Chapter 47

For a while now something had been niggling at the back of his head. It was like a strange but certain knowledge there was somewhere he needed to be or something he needed to do, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. A part of him wondered if this was just Duke's fatherly instincts telling him to hurry up and find Kasey, but somehow it felt like more than that.

Sighing heavily he continued his more thorough sweep of the interlinking cave system and that's when he sensed her arrival. Stopping, he turned round to face her, wondering how long she was planning to watch him without saying anything. She was dressed in a bizarre pink and black ensemble, which gave her the appearance of being some kind of eighties reject. Not that she appeared to care of course. The smile on her oh too genuine face revealed that much as she gentle folded her arms and waited for him to speak.

'I'm a little busy right now,' he eventually broke the silence.

'Baby hunting?'

'Of course, she's only a child.'

'I know.'

'So then you know why I have to find her.'

'Of course, but that can wait.'

'What, long enough for her to go after Mai again?'

'No,' she shook her head, 'long enough for you to help me finish what we started.'

'What we started,' he frowned.

'Can't you sense what's happening?'

'What's happening? Wait you mean there is more to that feeling?' He gripped the material above his heart.

'How is it you have all those new powers and yet your completely useless at your old ones still? You used to be a Helper, you still are if you want to be, so why aren't you paying any attention.'

'Attention to what?'

'To anything, apparently,' she rolled her eyes. 'I would give you a clue but I'm not exactly in the mood for spoon feeding right now.'

'That sentence was uncomfortable for you,' he studied her for a moment. 'I know from your reputation it's something you would say, but… you weren't comfortable delivering it.'

'Getting side tracked will help no one SK.'

'Look, I don't really care what's going on right now; I need to find Kasey.'

'I told you, she can wait, this cannot and, as much as it pains me to admit, I can't do this on my own.'

'Now that I don't believe, you're Power Limitless and what's more you excel past most of them by a long way. Hell you're a Master of Masteries if your reputation is to be believed.'

'What can I say,' she turned slightly, 'I am what my mentor made of me, whether I wanted him to or not.'

'You like being a puppet on someone else's string,' SK half narrowed his gaze on her; there'd been something uncomfortable about her last statement, but he couldn't put his finger on what.

'I never said that,' she flicked her gaze back towards him. 'In fact the opposite is true; I like being a puppet master.'

'Because you like the power?'

'No, but I do like the control,' she gave an unimpressive half laugh and shifted her gaze away again. 'So are you going to help me then or not?'

'I have to find Kasey.'

'I keep telling you, that can wait,' she sighed. 'You're not going to find her until she wants to be found, no matter how hard you try. But we're on a time limit right now.'

'Time limit,' he frowned. 'Just what the hell is going on?'

'Figure it out already SK, I'm getting a little tired of this.'

For a few moments he just stared at her in confusion. Then she gave another heavy sigh, this one filled with impatience.

'SK, for Light sake sense what's going on around you. You have responsibilities, obligations clearly beyond your capability of sensing right now. You're the only one who can help me do this and it needs to be done, now, or everything I'm working towards… everything we're trying to do will be ruined, do you understand?'

'No, I…'

'SK sense what's going on right now or so help me…'

'Okay, alright,' he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, 'you know you can be really scary when you want to be.'

'I know, you're just lucky I'm one of the good guys.'

It was the first time in weeks Jo had felt the warm sun on her skin, but then again it was the first time in weeks she'd actually bothered getting dressed enough to experience it. She knew Crovell was in a great deal of pain; she could sense it as though she were feeling it herself and the only thing which hurt more than knowing it, was knowing there was nothing she could do to help him. That was why she'd emerged from her captivity, in order to experiences the soothing feeling of the sunlight. Because she had to do something to numb the pain and this something was as good as any.

After a few long minutes of just sitting out in the glorious sunshine which kissed the garden of the Southern Palace, she spotted someone approaching. The particular someone was a thin stick of a girl with long but greasy black hair and blue eyes which fained a sweetness not lurking behind them. Instantly a chill ran up Jo's spine. Then she remembered that this was her home and the strange girl was trespassing.

'Are you lost?'

'I think I must be,' the girl continued her approach. 'Could you help me at all?'

'Of course,' Jo rose to her feet.

With every second this girl was around, the shivering movement running along her vertebra grew. There was something about this person which was more than a little unnerving, but for the life of her Jo couldn't figure out what.

'I'm looking for Catilin,' the girl finally reached her.

'For Catilin,' Jo frowned.

'Yes, do you know her?'

'Of course I do. I'm a Lutoni, what do you expect?'

'Ah yes, I see it now. Lutonis are always so heavily set, I wonder why I didn't realise it before.'

'I'm sorry what,' Jo felt a little insulted. 'Did… did you just imply that I was… was fat?'

'Well I didn't want to be rude about it,' the girl smiled sweetly, 'but you could do with loosing a few pounds.'

For a few moments Jo was too stunned to say anything, then she somehow managed to find her voice.

'I'm… I'm pregnant,' she managed, 'I don't think I need to lose any weight right now.'

'Kinda young to be pregnant, aren't you,' the girl continued heedlessly, 'I didn't realise the daughters of the Lutoni house were sluts.'

Again Jo found herself completely lost for words. This girl was mean. More than that she was almost truly wicked. And that's when it struck her what was wrong. Jo couldn't sense anything about her. It was as though she were a complete blank behind her eyes or else nothing but the purest of evil.

'What did you say you name was,' she tried to keep her nerve.

'I didn't,' the girl shrugged, 'but if you must know what it is, then it's Miraid.'

'Miraid?'

'Yes,' she nodded, 'and I'm looking for Catilin, do you mind telling me where she is?'

'I don't think anybody knows right now,' Jo took a deep calming breath in; she knew she was lying, but she didn't feel as though this girl could be trusted. 'If you like, you could wait round here whilst I try to find out for you.'

'Oh I'd hate to inconvenience you,' Miraid blinked sweetly, 'but if you could find her for me I would be ever so grateful.'