Blood Double (God Wars #1)(72)

"As well as can be expected. She ate better earlier." Bill stirred potato soup on the stove.

"Still not talking?"

"Not to me."

"If she isn't talking to you, then she's not talking to anybody. She just shrinks into herself whenever Ashe or I show up."

"And shakes. Don't forget that."

"Do you think all this has to do with her background? Bill, I still don't understand that. Selling kids for sex? That's the absolute worst."

"It could, and I agree. It happens more than you might think, too. I saw it all the time back on Earth."

"Have we tried telling Kay that she's safe here? That nobody is about to do anything she doesn't want?"

"No idea. Perhaps you should mention it to Kevis. He's scheduled again tomorrow."

"I'll consider it, but I'm not really comfortable telling a shrink his business."

"Funny, Traje. How did Breanne look?"

"Damn good, except for the dark circles under her eyes. She's not getting enough sleep."

"Fuck."

"Yeah."

*

"I am not pleased," Erithia muttered angrily. Rathik had returned, but couldn't venture out of hiding—too many would recognize him. Riis held little knowledge of Casino City, and was nearly worthless when sent out to run errands for Erithia. The only good he'd done her was to hand all his money to her. She worried that Hordace would discontinue the flow of money from his enterprises, once he learned Q'And was no longer her primary focus.

"How might I please you?" Rathik knelt at her feet.

"Was an image ever provided of the Vhanaraszh? One that we might use to hunt her or place a bounty on her head?" Erithia stroked Rathik's hair distractedly.

"I was not given images, my love. I would have brought them to you if I had them."

"I know. Do not trouble yourself," Erithia murmured. "I am still quite upset that my pet was killed in the Queen's dungeons. Rathik, you are familiar with the Queen's palace. Who might we approach that is trusted by her? Who can I lure into my service?"

"My love, many of them are dangerous," Rathik whined, lowering his head.

"Come, Rathik, surely you know of one who might be easily ensnared."

"Perhaps, one," Rathik lifted his eyes to Erithia.

"Who might that be, my lover?"

"The cook, perhaps? The Queen sometimes treats him as a daughter might treat a father, I'm told. The comesuli gossip constantly, and I heard that tale more than once."

"Very well. Have someone watch for the cook. Have him followed. Find out for me how I might meet him. Only a few moments and he will be caught, have no fear."

"You are most devious and beautiful, my love," Rathik purred.

"Thank you."

*

Can any hear me? I am trapped.

That voice woke me from a sound sleep, and I'm sorry to say I mumbled "What?" before I was entirely conscious.

Please respond again, the voice begged. By that time, I was wide-awake. Somebody really was asking for help. I'd never heard the voice before, but it worried me. So many times, I'd begged for similar help in the past and nobody ever came to my rescue.

What do you need? I was off the bed quickly and racing toward my closet.

I need power to break away from a vortex. I am trapped, he repeated.

I don't know how to send power, I returned, flinging clothes on. It was a useless gesture. I did it anyway.

You must have a great deal of power to hear my plea, he replied.

But how do I know, I began.

Belen. My name is Belen, he sent, desperation in his words. Please help me!

Belen. I'd seen that name before, in several readings. Drake and Drew's. Even Gavin's at times.

Tell me what to do, I stood before Lissa's dressing table and stared at my image in the mirror. I'd stopped wearing her face whenever I went to bed at night. My face was pale and I was trembling. Belen—the Nameless One who oversaw the Saa Thalarr. Adam, Merrill and Kiarra relied heavily on him.

Concentrate, as if you were about to do something that required much of your strength. Project it toward my voice, he said.

I'll try, I sent, working through my fear in an attempt to do as he asked. Desperately, I searched through all the things I'd done so far, gauging them for the amount of power required. So far, only Changing What Was required a great deal of power, and even so, it hadn't been completely debilitating. Considering that I might have to combine all the power I'd expended to Change What Was, I drew several deep breaths, pulled the necessary energy together and blasted it toward the voice.

I hadn't reckoned on how tired I was, or that I'd been wakened from a sound sleep to do this. Just before I fainted, I heard the weakest thank you imaginable.

*

"There is no longer any need to attack Harifa Edus." He glowed a pulsing violet next to those he'd gathered about him. "I have evidence of another Mighty. Who knew that fool Belen would become useful to me? And all we had to do was trap him in a power vortex, leaving only the smallest window for mindspeech."

"But Belen is free, now," a minion ventured to speak.

"You think he matters to me?" A laugh followed that remark. "I can search for the same power signature that freed him. If it is expended again, might we not follow it to the source? This has been more helpful than I hoped. We are on our way to eliminating one of the Three."