Blood Assassin (The Sentinels #2)(77)

“He’s young.”

“You have that effect on every male, no matter what their age.”

She turned to study him with an unreadable expression. “Do you have a point?”

Did he?

Not really.

Time for a change of subject.

See? He wasn’t entirely stupid.

“Why do you want to speak with Father Valdez?”

“He’s been the abbot of this monastery for many years, he’ll have a better knowledge of the area,” she explained. “Hopefully he’ll be able to help us pinpoint the epicenter of the blackout.”

Wolfe nodded. It made sense.

“Do you know the high-blood responsible?”

She frowned. “It’s still just a theory.”

“Fine. Do you know the high-blood you suspect might be responsible?”

Lana paced toward the fresco on a far wall. This one had golden fields and what looked like angels dancing in the sky.

Wolfe didn’t believe for a minute she was truly interested in the faded picture, but it conveniently kept him from reading her expression.

“Her name is Anna,” Lana finally offered. “She was born in a time when her disruptive powers could be easily hidden by leaving her in remote locations.”

Wolfe folded his arms over his chest. “She probably had no idea how quickly electricity would spread.”

“Or that the invention of air travel would make it impossible to find a home even in the most isolated area where she wasn’t at risk for causing destruction.”

Wolfe felt a pang of sympathy for the high-blood. “What did you do?”

“As the world became more and more dependent on electricity we had to surround her with a stasis spell to mute her powers. Even then she has to remain in a special cell or the area becomes saturated with her magic.”

“So someone removed her from the cell and then broke through the stasis spell.”

Lana turned to face him. “No. She must still be in stasis. Otherwise the entire state would be feeling the effects.”

Wolfe frowned, struck by a sudden thought. “How could they be moving her if she knocks out electricity?”

“I would suspect they’re traveling the old-fashioned way,” she said. “Horse and carriage.”

Wolfe cursed, slowly beginning to realize the depths of the danger. God. If the female could cause blackouts and plane crashes while she was still wrapped in a stasis spell, what the hell would happen if she were walking around with no protective barrier?

Apocalypse.

“A perfect weapon for a mercenary,” he rasped.

Lana gave a dip of her head. “That’s what I fear.”

Wolfe shoved his fingers through his hair. “Damn. What a mess.”

“For everyone.” Lana’s expression tightened with regret. “Poor Anna. The healers tried to help, but they couldn’t do more than put her in a deep sleep so she doesn’t suffer.”

“Mave.” A tall, gray-haired man entered the bay, his still powerful body covered by a simple brown robe and his lined face wreathed with a pleased smile. “Welcome.”

Moving forward with an innate grace, Lana held out her hands.

“Father Valdez.”

The abbot took her hands, pulling her forward to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Michal,” he insisted in gentle tones.

She returned his broad smile. “Michal.”

Wolfe frowned. There was a familiarity between the two he hadn’t been expecting. It wasn’t the usual dazed appreciation of a man stunned by a beautiful woman.

This was more . . . friendly.

Almost like father and daughter.

“You know one another?” he asked.

Lana never allowed her gaze to waver from the older man. “Michal saved my life.”

The abbot clicked his tongue. “Nothing so dramatic.”

“What happened?” Wolfe demanded.

It was Lana who answered. “When I was just a child he took me into his abbey after my parents were killed.”

“It was hardly a burden,” Michal protested, his voice fond. “My brothers squabbled over the privilege of caring for her.”

Wolfe’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “Nothing has changed.”

Lana ignored him as she concentrated on the abbot. “I need your help.”

He gave her hands a last squeeze before dropping them and stepping back.

“You know you have only to ask.”

“I’m afraid the Woodward blackout might be caused by a high-blood.”

The older man looked startled. Obviously the same thought hadn’t crossed his mind.

“Sabotage?”

Lana shrugged. “The high-blood would be unaware of the damage, but those holding her might be deliberately causing the damage. It’s impossible to know at this point.”

Turning, Michal pointed toward the novice who hovered in the doorway.

“Landon, bring us the latest satellite images.”

“At once.”

The boy disappeared and the abbot reached into the pocket of his robe to pull out a small electronic pad.

“I’ve been monitoring the situation, although I never suspected it might be the result of one of ours,” he said, flicking his finger over the screen of his pad, no doubt searching through the latest news and police reports. He abruptly stiffened, lifting his head in surprise. “Oh.”