Chapter One
Jupiter spun lazily, hurtling through the void of space, with no conscience about the coming death of trillions hidden by the bulk of its sheer size. Being three hundred times larger than Earth, someone should have thought to look behind it. When they finally did (thanks to a question from an eighth-grade science class in Pillsbury, North Dakota), using the ancient satellite, Tyris IV (because it was the only one with the view they needed), they discovered the source of Jupiterâs recent changes.
 The planet was brighter than it should be.
In the preceding six-months, Jupiter became twenty-three-percent brighter and developed a halo. Astronomers were baffled. But twelve middle-school kids reminded them that light gets refracted when passed through ice crystals around a massive body, and Jupiter has long been suspected of having a water-layer in its upper atmosphere. Maybe there was something brighter than Jupiter, behind Jupiter?
Those kids were right.
Tyris IV: the satellite designed to warn of incoming nuclear attacks centuries earlier, before the inhabitants of Earth realized how insignificant their disputes were, and set aside their differences, was in a unique position (orbitally speaking) to have a glimpse of space past Jupiter. It was just a sliver more, a slice of sky they hadnât thought to look at, and the view was chilling.
The image they received was the head of a rogue comet, its tail streaming out behind brightening the sky, unseen or suspected, on a collision course with the third planet from the sun.
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John Harlan shoved the door open. Luckily, there was no one on the other side. The door hit the stubby rubber-coated-metal stop embedded in the floor, and the glass rattled in the frameâit got everyoneâs attention. He stalked through the metal detector and glanced at the security guards when it went offâthe look on his face said, ânot right now.â
They both nodded and waved him through. He didnât need the shiny NASA badge clipped to his uniform pocket: they all knew who he was.
Kennedy Space Center should be full of tourists touching moon-rocks and fawning over space-shuttle displays, but not today. The streets had been similarly deserted on the drive here. Since 6:42 Eastern Standard Time, the only thing on people's minds was Karnasovâs Comet.
Professor Karnasov was undoubtedly basking in the glow of validation, whatever that was worth. Heâd predicted this event, and his peers (the ones who claimed he was mad for thinking a planet-ending collision with a celestial body could sneak up on them) were appropriately subduedâby the fact that he was rightânever mind that it was a prediction of the apocalypse.
Vacations ended abruptly, and everyone returned home to await the end of the world. Radio stations reported a worldwide panic, with people crowding grocery stores, fighting over the last case of bottled water, as if it might prolong their lives, somehow.
At the end of the main hall, he turned left, pushing the double-doors to the conference room open.
âItâs about time you got here, Commander.â Derrik Holden snapped.
âItâs been twenty-three minutes since you called me, Doctor. This is the fastest Iâve ever made it. The streets are deserted. Itâs a little eerie.â John threw his hat on the table and pulled out a chair. âCalm down and concentrate on the problem. Is Houston online?â
Derrik punched a button on the remote, and the main video screen popped up, showing a depressed-looking General Whitaker shaking his head and yelling at someone off-camera.
âThe other file. The red one! You know itâs going to be red, why would you pick the non-red file? Theyâre always red.â
An anonymous hand passed him the disputed crimson folder after a few seconds, and he began flipping through it.
âUh, GeneralâŚâ John said.
Whitakerâs eyes snapped up. âOh, I didnât see the screen come onâŚâ He tried to fake a smile, but it was superficial.
