The Hot Zone (A Rainshadow Novel Book 3) Page 8

  Cyrus looked at the darkened hallway. There was a hard, assessing expression in his eyes. She could almost feel him running scenarios and calculating odds.

  “You think you used your new talent to escape the trap,” he said.

  “I know I did.” She drank some more tea, cradling the mug in both hands. “I nearly set the cottage on fire.”

  Amusement came and went in his eyes. “That explains the slightly smoky smell. Thought you’d burned something in the oven earlier. All right, tell me the rest, step by step.”

  He looked intrigued, she decided, not shocked or horrified—just seriously intrigued.

  “There’s not much to tell,” she said, trying to recall the details. “The dreamlight energy was generating a lot of hallucinations. I was totally disoriented. I went on autopilot. You know how it is when your intuition kicks in and all of a sudden you’re using your talent without consciously focusing it.”

  “Been there,” he agreed.

  She looked at the flicker on the coffee table. “Evidently, all I need is a spark or a flame of some kind to ignite my new talent. I used that flicker. Once I had a kind of shield around me, I got out of the cottage and hid.”

  “Who were you hiding from?” Cyrus asked in that same neutral voice.

  Sedona turned her head to look at him. “I was dazed from the force of the initial blast. But I figured that whoever had set the trap would come back to see if it had worked. I was right.”

  Cyrus’s eyes were chips of ice now. “The tangler came back?”

  “Yes. Shortly after I got outside I heard the footsteps and caught a few glimpses of light from a flashlight bouncing in the fog. Whoever it was went into the house, stayed there for a moment or two, and then left in a very big hurry.”

  Cyrus did not speak for a moment. He just sat quietly, contemplating the fire. She exhaled slowly, deeply. Should have seen this coming, she thought.

  “You don’t believe me,” she said. “I don’t blame you. Hey, I recently escaped from a secret Guild lab. What can you expect? I probably hallucinated the whole thing. All indications are that I’m an unstable multi-talent who has become a full-blown conspiracy freak. Thanks for making the tea. You can go back to your own cottage now.”

  “I told you, I’m a Jones,” Cyrus said. “Got a long history of conspiracy buffs in my family. Got a few ancestors who were rumored to be multi-talents, as well. I’m not going anywhere, at least not until dawn.”

  She choked and sputtered on her tea. “What?”

  He did not respond. His attention was fixed on the hallway. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the concept of him spending the night when he got to his feet.

  He crossed the room and stood looking down the short, dark hallway into the darker bedroom. Experimentally he rezzed the wall switch. When the light didn’t come on, he took the small flashlight off his belt and walked slowly, deliberately into the hall.

  Ever hopeful of a new game, Lyle hopped down off the back of the couch and scurried after Cyrus.

  They both disappeared. A low growl emanated from the hallway. Probably Lyle, Sedona decided. She had a hunch that Cyrus’s growl would sound a little different—a whole lot sexier.

  She drank some more tea and waited.

  Cyrus reappeared a short time later, Lyle bouncing along at his heels.

  “Someone was here, all right,” Cyrus said. “There are partial footprints on the carpet that don’t match yours. Remnants of psi-trap energy in the hallway, too.”

  She raised her brows. “You can sense that?”

  “One of the side effects of being a cooler. Don’t worry; the residue isn’t strong enough to give you nightmares. But what’s really interesting is that there are some traces of the tangler’s energy. Fear, I think. Maybe even a little panic. Must have been caught off guard when he didn’t find you lying unconscious in the hallway.”

  Sedona made a face. “Nice to know I may have made him a tad nervous, at least.”

  “You probably scared the hell out of him. He couldn’t be sure that you weren’t hiding somewhere waiting to attack whoever came to see if the trap had worked.”

  She exhaled slowly. “If only. Unfortunately it was all I could do just to get myself out of the cottage without setting fire to the place. I was the one in a panic. Sure you’re not picking up my vibes?”

  “I can sense some of your energy, too. For the record, it doesn’t feel unstable.”

  She stilled. “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.” Cyrus regarded her with a considering air. “You were fighting for your life but you were in control. I can tell that you’re an off-the-charts talent. You’re right; I think you could do some actual damage if you tried.”

  She looked down at the flicker. “I gotta tell you, that’s scary. Who knows what I might do if I got really mad and lost control altogether?”

  Cyrus’s smile was startlingly sexy. “Excellent question. I think it explains why whoever came after you used a trap to try to catch you instead of a mag-rez pistol.”

  “That means that, whoever it is, he has some idea of what I’ve become,” she whispered.

  “I think so, yes.”

  “Blankenship.”

  “Or someone working for him.”

  “Buzzkill and Hulk,” she said. “His so-called assistants. I wouldn’t have thought either of them could work trap energy, though. They seemed like traditional hunters who were jacked on steroids. Setting a trap requires a certain finesse, to say the least. One false move and the tangler gets caught in his own trap.”

  “True.” Cyrus waited a beat. “Any idea why Blankenship would go to the trouble of trying to kidnap you? From what you’ve told me, it sounds like it would be simpler to find himself a new research subject.”

