Power (Soul Savers) (6 page)

“I wish I could give you better news,” Charlotte said, “but
at least we know Owen’s alive and free. Otherwise, we would have heard about it
by now.”

“Right.” I sighed. She sounded like Mom and Tristan with
their
no news is good news
bit. “So,
uh, what kind of training will we be doing?”

I needed to change the subject. We’d spent the last two
hours talking about Owen and her, but mostly Owen, and I couldn’t take any
more. Training was a positive action, a way to move forward and actually
do
something.

“Well, first, you’ll be resting,” Char said, and I rolled my
eyes. “I need to do some work around the States, anyway, before we can get
started.”

“Started with what?”

“Conversions. That’s your next
objective.”

 
“I have to warn
you, though,” Charlotte continued as she looked out the window, although only
ocean and sky could be seen. “And you better keep this to yourself, but I’m not
as good at it as I used to be. Probably all this anger I’ve been harboring.”

“Maybe
you
need to
rest, too,” I said. “Build up your own Amadis power.”

She made a face. “Resting doesn’t get anything
accomplished.”

“Heh. Exactly what I said.”

Char ignored that statement and dove right into the theory
behind conversions, explaining that we needed to push the Daemoni’s evil energy
out of the subject and replace it with the goodness of our Amadis power. I
already knew this part.

I’d tried to do this with Sheree, the were-tiger Owen had
found in Key West and brought to the beach house the night I went through the
Ang’dora
. I hadn’t been strong enough to
help her then and had nearly killed us both. Fortunately, Rina and Mom had
arrived in time to take over. They’d moved her to the Atlanta safe house, where
the conversion was completed.

“So once the evil is removed and they’re stabilized, they have
to go through healing and training in our faith, our methods and our way of
life,” she explained. “You know—no biting or eating people, no turning
Normans, drinking only donated or animal blood, using magic only for good.
Eventually, they should be able to live on their own and become a contributing
member of society—ours and the Normans’.”

“How long does it take for them to get there?”

Char shrugged. “Depends. How long they’ve been Daemoni, how
much they believe in the Daemoni philosophy, their capacity for love, which the
Daemoni try to eradicate, and other things—they all have an impact on how
long it takes. Some can live among the Normans after several months. Others are
never ready. They have to stay immersed in the Amadis culture because they’re
too easily tempted when on their own.”

And there were some who chose to live as loners instead. Such
as Jax, the were-crocodile who isolated himself in the Australian Outback
rather than having to constantly fight the urge to eat people.

“And my role is to replace the evil with my Amadis power?” I
asked.

“Yep. Once they’re stabilized, if you’re not already at a
safe house, they’ll be taken to one where they stay for the remainder of the
conversion.”

I cringed with surprise. “They’re locked up?”

“Sort of. It’s like house arrest. You have to
understand—if they’re exposed to Normans before they’re ready, the
consequences can be deadly. But you’ve stayed at a safe house. They’re not
quite a third-world prison.”

True. Mom and I had lived at the safe house in Northern
Virginia throughout my pregnancy with Dorian and until he and I were both
strong enough to move on. The “house” was actually a mansion, offering
everything a person could need or want. I hadn’t cared for the luxuries at the
time, but if all the safe houses were so nice, I could see that a new convert
should be pretty comfortable.

“So how come only a few of us can do the first phase of the conversions?”
I asked. “I mean, I get why Mom, Rina, and I are stronger, but take you and
Owen. Why do you have enough Amadis power to do it, but he doesn’t?”

“Part of it is being born Amadis. I’ve never had Daemoni
influence, never lived among them. That’s why vampires can’t administer this
part of the conversion—they’ve had Daemoni power, even if only for a
short time after they were infected. Same with converted Weres. Those born into
the Amadis might have strong enough power, but converts usually don’t.”

“But Owen’s not a convert. He’s never had that influence,
either.”

