Page 45 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
Where he should be angry at the monarch for his smugness, he felt apathy.
Madeline wouldn’t meet his gaze when she turned away from the window, but her lips were set, determined. "Time to end it."
Heavy grief weighed Shane down.Why?
She angled herself to look into his eyes. To say goodbye.
Shane blinked awake and squinted into the dark night as the car sped into the outskirts of Moscow toward Ryazan. The vision wasn’t complete. It was a glimmer of the future. Precognitive images like this came in bits over time, courtesy of being infected by Baku. The foresights almost always became reality.Based on his watch, a classic chronograph, they’d only been in the car for about a half hour since deplaning in Moscow.
"Did you have one of yourvisions?" Antonio asked from the driver’s seat of the sedan.
Shane craned around to confirm Madeline remained asleep in the back seat. She’d slept just as hard on the plane. It was almost as if she hadn’t slept in years and now that she didn’t have to look over her shoulder, her body demanded sleep.
"Incomplete bits. Nothing meaningful." He should get his head ready to face a necromancer. The burner phone from his brother vibrated. He answered.
"Where are you?" Roman asked.
"Russia. Taking care of the necromancer since it’s making a mess."
"We got a tip about a FenCor facility that might be operational in Bosnia."
"We can be there in—"
"No," Roman interrupted. "We’ll check it out. I wanted you to know our destination in case something unexpected happens. I’ll text you the exact address for added insurance. You take care of your end. We’ll meet on the island tomorrow night. You have the witch?"
He glanced into the back seat. "Yes."
"Bring her. Let’s end it." His brother hung up.
A silent half hour later, Antonio parked in front of a dilapidated apartment complex.
"The energy of this place is intense." Madeline had her face close to the window.
Shane examined the outside of the apartment building. No pep talk would prepare him for this. He’d never taken on a creature like this on his own. Either he’d had his brothers with him whose magical abilities complemented each other, or he used the team he’d built within the Alliance, although they’d never been nearly as good as his brothers. Did he have a general idea of what to do? Sure. Kill the necromancer. Save any people possible. Burn the building.
Anticipation of the noxious smell he’d find inside made him hesitate, but the faster he got out of the car, the faster this was over. "Everyone stays here. Be back shortly."
* * *
"Aren’tyou going in there with him?" Madeline asked the vampire while watching Shane disappear inside.
"Necromancers are way out of my wheelhouse. Besides, I have to make sure you don’t bolt. Plus," Antonio stared due east. "We might've made good time, but sunrise is soon."
Madeline watched the building as if something earthshattering could be detected from the outside. "Does he usually do this kind of thing alone?"
Antonio looked up from his phone where he’d been texting. "Sometimes. I don’t know. I don’t usually go with him on trips like this. He takes a team if it’s Alliance business, but now we’re all scattered since there was a traitor in our midst. We don’t know who’s a friend and who’s an enemy."
"Why didn’t you go with him in the past?"
"Daylight limitations. I’m better at logistics. My job is to pick him up afterward and deal with demon domination complications."
A bitter tang saturated her mouth, one she knew preceded something bad about to happen. Sharp pain ripped her side as if someone plunged several claws into her. She hissed when that agony was compounded by a ripping sensation mid-back. Doubled over, she tried to catch her breath. The pain didn’t let up.
Oh God, don't let this be Shane.
"What’s wrong with you?" Antonio asked.
"Complicated," she wheezed out. "Do you have the older Lanzo brother’s phone number?"