  In spite of everything, she managed a grim smile. “I’ve got a pretty good idea of why he wants me back.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Blankenship was using some kind of paranormal radiation to prepare the serum. I don’t have a lot of clear memories of the time I was locked in the dreamstate, but I do know that the crystal that he used in his experiments was vitally important to him. He kept it in a steel-and-glass strongbox. I sealed the container with a little fire lock before I escaped from the lab. Sealed the doorway of the lab, as well.”

  Cyrus’s eyes sharpened. “Are you telling me that Blankenship needs you to unlock both his secret lab and the strongbox?”

  “Yep.” She finished the last of the tisane and set the cup down. “Looks like I may have shot myself in the foot, doesn’t it? Now he’s out to kidnap me. And he’s got Kirk Morgan, the boss of the Gold Creek Guild, to help him.”

  “You’re sure Morgan is his accomplice?”

  “All I know is that Morgan left me behind after I diverted the river for him and his men. The kidnapper was waiting at just the right place in the Rainforest to grab me. What are the odds that was a coincidence?”

  “I agree the kidnapper had help, but it could have come from someone else who was on that exploration team that day.”

  Sedona wrinkled her nose. “I suppose so. But I saw Morgan’s face just before the gate closed. He knew what he was doing when he left me behind. I’m sure of that much.”

  “Maybe.”

  She shook her head. “None of this makes any sense, does it? Everyone knows that the Guild bosses do favors for each other all the time. Why send someone to kidnap me when it would be so much simpler to just ask the new Rainshadow Guild boss to pick me up and transport me back to Blankenship’s lab?”

  “Another good question.”

  Sedona went very still, her imagination conjuring a horrible possibility, one she had not even considered until now. Her pulse skittered. Her breath tightened in her chest and her senses flared. Cyrus watched her, waiting calmly for the verdict.

 
Lyle hopped into her lap and rumbled in concern. She put one hand on his furry body, taking comfort. With an effort of will, she forced herself to think logically.

  “You’re wondering if I’m the one who set the trap, aren’t you?” Cyrus asked. “Or if I arranged to have someone else do it for me.”

  She did not take her eyes off him. “It wasn’t you who set that trap tonight.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  She moved one shoulder in a small shrug. “Among other things, it doesn’t seem like your style, for some reason. I think that if you wanted to take me down and ship me back to the lab you would be a little more direct and discreet about it.” She sighed. “I’d probably be on my way there, as we speak, in a private charter plane.” She looked down at Lyle. “And then there’s Lyle. He’s a pretty good judge of character. He seems to like you.”

  “Good to know I’ve got him as a reference,” Cyrus said. “Getting back to your question, I think the reason that Morgan didn’t call on me for any favors—assuming Morgan is involved in this thing—is that he knows I would not be inclined to do one for him.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “The short story is that I’m a Jones and I’m Arcane. There’s a longer version but it’s complicated, and this is not a good time to go into old history. You need to get some sleep.”

  Sedona got to her feet. She studied the hallway for a moment. “Not much in the way of evidence, is it?”

  “No.” The corner of Cyrus’s mouth kicked up in a cool smile. “But I’m a Guild boss, remember? According to some folks, we don’t need much in the way of evidence. We make our own rules.”

  She looked at him, trying to read his sorcerer’s eyes. “Do you really believe my story of what happened here tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  That was all he said but it was enough.

  “Thanks.” She paused. “I know I need sleep but I’m not sure I will be able to get any tonight. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

  “Bad dreams?”

  “Nightmares about my time in Blankenship’s lab,” she said.

  “You used a lot of energy tonight fighting off the trap. It won’t be long before you crash. You’ll sleep and I’ll keep watch while you do. You’re safe, Sedona.”

  She wasn’t sure where to go with that. She was dreading the deep sleep of the crash that always followed a major psi-drain. She did not like the idea of being vulnerable.

  She went to the window and watched the waves of aurora light shift restlessly through the fog.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I mean it. I appreciate your offer to act as a bodyguard tonight.”

  He came to stand beside her at the window.

  “No problem,” he said. “As a contract employee, you’re entitled to Guild protection.”

  She started to remind him that she had not actually signed a contract but at that moment, the aurora flashed especially bright, illuminating the fog with a dazzling brilliance. Another shiver of intense awareness swept through her. The nervy, edgy sensation grew stronger.

  Cyrus touched her shoulder. It was a slight, fleeting touch, meant only to calm her, but her senses reacted as if some of the aurora fire had sparked right through her. She went very still.

  Cyrus watched her closely in the ghostly light. “Are you all right?”

  She took a sharp breath. The fear she was trying to suppress was abruptly swamped by the cleansing fire of anger.

  “Yes, damn it, I’m fine,” she said through set teeth. “But I sure as hell am not looking forward to crashing, especially not now that I know that Blankenship has found me and that he sent someone to take me back to that lab.”

  Cyrus cupped her face between his hands.

  “Take it easy,” he said. “I told you, I’d stay until dawn, remember?”

  “I appreciate that but I hardly know you, and Blankenship or one of his people is out there somewhere in the night, waiting to grab me. I was just getting to the point where I could sleep again, thanks to Rachel’s tea and the fact that I felt safe here on Rainshadow. Now I’m back to square one.”

