Page 28 of Sweetwater and the Witch

“How are Carla and Jake doing?” Ravenna said, anxious to change the subject.

“Fabulously, thanks to you. I don’t know how you came up with the idea to match Jake and my daughter. I never would have thought they had anything in common. But as soon as I saw them together, I knew they would be happy. You’ll get an invitation to the wedding soon.”

“Thank you,” Ravenna said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Beverly gave Ethan a sly glance and then turned back to Ravenna. “Can I assume the professional matchmaker has finally met her own match?”

Ravenna felt herself flush. “Ethan and I are just”—she broke off, groping for the right word—“acquaintances.”

“We’re still getting to know each other,” Ethan said easily. “This is our first date. I thought she ought to see a slice of the amber business.”

Ravenna blinked, astonished by the adroit way he had dealt with the awkward inquiry. Who knew Ethan had a smooth side? Maybe it went with his gentleman-assassin look, a form of natural camouflage that let him get close to the target.

“Very wise.” Beverly favored Ethan with an approving smile. “But for what it’s worth, something tells me things are starting off well with the two of you. There’s some good energy around you.”

Ravenna thought about Garrett Willis lying unconscious and bound hand and foot in an Underworld chamber.

“Good energy?” she said. “Really?”

“Absolutely.” Beverly glanced across the room. “Paul is looking for me. Probably wants to introduce me to another one of his business associates. You two run along and have fun tonight.”

Ravenna watched Beverly plunge into the crowd. “ ‘Fun.’ Yep. That certainly captures the mood of the evening.”

“Don’t know about you, but I’m having a swell time,” Ethan said. He checked his watch. “I need to get closer to Spooner. I’m still out of range.”

“Do you think you might be arrested for grabbing his personal amber frequency? Asking for a friend who might get arrested if you do.”

“Relax. You only get arrested if they catch you.”

“Thanks for clarifying.”

They moved through the crowd in a seemingly casual manner, drifting gradually closer to the tall, distinguished man chatting with a small circle of people who were clearly his peers.

“Powerful CEOs have a certain vibe, don’t they?” Ravenna whispered. “They always seem to know that, whatever happens, the limo will be waiting.”

“It’s a reasonable assumption for them to make,” Ethan said. “Spooner and those five people talking to him represent a large chunk of the total amber and quartz tech markets in the four city-states. They’ve all got government contracts.”

Ravenna frowned. “Do you know them personally?”

“Never met any of them in my life. I’ve always made it a point to stay in the lab and out of the CEO suite at Amber, Inc. My brother Cruz knows all of those people but I don’t. I did my homework, though. I can identify Spooner and the others.”

They were very close to Spooner and his companions. Ravenna heightened her senses and immediately picked up the small shivers of power coming off the group. Even in a room full of people—many of whom possessed some serious talent—Spooner and the people with him stood out when you were in close proximity.

Ethan looked down at his watch again as if checking the time. “We’re almost within range. Damn. There are a lot of tuned rocks in this room. I need to get a little closer to isolate Spooner’s frequency.”

They maneuvered their way to within a few feet of Spooner, who had his back to them.

“Damn,” Ethan whispered very softly.

He abruptly steered Ravenna away from Spooner and the others.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“So much for that plan. His sig frequency is locked. He’s good.”

“Now what?”

“Now we hang out here for a little while. There are some old Amber, Inc., customers in the room, including a couple of my grandfather’s buddies from his prospecting days. If I don’t say hello, I’ll be in trouble. When I’m finished we’ll slip away, swing by Aunt Zora’s club, pick her up, and see what she can do about Willis’s little obsession with you.”

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