to fly to Salt Lake City first—it was safe, convenient, and one of the first flights available after we passed through customs.
Salt Lake was convenient because Tristan happened to have the key to the safety deposit box he had there, one key of only a few he picked up before we left Miami. Along with a nice stash of cash, the box held a false ID for him, so we could check into a hotel under a different name. It was also convenient because “one of his guys,” who created false identification, lived nearby.
While Tristan focused on our plan, Owen and I taught Dorian the rules of the game—if anyone asked, he was to give them his pretend name and say he was Tristan’s brother and I was his brother’s girlfriend. Owen was their cousin. We helped him memorize everyone’s fake names, and he practiced calling me “Angela” instead of “Mom.” I felt bad for him—just as he would grow used to this game, we’d have to create a new one, with different names and relationships. At least he was intelligent.
“How’s it coming?” I asked Tristan a while later, sitting behind him on the bed and rubbing his shoulders. Owen had left to retrieve dinner, and Dorian sat in front of the television, engrossed in a cartoon.
“I’ve considered the options, and the best one for Dorian’s safety and protection is to give him a home. Our search might be dangerous—too risky to have him with us. We should also be near a colony, for extra protection.”
“A colony? Is that what you call a village in the New World?”
He chuckled. “No, silly. A village is only Amadis, living together, usually under a shield. A colony is where many Amadis have settled in close proximity to each other, but among norms.”
“A Chinatown for Amadis?”
“Exactly, but not so obvious. Norms don’t see anything unusual.”
“Do Daemoni?”
“Some. But colonies aren’t isolated or cloaked like villages, so the Daemoni would be stupid to attack in front of so many Norman witnesses, if they even found us. And there are a lot more colonies in the U.S. than there are villages. So . . . where would you like to live, my love?”
I stopped kneading his shoulders in mid-motion. I hadn’t expected to be able to choose where we lived. I was happy to be in the U.S. “Anywhere?”
“Pick a place, and I’ll tell you if it’s an option.”
“Hmm . . .” I moved my hands down his back as I considered. I thought about the many places Mom and I had lived over the years and the many more where we hadn’t, but at this point, I sought comfort and familiarity. My first choice probably wasn’t possible, so I hesitated before finally blurting it out. “Florida?”
“We can do Florida. If the girl’s been hidden under your noses, I think she’s in the Southeast, so Florida works.” He paused. “But not the Keys. Not the beach house.”
“Okay.”
“And not Miami. In fact, probably not the east coast at all.”
I smiled. “Even better. Because I really liked Cape Heron, but I know we can’t go there.”
“No, but . . .” He grinned.
“But?” I asked, excited by his smile and the promise in his tone.
“There’s a colony near Fort Myers.”
I bounced into his lap. “Really? We can really go that close?”
“It’s not all that close to Cape Heron.” He kissed me on the forehead, his eyes sparkling brightly. “And you will love it.”
“Close to the beach?”
“On the beach.”
I threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“My pleasure.” His mouth found mine, and I wouldn’t let him go, at least, not until Owen returned with the perfect welcome-home meal: cheeseburgers and fries.
Our conversation with Mom later that night killed my buzz. After a series of ring signals, we called her from a pre-paid cell phone Owen picked up at the drugstore, set on speaker so we could all three participate in the conversation. She delivered good news first: we lost the Daemoni after leaving Kuckaroo, and they had no idea where we were. But the Daemoni staked out the Amadis villages worldwide—they couldn’t see them, but they knew their general locations and stood guard in case we tried to seek their protection.
They’d given up watch on my Atlanta house, so Mom and Charlotte were planning a trip to retrieve a few things and convert it to a permanent safe house. Then Mom said they had Amadis business to watch over in the States, so they’d be here