Page 59 of Beauty At Stake
A replacement hunt. Shit. I hadn't thought about that.
“You have impeccable timing, Lord Pichai,” I said. “We're about to lalek to a park in Bangkok. We're only to observe and track the target. Then we'll decide how to proceed.”
“Very good, Ambassador. We're at your disposal.”
I looked back in the house. “Are the prisoners gone?”
“Affirmative,” Extinguisher Teagan said.
“All right. If you're going with me, come out here.” I went to the fairies. “Circle up and clasp hands.”
Killian and Teagan joined our circle, and I laleked everyone to Lumpy Park. I mean, Lumphini Park. Ugh, Killian was right—these names are awful for English speakers.
Chapter Twenty-Two
We arrived at a guarded location in the park. By that, I mean the advance team had found a safe place for us to lalek to and set someone to watch over it until we arrived. That watchdog, or watchdemon, rather, was Sal.
“Losuc and the humans are here,” Sal immediately reported. “No sign of the Witch yet.”
“Good.” Star waved her forward.
“Uh, if you can't conceal yourself, you need to wait in the van,” Sal said to the extinguishers and vexes with us. “The parking lot is about forty feet in that direction.” She pointed them on their way.
While they headed for the lot, the rest of us went invisible and clasped hands. With Sal in the lead, we traversed a tropical park, passing a traditional Thai building. A lake appeared next, spotted by tiny boats full of happy people enjoying the lovely weather. We veered away from the water, toward a less populated area, and settled into position behind beside some tree cover. Ahead of us, Losuc waited with the five vampire hunters. Losuc stood silently, his arms crossed over his chest and an indifferent expression on his face. But the humans were talking. They were close enough that my enhanced hearing could pick up their conversation.
“Do any of you remember how we got captured?” one of them asked.
“No,” another said. “We were at the house and then I was in a room, tied to a chair.”
“Me too!”
This went on for a few minutes, all of them growing more and more upset. But then a woman walked up. An exceptionally beautiful woman. A sleek chignon topped her head, not a tendril out of place. Her willowy figure hid beneath a loose silk top and a simple black skirt, but it was obvious that she was fit, her walk graceful. I narrowed my stare at her as she strode up to the group. What was it about her that was so striking?
“That's no Witch,” Killian whispered.
I focused harder on the woman, but I wasn't as good at reading a Witch's clan just by their aura. To me, they all looked human. I think it was Killian's psychometry that helped him read Witches, but my less powerful clairvoyance wasn't enough to give me that edge. If she'd been a Demon, I would have sensed her immediately. Or if she'd been a Fairy, I would have seen that in her aura. So, she wasn't a Demon or a Fairy. Definitely not an Angel. She looked human to me. But I trusted my husband. The question was—if she wasn't human, Fey, Demon, or Angel, what did that leave?
“Any problems?” the woman asked Losuc.
Losuc unwound his crossed arms and said, “No.”
“Good.” She turned to look at the humans. “Are you all right?”
A bunch of people started talking all at once, telling Summers about their spotty memories.
“Enough!” she growled. “I get it. Now, let's go. I have a new house prepared for you.”
“Are we done?” Losuc asked, his tone annoyed.
“Yes. I'll text you if I need anything.” Anita Summers strode away with her vampire hunters, out of our hearing range.
“She's on the move,” Killian said into his comm. “Close in carefully.”
Losuc watched the group walk off for a second, then sought cover in the trees and laleked away—right to us. Even though we were still invisible, he asked, “Did you hear any of that?”
“Yes, we heard it all. Well done,” Star said. “Conceal yourself and join us. We're following them.”
Losuc vanished.
