The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (21 page)

“
Lonely?
”
Ian echoed, still racing to absorb the weight of what was going on inside him.
He ached.

A frown crossed her features.
“
Before I came back, he called out.
It wasn
’
t so much that I understood the sound, but I had this feeling—isolation.
I
’
ve known that feeling since I was ten years old.
”

The sorrow shadowing her expression pulled at him in a way he
’
d never felt before.
He couldn
’
t stand to see it.
Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her, very gently.
“
You
’
re not alone, Sara.
”

She smiled at him with a brilliance that squeezed his heart all over again.
“
Thanks.
”

Chapter Eight

A day later, James Lambertson arrived with more crew.
Sara and her sister had been working three hours already when Alan Flintrop appeared at the site.
Sara, standing at the edge of the dig trench, saw him first.
With everything else going on at the site, she
’
d forgotten about Flintrop and his history of project-stealing.

Well, if he thought he
’
d be stealing this one, he had a rude awakening coming to him.
“
What are you doing here?
”
she demanded, not bothering to keep the venom out of her voice.

Faith
’
s head popped up over the edge of the trench.
“
I knew it,
”
she hissed.

Flintrop came to a halt when he reached them, looking regal and golden-haired like a lion holding court over his pride.
He peered at them over the top of his sunglasses.
“
Good morning to you, too, ladies.
”

Sara vibrated with resentment.
Don
’
t call me
“
lady,
”
you pompous jerk.
At thirty-five, Flintrop wasn
’
t much more of a veteran than she or Faith, but he had the advantage of learning archaeology at the knees of his father and grandfather.
The Flintrop family profession had earned him worldwide respect and admiration.
She hated him for it.

“
It
’
s
‘
Doctor
’
to you, bucko,
”
Faith muttered from the trench.
Her sister jammed her shovel into the earth and heaved a chunk into the wheelbarrow standing nearby.

Sara struggled to stifle a smile and lost.

Flintrop removed his sunglasses to reveal cobalt-blue eyes that had charmed many a female student in the field.
“
Hello, Faith,
”
he said in a tone far too intimate for a muddy dig site.

Faith pitched her next shovel of earth out of the trench and onto Flintrop
’
s designer hiking boot.
“
Sorry about that.
Guess I better brush up on my dig skills.
”

Flintrop shook the dirt off his boot with an unruffled air and turned his attention on Sara.
“
Lambertson said you
’
d need money on this project.
I
’
m the money.
”

Sara couldn
’
t resist asking about his latest stolen project.
“
What happened to your South America dig?
”

He had enough grace to look abashed. “That wasn’t my decision. I gave you a good word with the board. Several, actually. You were very thorough.”

Praise from Flintrop?
That was new.
“
Thank you,
”
she said, working to keep it from sounding like a question.

He smiled again.
“
I
’
ll be setting up.
Lambertson
’
s brought some computer data for you when you
’
re ready to look at it.
”
He walked away.

“
Jackass,
”
grumbled Faith.

Sara jumped down into the trench with a chuckle.
“
You
dated him.
”

“
A momentary lapse of reason on my part,
”
spat her sister.
“
Now we
’
re going to have to deal with him all summer.
Does Lamb hate us?
”

Sara sighed.
“
Well, he
’
s right.
We need money, if this is going to be as big as we think it is.
As far as I
’
m concerned, he
’
s welcome to be the wallet, as long as he stays out of my way.
”

Faith shrugged and continued digging.

A few moments later, Lambertson came to the trench.
“
I have to say, I
’
m impressed, girls.
”

At the sound of his voice, Sara surged out of the trench with her sister close behind.
Lambertson was handsome in middle age, with steel-gray hair and pale blue eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.
He had the aristocratic air of the consummate British gentleman, even when grinning broadly as he did now.

She broke into an answering smile.
She
’
d been too well-trained to throw her arms around his neck and hug him as she
’
d done in childhood, but the impulse had never waned.
She settled for a handshake.
“
How was your trip, Lamb?
”

“
Beastly,
”
he answered.

