by Kristie Cook
Rina tilted her head. “I cannot tell you that. I cannot even confirm the curse exists. But I do believe we can help the Summoned in some way. My intelligence team has noticed they, as well as many of their offspring, have gone missing in the last several months. Some may have disappeared as long as a year ago or more.”
“Wait. How many brothers are still alive?” I asked.
“Oh, darling, they live much longer than we do,” Rina said. “I know of at least six brothers, but when Tristan first came to us, he said there are more who have been in hiding. Perhaps all of them, back to Andronika’s son. Is that so, Tristan?”
“I’d heard rumors, but never confirmed it myself,” he clarified. “I don’t think Lucas even knows. When I was still with them, though, I knew of at least nine who were still alive.”
My jaw dropped. “And they’re all missing?”
“The ones we know we about, yes,” Rina said. “As well as some of their descendants.”
Wow. I hadn’t realized there were so many.
“What do you mean by missing?” Tristan asked as he settled against the back of the couch, his leathers squeaking against the leather cushion. “As in none of our people have seen them? Or as in they’ve disappeared from the face of the earth and not even the Daemoni know where they are?”
“Our people have not seen them anywhere in some time. They have tried to force Daemoni to talk, but have learned nothing, and our new converts also say they do not know anything.”
“So either the Daemoni don’t care, or Lucas is keeping it under wraps,” Tristan said.
“Correct,” Rina agreed.
“Do you think they’re dead?” I asked. “Did they kill them?”
Rina shook her head. “No, I do not sense their deaths. My instinct tells me they are in trouble, however. And I believe we can help them. You can help them.”
“And you think their taking Dorian has something to do with it?” Tristan asked.
“I do not know for certain, but I believe it may be related.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “But we still don’t know if it’s Lucas or Kali who has Dorian. Could they have them all?”
Rina didn’t answer me, but her head tilted the other way. A moment later, the door to her office opened and Mom entered. Rina nodded at her, Mom closed and locked the door, and came over to join us. I asked my question again, thinking Rina had been mentally distracted by Mom, but it was Mom who answered.
“Our people are still trying to find out more information,” Mom said, “but no, right now, we don’t know if it’s Lucas or Kali. My sense tells me it’s both, but my sense isn’t always reliable when it comes to Kali.”
“Which may be why you can’t sense Dorian either,” Tristan suggested. “If she has him.”
“Or it may be because there’s a powerful cloak on him, which could be done by any strong warlock,” Mom said.
“Like Owen,” I muttered.
“It’s possible,” Mom agreed as her gaze dropped to study something on the floor.
Rina’s eyes drifted over to the fireplace again, but she seemed to be farther away, her voice distant. “Nothing breaks the heart more than the betrayal of those we trust most. But we cannot permit such pain to consume us. Others’ actions and decisions cannot break us unless we allow it, which we must never do. We must forgive and we must heal. We must learn to open our hearts and love again. Otherwise, our souls will become as dark as theirs.”
Was she saying Owen had allowed himself to be broken? That his soul had become as dark as that of the sorceress he once despised? Such sadness filled Rina’s voice, I didn’t think she only spoke of Owen’s heart, but of ours as well. And not only of his decisions, but of others before him. He hadn’t been the first Amadis to abandon ship, and each time someone did, her heart must have truly broken.
“They are like my children, so each time is like losing Noah all over again,” Rina said, apparently listening to my thoughts. She returned her focus to us and lifted her voice. “We must move on, however. There are many who need our love and attention. Sophia, please brief them. You understand and can explain the technology better than I, no?”
Mom nodded. “As I told you on the phone, the Normans are on edge and with good reason. The Daemoni are doing all they can to instigate war. They’re hoping for World War III, if they can pull it off.”
“And all of the Norman politicians are in Lucas’s pocket?” Tristan asked. “He just has to tell them to move, I assume.”