“Well, that we don’t know now, do we? We have no idea how
Kali was subliminally influencing him.” Her lips puckered and her nostrils
flared for a moment, but then she seemed to gather herself. “The other part is
about focus. Martin—or Kali—focused Owen’s talents, power, and
ability on fighting and protecting. I’m strong in those areas, too, since I’m a
warlock, but I spent much time learning how to build and use my Amadis power.
Martin never allowed that for Owen. Owen had shown signs at an early age that
he’d make a good protector, so he didn’t need to be strong in the conversion
aspect because the one he protected would be. At least, that was Martin’s
excuse. Perhaps we know now he had other reasons, as well.”

He wouldn’t want
Owen’s Amadis power to completely extinguish his Daemoni energy.
I didn’t
dare say this aloud. The thought of Owen having Daemoni power was too much, and
I wasn’t about to tick off Char even more by voicing something so … so
unbelievable
.

“So any mage born into the Amadis can do conversions, if
they’ve learned to use their Amadis power?” I asked instead.

Char nodded. “For the most part, yes. But not all mages are
strong fighters, and the process usually begins with a battle.”

“Ah. So you’re saying I’ll be out in the field fighting?” I
wasn’t sure about this idea. Not that I was afraid or didn’t want to help in
this very important way. I just didn’t like the thought of leaving Dorian as
much as would be required. He needed my protection.

With that thought, the excitement to be headed home finally
hit me. I’d felt so guilty about leaving Rina and Mom, Rina especially in her
poor physical state, but deep down, I really did want to go home. Not to rest,
though. To make sure my son was protected, kept hidden away from the Daemoni’s reach.
Of course, Tristan was there, the best protector of all, and also Sasha, the
lykora, but the mommy in me couldn’t help feeling the need to be there myself.

A while later, as land had come into view on the horizon, the
pilot’s voice came from the overhead speaker. “We have a situation in Key West.
We’ve been ordered to stop.”

Charlotte frowned and studied the screen of her phone, then pushed
her hand through her hair as she swore under her breath.

“Alexis, when we land, I need you to stay on the plane,”
Char said as we began to descend over the string of islands that made up the Florida
Keys. “In fact, I want you in one of the bedrooms, and don’t come out until I
say.”

Now she had me seriously worried. “What’s going on?”

“A couple of injuries, but looks like we might have a new
addition.”

“A convert? We’re starting already?”

She shook her head. “Yes, a convert, but no, not for your
training. Not yet. I’ll have to take him to Atlanta.”

“But can’t I help?”

“You can help by staying safe.” The warlock’s eyes narrowed
at my pout. “Alexis, seriously. I can’t be worried about you with all the
Daemoni in Key West. To do my job and get us all out safely, I need to know
you’re here on the plane, okay? The pilots will stay with you. Tristan’s
already been contacted, and I’m sure he’ll be there shortly after we land, if
he’s not already. Everything will be okay—as long as you stay on the
plane.”

“Right. Got it. Stay on the plane.” I gave her a reassuring
smile, ignoring the painful jab that even she, who had trained me in combat, believed
I was useless.

She managed a small smile as relief flooded her eyes. She
tapped a message on her phone screen and then tucked the device into a pocket. “Thank
you. And if you really want to help, keep tabs on the thoughts of people around
me and tell me if we’re in any danger.”

Now I gave her a real smile. “I can do that.”

Rather than landing at the commercial airport, we hit ground
on a runway at the Naval Air Station, which I found comforting. If the U.S.
military gave the Amadis special clearance, we must have inside connections
with some pretty important people. Charlotte flashed off the plane, and the
pilots climbed down to the tarmac to keep watch. I tracked Char’s mind
signature while reaching out to all those nearby, a sense of foreboding running
a chilly finger up my spine. I couldn’t believe what I found.

Nearly every mind signature was Daemoni. Four Amadis were
with Charlotte here on the Naval base, which was otherwise empty, as if
abandoned. Only a handful of Normans were scattered throughout the island. I
scanned minds, skipping around from head to head, occasionally dipping deeper
into their thoughts, and discovered the horrible truth. Except for a few
tourists who were trying to figure out why everyone seemed so strange, the only
other Normans in Key West were not only fully aware of the Daemoni, but served
them as volunteer blood donors and caretakers of the evil creatures. The Naval
Station wasn’t being friendly to the Amadis—there was no one left to
be
friendly. Those sailors who refused
to be turned had become the main course of a Daemoni feast.

