And as she held me a little longer than what seemed natural, I felt she knew the truth of something ominous coming. The world would be very different the next time we saw each other. After all, everything that had happened in the last year or so had been only the beginning.
"Ready for more training?" Charlotte yelled over the scream of the engines as I sprinted up the steps and threw my arms around her.
"It"s so good to see you!" I gushed. "How are you doing? Are you holding up? Have you heard from Owen? Where the heck is he? Where have you been, anyway?"
"Whoa," Char said, giving me a squeeze then extricating herself from my embrace. "We have plenty of time for Q & A."
She led me into the main cabin. I"d only been in the Amadis jet once and I"d been unconscious then. Julia and the so-called Martin had brought us all here after we found Lilith and Bree in the Florida Everglades. Every other time I"d traveled to and from the island, we"d needed to make a big performance-sinking the famous author"s boat right after the Ang"dora, and then ensuring the Daemoni knew when Tristan and I had left the Amadis Island and its protection. This time, however, Rina didn"t want the Daemoni aware of my departure until I was good and ready-well rested, in other words.
The main cabin looked like a living room, with a beige leather L-shaped couch, cushy chairs, and tables. It could easily seat ten people. Charlotte gave me a brief tour, showing me the two bedrooms, a medical suite, and a full kitchen in the rear. The jet was piloted by a vampire whose blond buzz-cut backed up the claim that he"d been a fighter pilot in World War II, and a wizard with strawberry blond dreadlocks served as his co-pilot.
"If something goes wrong, a mage in the c.o.c.kpit can keep the jet airborne for a while," Char explained. I nodded with understanding. Owen"s magic had powered the tiny plane we"d used to escape Australia. "He also keeps us cloaked and shielded."
We took our seats on the couch, and I watched out the window as the Amadis Island shrank and then disappeared once we broke through the force field that kept the island invisible. As we lifted into the clouds and the scenery below was whited out, I looked at Charlotte and my heart squeezed. I didn"t know her true age-at least ninety, I figured-but she appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Or, at least, she had when I"d first met her.
Now she reminded me of how I"d looked right before the Ang"dora, when Tristan had been gone-a perma-frown creating lines around the corners of her mouth, her sapphire eyes tight and distant, her straw-colored hair short now and sticking out all over the place, as Owen"s often did. The shock and anger of learning about the real Martin had consumed her. She"d thrown herself into her work, unrelentingly pursuing the Daemoni, jumping into every fight even when Mom had ordered her to stop. Mom and I both knew why, though. Char searched for answers.
Charlotte explained that Owen tried to do the same. They both wanted proof that Kali still existed. What worried us all, though, was that while Char sought revenge, we weren"t aware of Owen"s intent. After learning his life had been a total farce, he"d cut himself off from us so thoroughly, we didn"t know if he"d ever return. If he thought he somehow belonged with the Daemoni now. For all we knew, the fight a couple of weeks ago could have been for show, or perhaps his attempt to prove something. The thought of losing him to our enemy sucked the breath out of my lungs.
"I wish I could give you better news," Charlotte said, "but at least we know Owen"s alive and free. Otherwise, we would have heard about it by now."
"Right." I sighed. She sounded like Mom and Tristan with their no news is good news bit. "So, uh, what kind of training will we be doing?"
I needed to change the subject. We"d spent the last two hours talking about Owen and her, but mostly Owen, and I couldn"t take any more. Training was a positive action, a way to move forward and actually do something.
"Well, first, you"ll be resting," Char said, and I rolled my eyes. "I need to do some work around the States, anyway, before we can get started."
"Started with what?"
"Conversions. That"s your next objective."
Chapter 4.
"I have to warn you, though," Charlotte continued as she looked out the window, although only ocean and sky could be seen. "And you better keep this to yourself, but I"m not as good at it as I used to be. Probably all this anger I"ve been harboring."
"Maybe you need to rest, too," I said. "Build up your own Amadis power."
She made a face. "Resting doesn"t get anything accomplished."
"Heh. Exactly what I said."
Char ignored that statement and dove right into the theory behind conversions, explaining that we needed to push the Daemoni"s evil energy out of the subject and replace it with the goodness of our Amadis power. I already knew this part.
I"d tried to do this with Sheree, the were-tiger Owen had found in Key West and brought to the beach house the night I went through the Ang"dora. I hadn"t been strong enough to help her then and had nearly killed us both. Fortunately, Rina and Mom had arrived in time to take over. They"d moved her to the Atlanta safe house, where the conversion was completed.
"So once the evil is removed and they"re stabilized, they have to go through healing and training in our faith, our methods and our way of life," she explained. "You know-no biting or eating people, no turning Normans, drinking only donated or animal blood, using magic only for good. Eventually, they should be able to live on their own and become a contributing member of society-ours and the Normans"."
