"Or lowest, depending on your world view," Evalle muttered.
Ignoring her, Adrianna continued. "If this woman has either captured Storm or tricked him into another realm, somewhere Kai can't find his spirit, then I'm guessing it's for one reason. To take control of him."
"No one controls Storm," Evalle argued.
"Not in the state of mind he was when you last saw him, but if he's turned into Nadina's slave, the game changes significantly."
"Nadina? That's the witch doctor?"
Adrianna nodded. "Now you can be glad for the research I've done."
Evalle had to admit that she was thankful for any intel right now.
According to Kai, Storm did not have his soul. Would that make him even more vulnerable to this Nadina? Evalle had to sit down. She felt light headed with so many possibilities and none of them good.
For once, Adrianna's voice held a compassion that Evalle had never heard. "I know you don't want to trust me, but the more you can tell me the better chance I have of figuring out just where he went. The longer we take, the less chance of getting him back."
No. I will not lose him now that I've found the man I want to spend forever with. Even his spirit guide believed Evalle was Storm's mate. Evalle sat up straight, shifting into battle mode. She could keep trading insults with Adrianna or she could step out on a limb and offer trust in exchange for help-two things she'd learned to give and accept because of having Storm in her life.
Decision made, she said, "What I'm about to tell both of you is Storm's personal business, but it is relevant to what's going on. I don't want to risk a mishap because I didn't share everything."
Nicole offered her a smile of understanding, because Nicole knew how hard this was for her.
Evalle explained what Kai had told her about the witch doctor stealing Storm's and his father's souls. When she finished, Adrianna's dainty face took on a hard expression. "Needing to get his father's soul back adds another obstacle, but there is a way to regain his soul and free his father's."
"How? I'll do it."
Adrianna said, "First you have to be sure this witch doctor hasn't traded the souls for something else."
"Okay, then what?"
"You kill her, which passes possession of those souls from her to you."
Evalle shook her head, thinking out loud. "That's a problem, because Kai warned me not to screw up Storm's chance to have his soul returned. If I ended up with the souls, I have no idea how to return them to the rightful owners and I don't want to own Storm's."
"There is a danger in owning souls, but you can't overlook that as a potential solution," Adrianna added with plenty of warning. "Besides, a being as powerful as Nadina has few vulnerabilities unless you're a deity, so killing her is not as simple as you think, but none of this will matter unless you can locate Storm and the witch doctor."
"Which one can we locate the quickest?"
"Storm, because of your connection to him, but you'll have to trust me to help you reach him."
Trust a Sterling witch. Locate Storm. Make the witch doctor hand over his soul and his father's.
All in less than twenty-four hours or Brina would just disintegrate and that was assuming the witch doctor didn't vaporize Evalle first.
Evalle asked, "Trust you to do what?"
Adrianna said, "It will be easier to show you."
I knew you were going to say that.
Chapter 8
Evalle parked Storm's sport utility close to Grady Hospital. She'd named her favorite Nightstalker after the place because he usually hung out here. Nicole had been a sweetheart to keep Feenix for her and, if Evalle was being entirely fair, Adrianna had done her a favor by following them to Nicole's apartment and giving Evalle a ride back to Storm's house.
Adrianna must really want that debt paid.
If the Sterling witch helped Evalle find Storm, Evalle would more than do her part to repay Adrianna.
Evalle checked her watch. Thirty-two minutes until meeting Adrianna. Just enough time to hunt down a cranky ghoul.
Snagging her backpack from the passenger seat, she hooked her arms through the straps as she headed out to find Grady. He should be near the narrow stretch of road between the hospital and an eight-foot-tall right-of-way barrier that did little to diffuse noise from the heavily traveled interstate that ran through Atlanta's downtown. This should be Grady's usual haunting ground, but he'd recently expanded his territory.
He also took corporeal form on occasion without requiring the handshake with a powerful being.
That would be Evalle's fault, and a favor she'd granted that might one day come back to bite her, but she had too many jaws after her butt right now to spend time worrying over that one.
