flowed in around us.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, kid," he said. He let go of the platter, ducking under it as it sped by. He crouched there while the flames engulfed him, his face framed by the fire.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rebecca
I sat on the edge of the bed in a small room at the Hilton Hotel, right outside of JFK airport. I cradled the scripted stone that held the Box on my lap, running my finger along it, tracing the lines of pulsing blue power that proved that Landon and the Beast were still in there. I tried not to think about what he might be going through, or how much pain he might be in. I tried to concentrate on what would happen next.
The Leaf was quiet, but its range was limited. Ken had left a more conventional motorcade in Amagansett, three Cadillac Escalades to transport the Nicht Creidim back to base with their prize. I took the one that Ken held the keys to. It was too bad none of them would be coming back to claim the others.
The alone time while driving had led me back to considering how easily I had killed Elyse's cousin. He had redeemed me, had He not? I was doing His will, and His work. So why did I feel like there was a part of me that was still a demon, and a monster? The thoughts almost brought me to tears, and to questions I could only resolve with faith in place of understanding. I believed in my goal. I believed in my purpose. It had to be enough.
They would miss Ken's return, of course. They would send people out to discover what had gone wrong. They would find Elyse's knife in his chest, assuming Ulnyx and Sarah didn't hide or destroy the bodies. They'd miss the Escalade too, which is why I'd driven it to La Guardia, set it on fire, and then taken a cab to the other airport. They'd figure that out eventually, but not before I was on my way to... where?
I hadn't known, so I checked into the hotel and sat in the room there, holding the Box like it was a baby. I'd taken a little more time for myself, to be alone with it and think. To allow a minor calm before the major storm I knew was soon to come. Every party who knew anything about the Divine or the Beast wanted their hands on the Box, and now the only thing between it and them was me. And while I was almost indestructible, I was still dependent on mortals to be able to do much of anything.
One last deep breath, and I put the Box across the room, out of my own easy reach. I returned to the bed and reduced my grip on Elyse, allowing her to regain her body while I clung to her like a parasite.
"You did it," she said. She started to get up, but I clamped down on her again, and made her sit.
" Leave it over there. We need to talk. "
"You want to know what to do now, correct?" She sounded amused.
" It would be helpful. I'm not convinced this isn't the part where you betray me. You don't really need me anymore. "
"Don't sell yourself so short, Rebecca. I'm not going to betray you, and I do still need you quite a bit. You're crazy if you don't believe Sarah will catch up to us, or at least has the potential to. Besides, he's insisted that if I'm to get what I want, we can't do it without you."
" Who has insisted? " I had searched her memories and there was nothing in there about her supposed clandestine meetings with an anonymous tipster. Or maybe it was in there, but she was somehow blocking it from me. I was never completely sure if I was taking control or if she was giving it.
"You'll find out soon enough. For now, I'd appreciate a shower, a new pair of panties, a meal, and a little sleep. My head is killing me. Four hours, no more, and then we need to be on the next flight out to Peru."
" Peru? "
"Cusco, to be specific. That is where I was supposed to meet him once we'd recovered the Box."
" This contact of yours, how do you know you can trust him? "
"I have no choice. Neither do you, and neither does Landon."
" You do have a choice. Dante said they had a way to destroy to Box. You could let him do it. It would solve your
"Enjoy it while it lasts, kid," he said. He let go of the platter, ducking under it as it sped by. He crouched there while the flames engulfed him, his face framed by the fire.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rebecca
I sat on the edge of the bed in a small room at the Hilton Hotel, right outside of JFK airport. I cradled the scripted stone that held the Box on my lap, running my finger along it, tracing the lines of pulsing blue power that proved that Landon and the Beast were still in there. I tried not to think about what he might be going through, or how much pain he might be in. I tried to concentrate on what would happen next.
The Leaf was quiet, but its range was limited. Ken had left a more conventional motorcade in Amagansett, three Cadillac Escalades to transport the Nicht Creidim back to base with their prize. I took the one that Ken held the keys to. It was too bad none of them would be coming back to claim the others.
The alone time while driving had led me back to considering how easily I had killed Elyse's cousin. He had redeemed me, had He not? I was doing His will, and His work. So why did I feel like there was a part of me that was still a demon, and a monster? The thoughts almost brought me to tears, and to questions I could only resolve with faith in place of understanding. I believed in my goal. I believed in my purpose. It had to be enough.
They would miss Ken's return, of course. They would send people out to discover what had gone wrong. They would find Elyse's knife in his chest, assuming Ulnyx and Sarah didn't hide or destroy the bodies. They'd miss the Escalade too, which is why I'd driven it to La Guardia, set it on fire, and then taken a cab to the other airport. They'd figure that out eventually, but not before I was on my way to... where?
I hadn't known, so I checked into the hotel and sat in the room there, holding the Box like it was a baby. I'd taken a little more time for myself, to be alone with it and think. To allow a minor calm before the major storm I knew was soon to come. Every party who knew anything about the Divine or the Beast wanted their hands on the Box, and now the only thing between it and them was me. And while I was almost indestructible, I was still dependent on mortals to be able to do much of anything.
One last deep breath, and I put the Box across the room, out of my own easy reach. I returned to the bed and reduced my grip on Elyse, allowing her to regain her body while I clung to her like a parasite.
"You did it," she said. She started to get up, but I clamped down on her again, and made her sit.
" Leave it over there. We need to talk. "
"You want to know what to do now, correct?" She sounded amused.
" It would be helpful. I'm not convinced this isn't the part where you betray me. You don't really need me anymore. "
"Don't sell yourself so short, Rebecca. I'm not going to betray you, and I do still need you quite a bit. You're crazy if you don't believe Sarah will catch up to us, or at least has the potential to. Besides, he's insisted that if I'm to get what I want, we can't do it without you."
" Who has insisted? " I had searched her memories and there was nothing in there about her supposed clandestine meetings with an anonymous tipster. Or maybe it was in there, but she was somehow blocking it from me. I was never completely sure if I was taking control or if she was giving it.
"You'll find out soon enough. For now, I'd appreciate a shower, a new pair of panties, a meal, and a little sleep. My head is killing me. Four hours, no more, and then we need to be on the next flight out to Peru."
" Peru? "
"Cusco, to be specific. That is where I was supposed to meet him once we'd recovered the Box."
" This contact of yours, how do you know you can trust him? "
"I have no choice. Neither do you, and neither does Landon."
" You do have a choice. Dante said they had a way to destroy to Box. You could let him do it. It would solve your
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