Misplaced (14 page)

“Precisely.
Biting
off
a
snake’s
head
w
as
an
omen
e
v
en
the
High
Priest
could
not
o
v
erlook.
Who
better
to
protect
the
ro
y
al
family
than
an
eater
of
poisonous
snakes?
There were many such stories about Nandor. I remember asking my father if any of them were true.”

V
ictoria’s e
y
ebrow raised slightly.
“
And?”

“On
e
day
,
a
s
w
e
w
alke
d
i
n
th
e
vine
y
ard
,
h
e
plucke
d
a
grape
and handed it to me. ‘The best stories al
w
ays ripen on the vine of truth,’ he said.”

Th
e
tellin
g
ease
d
Khara’
s
pain
;
i
t
brough
t
he
r
fathe
r
and
Nando
r
back
,
i
f
onl
y
fo
r a
preciou
s
moment
.
Bu
t
a
t
th
e
sam
e
time
,
sh
e
fel
t a
shar
p
pai
n
nea
r
he
r
hear
t
an
d
kne
w
tha
t
the ange
r
sh
e
fel
t
a
s
Menefra’
s
arrow
s
saile
d
to
w
ar
d
he
r
o
n
that
terrible day
w
as spreading, rotting
her heart.

A
s
i
f
sh
e
coul
d
rea
d
he
r
thoughts
,
V
ictori
a
remarked,
“Shouldn’t your guardian be here with you now?”

“He would, if he could.” She could not bring herself to say more.

The
gazelle-like
gentleness
in
V
ictoria’
s
e
y
e
s
dissol
v
ed
.
Springin
g
fro
m
th
e
couch
,
th
e
attorney
circled her with quick strides. “There must be something,” she
reasoned
,
“on
e
teeny
,
tin
y
detai
l
abou
t
you
r
lif
e
tha
t
makes
sense. If you persist with this ridiculous story, I can’t help you anymore. I
w
ant to, but not under these conditions.”

W
it
h
a
s
muc
h
civilit
y
a
s
he
r
offende
d
hear
t
coul
d
muster,
Khara bo
w
ed slightly.
“
Allow me to pro
v
e a small part of my experience to you.”

“Hell
y
es, can you do that?”

Sh
e
slippe
d
Nando
r
’
s
cuf
f
fro
m
aroun
d
he
r
thig
h
and
handed it to
V
ictoria. “
W
ear this.”

“Why
not?
Among
the
peculiar
things
I’
v
e
done
for
clients, this is nothing.”

Sh
e
too
k
th
e
cuff
,
he
r
han
d
droopin
g
slightl
y
wit
h
it
s
w
eight,
and
stared
at
it
for
a
long
time.
“Do
you
w
ant
me
to
put it
on?”

“Not if you are afraid.”

“
V
ery funny.” Pushing the clasp open,
V
ictoria studied the
scarab’
s
bod
y
fo
r
th
e
secon
d
time
.
“It’
s
magnificen
t
an
d
hideous
at the same time. It gi
v
es me the creeps.”

Laughing
shortly,
Khara
declared,
“Nandor
would
ha
v
e
it
no
other
w
ay.
Do
not
worry—it
will
bring
you
no
harm,”
she
assured
V
ictoria, and then took a step back.

“Okay
,
her
e
goe
s
nothing.
”
V
ictori
a
fitte
d
th
e
cuf
f
jus
t
abo
v
e
her
knee.

Khara
held
her
breath.
Does
the
cuff’s
po
w
er
belong
to
anyone who
w
ears it?

Chapte
r
Nine
Vic
t
ori
a

A
n
aur
a
o
f
expectanc
y
fel
l
o
v
e
r
th
e
room
.
V
ictori
a
clasped
the cuff
closed her e
y
es and felt…nothing.
Absolutely nothing.

Laughin
g
nervously
,
sh
e
fumble
d
t
o
remo
v
e
th
e
golde
n bangle
when a voice like that
of a Shakespearean actor pierced the night.

“
Y
ou
’
re bra
v
er than I ga
v
e you credit for.”

V
ictoria
looked
around
but
saw
only
the
cat
and
Khara,
the
suggestion of a smile forming on the latte
r
’s
lips.

Confused,
V
ictoria challenged the voice. “Who are you?”