"How long does it take for them to get there?"
Char shrugged. "Depends. How long they"ve been Daemoni, how much they believe in the Daemoni philosophy, their capacity for love, which the Daemoni try to eradicate, and other things-they all have an impact on how long it takes. Some can live among the Normans after several months. Others are never ready. They have to stay immersed in the Amadis culture because they"re too easily tempted when on their own."
And there were some who chose to live as loners instead. Such as Jax, the were-crocodile who isolated himself in the Australian Outback rather than having to constantly fight the urge to eat people.
"And my role is to replace the evil with my Amadis power?" I asked.
"Yep. Once they"re stabilized, if you"re not already at a safe house, they"ll be taken to one where they stay for the remainder of the conversion."
I cringed with surprise. "They"re locked up?"
"Sort of. It"s like house arrest. You have to understand-if they"re exposed to Normans before they"re ready, the consequences can be deadly. But you"ve stayed at a safe house. They"re not quite a third-world prison."
True. Mom and I had lived at the safe house in Northern Virginia throughout my pregnancy with Dorian and until he and I were both strong enough to move on. The "house" was actually a mansion, offering everything a person could need or want. I hadn"t cared for the luxuries at the time, but if all the safe houses were so nice, I could see that a new convert should be pretty comfortable.
"So how come only a few of us can do the first phase of the conversions?" I asked. "I mean, I get why Mom, Rina, and I are stronger, but take you and Owen. Why do you have enough Amadis power to do it, but he doesn"t?"
"Part of it is being born Amadis. I"ve never had Daemoni influence, never lived among them. That"s why vampires can"t administer this part of the conversion-they"ve had Daemoni power, even if only for a short time after they were infected. Same with converted Weres. Those born into the Amadis might have strong enough power, but converts usually don"t."
"But Owen"s not a convert. He"s never had that influence, either."
"Well, that we don"t know now, do we? We have no idea how Kali was subliminally influencing him." Her lips puckered and her nostrils flared for a moment, but then she seemed to gather herself. "The other part is about focus. Martin-or Kali-focused Owen"s talents, power, and ability on fighting and protecting. I"m strong in those areas, too, since I"m a warlock, but I spent much time learning how to build and use my Amadis power. Martin never allowed that for Owen. Owen had shown signs at an early age that he"d make a good protector, so he didn"t need to be strong in the conversion aspect because the one he protected would be. At least, that was Martin"s excuse. Perhaps we know now he had other reasons, as well."
He wouldn"t want Owen"s Amadis power to completely extinguish his Daemoni energy. I didn"t dare say this aloud. The thought of Owen having Daemoni power was too much, and I wasn"t about to tick off Char even more by voicing something so ... so unbelievable.
"So any mage born into the Amadis can do conversions, if they"ve learned to use their Amadis power?" I asked instead.
Char nodded. "For the most part, yes. But not all mages are strong fighters, and the process usually begins with a battle."
"Ah. So you"re saying I"ll be out in the field fighting?" I wasn"t sure about this idea. Not that I was afraid or didn"t want to help in this very important way. I just didn"t like the thought of leaving Dorian as much as would be required. He needed my protection.
With that thought, the excitement to be headed home finally hit me. I"d felt so guilty about leaving Rina and Mom, Rina especially in her poor physical state, but deep down, I really did want to go home. Not to rest, though. To make sure my son was protected, kept hidden away from the Daemoni"s reach. Of course, Tristan was there, the best protector of all, and also Sasha, the lykora, but the mommy in me couldn"t help feeling the need to be there myself.
A while later, as land had come into view on the horizon, the pilot"s voice came from the overhead speaker. "We have a situation in Key West. We"ve been ordered to stop."
Charlotte frowned and studied the screen of her phone, then pushed her hand through her hair as she swore under her breath.
"Alexis, when we land, I need you to stay on the plane," Char said as we began to descend over the string of islands that made up the Florida Keys. "In fact, I want you in one of the bedrooms, and don"t come out until I say."
Now she had me seriously worried. "What"s going on?"
"A couple of injuries, but looks like we might have a new addition."
"A convert? We"re starting already?"
She shook her head. "Yes, a convert, but no, not for your training. Not yet. I"ll have to take him to Atlanta."
"But can"t I help?"
"You can help by staying safe." The warlock"s eyes narrowed at my pout. "Alexis, seriously. I can"t be worried about you with all the Daemoni in Key West. To do my job and get us all out safely, I need to know you"re here on the plane, okay? The pilots will stay with you. Tristan"s already been contacted, and I"m sure he"ll be there shortly after we land, if he"s not already. Everything will be okay-as long as you stay on the plane."
