Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
“I didn’t.” The words are sharp, and for once, they’re honest. I didn’t do it this time. “This wasn’t me. I don’t know who did it, but there’s only one way to find out. Do you have another diamond you could try to charge?”
“Of course I do.” She sweeps across the room to a recessed storage panel. Her palm unlocks the seal, and she pulls out a diamond the size of a marble. It gleams faintly in her hand.
The server fans whir faster, filling the room with a low rush of air. Wesley leans forward, his chair scraping against the concrete, gaze fixed on Sylveria. My own pulse picks up, a sick twist of dread and curiosity.
She draws a breath and centers herself. Energy stirs, faint at first, then stronger, and the gem flares with a soft glow. For a second, it’s almost beautiful. Then a crack splinters across the surface, and the glow yellows, bleeding from the edges inward.
Wesley glances at me, his jaw tightening.
“It’s compromised,” I say. “You now carry the virus.”
Sylveria closes her hand around the fractured stone and opens it again. The crack remains. She frowns. “I caught a virus from a computer. Did you know this could happen?”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “I’ve seen some data that it’s possible.” Of course I know all the data, but she doesn’t need to realize that. I didn’t think it would happen like this. “At least it’s not killing you.”
“A computer virus can’t kill a person,” she says.
Oh, how wrong she is. “Who the heck knows? We’ve never truly understood how humans exchange energy with crystals.”
She stares at the damaged gem. “So now I can’t charge the diamonds.” She speaks slowly, as if testing the words.
I do imagine that would suck. “Have Corinda and Stacia tried to charge the damaged stones?”
“Corinda has,” Sylveria whispers, paling. Her blue eyes shoot sparks.
“What about Stacia? Can she charge diamonds?” Wesley asks.
Sylveria’s nostrils flare. “Yes, but not with the skill I have. She doesn’t have enough of a connection to the gems to be the sole charging force.”
The hum of the servers grows louder, a steady pulse in the walls. I shift my weight, keeping one eye on the diamonds in the center. They glow faintly, yellow where they should burn clear, and the sight twists my stomach.
“There might be a cure for your virus,” I say. “I just don’t know what it is.” That much is the truth. There’s no way I can duplicate what Alana did to save Thorn. I don’t have that connection with Sylveria or with diamonds.
She walks to the cabinet, her gown whispering over the floor, and pulls out a citrine the size of a bowling ball. The beauty gleams under the sterile lights. “I guess you’re going to have to charge this, aren’t you?”
My blood starts to hum, and I have to fight every instinct in my body not to connect to the stone. “I’m not going near that.”
“Excuse me?” She looks stunned, and so does Wesley.
Yeah, I would freaking love to charge a citrine here. “I have no idea what’s been infected and what hasn’t. If I’m going to charge a citrine, it’s going to be one I acquire, not one that comes from you. Every gem in this place might be infected, and I’m not willing to risk that.”
She smiles, cold and deliberate. “I could just suffocate and kill you.”
“You sure could,” I say cheerfully. “But that leaves you up shit creek, doesn’t it? Unless you think Stacia can take over full time for you.” I’m bluffing. If I have to, I’ll charge that citrine. She probably knows it.
She studies me for a long moment, her fingers still curled around the citrine. Then she smiles, all teeth, as she places it gently on the desk next to the computer. “I guess that’s up to you, then.” She sweeps toward the door and steps outside, her skirts brushing the floor. The lock engages behind her with a sharp click.
At first, nothing changes. Then the vents overhead shift, the hum turning hollow. My next breath catches in my throat, thinner than the last.
Wesley meets my gaze. He doesn’t have to say a word. We both know what she’s done.
The air is already running out.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Justice
We park in front of the Cinderfalls Community Home, and I cock my head. Why in the world would Ella be here? I’ve investigated her before and haven’t found any connection to this place. What if she just dropped the dog off, figuring he’d be safe at a nursing home? Damn it. I take a deep breath.
Wynd fidgets in the front seat. He doesn’t like me driving. I’m an excellent driver, but somebody already rammed a car with me in it. Twice. I suppose my being dead when Thorn gets home wouldn’t bode well for Wynd.