strapped it to her wrist. “The interns will be arriving soon. I’d better get dressed.”
When she went into the lavatory, Beau pulled on a shirt and his boots before making a complete circuit ofthe chamber, looking for signs of an intruder. He found no trace of unfamiliar scent in the air, or on anything that might have been used to strike them while they slept. At the same time he felt sure someone else had come inside the chamber.
If the intruder had touched nothing, and had taken the weapon with him…
Beau went upstairs and performed a thorough search of the cloister for trace scent. Wherever humans went, they dispersed tiny amounts of their sweat and other body odors into the air. Unless particularly strong, these traces were undetectable to other mortals. The Kyn, however, could pick them up for hours after the human’s passage. Because all humans had scents unique to them, the Kyn could also follow the invisible trail to wherever the mortal had gone.
The only scents Beau found inside the cloister were those belonging to Alys and himself. Outside the structure, all he could detect were the faint traces left behind by the interns.
A carefully shielded mortal, or a very controlled Kyn, might have invaded the camp while he and Alys slept, but unless the intruder could levitate, he would have left tracks in the dirt. The only footprints he saw belonged to him, Alys, and her team.
Everything indicated they had slept undisturbed, but Beau didn’t believe it. His instincts still insisted that someone had come in the night. Someone who wanted to harm Alys.
Beau’s hand itched for his sword.
When I find him, and I will, I will introduce him to his entrails.
The sound of the cargo vans coming down the dirtroad diverted his attention, and as he walked to meet the students, Alys caught up with him. “Beau, ah, would you mind not telling the interns about what happened last night?”
“They may have seen someone coming this way when they drove out,” he said.
“You can ask them if they did, but please don’t mention my sleepwalking and getting into bed with you and all that.”
She sounded shamed. Beau gritted his teeth. “Why not?”
“I don’t have the best reputation,” Alys said, surprising him. “With the way that students gossip, it could get back to Hylord and cause you some problems.” She sighed. “It would definitely get back to the university.”
She was blaming herself for this, and Beau couldn’t fathom why. “You did nothing wrong, Alys.”
“Your boss and the tenure board won’t see it that way.” She forced a smile as the interns piled out of the vans and started toward them. “Please. I have to deal with enough people who already think I’m crazy, and I don’t want to be responsible for getting you fired.” In a louder voice she called out to the students, “I hope everyone got plenty of sleep. We have a full schedule tonight.”
The students collectively groaned.
“That’s why they call it a working site, people.” Alys grinned at them. “The good news is that since you did such a thorough job last night setting up, we can begin the grid layout immediately. Chan, you and I will be operating the GPR. Brenda, Charles, you’ll handle marking, and Paolo, you’re on mapping. The rest of you cansupply the workstations and set up the lab. Any questions?”
Brenda waved one long-nailed hand. “Can Beau—I mean, Mr. York—work with me and Charles?”
Some of the other students chimed in, asking the same, until Alys made a gesture for quiet. “Mr. York has his own work to attend to, and I’d appreciate it if you let him do it. We’ll break at ten and three for meals. Anything else?” When no one spoke, she nodded. “Let’s get started.”
The interns scattered in different directions, and Beau followed Alys as she walked toward the stable. “I’ve no real work of my own. I would be happy to assist your students.”
“Brenda and the other girls only want a
When she went into the lavatory, Beau pulled on a shirt and his boots before making a complete circuit ofthe chamber, looking for signs of an intruder. He found no trace of unfamiliar scent in the air, or on anything that might have been used to strike them while they slept. At the same time he felt sure someone else had come inside the chamber.
If the intruder had touched nothing, and had taken the weapon with him…
Beau went upstairs and performed a thorough search of the cloister for trace scent. Wherever humans went, they dispersed tiny amounts of their sweat and other body odors into the air. Unless particularly strong, these traces were undetectable to other mortals. The Kyn, however, could pick them up for hours after the human’s passage. Because all humans had scents unique to them, the Kyn could also follow the invisible trail to wherever the mortal had gone.
The only scents Beau found inside the cloister were those belonging to Alys and himself. Outside the structure, all he could detect were the faint traces left behind by the interns.
A carefully shielded mortal, or a very controlled Kyn, might have invaded the camp while he and Alys slept, but unless the intruder could levitate, he would have left tracks in the dirt. The only footprints he saw belonged to him, Alys, and her team.
Everything indicated they had slept undisturbed, but Beau didn’t believe it. His instincts still insisted that someone had come in the night. Someone who wanted to harm Alys.
Beau’s hand itched for his sword.
When I find him, and I will, I will introduce him to his entrails.
The sound of the cargo vans coming down the dirtroad diverted his attention, and as he walked to meet the students, Alys caught up with him. “Beau, ah, would you mind not telling the interns about what happened last night?”
“They may have seen someone coming this way when they drove out,” he said.
“You can ask them if they did, but please don’t mention my sleepwalking and getting into bed with you and all that.”
She sounded shamed. Beau gritted his teeth. “Why not?”
“I don’t have the best reputation,” Alys said, surprising him. “With the way that students gossip, it could get back to Hylord and cause you some problems.” She sighed. “It would definitely get back to the university.”
She was blaming herself for this, and Beau couldn’t fathom why. “You did nothing wrong, Alys.”
“Your boss and the tenure board won’t see it that way.” She forced a smile as the interns piled out of the vans and started toward them. “Please. I have to deal with enough people who already think I’m crazy, and I don’t want to be responsible for getting you fired.” In a louder voice she called out to the students, “I hope everyone got plenty of sleep. We have a full schedule tonight.”
The students collectively groaned.
“That’s why they call it a working site, people.” Alys grinned at them. “The good news is that since you did such a thorough job last night setting up, we can begin the grid layout immediately. Chan, you and I will be operating the GPR. Brenda, Charles, you’ll handle marking, and Paolo, you’re on mapping. The rest of you cansupply the workstations and set up the lab. Any questions?”
Brenda waved one long-nailed hand. “Can Beau—I mean, Mr. York—work with me and Charles?”
Some of the other students chimed in, asking the same, until Alys made a gesture for quiet. “Mr. York has his own work to attend to, and I’d appreciate it if you let him do it. We’ll break at ten and three for meals. Anything else?” When no one spoke, she nodded. “Let’s get started.”
The interns scattered in different directions, and Beau followed Alys as she walked toward the stable. “I’ve no real work of my own. I would be happy to assist your students.”
“Brenda and the other girls only want a
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