Desmond glanced around us at the Trackers who were searching the theater. “We need to check every Tracker for a mark.”
“Colin,” I said. “You first.”
“What mark?” he asked looking confused.
I made a motion with my hand. “Bend over a little so that I can see behind your left ear.”
He leaned down and I pushed away the soft gold of his hair. His skin was warm as my fingers brushed the soft flesh.
Colin straightened as I stepped away. “No marks at all,” I said to Desmond.
“Fill me in then,” Colin said.
I explained the mark to him, only found on Hosts that a Sentient has taken over.
“We should work as a team, examining one Tracker at a time,” I said. “The three of us together in case one of our bunch does happen to be a Host and controls that Tracker’s abilities.”
“Let’s do it,” Colin said and we headed toward Joshua.
TWENTY-NINE
Amory kept his emotions contained as he stood in front of ten of his twelve advisors on his balcony and looked out over the nearly four hundred unsealed Hosts and an equal number of Shells—what the paranorms called Zombies.
He would have found the term “Zombies” amusing if it hadn’t been for the fact he didn’t know what to do with the Zombies. It was not supposed to have turned out this way.
“It did not work,” Jalen said from behind him. “What now, my lord?”
Amory’s jaw tensed and his fingers twitched. He ached to turn and blast Jalen to cinders. The advisor questioned him at every turn. If not for the others, Amory would have done away with him long ago.
But he needed the trust and allegiance of all of his other advisors and he could not afford to eliminate one of them simply because that advisor continued to question his actions.
Although it would be extremely satisfying.
“Do not trouble yourself as to what is next, Jalen,” Amory said after letting moments pass. “I will deal with this problem and the issue will be solved in time.”
Amory continued to let his gaze pass over those assembled in front of him, including members of his military who were ensuring none of those assembled could leave.
Were there any significant acquisitions?
“In days you plan to take the bodies of a million new Hosts,” Jalen said and Amory ground his teeth. “You cannot bring such an incredible number of beings through the portal in order to seal the Hosts.”
Amory kept his back to his advisors. “This was a test.”
“A test that failed,” Jalen said.
“Enough.” Amory whirled and faced Jalen. Lightning flashed just yards from the balcony and the immediate crack of thunder was deafening. A rush of wind spun dead leaves and dust across the floor of the balcony, around the feet of the ten advisors in attendance.
None of the advisors flinched, and Amory had not expected them to. But if he wasn’t mistaken, the corner of Jalen’s mouth twitched as if amused that he had affected Amory. Advisor or not, Jalen might soon die.
“I will seal these Hosts today.” Amory’s Host had a much deeper voice than his own had been. It sounded more deadly and more powerful in this body than the one he had grown old in, then discarded. “As I seal them I will be able to perfect the process.”
“I would hope so, Lord Amory,” Jalen said. “You have little time or our move to our new world could be endangered.”
“Endanger. What will endanger my plan? What can stop this?” Amory bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes. “Nothing can or will.”
LeeLa, the Earth Otherworld surgeon, cleared her throat. “I understand you have excellent news regarding your niece.”
Amory calmed his expression and let the storm of his emotions subside a little. “Una and Tieve brought back word that Bryna has been found in a paranorm infirmary. She is in her target Host, the female named Candace Moreno.” Amory released an inward sigh of relief that his favorite niece would soon be recovered. “Tonight they will ensure she is freed and returned here to Doran for sealing.”
“It will be good to have her back amongst us,” LeeLa said.
“Bryna is too valuable of an asset to have been lost as she had,” Jalen said with a scowl. “As an advisor she has information that would be unfortunate in the hands of those in the Earth Otherworld. I am surprised she has not been recovered yet.”
Amory studied the male who looked the part—just as arrogant and pompous as the Army general whose body he had taken. Information on the general had been well researched before Jalen had been sent to replace him. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea to give Jalen that Host body.
Unfortunately it was too late.
Amory ground his teeth. But he had other ways to deal with problems. “You may be excused,” he said to his advisors.
They began to bow and turn away but Amory said, “Jalen, I wish for you to stay and oversee today’s sealing.”
“I must return to the Earth Otherworld,” Jalen said.
“And I must insist you stay.” The chill in Amory’s voice made Jalen’s eyes flicker. Almost imperceptible, but it was that slight moment in time when Amory knew Jalen was afraid of him. It was one of the few instances he had seen weakness from the advisor.
A smile threatened to turn up the corner of Amory’s mouth. But he maintained his scowl. “Join me. We have much to do.”
Jalen hesitated only a fraction before he walked forward to stand beside Amory.
The Sorcerer turned his attention from Jalen to the crowd and let his voice ring out as he said, “Do any of you have information from your Host that may be of significance to our takeover of the Earth Otherworld?”
Out of the four hundred Hosts standing before him only half a dozen approached the balcony and looked up at him. One by one they gave him information they considered significant.
The first five would be very useful. A well-known news reporter for The New York Times who had been researching instances of slayings and disappearances; the daughter of the owner of a major television network; a scientist who studied biochemical warfare; even a paranorm who was a Metamorph, able to take on the persona of any human she wished to …
And the best prize of all … a Tracker.
