Duncan dragged his gaze from Sorcha. “He’s not here. Last time he checked in, he was looking for you. Said he’d see you back here. He was upset, wouldn’t say what it was about.”
“He tried to call me, but I’d didn’t have my phone.”
“You? With no phone?” Brodie said.
“The demon I was battling ate it.”
“That’s two phones you’ve had eaten in the past six months,” Brodie said. “What are you doing, trying to choke the demons to death?”
Anna rolled her eyes and ignored him. “Angus’s message said he needed to meet me. It was urgent. I thought he’d be here.”
“So did I,” Cody said. “Angus contacted us and said he’d discovered something unbelievable. Something that would affect all the clans, but he’d blown his cover. He needed us to hide it.”
“What did he find?” Shane asked. “We know it wasn’t the key. Bree had that.”
Cody shook his head. “He didn’t say. Anna thinks it might’ve had something to do with the Book of Battles.”
“Several months ago we started looking into the disappearance, but I got busy with my next demon and had to put the search aside. When I went to Angus for an update, he said he’d discovered some things, but didn’t want to say anything until he was sure. You know Angus.”
“That lad could find a mystery in thin air,” Sean said. “But we’ve already found the Book of Battles.”
“You have it here?” Anna asked, her turquoise eyes so brilliant they seemed to glow.
“No. Faelan found it in Bree’s attic.”
“It’s hidden safely away,” Faelan said, but he looked uneasy.
“What was it doing in America?” Declan asked.
“I have no idea, unless McGowan or Quinn brought it,” Bree said.
“Who’s McGowan?” Declan frowned, making him look even more like Ronan.
“Uh, he was the Seeker who went to America with Quinn,” Sean explained.
“I thought… ah, I see,” Declan said.
“Angus didn’t say what he found, but he mentioned a gathering,” Cody said. “Since I was the closest, I was supposed to meet him before he left for Scotland. He didn’t show up and I figured he was headed here. I ran into Declan and Anna on the way.”
“Coira, see if you can get Angus on his cell phone,” Sean said, rubbing his forehead.
“Where was this gathering?” Bree asked.
“I’m not sure, but I was supposed to meet Angus in Albany.”
“Albany? Maybe Angus did bring the time vault.” Faelan explained to the newcomers about the time vault he found hidden in the chapel cellar.
“He was acting weird lately,” Tomas said. “Kept hiding his notebook every time anyone came near. I got a glimpse. He’d written something about a league.”
“This is getting more troubling all the time,” Sean said, drumming his finger against his kilted knee.
“There was a conference in Albany a couple of days ago,” Bree said. “Some kind of new-world-order thing that had all the hotels booked. The woman at the bed and breakfast where we stayed said the people were strange. And a lot of suicides and crimes have taken place in the last few days. We know Druan’s castle is near there. The conference must have had something to do with the gathering Angus was watching.”
“New world order, my ass,” Niall said, earning a glare from Coira, who was standing by the door. “All the demons want is chaos.”
“I suspect Bree’s right. The one I just suspended mentioned Druan by name,” Declan said. “Yelled something about retribution, then clammed up.”
Ronan laid his sword across his lap. “A few months ago I suspended a demon in Prague. He said something about a reckoning. Didn’t make sense at the time.”
“He may be referring to Druan’s virus. How badly was the first virus damaged?” Faelan asked Sean.
“My memory isn’t what it was, but I got the impression the virus was useless.”
“It’s been more than a century since then,” Faelan said. “I’m guessing it’s ready.”
“Why didn’t he kill you and be done with it?” Anna asked. “Why miss an opportunity to kill the Mighty Faelan? Could he have had some other use for you?”
“If he somehow found out about the talisman’s power, he would’ve known he’d be home free with Faelan and his talisman imprisoned in the time vault,” Cody said. “But if he’d killed Faelan, the talisman would’ve been reassigned.”
“That’s a bloody scary thought,” Niall said. “If the demons know the secrets of our time vaults and talismans, we’re in a world of hurt.”
“Blimey, I hope not,” Sean said.
“Could be he’s like our Brodie here and likes to pull pranks,” Coira said, giving the warrior a mild, reproving glance. Bree wasn’t the only one complaining about being too drunk for the amount of wine consumed.
“You think Druan did it as a joke?” Conall asked.
“We were thinking it was his way of getting revenge,” Faelan said, glancing at Bree.
Two glances and a few glares since she’d given him her body and soul. At least he’d acknowledged her existence.
“It’d have to be one hell of a vengeance to wait that long.” Cody moved his thumb over the outline of the talisman showing under his cotton shirt.
“He’s vain enough to want me to witness him release the virus,” Faelan said. “His final triumph.”
“I’d like to think he doesn’t know about time vaults or how long before they’ll open,” Duncan said. “But it’s possible his virus has been ready for years, and he’s been waiting for you, which would make him pretty pissed off by now.”
Faelan glanced at Bree, his eyes dark with worry.
Jamie folded his arms over his chest. “Wish I could be there for this battle, but I’ll be in Virginia.”
“No problem,” Duncan said. “We have several warriors, and Cody’s offered to stay and fight.”
“I hope someone has an extra pair of jeans. I’m a little short on luggage,” the dangerous-looking warrior said. Most of them wore T-shirts and jeans when they weren’t wearing a kilt.
After Bree and Faelan had told the story again for Declan, Anna, and Cody, Bree escaped to the kitchen to help Coira, unable to bear Faelan ignoring her any longer.
The warriors spent the rest of the day locked in the library, strategizing battle plans. They didn’t come out until Coira announced dinner. Most of them left to get ready for the trip they’d make in a couple of days. Those remaining moved to the large dining room, complaining loudly of empty stomachs.
“You should’ve stopped to eat,” Coira scolded. “You’ve been doing this long enough to know you can’t save the world on an empty belly.”
Bree had helped Coira prepare the huge pots of mutton stew, with toffee pudding for dessert, but all she could manage was a few bites. Faelan seemed relieved to take a seat at the other end of the table, far away from her, nestled between Sorcha and Anna.
“So you’re from New York?” a deep voice asked at her elbow.
Bree turned to Cody, who’d settled next to her, his polite smile not covering the pain in his intense, hazel eyes.
“Near Albany,” she said, troubled, because she knew he had more pain to come.
“I live in Virginia, but I have a… friend who used to live not far from there.” His voice held no emotion, as if he’d trained himself to feel none.
She wanted to ask if his friend had blond hair and green eyes, but that would open a can of worms she knew nothing about. “You’re part of this clan too?”
“Yes. My family’s been in America most of my life. We had a mission there.”
What kind of mission lasted a lifetime?
Just then, Sorcha leaned in and whispered something to Faelan. He smiled and turned to include Anna. How could a mere woman compete against modern-day Xenas? Bree had truly believed Faelan was different, but she’d done it again. The curse of the frogs.