âUnderstandable, sir, Iâm sure you have a million things going on.â
âNo, just one, John. Itâs a huge frozen chunk of rock, headed right toward us!â Spit flew from the corners of his mouth, and the vein on his head that everyone talked about bulged. âThe damn thing missed Jupiter, but they said it would, so thatâs no surprise. Where are you on the ARK project? I know this is short notice, but we have three-and-a-half months to get those ships readyâŚâ
âWeâll be ready. How are they going to handle the lottery?â
âI havenât talked to the President about it, yet, but he decided on something different. Iâm sure itâs weighing on his mind; it is on mine.â
John nodded. âYes, sir, I can only imagine. Six-hundred seats⌠how do you fill them?â
âThereâs a plan. I donât necessarily agree with it, because it doesnât include me...â
âPlease tell me itâs not the richest-and-smartest plan, from six months ago⌠I thought we killed that?â
âYes, they dropped the richest part; I guess you really canât take it with you.â He chuckled to himself, and the grin seemed genuine. âNow, itâs just the smartest plan.â
âThatâs better, I suppose⌠Whatâs the IQ cutoff, Gary?â
âOne-seventy, which leaves me out, and theyâre spreading it over multiple disciplines, so itâs balanced. These are the best and brightest in their fields, John: the top point-three percent.â
âI get to fly a bunch of brains to a different galaxy⌠sounds like a blast.â
âJohn, if you werenât one of three qualified pilots, you wouldnât be going either, and we could sit on the beach outside my cabana and drink a beer as the world explodes.â
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Alisha snapped awake, sitting up in the dark, wondering where she was. It was another of the dreams from her childhood: one with the soldiers. She hadnât thought about them in years. But, Saâriya said the other one, the one with Zaril, was a vision, not a dream.
Maybe this one is tooâŚ
She concentrated, focusing her thoughts.
âJerain, are you there?â
Jerain waved her hand over the candles lined up across the windowsill. The wicks sparkled and caught fire, casting a flickering glow around the bedroom.
Alisha looked around, remembering where she was.
Thatâs right. Weâre at Dalancy castle.
âWell,â Jerain said, a bit impatiently, âhere I am, arenât you going to say hello?â
Alisha shook her head. âIâm sorry. Iâm not completely awake yet. Hello, JerainâŚâ
Jerain walked to the bed. She sat next to her upon the soft down mattress Alisha slept on for so many years. This was her room, in her adoptive parent's castle. Sheâd grown up here, and the memories flooded her mind.
The Dalancyâs brought her home from the orphanage when she was fifteen. She was too old: even the social workers said sheâd never be adopted, but the Dalancyâs had taken her, anyway, and theyâd loved her as their ownâand theyâd given her two sisters: Becca and Carrilâthe best sisters in the world, although it didnât start that way⌠but thatâs another story.
âStill hereâŚâ Jerain raised her eyebrows.
Alisha laughed. âIâm sorry, Jerain, I was just reminiscing.â
âAbout your sisters, and all of your adventures here...â Jerain smiled and nodded.
âI want to take them with me⌠Becca, Carril, and Dalo. You said I could take anyone I wanted.â
âYes, I did. I also said you should expand your possibilities. Take more people, with different skills; you never know what you might run intoâŚâ
âNo, the four of us can handle it.â
âIf thatâs what you want.â Jerain looked at her, pride swelling her face. âI think youâll be fine.â
Alisha squeezed her hands. âYou said something about three cluesâŚâ
âAnd you just got the first one.â Jerain smiled.
âYou mean, that dream?
âDream, vision, call it what you want. You first had that dream when you were young, do you remember now?â
âYes, there were several of them, but they were strange, like watching an old science-fiction holo-vid.â
âThey were visions of the past, Alisha. Visions of your history, your ancestors. Few people remember how humans came to be on Erador. But you know, you simply have to remember. Your power, the change that you went through when you absorbed the multiverse made you immortal, but it also broke a block in your mind created by The Forgettingâyouâre no longer affected by it. What you experienced was genetic memory.â
âWhat memory?â Alisha looked confused.
âA memory of where youâre from, and not just youâeveryone.â
âI get the feeling, you know. Why not just tell me and end the torture?â
Jerain laughed. âIf I was omniscient, yes, I might know. But I already told you, this multiverse wasnât created by one super-powerful being. There are a lot of us, all doing our share, in different parts of the galaxy. But you can remember where your people came from. The memory is there.â
Alisha swung her legs off the bed and walked to the wide doors leading to the balcony. Shelves of dusty leather-bound books lined the walls, staring down upon the scene in quiet dismay, or superb disdain, depending on their titles.