She raced along the quiet back street abutting the hospital, hissing, "Grady!" every three steps.
He hadn't been here earlier, but she'd only done a half-assed search since all the Nightstalkers had vanished, gone into hiding from predators stalking the city. Getting to Storm's house had been priority one at the time.
A movement off to her right yanked her attention sideways. There he was, hovering in the shadows next to a dumpster, talking to someone in a cloak.
A person Evalle didn't recognize.
A cloak? The weather hadn't turned cold yet. Not brisk enough to wear something that appeared to be wool.
She headed for Grady and his suspicious friend, ready to use her VIPER status to inquire as to the stranger's identity.
Nothing confrontational.
That was the plan until the stranger shoved a hand out to shake with Grady.
Evalle caught a hint of rotten limes and the hair rose on her neck. She called, "What's going on, Grady?"
The cloaked stranger turned toward Evalle, face hidden inside the dark hood, then backed up and rushed away. Not the reaction of an innocent person. She reached Grady just as he was scowling up a storm.
He crossed his filmy arms that were covered in the same plaid shirt he'd worn since dying as a homeless person. His baggy pants attested to how thin he'd been when he died. Grumbling like an old bear run out of his cave before he was finished hibernating, Grady told her, "You better have somethin' to make up for that loss."
"Who was that?" She inhaled again, and the rotten lime smell verified her earlier impression. "Medb? You were going to share intel with a Medb?"
"I ain't the only one," he argued.
"That's my enemy."
"I know that. That warlock was gonna tell me what's goin' down in town."
This was beyond bizarre.
She grabbed her head and took a second. Getting Grady riled was never helpful. When it came to getting information, he could be tougher than prying a clam open with fingernails, but he had a soft spot for her. Sometimes.
In a calmer voice, she asked, "What's a Medb doing in Atlanta to begin with when they've just attacked Treoir, and what is going down in the city that you think he could tell you about?"
Grady just hovered with his arms crossed and his bottom lip shoved up in stubborn determination.
She dropped a strap off one shoulder and swung the backpack around. When she lifted Old Forrester into view, Grady's eyes flickered with desire, but he tried to hide his interest.
She shook the bottle at him. "I am not going to apologize for stopping that trade. You know better than to deal with a Medb, Grady."
"Things have changed in the last few hours."
That was news, but not enough. "What changed?"
"You cost me a deal. I'm gonna want more than one handshake."
"What? Are you kidding me? I gave you-" She caught herself and lowered her voice. "-more than two handshakes at one time." She'd broken the VIPER rule of not shaking hands with a ghoul for more than a minute, because Grady had wanted to be in human form to hear and see his granddaughter's wedding. So Evalle had hidden with him on the balcony of a church and she'd held his hand almost solid time for twenty minutes.
Finally, he lost the glower an
d hunched his shoulders. "I just haven't been able to stay solid on my own for the last two days and you been gone."
Great. Now she felt guilty. "Then make a deal with me and shake," she said in more gentle tone.
"What you lookin' for?"
Hadn't she just asked him about the Medb and whatever was going on in town? Did ghouls get dementia? "I want to know what is up with the Medb and I need information on a witch doctor."
"Done." He stuck his wrinkled hand out and warm eyes peered at her from a coffee-bean-brown face.
When they connected, the power raced down her arm and vibrated around their hands. Grady's eyes rounded. He said, "What's happened to you?"
Had evolving into a gryphon changed her power? "A lot and I'll tell you all about it as soon as I have time, but I'm under a time crunch."
When Grady let go of her hand he stood in his human form with gray whiskers and skin dark as a walnut. He wiped a hand over his mouth. "You gonna sweeten the deal or not?"
She handed over the bottle, giving him time to guzzle a good belt of it before moving him along. "What's happening in town?"
He tucked the bottle next to his chest. "Someone turned a bunch of demons loose."
Two would be too many. "What's a bunch?"
"Heard sightings of eight so far."
"Who would have done that?" she pondered out loud.
