“So, the first rings arrive over the next few days. I have definitely tracked down another three. Just like you said, The Assembly is doing most of our work for us. They’re in a panic.” Stark grinned, flashing his yellowed teeth. He consumed obscene amount of coffee and always smelled like the stale brew. “Collecting the rest of the rings is going to be damn easy if they keep it up.”
Etzli supposed he wanted some sort of congratulatory gesture from her. She stared at him through her sunglasses, then reached out and patted his head. Instantly, she regretted doing so. His hair was a greasy mess.
“Gregorio!”
The older mortal man rushed forward with a hot towel already in his hands. Etzli adored the servant because he always anticipated her needs. Gently, he cleaned off her hand, mindful of her sparking diamond rings.
Stark shoved his hair back from his face, frowning. “It’s just hair product.”
“It’s disgusting.”
Lowering his head, the boy sulked. He wasn’t quite twenty yet, and though arrogant in some ways, he was quite needy in others. Ever since Etzli had recruited him, he’d been eager to please. If she revealed any sign of dissatisfaction with him, he sulked for days.
“I won’t use it anymore,” he grumbled. Tapping at his screen, he said, “I have more news.”
“Go ahead.”
“That Benchley guy from the Austin hunter group has been doing research on phasmagi.”
“They’re extinct.” Etzli waved Gregorio away and resumed petting her jaguar.
“Well, I don’t think so because he seems real intent on tracking down anything he can on them. He’s not as smart as his sister. She always uses a VPN, which makes it way harder on me.”
“What is this VPN?” Etzli wasn’t particularly keen on any technology, but she understood its usefulness.
“Virtual private network. It’s a way to hide what you’re doing online. Anyway, he’s been doing everything over the public network, so it’s been real easy for me to track.” Stark’s narrow little face took on a smug expression. “Also, he’s been researching Josephine Leduc.”
When Etzli didn’t respond in the way he hoped, his cockiness faded slightly. With a bored sigh, she said, “So?”
“He probably wants to know more about Bianca.” Stark’s blue eyes flicked toward the French doors that opened into the house.
“Of course, he does.” Etzli flexed her toes, studying her pedicure. The edge of one red nail was chipped. She frowned, not only at the imperfection of her appearance, but at Stark’s discovery. If The Assembly was scrambling to find the rings of Lucifer’s Sword, why would they bother to waste valuable time researching an extinct supernatural being? “The phasmagus research is disturbing. I do not like this development.”
When The Summoner had created Amaliya and Bianca, he had altered the order of things in the supernatural realm. His offspring didn’t even abide by the rules of his own power, which made them unpredictable and difficult to deal with. The Summoner would never admit it, but she knew his grip on Bianca’s body was not absolute. Every once and awhile she saw the girl peering out of those big blue eyes.
“Think they found one?” Stark asked.
“Or made one,” Etzli murmured. Phasmagi were closely related to necromancers, which was why most had been killed. Etzli wondered if The Summoner’s little experiment with Amaliya and Bianca had resulted somehow in creating a phasmagus. “Follow his research carefully. Find out what you can about this possible phasmagus.”
“What about a phasmagus?”
Bianca’s voice was delicate and sweet, but coupled with the cold, deadly look in her blue eyes it was a terrifying sound. The Summoner stood in the doorway of the mansion. Bianca’s delicate form was dressed in a long black lace dress and her blonde hair was twisted up onto her head with rhinestone clips securing it.
“Tell him,” Etzli ordered Stark.
The young man wilted under the gaze of The Summoner and swallowed several times before recounting what he’d discovered in a raspy, frightened voice. As he spoke, Bianca’s pink lips gradually turned upward.
“Well, I guess our friends in Austin aren’t so uninteresting after all,” The Summoner said with delight. “And here I thought we’d have a dull time of it until I call Amaliya to my side.”
“Why don’t we just let the mice run on their wheel and ignore them?” Etzli suggested. As the words left her lips, she knew he’d disregard her completely. He loved to play with people’s lives. It amused him. Even his plan to rip the veil between the world of the living and the abyss was just one grand game.
“If there is a phasmagus among them, it could prove to be interesting,” The Summoner answered, dismissing her outright. “Keep me informed of all you discover.”
“We should concentrate on the rings and the temple.” Etzli slid off the divan and strode toward The Summoner. “Distractions will slow down our progress.”
The smirk on Bianca’s face angered Etzli. The Summoner had grandiose ideas, but tended to be easily distracted. She supposed it was a product of his ancient age. He constantly complained about boredom. The possibility of a phasmagus coming into existence was irresistible to him.
“We know where the temple is. Many of the rings are already en route. The Assembly continues to uncover the rest for us. And we have a long wait until December.” The Summoner tilted Bianca’s head and feigned a yawn. “I enjoy my distractions.”