Faith embraced him.
“
It
’
s good to see
you
.
Not so much, who you brought
with
you.
”

Lambertson chuckled and patted her back, then turned and surveyed the dig. His gaze swept over the surveying level on its tripod, the markers punched into the ground at each plot, and the deepening trench of the excavation. “Excellent,” he said at last, giving them each a satisfied look. “You’re doing your father proud.”

“
This is more than a summer
’
s work,
”
Sara said.
“
There
’
s a lot left to do.
”

“
Which is why I made the decision to bring in Flintrop,
”
he said on a sigh.
“
I know you
’
d have liked to handle it yourselves, but this is going to involve more work and better financing than Gemini alone can provide.
”

“
You don
’
t need to explain,
”
replied Sara, waving a hand.

The corner of Lambertson
’
s mouth turned up.
“
I know you
’
re angry, Sara.
Rest assured, you and Faith will receive top billing when the project is finished.
This isn
’
t going to be like South America.
”

Relief poured into her.
Lamb knew her too well.

“
By the by,
”
he added,
“
I noticed another tent when we landed.
Which belongs to...?
”

“
Ian Waverly.
He
’
s a wildlifer for the university, working with the birds on the island.
It has nothing to do with the dig.
”

Lamb eyed her, but didn
’
t comment.
She felt the full force of his pale blue stare, and worried that he saw more than she
’
d let on.
“
Better get back to work,
”
she said brightly, and jumped back into the trench.

Phew.

Within half an hour, Lamb
’
s reinforcements had blended smoothly into the rhythm of the project.
With so much help, Sara had to admit that work progressed at a blinding pace.
The air hummed with their collective energy.
She
’
d almost forgotten how much fun fieldwork could be.

Lamb and Flintrop had brought four assistants between them.
Sara knew almost all of them.
Cameron Leone, an undergraduate and the crew
’
s youngest member, hailed her from the trench with a bright smile.
She waved back.
“
Nice to see you again, Cam.
How are classes?
”

“
Good,
”
he said.
“
Thanks a ton for that book on the Incas.
Got an A on the report.
I officially love you forever.
”

“
Anytime.
”
She grinned and went on to meet the other arrivals, putting aside her professional differences with Flintrop in the face of teamwork.
Easier when she wasn
’
t talking
to
Flintrop.

She stopped when she came to a petite woman with a mane of fiery red curls.
“
I don
’
t think we
’
ve met.
”

The young woman’s hands slipped on her shovel. It dropped against a nearby wheelbarrow with a clang. “Oh! Sorry.” She snatched the shovel up again, then smiled and shook Sara’s hand. “Becky Palmeter. I’ve heard a lot about you. I did my senior thesis on one of your digs.”

“
Are you postgrad?
”

“
Is it that obvious?
”

With a chuckle, Sara answered,
“
You still have that deer-in-the-headlights look.
I had it, too.
Are you with Lamb or Flintrop?
”

“
Lambertson would be a relief.
I
’
m with Flintrop,
”
Becky said.
“
He
’
s always scowling at me.
I feel like whatever I do is wrong.
”

“
I
’
m sure your work is fine,
”
Sara said, feeling sympathy for the woman.
“
Half the battle is not letting him intimidate you.
”

“
Who ordered the swarm?
”
came a male voice.

Ian stood at the edge of the dig.
Flutters rushed through Sara
’
s insides, up, down, and back again.
“
Hi.
”

He gestured down into the trench with a question in his eyes.

“
Lamb
’
s cavalry.
Come down.
Becky, this is Ian Waverly.
He
’
s a wildlife biologist who
’
s here to work with the birds.
Ian, Becky Palmeter.
She
’
s one of our new recruits,
”
Sara added, then smiled at the redhead.

He shook Becky
’
s hand when he reached them.
“
Nice to meet you.
”

“
You, too.
”

Ian turned his attention to Sara.
“
I need to make a run to Unst for some supplies.
Can I borrow your boat?
”

“
Sure.
The keys are on the table in my tent.
”

“
Want me to bring something back for you?
”

Warmth filled her body.
Not so long ago, she wouldn
’
t have dreamed he
’
d be so thoughtful to her.
Now...