Page 42 of Shadow Dreaming

“I’d like to learn to use one of these machines,” she said.

Carson glanced up at her. “It’s not that hard. I can teach you, if you like.” He seemed as calm as if he was talking to some twelve year old.

“I may take you up on that. What are you doing now?” Hecate watched as he brought up a browser and typed in Jiles’s name. The next moment, a list of search results came up, and Hecate tilted her head, reminding me of an owl.

“I’m looking up information on someone.”

“Are those all facts about him?” Hecate asked.

“Yes, though they may be talking about some other Jiles Smithson, or they might be outdated. The top results are generally the most accurate, other than the AI crap the search engines are pushing on us.” At her puzzled look, he continued. “Artificial intelligence. But it’s only as reliable as the information fed into it. And anybody can decide what they want to present as a fact.”

He clicked on a link and then scanned the article. “Okay, here it is. Jiles Smithson owns the Bellissimo Piatto. That’s beautiful plate in Italian. He’s in the…hmm…”

“What?” I asked.

“He’s in the Green Lake District, on Second Avenue, right off of Woodlawn Avenue. They’re open from one PM til midnight, Tuesday night through Sunday night.” Carson searched on the restaurant name itself, and came up with some nice interior shots from a review done by a critic from the Seattle Restaurant Scene website. “It’s a three story building. See, this is the main floor, and there’s a staircase going up over there in the corner, and it looks like a door which…here’s a picture of wine racks in the basement. So they have a basement.”

“Murdoch showed me a flash of where she was. That looks like the place, from what I could see through her eyes.” I looked at the others. “So, if he hasn’t moved her, she’s still there. What the hell do they want?”

“Sophia can commune with her,” Hecate said. “While I’m here, I can provide a link, since Penelope is my priestess.”

Sophia set down her coffee cup. “I’d be happy to, with your assistance. It helps to have something Penelope owns, but somehow I think the link you have to her would be stronger than anything I could use for psychometry.”

“What can we do to help?” I asked.

“Scoot yourselves back from the oracle,” Hecate said. She sat down next to Sophia as the rest of us moved away. “Take my hand.” She held out her hand and Sophia cautiously grasped it.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia leaned back in her chair and, with an instant change in energy, dropped into trance. I felt like a chasm was being bridged, as though Hecate was giving Sophia a walkway directly to Penn’s soul. It was an energy that was hard to explain, or even understand, but I knew what was happening.

A moment later Sophia shuddered. The voice that came out of her mouth wasn’t hers, but Penn’s. “What’s happening? Where am I?”

“Penn, can you hear me?” I leaned forward.

“Kyann? Is that you? Where are you? I can’t see anything. Everything just went black.”

“Sophia’s made a connection to you. Are you all right?”

There was a pause, then she said, “Mostly. But I don’t think I’ll be safe much longer.”

“Are you in the basement of Bellissimo Piatto?” I asked.

“I’m not sure where I’m at, but it’s a restaurant, and I smell all sorts of garlic and tomatoes and fresh seafood.” Her voice wavered. “I’m scared, Kyann. I can’t use my magic. I’m in some sort of anti-magic zone.”

“I know. We’re coming to get you.”

“Someone’s coming!” Sophia shuddered, and her eyes flew open. She fell back in the chair. “Oh man, I’ve never done that before,” she said, staring at Hecate. “I’ve been a medium for spirits now and then but…”

“You have the power to do this without me. It’s just a little harder.” Hecate let out a long breath. “There are rules the gods must follow—but I can give you a little more help.” She reached up and plucked a hair from her head. The long hair shimmered as she began wrapping it around her finger and then, cupping it in her hands, she murmured a soft breath over it and then held out what looked like a short length of indigo rope, sparkling like a dark thread.

“With this, you will be able to keep even the strongest man bound. Make a small loop, slip it over the wrists or around the ankles, and it will tighten on its own. To remove it, tell it to let go, and it will slide off. It cannot be burnt, cut, or destroyed, except by dragon fire, or by another god. It will negate magic if the captive has the ability, while they are held by it. And it can work in non-magical zones. I feel you’ll need it before this is over.”

I took the rope. It was thin as a box chain necklace, but it felt alive in my hands. “Thank you,” I said. “I wish you could come with us.”

“I cannot, but Penelope can summon my strength once she has use of her powers again. Now, go rescue her, and we will speak later.” She stood, then turned to Carson. “I will contact you so you can show me how to use the machine.”

He blinked. “You’re serious?”

“You weren’t?” she countered.

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