"Don't know. I ain't seen any myself to know what kind they are or where they might have originated."
"Why did you think that warlock would know anything?"
"Cuz there's Medb all over the city?"
"And VIPER's allowing that?" Evalle asked, furious. "Beladors are their largest force." Had everyone in VIPER forgotten that the Medb just attacked Treoir?
She wanted to stomp Sen's butt. The liaison between VIPER agents and the Tribunal had to be the one allowing this.
But that made no sense. Sen hated Evalle, but pissing off the Belador agents would put him in ill favor with the Tribunal. Not even Sen would want to face a Tribunal of two gods and a goddess who would decide his fate.
"You through havin' a hissy fit?" Grady asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Start talking."
He slugged another drink first. "Like I said, someone dumped demons out here and VIPER is in upheaval because the Beladors ain't pullin' their weight." He lifted a hand. "Before you go off on me again, you have to know the Beladors are having power problems, right?"
"Yes," she admitted.
"How come?"
"The Medb attacked Treoir and the Belador traitor was inside with Brina. He tossed some Noirre dust on her then Tzader killed him, but not before Brina vanished, leaving her hologram. The Beladors should have no power, but that hologram must be holding a connection between Brina and Treoir. Apparently the power base is still intact but corrupted." She realized who she was talking to-a Nightstalker social butterfly-and pointed a finger at him. "But you don't need to advertise that."
"Don't be pointin' no finger at me."
With some beings, pointing a finger could be construed as a threat. In Grady's case, it just annoyed him, which was nonproductive. The clock was chewing up minutes, but she had a duty to the Beladors here in Atlanta as well. "Have any of the demons been caught or killed?"
"That's the kicker. I've heard of two different incidents where Medb witches and warlocks have killed the demons and saved a human."
Had the earth dropped off its axis? What was going on? "So now you want me to believe that the Medb have turned into good Samaritans?
He held his arms out. "I don't make this stuff up. They've been turnin' up all over town, not causin' trouble and savin' VIPER's bacon."
Was she just too cynical to accept this at face value? No, it was more a matter of being too realistic to believe thousands of years of deadly behavior could change overnight. There was something way wrong with this picture. What were the Medb up to now? And who was running their show?
Grady pointed at Evalle. "You got big problems. Sen's been on a tear. You need to do somethin' with Quinn."
"Why?" She had a sick feeling this might be about Quinn's lack of control.
"He ain't right. Word is that Sen came in and cleaned up one of Quinn's messes then told Quinn that being actin' Maistir does not give him free rein."
Leave it to Sen to make things worse when the Beladors could use a hand. "What did Quinn do?"
"I heard he caught a troll stalking a human. Grabbed the troll and did some kind of mind control then sent the troll on his way."
"That doesn't sound bad." Quinn hated to take control of a person's mind by force and tried not to be invasive. If the troll went away then Quinn must have thought the troll was no longer a threat.
"That's not the problem. A bit later, Quinn found a Medb warlock hanging around Centennial Park. Word is that Quinn snatched the warlock's mind, left the guy wandering around until he walked out in front of a Marta Bus. When Sen showed up to clean up that mess, he told Quinn if he had to come back again for bullshit, that Quinn could explain it to a Tribunal."
The Medb were playing ambassadors of Atlanta and Quinn had turned into the Terminator. The best way Evalle could help Quinn and all the Beladors was to bring Storm back and hope he could pull off the impossible once again and locate Brina.
Their most powerful Belador druids had tried and failed.
This was the only hope Evalle could offer.
"I need to find a witch doctor named Nadina."
"That nasty thing that brought Langaus into the city?" Grady shivered at the appalling suggestion. "What you want with her?"
"Storm is missing and I think she's behind it."
"That injun let a witch doctor outfox him?"
Trying to correct Grady's politically incorrect terminology would be wasted breath. "Maybe. I just need to know where she is."
He scratched his whiskered chin. "I don't know. Come back a little later and I'll see what I can find out on her."