She pushed the doors open. The mountain wind hit her in the face, strengthening her resolve. It woke her up, erasing all tinges of fear and uncertainty. âWeâre all from Erador.â
Jerainâs swell of pride bloomed, and she was suddenly standing next to Alisha on the balcony. âWhen I said that was your first clue, I meant it.â
âSeriously, Jerain, why canât you just tell me where the Triscale is?â
âBecause it wouldnât respect your authority.â
âYou mean, I have to show it whoâs boss?â Alisha asked.
âIn a manner of speaking.â
âBut you control it, donât you?â
âYes, and that brings me to a point I forgot to mention.â
âWhat?â
Jerain turned and walked away. She leaned on the balcony wall, staring at the forest and the mountains beyond, the wind blowing her hair back. âYou need my mark, to control the token, but it has to be your choice.â
âYour markâŚâ Alisha stared at her, âWhat does that mean?
âIt means you can control the Triscale. Itâs impossible without it.â
âBut I used the other Tokens when I was young, and I never needed a mark,â Alisha said.
âYou used them. You didnât control them, and thatâs what you have to do with the Triscale. I usually require the bearer to devote a significant portion of their life to my service, but for you, Iâll make an exception.â
âWhy would you do that?â
âBecause our goals happen to be aligned.â
âYou want the Prophet dead?â Alisha asked, her eyebrows rising.
âI want order restored. If that requires the end of someone, then thatâs the natural way of things. I think very long-term, Alisha, and you canât grasp what I know, so be happy with what I give you.â
âNo, thatâs not good enough. I put up with this from my grandmother and great-grandmother, but Iâm not related to you, so tell me the truth. What do you want out of this?â
Jerain spun around, crossing her arms. She stared at Alisha with those haunting chestnut eyes for a long time: long enough to make her uncomfortable. Â âI want you to replace me.â
***
Jed and Jacko delivered them to Dalancy Castle two nights past, by virtue of having the largest ship. Alisha had begged for rest, and the other humans agreed: it had been a long month. The immortal members of the party didnât need sleepâthey went off to do what immortals do when no one is watching, except for Kat, she stayed with Delia.
Cyrus and Glory Dalancy were charming hosts. They made them all feel like family, even the Draggon Queen.
Katreena was on her best behavior, and not a faux-pas was uttered.
In total, they slept a combined fifty-six hours, in fragments and fits, rolling and tumbling, fighting with fevered dreams and memories of battle. It was sleep, of a sort.
Alisha and Jerain found Nuâreen in the dining nook by the kitchen, the morning light streaming through the windows bounced off the gray streaks in her hair; she had a pot of mint tea steeping on the table. She waved her hand over the crystal surface and two more delicate cups shimmered into view. She filled all three.
âWhere is everyone?â Alisha asked.
Nuâreen set her cup down, waving her free hand at her lips. âBe careful⌠thatâs hot.â
âThanks for the warning,â Alisha said, her eyes thinning. âWhere is everyone, again?â
âDonât take that tone with me, young ladyâŚâ Nuâreen glared at her, pupils flaring.
âThen stop acting strange, Nuâreen, and tell me where everyone is!â
âBoth of you quit before someone gets their feelings hurt: especially meâŚâ Jerain made some motion with her hand that Alisha couldnât see, and suddenly she felt light and carefree like nothing bothered her. She looked at Nuâreen; she had a stupid grin on her face too.
Alisha shook her head and turned to Jerain. âWhatever that was, stop it now.â
Jerain smiled. âI didnât think that would hold you for long, but that was quick.â
Nuâreen snapped out of the charm seconds later and slapped Jerain on the forearm. âStop doing that! Thatâs how you separate fighting NaâGeena children.â
âFine! Then both of you stop arguing and treating each other like enemies.â
They exchanged apologies and promised not to do it again.
