“Think it’s the mechanism that used to operrate the drawbridge. Figured it was better than a sack of rrocks,” Cody replied.
Then he laughed, and took us home.
25
Tez
I circled the Darthlord and looked for an opening.
He didn’t really look like the character from the movie, but I was sure his soul was black enough for the moniker. He spun his sword in lazy circles as he assessed me. But today, his thoughts seemed to be on other things.
His distraction was obvious in the way his eyes flared with color, a different one every few seconds. And remembering the Dragon being set aflame, I counseled myself not to take advantage of this, and to let the man win.
Not an easy thing for me.
The cause of his mood was the woman with the white hair. Aurora. She stood just inside the suite, arguing with Victor.
“You’ll never get her out of there,” she said for at least the third time.
“And I repeat—if we don’t, it puts a crimp in my future plans,” Victor insisted.
A pint-sized figure paced out onto the ledge. It looked to be a male child of about seven or eight, but when he spoke, it was with an adult’s voice. “Ourfuture plans, you mean.”
Another, who looked very much like the first, only female, stepped forward. “The breeding program was Isobel’s, but now it is a shared vision.”
A third spoke from inside the suite. “And for it, we require the female.”
Their high-pitched voices were almost identical, and they gave me the absolute creeps. I didn’t know if they were possessed, or if that adult-in-a-child thing was normal for them. I also had no idea what species they were, but there was only one word that fit them—fucking creepy—well, two words with the needed emphasis.
Amityville had nothing on these kids. And I noticed that Nemi was perched as far away from them as possible.
“Then, we need a plan,” said Aurora.
Slade spoke from where he leaned on the wall. “My source says the students do leave the academy grounds on a scheduled basis for a few of their classes. But the locations are kept under wraps. He doesn’t have access to them.”
Victor’s response was to lunge at me, the sword vanishing in a blur of motion. He was a good swordsman, but I didn’t need a sword to avoid the blow. I ducked and danced away, brandishing my knives.
He put distance between us, and then answered her. “Then we need to send someone into the academy to set her up for capture.”
I did my best to ignore the distraction of the conversation. Because while I would pay dearly if I won this fight, he would not hesitate to end me if I dropped my guard, either. Finding the balance was tricky as hell.
“Our council connection owes Brock a serious favor. He’ll be pissed to discover it didn’t fuckin’ die with him,” Slade stated.
“We need someone who would pass muster with the Watchers.” Aurora looked at Slade. “A shapeshifter would work.They seem to cater to them.” She regarded Slade through half-closed eyes. “You’re unique enough to get their interest.”
Even when Victor entertained the notion instead of dismissing it outright, Slade did not react. But then he muttered, “Some at the academy might know me.”
Victor exhaled. “Plus, I need someone I can trust to oversee this project, rather than participate in it.”
He’d no sooner decided that than he came at me again. I let his blade get close before ducking away. I needed him to feel like he was winning, or I ran the risk of becoming a shish-kabob. Didn’t mean I had to like it, though. Rage simmered just below the surface, and I was aware of the flap of wings overhead, near where Nemi waited.
“Tez attracts birds wherever he goes,” Slade said almost lazily, and the first shimmer of unease passed through me.
Victor’s eyes narrowed. I didn’t like the way his stare intensified. “That’s an unusual talent.”
I shrugged. “It’s kind of useless, actually.” He didn’t need to know it wasn’t my ability to attract birds that had killed the Priest, or those men. It was what came with it.
“The academy has gathered all kinds of useless talents,” Aurora stated.
