Mia Koji looked out the window of her house, gazing at the calm water of the lake. The birds were singing, the fish were jumping, the trees and flowers were in full bloom. In the windowpane she saw tears forming in the eyes of her reflection. With some effort, Mia forced herself to pull the tears back in. Not now. She tore her gaze away from the beautiful world outside and back to the tray in her hand.
She took a deep breath and entered the large bedroom that she had made over for Uli’s family. The little boy’s mother sat by his bedside, reading to him as she often did. His father was at work, but always rushed home right away to be with his wife and son. Uli lay on the bed, eyes closed. He had been in a coma for three weeks. The doctors hadn’t been able to do anything for him but had still wanted to keep him at the hospital. They’d never seen a poison like the one that was slowly killing him and wanted to document everything about its effects. The doctors had tried to browbeat Uli’s parents into leaving him there, but Hana and Takeo wanted to take their son somewhere more private and comfortable for whatever time he had left. When Astarte “politely insisted” that the Nakamuras knew what was best for their child, the doctors eagerly supported the move. Astarte certainly had a way with people—one that usually involved intimidation and bodily harm.
Knowing how hard it would be for Uli’s parents to care for him around the clock, Mia offered them her home to live in until… They were hesitant at first, but they realized that Mia and her friends—their friends now, too—loved Uli and wanted to be there for him and his family no matter what. And it was easier with everyone helping. A nurse came to take care of his IVs and everyone else did whatever other things were required to keep him as healthy and comfortable as possible. It wouldn’t be for much longer, though.
Mia put the tray down on a little table by the window. She handed Uli’s mother a plate with a sandwich and some fruit on it. She then poured two cups of tea.
“You have to eat, Hana.”
Hana sighed and picked up her sandwich to take a bite. She knew there was no use arguing with Mia. That young woman was so stubborn. Mia was smiling at her as if she knew what Hana was thinking. She and her family were so lucky to have met Mia and her friends. What would they have done without such good people? Hana burst into tears. What were they going to do? What were they going to do?
Mia ran over to her, tightly hugging the quiet woman who had become her good friend. Her own tears ran freely down her face. Mia had held them in for Hana’s sake, but Hana needed them now. Mia needed them just as badly. She and the others could destroy evil gods and monsters and save the world, but they couldn’t do a thing for poor Uli. They cried together until their eyes were heavy and tired from it. Then the two of them ate in silence, watching the rays of the afternoon sun dim. When Takeo came home, Mia left the two of them alone.
An exhausted Mia went into the living room. She’d left her keys on the end table. She needed to get out of the house, go somewhere. A drive would make her feel better—a little trip to the city to see Ryo. He should be getting off from work real soon. Mia wanted to talk to him. She’d been so on edge lately. Not just because of Uli’s illness, but her precognitive powers had been warning her of something. Evil in the works. It had already begun. But where? And why now of all times?
Mia cursed her stupid ability to sense the future. It usually didn’t give her a specific enough warning for her to do anything about it. What good was it to know something evil was out there if you didn’t know what or where or even when exactly? The waiting always drove her crazy with worry. Usually she would confer with Astarte because the other woman also had a knack for sensing the approach of dark magic. But Astarte wasn’t home. She and some of the others had felt useless just sitting around waiting for Uli to…
Astarte, Gilgamesh, and Trace had gone as one team to some of the other dimensions in hopes of finding a cure. Kayura had taken Kento, Zane, and Zoe to some of the mystic realms near the Dynasty looking for answers. Even though Jack, Anubis, and the Nakamuras were always there and Sage, Sai, Rowen, and Ryo might as well live there as much as they hung around, the house seemed empty somehow. She had gotten used to an army of people and now she had only a small unit.
Jack sat on the sofa, his feet propped up. As she walked by she swished his feet onto the floor. “Feet off the furniture.”
Jack grumbled something under his breath.
“What was that, young man?”
“Nuthin’.”
She ruffled his hair affectionately. “That’s what I thought.” Mia grabbed her keys, looking up at the TV. “What are you watching?”
“It’s just the end of the news.”
Mia stared at the screen. They were showing a picture of a young, blonde woman. “I know her! That’s Clair! She’s a British exchange student in one of my lit. classes. Turn it up!”
“…was discovered in Mori Park on the outskirts of the city. She’s in stable condition but has not yet come out of the coma she’s been in since she was found last night. Police believe her kidnapping is related to several other disappearances in recent weeks. So far six women have been found in similar condition. Doctors have yet to determine why none of the victims have regained consciousness. Police are warning women to be on guard and not to go anywhere alone at night. In other news, a…”
Mia gasped. That feeling of doom. It was connected to this woman—these women! She definitely had to talk to Ryo now. She had to see these women. “Anubis! I need to go into the city. It’s important.”
Anubis came around the corner from the kitchen. “Do you need any help?”
“Not yet. But I have a feeling I will soon.”