Dark Secrets Unveiled (The Children of the Gods #45) - I.T. Lucas Page 0,3

the man she’s hooked up with, and her father might be right. She’s an adult, so there is no legal way to get her out, and I’m not about to kidnap a woman on American soil. But if she can be thralled to leave, her father can get her into rehab to undo the brainwashing.”

“What if she’s not brainwashed? She might have joined out of her own free will, and her father just doesn’t like what she’s doing. As an adult, it’s her choice to do whatever she wants with her life, including throwing it away.”

“In principle, I agree. But we both know how effective brainwashing can be, and how insidious are the methods used to attract and trap followers. She was a law student with only one year left to complete her degree. Then one day, she just disappeared without letting anyone know where she was going. Her father hired a private detective, who found out that she was donating her generous living allowance to an organization with a questionable reputation.”

“How so?” Syssi asked. “What did he find out about them?”

“Officially, they operate as a spiritual retreat. Their website talks about self-actualization through meditation, introspection, fasting, and other nonsense like freedom from the shackles of an oppressive society, etc. What they are really after is their members’ money, slave labor, and in some cases, also sexual exploitation.”

“Is the group militant?” Kian asked.

“They might be. I need to find out, but to do that, I need to infiltrate their compound. I can have an operative sign up for the retreat and investigate, but that would take too long. I want to get her out as soon as possible.”

“This is not your usual kind of work. How come you took the assignment?”

“The lady’s father said something that intrigued me. He told me that his daughter was always a strange bird who never felt like she belonged anywhere. That was why he thought she’d been easy to exploit. When I asked him in what way she was strange, he tried to backtrack and said that she was just a little odd. When I pressed, saying that I need all the information he can give me about her, he admitted that she claimed to hear voices in her head.”

“Like Nathalie?” Syssi asked.

“She claimed that they belonged to living people.”

“I don’t get it. Did she hear the thoughts of people she was with? She might be a telepath.”

“That’s what I thought as well, but her father said that she heard the voices even when she was alone. He thinks that she’s a schizophrenic.”

“Did he have her evaluated?” Syssi pushed up on the pillows.

“He didn’t want to. Until she joined the cult, she was functioning well despite the voices, and he didn’t want the stigma of mental illness attached to her. It could be that he’s right, but I think it’s interesting and worth investigating.”

“I assume that you suspect she is a Dormant.” Kian shifted the phone to his other hand. “What about her mother?”

“She died in a freak accident when Anastasia was a little girl. Her father thinks that the trauma of losing her mother messed with her head.”

“Any siblings?” Syssi asked.

“The father remarried. Anastasia has a half-brother and half-sister.”

“Not relevant as far as dormancy goes,” Kian said.

“True. What about those Guardians I asked for? Can I borrow a couple?”

It seemed like an easy in and out mission that didn’t involve a lot of risks. Even the less experienced Guardians could handle it.

“Of course. Call Onegus. Tell him that I approved the request.”

“Thank you.”

3

David

“Breakfast at Annani’s.” David wrapped his arm around Sari’s waist. “Did it have to be at seven in the morning?”

Closing the door behind them, Sari didn’t lock it because there was no lock. Evidently, she deemed all members of her clan trustworthy.

Was that wise?

What if someone decided that it was time to replace her at the helm?

Had no clan member ever harmed another?

David found it unlikely. Immortals were still people, and utopia didn’t exist.

“Maybe she couldn’t sleep either.” Sari leaned against his side. “I’m glad that I woke you up at six, though.”

“Yeah, definitely.”

Despite his best efforts, the hour hadn’t been spent making love because Sari wanted him to preserve his energy, but he would have preferred to stay in bed for a little longer and cuddle. Who knew? Maybe his persistence would have eroded Sari’s resistance. He could think of several things they could have done that didn’t require a lot of energy expenditure, but it wasn’t like they could