Orchid by Jayne Castle Page B

you’re only apologizing because you don’t want to admit what really happened.”
    “What do you think really happened?”
    “You lost control for a few seconds. Losing control bugs the heck out of you, doesn’t it?”
    His mouth thinned, but he said nothing.
    She patted his knee again. “Don’t fret about it. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
    His eyes gleamed. “It might if you continue to pat me as if I were a cat-dog.”
    She paused in mid-pat and hastily retrieved her hand. “Sorry.”
    He got to his feet with languid grace and stood looking down at her with a thoughtful expression. “You know, psychically, I’d say we’re fairly well matched.”
    She rose, ignoring his outstretched hand. “I suppose this means that we do have something in common besides the fact that we can’t get a date. Well, it’s been an interesting evening, but it’s getting late. I’d better be on my way.”
    She scooped up her jacket from the high back of the old Later Expansion period sofa and started toward the door.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
    “Home. Are you going to drive me or shall I call a cab?”
    “What about Theo Willis?”
    She stepped out into the hall and paused to look back at him. “I’ve decided that you’re right.”
    “About what?”
    “Working with you will be the most efficient way of proving that Theo didn’t steal the missing relic.”
    “Willis is dead,” Rafe said evenly. “He won’t care whether or not you clear his name. From what I learned today, he doesn’t even have any close family who will give a damn if he was guilty or innocent.”
    “I care. He was an ice-prism. There aren’t very many of us. This sort of thing gives my kind a bad rap. Makes us look even more weird than we are. For the sake of ice-prisms everywhere, past and future, I’m going to prove that he was innocent.”
    “Damn,” Rafe said as he followed her toward the door. “I hate it when this happens.”
    “When what happens?”
    “When naïve, amateur investigators set out to solve a case for the sake of a principle.”
    “Really?” One hand on the doorknob, she glanced back at him over her shoulder. “Why do you set out to solve cases?”
    “I do it for the money.”
    “Liar.” She opened the door and walked out into the night.
    The dream bore down on her with the relentless, heart-stopping power of a jungle storm.
    The psychic vampire sent forth the questing probe from the heart of the night. Talons of strange, unnatural energy lanced across the metaphysical plane, seeking, groping, clawing for a prism.
    All of her instincts, psychic and physical, fought the terrible summons. She knew that if she weakened, she would be trapped forever in the eerie embrace.
    Darkness howled across the psychic realm. Paranormal power crackled like lightning. The vampire was closer, closer than the last time. She must awaken. If she did not, she would see the creature’s face. She did not want to confront the predatory thing that sought to imprison her. Her only hope was to wake up before it was too late…
    Orchid’s eyes snapped open with shocking abruptness. She sat straight up in bed, aware that she was soaked to the skin with perspiration. Her nightgown clung to her breasts and the place between her shoulders, yet she was chilled to the bone.
    This was the worst it had ever been. The vampire had been so close this time.
    The jarring warble of the phone broke through the last remnants of dazed, mindless fear. Orchid blinked and reached out to turn on the bedside light. At the same time she forced herself to do some meta-zen-syn breathing exercises.
    The phone rang again, an imperious summons. She realized that it had been ringing for some time. She glanced at the clock as she picked up the receiver. Nearly three in the morning. She had been asleep since shortly after Rafe had brought her home sometime after midnight.
    “Hello?”
    “Orchid?” Rafe’s voice came through the line with