Page 83 of Winterfall Destiny

Most addresses connected to the Xenith Exports are office locations in London, New York, Paris, and Singapore. No mention of storage locations apart from the shipping containers at the docks.

Our confrontation with Gabriella will happen in this country, but there're dozens of industrial areas in London where the building in my vision could be located. Jamie suggests that if the dragons use buildings for storing illegal items when transporting to the docks, they must keep them near the port.

Nobody mentions that the place could be the one I saw.

Hopefully that narrows down our search—but what are we searching for? Is Gabriella at one of these locations? Wherever she currently lurks, Gabriella will need trusted guards or risk an attack that could expose her to the day. Dominion witches must have her behind wards somewhere, and I can't imagine Gabriella skulking in the grotty place that I saw.

Or is that the point—we won't expect her to?

Following the attack on Amelia, Matt's keen to move away from anyone who might follow—Alaric or Dominion. The pair agree to pass on all information they've gathered about Gabriella, but then they're isolating themselves again. Alaric never pursues those who leave his group unless he feels they're corrupted in some way; he'll leave Matt and Amelia alone.

I discovered what Tobias whispered to Andrei: don't tell Matt and Amelia about the daywalking. This remains as big a secret as the First, and I'm uncomfortable that Tobias insists we don't tell the pair anything significant, but see his point.

If Gabriella's people capture either Matt or Amelia, either could share information, whether they want to or not. I try not to imagine Gabriella's interrogation techniques matching Dorian's, and I'm doubly glad the hybrids are choosing to step away for now.

After freeing Matt from Ravenhold, and then his captivity by the Blackwoods that followed, Matt and Amelia lived off grid and alone. I understand their desire to leave behind the world threatening them because I crave the same.

Alaric and the groups' search for Gabriella, and investigations into Dominion activity, hasn't revealed much apart from pockets of new recruits such as the ones Dorian found. The recruits revealed nothing through both physical and mental attempts to persuade them to talk.

Matt concludes most new recruits have no idea about the bigger picture, only that they're waiting for the ritual. The vampires who attacked Amelia clearly are higher up—a warning to Alaric to back off—and it's likely they're ones that contain traces of the First's blood.

If Dominion containing the blood are loose around London, we should prepare to meet harder enemies than past Dominion members. And we will meet them—those with blood are the recruiters and possess information.

In the city, supes favour night-time activities, obviously hemia vampires because they need to, but lamia and pneuma enjoy getting kicks from humans too. Some witches are attracted to places that hemia visit, such as underground clubs, which make prime hunting and therefore prime Dominion recruitment grounds.

Amelia and Matt handover a list of clubs they've identified as visited by the largest number of supes, and names of other key supes involved with the local colleges and universities. Of the two, visiting one of the clubs makes sense; we're less obvious in the darkened club than strolling around a college campus.

But who and how many of us should visit the club? Not Ash, since shifters don't visit these places, and Andrei's still hidden. Tobias and I are the logical choice as the skilled mind magic users with strong offensive magic if required. Although, we've no need to threaten or question people—or make ourselves public. We can hide in the shadows and target the weakest minds until we find one with information.

Jamie isn't happy about staying behind but, like my visit to the dragons with Ash, a pair draws less attention than more of our group. We agree on a similar plan for when I catch up with Lex—only Jamie will accompany me.

Since my and Jamie's last visit, Lex disappeared and is unreachable again, which suggests he's watching Astrid and holed up drinking. I've left messages but no response yet. Is he even listening to them? I need Lex's help and advice more than ever.

Thoughts of Astrid twist my heart, and the image of the woman in my vision at Lex's begins to fade. If I didn't need to stay focused on the current vision, I'd attempt to revisit that one.

Does this mean I will meet my mother one day?

* * *

The London house is smaller than the Winterfall, and I'm stifled by the amount of energy generated by our discussions, my head aching as I keep up with rapidly forming plans. As we talk, I become aware I may not see Amelia again for some time and tell Tobias I'm taking Amelia for a coffee at the local café. He begins to protest until I promise to go to the one halfway along the street from the house, where Andrei can detect me.

I sit with Amelia at the circular metal table, in a quiet spot hidden from the street by one of the large potted ferns. The café owners placed the mismatched pots along the street front to create a natural barrier to the hustle and bustle outside, but I've no fear of a supernatural attack this publicly and in daylight.

Amelia's pastry flakes as she pulls apart a piece to eat and I butter my croissant, breathing in the freshly brewed coffee aroma as I snatch moments to relax in the ordinary world. Two old friends catching up.

Apart from my old friend now startles as any chair scrapes on the pavement, or at the person who knocks the chair as they pass to a different table. Last time we met, I'd noticed Amelia's new confidence in herself and her magic; relaxed at Ash's birthday, and fighting back effortlessly against the shifter's attack.

Has Amelia faced too much recently?

"I'd like to say you look well, Amelia, but you don't," I say. "Are you alright?"

Dropping the pastry, she self-consciously pulls at her navy-blue jacket sleeves, even though none of the recent injuries are visible. "Exhausting few months."

"You've lost weight and look… haunted. What's Alaric involved you in?" I say gently.

"We kind of got sucked into his crusade." She smiles weakly. "Matt had the same obsession as him about the Blackwoods and the group followed key Dominion leads too. Even without the… attack, we'd made the decision to move on until things calmed down."

"I don't know Matt well, but I can't see him taking orders from someone."

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