“No, not all,” Mom answered. “Many yes, hoping to be protected by Lucas when all hell breaks loose. We have a few who actually take our advice as well. But most Normans are leery of the Daemoni and of us. They don’t trust anyone who’s not completely human, and they’re working together to figure out how to eliminate all of us. Alexis, you and Vanessa already experienced the silver ammunition when they caught you in Alaska?”
“But silver’s only good against the Daemoni,” I said. “I mean, getting shot didn’t exactly tickle, but it won’t incapacitate us like it will the Daemoni.”
“Except for the few in higher power positions and certain departments, the Normans don’t know that,” Mom said. “They’re still testing, trying to figure things out. In fact, civilian Normans don’t know we even exist—yet—and most of those in lower positions or smaller governments have only heard rumors.”
“We need to try to keep those rumors unproven,” Rina said. I looked at her with my brows pushed together, not sure I understood.
“We need to protect our secrecy as long as possible,” Mom clarified. “The Daemoni have technically broken our treaty of secrecy by not only telling some of these power-hungry Normans about us, but Lucas has convinced them we’re the dangerous ones. If such a rumor spreads to the masses, we could be in big trouble. For now, however, we still have our secrets, and we need to keep it that way.”
“We also have our relationships to manage,” Rina added. “We have worked hard over many years to build rapport with those authorities who are willing. We do not want to jeopardize losing those liaisons.”
Tristan stretched his arm over the back of the couch as he studied Rina, then Mom. “We appreciate the information—” he looked over at me with a glint in his eye, knowing how I hated politics “—at least, I do—but why are you telling us this? Does it have something to do with Dorian and the Summoned brothers?”
“It’s information we’ll be sharing with all of the Amadis,” Mom said, “but you and your team really need to understand the danger out there because you’ll be traveling so much.”
I cocked my head. “Where exactly are we going? Do you know something?”
“I sense Dorian, and maybe the others, in America. I believe on the East Coast, and if Blossom’s spell is working right, north of Florida. Unfortunately, this is the best information we have at this time.”
“So we start in Florida or Georgia and work our way north,” Tristan said. “Hopefully Blossom’s spell will keep us on a path.”
“There’s a problem, though. You probably shouldn’t flash,” Mom said.
“What?” I sputtered, thinking I heard her wrong. “Why not? What are we supposed to do?”
How could we do covert operations and free ourselves from danger if we couldn’t make a fast escape?
“The Normans are testing new technology, and not only weapons, but things like force fields that can stop a flash. In fact, they’ve created invisible walls even they can’t pass through, supposedly to protect their own people.”
“Like the wall on the Canadian border?” Tristan asked.
“Yes,” Mom said. “And there are others. Smaller contraptions with an electromagnetic field that interferes with the magic that allows us to flash. They’re basically traps—making us appear out of nowhere right where they want us. A few of our own have been caught with these. Even some of the smallest counties and cities are trying these to find proof of the rumors. Others are putting up your standard checkpoints, but
not for drunk drivers. They’re looking for non-humans. These are becoming really popular in the United States right now.”
“Wait. This is happening in the U.S.? Checkpoints and traps?”
“Yes, honey. And if you get caught, any of you, you must be very careful in how you handle the situation.” She seemed to be directing this especially at me, but Tristan caught on to her meaning before I did.
“We have to keep our calm and work with them,” he said.
“Correct,” Mom replied. “We don’t want to prove the Daemoni right that we’re dangerous. We don’t want to expose our secrets if we don’t have to. We need to be cooperative.”
“You must protect the relationships we have, as well,” Rina added. “Please take all precautions to do so.”
“In other words, we can’t lose our cool,” Tristan said as his hand landed on my knee and gave me a squeeze.
“Okay, I got it. You’d better tell the rest of our team, though,” I said, thinking specifically about Vanessa.
“We have, darling. They all understand what is at risk.”
