by I. T. Lucas
The girl rolled her eyes. “I’m fifteen, not five. Of course, I drink coffee.” She pushed to her feet. “I’ll help make it.”
That was strange. Ana had assumed that Lisa was Amanda’s niece, but the woman didn’t seem to know the girl very well.
Why had she brought her along?
“I heard that you have a special talent.” Amanda trained her deep blue eyes on Ana. “I’m very curious about it, and I would like to run a few tests on you if you don’t mind.”
That was unexpected. “What kind of tests?”
Amanda pulled a pack of cards out of her purse. “When I’m not making people look fabulous, I research paranormal abilities. I’m a neuroscientist.”
Gorgeous and smart?
Life was unfair.
“What’s in the cards?”
“Different shapes. I’m going to lift a card, look at the shape, and you are going to try to guess what it is by reading my mind.”
“I’m not telepathic.”
“You never know until you put it to the test.” She winked.
For the next fifteen minutes, Ana guessed shapes and colors, getting some right and most wrong.
Amanda put her cards back in her purse. “You have a slightly elevated ability, but it’s not significant.”
“What does that mean?” Anastasia asked. “Was it higher than normal or not?”
“It means that it could have been a fluke. You need to do many repetitions of the same tests, and if you keep doing better than average, then you might have some talent, but not enough to make a living as a fortune teller.”
Anastasia chuckled. “I’m so disappointed. What am I going to do with my life now?”
“Anything you want. Mey and Jin have tremendous paranormal abilities, but they chose not to use them at all. Instead, they want to make comfortable clothing for working women.” Amanda grimaced. “An admirable goal, but it sounds so boring. Clothes are not just something to cover our bodies with. They are a form of self-expression, and regrettably, comfortable usually does not equate fabulous.”
“It can,” Lisa said. “I’ve seen Stella’s designs, and they are both comfy and pretty. They might not meet your level of fabulous, but they are good enough for most women.”
“Do you have a paranormal talent?” Ana blurted. “I mean, if you are researching them, you must have a special interest in the field.”
“My special talent is looking fab and making others look fab as well.” She pushed to her feet. “Which brings us to the second part of this lovely afternoon. Let’s move this party to the bedroom and start trying things on.”
Ana looked at Leon. “Is this okay with you? It will probably take a while.”
“It definitely will.” Amanda offered her a hand up. “Leon and Bowen are big boys, and I’m sure they can find something to entertain themselves with. Right?”
Leon nodded. “Have fun. Bowen and I are going to be outside.” He looked at his former partner. “I didn’t check the shed yet. Do you think the bows and arrows we made are still there?”
“Should be. Target practice?” Bowen opened the door.
“Naturally.” Leon followed him out.
That sounded more fun than trying on outfits, but there was no way Ana could refuse Amanda after all the trouble she’d gone to.
“I’m excited,” Lisa said. “I’ve only seen makeovers on YouTube. Do you think you can give me one?”
Amanda put her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “You are perfect the way you are. But I promise to give you one for your sixteenth birthday.”
“Deal.”
14
Leon
“Turner wants an update on the cult,” Bowen said as he followed Leon to the shed.
“Why didn’t he call me?”
His former partner smiled sheepishly. “Everyone assumed that you were too busy to be bothered, but since we were already coming up here with the clothes and with Lisa, he figured I could catch you alone for a few minutes.”
“What’s the deal with that? Is there a reason you brought the girl along?”
“Lisa thinks that she can sense Dormants, and Amanda wanted to test her ability. Obviously, it’s not something that we can rely on, but it will be interesting to see if she was right about Anastasia.”
Everyone had been hoping to find a way to detect Dormants. If the girl could do that, it would be a game-changer.
“Did the girl say anything?”
“She gave Amanda the thumbs-up when Anastasia wasn’t looking, so I guess it’s a yes.”
“I hope so. I don’t know how long I can keep her in the dark about the biting. She’s already suspicious.”
“I would be worried if she wasn’t,” Bowen said. “How clueless can a woman be, right?”
“Anastasia is definitely not clueless. In fact, she has a very suspicious mind, but I’m doing everything I can to keep the biting to a minimum and cover up when I succumb to the need.” Leon pulled the shack’s door open and turned on the light. “Look at this beauty.” He walked over to the brand new BMW motorcycle. “An 850 GS. It’s a shame to leave it rusting up here.”
“I didn’t know you were into motorbikes. Do you even ride?”
“I don’t, but ever since I watched The Long Way Up, I’ve been thinking about getting one and taking it for a long trip. I have a ton of unused vacation days, and I need some time off.”
If things didn’t work out with Anastasia and he had to part ways with her, a tour like that would be just what he needed to help him get over her.
Except, Leon had a feeling that that would be impossible. Already, she’d left a mark on his heart that wasn’t going anywhere.
“What is it about?” Bowen asked.
“It’s a documentary. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on a motorcycle trip from the southern tip of Chile all the way up to Los Angeles.”
Bowen arched a brow. “Not your usual thing to watch.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? It was damn boring in West Virginia. So what does Turner want to know?”