"Right. Got it. Stay on the plane." I gave her a rea.s.suring smile, ignoring the painful jab that even she, who had trained me in combat, believed I was useless.
She managed a small smile as relief flooded her eyes. She tapped a message on her phone screen and then tucked the device into a pocket. "Thank you. And if you really want to help, keep tabs on the thoughts of people around me and tell me if we"re in any danger."
Now I gave her a real smile. "I can do that."
Rather than landing at the commercial airport, we hit ground on a runway at the Naval Air Station, which I found comforting. If the U.S. military gave the Amadis special clearance, we must have inside connections with some pretty important people. Charlotte flashed off the plane, and the pilots climbed down to the tarmac to keep watch. I tracked Char"s mind signature while reaching out to all those nearby, a sense of foreboding running a chilly finger up my spine. I couldn"t believe what I found.
Nearly every mind signature was Daemoni. Four Amadis were with Charlotte here on the Naval base, which was otherwise empty, as if abandoned. Only a handful of Normans were scattered throughout the island. I scanned minds, skipping around from head to head, occasionally dipping deeper into their thoughts, and discovered the horrible truth. Except for a few tourists who were trying to figure out why everyone seemed so strange, the only other Normans in Key West were not only fully aware of the Daemoni, but served them as volunteer blood donors and caretakers of the evil creatures. The Naval Station wasn"t being friendly to the Amadis-there was no one left to be friendly. Those sailors who refused to be turned had become the main course of a Daemoni feast.
"Oh, no," I choked, although no one was on the plane to hear me.
Charlotte! I called out. Hurry! They ... they"ve taken over. The Daemoni have taken over all of Key West!
"Just listen for trouble," she said, her mental voice tight.
I hated listening to the Daemoni"s abhorrent thoughts, so I skimmed the surfaces of their minds, going deeper only when I felt the need to. There had apparently been a fight with our soldiers who were now with Char-some of the Daemoni were still riled up, and rallied for another attack.
As I scanned, I found myself unintentionally slowing down on those signatures belonging to vampires-my subconscious searched for Vanessa. It had been a couple of weeks since we"d seen her in Greece, and no one had reported any subsequent sightings. She could have easily made it here, one of her favorite stomping grounds, and then gone back into hiding among all the Daemoni.
I didn"t find her mind, but as I found two more vampires, the signature of a Norman practically screamed with fear. I zeroed in on it. A young woman had been pushed against the wall in an alley, the vampires pawing at her, one tall with white-blond hair. Not Vanessa, but close enough-Victor, her brother. Hating what I had to do but having no choice, I jumped into his mind, knowing I"d want to scrub my brain with a wire brush when I was done. I took in the view from his perspective and found a very familiar scene.
Victor! I mentally shouted at him. He froze, and his fear spiked with the unexpected voice in his head. Under other circ.u.mstances, I would have laughed. It"s Alexis. Surely you"ve been told about my telepathy.
He growled. "Get out of my head, b.i.t.c.h!"
Not until you let the girl go and tell me where Vanessa is.
"Screw off!"
I sighed. Just cooperate. You can"t make me leave, and I can make your mind a living h.e.l.l. Worse than it is already.
The b.a.s.t.a.r.d basically shut his mind down by closing his eyes so I couldn"t see through them anymore and mentally singing some horrible ballad, drowning out every other thought. For a moment, I believed maybe he was smarter than I gave him credit for, but he couldn"t carry it on for long. As his hands remained on the girl, his thoughts kept traveling in disgusting places.
c.r.a.p. I couldn"t let him hurt her. Knowing his hands were still on her sent a chill up my spine. Yelling at him in his head wouldn"t do any good, but I"d promised Charlotte I"d stay on the plane. That I"d stay safe. Going solo into the heart of Daemoni-infested Old Key West wasn"t exactly keeping that promise, especially with my Amadis power so weak. I wrapped my hand around my dagger, reminding myself that I wasn"t unarmed. A warm surge shot into my arm.
"You have other powers, stronger than anyone"s." The strange voice in my head again-the same one from the little town where we"d seen Vanessa and Owen.
Who are you? I demanded, though I feared the answer. What if she was only another part of me, meaning I was losing my mind again?
"The first daughter to handle this dagger. The only one able to, until you."
So I was losing my mind. My dagger had belonged to Ca.s.sandra, the first Amadis daughter, and had been given to her by Andrew the Angel-over two-thousand years ago. Since the Angels only talked to the matriarch, the voice in my head couldn"t be real.
