Semua Bab Leesa's Advent: Bab 461 - Bab 470

“That sounds like her, all right,” Dominic agreed.“Dead foliage, infested rivers and streams—that’s what we saw in our dreams,” Ralin said, seconding Dominic’s opinion.“There’s not much else here,” Leesa said, “except for a description of how she was often portrayed: a female figure with the head of a lion or a bird.” She turned her head back to Dominic and Ralin. “At least we seem to be on the right track. Let me see what else I can dig up.”Leesa returned to her search listings and clicked on the Wikipedia entry. It contained a lot of similar information, but was a bit longer and more detailed. It ended with a long incantation that was supposed to help protect against the demon. Leesa did not put much stock in that, but she made a mental note to come back to it if necessary. Like the Britannica site, it made no mention of anyone or anything that could defeat her.Next,

“We do not expect Lamashtu to do anything immediately,” Dominic told all their new guests, “but we do not think it will be all that long, either. In any event, it’s good to be prepared for anything. Would some of you go outside and keep an eye out for anything unusual?”“Dral and I will go patrol the surrounding area,” Bain offered. “We’ll remain out of sight. No one will know we’re watching, but if we see or sense anything out of the ordinary, we’ll let you know immediately.”Dominic nodded. When volkaanes elected to remain hidden, they were nearly invisible, even when moving about. Leesa was glad to have them out there watching as well. Their devotion to Rave would insure their complete concentration on their task.“That’ll be great,” she said. “Thank you.”Dral and Bain nodded their acknowledgment and then melted silently from the room.“I’ll go out and keep watch from above,” Jenna said “I’ll be able to spy a lot of area from up in the sky.” She put a finger up by her face and tap

Filled with renewed enery, Leesa quickly followed Dominic outside. A nearly full moon bathed the yard with enough pale light for them to see with relative clarity. As they descended the steps, they watched Ralin levitate rapidly up into the air, propelled by the glowing green spiral beneath his feet that they had seen once before. He turned his head toward them when he heard their footsteps on the stairs. The green spiral vanished and he stopped rising.“Hi, Mom,” he called down from a height of about twenty-five feet. “I’m starting to get the hang of this thing. Pretty cool, huh?”“It’s very nice,” Leesa said. “Now come back down here. Dominic has found something.”Ralin allowed himself to sink rapidly back down to the ground. Cali and Stefan moved closer as well.“What did you find?” Ralin asked Dominic when he alighted upon the grass. “A way to smoke some demon ass, I hope?&r

The company gathered at the appointed spot. Moving into the cover of the woods just a short distance from the road, Ralin laid Rave’s limp body gently down on his back upon some soft grasses. Rave’s chest rose and fell in a regular rhythm, but besides that he still showed no other signs of life.Ralin remained kneeling at his father’s side, while Leesa and Dominic joined him. Dral, Bain and Stefan fanned out into the trees to keep watch, just in case. Sensing Leesa’s emotional turmoil, Cali elected to stay close to her best friend. Jenna continued to watch from high above.Leesa bent over and kissed Rave softly on the cheek. “Come back to me, darling,” she whispered. “Come back to all of us.”If Rave heard her plea, he gave no sign.Cali rested her hand on Leesa’s shoulder in a gesture of support. “He’ll be all right, Lees… I know he will. Just give him some time.”&ldqu

Leah felot the burn radiating through her thighs as she trudged up the steep wooded slope. A few yards ahead, Kai led the way up the same uneven path, his long dark hair blowing behind him in the warm breeze. He showed no more strain climbing this ridge than if he had been strolling along a flat sidewalk back in San Diego. Of course, if they were strolling along a sidewalk back home they would probably be holding hands or walking arm and arm, but this was neither the time nor the place for such romantic pleasantries.Kai’s bare feet made no sound on the loose dirt of the narrow path, and they gripped the uneven surface even better than Leah’s rubber-soled hiking boots. Behind her, Leah could hear the soft footfalls of the half-dozen Marines her father insisted accompany them on any hunting trips. The squad was led by a veteran sergeant named Watson who had ventured out of the city with them a number of times before.She guessed the soldiers felt little more