âWhat has your problem been, though, great-grandmother?â Alisha stared at her.
âSheâs anticipating the power sheâll receive when you kill her sister,â Jerain said, sipping her tea.
Nuâreenâs eyes burned again. âHow can you say such a thing?â
âBecause itâs true. Sheâs been a thorn in your side forever, I should know, Iâve settled more than one of your disputes⌠if it werenât for the KâPa law forbidding sororicide, youâd have killed her yourself, long ago, you told me as much, many years back. I would have applauded your efforts. And I still canât say Iâm opposed.â
Nuâreen cocked her head and grabbed her cup, an unspoken thought, twisting her face as she sipped the steaming liquid. She didnât argue the point.
Alisha looked at Nuâreen and asked, âYouâll ascend when I kill her?â
âNot unless she takes a mate of a different species,â Jerain answered. âBut she will become much more powerful, regardless. The ascension process for KâPa is two steps: either step will increase your power; both steps will make you very nearly a god.â
âI always thought you would choose me when you got tired.â Nuâreen lowered her cup and stared at Jerain, but pointed her finger at Alisha. âBut now, I find youâre focused on another.â
âYou shouldnât be eavesdropping on conversations youâre not a part ofâŚâ Jerainâs brow clenched.
âItâs the curse of having exceptional sight,â Nuâreen said. âI hear everything, especially things close to me.â
âDo you mean, Jerain asking me to replace her?â Alisha asked. âYou heard that?â
âYes. It was difficult not to; you were so emotional.â Nuâreen squeezed her hand.
They were all quiet, searching each otherâs faces.
âI havenât decided if I should.â Alisha continued, turning to Jerain. âWhy is it you want to quit again?â
âNot quit: retire,â Jerain said, sipping her tea. âIâm tired. Itâs time for someone else to deal with things for a while.â
âDeal with things⌠what things?â Alisha asked.
âYou know⌠the dimensions, the multiverseâthis corner of it, anywayâwatching my boys, making sure they donât fight.â
âSounds like babysitting to meâŚâ Alisha grinned.
Jerain smiled. âBabysitting three transcendent beings isnât as easy as it seems, especially when they have minds of their ownâthey argue a lot⌠You can continue to live your life, like normal, but youâd have some additional responsibilities.â
âLike what?â Alisha asked.
âStopping plagues, wars,â she shrugged, âstuff like that. Making sure it rains where it needs to and stops where it doesnâtâŚâ
âYou make it sound simple.â
âItâs not that hard, with some practice. Mostly you just feel what needs to happen. I have faith in you.â
âBut not me?â Nuâreen asked, pain crawling across her face.
âAre you jealous, Nuâreen?â Jerain asked her. âIs that what this is?â
Dalo stepped into the kitchen from the front hall. âIâve never known her to be anything but helpful. But she can be a bit harsh at times.â
He pulled a stool up to the table.
Nuâreen created another cup and filled it. âThank you, Chieftain, itâs nice to know someone still believes in me.â
âOh, stop,â Alisha said, rolling her eyes. âWeâre not here to attack you, Nuâreen.â
âThen why are you here?â Nuâreen stared at them.
âIs this one of those metaphysical questions that have no answer?â Dalo asked, grinning.
âNo, itâs a serious question,â Nuâreen said. âYour mother needs help, my sister and Varran Razzius need finding, and youâve all slept for two days. When are we going to get this roller back on the road?â
âWow, and I thought Andi was tough!â Jed Larkin nudged Jackoâs arm as they walked into the kitchen. He caught himself and scanned their faces. âUh, weâre not breaking up some huge scheme, are we? Because that would be awesome! I mean, if we can be involved in itâŚâ
âYou donât mind if I fix us all some breakfast, do you?â Jacko asked, pulling the cooler door open.
They looked at him, smiles across their faces. He went to work.