"It is me, Alexis. I am-"
A girl"s cry, though only in my head, drowned out anything else the voice said, and I refocused on Victor"s mind. The girl screamed again as his hand pushed between her legs, and his l.u.s.t, both s.e.xual and blood, soared, feeding off of her fear. Oh h.e.l.l no. I couldn"t stand by, knowing what they would do to her.
"Be strong, Alexis. I am with you."
I hoped Char would forgive me as I flashed away, thankful the co-pilot had dropped the shield around the plane so the Amadis could flash onto it when they were ready. I told myself I wasn"t listening to some strange voice in my head, but was only doing the right thing for the Norman girl.
I appeared in the alley off of Duval Street and nearly gagged. The place reeked of evil, the Daemoni presence so freaking heavy. Evening had nearly fallen, shrouding the place in darkness, and I could sense them everywhere-on front porches of old houses, on the sidewalks of Duval Street, at the bars and in the restaurants, barely bothering to hide their true selves. They mingled with the few tourists, and conspired with the locals.
My heart rate instantly spiked. Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid. What had I been thinking? Charlotte had told me to stay on the plane for a reason. We were already greatly outnumbered, and now I was completely alone with Victor and the other vamp only steps away.
"The girl. You came for the girl. And I told you, you"re not alone." I tried to push the voice away, but unfortunately, I couldn"t silence it. "Take care of the girl, Alexis!"
But at least she had reminded me of my purpose for being here.
I ran my thumb over the amethyst in the dagger"s hilt, revealing the silver blade, and withdrew it from its sheath at my hip. Feeling another surge of power from it, I ran and lunged at the trio. I landed on Victor"s back, and he yelped with surprise. His friend immediately ran off, but I didn"t care about him as long as he left the girl alone. Victor, on the other hand, had something to tell me, whether he wanted to or not.
He squirmed and bucked, trying to throw me off, but I held on tightly, my thighs gripping his waist and my arms around his shoulders. His hand grabbed my wrist and if he squeezed any harder, he"d pulverize my bones into powder. The pain loosened my grasp, and he flipped me over his head. Right before I"d slam to the ground, I twisted in the air and landed on my feet, facing him. He lunged at me without thinking about it first, and I moved barely fast enough to dodge his punch. He fought with instinct, no thoughts for me to hear before he acted, and I wasted precious time parrying his blows. When he swayed off balance after a missed punch, though, I made my own move and landed again on his back, this time holding the silver blade against his neck. He froze.
"That"s a good boy," I said, still hanging onto him. I peered over his shoulder at the girl who"d been paralyzed with fear during our brief fight. With long dark hair and dark eyes, tall and thin, she reminded me so much of Sheree. I thanked G.o.d I"d been able to stop the attack on her. "Go. Now! Get whoever you came here with and go far away from this place."
Like Sheree had done so long ago, the girl finally scrambled to her feet and stumbled down the alley. Victor made another attempt to throw me off. The blade slid across his skin, and he grunted from the contact with the silver. He froze again.
"Your sister"s right. You really are an idiot, aren"t you?" I asked.
"Get the h.e.l.l off me," he growled.
"Answer a question for me, and I"ll think about it."
"You already ruined my dinner. I have nothing to tell you."
I pressed the blade harder against his throat. He whimpered. "I just want to know where Vanessa is."
"I don"t know." Victor stiffened even more under my muscles, but I hadn"t done anything to cause it.
"I suggest telling the truth," Tristan said from behind us. My chest felt as though a wide belt had suddenly loosened its tight hold on me, and I took my first real breath since leaving the plane. I was no longer alone.
Tristan moved around to the front of us, his palm facing out toward Victor"s chest as he stood several yards away-far enough that if he flashed, Victor couldn"t follow his trail. Overcome with happiness to see my beautiful husband in person, I grinned, fighting the urge to jump into his arms, because if I did, Victor could flash away, and we wouldn"t be able to follow him. The look he gave me in return was murderous.
"I am," Victor managed to get out between stiff lips. "Haven"t seen her in months."
Really? I"d always thought they were inseparable-I"d never seen them apart. Except ... the last time we saw her .... I tried to remember if Victor had been among the Daemoni on the Greek island, but I hadn"t inspected their mind signatures closely enough. Doesn"t matter. He surely had to at least have an idea of where she hid, and there was only one way to find out.
A mental shudder ran through me as once again my mind made its way into Victor"s icky head. If he knew where Vanessa was, though, he had no thoughts about her now. But then he accidentally recalled a memory-a very recent one-of Vanessa standing in a dark alley similar to this one, she and a blond guy in each other"s faces, their noses only inches apart. A very familiar blond and not Victor himself. In fact, the vampire hissed at the memory.
What the ...?