Misplaced (15 page)

A
shooting
star
flashed
across
the
night
sky
as
Khara
took
th
e
cuf
f
an
d
returne
d
inside
.
T
h
e
star
s
looke
d
di
f
feren
t
no
w
and
left
her
wondering
how
she
had
missed
their
remarkable
beauty
before.
She
lingered,
w
atching
Dante
through
the
glass
door
.
W
a
s
ther
e
somethin
g
differen
t
abou
t
th
e
w
a
y
h
e
looke
d
at
her?
No,
he
seemed
aloof
as
al
w
ays,
but
happy
to
be
at
Khara’s
side, which
w
as just fine.

When
she
finally
came
inside,
she
felt
like
being
alone;
no
eas
y
tas
k
i
n
a
n
apartmen
t
a
s
smal
l
a
s
hers
.
“
I
don’
t
fee
l
w
ell
.
I’m
going to bed,” she announced.

Khar
a
ha
d
slippe
d
of
f
he
r
clothes
,
s
o
natura
l
i
n
her
nakedness
that
V
ictoria
found
it
more
than
a
little
unnerving.
He
r
dance
r
’
s
bod
y
an
d
flui
d
mo
v
ement
s
seeme
d
a
star
k
contrast
to her fierce
e
y
es. “I understand completely. Good night.”

Hour
s
later
,
he
r
law
y
e
r
’
s
min
d
stil
l
sough
t
a
n
ordinary
explanati
o
n
f
o
r
wha
t
ha
d
happene
d
.
W
earin
g
Nan
d
o
r
’
s
c
u
ff
had
distorted
her
mind,
twisting
the
entire
world
on
itself.
Had
she
glimpsed
the
inside
of
another
dimension,
an
otherworldly
plac
e
wher
e
animal
s
spok
e
an
d
he
r
sense
s
ha
d
intensifie
d
a
thousand times o
v
er, or had the whole thing been a dream?

Sh
e
dragge
d
he
r
thought
s
bac
k
fro
m
th
e
real
m
o
f
the
etherea
l
an
d
fough
t
th
e
feelin
g
i
n
he
r
gut
.
Th
e
con
f
lic
t
coul
d
no
t
b
e
pu
t
of
f
an
y
longer
.
Earlier
,
sh
e
ha
d
decide
d
ther
e
w
as
n
o
har
m
i
n
lettin
g
th
e
girl’
s
fantas
y
li
v
e
fo
r
on
e
mor
e
night;
rather
than
continue
a
pointless
argument
about
the
Egypt
of
the
pharaohs,
she
had
backed
down.
But
no
more.
Tomorrow
she
would
do
more
than
argue;
she
would
present
Khara
with
irrefutabl
e
evidence
.
Hopefull
y
the
y
coul
d
star
t
o
v
e
r
fro
m
scratc
h
and
,
thi
s
time
,
Khar
a
ha
d
be
t
te
r
tel
l
th
e
truth
.
Regarding
th
e
cuff—
w
ell
,
i
t
w
a
s
jus
t
a
s
Khar
a
ha
d
said
.
Ther
e
w
er
e
no
ans
w
ers, only questions.

Th
e
nex
t
tim
e
sh
e
opene
d
he
r
e
y
es
,
th
e
su
n
w
a
s
f
loodin
g
her
bedroom
.
Sh
e
reache
d
fo
r
he
r
alar
m
cloc
k
an
d
stare
d
v
acantl
y
at
th
e
display
,
unabl
e
t
o
constru
e
an
y
meanin
g
fro
m
it
.
Ho
w
much
o
f
las
t
nigh
t
ha
d
bee
n
real
?
He
r
firs
t
though
t
w
a
s
o
f
Robert’s
intoxicatin
g
scen
t
an
d
th
e
w
a
y
h
e
ha
d
wrappe
d
he
r
han
d
i
n
his.
And
then
there
w
as
Dante,
who
apparently
knew
more
about
Khara
than
she
did.
Dante,
the
cat,
who
had
spoken
to
her.
He
and
Khara
had
made
her
feel
like
an
idiot,
which,
according
to
Marta, she
w
as any
w
ay. What a night!

Risin
g
slo
w
ly
,
sh
e
peeke
d
aroun
d
th
e
corne
r
an
d
int
o
th
e
livin
g
room
.
Pillow
s
remaine
d
wher
e
the
y
ha
d
fallen
,
a
testamen
t
tha
t
a
t
leas
t
som
e
part
s
o
f
th
e
previou
s
nigh
t
had
happened
.
Th
e
sigh
t
o
f
Khar
a
sittin
g
patientl
y
a
t
th
e
tiny
breakfas
t
table
,
full
y
dressed
,
w
a
s
a
virtua
l
smac
k
acros
s
the
face and just what she needed.