The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (31 page)

“
The wolf,
”
she answered, tracing her fingers through the dusting of hair on his chest.
“
It
’
s faster and quieter, and I can see better in the dark.
”

They lay still for a few minutes more while the traitorous light increased.

“
So, with the shapeshifting,
”
he said at last.

She tensed, wondering for a moment whether he would bring up her accusation that he was using her.

He shook under her fingertips, and she realized he was holding in laughter.
“
This has been killing me.
How do you do that with clothes on?
”

Startled into giggles, herself, she answered,
“
I don
’
t know.
I
’
ve always been able to do it either way.
Whatever I
’
m wearing just becomes part of the change.
It
’
s all matter.
”

He laughed now, and it rumbled against her cheek.
“
I guess I thought it would be more like in the comics, with shredding clothes and stuff.
”

At that, she lifted her chin and smiled at him. “God, no. I’d have to buy a new wardrobe every other week.”

“
No, you wouldn
’
t.
Walk around naked.
”

She groaned in mock outrage and pushed up onto her hands.

He reached up to stroke the back of her neck.
His eyes clouded with regret.
“
I am sorry, Sara.
”
His hand slid from under her hair, and he touched the amulet swaying between her breasts.
“
Be careful down there today, okay?
”

Uncomfortable, she turned from his gaze.
A look like that was too dangerous to contemplate.
She
’
d offered him her body last night, and he
’
d taken it without hesitation.
She didn
’
t dare hope there might be more to it.

You
are
a freak.
Face it.
She shoved into a sitting position.
“
If it gets much lighter, they
’
ll see me coming back.
”
She reached for her clothing and pulled it on.
“
You be careful, too.
”

Ian swung his legs over the edge of the bed and scooped his jeans off the floor.
She paused to admire his naked body and the way the light trailed across his skin.
The same way her hands had done the night before.

He caught her looking and grinned.

She flushed and went back to dressing.
She
’
d meant their night together to be a one-time thing, a way of proving to herself that something of her truly mattered to him...but oh, she wished they had just a few more hours.

Last night hadn
’
t been enough.

They stood up together, and he gave her a gentle kiss.
She leaned into him, breathing him in, fearing she
’
d never have another chance.

“
I
’
ll see you later,
”
he murmured.
With a last caress, he released her and went to the door to open it.

She called on the wolf.
As soon as she slipped into its body, she sprang out the door and loped away.

The journey back to camp didn
’
t take long in her lupine shape.
With all her senses alert, she crept around the back of her tent.
She heard movement in some of the other tents; she
’
d gotten back just in time.
Making sure no one saw, she shapeshifted back into human form and rounded the tent, then ducked inside.

The interior looked undisturbed. As she saw the profusion of beer bottles on the table, Cameron’s image punched into her mind, blatant shock in his expression. What good were her gifts if they couldn’t save him? Cam hadn’t had a chance to live. How could he die so young?

She forced away the guilt and snatched a fresh set of clothes. Pulling on a lightweight jacket against the cool air, she emerged from her tent.

Dustin, Flintrop, and Lambertson had already begun morning preparations, moving about in subdued silence.
Sara sucked in a breath and went toward them.

Lamb noticed her and left the others, meeting her halfway.
“
Are you all right?
”

She marshaled a smile.
“
I
’
ll be okay.
”
She saw lines of grief in his face, and felt her smile disappear.
For the first time, Lamb didn
’
t seem like the invincible, brilliant doctor of archaeology that she
’
d known since childhood.
He looked tired.
“
You?
”

“
Cameron was the best student I ever taught, excepting you girls.
I know his family well.
”
He sighed.
“
I have to go back to England to see them about this.
After that, I
’
ll be staying at Eurocon to take care of some business matters.
I
’
m leaving you and Faith in charge here.
Sara, be careful.
I don
’
t want any more accidents.
”

“
You aren
’
t coming back?
”

“
As soon I
’
m able.
”
He took a step toward her, and she saw by his posture that he wanted to comfort her, but didn
’
t know quite how.
For that, she loved him all the more.

