Lethe saw something in Ryan Mercury. The man's aura had changed, shifted somehow since he'd made contact with the Dragon Heart. He was stronger than before, faster and more capable of fulfilling the task of getting it to Thayla. Lethe tried to imagine the glorious music of Thayla's song. He tried to feel the penetrating warmth of her light.
He failed. His memory could not compare to his experience of her.
Lethe used the static nudge he'd used before to get the attention of Ryan, who was helping Axler throw camouflage netting over the helicopter. The human focused for a minute and said, "Lethe?"
"I'd like to talk about how you plan to get the Dragon Heart to Thayla," Lethe said.
Ryan's aura darkened momentarily. "Give it a rest," he said. "I've just been through major drek. I don't want to think about it right now."
Lethe paid no heed. "There's no time for that. Now that we have the Dragon Heart, we must deliver it."
"There's plenty of time for all that," Ryan said irritably. "I told you I don't want to talk about it right now."
The cloudiness Lethe saw in Ryan's aura was the same sign of deception he'd noticed before. It had raised his suspicions then too, but what else could he have done but hope his perception was flawed in some way and that Ryan Mercury was truly the right one for this task? After all, Dunkelzahn himself had chosen this human.
"Besides," Ryan said, "we don't even know how to get it to the metaplanes. That involves a powerful magical ritual known only to a few mages. We would need to find one of them, and I don't have any idea where to start."
Lethe saw that the darkness in Ryan's aura was growing. He was lying for some reason. "How long do you want to wait?"
The hint of a smile touched Ryan's physical mask, showing as a wash of dark red across his aura. "Just until things settle down."
At that moment it occurred to Lethe that Ryan meant to keep the Dragon Heart. He was addicted to its power.
Ryan was still talking. "I need to find a mage to look into the situation."
But Lethe wasn't listening. The realization that this shortsighted human would jeopardize the fate of the whole world for a brief taste of paltry power was maddening. "You can't keep the Dragon Heart," he said. "It was not meant for you."
Ryan took a step back, surprised. "I don't intend to keep it."
Lethe scrutinized Ryan's aura as he spoke. The human was not only lying, but actually stating the opposite of what he meant. There was no doubt now. Ryan was not planning to complete Dunkelzahn's mission.
"You don't understand what you are doing," Lethe said. "I won't allow it."
"I don't see how you can stop me," Ryan said. "The Heart is mine, and I don't think even you can hurt me now."
Lethe ignored the threat. "Personal power is meaningless. You must understand that your petty desires may help destroy the world."
"Slot off!" Ryan focused his power and pushed Lethe away. Perhaps his power was greater.
"I will not give up," Lethe said. And with that he was gone, blasting across the astral landscape. He went high, to the very rim of the manasphere, coming back down thousands of kilometers from Ryan in the physical world. His whole journey passed in the exercise of a thought.
It took longer to locate Nadja Daviar once he was in the Washington sprawl. But time was relative. It was still morning when he came across the elf in a highly secure mansion. He moved past the astral watchers and into her new office.
Three others were in the office with her-two ork security guards and a human of Asian background who was conversing with Nadja. The orks were guarding her, and as Lethe examined their astral bodies, he realized that none of them would have the ability to translate for him. Reluctantly, he decided to possess one of them. This time he would be more careful to exit the body before it died. But he had to speak with Nadja and saw no other way to do so.
He moved his spirit into the body of one of the orks, trying to be as gentle as possible with the spirit of the metahuman. The body jerked slightly as he took control quickly. "Excuse me, Nadja," he said, using the ork's voice. "It is Lethe, and I'm reluctantly using this guard's body because it is imperative that I speak with you now."
The other guard drew a weapon.
"Lethe?"
"Yes, it is urgent, and I don't have much time. I don't want to accidentally destroy this body as I did the last."
Abruptly, Nadja turned toward her guest. "I'm sorry for this interruption, Rai'kun-sama. It was not anticipated or expected. However, I must speak with this spirit. Will you excuse me for a few moments? We will continue the discussion of your claim at that time."
The man stood and bowed to her. She returned the bow precisely.
When he had stepped out and closed the door, Nadja turned to Lethe. "What do you want?"
"Ryan Mercury has failed," he said. "We succeeded in getting the Dragon Heart, but he has succumbed to a desire for its power. He has decided to keep the item and has given up on his mission."
Nadja sank into her chair at the words. Stunned.
"You are the only one who might be able to persuade him to carry out Dunkelzahn's instructions," Lethe went on. "To complete his mission."
"Me?"
"He loves you."
She nodded, but said nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before pushing to her feet. "Okay, Lethe," she said. "I will intervene. Something happened to Ryan in Aztlan. I don't know what it was, but I'm sure it was Roxborough who did it to him. He's just not the same. He may never be the same. But the mission Dunkelzahn entrusted to
him is crucial. I would be failing them both if I didn't try to help."
"Thank you," Lethe said, then exited the body of the security guard. The ork's spirit stayed, but the body fainted from the transition. After a minute, he was back to normal. Lethe was pleased.
Then Nadja was talking to her secretary, connecting through to Jane-in-the-box. Making emergency travel plans.
Lethe watched her for a few minutes. He felt a deep affection for Nadja. She had a pure spirit, one of the only such metahumans he'd encountered.
Lethe hoped that she was persuasive enough to influence Ryan Mercury. Which would be greater, he wondered, Ryan's love for Nadja or for his newfound power?
16 August 2057