division, I’m in charge of operations down here. Miss Dore can enter the chamber. I will escort her inside, myself.”
“Don’t worry,” Lyra said, rezzing up another dazzling smile for both men. She was feeling the aftereffects of the highly charged amethyst energy that had been rushing through her moments ago, still feeling reckless. “I’m not going to steal anything.”
Cruz gave her a patient look. “I know that.”
They waited until the last member of the trapped team had emerged from the chamber and thanked Lyra. Then Cruz waved her inside. He followed, watching her with an unreadable expression.
Another buzz of energy, much lower in volume this time, whispered through her when she walked to the center of the chamber. The interior walls, floor, and ceiling glowed with a muted purple light, just as she remembered. But all of the small relics of carved amethyst amber that had been stacked around the edges of the room were gone.
She turned slowly on her heel, surveying the scene. “What did you do with the stones?”
“They’ve all been removed and taken to the lab,” Cruz said. “Where, as I’m sure you know, we haven’t been able to rez a single damn one of them.”
“Hence all the nasty phone calls I’ve been getting from Webber.”
“I knew he had tried to contact you,” Cruz said. “I wasn’t aware that he had been rude. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
“Well, it wasn’t like I was being polite to him, either,” she allowed. “I told you, I never returned any of his calls.”
Cruz studied her with an unreadable expression.
“The ability to work unusual forms of amber is rare,” he said finally. “We could really use your talent at the lab. You would be well-paid.”
“Sorry, no.”
He shook his head, amused. “You are one stubborn woman.”
“It’s the principle of the thing.”
“I think it’s got more to do with the fact that you’re a Dore and I’m a Sweetwater.”
“That, too,” she admitted.
“You know, we don’t have to keep fighting our grandfathers’ feud.”
“We’re not fighting it.” She went toward the door. “Your grandfather won, remember?”
“Damn it, Lyra—”
“I’d like to go home now, if you don’t mind. It has been a very long night.”
“One more thing.”
She stopped, turning. “Yes?”
“It isn’t just old-fashioned Dore stubbornness that is making you refuse to assist my research staff with the experiments, is it?” Cruz walked toward her. “You know or suspect something very important about this ruin and the artifacts we took out of it. I need to know whatever it is you’re keeping secret, Lyra.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes,” he said, “you do. And eventually you’re going to tell me. But it can wait.”
She managed another sparkling smile. “You’re right. It can wait. Forever.”
Chapter 5
THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN HAD BARELY BEGUN TO REPLACE the green glow of the Dead City walls by the time Cruz brought the Slider to a halt in front of the apartment building. He could feel Lyra’s exhaustion. Her head was resting against the back of the seat. Her eyes were closed. The psychic lift that came from being underground had faded. So had the exhilaration created by the bio-cocktail that had exploded through her bloodstream when she had worked the exotic amber. He knew the sensation well. Energy was energy, whether it took a normal or paranormal form. Using a lot of it gave you a rush, but later you paid a price.
“You need sleep,” he said.
“I know.” She opened her eyes and glanced at her watch. “If I go straight to bed, I can get in a couple of hours before my Harmonic Meditation class.”
Vincent was perched on the seat above her shoulder. His floppy painter’s beret was still on his head. Of the three of them, he was the only one who showed no indications of having been through a long night. Cruz patted the top of the red beret.
“Perky as
“Don’t worry,” Lyra said, rezzing up another dazzling smile for both men. She was feeling the aftereffects of the highly charged amethyst energy that had been rushing through her moments ago, still feeling reckless. “I’m not going to steal anything.”
Cruz gave her a patient look. “I know that.”
They waited until the last member of the trapped team had emerged from the chamber and thanked Lyra. Then Cruz waved her inside. He followed, watching her with an unreadable expression.
Another buzz of energy, much lower in volume this time, whispered through her when she walked to the center of the chamber. The interior walls, floor, and ceiling glowed with a muted purple light, just as she remembered. But all of the small relics of carved amethyst amber that had been stacked around the edges of the room were gone.
She turned slowly on her heel, surveying the scene. “What did you do with the stones?”
“They’ve all been removed and taken to the lab,” Cruz said. “Where, as I’m sure you know, we haven’t been able to rez a single damn one of them.”
“Hence all the nasty phone calls I’ve been getting from Webber.”
“I knew he had tried to contact you,” Cruz said. “I wasn’t aware that he had been rude. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
“Well, it wasn’t like I was being polite to him, either,” she allowed. “I told you, I never returned any of his calls.”
Cruz studied her with an unreadable expression.
“The ability to work unusual forms of amber is rare,” he said finally. “We could really use your talent at the lab. You would be well-paid.”
“Sorry, no.”
He shook his head, amused. “You are one stubborn woman.”
“It’s the principle of the thing.”
“I think it’s got more to do with the fact that you’re a Dore and I’m a Sweetwater.”
“That, too,” she admitted.
“You know, we don’t have to keep fighting our grandfathers’ feud.”
“We’re not fighting it.” She went toward the door. “Your grandfather won, remember?”
“Damn it, Lyra—”
“I’d like to go home now, if you don’t mind. It has been a very long night.”
“One more thing.”
She stopped, turning. “Yes?”
“It isn’t just old-fashioned Dore stubbornness that is making you refuse to assist my research staff with the experiments, is it?” Cruz walked toward her. “You know or suspect something very important about this ruin and the artifacts we took out of it. I need to know whatever it is you’re keeping secret, Lyra.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes,” he said, “you do. And eventually you’re going to tell me. But it can wait.”
She managed another sparkling smile. “You’re right. It can wait. Forever.”
Chapter 5
THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN HAD BARELY BEGUN TO REPLACE the green glow of the Dead City walls by the time Cruz brought the Slider to a halt in front of the apartment building. He could feel Lyra’s exhaustion. Her head was resting against the back of the seat. Her eyes were closed. The psychic lift that came from being underground had faded. So had the exhilaration created by the bio-cocktail that had exploded through her bloodstream when she had worked the exotic amber. He knew the sensation well. Energy was energy, whether it took a normal or paranormal form. Using a lot of it gave you a rush, but later you paid a price.
“You need sleep,” he said.
“I know.” She opened her eyes and glanced at her watch. “If I go straight to bed, I can get in a couple of hours before my Harmonic Meditation class.”
Vincent was perched on the seat above her shoulder. His floppy painter’s beret was still on his head. Of the three of them, he was the only one who showed no indications of having been through a long night. Cruz patted the top of the red beret.
“Perky as
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