what I hear, that relief is like a drug, the same as OxyContin is to Mundanes. Once we taste it, we want it again. And again. We get addicted.”
“But if a Crescent wanted to give you her power to sustain you—”
“It will weaken you. Eventually your Dragon will wither, the same as if you moved away from the Field that sustains our god essence. I would need more, more, never enough. Only the weakest Caidos are tempted to do that with one person. Only the most selfish.”
Archer wasn’t selfish. She let out a long breath. “It really is impossible.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. You have a good heart, Lyra. I knew you would offer.” He brushed his hand across her cheek. “I understand why Jeremy craves that feeling now.”
She ran the toe of her shoe across the carpet, leaving tracks in the fibers. “Have you ever been in love, Archer?”
He hesitated before answering. “No. Have you?”
“Lots of times, but only in a superficial way. In an I-can’t-wait-for-him-to-call way, not in an I’ll-give-you-my-power way. Never that way.”
When he winced, she pushed the thought away, hard as it was. “Tell me what it felt like just now.”
“A pulsing pain, like someone twisting my insides. And when you make that face and feel pity, it’s like fingers jabbing me.”
“Sorry.” She took a breath, trying to clear away her emotions. “Now what do we do?”
“When Jeremy and Anika did the Cobra, it triggered something that sent him to your father. That something must have been about Tara. Maybe it involved her husband, too.” He rubbed the back of his head. “If we can’t figure out what that something was, we have to find out who has the power to use his Light in a way that can create a giant snake.”
“This Caido would also be powerful enough to, say, change a fetus’s orientation. There has to be a connection.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. I need to find out who Jeremy knew with that kind of power. Then I go after him.”
“ We , Archer. We go after him. It’s my father among the missing. I’m not sitting around worrying about you.” Another glance at the dust, even scarier now because she thought of Archer being incinerated. “My Dragon is strong, you know.” She felt it stir in pride and rubbed the place where the tattoo tingled. Another more horrifying thought twisted inside her. “You could be turned into a wraith. If something happens to you, what do I do?” She cleared her throat. “With your remains?”
“Call the Raphael and ask for Grayson’s number. He’ll know what to do. You’ll have twenty-four hours.”
Chapter 8
A rcher let the cool rush of absinthe tickle his tongue as it swirled around his mouth.
Lyra sat next to him at the kitchen counter. “You drink that stuff for breakfast?” she asked, fascination more than disgust in her voice.
“Technically it’s still night. The sun hasn’t come up yet.” He nodded to the expanse of dark sky to the east. “Would you like one?”
“Gods, no. Are you still trying to get rid of me?”
“Get rid of you? By offering you a drink? Wouldn’t that be counterintuitive?”
She regarded him with a curiously suspicious expression. “If you say so. But what I need is food.”
His stomach grumbled. “I suppose sustenance would be appropriate.”
She gave him a funny smile. “Yes, sustenance would be highly appropriate.”
He opened the refrigerator. “I have eggs.”
“Hot sauce?” she asked, coming up behind him.
“No.” He pulled out a jar of olives. “Will this do?”
“Olives and eggs. Yum. Not.” She nudged him aside and took in the contents of the refrigerator. “Caviar. Capers. Dark chocolate truffles. I heard you Caidos lived high on the hog, and it’s true. I can work with this.” She grabbed up several items and set them on the counter.
He eyed the box of truffles. “Don’t tell me you’re making caviar chocolate eggs.”
“The chocolate’s for me. After what we just went
“But if a Crescent wanted to give you her power to sustain you—”
“It will weaken you. Eventually your Dragon will wither, the same as if you moved away from the Field that sustains our god essence. I would need more, more, never enough. Only the weakest Caidos are tempted to do that with one person. Only the most selfish.”
Archer wasn’t selfish. She let out a long breath. “It really is impossible.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. You have a good heart, Lyra. I knew you would offer.” He brushed his hand across her cheek. “I understand why Jeremy craves that feeling now.”
She ran the toe of her shoe across the carpet, leaving tracks in the fibers. “Have you ever been in love, Archer?”
He hesitated before answering. “No. Have you?”
“Lots of times, but only in a superficial way. In an I-can’t-wait-for-him-to-call way, not in an I’ll-give-you-my-power way. Never that way.”
When he winced, she pushed the thought away, hard as it was. “Tell me what it felt like just now.”
“A pulsing pain, like someone twisting my insides. And when you make that face and feel pity, it’s like fingers jabbing me.”
“Sorry.” She took a breath, trying to clear away her emotions. “Now what do we do?”
“When Jeremy and Anika did the Cobra, it triggered something that sent him to your father. That something must have been about Tara. Maybe it involved her husband, too.” He rubbed the back of his head. “If we can’t figure out what that something was, we have to find out who has the power to use his Light in a way that can create a giant snake.”
“This Caido would also be powerful enough to, say, change a fetus’s orientation. There has to be a connection.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. I need to find out who Jeremy knew with that kind of power. Then I go after him.”
“ We , Archer. We go after him. It’s my father among the missing. I’m not sitting around worrying about you.” Another glance at the dust, even scarier now because she thought of Archer being incinerated. “My Dragon is strong, you know.” She felt it stir in pride and rubbed the place where the tattoo tingled. Another more horrifying thought twisted inside her. “You could be turned into a wraith. If something happens to you, what do I do?” She cleared her throat. “With your remains?”
“Call the Raphael and ask for Grayson’s number. He’ll know what to do. You’ll have twenty-four hours.”
Chapter 8
A rcher let the cool rush of absinthe tickle his tongue as it swirled around his mouth.
Lyra sat next to him at the kitchen counter. “You drink that stuff for breakfast?” she asked, fascination more than disgust in her voice.
“Technically it’s still night. The sun hasn’t come up yet.” He nodded to the expanse of dark sky to the east. “Would you like one?”
“Gods, no. Are you still trying to get rid of me?”
“Get rid of you? By offering you a drink? Wouldn’t that be counterintuitive?”
She regarded him with a curiously suspicious expression. “If you say so. But what I need is food.”
His stomach grumbled. “I suppose sustenance would be appropriate.”
She gave him a funny smile. “Yes, sustenance would be highly appropriate.”
He opened the refrigerator. “I have eggs.”
“Hot sauce?” she asked, coming up behind him.
“No.” He pulled out a jar of olives. “Will this do?”
“Olives and eggs. Yum. Not.” She nudged him aside and took in the contents of the refrigerator. “Caviar. Capers. Dark chocolate truffles. I heard you Caidos lived high on the hog, and it’s true. I can work with this.” She grabbed up several items and set them on the counter.
He eyed the box of truffles. “Don’t tell me you’re making caviar chocolate eggs.”
“The chocolate’s for me. After what we just went
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