Page 17 of You Only Love Twice
This was where a pale man had tried to kill her almost two months ago, leaving her bleeding and begging on the floor.
This was where a second man had saved her, though she'd caught only a glimpse of him in the reflection of one of the glass cases.
For a moment she'd thought she'd seen a ghost from the past, but it had to have been her mind playing tricks on her.
Dmitri had died in Russia, according to all Malloryn's reports.
And yet, what were the chances two "pale men" had been sighted right when the city seemed overrun with these curseddhampir.
Gemma couldn't suppress her nerves. Barrons had been invited to a lecture on the White Court. The Imperial Family of the White Court were considered the world's first blue bloods, and she and Malloryn had bandied about theories they were actuallydhampir, for Dr. Cremorne's research indicated as such when he had discovered how to create theelixir vitaefrom some ancient Tibetan documents.
A lecture ondhampirorigins in the exact place where one had attacked her?
Surely it had to be mere coincidence.
Either that, or the Chameleon was amusing himself at her expense.
"This way," Barrons said, catching sight of the group of tweed lingering in the foyer.
"I wasn't aware you had an interest in the origins of the craving virus."
Barrons strode at her side like a leonine creature stalking his own personal savannah. "It's a recent interest of mine. Malloryn asked me to do a little research."
He had? Gemma hurried along at Barrons's side, reverting to her meek secretary persona.
"What do you want me to do?" Barrons asked.
"Nothing out of the usual. Attend the lecture, talk with the other scientists. I'll be in the background, keeping an eye out for any unusual activity. As soon as we arrive, I'll take a brief tour of the museum to check the security."
Also to make a survey of anyone loitering. She disliked Barrons being so openly public, but he'd refused to stay at home. Her life would be so much easier if men just listened to her.
As they walked up to the group of scientists standing in the lecture hall, a dozen sets of eyes locked on her in astonishment, as if they'd never seen a woman before.
One of the scientists took off his half-moon spectacles and began to polish them, as if he simply couldn't believe his eyes.
"Egad," Barrons whispered to her, "I have brought a specimen of the rare female variety ofhomo sapiensto attend. Some of these gentlemen have never seen one in its natural environment before."
"Very droll, my lord. This would be my cue to take a tour of the museum," she murmured under her breath. "Happy researching, Barrons. I do hope they don't bore you to tears. I'll see you when the lecture ends."
Barrons gave her an amused smile, and then turned to greet his fellow enthusiasts.
Gemma pressed her fingers to the aural communicator tucked within her ear. "Subject's arrived at his destination. I'm going to make a sweep of the building. Have you got eyes on the main entrance?"
"Aye,"Charlie replied, his voice giving a tinny echo through her earpiece."Nothing's going to get past me."
"Thanks."
Malloryn hadn't been very happy about being forced to split the group's focus, but he'd conceded they couldn't take the threat to Barrons lightly.
She moved through the exhibits, her skirts swishing about her ankles. Light streamed into the pale marble rooms, and the air was dry and still. Gemma couldn't help feeling a pinch of nerves as she found herself in rooms filled with glass cases and exotic items on display.
She entered the Egyptian room, her heart starting to pick up its pace.
The museum remained still and musty around her. This was where she'd first felt Dmitri's ghost; the day the mysterious pale man stabbed her and she'd expected to die.
She hadn't died.
Instead, she'd woken up with her wound already pink and healing, and her craving virus levels skyrocketing in her blood.
