Hand of the God by Sonya Bateman

Author:Sonya Bateman [Bateman, Sonya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

It was just a scratch. And by scratch, I meant a three-inch gash that was practically deep enough to put my fist in. But it sure as hell felt like some asshole had run me through with a cold iron sword.

My scream woke everyone and brought Chester and Rex rushing back. Taeral started healing me without question, but I knew I’d have to explain what happened.

So when he stopped, with my guts still burning thanks to the poison, I told them about the dream that wasn’t — at least, from the point where Yusef came in.

“The moonstone,” I blurted after I finished the part about the swordfight. I grabbed the leather cord and yanked it from my shirt, breathing a sigh of relief when the crystal emerged intact. Still, something wasn’t right. I stared closer at it and made out a thin black shadow caught in the shard. “Oh, shit,” I breathed. “De’àrsahd.”

The stone glowed, but it was weakened. And the light only threw the jagged crack through the center of the crystal into sharp relief.

“He’s cracked the master stone,” Taeral said hoarsely. “How is this possible?”

I shook my head and deactivated the pendant. “Astral projection, apparently.”

“No, it has to be more than that.” Calla was crouched beside me, holding my hand in both of hers. “My team did studies on astral projection and dreaming. None of the subjects could even enter other people’s dreams, let alone affect them.”

“Your team of what, exactly?” Rex said, giving her a sharp look. “Since when does the NSA study how to break into people’s heads? Christ, it’s bad enough you people listen to all our calls and read our texts.”

“Never mind. That’s not important,” I said. “The important thing is that Dante’s actually here. Sort of. And if we kill Yusef while Dante’s wearing him like a people suit, maybe we take out the big guy too. Or at least weaken him.”

Taeral frowned. “Gideon, we’ve no idea how this … possession works.”

“Yeah, and did you miss the part where he ripped your guts out in a dream, and made you bleed for real?” Sadie, who’d been standing behind Taeral, started to pace in short, frustrated arcs. “I don’t think we’re ready for this,” she said. “For this Yusef guy, maybe. But not Dante.”

I came close to shouting at her. After all, she was the one who’d been gung-ho about ripping a chunk out of Milus Dei’s ass, and now we were close enough to taste those bastards. But even through my rage, uneasiness wrapped me like a shroud. If Dante could do that much damage through a proxy who was physically miles away, how much worse would he be in person — or rather, in the person of Yusef?

If we lost anyone, I’d never be able to forgive myself. Even if it was Rex.

“Maybe there’s another way to do this,” I finally said. “I mean, Dante did ask me to join him. If I say yes—”

“Absolutely not,” Taeral said.

I looked at him. “We have to get that sword before they can make more.

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