Born of Ashes by Caris Roane

Author:Caris Roane
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2012-01-02T23:00:00+00:00

The most satisfying deception always includes a surprise.

—Notes on Dark Spectacle, the Amazing Rimizac

CHAPTER 14

“Where are we? Which country?” Fiona asked, staring down at the anomaly.

Bev spoke from her perch above the grid. “Australia. Brisbane.”

Fiona searched through what looked like a smudge on the electronic field. After a moment the blue-green of Rith’s intricate mist pattern emerged, outlining a very specific area. So in the space of three days, they’d found three blood slave facilities. This had to be a new record, but to say she felt uneasy all over again was to say the least.

Seriffe left his office to stand at the end of the grid. “So we’ve got another one?”

Fiona met his gaze and nodded but he scowled. She didn’t blame him. This was just too good to be true.

“I’ll get Gideon on the com.”

Bev called out in an excited voice, “A powerful signature just arrived, stronger than just a death vampire.”

“No shit,” Seriffe said.

Fiona’s heart began to thrum. Could this be Rith, at long last? Could they have found the moment in time when Rith would be at the facility they currently had on their radar?

Jean-Pierre walked up the hall, having left the room they’d shared, but he’d changed to flight battle gear. He looked very serious, somber-eyed as he moved to stand by the wall nearest the foot of the grid.

He waved her over.

She frowned. Usually he came directly to her. She wondered what was wrong.

Several Militia Warriors also stared down into the grid. Seriffe began issuing orders into his com, ordering Gideon to get his team together for another rescue operation.

Bev called out, “The signature disappeared.”

Fiona looked up at her. Bev shrugged. Maybe Rith had folded in then left. So what did this mean?

Fiona moved in Jean-Pierre’s direction but the hairs on her nape rose. She stopped in her tracks and looked around. Something was really wrong, but what? No one else seemed to be disturbed. She shook her head at Jean-Pierre but he shrugged.

Once more she headed toward him, but the uneasiness remained. Just as she reached him, the door to the room they shared, maybe thirty feet away, opened once more and … Jean-Pierre stepped out, wearing what he’d been wearing earlier.

She didn’t understand.

She looked up at the battle-ready version of Jean-Pierre next to her. He smiled, but his smile was very different. His smile was … familiar and not Rith’s.

Deep sonorous church bells began to sound. Recognition dawned.

The Upper ascender.

She stepped away just as her real boyfriend blurred toward her. At the exact same moment, warning sirens shrieked through the grid room. But before her Jean-Pierre could reach her, time appeared to slow all around her, something that just didn’t make sense. She saw her Jean-Pierre pause as if in mid-run, his expression intense, his eyes pinched, mouth wide as though screaming.

The false Jean-Pierre put a hand on her shoulder and the next moment she was flying through nether-space, a smooth glide, but this time no pleasure accompanied the trip, only a terrible panic at what had just happened to her.

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