“Oh, no,” I choked, although no one was on the plane to hear
me.

Charlotte!
I
called out.
Hurry! They … they’ve taken
over. The Daemoni have taken over all of Key West!

“
Just listen for
trouble
,” she said, her mental voice tight.

I hated listening to the Daemoni’s abhorrent thoughts, so I
skimmed the surfaces of their minds, going deeper only when I felt the need to.
There had apparently been a fight with our soldiers who were now with
Char—some of the Daemoni were still riled up, and rallied for another
attack.

As I scanned, I found myself unintentionally slowing down on
those signatures belonging to vampires—my subconscious searched for
Vanessa. It had been a couple of weeks since we’d seen her in Greece, and no
one had reported any subsequent sightings. She could have easily made it here,
one of her favorite stomping grounds, and then gone back into hiding among all
the Daemoni.

I didn’t find her mind, but as I found two more vampires,
the signature of a Norman practically screamed with fear. I zeroed in on it. A
young woman had been pushed against the wall in an alley, the vampires pawing
at her, one tall with white-blond hair. Not Vanessa, but close enough—Victor,
her brother. Hating what I had to do but having no choice, I jumped into his
mind, knowing I’d want to scrub my brain with a wire brush when I was done. I took
in the view from his perspective and found a very familiar scene.

Victor!
I mentally
shouted at him. He froze, and his fear spiked with the unexpected voice in his
head. Under other circumstances, I would have laughed.
It’s Alexis. Surely you’ve been told about my telepathy.

He growled. “
Get out
of my head, bitch!
”

Not until you let the
girl go and tell me where Vanessa is.

“
Screw off!
”

I sighed.
Just
cooperate. You can’t make me leave, and I can make your mind a living hell.
Worse than it is already.

The bastard basically shut his mind down by closing his eyes
so I couldn’t see through them anymore and mentally singing some horrible
ballad, drowning out every other thought. For a moment, I believed maybe he was
smarter than I gave him credit for, but he couldn’t carry it on for long. As
his hands remained on the girl, his thoughts kept traveling in disgusting
places.

Crap
. I couldn’t
let him hurt her. Knowing his hands were still on her sent a chill up my spine.
Yelling at him in his head wouldn’t do any good, but I’d promised Charlotte I’d
stay on the plane. That I’d stay safe. Going solo into the heart of
Daemoni-infested Old Key West wasn’t exactly keeping that promise, especially with
my Amadis power so weak. I wrapped my hand around my dagger, reminding myself
that I wasn’t unarmed. A warm surge shot into my arm.

“
You have other
powers, stronger than anyone’s.
” The strange voice in my head
again—the same one from the little town where we’d seen Vanessa and Owen.

Who are you?
I
demanded, though I feared the answer. What if she was only another part of me,
meaning I was losing my mind again?

“
The first daughter to
handle this dagger. The only one able to, until you
.”

So I
was
losing my
mind. My dagger had belonged to Cassandra, the first Amadis daughter, and had
been given to her by Andrew the Angel—over two-thousand years ago. Since
the Angels only talked to the matriarch, the voice in my head couldn’t be real.

“
It is me, Alexis. I
am—
”

A girl’s cry, though only in my head, drowned out anything
else the voice said, and I refocused on Victor’s mind. The girl screamed again
as his hand pushed between her legs, and his lust, both sexual and blood, soared,
feeding off of her fear.
Oh hell no.
I
couldn’t stand by, knowing what they would do to her.

“
Be strong, Alexis. I
am with you.
”

I hoped Char would forgive me as I flashed away, thankful
the co-pilot had dropped the shield around the plane so the Amadis could flash
onto it when they were ready. I told myself I wasn’t listening to some strange
voice in my head, but was only doing the right thing for the Norman girl.

I appeared in the alley off of Duval Street and nearly
gagged. The place reeked of evil, the Daemoni presence so freaking heavy. Evening
had nearly fallen, shrouding the place in darkness, and I could sense them
everywhere—on front porches of old houses, on the sidewalks of Duval
Street, at the bars and in the restaurants, barely bothering to hide their true
selves. They mingled with the few tourists, and conspired with the locals.