It was already too late. I touched my hand to the door, but sensed nothing. Whatever security system they were using on these upper floors, I most certainly didn’t have a way to bypass it. I looked around the room once more then spoke. “I thought you wanted to see me at once. I am not here to play games, Soslan.”
My suspicion that the room was bugged or being taped remained unconfirmed since no one bothered to reply. That would have been far too easy, of course. Knowing I had no other choice except to wait, I unzipped my jacket as I slowly paced around the room. Most of the screens were on, showing images of various areas of Weard Headquarters. I spotted Devin in the glamoured elevator, his expression troubled. The elevator suddenly stopped, then another man and two women hauled Devin out. He looked terrified before he vanished. My heart was beating against my ribs like a frantic bird as I scanned the other screens. There was no sign of Devin or . . . his attackers. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling that it was probably a good thing I couldn’t see what was happening to him.
Trying not to think too much about the open brutality the Nephilim’s people were showing to each other, I moved to the long wall opposite the sealed door and studied screens that showed various portions of Chicago. I paused when I noticed a broad chested young man in an office giving orders to a group of people. As I leaned in closer, I recognized him. His hair was a little longer than the buzz cut he had worn when I last saw him. It was Ricardo, a bear shifter who had been ordered to work with Halliman’s to construct a press release for a cover story. I couldn’t remember the exact details, but it had been shortly after there was a massive uproar about the conduct of one of the Therians in Chicago. It had been the only time a Therian shifter who was associated with their government outside of the Pacific Northwest had required Halliman’s help, which was why it stuck with me. Although, at the time, I had been grateful that the bear who had shown up on the secretaries’ floor only required me to give him directions to the correct floor for his meeting. How did Weard get a camera inside their building?
Moving down the wall, I saw more glimpses of the plaza and the walkway by the lakeshore. More and more screens showed buildings and offices belonging to other paranormal species. Most seemed to be based in the New World, even though some screens were showing Old World cities such as Venice and Rome, including the Colosseum where fights were taking place. I turned away, not wanting to be reminded of the last time I was in that awful arena.
My eyes caught on a series of screens on the wall to my right. I frowned as I moved closer. The screens showed different areas of the same ornate lodge carved from vast tree trunks . . . It looked a lot like . . . Then, a short man with tanned skin entered the screen that showed a room with a massive stone fireplace. My breath caught in my chest. “Mr. Halliman.”
He turned with a wide smile as a young woman in a tailored business suit approached him. With her athletic frame towering over him and her pale skin and blonde hair, they couldn’t have looked more opposite. She immediately bent to kiss his cheek. I had only seen her a few times at company events, but I remembered Rebecca Halliman. She didn’t usually accompany her father to the Yule Summit. Yet, that’s where they had to be . . . especially since Mr. Halliman always arrived on the evening of December nineteenth. He liked being early to the summit.
The door slid open, and I heard footsteps behind me. Forcing myself to stay calm, I slowly turned to face my visitors. There were three of them. I recognized Khalid’s scarred visage as the dragon sneered at me, the Japanese Spotter from the first video, and finally the third man who looked very different from the last time I had seen him breaking free of his glamour. Seeing him in person only confirmed what I had seen in that first video. There was almost nothing left of Raz Yakov in Soslan the Nephilim, save for his dark olive complexion and light brown eyes. He stood tall in a tailored suit that was probably more expensive than any apartment rental I had ever dreamed of paying. His curly brown hair was meticulously groomed and the wings of grey at his temples added an air of maturity to his stance. Additionally, the 10 blazing above his head echoed the swell of power, of danger, radiating off the man.
His gaze flicked over me before he spoke in a voice that sounded cultured and carefully articulated even though there was a hint of an accent that wasn’t quite Middle Eastern despite his efforts to rid himself of it. “Lauren Hope, at last, we meet as our true selves.”
“To be honest, I preferred Raz Yakov,” I stated quietly.