“Whatever you deem important.”
“On the surface of things, nothing nefarious is going on. Safe Haven is a money-making machine, and I think that’s all it is. The only suspicious thing we’ve uncovered so far was one guy claiming that Emmett’s sex partners need a day to recuperate after sharing his bed. The guy could be a sex fiend, or he might be using Viagra, but that’s no concern of ours. We were supposed to find out whether the cult was involved in trafficking, and it is not. Anastasia is friends with a woman who’s been a member for many years, and she hasn’t mentioned anyone disappearing under suspicious circumstances. According to her, over the years, only a handful of people have left the cult after joining.”
Bowen walked over to where the bows they’d made were propped against the wall. “What if the leader is compelling them to forget about those who went missing?”
“Eleanor says that compulsion doesn’t work that way. Making someone forget can only be done by thralling the memories away, and I doubt Emmett can do that. No human can.”
“What if he isn’t human?” Bowen handed Leon one of the bows.
“We’ve considered that, but then his sex partners wouldn’t have been exhausted the day after. They would have been walking on a cloud.” Leon slung the bow over his shoulder.
Bowen shrugged. “I never stay long enough to see what the ladies are like the day after, so I wouldn’t know.”
“What about Lisa’s mother? I heard that the two of you have gotten close.”
“Not that close. Ronja is a fine woman, and I like her a lot, but she is still grieving. I enjoy spending time with her and Lisa, and they need me around, but that’s all. Ronja and I are just friends.”
From what Eleanor had said, it seemed like more was going on than Bowen was admitting to, but it was his business and no one else’s.
Leon found the quiver of arrows and handed it to Bowen. “Ready for some target practice?”
/> “It has been a long time.” His friend opened the door.
“How is Wendy doing? I didn’t have a chance to talk to her after returning from West Virginia.”
“She’s doing great. You wouldn’t recognize her. The girl is smiling nonstop.”
“Vlad is good to her.”
“Vlad is a sweetheart, but it’s not just that. She feels at home in the village. She’s part of the community.”
Leon grimaced. “After Safe Haven, the word community carries a negative connotation for me.”
“Was it that bad?” Bowen propped up the makeshift target they’d made against a tree.
“I met Anastasia there, so no, it wasn’t all bad. It’s just that they kept saying that word over and over again, and I got tired of hearing it. I feel sorry for Peter and Eleanor for having to endure more of that crap.”
“Speaking of Eleanor, how was it working with her?”
“Surprisingly fun. She is a good teammate. A little impatient, impulsive, and rough around the edges, but with training, she will make a fine Guardian one day.”
“Seriously? You would trust her to have your back?”
“Yeah, I would.”
Bowen shook his head. “I wouldn’t. She'll need to prove herself on many more missions before I trust her completely. Until then, I’m going to watch her closely.”
“That’s probably a more prudent approach.” Leon notched an arrow and let it fly. “But my gut tells me that she can be trusted.” He turned to Bowen. “And given her ability, she could be an asset to the Guardian force.”
15
Kian
“What’s the story with the cult?” Kian poured whiskey into two glasses and handed one to Turner.
“Did you talk to Leon?”
“I figured I’d get the story from you rather than bug Leon with it. He’s busy romancing the girl. Bowen said that you asked him to get an update when he went up there, but I didn’t have a chance to talk to him yet.”
Turner chuckled. “I don’t envy Leon the convoluted stories he needs to come up with to explain his oddities. Bowen called me from the road and said that Lisa liked Anastasia. The girl thinks she’s a Dormant.”
“Good to know, but it’s neither here nor there. Leon likes Anastasia as well, and that proves nothing.” Kian pulled a box of cigarillos from his desk drawer. “Care to join me on the roof?”
Turner didn’t look happy about it, but he pushed to his feet nonetheless. “Do you still have heaters up there?”
“I do, and it’s not raining or windy tonight, so it should be quite pleasant.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” He followed Kian out the door. “Leon said that the only suspicious thing the team uncovered so far is that the leader is exhausting his sex partners. Apparently, they need a day off to recuperate.”
Kian frowned. “Does he hurt them? What do they think is going on?”
Turner shrugged. “It doesn’t look that way. The guy who told them about it said there are no visible bruises. The women just look drained and tired. I suspect drugs, but unless the cult is peddling them to kids, it’s none of our business. We are not the police.”
“Are you planning to pull Peter and Eleanor out?” Kian opened the roof door and held it for Turner.
“Not yet. Leon said that they want to snoop around some more, and I’m not in a rush. Do you need Peter back?”
“Onegus didn’t mention him, so I assume that he’s not needed at the moment.” Kian turned the heater on and sat down on one of the lounge chairs.
“You said that you wanted to talk about China.” Turner sat on the other.
“I’m waiting for a call from Lokan. He texted me earlier, asking when was a good time, and I told him to call at eight because I wanted you to be here when he did.”
Turner glanced at his watch. “We have six minutes.”