She studied the laces of her boots.
The amulet weighed heavily around her neck.
Her heart thumped, and she teetered on the point of telling him everything.
“
Lamb?
”

“
Yes?
”

She lost her nerve under his somber, pale-blue gaze.
“
Have a safe trip,
”
she mumbled, then stepped around him to join the others.

As she approached, Flintrop looked up from his position at the sieve box.
“
Hello.
”

The sympathy in his voice pricked at her.
She remembered asking Flintrop if he was in love with her.
He hadn
’
t answered, but he hadn
’
t needed to.

Tilting her head, she gave him a critical look.
He was handsome enough, the sort of man who could make grimy jeans and a T-shirt look appealing.
Smart.
Successful.
Powerful.

But cold.
Distant in the way of a beautiful artifact, unreachable behind barriers of velvet rope and glass.

Ian was different.
Warm and real and immediate, and he set fires in her that no one else ever had—fires that burned well after the lovemaking ended.
Was that why the look in his eyes this morning had made her ache so much?

She sat down in front of the camp grill, where Dustin had started a pot of coffee.
“
Good morning.
”

Flintrop sat beside her.
“
Are you doing okay?
”

“
I will be, as long as people stop asking me how I am.
”
She accepted a cup of coffee from Dustin when it finished brewing.

“
You know what happened to Cameron isn
’
t your fault, Sara.
I made the decision to stay, too.
”

“
I know.
”

Becky emerged from her tent wrapped in a blanket, looking pale.
She sat on the other side of the grill, avoiding eye contact.

Flintrop cleared his throat.
“
Becky?
Do you need to talk?
”

The woman shook her head.
Her gaze flicked everywhere but at them.

“
You sure?
”
Flintrop prompted.

Sara ducked into her coffee mug until her hair swung forward to hide her face, then let loose her telepathy.
Becky flushed red and murmured something about not feeling well, but Sara caught a fragment of her thoughts:

What was I thinking?
I can
’
t take that thing.
I don
’
t want to do this.

Startled, Sara blinked and raised her head.
Not good.
She took a huge gulp of coffee, then choked on it as it scalded its way down her throat.

Flintrop pounded her on the back.
She waved him off.
“
I
’
m fine, I
’
m fine.
”

“
Between you choking on breakfast, Becky not feeling well, and Lamb leaving, I think we
’
re going to be on light duty today,
”
he muttered.

“
I said I
’
m fine.
We
’
ll keep working.
”

He flashed a brief smile.
“
I remember when we were in Iceland, and you got the flu.
You still wouldn
’
t stop working.
Do you ever quit?
”

“
There
’
s a lot to be said for persistence,
”
she told him, half listening, and half furtively studying Becky, who stayed silent.

“
That
’
s very true,
”
Flintrop said softly.

Sara gave him a wary look and ducked into her coffee again.
Right now, there just wasn
’
t enough room in her head and heart to sort out what to do with that.

Faith exited her tent and started across the moor.
Sara heaved an inward sigh of relief.
She caught her sister
’
s gaze, and Faith gave an inconspicuous shake of her head.
No further contact with Hakon, then.
Sara downed the rest of her coffee, then poured herself another.

Hard work helped turn her thoughts from Cameron
’
s death, and Becky
’
s unwitting admission of attempted theft.
She threw herself into the labor, clearing her plot faster than any she
’
d done since arriving there.
Still, each hour ticked by as though it were an eon.
While she worked, she stole looks up the slope of the island toward Ian
’
s camp, wondering if he was thinking of her.
All of her crew
’
s expressions of concern for her last night had not gone nearly as far as his silent embrace while she broke to pieces in her tent.
Had he known that she needed, for once, to feel like she wasn
’
t alone?

When midday break rolled around, Dustin called them to lunch.
She didn
’
t realize she hadn
’
t moved until Faith grabbed her elbow.
Sara jerked back to the present.

Faith waited until the crew had moved off in search of food.
“
What
’
s the matter with you?
”

“
I... Nothing.
”

“
Don
’
t give me that.
Is Ian all right?
You
’
ve been staring up there all morning.
”

Sara felt her cheeks burn and blurted,
“
What
’
s with this ghost of yours?
Did you talk to him?
”

Her sister raised a slender brow.

“
Never mind,
”
muttered Sara.
“
Becky did try to steal the amulet.
”