Page 41 of It takes a Psychic

“Never met a museum director or a collector who wasn’t,” Leona said. “It’s the nature of the beast. Some people would say I’m a little obsessive myself, when it comes to artifacts.”

“True,” Charlotte muttered.

Leona closed the suitcase and hoisted it off the bed. “Is that all you’ve got on him?”

“Yes,” Eugenie said, “but keep in mind that there’s an old saying about illusion talents.They make very good criminals because you never see them coming.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

She stopped at the window and looked down. Oliver’s sleek gray Slider was illegally parked in the narrow lane below. Roxy was perched on one gleaming fender. The fascinator, now limp and bedraggled but dry, was still on top of her furry head. The blue crystal butterfly sparkled in the sun.

Oliver lounged casually against the fender, his arms crossed, dark glasses concealing his eyes. She was too far away to pick up the vibe of his aura, and yet, just looking at him through the second-floor window, she was aware of his quiet, centered power.

Nope, not boring.

“Leona, please be careful,” Charlotte said.

“Griffin women can take care of themselves.”

“That reminds me,” Eugenie said. “Don’t forget to pack your flamer.”

“It’s in my messenger bag.” She turned away from the window and grabbed the handle of the suitcase. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“That’s what you said when you joined the Hollister Expedition,” Charlotte pointed out.

Leona felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her.Maybe if I had been paying more attention.

“Everything turned out okay,” she managed.

“No, everything did not turn out okay,” Charlotte said. “You got kidnapped and very nearly killed. And that’s not all that’s happened recently. Your latest relationship just ended badly.”

“They all end badly. I’m used to it.”

Charlotte ignored her. “Last night you stumbled over a dead body and you almost got swept up in an FBPI raid. You were chased through the tunnels by a couple of very dangerous people. This morning you were fired from your job. This afternoon you’re taking off with a man you barely know for a destination associated with the megalomaniac who tried to destroy the colonies. In case you haven’t noticed, your life is turning into a mag-lev train wreck.”

“She’s got a point,” Eugenie said. “You should probably be talking to a therapist, not going on a road trip with a stranger.”

“A stranger who, you have assured me, is not a serial killer,” Leona said.

“Probablynot a serial killer,” Charlotte clarified.

“I understand your concerns,” Leona said. She pulled herself together, marshaling her arguments. She could do this. “But I have two very good reasons for the road trip to the Mirage Mountains. The first is that, if things go well, I can use it to start a résumé as a private consultant in the antiquities world.”

“What’s the other reason?” Eugenie said. “And please don’t tell me it’s because you’ve always wanted to visit the Mirage Mountains.”

“Here’s what I haven’t had a chance to tell you,” Leona said. “The other reason I’m taking this job is that Rancourt is convinced there’s a connection between the yellow crystals and something he calls a Vortex machine.”

A short, resounding silence greeted that statement.

“What,” Eugenie asked, “is a Vortex machine?”

“Old World tech designed to enhance paranormal talents,” Leona said.

“Oh, shit,” Eugenie whispered.

“It may be a Vortex machine that was used to create Molly and me,” Leona added.

“You were not created by a machine,” Charlotte said, very fierce now. “You and Molly were born, just like everyone else.”

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