Page 125 of He Who Sleeps

“Of course. A return to an Order that is whole, both sides, is what we always wanted.” She chuckled. “Verna would have loved this. She had hope, that our girls would find their counterparts. I’m so happy at least one of you did.”

“Do you know,” Petra asked, “what happened to the mothers of my guys? Their fathers had relationships, marriages...and sisters.”

“All sisters are sent to Idaho,” she said. “They are safe, especially those of the thirteen bloodline. The mothers, some were there...some didn’t make it. It’s the way of it. Their bonds with their men are different and largely they cannot live without them.”

"Is there someone there we can speak to?" Carter asked. "The women from the Balkans might be more comfortable going directly to Idaho. Or perhaps we could send you to the Balkans to liaise with them, if you have nothing urgent to manage here?"

“Four girls just hitting their teens,” Elise said. “And my sisters can manage them. I would love to see the mother temple, and bring the women taken to the secure compound. Some might wish to move on from there but...” She looked to him. “I think that can be managed.”

"Well then," Carter rose to his feet. "I'll go and make some calls and leave you ladies to catch up."

She smiled at him. “Don’t go too far, love. And take your coffee.” She winked.

"Yes, ma'am!" With his own wink and a grin, he left them to it.

Chapter 45

“They just touched down,” Emerson said to Easton and Finn as he walked into the study they were using as headquarters. “And they have a matron in tow.”

“Of her own free will?” Jack asked from the far wall.

“Apparently, and they have news.”

In the two days Petra and Carter had been away, they had been busy. They had met with the others that had been there and helped, brought them to the family tree room, and tested everyone, including the captive females. Three of the men there were from one of the thirteen families, and oddly one was Damon. Finn had offered each of them their own teams, as they had been learning more from Kildare, and the more worshipping on a larger scale, balanced, would bring more abundance from He Who Sleeps to all.

All three of the men had asked to create one team, and brought in two more men, so they were a five-person team. Emerson had worried it wouldn’t be enough, but Kildare had told them that onlytheyneeded to be seven. Other teams, if any would be what worked for them. Kildare had also counseled each of the single practioners and duos to find their own devotions, or wives, in women that understood their...needs.

There was so much they didn’t know. Single practioners were more plentiful, though only those that worshiped with a female of the blood were heard. Duos were even more plentiful, and Kildare had been suggesting they look toward the women that were left in the world that belonged to Him, so that they would bring more to the cause.

But the biggest thing, the fact that they were close to Armageddon. Why? Because what the council of Elders had been doing was starving Him, and He was both agitated and angry. He was close to the point of surfacing, and it was only Petra’s acceptance as a devotion that had staved that off. When Jack had asked why the council would do that, Kildare had said something very ominous.

“Because they wanted it to end. If they couldn’t be all powerful, they would murder the world for their ambition, and clearly, He wouldn’t be a pawn. She, your devotion, our new high priestess, was his ace in the hole. He would never want to ruin the world that gave him Gaia.”

“Are they on the way in?”

Emerson nodded to Jack. “She’s freshening up, and Carter is seeing Brutus.”