Amory looked over the sea of Hosts and Shells. “All Hosts, please sign in for your scheduled time. You may not know what knowledge you possess that may be valuable. You will fill out the questionnaire and will be called as needed.”
He pointed to each of five of the six Hosts standing in front of him. “You five, go to the Knowledge Center now for your full debriefing.
“Tracker.” He looked at the sixth Host. “You will remain with me for now.” This Host looked far from one of the elite paranorm fighting force known as the Night Trackers. Instead she looked more like a silly young female with her pert features, small frame, and long blond curls that tumbled over her shoulders and down her back.
But when she spoke it was with intelligence and authority. In just a few words and with the power he commanded, he determined she was decisive, independent, loyal, and could not only protect herself but others as well.
“What is your name?” Amory asked.
“My Kerran name is Aela.” She tossed curls over her shoulder. “My Host’s name is Angel.”
“Angel.” He repeated the name aloud because he liked the sound of it. It had been a long time since Amory had felt the stirrings of desire and his new Host’s body felt it with a power he hadn’t experienced before. “I’m sure you have much to tell me.” His voice lowered to a deeper rumble. “I would like to discuss it with you in private.”
The Host’s self-assured expression cracked and Amory saw the underlying Kerran’s fear to be alone with him. He remembered the female she had been before. A plain, forgettable female with no backbone.
No longer would that be true. Her plain, forgettable Shell was out there somewhere and would one day be destroyed or fail.
Amory just smiled. “Join me on th
e balcony, Angel.”
“Aela.” There was a stubborn set to her jaw. “I am Aela.”
“Not anymore.” Amory gave the young female a look that made her cringe. “Now, Angel.”
The female moved through the crowd until she was at the foot of the balcony. He flicked his finger and heard the raw scrape of metal against metal as he unlocked the gate. Its hinges squeaked as it swung open.
Her footsteps were almost silent as she ascended the steps. He barely heard the breath of sound as she climbed higher on the staircase.
Amory turned his focus on Jalen. “You will organize the Hosts and Shells and arrange for their care.”
Jalen opened his mouth but Amory made a slight turning motion with his fingers and the advisor’s mouth snapped shut. His eyes widened and his jaws worked as he tried to open his mouth.
“Much better.” He wasn’t killing the bastard, was he? So there was no conflict with his advisors as far as he was concerned. “You will organize the Hosts by age and separate males from females.” It wasn’t necessary, but it would keep the advisor busy. “Have the wranglers take the Shells to the corrals. We’ll deal with the Zombies later.”
Jalen put his hands to his mouth, begging with his eyes for Amory to release the spell.
Amory flicked his fingers at Jalen, and an exhalation of relief and fear came out the moment the advisor’s mouth opened.
The Host named Angel approached them. Amory smiled at her and she looked terrified in response.
For some reason he’d always had that effect on females. With the exception of those paid to please him.
“Go.” Amory turned to Jalen and waved his fingers in the direction of the stairs that Angel had just walked up. “Bring word to me yourself when you have completed your task.”
Jalen nodded, but before he could turn away, Amory said, “Send the five Hosts I spoke with earlier to my garden, after they are debriefed, so they can be sealed. Assign two escorts. The others can be sealed tomorrow after their tests are examined.”
Jalen rushed down the flight of steps leading from the balcony to where eight hundred Hosts and Shells waited for instruction.
Amory held back a smile as he watched as Jalen approach the heads of his military. The advisor would gather them together to perform the exercise he had been requested to do.
“Come.” Amory looked at Angel and gave a slight inclination of his head toward the open archway leading back into the manor.
Normally he would have taken her to the garden like the others. It was where he preferred to seal individual Hosts or small groups. He wasn’t sure what he would do yet with the four hundred Hosts he needed to seal.
Instead of taking her to the garden, he would bring her to his personal chambers and debrief her. The she would serve him in ways that made his own new Host body stir.
He sensed fear coming from the female, yet at the same time the strong impression of the female Host’s will to fight. For some reason both emotions coming from her pleased him.
When they reached his bedchambers, Amory released the two servants from the quarters, sending them away. He escorted Angel to the largest sitting room that had airy open windows, comfortable couches, and soft floor cushions.
The air was still but cool and smelled of the flowers from the garden as well as the female Host’s soft perfume.
“Sit.” Amory pointed toward the smallest reclining couch with its soft cushions in silks and velvets that matched the rest of the sitting room. Everything surrounding them was in shades ranging from sugar-snap green to deep-water blue and sunrise purple.
Angel kept her eyes on him and perched on the edge of the reclining couch, her hands clenched at her sides. She looked like she would either run or fight him at any moment.
Ah. He nodded to himself in understanding. Because she wasn’t yet sealed she didn’t have complete and singular devotion to him.
Amory found her rather entertaining in this state. He would wait until he was through with her—through with her in all ways—before he sealed her Host.
“What news do you have for me, Tracker?” He sat near her on the couch and she scooted a little farther from him. “Tell me all that you know.”
