“morning” to the room in general. She couldn’t help but wonder if any of them had seen or heard her and Ian.
Gina scooped a mound of scrambled eggs onto a plate. “ Ciao bellezza , how are you this morning? You sleep well I hope?”
“Um, yeah, I slept fine.” Heat rose to her face and she kept her back to the table.
“Come. Do you want some eggs and toast? Ham and bacon are over there.” She pointed to where Jared and Battista stood around a granite island. “You better hurry. Those two, they don’t eat. They inhale.”
Dani’s stomach answered for her and she took the offered plate. “Thank you.” She went over and stood next to Jared, helping herself to both ham and a slice of bacon.
Jared poured some orange juice and slid the glass over to her. “How ya doin’? Feeling better this morning?”
“Yeah. I think I just needed some rest.”
Ian and his team finished up their food and carried their dishes to the sink. He and Armond approached her as she finished her eggs. “Are you ready to go?” Ian asked.
“Sure,” she said, swallowing her food. “Let me run up and grab my bag.”
“Great. Bring it downstairs and meet us in the library. Armond has an idea about why the Torogs might be after you. He only needs a few minutes to check something out.”
“No problem. I’ll be right back.” Dani put her plate with the others and headed for her room.
* * * *
Downstairs, Ian and Armond waited in the library. The room was smaller than his on Cat Island but well appointed with dark mahogany bookcases, which filled the walls from floor to ceiling. An enormous fireplace took up most of one wall and was surrounded by overstuffed leather furniture. The fire pit was Ria’s portal and currently useless. He sat in one of the chairs and Armond on one side of the couch.
“Are you sure?” Armond said.
“I’m sure. I have no excuse for last night and you no doubt understand the sensitive nature of the situation.”
“Indeed.” Armond leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Do you think perhaps it would be better to simply…remove the situation entirely?”
The look in Armond’s eyes told Ian he understood all too well the implications of a human with psi.
“No. She is not to be harmed. None of this is her fault. I simply need to try and put this woman’s life back to normal. When this is all over, we can discuss erasing her memory of us entirely. For now, let’s just remove the complication I created last night.”
Armond nodded but didn’t appear convinced. “It may not work. She’s not Sandarian, but if she has psi, I may not be able to erase her memory.”
Ian hadn’t thought of that. “We have to try.”
Dani knocked on the door a few moments later.
“Come in,” Ian called. “Please, have a seat.” He motioned to the spot next to Armond. “Armond needs to connect with you. To see if he can find anything the Torogs might be picking up on.”
“Connect?”
She sounded more than a little nervous.
“It’s all right. Just a light touch, skin on skin.”
“Yes,” Armond said. “I can detect any unusual…activity.”
Ian mentally kicked himself for not going over what to tell her. Armond had the tact of a Sandarian street peddler. “Please,” he said. “It won’t take a minute and we need to get going.”
Dani sat perched on the edge of the couch.
“Give me your hand,” Armond said.
Dani gave a nervous laugh. “Sure, if you give it back.”
Ian smiled, but as usual, Armond just stared.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, here.” Dani stuck her hand out.
Armond placed her hand in his open palm and took her wrist with his other hand. “Relax.”
Ian nodded his assent. The albino closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and appeared to simply stop breathing.
Ian glanced at his watch. It was ten till seven. He wanted to get going and get this over with. He resisted the urge to move, and remained still and silent.
Armond abruptly let go of the wrist and dropped Dani’s
Gina scooped a mound of scrambled eggs onto a plate. “ Ciao bellezza , how are you this morning? You sleep well I hope?”
“Um, yeah, I slept fine.” Heat rose to her face and she kept her back to the table.
“Come. Do you want some eggs and toast? Ham and bacon are over there.” She pointed to where Jared and Battista stood around a granite island. “You better hurry. Those two, they don’t eat. They inhale.”
Dani’s stomach answered for her and she took the offered plate. “Thank you.” She went over and stood next to Jared, helping herself to both ham and a slice of bacon.
Jared poured some orange juice and slid the glass over to her. “How ya doin’? Feeling better this morning?”
“Yeah. I think I just needed some rest.”
Ian and his team finished up their food and carried their dishes to the sink. He and Armond approached her as she finished her eggs. “Are you ready to go?” Ian asked.
“Sure,” she said, swallowing her food. “Let me run up and grab my bag.”
“Great. Bring it downstairs and meet us in the library. Armond has an idea about why the Torogs might be after you. He only needs a few minutes to check something out.”
“No problem. I’ll be right back.” Dani put her plate with the others and headed for her room.
* * * *
Downstairs, Ian and Armond waited in the library. The room was smaller than his on Cat Island but well appointed with dark mahogany bookcases, which filled the walls from floor to ceiling. An enormous fireplace took up most of one wall and was surrounded by overstuffed leather furniture. The fire pit was Ria’s portal and currently useless. He sat in one of the chairs and Armond on one side of the couch.
“Are you sure?” Armond said.
“I’m sure. I have no excuse for last night and you no doubt understand the sensitive nature of the situation.”
“Indeed.” Armond leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Do you think perhaps it would be better to simply…remove the situation entirely?”
The look in Armond’s eyes told Ian he understood all too well the implications of a human with psi.
“No. She is not to be harmed. None of this is her fault. I simply need to try and put this woman’s life back to normal. When this is all over, we can discuss erasing her memory of us entirely. For now, let’s just remove the complication I created last night.”
Armond nodded but didn’t appear convinced. “It may not work. She’s not Sandarian, but if she has psi, I may not be able to erase her memory.”
Ian hadn’t thought of that. “We have to try.”
Dani knocked on the door a few moments later.
“Come in,” Ian called. “Please, have a seat.” He motioned to the spot next to Armond. “Armond needs to connect with you. To see if he can find anything the Torogs might be picking up on.”
“Connect?”
She sounded more than a little nervous.
“It’s all right. Just a light touch, skin on skin.”
“Yes,” Armond said. “I can detect any unusual…activity.”
Ian mentally kicked himself for not going over what to tell her. Armond had the tact of a Sandarian street peddler. “Please,” he said. “It won’t take a minute and we need to get going.”
Dani sat perched on the edge of the couch.
“Give me your hand,” Armond said.
Dani gave a nervous laugh. “Sure, if you give it back.”
Ian smiled, but as usual, Armond just stared.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, here.” Dani stuck her hand out.
Armond placed her hand in his open palm and took her wrist with his other hand. “Relax.”
Ian nodded his assent. The albino closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and appeared to simply stop breathing.
Ian glanced at his watch. It was ten till seven. He wanted to get going and get this over with. He resisted the urge to move, and remained still and silent.
Armond abruptly let go of the wrist and dropped Dani’s
Similar Books
