Wings of Fire (Guardians of Ascension #3)(25)
Author: Caris Roane

She kept very still as she cleared her mind and began to focus. She opened her voyeur’s window, thought one powerful thought about Antony, and found him at the Cave with the battle-weary Warriors of the Blood. A quick pan around the room told her they were all there, all except Marcus, who probably had the night off. Jean-Pierre sat next to Antony on an enormous brown leather couch against the back wall.

Antony was staring at the floor, and he looked really mad.

Jean-Pierre said, “So we are waiting now to hear from Jeannie for news from Burma.” Jeannie’s name sounded soft and beautiful on Jean-Pierre’s French tongue.

“Yep.” Antony flicked the hilt of the knife on his chest. He’d been battling, she could see that, but to her surprise he wore a kilt and a weapons harness, which meant he’d revealed his scarred-up back to his warrior brothers. Wow. What on earth had shifted in the past few hours to have wrought such a huge change in the warrior?

But the question was, could she communicate with him telepathically? After months of trying and failing, could she do it now?

She smiled. Yes, things had changed within her.

Antony, she sent, hard and forceful.

She watched him sit up. Parisa? he returned. He scowled and looked around.

I’m here. Outside Mandalay. I’m flying through Rith’s double dome of mist and you’d better be here. Now repeat what I just said. Say it to Jean-Pierre who’s sitting next to you.

He turned to Jean-Pierre. “I’ve just heard from Parisa.” He tapped his head. “She’s flying through two domes of mist, she’s near Mandalay, and I’d better get my ass over there.”

Jean-Pierre’s eyes went wide.

Telepathically, Antony sent, When are you doing this?

In about two minutes.

Shit. I’m coming.

“Let’s rumble,” he said aloud, jumping to his feet.

***

Medichi looked at his warrior brothers. They’d battled all night and everyone was exhausted. Havily had come and gone with some coffee and pastries so they’d tanked up, but still. Were they up for this?

“Parisa’s escaping … now. She just told me, in my head.”

All movement ceased. Bodies rose slowly off stools and leather couches.

“Where?” Zacharius cried. “Where is she?”

“Mandalay, Burma. Second Earth. Shit. What do I do?” But as soon as the words left his mouth, he whipped his card-like warrior phone from his pocket and thumbed Central.

“Central,” Jeannie’s voice came on the line. “How can I serve?”

“Jeannie, I’ve just heard from Parisa. She’s in Mandalay.”

“Holy shit.” He heard tapping. “I’m moving the grid as we speak. There we go. There we go. Give me a minute, probably less.”

“Hurry, Jeannie. We’re in trouble.”

He focused on Parisa and sent, You’ve got to narrow this down for us if you can. Which side of the city?

Just past the outskirts at the southern end.

“Southern end,” he said into the phone. To Parisa, he sent, Are you on Second Earth? He wanted to be sure.

Yes. But Antony, there’s something you must know. Rith keeps other women here, as blood slaves. I saw how he did it. He causes their deaths while he harvests their blood, then he brings them back to life. One of the women, Fiona, was abducted from Boston. She’s been here since 1886. Can you get her out as well? All of them?

Oh, God. Blood slaves. So they existed. Now it all started making sense, how Greaves was able to turn so many High Administrators as well as members of COPASS. He must be using these women to provide dying blood. There had been rumors for years. Now there was proof.

But as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t make these unknown women his priority. He knew nothing about Rith’s security setup, or the layout of the building, nothing. And right now, Parisa was his primary concern.

I’ll talk it over with Thorne. But we’re going to take this one step at a time. Let’s get you out of there first.

Right. Right.

God, had it really happened? And how had Parisa been able to speak into his head? What had changed? What had happened to make the impossible possible? But then who cared? I’m on my way.

To Jeannie, he said, “Listen, Parisa spoke of being beneath two domes of mist. I know her signature doesn’t show up on the international grid, but Rith’s might. He’s a powerful SOB. Maybe that will show up on the grid as something unusual. Do you have Mandalay in front of you?”

“Yes. Scanning the southern sector now. Come on. Come on.”

To his brothers, he said, “And which of you is coming with?”

As one, they drew into a half circle around him, Jean-Pierre beside him. Words weren’t necessary. His chest took their joint support and loyalty as a heavy-fisted blow. Shit, his eyes burned. He glanced at Thorne. No one could go anywhere without his permission.

All the warriors turned toward him. Thorne’s mouth was a thin grim line, but he nodded and said, “We all go.”

Medichi lifted his chin. “We’ll materialize nearby and I can’t tell you what to expect. I don’t know if we’ll face death vampires or what.”

“Fuck, yeah!” Luken cried. “Bring ’em on!”

“Jeannie,” he pleaded into the phone.

“I think I’ve found it. It’s enormous—it’s like the time Kerrick went to that medical complex and a huge part of the parking lot was held in some kind of misted disguise. I thought only Greaves had this kind of power. No wonder Rith was able to take her. And did you say a double dome of mist? Holy crap.”

Medichi ignored this speech, one of the longest he’d ever heard Jeannie make. He addressed the only important element. “You’ve got seven to fold.”

He glanced at them all, overwhelmed by the support the brotherhood gave him. Jean-Pierre nodded. Luken put a fist against his chest. Zacharius and Santiago, almost as one, took their daggers from their weapons harnesses and held them aloft. Kerrick smiled, that knowing look that only a warrior caught in the breh-hedden could possibly offer, a look full of sympathy and hope. Thorne’s jaw worked. “Let’s go get your woman.”

Jeannie gave a cry. “I’ve got the coordinates. But there’s one powerful signature there. Has to be Rith. You boys ready?”

“Shit, yes, Jeannie.”

We’re on our way, Parisa.

I’m outta here, she sent.

Medichi took a deep breath. “Fold us now, Jeannie.”