Silver Master by Jayne Castle Page B

melt amber? Nope, can’t say that’s a real common occurrence for the boss.” Trig hesitated. “But he’s had his share of unusual cases. Guess you could say that’s our specialty at Oakes Security.”
    â€œUnusual cases?”
    Trig nodded. “That’s why Mercer Wyatt called us in on this one. He thinks there’s something weird about that relic that went missing, and Oakes Security does weird.”
    She saw an opening and seized it.
    â€œDavis said that he was from a Guild family and that he’s a hunter of sorts.” She kept her tone very casual.
    â€œRight.”
    â€œHe told me that he doesn’t pull ghost light from the usual point on the spectrum.”
    â€œHe said that much, did he?” Trig looked impressed. “That’s more than he tells most people.”
    â€œI didn’t realize that there were different kinds of ghost light.”
    Trig lifted massive shoulders in a shrug. “Very few people realize that there’s a wide spectrum of dissonance energy leaking out of the catacombs. But most hunters can only work the green stuff.”
    â€œHe also told me that he was never employed as a regular ghost hunter.”
    â€œGhost hunters tend to be real traditional,” Trig said. “Hunters who don’t work standard ghost light make other hunters nervous underground.”
    â€œSo, Davis went into the PI business, instead.”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    She got the feeling that pushing Trig wasn’t going to gain her any more information, so she reluctantly dropped the subject. “I have another extra blanket and pillow you can use.”
    â€œDon’t worry about me, Miss Ingram. I won’t be sleeping tonight.” He held up a book. “Brought some reading material with me. With this and some coffee, I’ll be fine.”
    â€œYou’re sure?”
    â€œYep.”
    She looked at the book. “What are you reading?”
    â€œEspindoza’s History of the Era of Discord . I’m on the last volume. Almost finished.”
    She tried not to show her surprise. “I see.”
    He smiled benignly. “I know, heavy reading for a guy like me, but I’m managing to wade through it.”
    She grinned. “You’re doing better than I did. I never got past volume one.” She looked at Davis. “He’ll be okay?”
    â€œSure. Just the normal burn-and-crash thing. He’ll wake up in a few hours feeling good as new.”
    Â 
    SHE TUMBLED INTO BED A SHORT TIME LATER AND GAZED out the window into the night. She hadn’t slept well in four months, but tonight she had a whole bunch of new anxieties to keep her awake. A Guild relic had gone missing and everyone involved held her more or less responsible. There were not one but two men spending the night in her apartment. She had a date for her sister’s wedding that was going to take some explaining, and Araminta was out there somewhere in the night running around with a stranger she had only just met.
    Sleep was going to be even more elusive than usual tonight.

Chapter 10
    ARAMINTA AND MAX RETURNED SHORTLY BEFORE DAWN. The sound of the sliding glass door being opened woke Davis. He watched Trig let the dust bunnies into the apartment.
    â€œAny sign of the relic?” he asked.
    â€œAfraid not,” Trig said.
    â€œDamn. Guess that would have been too easy.”
    Max tumbled across the floor to greet him. Araminta drifted down the hall in the direction of Celinda’s bedroom.
    Trig stretched. “You need me any longer, boss?”
    â€œNo, I can take it from here.” Davis sat up and discovered that there was a blanket covering him.
    â€œMiss Ingram put it over you after you conked out last night,” Trig said.
    â€œHuh.” The thought of Celinda bending over him in what must have been a fairly solicitous manner, ensuring that he didn’t get cold during the night, made him feel much better