Page 82 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
"Okay."
"It’s coming. It’ll be awful for all of us. I can feel it."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Efrem had barely openedthe hatch and let down the plane’s stairs when someone stormed up them into the plane.
"Don’t ever hang up on me again." The six-foot-something mage, with his short-cut dark hair and raised geometric sigils, a pink contrast to his pale skin, dumped a heavy-looking duffle bag on a seat and gave all of them a turbulent expression but pointed at Shane. Age had arrested around late thirties for him, but he was hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. He looked like he spent his days lifting weights rather than moonlighting as an emergency doctor around Europe to assuage his ennui.
"Dom, what a surprise," Evie deadpanned and scowled at Shane.
Shane hadn’t gotten a chance to observe his mother with her so-called boyfriend. Maybe ex-boyfriend? This ought to be interesting. Her dating didn’t bother him. His father died decades ago, and she hadn’t gotten seriously involved with anyone since.
"This can end right here, and we walk away," Dom said. "It’d be the intelligent move."
"What’s the fun in that now that we’ve got the whole gang together?" Madeline asked.
"This is not about you." Dom crossed his arms and glared at her. "Why are you here?"
"Why are you?" She mirrored his movement, crossing her own arms.
"You’re too soft for this business," Dom said.
"Suck eggs, douchebag," she shot back. "I’ve got no clue what Evie sees in you." She caught Evie’s eye. "He’s a prime-grade chauvinistic jerk. How do you tolerate him?"
Antonio snickered.
Shane ducked his head to hide a smile.
Evie walked by, busying herself with collecting items to put into a small backpack but she paused to lean in toward Madeline and whisper, "He’s phenomenal in bed. Makes up for the surliness." She straightened and patted Dom on the cheek as she walked past. "You’re coming with me, hotcakes."
Dom didn’t follow her. "All of this is bloody insane. Other than contending with the Curmsun disc, what’s the point of us engaging? The disc needs to be contained and destroyed, if possible, but the rest of this is human bullshit."
"We need information, darling," Evie said. "Time to find out how many brain-programmed nonhumans were sold and to whom. And how many of these stupid facilities exist so we can destroy all of them. They imprisoned my son and tortured him in one of these places. No one hurts Ky like that and gets away with it."
"We could eliminate all of FenCor and be done with this." Dom grumbled something else to himself.
"Why didn’t we think of that?" Madeline said sarcastically. "Who cares if they’re kings and presidents and CEOs—the most narcissistic and paranoid people on the planet? You think there wouldn’t be international panic if all the leaders died at the same time?"
Dom sighed. His eyes closed as if fighting an internal battle. Finally, he said, "The best plan is for Shane and Antonio to distract the guy who’s possessed by the Curmsun disc and whatever brainwashed paranormal creatures or humans they send out of the facility to kill us. While they’re distracted, Evie and I can go in and get whatever you’re after, Evie. I assume it’s files."
"What am I supposed to be doing during this?" Madeline asked.
"Do you have a suggestion on how we handle destroying the disc?" Shane asked, hoping Madeline wouldn’t push her involvement. Even better if she suggested she remain on the plane. The thought of her in danger was too disturbing to contemplate.
Dom shrugged. "You’ll have four or five minutes before its magic affects you despite whatever protections you invoke or wear. The man infused with the disc’s energy has gotten stronger to the point he can control it. Surprising and annoying that he’s figured it out, but inevitable, I guess. The disc now only affects those he wants it to infect, forcing them to experience their worst nightmares. No longer does it affect everyone around him. Kill him before your five minutes expire."
Frustration channeled through Shane. "Any hints on how?"
"Take her." Dom waved toward Madeline. He turned and jogged down the stairs while calling behind him, "Evie, let’s go."
Evie shoulder butted Shane on the way to the exit. "You’re being a booger snot. Chill out."
He turned to Madeline. "Do you know how to deal with the disc?"
She shrugged. "I don’t know what it is. It invokes nightmares?"
"Yes."
