Ones. Who were they? What did they want? Power, yes, that much

was certain. His own powers had increased immeasurably since he

had met her, but her powers were growing at a far greater rate.

And she was already the most powerful adept he had ever

encountered. There had been many more killings than those the

police and the Bureau knew about. Unlike the dragon, Leila did not

leave behind any trace of her victims. She transported them to his

sanctuary beneath his shop, in the underground mall where she

now lived. Her victims simply disappeared. And they were usually

people who would not be missed.

He, too, could have easily killed without a trace, but that was not

what Leila wanted. He knew why. It was to cover for her own

activities. So long as the authorities were occupied with the

dramatic Ginza murders, they would not pay as much attention to

the disappearances, if they even noticed them. Missing persons

would be a much lower priority in the face of a flamboyant serial

killer case. Only what would happen when Leila no longer had a

use for him? That time would surely come and as the only one who

knew about her, Kanno realized that he presented a potential

threat. And he knew he was no match for her. He was far less

concerned about the police and the Bureau than he was about what

she might do. He had to find a way to protect himself. She had to

have a weakness. Somehow, he would have to find it. To do so

would require great care and patience. It would be the greatest

challenge he had ever faced. But the years had taught him

patience. He only hoped that she would give him enough time.

It was a long flight and they were all tired when the plane landed

at New Tokyo International Airport in Narita, about forty miles out

of Tokyo. Fourteen hours in the air had taken their toll. They were

anxious to check into their suites at the Imperial Hotel, get some

much needed sleep and adjust themselves to the new time zone. As

always, Modred insisted upon going first class and he had arranged

for a chauffeured limo to meet them at the airport.

The Imperial was one of Tokyo’s oldest hotels, located across from

Hibiya park, within walking distance of the Ginza. It had been

renovated after the Collapse and another thirty floors had been

added to its tower, affording guests a magnificent view of the city