––––––––

Atlanta, GA – Storm and Evalle’s building

Energy strummed through Quinn, threatening to break free if he had to sit silently for one more minute of this séance. At what point was it over, and how would he know if Lanna was in real trouble?

She’d stopped shouting about Phoedra, and although she still breathed rapidly, she’d begun to calm.

Quinn took in Mother Mattie, who had yet to say anything but kept her attention bouncing from Lanna to Adrianna and back.

No help there.

Looking over at Evalle, he found her sitting forward, with her elbows on her knees and one knee bouncing. Storm put his hand on her thigh, calming the busy leg.

Quinn spoke to Evalle telepathically. How can we know Lanna is safe?

Evalle’s bright green gaze shot to his. She replied in the same silent way. You have to trust Lanna. Caron stopped by for just a moment when Lanna and Mattie arrived. Caron told Lanna that this was the next step she had to take. From what Caron was saying, Lanna is a powerhouse who can handle this. She just needs her confidence back as a person. Lanna doesn’t appear distressed physically. She’s only reacting to what she’s seeing. Just sit tight for a little longer and maybe we’ll have a way to find Phoedra.

I will wait a little while, he conceded.

Lanna lifted her head and opened her eyes, which were a normal blue color again.

Quinn’s patience was shot to hell. “Are you okay, Lanna? Do you need to stop?”

Mother Mattie hissed, “Silence.”

“Not if I think she’s in danger.”

“I am fine, Cousin. Please give me a minute.” Lanna squeezed his hand again and sounded strong. She asked Mother Mattie, “Are you hearing everything?”

“Yes. It sounds like Phoedra is in danger. Do you remember any of it?”

“Not much, but I do remember a man stalking her.”

Quinn asked, “Could you tell if the woman with Phoedra was a friend or helping the man?”

“I do not know. I may need questions when I am seeing into the water.”

Mother Mattie said, “ Adrianna has been prodding you, which seems to help.”

“Good.” Lanna’s gaze went to Adrianna, whose head was bent forward.

The Sterling witch must still be in her trance state.

Closing her eyes again, Lanna whispered words more to herself than anyone else. In less than a minute, she opened her eyes, which were bright crystals once again, and leaned forward.

Adrianna’s head lifted. Her eyes were also shut. “What man follows Phoedra?”

Lanna studied the water with her blind-looking eyes. “Three men. Not human. Maybe ... trolls or warlocks. They have powers. Very foggy. Hard to see faces.”

What are they doing, Quinn wanted to shout.

Lanna tensed and rocked forward then back. “Can not see her.”

Maybe his daughter had escaped the stalker.

Lanna was showing the first real signs of stress, even if Quinn was the only one who could recognize it. He’d seen this young woman grow up and she was cracking around the edges.

Kellman shifted his grip on Lanna’s hand and said, “I’m here. You’re safe.”

She visibly relaxed.

Well, damn. Quinn would have to allow that the young man could be important to Lanna’s recovery, just as Evalle had suggested.

He could feel Evalle’s eyes on him, so Quinn glanced over.

Evalle had a warning eyebrow lifted. She feared he’d overreact again.

Quinn sighed, resigned to accepting that Lanna was no longer a child. Any remnants of childhood clinging to her had vanished during Grendal’s vicious attack.

“Where did you go?” Lanna asked the water.

Adrianna turned her head in a way that said she was focusing hard on something. “Where is she?”

Clearly Lanna and Adrianna had their own conversation going on. Would Adrianna recall any details once she came out of her trance?

“Men have ... van at brick building first. No more. They are ...”

Jerking upright and blinking her eyes until they returned to their normal color once more, Lanna said, “I know where Phoedra is, Cousin. She is in this country, but very far away. You must go fast to find her.”

His heart tried out for the drummer position with the Guns N’ Roses band. He said, “Just tell me where and I’ll head to the airport immediately.”

“Where is she?” Adrianna called out louder and in a sharp tone.

Everyone turned to the Sterling witch.

