Well, Alanna had expected something, but definitely not what she saw.
“What in the name of the Goddess happened?” she asked as she knelt beside Goran. He sat on the floor, propped against the wall, punch-drunk, looking all limp like a rag-doll. Neither Anton nor Gregori were there.
Somewhere deep in her gut, there was a mild sense of disappointment. Her so-called future mate had deserted her so easily.
“Gregori happened,” he slurred. “That’s what.”
Alanna looked about her small studio, and peeked into her bedroom, the bathroom and kitchenette. Where had they gone? “I thought you said Gregori was too weak to go anywhere. Did Anton capture him?” The stone on the pedestal remained where she’d left it. No change there as far as she could tell so she figured Gregori wasn’t inside it.
“More like the other way around,” Goran muttered. “I can’t believe we fell for it.”
“What did you fall for?”
Goran lifted his head from the wall, winced and cupped the side of his forehead with a hand. “Gregori is far too wily. We never saw it coming.”
Beth shot into the bathroom and returned seconds later with a damp cool cloth. She knelt beside him, holding it to his head. “Never saw what?”
The coldness on his forehead seemed to clarify his thoughts. “He siphoned off our energy. He must have been creating an incantation the entire time we were trying to convince him to give himself up.”
“But how?” Alanna asked. “How could he best you both at the same time? I thought Anton as Grand Dragon would be the most powerful?”
“Anton might be the leader, but Gregori is the one with the power. He has an arsenal of magic to draw from when at full strength. He’s so ancient, he can probably recall the invention of the wheel.”
“More importantly, how did he escape? How did he actually manage to siphon your energy?” Alanna was impatient to hear how Gregori actually bested the leader of Marylebone and Goran. She scanned the studio as if maybe he was still there, merely invisible.
“Touch.” Goran muttered. “All he had to do was touch us and — “ Goran made a sucking sound through his teeth, “ — my magical energy was gone. I figure he’s done the same with Anton.” Admiration filtered into his voice. “He drew enough to leave me weakened, unable to follow him.”
“He could have killed you,” Alanna muttered. She so needed that coffee now. Her insides were shaking almost as much as her legs. She felt light-headed. She collapsed on the floor next to him. “So where would he take Anton?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why would he take him?” Beth asked, always reasonable and calm in a bad situation.
Goran shrugged but Alanna could tell he was infuriated. “I don’t know. Being Earth bound is a complete waste of my talent,” he ground out. “I feel useless.”
“I know what that feels like.” Alanna sighed, refusing to allow guilt to cloud her mind. She leaned back against the wall next to him and closed her eyes. What a morning. “So what can we do with the resources we have?”
“Clarissa,” Goran barked and both sisters jumped. “I need you!”
Within seconds, Clarissa appeared in a burst of blinding, urgent light. “I come. I’m here!” Large flames erupted from her nostrils, singeing Goran’s hair and earlobe as she alighted on his shoulder.
“Gregori has taken Anton. Do you know anything?”
Larger flames erupted from Clarissa. “Nothing to report. Clarissa was making goo-goo eyes at Albert.”
Goran held up his hand. “No need to reveal the details of your love-life. Go to Aden.” He gave a brief explanation to his familiar. “Get him to look for Anton at Marylebone. Do not reveal anything to Eleisha. We will ascertain facts first. Perhaps Gregori will release Anton, but he could also be planning revenge on those who encased him in stone.”
Clarissa’s head nodded up and down. “Aden. And Rosa?”
“Tell Rosa, if she’s there, to return to Raven’s Creek. Her sisters need her.”
“I go now,” Clarissa responded and winked out as quickly as she’d arrived.