“Who’s in this search party? And how are they going to look for him?”
“I need something personal so his life imprint can be read, something he’s worn maybe. I’ll call in some favors, go to the Sylphic Warriors first. They’ll be the fastest.”
“I know some angels who will help.”
“ANGELS!?!”
“YES!!! And you will work with them and you will like it.” He crossed his arms over his chest in a huff and pouted like a petulant teen. “Save it. I’m warning you.” She stood up straight even though she was feeling a little lightheaded. “Watch Rosie while I go get something of Storm’s.”
In a couple of minutes she returned with a black tee shirt that hadn’t been laundered yet.
“Will this do?” He took the shirt, closed his eyes for a second, and nodded. “I’m taking Rosie to Elora. Then I’m going looking for my husband. We need a system so that we don’t have people looking in the same place and a way to cross off dimensions that have been checked.”
She was thinking while she was gathering up Rosie’s things. She called Glen. When he answered she said, “You’re going to be our point person. You’re the best one for the job.”
“Whatever you need.”
“We’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Will you please contact Elora for me and let her know I’m bringing Rosie to her?”
“Yes. See you in a few.”
Litha handed two bags full of stuff to Deliverance. “Carry these.” Rosie reached up as her mother bent to lift her. Coolly, but to the point she ground out, “I’ll bring her.”
In his office, Litha briefed Glen on the only plan they had. Glen then sent Barrock to set up two smart boards in the conference room and declare the floor off limits to everyone except himself, Sir Hawking and Lady Laiken.
“Until further notice, no one gets off the elevator on this level. Is that understood?” Barrock nodded and turned to leave. “And Barrock?”
“Yes, Si…Glen?”
“Whatever you may have overheard, this secret is a real secret. Do you understand me?”
“I do.”
Elora arrived within a few minutes. She looked like her level of shock rivaled Litha’s.
“Come to Auntie.” She reached for her namesake and Rosie leaned toward her. To Litha she said, “I can call Baka and get the vampire to join the search if that will help.”
Litha had held it together, but when she opened her mouth to tell Elora yes, a choked sort of garbled noise came out instead. Rosie reacted to her mother’s distress by starting to cry. Elora shushed Rosie and reached out to wrap Litha in the arm that wasn’t holding the toddler.
“We’ll find him. He’s married to the best tracker in the world. Everybody knows that.”
Litha nodded. It was more a signal of resolve than agreement. She shushed Rosie again lovingly and gave her a round of kisses on her pretty plump cheek. “S’okay, baby.”
Glen began interrogating Deliverance in an attempt to apply logic to the proposition of looking for a needle in a meadow full of haystacks. While he was doing that, Litha went to find Kellareal and enlist his help. Elora stepped out in the hall to call Baka. She kissed the little fingers that tried to grab the phone while she waited for him to answer.
“Lady Laiken.”
“We’re going to need your boys.”
"Should I ask?"
“That demon lost Storm.”
“What do you mean lost?” Silence. “Oh.” Like everybody else, Baka’s first thought was, Gods. Not him.
“Where do you want us?”
“Sol’s conference room. Soon as you can.”