As always before, the gods and goddesses will stand behind you. And I will always be no farther away than an outstretched hand.
The dream faded and Jonah awoke, his death sleep now only moments away. On the way to his coffin, he remembered the cell phone in his pants pocket. He had turned the phone off when he began his practice that night and had forgotten to turn it back on. He did so now, out of habit, and was greeted with a text message from his brother, Julian. CALL ME ASAP.
But there was no time to step outside the steel-lined chamber for a signal strong enough to support a reply. He tightened his hold on the phone just seconds before the death sleep overtook him.
Chapter Fourteen
AFTER A SCANT few hours of troubled sleep, Angela slipped into her robe Saturday morning and was making her way toward the kitchen, and coffee, when her cell phone rang. Without bothering to check the identity of the caller, she scooped the phone from the top of the dresser and answered the call without slowing her step. “How are things in the Pacific Northwest?” Simone asked in her usual cheery voice.
Angela poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the breakfast bar, thankful once again that Scott was an early riser and a caffeine addict, just as she was. “Not so good at the moment,” she answered.
“Oh?”
She told Simone about the trouble brewing at Mount St. Helens and her fear that it would undoubtedly force a confrontation between Jonah and Zurik.
“I won’t insult you by telling you not to worry, but from having been there more than once, I will tell you that everything will work out for the best.”
Angela traced wide circles on the breakfast bar’s counter top with her cup. “I wish I could be as certain of that as you are.”
“It’ll take time, but you’ll get used to Jonah’s life, just as I have Julian’s. And Dottie, Jerome’s. Their missions often place them in peril, but with the help of their gods and goddesses, they always survive. And so will you.”
“I suppose so. It’s just all so new to me.” When Simone offered no more advice, Angela took advantage of the pause for another swallow of coffee, then changed the subject. “I guess it goes without saying that I won’t be going back to Mobile anytime soon.”
“I should be doing more to help you, but with conditions the way they are in New Orleans, I feel I should stay here with Julian.”
“No apologies necessary. I left everything in good hands, so I’m not concerned about our clients getting the best representation. It is a little sad though, to know our business association is coming to an end. Sometimes it seems just yesterday that we graduated from law school and set out to share office space.”
“You never know. Another opportunity might come our way.”
“I don’t see how, with half the country separating us.”
Simone chuckled. “Maybe when you come to New Orleans for the Transformation Ritual, you’ll be able to convince Jonah to stay.”
She had just taken another swallow of coffee and Simone’s statement almost made her choke. “I don’t see that happening. Jonah has a very successful nightclub here. He’s a great musician.”
“All the more reason for him to relocate. What better place in the world for a musician than here in New Orleans?”
“Better for some perhaps, but maybe not for Jonah.”
“Well, I just called to see how things were going. Also, I wanted to ask you to smuggle in some of that delicious Starbucks coffee when you pack for your trip down here. Things are still pretty lean here as far as luxuries go.”
A warning bell went off in Angela’s head. “For some reason, I have the feeling you expect to see me soon.” Her friend’s silence spoke volumes. “Simone, is there something you haven’t told me?”
Another long silence.
“Simone, talk to me.”
“Julian’s going to kill me if he finds out I spoke out of turn.”
“Well, I’ll beat him to it if you don’t. So what’s going on?”
“Julian’s been preparing for the Transformation Ritual.”
It was Angela’s turn to fall silent.
“Angela?”
“Are you telling me the ritual is going to be soon?”
Her friend didn’t have to answer.
“How soon?”
“I don’t know for sure. I walked in on a conversation between Julian and Michael the other day. Julian told me the ceremony they were discussing was the ritual.”
“So, what makes you think it will be soon?”
“Because part of what I heard had to do with a decline in Julian’s physical condition, which I know is a sign that the time for the ceremony is near.”
Angela’s breath froze in her lungs. She had to find Scott. “Simone, can we finish this conversation later?”
“Of course, but promise me you won’t let this news upset you. I don’t know anything definite. I wish I’d never mentioned it.”
Angela assured her friend she was fine, then disconnected the call. She was in the process of calling Scott when he walked into the kitchen. She confronted him immediately. “I just finished a conversation with Simone in New Orleans.”
Seemingly unaffected by the news, Scott walked to the coffee maker. “And?”
“She mentioned something about Jonah going to New Orleans for the . . . ceremony with his brothers.”
Met with the same silence from Scott she’d received from Simone, Angela lifted her brows. “Well?”
“She was right.”
The cup she was carrying to the dishwasher almost slipped from her hand. “When?”
“No one knows for sure. But there are certain physical signs both Julian and Jerome have experienced recently that signal the ritual should happen soon.”
“Does Jonah know about this?”
“I don’t think so. I spoke with Julian last night and he hadn’t yet received an answer to a text message he sent to Jonah earlier.”
She closed the dishwasher. “Thanks for being honest with me.”
“Jonah will do what has to be done, Angela.”
She walked to the door. “I know,” she said, and stepped into the hall.