“Desmond.” The name came out of her mouth like a slap. “The Sorcerer Desmond is alive.”
“What?” The name caused Amory to recoil. “In the Earth Otherworld?”
Was that satisfaction on her face as she told him something she had to know would upset him? He had the sudden desire to backhand her. He ground his teeth to get his emotions under control.
“Explain,” he said.
Angel told him about the visit to the Magi, how they had heard about Desmond, and what the Trackers were doing to try and stop Amory. This Tracker, Angel, knew far more than anything the Host named Lawan had been able to give him.
When she was finished, the Sorcerer let his anger rise up and manifest in one way he hadn’t expressed for longer than he could remember.
“Remove your clothing,” Amory said, and Angel’s eyes widened.
“No.” She stood and glared at him. “I will not.”
Amory scowled, not sure if this would be good sport or not.
“Take them off.” He rose to his feet, his voice a deep growl.
She took a step back. “No.”
He started to make a gesture that would take total control of her.
She dissolved …
Melted away …
Shifted into a squirrel.
Amory was so shocked that for a moment he didn’t know what to do. There were no shapeshifters in his world and he hadn’t expected her to shift without his permission.
Before he had a chance to recover, the squirrel named Angel scampered under the couch, up the window seat, through an open window, and out into his gardens.
Rage shook Amory to his core.
He went to the window and looked out. “Angel!” he bellowed.
She was nowhere to be seen.
A bell jingled behind him and Amory whirled.
“My Lord.” A messenger stood at the entrance to the chambers, his head bowed.
“What is it?” Amory said, trying to restrain the fury he felt within.
“I have a message from Fala,” the messenger said, naming Amory’s twelfth advisor, who had not been present today.
Amory gestured to the young male. “Speak.”
“The Earth Otherworld Council is taken,” the messenger said. “Fala and her team have secured them all.”
THIRTY
Thursday, December 30
“NYPD has been flooded with calls.” I frowned at my computer monitor while Desmond ate his bagel.
It was only a few hours after finally leaving the mess at the theater and heading to my office.
“Almost four hundred people were reported missing from the concert at Town Hall last night,” I added before I frowned. “Including Angel.” My stomach twisted. “Did the Sorcerer get her?”
“I hope for her sake that he did not,” Desmond said. He sat in one of the chairs in front of my desk, eating a bagel with lox and cream cheese with chives. He looked even more rumpled than he had last night. A sexy sort of rumpled in a good-looking, mad-scientist kind of way.
Desmond nodded, but his eyes had the look of a man mulling things over in his mind and barely registering the comments of those around him.
“Town Hall’s box office reported ticket sales of over eight hundred for that concert.” I looked at my cinnamon raisin bagel, but with Angel missing, I didn’t feel like eating anything. I hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday and Desmond had gone out and bought us fresh bagels for breakfast from a place on Amsterdam Avenue.
I turned my thoughts to the larger part of the problem. “What happened to the other four hundred not reported missing?”
“Amory.” Desmond wiped his fingers clean with a paper napkin and rubbed a spot of cream cheese off his mouth. “I believe this was a botched attempt at something done on a greater scale tha
n he’s done before. Whatever it is that he’s done, Amory hadn’t planned to take four hundred Hosts and four hundred Shells back to Doran.”
“You think that the Sorcerer had that many Sentients there at the concert to trade essences?” I asked.
He rested his elbow on the chair’s arm and rubbed his stubbly chin with his fingers “On Doran I never saw or heard of Amory doing such a large exchange of essences at one time.” He moved his hand away from his face and rested his elbows on the chair’s arms. “If he is able to perfect it, he could exchange essences with thousands. Millions even. Theoretically it is entirely possible.”
I pushed at my bagel on its napkin before I rubbed my arms with my palms trying to suppress a chill. “If he can do this with a mass number of people…” I trailed off while shaking my head. “I can’t begin to imagine what that would mean to this world.”
“Quick, complete, and total takeover,” Desmond said. “This world would eventually no longer be your own. And there is nothing the humans can do about it.”
“It’s up to us.” I looked at Olivia’s empty desk and swallowed down an ache that developed in my throat. Not only was my friend missing, but her body was Host to a Kerran now and I was going to have to interview her.
I blew out a sharp breath. “Where do we start?”
Desmond got to his feet. “First we need to get to the infirmary and interrogate the Host Candace Moreno.”
I was relieved he didn’t pick interviewing Olivia’s Host first. It was not going to be easy.
Rather than driving, we decided to take the C train because it would take us to the 168th Street station. The paranorm infirmary was deep below Columbia University Medical Center.
On our way out of the office to the subway station at 103rd Street, I called Rodán to tell him what Desmond and I had just discussed, and what we were doing now.
I’d already filled Rodán in on everything that had happened yesterday and so far today, with the exception of my lunch with Adam. That, I left out.
When I told Rodán about Desmond transferring me into a Host body he was concerned, but I reminded him that the Magi had said I must do whatever the Sorcerer Desmond asked of me. There really wasn’t a choice anyway.
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