I sat back against Tristan and crossed my legs. “So checkpoints and traps and no flashing.”
“Flash if you must,” Mom said, “but be prepared for problems if you do. I’d recommend good old Norman transportation as much as possible. It may be slower, but it’s safer and helps you blend in.”
“Understood. Anything else we need to know about?” I asked.
Mom and Rina exchanged a look, but Mom shook her head.
“That’s all we know at this time,” she said. “We do have people listening and watching, trying to gather more intel. But for now, all I can say is to be careful, honey. And remember your purpose—to protect the Amadis and all of humanity, even when they’re being difficult.”
“Listen to their minds, Alexis,” Rina said. “Find out who they serve. If your lives are in danger, do what you must. I know you will make the right decisions, whatever you may face. You are ready for this.”
Mom stood and went over to Rina’s desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a bag of what looked like weed. At least, what I’d seen in pictures and on TV, since I had no experience with it myself.
“And don’t forget,” she said, “we still need another daughter. Blossom will ensure you drink the tea.”
She tossed the bag into my lap, and I wrinkled my nose when I recognized the herbal leaves. “Blech. The nasty tea I spit out all over the floor?”
I tried not to gag at the memory of drinking the concoction that tasted like gasoline.
“It will help your body prepare for pregnancy,” she said. “It worked for me, so hopefully it will work for you.”
I nodded with resignation, knowing they expected another daughter. I still wasn’t sure we needed one—I still wanted to believe Dorian could lead the Amadis one day—but I would certainly try my damnedest to produce one. I felt as though a daughter would complete our family . . . although I struggled with the idea of bringing a baby into this world. She would bring a whole lot of hope to the Amadis, though, and hope was always a good thing.
“Anything else?” Tristan asked. “Or can we begin our mission?”
“The rest of your team is being prepped,” Mom said, “but you should be able to leave tonight.”
“We do have an addition to your team,” Rina said, and I suppressed a groan, expecting Julia to walk in at any moment. But she didn’t. Nobody did. “He is also being prepared.”
My brow lifted. “He?”
“Jaxon, the were-crocodile from Australia.” She smiled when my jaw dropped. “You must have made quite an impression on him, darling. We had not heard from him directly for decades, and not only has he traveled all the way here, but he has specifically requested to be assigned to your guard.”
Tristan looked at me with a smirk as he shook his head. “Yeah, quite the impression,” he murmured.
“Do not worry, Tristan,” Rina said. “His intentions are noble. I made certain of it. However, Blossom, the dear, may have caught his eye.”
“Really?” I asked.
“I believe so. They crossed paths only briefly in front of my office door, but his thoughts about her came quite clearly. And loudly.”
“I can only imagine,” I muttered.
This could become very interesting . . . or a problem. Blossom needed a distraction from her breakup with the vampire-barista on Captiva, and she deserved a good guy like Jax. But none of us needed either of them to be distracted from our missions with a budding romance—or worse, a disastrous one. I shook my head at myself. Rina hadn’t said anything about Blossom having similar thoughts, so there may have been nothing to worry about.
Besides, love was not something to worry about anyway. We had real problems to conquer.
Mom explained that Jax would make an excellent guard. His species—the saltwater crocodile—was the biggest and most dangerous form of reptile in existence today, making him a perfect soldier against other were-animals and vampires. The power of his jaw could hold any creature captive without tearing it to pieces . . . unless that was the goal.
“He is a perfect addition to your team,” Rina added before dismissing us. I could tell she’d already had a strenuous day and hoped she’d be able to catch a nap.
A few hours after the sun slid behind the horizon, she announced in all of our heads that the jet was ready and waiting for us.
I immediately jumped to my feet from the couch in Mom’s office, dumping Sasha onto the floor. The lykora let out a snuff of annoyance as she glared at me. She’d been in my lap while I poured over a list of names of Normans who could help us if we needed it, while Mom studied reports at her desk, mumbling to herself about how first-graders would do a better job than the idiots in political office. Listening to her confirmed my thought—and Rina’s opinion—that I didn’t belong here, doing their kind of work. I belonged in the field, and it was finally time to go.
