Only the Strong, стр. 43
“Humans are odd,” he said finally, drawing my attention in the rearview mirror. “They claim they only care about survival, and yet they focus on the material things in life. I mean ... who needs a house that big?”
From her spot in the passenger seat, Zoe snorted. “Dude, you live in a hole in the ground. You have actual snakes as pets. I don’t think you’re the right one to comment on comfort.”
“I don’t live in a hole in the ground,” he countered. “Why do you always assume that?”
“Because the first time I met you, it was in a hole in the ground in the middle of nowhere.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s my home,” he pointed out. “I was only out in the woods that day because I was looking for you. I knew what was to come. You needed me then ... and then you needed me again. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I come when you need me.”
Zoe was quiet for a beat and then she shifted so she could stare at him. “Is Sami in danger this go-round? Is that why you decided to show up now? If so, I’ll get her out of here. I’ll send her and Aric away.”
Cernunnos rolled his eyes. “The wolf will not leave you. We’ve had this discussion before. He’s your shadow until the end. Why you think you can suddenly send him away now is beyond me.”
“I’ll do it to protect Sami.”
“Samantha is capable of protecting herself. You raised her to be strong.”
“She’s still a child ... and she’ll castrate you if you keep calling her Samantha. She hates it.”
Cernunnos chuckled. “Why do you think I keep calling her that? I learned the trick from her mother, after all.”
“Whatever, Bob.” Zoe made a face and went back to staring through the glass straight ahead as I picked a spot to park. “I won’t trade Sami’s life for anything, so if she’s in trouble ... .”
“We’re all in trouble, mage,” he intoned, his voice low. “How can you not see it? The revenants are a threat to us all, including you and your family. We need to eradicate this particular threat now. There cannot be unmonitored gates between planes.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Zoe heaved out a sigh as she looked up and down the street. “Where are we in proximity to the house?”
“It’s two blocks that way,” I replied, pointing. “I figured it was best to park in a completely different spot today, just in case.”
“It’s a good plan,” Zoe agreed, craning her neck to look at the adjacent street. “There are two people walking this way. Let’s let them pass before heading inside. I’ll drop the dome on us right before we exit the vehicle.”
“That sounds like a plan to me,” I agreed. “I ... .” I trailed off as my gaze landed on the people in question.
“What is it?” Zoe asked, instantly alert. She’d obviously read the change in my demeanor. “Is it something we should be worried about?”
“Worried? I don’t know. It is an interesting development.” I looked up and down the street again to see if anybody else was approaching and then reached for the handle. “That’s Titus Weaver. He was in charge of the cult that set up shop in front of the aquarium a few weeks ago.”
Zoe jerked her eyes to me. “He’s involved?”
“He is ... except I infiltrated his mind to take a look and put something of a Trojan horse in there while I was looking around. He can’t lie to us. I’m not sure who the woman is but I can put her under within seconds of getting close enough. She shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Oh, you made him a turncoat without him even realizing it.” Zoe’s expression reflected happiness. “That was a very good idea. Let’s see what the little turd has to say.”
Her enthusiasm had me smiling. “He’s a pervert, just for the record. Don’t get too close or he might get handsy.”
“If he tries, I’ll burn off his hands.”
“That should be an effective deterrent.”
“I thought so.”
Fourteen
Zoe made a whistling sound to draw the woman’s attention the second we hit the sidewalk. Her eyes were curious as she looked toward the blonde and I immediately sent a barrage of magic into her head to cloud her mind.
Titus pulled up short when he saw me, his eyebrows drawing together. He looked legitimately confused ... and maybe a little terrified. “What’s happening?”
“We need to talk,” I replied. “How’s it going?”
His confusion only deepened. “I’m fine. I have an appointment to keep, though, so I really don’t have time to dilly-dally.”
“That’s a total bummer,” Zoe noted, waving her hand in front of the woman’s face to garner a reaction. She merely stood there, rooted to her spot, and stared into nothing. “She’s kind of like a doll or something, huh?”
I shrugged. “She’ll stay like that until I release her.”
“And when will that be?” Titus queried. “Really, we have somewhere to be.”
Zoe, fixated on the woman, lifted one of her hands into a salute and then pulled away. When the woman didn’t drop her hand, Zoe’s face lit with delight. “She’s posable!”
“Oh, that’s fun.” Cernunnos appeared intrigued. “Do you think we can turn her into a saucy pirate? Are there any costume shops close by?”
I rolled my eyes and kept my focus on Titus. “Do you remember me?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “I believe I met you when I was on Belle Isle.”
That was an understatement. Digging into his mind had been difficult, and the Trojan horse I left behind could’ve easily messed with his memory. “We did meet back then. The last time I saw you was a few weeks ago ... in the basement of the aquarium.”
“Oh, really?” He flashed a tight smile. “I don’t recall the