Back in her room, she pressed a hand to her chest. The postponement of the audition. The imminent heating up of the mountain. And now this? She knew Jonah, the vampire was strong, but what about Jonah, the man? Jonah, the concert pianist?
Her conversation with Simone stayed with her while she busied herself with routine chores that consumed very little of her time that morning. In the afternoon, when she could no longer put it off, she made the necessary calls to Mobile to begin the sale of her and Simone’s law practice. After that, all she had to do was contact a realtor to begin the process of putting her home up for sale. It would be the final step leading her toward a new life with Jonah.
Once she’d made the necessary calls, the only thing left to fill the rest of her day was her promise to Jonah. Determined to be strong for his sake if not for her own, she forced herself to sit at the piano and practice until he showed up that night. If he showed up. Determined to rid herself of the negative thought, she concentrated on the finger exercises in front of her.
She was so immersed in practicing that the sound of the doorbell startled her, but she ignored it and continued working on the exercise in front of her. But when the bell rang a second time she couldn’t ignore it. Where was Scott?
She glanced at the watch on her wrist and was surprised to see how much time had passed since she’d first sat down at the piano. Scott had probably already left for the club. With a sigh of frustration, she rose and headed to the front door. Rising to the balls of her feet, she looked through one of the glass panes at the top of the door. There was a package on the top step.
She remembered Scott telling her that he was expecti
ng a shipment of Chemi-Plas any day from New Orleans. Was this it?
If it was the Chemi-Plas, she knew she needed to get it inside and under proper refrigeration as soon as possible. She looked to the right, then to the left. There was no one on the porch.
She opened the door, walked to the end of the porch and bent down to pick up the package.
The blow to her head was so swift and sharp, her mind barely had time to register the pain before she tumbled into an endless black hole.
JONAH DRESSED quickly. He needed to call Julian as soon as possible. Once that was done, he would check to see if Scott had left any messages for him. He dialed Julian’s number as soon as he stepped into the hall.
Julian answered his phone on the first ring and wasted no time launching into what Jonah already suspected was the reason for Julian’s message last night. “The signs have begun. You and Jerome should be ready to come to New Orleans on a moment’s notice.”
Jonah paced the hall from one end to the other. “Damn it all to hell and back. This couldn’t come at a worse time.”
Julian was sympathetic. “I know what you’re up against. Scott told me about St. Helens. That’s rotten luck. And Jerome’s situation in San Francisco, while improved, still isn’t the best. But neither of us has any control over when we’re called to transform.”
“Then I guess it’s a matter of ‘wait and see’.” It suddenly occurred to him how difficult it might be for Jerome to get out of San Francisco if air transportation wasn’t yet stabilized. He’d been so concerned about his own situation that he hadn’t bothered with anyone else’s. “Will Jerome be able to get out of San Francisco?”
“He should be able to catch a plane, but should additional problems arise, there’s always the condor. However,” Julian added, “if it comes to that, his mate might not be able to leave.”
Gordon, Jerome’s business manager and Changer, could take the form of a condor as he had when Jerome had needed to get to New Orleans for his transformation. But Dottie certainly would not be able to fly cross-country on the back of a bird. This was getting more complicated by the minute.
“Perhaps she should leave now,” he suggested.
Julian agreed. “My thoughts, exactly. I’m going to make that recommendation to Jerome once you and I finish up.”
Jonah wondered if he should be thinking along the same lines where Angela was concerned. It was possible an eruption would affect air transportation in Seattle, and there could be traffic problems on the highways as well, depending on the severity and range of the eruption. He would tell Scott to put together a contingency plan.
“I think we’ve covered everything then,” Julian said, signaling the end of their conversation. “I wish I could be of more help with your impending crisis, but unfortunately, each of us has our own challenges to face. I wish you well and know you will be victorious in your meeting with Zurik. So, until we see each other again, take care of yourself and your mate.”
After the call ended, Jonah stared at the phone for a few minutes. It was all happening too quickly. Then, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he headed for the dining room to see if Scott had left a message. As he expected, there was a note in the usual place on the dining room table, but it was simply a reminder for him to contact Julian as soon as possible. He crushed the paper in his fist.
He wondered if he should call Gerald Lytell at the Observatory to get the latest estimate of how much time he possibly had before he was called into action. Then he decided to find Angela first and assure her he was completely recovered from last night’s attack before he made the call.
But before he did, he needed to call Daniel, to be sure his second-in-command had alerted the rest of the Cadre to the upcoming battle. Satisfied that everything was under control, he left the dining room in search of his love. His first stop was her room, and, when she didn’t answer his knock, he smiled to himself and headed to the living room. She was no doubt waiting again at the piano to greet him.
His first reaction when he didn’t find Angela in the living room was one of panic, which he quickly quashed. He’d done the same thing last night, for no reason. Sucking in a huge breath of air, he headed back down the hall, bypassing her bedroom and the dining room. He ended up in the kitchen but she wasn’t there either. A weight settled on his chest.