His laugh slid across my ears like ice water being dumped over my head. “I fear we can’t always have what we prefer, my dear. Something you should be very familiar with by now.” He gave me a smile that did nothing to alleviate the predatory look in his eyes. “I am rather surprised that you waited until the end of the seventh day to come to me. I had been certain that your misplaced loyalty to my, shall we say, straying hunter would bring you to me much faster.”
The words cleaved my heart, and it took every ounce of control to keep from snapping at him. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.
When I didn’t respond, he gave another cold laugh. “You know, you are a very smart woman, Lauren Hope. Unlike the Spotters of the previous generation, such as Tanaka here, you have always known better than to fight or to get involved in other people’s business. You kept your head down and kept on the move, hiding and running as necessary. It was almost enough to keep even my best resources off your trail. Until you decided to stay in Olympia. I keep a very close watch on Halliman, you see.” He clicked his tongue and then added, “If you hadn’t permitted yourself to become heart tied to that fool of a traitor, you almost would’ve been unimportant enough to allow another disappearing act. Do you know that if he hadn’t shown such a protective interest in you, I might have let you walk away without sending more hunters after you? If you had run when he first arrived, that is.”
Ignoring the taunting words, I reached into my jacket and pulled the wrapped gem out of my inner pocket. Khalid had stepped forward only to stop at a gesture from Soslan. His light brown eyes were riveted to the wrapped gem. “Show me.”
I unwrapped the shawl just enough for him to glimpse the blue of the sapphire, and Tanaka Aito gasped as the gold numbers flashed across the exposed surface. He really was a Spotter. Then I covered it back up, keeping my eyes on Soslan. “Show me Mathias. That was the arrangement. I bring you the sapphire, you give me Mathias and safe passage into Weard.”
Soslan’s gaze remained transfixed on the now covered gemstone. However, he waved toward Khalid. “Bring him in. Now.”
It almost killed me to keep my eyes on this madman instead of watching for Mathias’ appearance. I wasn’t even sure if he was still alive. It was so late, and the twentieth wasn’t even a full hour away. Khalid carried Mathias into the room, his body draped limply across his shoulders, and then he dumped him on the floor. My heart stuttered as I caught the sight of Mathias’ grey skin and the unnatural sickly green radiating from the 1 that most certainly did not belong above his head.
I took a step toward him only for Khalid to pounce in front of me, his smile more of a snarl thanks to the scars pulling at his mouth. Soslan tsked. “Ah, ah, ah, you can only look at this particular display. He’s been a disappointment, you know. His heart has stopped no less than six times today, and my healers had quite the time keeping him around long enough for you to arrive. And, he’s of the blood of Nimrod. Such a disappointment.”
I tore my gaze away from Mathias’ sunken and bruised features. Soslan was watching me with a gleam in his eyes that I didn’t like one bit. “What do you want?”
“I propose a new trade between the two of us. You are a particularly gifted Spotter. It didn’t take much effort on your part to unite the crown, and I’m not pleased with how it has responded to the efforts of my other Spotters. I already had to kill two of them for failing to make even as much progress as Tanaka.” He mentioned killing the Spotters as casually as if he was discussing the weather or maybe din
ner choices. “However, I have decided to be generous. I will allow you to use the Crown of Nimrod to heal the Myrmidon, restore him to his full strength even, on the condition that you will also strengthen every single hunter I bring you. Beginning with the guards in this room.”
“And if I refuse,” I asked quietly, remembering my words to Royal. I had promised to choose others’ safety over Mathias. I hadn’t expected it to hurt quite so much now that we were in the same room. And, he couldn’t even open his eyes to see I was there. “What will you do?”
“I will execute you, naturally. But, not before I give my hunters orders to assassinate Halliman and his daughter tonight. And, the Dragon Prince of Venice. A rather grating woman, but powerful. Oh, and all the weak paranormals currently in this building. I understand that several of the women are pregnant. A tragedy to be sure. However, you would agree it’s better for mother and child to die together than for the mother to live alone.”
