plans for the clan.
“I need someone to watch her. Maybe even befriend her,” he said as he offered up options for Ryan to consider.
“Maya will only be friends with those who she thinks have something that she can use. I cannot think of any clan members that Maya would consider—”
“Except you,” Christopher replied and clapped his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. With a reassuring squeeze, he continued. “You are my right-hand man and privy to everything that I do. Together we can decide just what information to feed Maya.”
“Or discover just how much she knows about Alexander and what he wants.”
“Exactly,” Christopher confirmed and patted his friend on the shoulder.
Ryan walked toward the pinned board and glanced at the meticulously plotted locations where they had sensed the Quinchu power. He pointed to the map and looked over his shoulder at Christopher. “So what misinformation do you want me to relay to your ex?”
“Actually, I want you to tell her the truth about what we suspect happened with my father’s two cadre members. Maya may know what they were doing in the area. If we’re lucky, she may let that information slip and provide us some leads,” Christopher advised.
“And what would be my reason for giving her the information and being so chummy?” Ryan pressed.
“Something that she would believe—that you’re concerned we may be attacked in the same fashion. That you wish you knew more about the reason Alexander’s men were visiting in the hopes of finding out who vaporized them.”
“It’s not a lie to say that I’m worried about how theywere killed. It took a great deal of power and the incident was not far from our compound.” With one finger, Ryan circled the pins tacked into the map at the spot near the Sea Girt lighthouse where they had sensed the residues of powerful blasts of Quinchu energy. The human authorities had carried away two large blobs of glass the next morning, thinking that they were fulgurites created by an extreme lightning strike on the sand.
Christopher and he believed they were the crystallized remains of Alexander’s men.
“The battle was very close, but in truth, I’m more concerned about an attack from my father than from the Light Ones. That hasn’t happened in quite some time.”
Ryan inclined his head in agreement. “So what will you be doing while I’m ingratiating myself to Maya?”
Christopher shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Did you sense Victoria’s power earlier?”
Ryan shrugged nonchalantly. “I wasn’t sure about it.”
“I wasn’t either, but if she does have power… I’m not certain what she is or if she can be trusted,” Christopher admitted, still battling his attraction to her.
Arching a brow, Ryan asked, “So what do you propose we do?”
Smiling tightly, Christopher considered what little he knew about Victoria as well as what he planned to discover. “I intend to find out more about her. Find out if she’s friend or foe.”
“And if she’s a Light Hunter?”
With a casual shrug that hid the unease in his gut about that possibility, he said, “Eliminating her would be the most logical action.”
Ryan’s nod, slow and almost hesitant, communicated more than his words. “Logical, but brutal.”
Brutal being a trait usually attributed to his father and not to him. Christopher likewise hesitated, contemplating other possibilities before finally offering another option.
“What if she’s a Light Hunter we can befriend?”
Ryan snorted in disbelief. “A friendly Light Hunter? Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
“They probably think the same of us, but what if it was possible?” Peace between their people once more. Cooperation instead of conflagration.
“Are you thinking with your head or your—”
“A pretty face alone is not enough for me to risk you and our clan, Ryan,” he shot back, annoyed.
Ryan raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t doubt that
“I need someone to watch her. Maybe even befriend her,” he said as he offered up options for Ryan to consider.
“Maya will only be friends with those who she thinks have something that she can use. I cannot think of any clan members that Maya would consider—”
“Except you,” Christopher replied and clapped his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. With a reassuring squeeze, he continued. “You are my right-hand man and privy to everything that I do. Together we can decide just what information to feed Maya.”
“Or discover just how much she knows about Alexander and what he wants.”
“Exactly,” Christopher confirmed and patted his friend on the shoulder.
Ryan walked toward the pinned board and glanced at the meticulously plotted locations where they had sensed the Quinchu power. He pointed to the map and looked over his shoulder at Christopher. “So what misinformation do you want me to relay to your ex?”
“Actually, I want you to tell her the truth about what we suspect happened with my father’s two cadre members. Maya may know what they were doing in the area. If we’re lucky, she may let that information slip and provide us some leads,” Christopher advised.
“And what would be my reason for giving her the information and being so chummy?” Ryan pressed.
“Something that she would believe—that you’re concerned we may be attacked in the same fashion. That you wish you knew more about the reason Alexander’s men were visiting in the hopes of finding out who vaporized them.”
“It’s not a lie to say that I’m worried about how theywere killed. It took a great deal of power and the incident was not far from our compound.” With one finger, Ryan circled the pins tacked into the map at the spot near the Sea Girt lighthouse where they had sensed the residues of powerful blasts of Quinchu energy. The human authorities had carried away two large blobs of glass the next morning, thinking that they were fulgurites created by an extreme lightning strike on the sand.
Christopher and he believed they were the crystallized remains of Alexander’s men.
“The battle was very close, but in truth, I’m more concerned about an attack from my father than from the Light Ones. That hasn’t happened in quite some time.”
Ryan inclined his head in agreement. “So what will you be doing while I’m ingratiating myself to Maya?”
Christopher shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Did you sense Victoria’s power earlier?”
Ryan shrugged nonchalantly. “I wasn’t sure about it.”
“I wasn’t either, but if she does have power… I’m not certain what she is or if she can be trusted,” Christopher admitted, still battling his attraction to her.
Arching a brow, Ryan asked, “So what do you propose we do?”
Smiling tightly, Christopher considered what little he knew about Victoria as well as what he planned to discover. “I intend to find out more about her. Find out if she’s friend or foe.”
“And if she’s a Light Hunter?”
With a casual shrug that hid the unease in his gut about that possibility, he said, “Eliminating her would be the most logical action.”
Ryan’s nod, slow and almost hesitant, communicated more than his words. “Logical, but brutal.”
Brutal being a trait usually attributed to his father and not to him. Christopher likewise hesitated, contemplating other possibilities before finally offering another option.
“What if she’s a Light Hunter we can befriend?”
Ryan snorted in disbelief. “A friendly Light Hunter? Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
“They probably think the same of us, but what if it was possible?” Peace between their people once more. Cooperation instead of conflagration.
“Are you thinking with your head or your—”
“A pretty face alone is not enough for me to risk you and our clan, Ryan,” he shot back, annoyed.
Ryan raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t doubt that
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