The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (28 page)

Ian sprang forward and jammed the end of the tent pole into the intruder
’
s gut.
His victim wheezed and hunched over.
He spun the pole around and swept the person
’
s feet out with it.
His adversary landed with a thud and another wheeze, and Ian brought his boot down on the figure
’
s chest.
There was a strangled grunt.
Ian poised the tent pole to strike again if necessary.

“
What
’
s going on?
”
came Sara
’
s panicky voice.
Ian heard her fumble behind him, then the crash of the lantern falling to the floor.
The tent flooded with flashlight.

Squinting against the sudden illumination, he looked down.
The redheaded woman lay pinned under his boot with an expression of shock.

Sara lurched off the cot.
“
Becky.
Oh, my God.
Ian, let her up.
”

Ian took his boot away.
The redhead heaved for air and rubbed at her chest.
She struggled to her feet.
He stepped back and planted the end of the pole in the floor with a suspicious glare.
“
What are you doing here?
”

Sara took the woman
’
s hand and tugged her to a seat.
“
Are you all right?
”

“
Yeah, more or less.
I came to see if you were okay.
”
Becky rubbed her stomach with a rueful moan.
Her gaze darted around Sara
’
s tent.

“
I will be.
”
Sara caught Ian
’
s eye and he pasted a deadpan expression on his face.
Apologize!
she mouthed.

He didn
’
t.
Something in Becky
’
s posture set the back of his neck prickling.
He moved a little closer to Sara.

Sara laid her hand on Becky
’
s.
“
I
’
m sorry about that.
”

“
What
’
s he doing here?
”
the redhead asked.
“
I thought Lamb told us to stay away from him.
”

“
He saw the helicopter go over today, and came down to see if something was wrong,
”
explained Sara.

Ian held the woman
’
s gaze without so much as a twitch.
She gave him a stare that said
How could you?
as plain as words.

Glancing back and forth between them, Sara blushed even in the flashlight glow. “Becky, I’ll be fine tonight. Why don’t I come see you in the morning and make sure you’re still okay?”

The woman marshaled up a smile and rose from the chair.
“
Right.
Sorry I woke you.
”
With hunched shoulders, she fled the tent.

Guilty as hell,
he thought, anger coursing through him.

Sara fisted her hands on her hips.
“
What was that all about?
”

He tossed the pole tent corner with a clatter.
“
Why don
’
t you ask her what she
’
s doing sneaking into your tent in the middle of the night, instead of announcing herself like anybody else?
”

“
What, Becky?
The poor girl wouldn
’
t know
how
to sneak, Ian.
She
’
s got no poker face.
”

“
You didn
’
t happen to see her checking out your stuff a minute ago?
”
He waved a hand around the tent
’
s interior.

Sara
’
s hand flew to the necklace at her throat.
The blush in her cheeks drained fast.
“
You don
’
t think she was after—
”

He strode toward her and laid his hands on her shoulders, when all he really wanted was to crush her against him.
“
I think it enough to worry about the same thing happening again.
Enough to wonder if she isn
’
t the only one who knows about the amulet.
Please, come stay with me.
”

If possible, she went whiter.
“
I can
’
t stay with you.
I can
’
t leave Faith.
I have to go check on her.
Right now.
”
She broke away from him with panic screaming from every line of her posture.

He stalled her with a hand on her arm.
“
After, then.
Just for tonight.
Sara, if they can
’
t steal it, they
’
re going to try to kill you for it.
Get rid of it.
Something.
Please.
I
’
ll take it.
”

“
No!
”

“
Sara—
”

She shook her head and hurried out the tent door.
Ian cursed under his breath and followed.

Before they could reach Faith
’
s tent, Lambertson intercepted them, striding forward with Flintrop, Michael McGrath, and Luis Rivero close behind.
Their expressions, hostile even in starlight, gave them all the appearance of a lynch mob.
Becky was nowhere to be seen.

“
Waverly!
”
Lamb shouted.

Ian stopped.
Sara came to a halt beside him, dancing with agitation and looking in the direction of Faith
’
s tent.