  “I’ll deal with Blankenship.”

  She hesitated, wanting to believe that Cyrus could do exactly what he said he could do.

  “But what if Blankenship has the backing of the Chamber?” she said.

  “I don’t think that’s the case but if it is, I’ll deal with the Chamber, too.”

  “Really? And just how do you plan to do that? No offense, Jones, but it’s not like you’re the head of one of the big city-state Guilds. Rainshadow is a very small territory. Heck, the island itself isn’t even on most maps.”

  Cyrus’s mouth curved slightly in a secretive smile. She could have sworn that there was a little more heat in his eyes.

  “Trust me,” he said. “I can handle the Chamber.”

  “The weird thing is that I do trust you.” She searched his face in the shadows. “Why is that?”

  “Maybe because one of your ancestors, a woman named Arizona Snow, and one of my ancestors, Fallon Jones, had some history back on Earth.”

  “What?”

  “It doesn’t matter now. The important thing to remember is that the Joneses have a very long memory. You can consider me an old friend of the family, Sedona Snow.”

  His mouth closed over hers before she could ask any more questions.

  And suddenly her senses were on fire.

  Chapter 9

  Energy splashed through her. The rush caught her and swept her away on a great wave of sensation.

  She made a soft, urgent little sound, gripped Cyrus’s shoulders, and returned his kiss with all the heat that was burning inside her. His own talent flashed into full-rez mode, challenging her to a reckless paranormal duel. She met the midnight ice of his energy field with the blazing fires of her own psychic senses.

  The clash of their auras was the most exhilarating experience she had ever known. For the first time since the Disaster, she felt free to let herself test the limits of her new talent. Thrill after thrill coursed through her. She did not have to be cautious with Cyrus. There was no need for restraint.

  “You can handle my aura,” she whispered against his mouth.

  “Anytime, sweetheart,” he said. His mouth shifted a little, deepening the already deep kiss. When he raised his head his eyes were pools of hot ice. “Anytime.”

  The sexy edge on the word sent more chills of excitement across her senses. She reached up and pulled his mouth back down to hers. A daring recklessness drove her now.

  The heat building between them threatened to outdo the fireworks produced by the aurora light. She had never been so thrillingly aroused in her life. She wrapped one jean-clad leg around his thigh. He groaned, caught her around the waist, and lifted her higher so that she could get both of her legs around him. She clung to him, kissing him wildly.

  He swung around and braced her against the wall. Flattening one hand on the wooden paneling beside her head, he undid the front of her shirt. Her bra surrendered beneath his touch and then he was cupping one of her breasts in his palm. His thumb teased her nipple. His breathing roughened. She knew that she was pushing him to his limits and she savored the knowledge that she had the power to do it.

  “Yes,” she whispered into his ear. “Yes. Tonight. Now.”

  Another burst of aurora light lit up the room. Cyrus abruptly went very still. It was as if the pulse of paranormal energy outside had flipped a switch somewhere inside him. She could literally feel the mag-steel gates of his control slam into place.

  “No,” he said. His voice was ragged but resolute. “Not tonight. You’re about to crash.”

  “Not yet. Besides, I told you, I probably won’t be able to sleep at all tonight.”

  “You’ll sleep. The crash is going to hit you hard.”

  He
eased her away from the wall, cradled her in his arms, and carried her toward the bedroom.

  He was right. She knew it. But she did not have to like it. She told herself that after-burn sex was always a bad idea, the kind of sex a woman usually regretted in the morning. She had made it a long-standing rule to avoid it. After-burn sex was all hormones and hot psi; not real emotion.

  But after-burn sex with Cyrus would have been different, she thought.

  No, probably not.

  The bedroom was lit with the same flashing paranormal shadows that blazed in the living room. Closing the drapes wouldn’t do much good. Much of the energy came from the paranormal end of the spectrum. It passed easily through fabric. Darkness would come only when her skyrocketing senses finally shut down for some extended rest, assuming they did shut down tonight.

  Cyrus set her on her feet and pulled back the covers. The moment his hands left her body she felt the heaviness of the oncoming crash. She yawned and swayed a little. After-burn sex was always a bad idea.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I guess.”

  She sank down on the edge of the bed and started to remove her shoes.

  Cyrus watched her for a moment. “Are you going to be all right?”

  “Sure, just peachy. Go on, get out of here. You don’t need to keep watch until morning, really.”

  “I’m staying. Lyle will be my backup. Between the two of us, no one else will bother you tonight.”

  She wanted to protest, but at the same time logic told her that she could not risk becoming sleep-deprived. Sleep-deprivation had disturbing effects on the paranormal senses. Besides, she didn’t think she could ward off the crash for much longer.

  She had to rest and recover, and that meant, for now, she would have to trust Cyrus Jones. To her vague astonishment she fell hard into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 10

  One kiss would never be enough. Not with Sedona Snow.

  Cyrus found a coffee machine on the tiled counter. There was a jar of ground coffee next to it. He set about making a pot of caffeine, his senses, both normal and paranormal, still dazzled by the one kiss.