Read Online Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle - Free Book Online Page A

mirror is, but it dazzles the para-senses, and that disturbs the normal senses as well. Going into the maze is a very disorienting experience.”
    “I believe it.”
    “The standard rez-amber locators don’t work inside the ruin, but I discovered that I could navigate with full-spectrum. Two weeks ago I took a small lab team into the maze. We had to turn back because the energy levels were just too much for most of the team. But the para-archaeologist fell behind. She got lost.”
    “Vickie?”
    “Yes. I knew I couldn’t risk the whole crew by going back to search for her. So I got the others out.”
    “And then you went in after her on your own.”
    “I found her in a small chamber. She was in psychic shock. Awake but nonresponsive. I got her out of the maze, but she never woke up.”
    “She died?”
    “No. She’s still in a kind of waking coma in a parapsych ward at a private hospital.”
    Marlowe studied him with her knowing eyes. “She’s not just a member of your team. Who is she?
    “Her name is Vickie Winters. She’s my kid sister.”
    “Dear heaven. Of course, you blame yourself for taking her into the maze.”
    “Should have known better than to let her talk me into it. But she was right. We needed her talent and expertise to figure out what is going on in that maze. And it wasn’t like I had a lot of choice in para-archaeologists.”
    “Why do you say that? There are dozens of them at the university in Frequency alone, not to mention on the staff at the city museum.”
    “I needed one I knew I could trust,” he said.
    Marlowe nodded. “You went with Vickie because she is family.”
    “Right.”
    “Why hasn’t any of this been in the press?” Marlowe wrinkled her nose. “Forget it. Why do I even bother to ask? Just another Guild secret.”
    “Bureau secret,” he corrected. “I haven’t even told the members of my own Council about what’s going on.”
    “Understandable. According to the press, the first thing you did when you took over was fire four members of the Council that you inherited from your predecessor.”
    “They took early retirement,” he said evenly. “With full benefits.”
    She looked amused. “You mean, you persuaded them to take early retirement. I won’t ask how you talked them into it. Given that you haven’t yet replaced them, that leaves you with only five remaining Councilmen. I doubt that you trust them any more than you did the four you kicked off the Council.”
    “That is very insightful of you.”
    “Why didn’t you make them take early retirement, too?”
    “You know the old saying: keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. At least until you can prove that they’re trying to kill you.”
    “Think it’s someone on the Council who is after you?”
    “Two someones. Drake and O’Conner.”
    “Hmm. Before the Chamber pulled its surprise move and put you in charge of the Frequency Guild, rumor had it that Douglas Drake was slated to get the top job.”
    “That was certainly Drake’s plan. Hubert O’Conner was backing his play. The two of them go way back.”
    “If you know those two are gunning for you, why don’t you force them into early retirement?” she asked.
    “Because I think they’re involved in something more serious.”
    Her eyes widened. “More serious than trying to murder you?”
    “Yeah, and I’d like to find out what they’re up to before I get rid of them.”
    “Does every Guild boss lead such an interesting life?”
    “Mine may be a little more interesting than some at the moment.”
    “I’ll say. Back to the mirror maze. You said you discovered it? Do you do archaeological work for the Bureau?”
    “No. My expertise is in other areas. I sort of stumbled into the maze.”
    “Really?” she looked intrigued. “By accident, you mean?”
    “Maybe stumbled isn’t quite the right word. I was in the middle of a Bureau investigation that took me deep into the jungle. Drug lab. While I was winding up the