I flinched and Khalid snickered. “Did you think we wouldn’t be able to tell your scent had changed again? That you no longer carry new life?”
Ignoring him, I kept my eyes focused on the Nephilim. “Swear by whatever binds you that you will not act against any of these people if I do what you say.”
“I swear they will not be harmed . . . tonight. Some will die eventually for the greater good, but not tonight.”
I hesitated a moment longer.
Soslan’s light brown gaze hardened. “Khalid, put the Myrmidon out of his misery and give your men their orders.”
“Wait!” I unwrapped the Sapphire of Shinar and held it up. “Give me the crown. I’ll do it. Just don’t harm anyone else tonight.”
A stone plummeted in my stomach as Soslan flashed a triumphant smile. “A good choice, Lauren Hope. Tanaka, give her the crown.”
The older Spotter approached me, carrying a wooden box. He looked from my face to the space above my head, and then swiftly looked back down. He didn’t speak a word as he opened the box. The Crown of Nimrod flashed with golden numbers across its surface, calling to me. I slipped the Sapphire of Shinar back into its cradle. Numbers and symbols swirled across its faceted surface, and the bronze crown seemed to glow. I could feel it calling to me. It wanted to be used.
Instinct drove me more than conscious thought as I lifted the crown out of the box, and then carefully placed it on my head. The weight of the bronze was surprisingly light compared to what I had assumed. Tanaka Aito stared at me with . . . fear kindling in the depths of his dark gaze. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but the crown’s warmth reminded me of what I needed to do. There was an extra glow to the numbers I saw. Three looked natural, they glowed with a healthy golden hue. And yet . . .
The sense of sickliness, of wrongness demanded my attention. I walked past the glowing 9, brushing by him as I focused on the man lying on the floor. Mathias . . . I grasped onto the name in an attempt to anchor myself against the heady rush of warmth, of power. Holding my left hand out, I could barely feel his essence. I narrowed my eyes at the sight of the sickly number, the 1 that didn’t belong. Then, I saw the pale green threads extending from the number to wrap around his body, sinking into his head, and into his chest above his heart, it was suffocating his strength. Forcing him into unnatural weakness and docility like a drugged fog. Behind the 1, I could barely see the faded 10 that should have been in place.
“What is she playing at?”
“Do not interfere, Khalid. I want to see what she does with him.”
I tuned the voices out as the crown’s warmth pulsed against my temples. I needed to untangle the threads first. They were wrong and needed to be removed. Extending my left arm, I twitched my fingers. I wanted to remove the threads plunging into his heart first. If his heart gave out, there would be nothing to save. They felt sticky when my power, no, the crown’s power brushed against them. I flicked my fingers again, and then rotated my hand to the right as though I was grabbing the threads to pull them free.
They didn’t want to come loose. I frowned as I pulled again. This time one snapped free. I sensed cold power surging up from him, but the 10 remained suffocated. I turned my attention to the threads sinking into his head, warping the clarity of his mind. Using the same gesture, I felt the crown grow a little warmer as another sticky thread was wrenched free.
Color was beginning to return to the 10, although, the 1 still obscured it. Good. I wanted to restore him. He was still weakening though. I needed to move faster. It was important I move faster. I pulled at the remaining threads, which gave more easily now, until I had pulled all of them free. All that remained were icy strands of power around him. And, the sickly 1 that still hadn’t vanished.
I sank to my knees next to him and placed my right hand over his heart, which was still beating weakly. Then, I swiped at the 1. The crown grew warmer in response and then the 1 shattered, leaving behind only the 10. I studied Mathias’ bruised face and then waved my left hand in a circle above him, trying to stoke the dying flames of his true heart far beneath the iciness of his power. The crown’s heat grew almost unbearable, and then his number slowly regained its color until it finally blazed with fiery gold once more.