“Right.” Kian lit his cigarillo. “I’ve already told you the gist of it. Navuh wants Lokan and Losham to establish a new center of influence in China. Lokan’s problem is obviously Carol, and how to hide her from Losham and the platoon of warriors his father plans to send with him. He wants your advice on that, but I want to discuss the bigger picture. Navuh isn’t stupid, and he is right about China’s rise to global power and the danger it poses to all immortals.” He took a puff from his cigarillo. “For once, our concerns are actually aligned with the Brotherhood’s.”
“What do you want to do about it?”
Kian chuckled. “I hoped you would have some ideas. With all our resources, and all of our mind-control abilities, taking on China still feels like a flea trying to take on an elephant. Do we have a chance in hell of stopping this boulder midway before it crushes us?”
Turner rubbed a hand over his jaw. “It’s definitely complicated. Effecting change in non-democracies is difficult. We don’t have free access to movie making and literature that can influence how people think. There is no freedom of expression and everything that is not perfectly aligned with party goals gets censored. That makes grassroots movement nearly impossible. Navuh, obviously, does not concern himself with trivialities like the people’s free choice, and he will go directly after the leaders, which is why he wants Lokan there. Perhaps we can use Lokan to steer things in a way that will be beneficial to us as well.”
“My thoughts precisely. But if he can’t take Carol with him, he’s not going to do it. He will make the final step and cross over to us.”
“Then we can send him together with Carol to establish our own new center of influence in Beijing.”
“Too dangerous. If Lokan disappears, Navuh will send Losham alone. If they both go after the same people, they are bound to bump into each other.”
“Not to mention what Navuh would do if his only remaining true son has gone missing. He might suspect us of killing him, and he will seek vengeance.”
“I didn’t think of that, but you are right. Lokan can’t cross over without careful planning and a cover story that will make it clear that we had nothing to do with it.”
Turner leaned back in the chair. “He shouldn’t cross over at all.”
As Kian mulled over what was right and what was needed, his phone rang.
“It’s Lokan.” He accepted the call. “Hello, cousin. You are on speaker, and I have Turner here with me.”
“Good evening. I have good news. Losham managed to convince Navuh that sending us both to China is not needed at this stage. I am to go alone, secure appropriate lodging, and establish a business venture that will be my cover. I can take Carol with me.”
“Did you talk to her?” Kian asked.
“I did, and she’s excited. Losham suggested that I start a fashion label catering to both genders. Since I know absolutely nothing about it, I will need to hire talent to come with me. Carol can pose as the marketing expert.”
A light bulb went off in Kian’s head. “Imagine what you could do if you take Jin with you as the fashion expert. She and Mey are already working on their label. This could be an excellent synergy.”
Understanding immediately where Kian was going with this, Turner smiled and nodded, but Lokan was a little slower.
“Why would you want to help my father?”
“I don’t. I want to help my clan. But since for once our interests align, you can work for us at the same time. Neither of us wants China to become the next superpower and implement their social monitoring globally.”
“True, but you want to be able to nudge them toward democracy, while my father wants to instigate inner conflicts and escalate hot spots so they will be too busy putting out fires to pursue their global agenda.”
“I don’t approve of Navuh’s methods, but perhaps that could work to our advantage. If he sends warriors with you, they can get busy doing what the Brotherhood is good at, instigating conflicts in the provinces. That will free you to do your thing with the leadership. If I can convince Jin to go with you and use her talents, that task will become much easier.”
&n
bsp; Turner shook his head. “If you want Jin to go, you will need to send Arwel as well, and probably also Mey and Yamanu. Jin would not agree to start a business without her sister.”
Kian pulled another cigarillo from the pack and lit it up. “I can’t give up Yamanu. He’s too important to the clan’s defense. He and Mey will have to stay.”
“Then you will have a problem convincing Jin to go,” Turner said. “Her dream is to run a fashion business with her sister. She’s not going to give it up to become a spy.”
That was true. Jin didn’t like using her talent for spying, and she loved the village. If she refused, Kian wouldn’t press the issue.
“It was just an idea. We need to give it much more thought, and I’ll approach Jin only when we have a concrete plan. If she says no, then we will make it work without her.”
Turner nodded. “Agreed.”
“Before you go, I have a favor I need to ask from you,” Lokan said. “Losham is coming to Washington in a week or two, and I have to see Carol before that. Can you arrange runabout travel plans for both of us to meet in one of your safe houses?”
“Do you still have a tail?” Turner asked.
“I do.”
“Call me tomorrow in the afternoon. I’ll have a plan ready.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
16
Anastasia
The outfits Amanda had bought were all gorgeous, but the little black dress and matching stilettos were what Ana wanted to wear for Leon tonight.
The problem was that they had nowhere to go, and dressing so fancily for dinner at the cabin seemed silly.
But what if she could make it special? Romantic?
Excitement bubbling in her belly, she contemplated her choices. With zero cooking skills, she was limited to what the butler had prepared, but she could reheat a few of the containers and serve them in a fancy way. Maybe she could even light a couple of candles if there were any to be found in the cabin.
