“I have no idea.”
Odin got out of bed and started searching the room buck naked. When he circled back, he picked up his discarded pants and slipped them on, but he did it distractedly. I got out of bed and hurried to the dressing room to put something on before I went looking for Narcissus. The last thing I needed was a naked confrontation with that hair-stealing wanker.
On my way out of the dressing room, I stopped by the intercom and hit the button. “This is Vervain, who's on duty?”
“It's Jake, Tima,” my werelion said.
“Jake, I need you to sound an alarm and get everyone searching the palace for intruders; specifically for Narcissus.”
“Yes, Tima!” He didn't bother to question me, just did as I asked.
Within seconds, the clanging of a bell echoed through the palace and then the sound of pounding, werelion feet joined it. The Intare were already searching the palace by the time Trevor carried Lesya downstairs with Kirill, Azrael, and Re hot on his heels.
“What's going on?” Trevor asked.
“We think Narcissus was here,” Odin said.
“And could still be here,” I added.
“Fruity Pebbles!” Trevor snarled.
“Fruity Pebbles!” Lesya mimicked with her own snarl.
And there it was; the very reason we used those silly curse words. I would have felt deeply satisfied if I hadn't been so upset.
“Stay with your mother,” Trevor said as he handed Lesya to me. “Kirill, guard them! Odin, take the garden. Az, the left tower, and Re the right. I'll look through the bathroom and dressing room.”
The men split up and went to search the rooms. Trevor hurried into the bathroom as Kirill came to stand before Lesya and me. He warily scented the air around us as if Narcissus might manifest suddenly. It was entirely possible. Narcissus could be using god magic to make himself invisible. I shivered and clutched Lesya closer as I took a few deep sniffs. Lesya's nose was doing double time too as she tried to figure out what had everyone so spooked. But neither of us smelled anything out of the ordinary.
“He's not here,” I said to Kirill. “At least, not in this room.”
“Nyet,” Kirill agreed as he kept up his guard. “But he may be nearby.”
Trevor strode out of the bathroom and headed into the dressing room, not even sparing us a glance. I saw the gleam in his eyes; it wasn't Trevor after all. The Wolf was back.
“Tima, the palace is secure,” Jake reported as he briskly entered the suite. “I've got four patrols out combing the grasslands. If anyone's here, we'll find them.”
“Good job, Jake,” I said. “We're clearing the towers right now.”
“I'll just wait here for the results,” Jake offered and relaxed into a bodyguard stance; arms crossed loosely and ready for action.
“Nothing,” Azrael declared as he rejoined us.
“The dressing room and bathroom are clear too,” Trevor said as he came out of the dressing room.
“Garden is clear,” Odin added as he shut the French doors behind him.
“No one's up there,” Re was the last to report. “He's not here. Why did you think he was, Lala?”
“Because someone chopped a lock of my hair off last night,” I said as I lifted my shortened starlight hair. “And we all know who likes to take hair as a trophy.”
The men went still.
“I'm putting the palace on high alert, Tima!” Jake shouted before he ran off.
I didn't know what high alert meant, but I was glad that we had it. I was scared. Sure, I'd been taken by the Mirror from my own dressing room, and I'd even pointed out that fact to Trevor, but I hadn't really believed that I wasn't safe in my home. I'd thought the Mirror was a one-time deal. There was no way for a god to get through my wards without knowing the chant, and the only god who could unmake wards was one of my trusted friends.
“The chant,” I whispered. “I'd better go change it. Maybe the Mirror saw it in my head and told Narcissus.”
