"And Weylin's going to let me wander around unhindered?"
"Never said that." His grin got bigger. "And can I add some friendly warnings?"
"You're going to whether I want you to or not."
"Ain't that a fact." He hawked and spat again. "First, none of your magic will work in this place." The only magic she had was the only one that was important, and it was obviously still working, because this old man was seeing Seline, not her.
"The barrier prevents that." She said it as a statement of fact, even though it was a guess. The old man nodded. "Just as it prevents that vampire friend of yours from using his psychic skills. No messing with anyone's mind this time, I'm afraid."
Seline had warned her this might happen. Whether it actually had happened, or whether the old man's words were just empty threats, was something she'd test later, when she was alone. Seline wasn't supposed to have any psychic skills beyond telepathy, so she had to be careful.
"And?"
"And if you've snuck a phone in, be warned. We have a scanner in place. We'll catch anything you say, and if you say too much, someone will die."
"You and your master are sick, you know that?"
He merely grinned. "Lastly, just let me warn you that it ain't just humans wandering around this place now."
And he was one of those nonhumans. Though what he was exactly, she wasn't sure. "Is that it?"
"For now." His smile faded, his eyes becoming almost luminous in the harsh sunlight. "I'll take you to your assigned accommodation. Just remember, the afternoon draws into evening, and the first two men will be sacrificed at midnight."
His voice had dropped several octaves, becoming rich and strong. It was the voice of the man in the van—the man with the ethereal gray eyes.
"You must think me quite a foe if you choose to speak through your servant rather than in person, Weylin," she said tartly.
The old man's eyebrow rose. "I will not make the same mistake as my brother—I will not underestimate you."