âWhatâs the new plan?â Jed asked. âDidnât we kill the bad guy, previously?â
âYes, and no,â Alisha said. âWe dealt with half the problem. But thereâs a lingering stench of evil that needs purging.â
âJiâyael is not evil; sheâs misguided,â Nuâreen said, sipping her tea.
âSheâs evil enough to assist in the deaths of every human on this planet.â Alisha snapped.
âYou sound as if you want to save herâŚâ Jerain said, her eyes twinkling.
Nuâreen sighed. âSheâs crazy, but she is my sister.â
***
Karnass Keep floated above the Plains of Nadeen. Stray showers of loose rock and dirt cascaded back into the jagged hole belowâloosed from gnarled roots and hollow voids in the soil ripped from the pit. Occasionally, a massive chunk broke free and breached the containment bubble that held the castle aloft, crashing into the abyss with a thunderous rumble.
There was no one around to notice.
The Prophet raised her palms, pointing at the wall of the Great Hall. Two alcoves formed, side-by-side, the bricks crawling and shuffling themselves around, creating the proper shape. One was six-feet-tall, the other much smaller, and waist-high.
âJust put it in there,â The Prophet said, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. The walls rang with her voice, bouncing from columns and paintings, carved statues, and stained glass. The light from the windows augmented by the glow from the fireplace, and the numerous torches held fast in iron bindings. The flames gave a crackling undertone to the scene: a thin, sizzling hiss.
Varran eyed the alcove she created. He looked like heâd smelled something bad. âAnd whatâs this supposed to do, again?â
âThe shape of the stone amplifies the power it can absorb,â she said.
âAnd the power weâre trying to absorb, it comes from the planet?â he asked.
âNo, straight from the Orphic currents.â
âHow is that possible, wouldnât you need a void wraith or something to channel it?â
âThese Tokens are connected to the void, Varran,â she slid the Scepter of Taiji from her robe and placed it into the smaller opening. A soft blue beam enveloped it and flashed from the diamond tip, showering the walls with multicolored fragments of light. It hung suspended in the alcove, slowly spinning. âThink of it as a battery charger, except that thereâs no limit on the charge.â
Varranâs eyes widened. âYou mean, we could absorb it all?â
âNo, but we can drain this dimension, and thatâs more than enough to perform our bonding. After that, we can go anywhere. Weâll be free.â
Varran turned the staff over in his hands. He didnât like the idea of being separated from it. âHow long will this take?â
âTwo or three days, but we have another problem.â
âWhatâs that?â he asked, watching the scepter spin in place.
âWhen these Tokens start draining power from the multiverse, some people are going to noticeâpeople who could hurt us. We need some protection.â
âWeâre floating above the planet, in a flying castle, I think weâre safe,â he smirked.
âIâm not talking about people that need to walk anywhere: I mean immortals and those pesky relatives of mine, and maybe the Draggons, although I doubt it; since Darkonus is dead, so is our deal.â
âWhat did you have in mind?â Varran asked.
âElementals.â
âI donât know how to summon elementals, Karon never showed me.â Varran shook his head.
âYou havenât really tested your power, have you? I mean given it a real shot, something spectacularâŚâ
âI created a world,â Varran defended himself, âpart of one.â
âThatâs interesting,â she rolled her eyes. âI had something grander in mind.â
âLike what?â
âLike using your Dâjinn nature to protect us.â She glared at him. âHave you not been following along?â
âBut, I told you, Karon never showed me howâŚâ
âThen youâre lucky you have me.â She ran one hand down his cheek. âCome with me. But first, place the staff where it belongs.â
Varran held it forward, the orb spinning violently in protest, mirroring his anxiety. When the blue beam washed over it, the rotation slowed; he could feel it, it calmed down, reflecting the cobalt gleam.
