Yolanda and Ian finally got out of their cottage. They returned to the packhouse and promptly found breakfast platters in their hands, thanks to a rather perky Hilda.
“The dining room is still available for those eating up here, but the buffet won’t be until lunch, and you’ll find that served in the main lobby to go only. We’ve more soldiers than we have spaces for. At least the Bears and Vampires are feeding themselves. Everyone else is in the dining room, so mind the crowd, and no, the sitting rooms are off limits to food. I’m not clean sofas and carpets again.” Hilda puttered about the kitchen serving area, adjusting various containers.
She’d clearly organized the various meals by dietary needs of the now vari
The group left the dining room quickly once they’d finished their breakfast. Once they found their meeting’s conference room, inside, they found only the back of the room available. Yolanda looked at the people already there. Ambassadors and staff, military, and someone from almost every branch of the pack’s command structure. “What’s going on? I don’t see Edith or Allen. That mage dude isn’t here either.” Ian leaned over and quietly asked Yolanda. “I don’t know, but the Dragon ambassador isn’t here either. The bears are. Maybe they’re just late for the meeting.” As she finished saying this, a screen rolled down and a mage, she didn’t know, cast several images there. Imag
Most of the people left the room. In the entrance lobby of the packhouse, several tables lay set up. One filled with various snack foods, another with an array of hot and cold drinks. The last two had nothing displayed yet. Yolanda assumed those were for the meals to come. The line formed up the stairs as people picked up their drinks and snacks, then moved on. It took a few minutes to get there, and they all grabbed a drink. “Did I miss how long before we reconvene, or was it not mentioned?” Jaxon frowned over a hot mocha chocolate coffee. “Normally, these ambassadors like a half an hour break. This lets them get their asses together. I swear if you listen to Edith talk sometimes, they make it their missing to screw up everyone else&rs
After the organized confusion of several teams leaving, the small group sat down to discover everything they’d missed. “Where does the time go? How can it take so long to get everything done?” Aria stared at her phone in wonder. “Because we are the least magical creatures of the supernatural world. A one-trick pony, if you will. We got the party trick of turning into a critter. What do we have here, anyway?” Yolanda pulled a yellow envelope from a pile Gregory tossed their way before storming into his office. He wasn’t angry with him. No, that anger’s reserved for the mother of his future pups. He’d found out she’d made a break from their apartment without Catherine or another Hell Hound beside her. H
Yolanda watched the last of the enforcers leave. Two came in carrying a third’s gear. That third enforcer lay in the Medical Center and her people prayed she’d pull through. Other groups complained about barely getting away with their hides intact. They’d pushed the Fae back away from the humans, but the toll on the secret of their existence was high. The Mages and Fianna struggled now covering up the mess. From finding video and eyewitnesses, to coming up with reasonable excuses. It became a grim task. Ian offered to go into the field and head off some reports by creating unbelievable conspiracy theories. After all, his old job was to investigate these things and find the truth behind it. What better way to stop people from hunting a monster than to say the police are on its tail?&n
The time came and Yolanda needed to find out what Gregory needed to tell her. Entering his office, it appeared empty without all the people trying to do their own thing. Ian wasn’t far behind her. Once in the office and seated, Yolanda looked about the office. “Sir, where is everyone? This is weird, not having everyone tripping over each other in here. The dining room felt empty as well.” “I finally arranged for space for everyone on the property. The Bears have helped greatly with their knowledge of building. We’ve opened a temporary building for the research. The military planning moved up to the second floor. Communications are still within the ballroom, the armoury is enlarging to hold more there too. The next stages w
“One day to do all this. How are we going to ensure that’s what happens?” “There’s a group there right now that’s recorded routines and potential informants. We’ll walk in with targets selected for us. Arianna will get to pick which person she speaks with. It’s our just to ensure that she stays safe. You are a backup if we need a cover story. Think about it. If there’s any media coverage. You’re investigating and have no comment. Not only will it cover up what we’re doing, but any smart investigative reporter will target the cult. In investigating them, it puts the cult into the public eye and makes it harder for them to continue doing whatever it is they’re trying to do.” &ld
Ian felt himself roughly pulled through the portal. Of course, he couldn’t keep his eyes closed, and it was extremely difficult to keep his balance. With his balance, off and his mind couldn’t find a place to lock his eyes on. There wasn’t a horizon to stare at, and everything moved about him in an unsettling way. Thankfully, it ended as abruptly as it started, and he didn’t embarrass himself by puking. Once he composed himself enough. Ian took in his surroundings. They were all in what looked like was an unused storage warehouse. This wasn’t the same place they started in. “Looks like we all survived in one piece. Now, where are the others?”
They spent many hours as Arianna worked with Larry’s blocks. Frustrating as it was, she finally made headway. He believed his people went on through the portals to the promised land. They were summoning powerful beings to open up this world to the promised land for all who were worthy. Whoever gave them the ability to open the portals lied to them about what would happen. The five portals were open, and the old, powerful ones now walked the Earth. Larry possessed an answer for everything. They were worthy yet of the old ones’ attentions. They must further prove their worthiness. The old ones would make this world like the other once they cleansed the world of the unworthy.