Lambertson reached out and seized the front of Ian
’
s jacket.
The older man shook it, surprising Ian with his strength.
“
What in hell do you mean by attacking one of our crew?
”

Sara rushed forward, separating them.
“
Lamb, not now.
Becky
’
s fine.
It wasn
’
t Ian
’
s fault.
”

The man rounded on her.
Ian saw her shrink back in astonishment at his fury.
“
Don
’
t cross me on this.
I run this dig, and I want him gone.
If I have to have him arrested for assault, I will do so.
Alan, get him out of here.
”

Flintrop stepped around Lambertson, seething.
“
I
’
d like nothing better.
”

Ian glanced at Sara, who shot him a worried look.
He stood his ground, unwilling to leave her.

Flintrop advanced until he stood nose to nose with Ian.
“
Don
’
t give me an excuse to pummel you.
I haven
’
t liked you since day one, Waverly.
”

Ian
’
s attention snapped to Flintrop
’
s leering face.
Hostility churned under his skin.
“
While we
’
re on the subject, the feeling is mutual.
”

Flintrop showed his teeth.
“
If you so much as set a foot down here for the rest of the summer, I
’
ll have you landed in prison by any means I can use.
”

Ian bristled, but stayed put.

Flintrop lowered his voice to a hiss only Ian would hear.
“
What
’
s the matter?
Don
’
t like being shooed away from her?
”

In the same venomous tone, Ian said, “You aren’t worth my time, Flintrop, and you’ll never be worth hers.” He turned and walked away, forcing himself not to look back at Sara as he went.

****

Sara unzipped her sister
’
s tent flap and ducked in with her heartbeat thumping.
“
Faith!
”

Her sister jerked in her seat.
“
What!
”
She whirled around and relaxed when she saw Sara.
“
Don
’
t sneak up on me like that.
”

Sara
’
s brow furrowed.
“
You didn
’
t hear me unzip the door?
”

“
No.
Zip it back up.
”

Sara did, then took a seat beside her, only beginning to relax now that she saw her sister in one piece.
She swept the table with a glance.
On it sat the skull and belt buckle from the fault.
“
What are you doing?
”

“
I was in a divining trance.
I didn
’
t think I was going to have company in the middle of the night.
”
She favored Sara with a worried look.
“
Are you okay?
”

“
I will be.
We have to talk.
”

“
That
’
s an understatement,
”
said Faith.
“
You first.
”

Sara took a breath and plunged in.
“
Ian came down and stayed part of the night.
”
Leaning forward, she dropped her tone to a whisper.
“
Faith, he caught Becky sneaking into my tent.
I think she tried to steal the amulet.
”

Faith opened her mouth in what was sure to be an anxious tirade.

“
She didn
’
t get it,
”
Sara interrupted,
“
but Lamb just came out with a couple of the guys saying Ian attacked her.
Ian went back to his camp, but I
’
m worried.
I think the three of us should leave.
I don
’
t know if we can trust anybody right now.
”

“
We can
’
t.
I told you I read these...
”

Sara cast a suspicious look at the skull resting on her sister
’
s table.
Reading artifacts had always been a risky business for Faith.
Reading human bones was categorically dangerous.
“
Faith...
”

“
After what happened today, I
’
d just as soon learn everything I can about this dig site, as fast as I can learn it.
That scaffold didn
’
t stay down by itself today.
”

Sara frowned.
“
Are you saying someone was pushing down on it?
Like, with telekinesis?
”

“
That
’
s exactly what I
’
m saying.
I saw Flintrop and some of the others put it back up like it weighed nothing.
Someone was holding it down in the first place.
And that
’
s not all.
”
She picked up the skull and put it into Sara
’
s hands.
“
Say hello to Hakon Ivarsson.
”

“
Hakon?
”

“
Our druid-killer from the vision was a Viking, and not just any Viking.
Sara, I
’
ve had dreams about him since I was a kid.
Just flashes, mostly, but I think he wants me to do something.
Help him.
He
’
s the ghost I
’
ve been sensing since we got here, even without my power.
”