Despite himself, a warning bell went off in his head. Wasting no time, he checked the entire lower level of the house, but came up empty-handed. His heart pounded in his chest. Where was she? Fighting his growing alarm, he retraced his steps. Back at her bedroom door, he turned the knob and entered the room. It was as empty as the rest of the house.
The weight in his chest squeezed the air out of his lungs. He had an alarming thought. Had what she’d witnessed last night changed her decision to stay with him? Had she left the house alone, despite his many warnings? He shook his head. No. Her personal items were still scattered around the room. If she had decided to leave, it wasn’t planned.
An icy fear gripped him, but despite all the signs that said otherwise, he refused to believe she was gone. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he stepped into the hall and called her name. When there was no answer, he called out again, this time with increased volume. Again, he was greeted by silence. True fear caused his blood to roar through his veins. With hands that shook more violently than they had in any battle he’d ever fought, he dialed Scott’s number. “Have you seen her?” he shouted into the phone. “Do you know where she is?”
“Angela?”
“Of course, Angela,” he shouted back. “She’s gone.”
“Jonah, calm down.” Scott’s voice was concerned, yet forceful. “You’ve searched every place she could possibly be?”
Despite the panic threatening to strangle him, Jonah answered as calmly as possible. “I’ve searched everywhere.”
“I’m on my way.”
The line went dead and Jonah shoved the phone into his pocket. Not knowing what to do with himself, he did another search of the house, and then extended that search to the outside premises.
He ran down the steps repeatedly calling Angela’s name, only to be greeted by a silence as deep as it had been inside the house. With a painful sigh of resignation, he finally admitted she was gone. He climbed the steps in defeat.
When he reached the top step, something in his periphery caught his attention. He walked to the edge of the step and looked closer. There was an unopened package under one of the bushes. He reached down, picked up the box and tore it open. Empty.
Suddenly, he had a good idea of what might have happened. Someone had come to the door, probably while Angela was at the piano. When she opened the door to accept the package. . . . His blood froze. He couldn’t bear to think what might have happened next. Or, worse yet, what might be happening now, at this very moment. His blood suddenly boiled with anger. If one hair on her head had been harmed, the devil himself would pay the price. He immediately sought the portal that would connect their minds.
But his link to Angela’s mind had barely been tapped when static and another voice, interspersed with more static, interfered with the connection. He could make out nothing of consequence. He tried harder to strengthen the link, and he thought he heard Angela call out to him, but the connection was instantly broken. And then he heard Daniel’s voice. He closed his mind to the transmission, so he could begin again free of all interference.
Angela.
He reached out to her again and for a second, he felt his mind touch hers.
Jonah. The voice belonged to Daniel.
He cursed under his breath. Without an unobstructed pathway, he couldn’t communicate clearly with either Angela or Daniel. Before he could find a resolution to the problem, Angela’s mind brushed his again, but as it had earlier, the interference from Daniel’s repeated attempts to reach him made contact with her
impossible.
He was still trying to connect with her when Scott pulled up in the driveway. His friend jumped out of the automobile, ran toward him, grasped his arm and urged him inside the house. “Gerald Lytell’s been trying to reach you. The mountain has blown.”
Scott’s words collided with a transmission from Daniel.
You’re needed here now. Zurik has just been spotted.
ANGELA’S TEMPLES throbbed and her head felt as though she’d been struck with a boulder. She eased her eyes open, but all she could see was darkness relieved only by a sliver of light in her periphery. Turning her head slowly in the direction of the light, she winced at the increased throbbing at her temples. She closed her eyes, pulled in a shuddering breath, and willed herself to level her breathing. In, out. In, out. As long as she remained motionless, the pain was bearable.
Keeping her body immobile, she flexed her wrists. Her hands were not bound. She did the same with her ankles. There was no restriction there either. Patting the surfaces on either side of her, she determined she was lying on a narrow pallet of some kind.
Adjusting her eyes to the darkness, she held her breath against the pain she knew would return. Cautiously, she turned her head again in the direction of the thin stream of moonlight filtering in through a window on the opposite side of the room.
She rolled slowly to her side, fighting the onslaught of pain. Using the throbbing as a counting measure, she worked to control her breathing as she’d done earlier. In, one. Out, two. In, three. By the time she reached the count of ten she felt ready to attempt her next move.
Still concentrating on her breathing, she slowly eased herself to a sitting position on the edge of what she now recognized as an old army cot. She searched the darkness. To her right, the outline of a door took shape.
She was contemplating an attempt at standing when she heard Jonah call her name. Her first thought was that her mind was playing tricks on her, but then she heard his voice again. But how could that be? She had not felt his mind brush hers. A possibility occurred to her. Could the blow to her head have interrupted Jonah’s usual request to link their minds? Before she could answer her own question, she heard Jonah’s voice again, followed by the crackling sound of static. She had to let him know he had reached her. Biting down on her lip against the pain in her head, she reached out to his mind.
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