“I wonder if we should leave you here where it’s safe,” I said aloud to Sasha, and she cocked her dog-like head to the side.
Tristan, who’d been sitting with me, rose to his feet. “There’s a reason I gave you the nickname I did. Like you, a lykora isn’t meant to be tucked away in a safe place. She’s meant to defend, to fight.”
Mom came around from behind her desk to accompany us to the airstrip. “Let her serve her purpose, Alexis. She’s stronger and more resilient than you can imagine, and she wants nothing more than to be at her master’s side. She’s probably aching to find Dorian as much as you are.”
I scooped her up and gave her a pat on the head. “I guess that’s settled then. You come with us.”
Her blue tongue swiped over my hand in agreement.
Before flashing to the airstrip, we stopped by Rina’s office to say goodbye. I wrapped my arms around her frail little body, hoping she was wrong about not getting any better. She’d once said she believed I’d gone through the Ang’dora at such a young age because the Amadis needed as many daughters as possible for this war. I held onto the belief that she would be with us for many years to come.
“Thank you,” I murmured into her ear, “for letting us find our son. I promise if there’s anything we can do for the others, we will.”
“I know, darling. I know you will be the leader you are meant to be.”
I pulled back slightly to look at her. “I love you, Rina.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “And I love you.”
“We’ll see you soon, right?”
She pulled me into a hug and whispered, “I hope so, dear. But that is in God’s and the Angels’ hands.”
Sadness welled up in my chest and constricted my throat as we held each other for a moment longer.
“Go now, darling,” she said as she pulled away from me. “Go find your son.”
We flashed from Rina’s office to the airstrip where my team began to gather.
“Don’t forget your main purpose,” Mom reminded me as we strode over to the o
thers.
“I know. Protect humanity. Convert everyone we can. Build our army.”
She slipped her arm around me and pulled me closer to her. She whispered into my ear, “And have lots of sex.”
“Mother!”
She chuckled. “What? We need a baby girl. At least one of your missions is fun.”
I shook my head, then was suddenly saddened by Mom’s still single status. “Have you met anyone on the Island?”
“Hmph. Those who live on the Island aren’t exactly my type.”
I understood. Most of the Island residents were Amadis who weren’t strong fighters for one reason or another. They lived here because it provided a place of refuge. They wouldn’t know how to handle Mom, and she’d get frustrated, needing someone strong and adventurous.
“Don’t worry about me, though,” Mom said. “Time with my true love may have been short, but it was more powerful and full of more passion than most people get to experience in a lifetime. I have other things to worry about, as do you.”
We reached the bottom of the steps to the jet, where the others congregated. Everyone who came to the Island with us had arrived, as well as Jax, except Bree. I opened my mouth to ask if she was coming when she appeared in front of us, all golden and shining in the night.
“I wondered if you were coming with us,” I said. “You’re the last to arrive.”
“Well, no, I’m not.” Her mouth stretched into a grin that lit up her inhumanly beautiful face, and although I was disappointed she wouldn’t be coming with us, I could see that whatever she’d be doing was good for her. “I’ll still be helping you, though, but in other ways. I get to return to the Otherworld!”
“Oh! That’s wonderful!” I threw myself at her in a hug.
“The Angels told Ms. Katerina I had served my duty here and performed it to their satisfaction. They’re allowing me back with full faerie privileges.”
I stepped away so Tristan could congratulate her and say his goodbyes. They didn’t have anything resembling a normal mother-son relationship, not after what they’d been through, but they held mutual respect and adoration for each other. Bree loved Tristan unconditionally as parents do, and I thought Tristan had grown to return that love once he came to know her as the person she really was, not the evil witch the Daemoni had made her out to be.