eye-to-eye and heart-to-heart with this important significant other. If a specific union isn’t currently in play for you, the card becomes one of enjoying social activities with friends. You could get hired, get accepted to college, get a raise or promotion…or both. Bottom line, look to keeping things on an even keel for your highest success, because harmony rules with the Two of Cups!
Acknowledgments
As always, I am grateful to readers who expressed a strong interest in the series continuing with Call of the Wilde. Without you, these books wouldn’t be possible! My thanks go once more to Elizabeth Bemis as well for her beautiful work on my books and my site. Gene Mollica outdid himself with the cover of this book, capturing my vision perfectly. My editorial team of Linda Ingmanson and Toni Lee proved to be champion editors again, several times over…any mistakes in the manuscript are, of course, my own. My thanks to Edeena Cross for her beta read, and to Kristine Krantz, whose insights are always gold. And, of course, sincere thanks go to Geoffrey—particularly for the Heraion and the Myrmidons, and all the twists and turns they created. It’s been a Wilde ride.
About Jenn Stark
Jenn Stark is an award-winning author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She lives and writes in Ohio. . . and she definitely loves to write. In addition to her "Immortal Vegas" urban fantasy series, she is also author Jennifer McGowan, whose Maids of Honor series of Young Adult Elizabethan spy romances are published by Simon & Schuster, and author Jennifer Chance, whose Rule Breakers series of New Adult contemporary romances are published by Random House/LoveSwept and whose modern royals series, Gowns & Crowns, is now available.
You can find her online at http://www.jennstark.com, follow her on Twitter @jennstark, and visit her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorjennstark.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Other Books by Jenn Stark
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Running Wilde
A Note From Jenn
Acknowledgments
About Jenn Stark