Evalle walked over and put her hands on Adrianna’s shoulders. “Hey, Lanna is done.”

Adrianna lifted her face and snarled in a different voice than hers, “Where is the girl? Tell me now!”

Mother Mattie reached into a pouch at her waist that Quinn hadn’t noticed. She pulled out a pinch of something and shouted a blistering string of words when she threw the sparkling dust at Adrianna.

The sparkles swept up as if on an invisible wind and dusted the top of Adrianna’s head.

The Sterling witch’s face twisted. Breaking away from the hands of each twin, Adrianna grasped her head, jerking back and forth. Sweat glistened on her face.

Kellman stood up and helped Lanna to her feet.

When Adrianna finally stopped struggling, she dropped her hands. Evidently Mother Mattie’s dust had broken her out of the trance.

Sounding panicked, Adrianna asked, “What did I say?”

Evalle told her the gist of what happened.

“Why didn’t anyone stop me or ask what I was doing?”

Confused, Mother Mattie said, “I thought you were prompting Lanna.”

“No.” Adrianna shook her head, looking not a bit happy. “I could hear some of what was being said, but it turned into a mash of voices in my head.”

“But you were asking Lanna questions,” Evalle argued.

“Not me. Veronika. She was listening in through me. You have to keep me as far from Phoedra and Lanna as possible.”

Quinn hadn’t thought this could get any worse.

What a foolish thought. He said, “I’ll leave Evalle and Storm to figure this out, but I want Lanna safe.”

Storm had stepped over next to Evalle. “She will be. Lanna is staying with us.”

Adrianna stood, a bit wobbly, then pulled herself together with that core of steel that made up her backbone. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do until Veronika is caught, but no one should trust me with any information.”

Evalle said, “Don’t go hiding from me. It’s going to take all of us to stop Veronika.”

If that were even possible, but Quinn would not give voice to the negative thought.

“Right now, I’m going home where I can think.”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Evalle argued.

“I have Witchlock,” Adrianna said as if that were her nuclear defense. “If I have to unleash it on her, I will, but right now I need some time to think. I’ll run a blood ward around my house using Witchlock. If Veronika gets through that, then nothing you or anyone else can do will stop her.”

“I’ll walk you out.”  Evalle left with Adrianna.

After a moment, Storm said to the room, “She’s out of hearing range now.”

Quinn pulled Lanna into a hug. “Lanna, you are amazing. Thank you for doing this. Give me the location. I’ll have my driver here by the time I get downstairs and he’ll take me straight to the airport.” 

She swung a sad gaze to him. “No, Cousin. You do not understand. That is not fast enough. You must go there now.”

“You mean ... teleport?”

“Yes. The men are using a bolthole. One is looking to make deal with someone. I did not see where they went. I heard one say they would not stay long. A lot of voices.” She clutched her forehead with her eyes clamped shut. “They are in building with boards on windows and sign that says NO TRESPASSING. Bricks are faded yellow. Not painted in much time. It is near a ... uh.”  She looked to Kellman. “What is place American football played here?”

“The dome.”

“Yes!” Lanna snapped her fingers. “Phoedra is near dome with ... letters on it.” She closed her eyes, concentrating hard. “B ... O ... and I think maybe K.”

Quinn asked, “Bok or is it Book?”

At the same time, Kellman and Kardos said, “The BOK Center.”

Kellman added, “It’s an indoor sports arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

Lanna beamed at them. “Thank you for being here.”

The boys grinned like idiots.

“I am sorry, Cousin. I wish I could teleport you, but I am not good for that distance.”

He grabbed Lanna. “You have done astonishingly well. Thank you for that. I don’t want you doing anything else. Just stay safe for me while I’m gone.”

“I will.”

Bloody hell. Quinn wasn’t even sure he had the right place. Was that location correct or some distortion of what Lanna had seen? She said Phoedra was near this dome structure and in a building with signs warning against trespassing.

Probably hundreds of those in any major city.

That building could be in any direction from the dome.

It mattered not. Quinn had to find Phoedra before those men opened another bolthole.