Free New Olympus Saga (Book 2): Doomsday Duet by C.J. Carella

stolen eyes, he knew what she was thinking and was confident that there would never be an opportunity for revenge.
    Nothing left to do.
    “I must admit, the capabilities of my new host body have been unexpected,” Mr. Night commented. “Taking possession of Medved’s body was an act of desperation, you see. My poor mortal shell did not survive my encounter with the Lurker, and a mind unfettered cannot survive for very long in this vale of tears. It needs a home, a place to hang its proverbial hat, if you will. I had opened a conduit into Medved earlier in the evening, and it was a case of any port in a storm, as the saying goes. As it turns out, the range and amplitude of both my personal gifts and the Bear’s own powers seems to have grown through some wondrous synergy. I fear such boons do come at a price, however. Medved’s body is not long for this world. The brightest candle burns out fastest.”
    She remained silent.
    “Do not fret so, my darling Lady Shi. Your Bear is not gone. His essence no longer dwells here, yes, but it’s not utterly gone. He is in another realm, a little place I’ve made for my many devotees, although I doubt he’s enjoying his stay. If you are a good little girl, I might even let you see him again.”
    Hope was a trap. He is dead, dead and gone. Her only hope was for revenge. Still, she let herself look hopeful, to let Mr. Night think he had fooled her. She bowed to him as a loyal follower would to her rightful leader.
    “That’s better. You did a good job here, my dear. The fellows you dealt with were getting ready to strike back at our Russian allies, and we can’t have them distracted while they continue to search for the girl. This little incident should make the remaining members of the Cosa Nostra a bit more prudent, and that’s all to the good.”
    She bowed again in acknowledgement of the compliment, quietly fantasizing about ripping out his throat, as he continued speaking. “Finding the girl continues to be a challenge, even with the remnants of Archangel’s organization acting as our hounds. If she tries to access the Codex, I will have another chance to find her, but if she doesn’t…” Mr. Night trailed off for several seconds, lost in thought. “It occurs to me that there is a small chance our lost bird and her friends will try to strike back. Come with me, my dear.” He extended his hand to her, and she reluctantly took it. She repressed a shiver as darkness surrounded them.
    “We shall prepare a fitting welcome for them, should they decide to grace us with their presence.”
     
     

Christine Dark
     
    Lake of the Woods, Ontario, March 15, 2013
    The big guy flew away. Bummer maximus. She’d hoped they could chat for a while longer. Truth to tell, a part of her wanted to do way more than chat. After the whole mess at the island, a part of her wanted to do something primal and life-affirming, preferably with somebody else. Not quite anybody, but with somebody she liked. John had been her first choice, but he’d decided to be a big macho man. It might also have turned out badly, for assorted reasons, so maybe his leaving was for the best. But there was somebody else on the island or peninsula or whatever, somebody who she knew was more than a little interested in her.
    Such a bad idea in so many ways, though. Starting with, it’s not fair to him. Continuing with, he’s your unofficial bodyguard/sidekick, and getting involved with him could mess things up, bad. And ending with the fact that I don’t really approve of lots of his life choices, like killing people at the drop of a hat.
    Yeah, it’d be best to set her near-death-experience-induced rush of hormones aside, and concentrate on the business at hand, she told herself firmly. Concentrate on saving the world, and herself for that matter. She resolutely tabled the matter and headed back to the cabin, all businesslike and stuff.
    Kestrel was back downstairs, sitting on Condor’s lap, about as