The Prophet waved her hand at the wall. A bright blue halo surrounded both Tokens, and a semi-transparent shield formed over them. She grabbed his arm. âTheyâre safe, letâs go.â
The Prophet led him out of the keep, into the courtyard. The morning suns burned the stone with amber and yellow beams. The green of the trees caught the light, swaying in the gentle breeze blowing up from the grasslands.
She pulled him to the center of the stone walkway and pointed at the altar: a huge rough boulder embedded in the ground. âYou proved you didnât need the staff. Do it again.â She waved him toward it.
Varran placed both hands on the rock and summoned his spirit. It burst into his mind like an explosion without fire. All his experiences and those he knew from his ancestors flashed through his head. He felt the Dâjinn connection to the elementals, the difference in thought-patterns was huge, but he understood it. He made contact. He felt them enter his mind and become a part of him.
The feel of rock drifted across his skin, like rubbing against a stone wall with a bare shoulder. He pulled his right hand from the altar and aimed it at the ground surrounding them. Thirty golems emerged from the courtyard stones: yellow and amber light spinning in vortexes of creation. The stones twisted together, reinforced with dirt and gravel. The resulting monsters tramped around, raising more dust, and then spaced themselves out across the castle grounds.
âThatâs something.â The Prophet nodded, watching them go.
Varran held his hands in the air and dug deeper.
He remembered the wind: the feel of it, the soft brush against your cheek, the light touch. And then he amplified it to a ferocious howl until it hurt his ears, and then he set it free.
Violent gusts of air twisted into spinning hurricane fragments: blue tornadoes. They blew so hard they couldnât keep themselves anchored. Floating wild, they managed to irritate the earth golems, but nothing vicious ensued, rocky-arm-waving, and hot air, mostly.
âWhat about fire?â Varran asked, âor water?â
âI think weâre too far from water, and if the Draggons come, fire wouldnât make a difference.â
âOkay, so now what, what do we do?â Varran asked.
âWe wait for the Tokens to charge, and hope no one notices.â
***
Becca and Carril walked in, swinging shopping bags. They saw Alishaâs look, and set the bags down, separating them into two neat piles, so they could remember which ones to grab.
âHey, sis!â Becca beamed, her bright red hair flashing under the great-hall lights, holding her arms out to Alisha.
âWhere have you two been?â Alisha asked, folding her sister into a tight hug.
âWe had some shopping to do,â Carril said. âYou said we were going on a trip; we canât be wearing last year's clothes. How stupid would we look?â
Alisha smiled, âYouâll look how I make you look. What you wear will make no difference. Sorry⌠But hey, you got some new clothes!â
âThat sucks, I guess, but yes, new clothes!â Carril grinned. âWhat do we need to know?â
âWeâre traveling to the past. Actually, to a memory of the past,â Alisha said, â We can't alter anything, so step on bugs if you need to, it wonât change the future. It will affect the memory, though, so try to contain the mayhem to a minimum.â
âIs this time-travel? I thought that was reserved for immortals?â Becca asked.
âI am immortal,â Alisha said. âThere have been some changes.â
 âI see that.â Carril stared at the silver gleam in her eyes. âHow do we fit in?â
âYouâre both powerful adepts, and our magics have always blended well,â Alisha said.
âThat was years ago, Alisha, how can you be sure it still works?â Carril asked.
Alisha pulled them into a void-space. They felt the walls but found them stable, turning toward her with confused looks on their faces.
âOkay, so who do we have to kill?â Becca asked, rubbing her fingers along the inside of the bubble.
âWeâre not killing anyone,â Alisha said. âBut we have to go back into a memory, and it requires we enter the place where dreams sleep.â
âWait, we have to go to the void?â Carril asked, her mouth hanging wide.