"I'll be back soon. The longer Brina is missing from Treoir the weaker the tribe gets."
"You too?"
"Not as bad as the pure bloods, but I've noticed a few things."
Trey came into her mind. Evalle, can you hear me?
She held up a hand for Grady to wait. She replied to Trey, Yes, but your voice isn't as strong as usual.
My telepathic ability is weak but at least it works even if I am the only one capable of reaching anyone else this way. At least I can hear you, which is a nice surprise. I heard from Quinn that we need you to find Storm. I've got everyone we can spare looking for him, too. Have you had any luck?
She wanted to give Tzader and Quinn something positive, but she didn't want to paint blue skies. I've found a source who will help me locate Storm and I'm going there next.
Do you have a cell phone?
No. Mine was trashed in the battle. I'll call you as soon as I have one again. She mentally added that to the endless list. Quinn could get her one if he wasn't busy running herd over the Beladors.
And stripping the minds of Medb warlocks.
That shouldn't bother her because the Medb were a bunch of murderers. Normally. But she didn't like the picture Grady had given her of Quinn.
Trey continued, I know you're doing what you can, but find me the minute you have Storm. We're losing warriors everywhere.
Will do, she assured him.
Trey withdrew from her mind.
Her stomach rolled at having even less time. And now there was a hunt for demons going on.
She hooked the backpack in place again and reminded Grady, "Do not shake with the Medb."
"Why not? They got juice."
"You would help them?" She couldn't squash the insult in her voice. He was supposed to be her friend. "They been doin' your job. Maybe they changed."
"Oh, sure, and maybe you'll turn entirely human again and take Sen's place at VIPER."
He sighed. "I'm not takin' sides against you, but I heard that there's new management in the Medb."
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"Did you hear specifically that Flaevynn is dead?"
"Naw, but what the hell else would new management mean?" he groused. "Anyhow, about the Medb here in the city. Word is that Sen said he was glad to have the help. Don't you want me to shake with some of 'em and find out what I can from the Medb?"
She had no argument to counter that logic, which should worry her since Grady was being the reasonable one right now. "I guess so."
Grady's voice and expression turned grave. "I don't know what the Medb are doin' here, but it cain't be good."
There was the person who had helped her time and again. "Agreed, so be careful."
Next stop was meeting Adrianna in a secluded place on the edge of the city. The dark witch had said for Evalle to come alone and allow no one to follow her. From anyone else, Evalle would think she was being set up for an ambush.
Evalle had Storm's Land Cruiser in sight when a thought struck her. Dark witches and warlocks of the Medb coven were infiltrating the city.
Would Adrianna know about that?
Chapter 9
"I'm not understandin' this place," Brina whispered, staring out at nothing but an endless blue-gray fog. The same thing she'd stared at since opening her eyes hours ago.
Had it been hours?
Felt like forever in this realm, wherever it was, where she and Lanna had regained consciousness.
When Lanna didn't answer her, Brina looked down to where Lanna sat next to her with her legs crossed. "Lanna!"
Blonde curls with black tips bounced when the teenager lifted her head quickly. "What?"
"Were you asleep again?"
"Yes, but not for long."
"Is being in this place causin' you to be drowsy?" What would Brina do if Lanna went to sleep and didn't wake up?
"No." Lanna stood up. All five-foot-two of her. She had to be somewhere around eighteen, though she looked younger at times then acted older just as often. Lanna stretched and looked all around again, mumbling, "Maybe we have died and no one was informed to come get us."
Brina rubbed the chills on her arm. "I don't believe we are dead, but I cannot explain this place."
The fact that Lanna wasn't mouthing off attested to just how frightened the teen was, too. Understandable even for someone with Lanna's power, and Brina had felt that power when they first met in the castle.
Power that might be even more formidable than Brina's, which was saying something. Brina had inherited hers from generations of Treoirs tasked with being an anchor for all Belador powers. Even so, faced with the unknown, Brina welcomed the company and Lanna had not taken a step away from Brina's side since they opened their eyes to this gloom.