Read Online JCastle - H1 Bridal Jitters by aka Jayne Ann Krentz Harmony Series - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: aka Jayne Ann Krentz Harmony Series
Ads: Link
At least not while I--"
He broke off.
"You mean, you couldn't de-rez it for more than a few seconds and carry me
through it at the same time," she said. "You don't have to spell it out. I
know how much psi power that little leap through the waterfall must have
cost you. I must have felt as heavy as that damn truck in your arms."
34 Charmed
His brows rose. "A gentleman never calls attention to a lady's weight."
"I appreciate that." She frowned. "You must have melted your amber.'' He
glanced at his ring. "Yeah, it's fused. I've got a backup chunk, but I won't
be able to use it for a while."
She looked around warily. The section of corridor in which they stood looked
very much like the section on the other side of the waterfall. The same
pale, luminous green glow infused the impermeable quartz. Here and there she
caught the telltale trace of illusion shadow that marked the concealed door
to a hidden room or antechamber. The dizzying maze of intersecting tunnels
stretched out ahead as far as she could see. The difference between this
section of the catacombs and those on the other side of the waterfall, of
course, was that this sector had not yet been officially mapped. The safest
way out would be to go back through the waterfall, but that would not be
possible until Sam had recovered from the aftereffects of melting amber.
Besides, Leon Drummond might be waiting on the other side. She checked her
earrings. "My amber is still good. At least we won't lose our sense of
direction."
Underground, the only thing that kept you oriented was tuned amber. Without
it, the endless miles of eerie quartz tunnels became a hopelessly
impenetrable labyrinth, even with a locator.
"Drummond tried to kill us," Sam said without inflection. "My guess is he's
our Halloween trickster."
"The one who left that trap on our doorstep last night?" ' 'Yeah. Someone
must be paying him very well to sabotage Ewert's map team. The guild frowns
on that sort of thing. Bad public relations."
' 'Especially now when the guild is trying so hard to build a good public
image." Virginia scrambled awkwardly to her feet. She glanced down,
half-expecting to find scorch marks BRIDAL JITTERS
35
on her trousers. She saw nothing but a few new wrinkles. She looked up
again. "Sam, you must be exhausted."
"Not yet. The afterburn is still kicking in. The buzz will last for about an
hour. Then I'm going to have to crash for at least two or three hours. No
way to beat it."
She nodded. The syndrome was well-known. Ghost-hunters who expended large
amounts of psi energy needed time to recover. Sam studied the corridors that
branched off in different directions behind her. "We need to find a place
where we can hole up for a while. In an hour I'm going to be asleep, like it
or not."
She glanced around. "Why can't we just stay here? No one else is going to
come through that waterfall."
"Probably not," Sam agreed. "But that's not what's got me worried."
"Well? What is worrying you? Aside from the fact that Drummond just tried to
nail us?''
"It occurs to me that whoever hired Leon Drummond to keep Mac Ewert from
making any progress in this corridor may be working illegally on this side
of the waterfall."
Virginia widened her eyes as understanding hit her. "Yes, of course. An
illegal excavation project on this side would explain a lot. But if you're
right, we could run into Drummond's pals any minute."
"I'd say that's a definite risk." He started toward her. "Come on, we've got
to find a place to hide until I can sleep off the afterburn."
"There are bound to be some chambers or rooms we can duck into for a
He broke off.
"You mean, you couldn't de-rez it for more than a few seconds and carry me
through it at the same time," she said. "You don't have to spell it out. I
know how much psi power that little leap through the waterfall must have
cost you. I must have felt as heavy as that damn truck in your arms."
34 Charmed
His brows rose. "A gentleman never calls attention to a lady's weight."
"I appreciate that." She frowned. "You must have melted your amber.'' He
glanced at his ring. "Yeah, it's fused. I've got a backup chunk, but I won't
be able to use it for a while."
She looked around warily. The section of corridor in which they stood looked
very much like the section on the other side of the waterfall. The same
pale, luminous green glow infused the impermeable quartz. Here and there she
caught the telltale trace of illusion shadow that marked the concealed door
to a hidden room or antechamber. The dizzying maze of intersecting tunnels
stretched out ahead as far as she could see. The difference between this
section of the catacombs and those on the other side of the waterfall, of
course, was that this sector had not yet been officially mapped. The safest
way out would be to go back through the waterfall, but that would not be
possible until Sam had recovered from the aftereffects of melting amber.
Besides, Leon Drummond might be waiting on the other side. She checked her
earrings. "My amber is still good. At least we won't lose our sense of
direction."
Underground, the only thing that kept you oriented was tuned amber. Without
it, the endless miles of eerie quartz tunnels became a hopelessly
impenetrable labyrinth, even with a locator.
"Drummond tried to kill us," Sam said without inflection. "My guess is he's
our Halloween trickster."
"The one who left that trap on our doorstep last night?" ' 'Yeah. Someone
must be paying him very well to sabotage Ewert's map team. The guild frowns
on that sort of thing. Bad public relations."
' 'Especially now when the guild is trying so hard to build a good public
image." Virginia scrambled awkwardly to her feet. She glanced down,
half-expecting to find scorch marks BRIDAL JITTERS
35
on her trousers. She saw nothing but a few new wrinkles. She looked up
again. "Sam, you must be exhausted."
"Not yet. The afterburn is still kicking in. The buzz will last for about an
hour. Then I'm going to have to crash for at least two or three hours. No
way to beat it."
She nodded. The syndrome was well-known. Ghost-hunters who expended large
amounts of psi energy needed time to recover. Sam studied the corridors that
branched off in different directions behind her. "We need to find a place
where we can hole up for a while. In an hour I'm going to be asleep, like it
or not."
She glanced around. "Why can't we just stay here? No one else is going to
come through that waterfall."
"Probably not," Sam agreed. "But that's not what's got me worried."
"Well? What is worrying you? Aside from the fact that Drummond just tried to
nail us?''
"It occurs to me that whoever hired Leon Drummond to keep Mac Ewert from
making any progress in this corridor may be working illegally on this side
of the waterfall."
Virginia widened her eyes as understanding hit her. "Yes, of course. An
illegal excavation project on this side would explain a lot. But if you're
right, we could run into Drummond's pals any minute."
"I'd say that's a definite risk." He started toward her. "Come on, we've got
to find a place to hide until I can sleep off the afterburn."
"There are bound to be some chambers or rooms we can duck into for a
Similar Books
