The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (45 page)

He cast a doubtful glance in Sara
’
s direction.
With an irritable jerk of his shoulder, Flintrop spun and left the tent.

Faith sat down as soon as he was gone, and laid a cool hand on Sara
’
s forehead.
“
I don
’
t know how much use this is going to be, but here goes nothing.
”

Sara struggled to shut out the bass-drum pounding of her head.
“
What are you doing?
”

“
Hopefully not asking for trouble.
Sit still.
I
’
m going to read you.
”

Sara seized her sister
’
s hand and yanked it away from her forehead.
“
Don
’
t!
”

“
What do you mean,
‘
don
’
t?
’
This isn
’
t funny anymore.
You
’
re scaring me.
”

“
It
’
s not...
You shouldn
’
t.
Just don
’
t.
”

“
Sara, you can
’
t keep this up.
It
’
s not like you, even when you
’
re working hard.
Something
’
s wrong.
”

Sara shook her head, sliding back onto the cot away from her sister.
She lay back down with a sigh.
“
Just give me a little while, and I
’
ll be back out to help.
”

“
You
’
re staying put if I have to strap you down.
I
’
m getting Ian.
”

Sara didn
’
t hear her leave.

****

Faith headed up the slope at a fast walk, hugging herself.
What
’
s the matter with her?
If it
’
s the ley line, why isn
’
t it happening to me?
She chewed at her lip, wishing she could contact Hakon for help.
She
’
d been unable to reach him for days, and that made her almost as uneasy as Sara
’
s mysterious illness.
She should have let Flintrop radio a chopper, but she couldn
’
t afford to be without her sister tonight.

“
Where is she?
”
came Ian
’
s voice, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She looked up to see him marching down the slope toward her.
“
How did you know—
”

He kept walking, and she turned back toward the dig with him.
“
Is she hurt?
”
he demanded.

“
She
’
s exhausted, Ian.
Tonight
’
s the deadline, and—
”

“
Are you still planning on going through with this insanity?
”

“
What choice do we have?
It
’
s too dangerous
not
to close the ley line.
Why do you think we
’
ve been working so fast?
”
She broke into jog, outstripping his lengthy stride.
“
It hasn
’
t been for fun.
”

They went on in silence for several yards.
When they reached camp, Faith went to her sister
’
s tent without stopping.

“
What
’
s he doing here?
”
asked Flintrop from his position inside the dig.

“
Don
’
t start,
”
Faith snapped.
“
He
’
s here to see Sara.
”

“
She
’
s asleep.
”
Flintrop stood upright, brushing earth from his hands.
“
Finally.
”

“
Oh, thank God.
”
Faith could have kissed him.
Almost.

“
Hopefully, she
’
ll stay out for at least a few hours, if no one disturbs her,
”
Flintrop added, casting a pointed look in Ian
’
s direction.

Faith felt a charge of sheer hatred in the air around Ian.
She winced in empathy and took his hand.
“
Don
’
t.
”

Ian hissed outward through his teeth.

Flintrop came toward them through a gap in the ruin that had once been a doorway.
“
Faith, the crew
’
s got something up at the hearth I think you should look at.
We found a bowl.
”

A bowl.
Forgetting their feud for a moment, Faith headed toward the ruin, urging Ian with her.

“
What are you doing?
”
Flintrop asked, seeing her propel Ian into the confines of the dig.

“
Never mind what I
’
m doing.
He
’
s not bothering Sara, is he?
”

“
What
are
you doing?
”
Ian murmured in her ear.

Michael turned around, cradling the bowl in his hands.
Faith reached for it.

Ian sucked in a breath, and then covered it with a cough.
Puzzled, she caught him staring at the bowl.
He shot her a warning look and glanced around the ruin.
Faith saw him taking quick measure of the layout, and realized that he was comparing the modern-day structure to the house he
’
d seen in his dream.
His gaze swept back to the bowl.

She realized then why he didn
’
t want her to touch it.
This was the sacrificial bowl he
’
d seen in his dream.
The one that had held Aesa
’
s blood.