I felt his heartbeat grow stronger, and then he opened his eyes.
He pulled away from me, bumping into one of the chairs. The crown’s heat cooled as I watched him. Mathias’ bleary gaze flicked around the room before settling on me. He stared for a long moment. “Lauren?”
* * *
Chapter Twelve
Mathias
The sound of a slow clap penetrated the fog. I couldn’t have seen Lauren. It was another hallucination. She wasn’t here. She couldn’t be here. I opened my eyes again to see that she was slowly rising to stand. Her dark hair fell loose down her back and over her left shoulder, but she wore a bronze circlet with a sapphire in its cradle. The Crown of Nimrod.
Soslan’s cultured voice grated against my ears as he spoke. “So, it is true. Love makes the strong weak and turns the weak into fools.” He chuckled mirthlessly and then continued, “Now, it is time for you to uphold your end of the bargain, Lauren Hope.”
“I have not finished with him,” she replied softly. “There is more I can do.”
“After you’ve helped my hunters out, my dear. Or I shall hand him back over to Khalid and the others we discussed would also be fair game.”
Her lips turned down in a frown, and she cast a look at me. I tensed. There was a strange light in her dark eyes that no doubt came from the crown. Ancient artifacts could wield more than a little influence on the minds of paranormals if they were used and most especially if they were created by paranormals. She looked back to Soslan and then dipped her head. “Very well. Bring them in.”
She was going to work for him. No . . . I tried to get up to interfere only to fail as my shaking limbs refused to support my weight. Instead, I was forced to lean against the chair and watch as four guards entered the room to stand in front of her. She raised her left hand, fingers splayed, and focused on them. The strange light turned eerie as an unnatural wind moved her hair, and a sense of sheer power rolled off of her.
As soon as she dropped her hand, Soslan snapped, “Tanaka, speak.”
“Their numbers have changed.” The older man cast a wary glance at Lauren and then continued, “They are 9s and 10s now.”
She had changed their numbers. I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing. Yet, I couldn’t deny what I was seeing. The four men hummed with energy and looked ready to fight at a moment’s notice.
Soslan nodded. “Good, good.” He gestured sharply to the men. “Resume your posts and send in the next batch. Your work is only just beginning, Lauren Hope. The start of a wonderful arrangement.”
If one considered a deal with the devil wonderful. I yearned to put a stop to it all and to get Lauren far away from both Soslan and the crown. However, all I could do was watch as my wife raised her hand once more to use this unnatural power on the next group of hunters. God
help us all.
* * *
Lauren
“That’s enough for now.”
I closed my eyes as my hand fell back to my side, trembling slightly. Beads of sweat trickled down my back in response to all the energy I had been using. Managing this particular skill was far more difficult than I would have guessed.
Then again, I hadn’t expected Soslan to demand that I influence no less than fifty of his hunters. No wonder his men always seemed to be everywhere. The crown now sat quietly on my head, not burning or pulling at my attention for the moment. A good thing since it was taking all I had to keep from falling over.
As it was, I still sank to my hands and knees as I panted for breath. A pair of shiny patent leather shoes appeared in my line of sight, and Soslan’s voice came from directly above me. “Take your rest, Spotter. But, do keep an eye on the screens. I want you to enjoy seeing the fruit of your labor.”
Then, he walked away. I heard more than saw the others follow him. Then, the door sealed itself once again. After a few moments, I realized I was alone. No. We were alone. Mathias . . .
I turned toward him, and the crown grew warm once more as I noted the weakness in his strands of power. They were too dull. They should shine brighter.
The thought had no more than occurred to me before I found myself crawling toward him. His eyes were closed and his chest moving slowly until I touched his face. I just needed to give him strength. They needed to shine. I urged them to shine. It was an achingly slow process, and I hadn’t quite finished when he abruptly pulled away from me. “Stop!”
I frowned as I watched him leap to his feet. “Why? I can see how to help you. Let me do it.”
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