A Division of Souls - A Novel of the Mendaihu Universe Read Online Free Page B

the desolate hallway but in an undefined middle space ahead. “I
have a few…” he trailed off, tapping a forefinger against his lips.
He shook the thought away and exited the elevator.
    She knew better than to ask. He was probably
fielding the same unanswerable questions. She’d gotten used to his
unfinished sentences, understanding that it wasn’t so much
distraction as it was his way of playing the thoughts out. He’d
often start saying something, only to stop after a few words when
he realized it wasn’t the direction he wanted to go in. It was a
little unsettling and frustrating, but he’d say what was on his
mind sooner or later.
    They found Chief Inspector Dylan Farraway’s
office door slightly ajar and very little light spilling out. The
Chief wasn’t one to dwell in darkness when things got heavy; he was
a man who wanted the entire room illuminated with very little
shadow. He paid attention to detail, and he wanted to make sure it
was seen not just by him, but by anyone else who came in. But when
they pushed the door open, they found his anteroom almost
completely dark. His assistant Ellie had gone home for the evening
quite a few hours ago, and apparently he had not bothered to call
her back or get a secondary to fill in.
    “He’s been here all night…?” Caren said, her
voice just above a whisper.
    “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he said. He
gestured at the light below Farraway’s inner office door — a sliver
of dim light at the bottom. If he was in there, he was too blessed
quiet about it. He prodded at Caren’s shoulder and pointed at the
door. She lifted her hand to knock, but held it there for a second,
opening it up and exposing her palm. At the tips of her fingers,
she felt a weak yet distinct wave of personal energy coming from
within, much of it centered near the area where the man’s desk
would be. He was within, and he was fine.
    She knocked quietly. “Sir?” she called.
“It's Poe and Johnson.”
    Farraway’s voice was unexpectedly calm.
“Come on in.”
    She turned to Poe again, this time with
concern. He frowned, and gestured to the door. She pushed it open
and found Farraway standing behind his desk, leaning against the
low back of his chair. He acknowledged them with reddened eyes and
a weak smile, and slowly, painfully, pushed himself up straight. He
was clearly exhausted. Behind him, through his window and through
the foyer, everything was bathed in a desperately beautiful shade
of deep red.
    “Sir?” Caren ventured. “Is everything
okay?”
    His dark brows arched, as if the question
were out of place. “Me? Sure, Caren. I'm fine. Just out of energy.”
He studied the two of them for a few seconds. “Both of you are
fine?”
    She bristled. “Sir…?”
    He waved the question away. “Never mind,
forget I asked. Obviously you two came in on little sleep, and you
know why you were called in. As of this moment, all of your open
cases have been reassigned to other officers — this ritual has
become your priority. Your only priority.” He paused
briefly, letting out a slow breath to measure the words for his
report.
    “Let’s start with a timeline: Twenty minutes
before one, we started getting heavy energy readings from
sensitives in the Main Street Sector — some Shenaihu, but mostly
Mendaihu. They thought little of it at the time, as it happens
every now and again at a meditation service. There just happened to
be a scheduled service in the eastern portion of McCleever District
at that point in time that was running late.
    “At about ten to one, a few Mendaihu
contacted the ARU to report hearing an innerspeak voice
announcing a ritual of some sort. Again, they thought little of it,
as most awakenings and cleansings are contained within a small
area.
    “And at exactly one o’clock, countless
sensitives — including human, non-spiritual sensitives this time —
had heard the word 'awaken'. That report’s been confirmed by
numerous ARU officers as