The world went off-kilter for a few seconds.

Faith pulled a cloth from her back pocket and unfolded it, then held it out for the bowl.
Michael gave her a long look of bewilderment, but set the artifact in the cloth.
She folded the edges over the bowl, trying not to notice the discolored stains on its rough concave surface.
With a curt word, she sent the crew back to work.

“Waverly,” Flintrop called, coming up behind them.

Faith saw Ian tense for another battle.

Flintrop dusted his hands off on a rag.
“
Why don
’
t you stick around this evening?
We
’
re almost done, and we were going to celebrate.
”

“
You
’
re giving me permission to be here?
”
Ian
’
s voice remained even, but Faith felt waves of hostility radiating from him.

“
Look, I know we haven
’
t gotten on well, but it
’
s the end of the project.
I
’
m willing to let bygones be bygones if you are.
Stay, if you have the time.
”
Flintrop held out a hand.

What
’
s this?
she wondered.
Ian must have been thinking the same thing, because he stared at Flintrop
’
s hand as though he were contemplating a venomous snake.
After a tense moment, he shrugged and shook Flintrop
’
s hand.
The two didn
’
t take their eyes off each other, in spite of the friendly gesture.

Flintrop released Ian
’
s hand, then stepped around them to continue work.
Faith adjusted the wrapped bowl in one arm and took Ian
’
s sleeve with her free hand.
“
You can help me.
”

“
Sure.
”

Faith headed away from the ruin with him in tow.
“
This is the bowl, isn
’
t it?
”
she asked once they entered her tent.

“
Yeah.
”

Faith grunted and set the bowl on her camp table.
She turned to her trunk for a pair of work gloves.

“
Sara hasn
’
t been up to camp lately,
”
he said.
“
What the hell
’
s been happening down here, Faith?
”

She sighed.
“
I
’
ve never seen her work this hard.
She doesn
’
t sleep, she barely eats.
For once, I find myself liking Flintrop, since he
’
s managed to get her to rest for the first time in God knows when.
I
’
ve been wondering if it isn
’
t the ley line affecting her—
”

“
It would do something to you, too, wouldn
’
t it?
”

“
I thought so, too, but so far I haven
’
t felt a thing.
You
’
d think today, of all days...
”
She trailed off with her skin crawling.

“
What do you need my help with?
”

Sitting at her camp table, Faith pulled on the work gloves, then unfolded the cloth from around the ceremonial bowl.
“
I want everything you remember about your dream.
Between you and this bowl, I might get enough information about closing the ley lines.
I need you to anchor me while I read it.
This is important, Ian.
Do not let go of me while I
’
m reading this thing.
It
’
s a sacrificial relic, and without an anchor, I might not make it back.
”

His eyes went stony.
“
Bullshit.
”

“
Either I do this with you, or I try it by myself.
Your choice.
”

With a dubious look at the uncovered bowl, Ian sat down and began recounting the nightmare.

Chapter Seventeen

Later that afternoon, Ian helped the crew clear the remainder of the ruin.
The closer it got to completion, the edgier he got.
Every now and then, he stood up to look in the direction of Sara
’
s tent.
Everything in him ached to go over there and see her, if only to be sure she was safe.

As safe as could be, anyway.
He
’
d told Faith all he could recall of the serpent ceremony.
Telling it had been easy enough; the nightmare hovered on the edge of his thoughts every waking minute.
He remembered the vision of Aesa
’
s death, and stared across the dig at Faith with a troubled frown.
How could he just stand around and let her guinea pig herself on the ley line?
What if it didn
’
t work?

What if it did?

He looked toward Sara
’
s tent again.
His worries flooded back to him with teeth-grinding intensity.
The reopening of the ley lines required a sacrifice of gifted blood, and Callander—it had to be Callander—was already bent on murder to accomplish that.
Ian stole a look toward the man, wondering how Sara and Faith had stood working beside him for three weeks, knowing what he was and what he intended to try.
Did he suspect anything of Faith or Sara
’
s gifts?
Would he try to kill them?