“
Ahem.”

“Dante?”
she
gasped.
The
large
grey
cat
came
for
w
ard
until
h
e
stoo
d
i
n
fron
t
o
f
he
r
feet
.
He
r
hear
t
pounded
,
an
d
sh
e
felt
lightheaded
“This
is
a
better
w
ay
to
communicate,
wouldn’t
you
say?”
His
e
y
es
glo
w
ed
a
shade
of
green
she
had
ne
v
er
seen
before
as
he
wo
v
e
his
w
ay
around
her
ankles.
“Our
inter
v
ention
may
not
ha
v
e
been
the
best
w
ay
to
convince
her,
Princess
Khara.
She’s
completely undone.”

Staggerin
g
back
w
ard
,
V
ictori
a
collapse
d
o
n
th
e
couch.
“
Y
ou—yo
u
kno
w
wh
o
sh
e
is?
”
Th
e
stamme
r
tha
t
ha
d
bee
n
gone
sinc
e
pubert
y
mercilessl
y
reappeared
.

Dant
e
jumpe
d
u
p
beside
her.
“I
t
w
a
s
exactl
y
th
e
sam
e
fo
r
me,
”
Khar
a
tol
d
her,
approaching
V
ictoria
with
her
hand
out,
as
she
would
a
stray
dog
.
“
I
sa
w
th
e
cuf
f
besid
e
m
e
i
n
th
e
dirt
.
I
t
w
a
s
Nando
r
’s,
you
see;
he
had
gi
v
en
it
to
me,
so
I
could
not
lea
v
e
it
behind.
No
t
lon
g
after
w
ards
,
a
man—th
e
on
e
wh
o
brough
t
m
e
to
you—appeared
.
I
understoo
d
hi
m
whe
n
h
e
explaine
d
wh
y
it
w
as
not
safe
to
stay
in
the
desert
though
I
had
ne
v
er
heard
his
tongue
before.
That
is
what
convinced
me
I
had
arri
v
ed
in
the
Underworld.”

“Bu
t
ho
w
doe
s
tha
t
work?
”
V
ictoria’
s
word
s
sounded
melodic, primiti
v
e.
“
And what language am I speaking now?”

Dante
stood
on
her
legs
and
put
his
paws
on
her
chest.
“I
thin
k
yo
u
kno
w
th
e
ans
w
er
.
Isn’
t
i
t
beautiful?
”
Hi
s
sof
t
gre
y
face,
only
inches
a
w
ay,
w
as
serene.
“
A
ccept
this
superb
gift
and
do not
w
aste time wondering,
V
ictoria.”

He
r
hea
d
s
w
a
m
an
d
he
r
breathin
g
w
a
s
reduce
d
t
o
small,
errati
c
gulp
s
o
f
ai
r
a
s
sh
e
trie
d
t
o
wrestl
e
th
e
clas
p
open,
pushing
Dante
rudely
aside
in
the
process.
“Get
this
damned
thing off!”

Khar
a
rushe
d
t
o
V
ictori
a
an
d
remo
v
e
d
th
e
cuff
.
Sh
e
too
k
her
hands
and
lifted
her
from
the
couch, guiding
her
to
the
patio
and fresh air. “Now do you belie
v
e me?”

V
ictoria
wiped
perspiration
from
her
brow;
the
freight
train
in
her
head
had
slo
w
ed,
but
only
a
bit.
“How
is
this
possible?”
she croaked.

Khar
a
shrugge
d
a
s
the
y
steppe
d
outside
.
“Ther
e
ar
e
no
ans
w
ers
,
onl
y
questions,
”
sh
e
sai
d
crypticall
y
a
s
sh
e
leaned
agains
t
th
e
railin
g
an
d
stare
d
a
t
th
e
stars
.
Th
e
win
d
caught
he
r
lon
g
hair
,
swirlin
g
i
t
aroun
d
he
r
smal
l
bod
y
lik
e
a
spirit.
“The
ans
w
er
must
lie
in
Nando
r
’s
last
words,
but
for
now,
I—
w
e—remain
victims
of
his
dark
art.”
She
took
V
ictoria’s
arm.
“I needed
you
to
belie
v
e
me,
though
it
w
as
selfish
of
me
to
force my burden on you.”