Simpson lets out a wild laugh, and the crowd shifts closer. I try to use my mind control to get them to stop, but there are too many of them. I don’t have enough power. I send a burst of fire out, hoping it’ll knock them back, but those nearest to me don’t even seem to notice. Their eyes are glassy and they look mindless. Like they’re not the ones in control of their bodies right now.
Someone strikes out and a burst of thunder bursts from my chest, blasting them back. There’s a yell and Ro is knocked to the ground, his illusions wavering as Simpson grabs him by the neck. I stagger toward him.
Then something hits me from the side with enough force to send me flying. I feel the orbs in my pocket smash and a surge ofsomethinggoes through me as I smack heavily onto the ground.
32
Dante
Ican’t tell if the thunder in the air is due to Zeph’s mood or an actual storm, but it adds a certain eerie atmosphere as we stride through the darkening streets, scouting for the vamp controlling the crowd surrounding Silver and the mages.
“How easy do you think it’ll be to find this guy?” I ask.
Zeph grunts. “No idea. Better hurry though.”
His words are almost immediately followed by a boom that sounds not unlike a minor explosion.
“That’s my girl. Sounds like Silver’s brought out her thunder blast again. I hope she knocks the fuckers’ heads clean off.”
“Head to higher ground, you think?” If I was using my coercive powers, I would want to see the people I was controlling. And to be influencing so many people, they must be somewhere up high.
Inspecting the area, I can see the tallest building in the vicinity looks to be an office building that’s currently empty and for sale. A line of windows is visible, facing the city square and my sharp eyes make out the shadow of a figure.
“There.” I jerk my head toward it, and Zeph nods, moving faster than I would have thought possible.
The building is empty and clearly is midway through a remodel. The carpets have been torn up and there are paint swatches on the walls.
Which is good. It means the building should be empty. The elevator is out of order, so we have to take the stairs up, our feet echoing off the walls of the narrow stairwell. Whatever hope we had for making a silent entrance is dashed as we thump-thump our way all the way up to the top of the building.
There, we find the puppeteer. He’s standing with his back to us, his focus on the street outside. And I feel rather than see Zeph stiffen beside me as he takes in the vampire dressed in a gray suit and loafers.
“Stop where you are,” the vamp says in a lazy drawl.
We both come to an immediate halt, not wanting to reveal that the cheap bracelet around my wrist and the necklace around Zeph’s thick neck are nulling his mind control magic.
“Thought you’d come to watch, did you? It is the best view in the house, after all.”
He turns and his eyes and smile both widen.
I take in his appearance. He’s one of those people that gives off oily car salesman vibes. Hair that’s dark and slicked back away from his forehead, a cravat and pocket square. An overly jovial tone that has my shoulders stiffening.
“Now this is a surprise,” he says.
I vaguely recognize him as someone fairly high-up in the vamp food chain, but then I quickly realize it’s not me he’s talking to. “Zeph, my boy, I didn’t expect to see you here. Come to see your old man in action, have you?”
