time in the water than on land the last few days. I had one angry water pony who tried to take down a shrimp boat. That was not an easy thing to explain to the fishermen. I finally convinced them that they’d seen a genetically modified whale. Thank God, no one took pictures. The thing caused a huge dent in the bow of the ship, but they didn’t take on any water.”
Bailey sat back. “How about you, Mira?” He looked at her as if he knew something the rest of us didn’t.
She gave him a withering stare, and he only smiled. “Fine. I was attacked by a group of Fae. Last night, when I was in Panama meeting with a pharmaceutical company rep about some new products. When we stepped out onto the street we were jumped by a group of seven-foot, blonde-headed fairies. One of them had the nerve to pull a knife. I saw it coming, but he took a chunk out of me when I tried to push the rep out of the way.” She showed us the bandage on her shoulder. “I was able to take care of them and shoved them through a portal. Scary part is, they didn’t show up on the radar.”
“Same here.” Claire raised a hand. “One of our guys heard about a ship in distress and I jumped to check it out.”
I chewed on my lip. “How the hell is that happening? We have trackers on every portal on Earth. There’s no way they can get through.”
“They can if new portals are being opened,” Bailey chimed in.
“But the treaties.” Alex coughed. “It isn’t possible.”
“Yeah, it is. All it takes is a couple of worlds deciding they don’t want to honor the treaties anymore, and boom, we have a war on our hands.” Bailey crossed his arms against his chest and frowned. His brilliant mind was already at work coming up with solutions. That’s what he did best. That and design cool weapons.
“Do you think that’s what Mom and Aunt Juliet are doing at the high council meeting?” Claire pulled her hair behind her ears. She was more sensitive to change than the rest of us, but she was still queen when it came to killing water-related bad guys.
I shrugged. “Have any of you heard from her?”
There was another chorus of “no.”
“That’s weird. Usually she’d tell at least one of us.” I picked up my cell phone and dialed Jake. He would know where Mom was.
He answered on the first ring. “I’m sorry about Miss Stewart. I know she was a friend.” Jake sounded sincere but distracted.
“Thank you. Is something wrong?”
“Marshall says six jumpers landed in.” He paused for a moment. “Rome. Right in the middle of Vatican City.”
“Oh, hell. I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and pushed Bailey out of the booth so I could stand up. Before I could say anything, cell phones rang all around. My sisters rolled their eyes.
There wasn’t time to talk, but it would be a long night for the Caruthers sisters. Alex ran for her office. “I’ve got two sabers and three of Bailey’s new guns in here.” She also had an ax, which I borrowed along with a sword. Demon heads can be tough to cut off.
“Let’s catch up later. This is beyond weird. Thanks, you guys, for being here tonight. It meant a lot.” I waved.
Claire blew me a kiss and then picked up one of Bailey’s guns. I heard her say, “Show me how this puppy works,” to Bailey as I touched my tattoos together and teleported away.
Thirty seconds later I landed on my butt in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. I’d been here many times before, so I recognized it instantly. “What is it with these guys and holy places?” I followed the screams. Several priests ran from a small building to the left.
Damn. I booked it to the door, which led to a small meeting room. It was empty, but I saw another door had been busted that opened into a large dining room with tables.
What the hell are those?
There were three winged demons flying around the room in circles.
“Come on, you big idiots, come and get me.” I swung the ax behind my back so they couldn’t see it and
Bailey sat back. “How about you, Mira?” He looked at her as if he knew something the rest of us didn’t.
She gave him a withering stare, and he only smiled. “Fine. I was attacked by a group of Fae. Last night, when I was in Panama meeting with a pharmaceutical company rep about some new products. When we stepped out onto the street we were jumped by a group of seven-foot, blonde-headed fairies. One of them had the nerve to pull a knife. I saw it coming, but he took a chunk out of me when I tried to push the rep out of the way.” She showed us the bandage on her shoulder. “I was able to take care of them and shoved them through a portal. Scary part is, they didn’t show up on the radar.”
“Same here.” Claire raised a hand. “One of our guys heard about a ship in distress and I jumped to check it out.”
I chewed on my lip. “How the hell is that happening? We have trackers on every portal on Earth. There’s no way they can get through.”
“They can if new portals are being opened,” Bailey chimed in.
“But the treaties.” Alex coughed. “It isn’t possible.”
“Yeah, it is. All it takes is a couple of worlds deciding they don’t want to honor the treaties anymore, and boom, we have a war on our hands.” Bailey crossed his arms against his chest and frowned. His brilliant mind was already at work coming up with solutions. That’s what he did best. That and design cool weapons.
“Do you think that’s what Mom and Aunt Juliet are doing at the high council meeting?” Claire pulled her hair behind her ears. She was more sensitive to change than the rest of us, but she was still queen when it came to killing water-related bad guys.
I shrugged. “Have any of you heard from her?”
There was another chorus of “no.”
“That’s weird. Usually she’d tell at least one of us.” I picked up my cell phone and dialed Jake. He would know where Mom was.
He answered on the first ring. “I’m sorry about Miss Stewart. I know she was a friend.” Jake sounded sincere but distracted.
“Thank you. Is something wrong?”
“Marshall says six jumpers landed in.” He paused for a moment. “Rome. Right in the middle of Vatican City.”
“Oh, hell. I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and pushed Bailey out of the booth so I could stand up. Before I could say anything, cell phones rang all around. My sisters rolled their eyes.
There wasn’t time to talk, but it would be a long night for the Caruthers sisters. Alex ran for her office. “I’ve got two sabers and three of Bailey’s new guns in here.” She also had an ax, which I borrowed along with a sword. Demon heads can be tough to cut off.
“Let’s catch up later. This is beyond weird. Thanks, you guys, for being here tonight. It meant a lot.” I waved.
Claire blew me a kiss and then picked up one of Bailey’s guns. I heard her say, “Show me how this puppy works,” to Bailey as I touched my tattoos together and teleported away.
Thirty seconds later I landed on my butt in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. I’d been here many times before, so I recognized it instantly. “What is it with these guys and holy places?” I followed the screams. Several priests ran from a small building to the left.
Damn. I booked it to the door, which led to a small meeting room. It was empty, but I saw another door had been busted that opened into a large dining room with tables.
What the hell are those?
There were three winged demons flying around the room in circles.
“Come on, you big idiots, come and get me.” I swung the ax behind my back so they couldn’t see it and
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