The Undead Pool (The Hollows #12)(100)
Author: Kim Harrison

I blinked, and David fidgeted as both he and Megan realized that I wasn’t quite with them at the moment, but I think the mystics had made a joke. Oh God, the Goddess wasn’t going to be happy. Humor?

Megan got an awestruck look, backing up a step. “When you get a moment,” she said, eyes flicking between us, “there’s a few things you need to know about. Nothing pressing.”

David nodded, and I shoved the voices away. “You’ve got me all afternoon.”

“It was good to meet you,” Megan said, and I winced, realizing just how badly I was serving my pack. Sure, I was busy with other stuff that mattered, but that was no excuse. David needed a real alpha to help him. It had never been meant to be anything but us two, but now it was more, and I needed to let go.

“You’re not staying?” I asked, and she halted, clearly uncomfortable when David winced. “I wish you would,” I added, ignoring him. “Unless there’s something you need to do.”

Her eyes lit up. “No, I’ll stay.”

Her head a little higher, her hips swaying a fraction more, she headed for a cup of coffee. Ivy snickered from her computer, and I went to David to explain. “I thought you’d rub each other wrong,” he whispered. “She has the bearing of an alpha.”

Which was why he was attracted to her, I decided, inching closer yet, glad when a flicker of irritation crossed Megan’s face, quickly squelched. “David, I’m not a Were,” I said quietly to him, and his eyes flicked from her to me. “She’s a capable woman, and I like seeing capable women doing important things. Besides, if she’s doing my job, she ought to be able to have the same info you’re getting.”

He thought that over, the first hints of regret in the back of his eyes. The pixy kids trying to stay out of sight in the hanging rack flew out without warning, and from the front of the church came a familiar hail. “ ’Scuse me,” Jenks said, following his kids. It was Edden, and I ignored David’s denial that nothing was happening between him and Megan as I looked for somewhere to go with my cup of coffee. It was going to get crowded in here, and I already felt cramped, what with the mystics and all.

“David. Ivy.” Looking tired, Edden strode in with a wreath of pixy kids and headed immediately for the coffee. “Rachel,” he said as he poured it in a mug with rainbows. “I like your hair like that,” he said, making me touch it. “Where’s Kalamack? Shouldn’t he be here?”

Yeah, I kind of thought the same thing, but it got noisy as Megan was introduced and I was hesitant to bring it up. Setting my drink aside, I went to open the window. Al’s chrysalis was still safe under its overturned water glass, and I wavered on my feet when every single mystic in me left to look at Trent’s pinkie ring, trying to figure out how something solid could cause so much emotion.

Jenks was a sparkle at my shoulder. “You need to sit down, Rache?” he asked, and I shook my head, hesitated, then nodded, leaning back against the counter and levering myself up. I felt like a kid as I scooted back with my coffee until I hit the cupboards. Edden looked tired, which made me think I must look like hell if we were doing this in my church instead of the FIB building.

Trent helped Edden find me, but he didn’t bother to come out himself, I thought with a flash of disappointment. And that’s a good thing, I added bitterly. Trent was finally seeing how his actions impacted his daughters and his . . . fiancée.

Oh God, I’d actually thought the word, and I tried to find a pleasant expression as the introductions finished.

“So!” Edden said loudly. “I’ve got two more of these things this morning. Let’s get a move on. Who’s going to run it?”

Silence deep enough to bring the mystics to a quiet descended, and I realized everyone was looking at me. “Ah . . .” I hedged, and Ivy sighed, a new spate of typing taking over.

David looked at her screen, then moved to the doorway, effectively bringing all attention to him. “I’ll start since most of you already know what I have to say,” he said. “The threefold increase in wave action we’ve seen hasn’t caused an increase in misfires simply because people aren’t doing magic. Unfortunately the I.S.’s claims that the vampire violence has dropped as well is not true. What’s happened is that it’s shifted focus from vampire/human predation to vampire/vampire stalkings and attacks. As Edden feared, Landon’s idea to blame the Free Vampires has started a schism that is being fought out on the street. The inability to use magic is making it harder to cap the violence. Either Ayer and Landon are getting ready to move as Rachel said”—David lifted his mug to acknowledge me—“or the Goddess is being more aggressive in her search for her missing, ah, mystics and Ayer is capitalizing on it. None of the waves are making it out of Cincinnati.”

My eyes widened, and the influx of mystic thoughts took on an ominous feeling. “Can’t you track them?” I asked. “Find them like you did before?”

Expression solemn, David shook his head. “We can, but the waves quit vanishing early this morning. They’re circling.”

“Cincinnati?” I blurted. Crap on toast, Ayer had all he needed. He wasn’t drawing them out anymore—which meant the Goddess was looking for her lost thoughts. Looking for me.

“It’s anyone’s guess how long we have until they try to break the containment lines,” David finished, and I stifled a shiver, pulling my knees up to my chin, heels on the counter.

Edden scooted his chair a little deeper into the room, arms crossed over his wide chest. “I’ve got some good news, bad news,” he said. “I don’t know how useful it is, but the Free Vampires who gave themselves up last night told us why the masters are sleeping. The high concentrations of mystics in the area are giving the effect of a soul or aura on the undead, which lowers their appetite. They sleep when their true aura levels drop below a threshold. As long as there’re captive mystics anywhere in the city, the undead will not wake up.”

And with the city closed, they couldn’t evacuate the sleeping masters.

“They also confirmed that Landon gave them information and the technology to do this. Rachel, I’m sorry, but the elves are involved. We know for sure now.”

My frown deepened. “Trent wouldn’t do this,” I said, and David shifted from foot to foot.

“Rachel, I know how you feel about Trent—”