Page 90 of Immortal Unveiled

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Zoltan looked up from his desk and stared at the demon who’d entered his private study. He didn’t like to be interrupted when he was thinking.

“This had better be good news.”

“It is, oh Great One,” the demon replied, bowing low and sufficiently long.

“Report.”

“We intercepted a call made from the house of the emissarius. Her daughter found the book.”

Zoltan jumped up, excitement coursing through his green blood. He pumped his fist. “Finally!” The waiting had paid off. “Where is it? Does she have it in her possession?”

“Not yet,” his underling said.

“Then where the fuck is it?” Zoltan interrupted, impatience tamping down his excitement.

“At the storage facility her mother had a unit at.”

Zoltan made a dismissive hand movement, ready to toss his subject in the lava pit. “I’ve been to the storage unit. I’ve searched it top to bottom. It wasn’t there. Get out of my eyes before I crush you with my bare hands!” Zoltan turned away, rage now blinding him. Could his underlings not get a single thing right? Could they not even do the simplest things like tapping an old phone? Did he have to do everything himself?

“But, oh Great One, I speak the truth.”

Zoltan pivoted, glaring at the idiot. But the demon continued even though he trembled with fear. “She said it herself. She told the Stealth Guardian warrior over the phone that her mother mailed the book to the storage facility and that the manager confirmed that he’s got it somewhere in his office.”

Zoltan’s rage evaporated. “The manager has it?”

The demon nodded. “Yes, and the woman is on her way to pick it up. Together with somebody she called Grayson.”

“Hmm.” Zoltan wasn’t familiar with that name and was pretty sure it wasn’t one of the Stealth Guardian warriors. Maybe some other friend?

“Do we know anything about a Grayson?”

The underling shook his head. “I’m afraid not, oh Great One.”

“No matter,” Zoltan said to himself. Whomever Kim was bringing with her to collect the book was of no consequence, because Zoltan would be at the storage facility before them and gone before they even showed up.

~ ~ ~

Manus let out a sigh of relief. The council meeting was finally over. They’d grilled him for far too long and discussed the action plan ad nauseum. But at least they’d agreed with him that this case was of the highest priority. And that Kim had to be protected while they were searching for the book. For once, the Council had praised him for his initiative and not reprimanded him.

Manus pulled the door of the council chambers shut behind him and turned to the guard standing in the foyer. His fellow guardian was already handing him his cell phone, and Manus switched it on immediately while already heading down the corridor. He was halfway toward the stairs when a beeping sound alerted him to a voicemail. He pressed play and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Manus, it’s Kim. Grayson and I have found where Mom hid the book. It’s at the storage facility. She mailed it there, and the manager is holding it for me to pick it up. We’re going there right now. Meet us there if you get this message within the next hour.”

There was a faint click, then another one.

He pumped his fist in the air, excited that Kim had figured out her mother’s hiding place, though he was less thrilled about the fact that she and Grayson were going to the storage facility on their own. He tried to tell himself that Grayson was more than capable of protecting Kim, despite the fact that he couldn’t hide her from the demons.

He hit the play button of the voicemail once more, wanting to reassure himself that he’d understood clearly what Kim was telling him. Kim’s message played in his ear again. When it ended, there was a click again, then a second one of the call ending. Odd. Two clicks. Why would there be two clicks? He looked at the number the call had originated from. He recognized it now: it was the landline at Nancy Britton’s house. For some reason, Kim hadn’t used her cell phone to call him.

However, that wasn’t his immediate concern. There was something he’d heard in the landline, and he knew what it was. Recognized it from many decades ago. A crude device, for certain, but then not everybody went with the times, be it due to lack of skill or resources, Manus wasn’t sure. But if he wasn’t mistaken, somebody had listened in on Kim making the phone call from her mother’s house. And he could guess who: the demons.

“Fuck!”

The demons now knew where the book was and were most certainly on the way there. Just like Kim and Grayson. He had to warn them, or they’d run right into the arms of the demons.

Without slowing his stride to make his way to the portal, he rang Grayson’s number. It didn’t even ring once but immediately went to voicemail.