The Red Heart Of Jade by Marjorie M. Liu

Author:Marjorie M. Liu
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 050552631X
Publisher: Love Spell
Published: 2006-07-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

He needed sleep, he needed to lie down beside Miri and hold her in his arms, but instead she went to bed alone, and Dean stayed by the phone to make one last call. Koni settled down in the adjoining room.

Artur picked up on the third ring. He answered in Russian, which told Dean exactly how deep in sleep he had been.

“Yo,” Dean said. “Sorry to bother you.”

“No,” Artur mumbled. “You are not.”

Dean heard another voice on the other end of the line; a woman, talking quietly, and sounding far more alert than her companion. Bed springs squeaked.

“How’s the missus?” Dean asked.

“Suffering from jet lag,” Artur said. “Elena is still on California time and cannot sleep. She is thrilled you called because it gives her an excuse to get me up.”

“She needs excuses now, huh? Dude, that’s sad.”

Artur sighed. “What is it you want?”

“I have some questions,” Dean said. “I’m in the middle of a case right now, the one involving those murders in Taipei. Only, the guy causing all the trouble is a shape-shifter and he’s whacked-out like crack, man. Totally shit-zoid. And there’s, um, some other stuff, too.”

“Other stuff. “ Artur sounded wary.

“Kidnappings, magic, long-lost love of my life. Nothing to rock the boat. All in a day’s work.”

“Of course,” he said dryly. “Which is why you’re calling me in the middle of the night while I’m on my honeymoon.”

“Man, you’ve been married three months. The honeymoon is over. “

“Not until we leave Russia,” Artur said. “And never even after that.”

Which was like hearing the Incredible Hulk start talking like Gandhi.

“So,” Dean said. “About the Consortium. I need you to clarify something for me.”

“The Consortium?” His voice was suddenly stronger, more awake. “Have you had dealings with them?”

“I don’t think so, but I’m not ruling anything out yet. Actually, my question is less about them than the mind control you mentioned having to fight. You called it the black worm, and you said it... possessed people.”

“Possession is an accurate label,” Artur said carefully. “As are others. But that question makes me very uneasy, Dean. What have you encountered?”

“The murderer’s son found us tonight. He said that his father had been taken over by a nameless spirit that can physically transform its host depending on the length of contact. He specifically mentioned eyes and teeth.”

“You said the murderer is a shape-shifter, yes? It is my understanding, at least based on my experience in the lab, that the worm cannot infect shape-shifters. Or rather, Beatrix Weave was unable to take command of Amiri and Rik’s minds, and so we just assumed that was the case.”

“What if you were wrong? What if there’s a loop-hole?”

Artur made a clicking sound with his tongue. “This is very serious, Dean. Has your murderer tried to infect others?”

“Not to my knowledge, but I’m not really on close personal terms with him, either.”

Again, Dean heard Elena speaking quietly. Artur sighed.

“Instructions?” Dean asked, only half teasing.

“Elena wants us to go to Taipei,” Artur said. “She thinks we can help.

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