âItâs not as bad as it seems.â Alisha grabbed her hand. âWeâre there now, in a sense.â
âYes, protected by a bubbleâŚâ
âYou know Iâm ready.â Becca chimed in. âAnything to break the monotony of Business School. Father wants me to take his placeâŚâ
âOh, no!â Carril mocked her, âDaddy wants you to take over the family fortune; poor dear.â
âCarril, if you want to run the company, please feel free, Iâve told you that many times, and you refuse. And you graduated much higher than I did. I admit it, you should be in charge, so take it and shut-up.â
Carril shook her head and grinned at Alisha. âNo, itâs far too boring.â
Alisha laughed at them. âIâm glad to see some things donât change. Youâll both come with me?â
Carril and Becca smiled and grabbed her hands.
âWhat do we need to do?â Becca asked. âYou know weâre with you, sis, always.â
âWeâll leave tomorrow; Dalo is coming with us.â
âMmm, yes, DaloâŚâ Carrilâs eyes glazed.
âHe is my brotherâŚâ Alisha slapped her on the arm.
âHeâs not my brother.â She grinned.
âCan we not make this weird?â
***
Taiji noticed it first, attuned as he was to the scepter: the trickle that flowed where it shouldnât. A stable stream of energy ending at two Tokens. He didnât recognize the staff, but he appreciated the craftsmanship and the power it took to make it. He watched them fill, the void slowly loading them with energy. They were protected with a shield, but it didnât concern him: he wasnât here to stop anything. He hated to, but he did have to report this to the othersâŚ
âTheyâre draining the Orphic energy from the void?â Yin gasped.
âI canât believe youâre surprised.â Yang said, âThis was bound to happen. All that high praise you have for people goes up in smoke along with the bridges burning, doesnât it?â
âWhat are we supposed to do about it?â Taiji asked, glaring at Yang.
âWe canât stop it,â Yang said. âWe swore not to interfere directly⌠so long ago I canât remember.â
 Yin smiled. âThatâs why we have agents.â
***
âŚThe frog jumped off the rock. Delia lunged for it, but she lost her balance and landed on her side, a sharp stone poking into her ribs...
Â
Delia sat up, in total darkness, completely confused. She brought her palms together, a spark left her hands and floated to the ceiling, shining soft light around the room.
She was in a bedroom, not lying on her side in a freezing creek being stabbed by a rock, and she wasnât alone.
Kat sat in a chair by the bedside, her legs crossed, one hand on each knee with her eyes closed; they snapped open when Delia stirred. âDelia, are you okay?â she asked, reaching for her hand.
Delia snatched it away, her face clouded with distrust. The memories came back, slowly, and she recognized Kat, but she saw no reason to include her in the plan: the plan she formulated in her dreams (except for the frog thing, that was just random): the method for her revenge.
Kat smiled at her with a touch of sadness in her eyes. âTake whatever time you need love, Iâll wait.â
This might be a problem.
She needed to get out of here for her plan to work, and now she had a babysitter that wouldnât go away: one she couldnât use magic on.
âKat. Itâs Kat⌠right?â Delia reached for her hand, the force of Yang pushing her to be kind, to get her way, despite the burning desire to kill someone eating a hole through her soul: subtle persuasion worked better than bodies that couldnât answer your questionsâit was a tactical decision.
Katâs forehead wrinkled, and she took Deliaâs hand. âYes! You remember me?â
âI do, but itâs fuzzy like I only have half the memory.â
âBecause you only have half of your soul. Jerain said this might happen. What do you remember?â Kat asked. âBut, more important, how do you feel?â
âFeel? I donât feel anything, except a need to get out of here and get to work.â
Delia took a deep breath and waved both hands, like smoothing a bedsheet.
Time stopped. Kat had half a word out in response, and it hung frozen in midair, undelivered.
Delia jumped from the bed and yanked the wardrobe open. She pulled her cloak on and grabbed the extra bag lying in the bottom. She had no idea what it held, but the colors matched.
She glanced at Kat before she left. She felt a stir of emotion, but it wasnât strong, and she couldnât define itâcouldnât decide what it meant. There was something there, she sensed it, but it would have to wait. She had some people to kill.
