She saw that the entireconsortium was there, looking rather confused, so she lifted her hand and beckoned them to go to the nearest meeting room.
She looked at Drin.“Do you know if there are any sick bags around here?”
Drin paused, nodded, and asked, “How many?”
“Six.Probably four, but let’s not play roulette on that.”
Drin nodded and left the room, coming back with an assortment of bags.
Ava said, “Everyone gets one.”
Vikor said, “What is going on?”
“Give me two minutes.Once everyone is settled, I will begin the show.Drin, can you set the room to record?”
Drin was frowning and tapped at the com in the centre.“Recording.”
Ava took a deep breath and said, “This evening, a shadow master lured the Elf Star Consortium into assisting him with the psychic rape of escort Sixty-Six.She had no public displays or contact in her contract.He poured shadows into her and then into you to get your enthusiastic participation, and then he ripped down all of her wards and used her body’s enjoyment to bleed into all of your minds.That’s her activation.She broadcasts pleasure, and he rode it into your thoughts, plans, accounts, everything.”
She pulled up the images that weren’t supposed to exist and projected the sound of Jienne screaming while her body was pulled around, and then the others leaned in to participate.
The bags came out, and four out of six vomited.Ekron and Vikor were the only ones who didn’t.
“Each of you is going to have to submit to a psychic audit to see if anything is left behind.The psychics will need to learn new techniques for defense.”
Drin said, “Why didn’t she say anything?”
“He was controlling her.He’s dead, by the way.A shadow hunter claimed the bounty.”She inhaled and exhaled.“So, Klauz, you are going to be getting a resignation in the next few hours.She just isn’t going to be able to go back to work.”
He frowned, and then memory ripped through him.“Jienne.”He looked like he was going to be sick again.
Drin blinked.“That was her?”
Ava nodded.“That is her.She’s getting emergency counselling right now.I will keep her safe until she makes up her mind on what she wants to do next.Trapped in her mind and screaming for everyone to stop while a shadow controlled her body.It has an effect.”
Drin paused.“You sound like you are speaking from experience.”
Vikor said, “She is.How have you been keeping, Avagail?”
“Oh, you know, swimming in money.”
Vikor laughed.“That is what I liked about you.”
Drin looked between them.“What?”
“Ava put up the financing for Hell.When I had enough to pay her off, she took it, and that was that.No interest, no leverage, she just left.”
Ava shrugged.“I had other things to do.Any questions?”She looked around the room.
Ekron said, “Why us?”
“You touch nearly all demographics of higher society.Drin has unlimited access to actives, Vikor the club, you are at popular events and awards, you get the idea.Each of you is a different access point to Aksallan society.He could have wiggled in here and taken root.He had other young ladies that he was about to either sell or unleash in a similar manner to Sixty-Six.”
Klauz asked, “How did she get away?”
Ava looked to Drin.“Do you know?”
“The car.She had to be out, get into the transport, and check into the main hub.If she didn’t, alerts would be sounded.”
