Misplaced (107 page)

It
took
e
v
erything
she
had
not
to
fight
him.
O
v
erpo
w
ering
instinct
,
Celeste’
s
hand
s
droppe
d
t
o
he
r
side
s
a
s
hi
s
hands
crushed her throat.
I’m coming, Carl.

Chapte
r
Thirty-nine
Kha
r
a

The
y
mo
v
e
d
i
n a
half-skip
,
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
le
g
brushin
g
the
insid
e
o
f
her
s
a
s
h
e
guide
d
he
r
back
w
ard
.
Coul
d
h
e
know
,
she
wondered
,
th
e
pleasur
e
hi
s
small
,
accidenta
l
mo
v
ement
s
caused
?
The subtl
e
pressur
e
o
f
hi
s
han
d
aroun
d
he
r
w
ais
t
tol
d
he
r
whic
h
w
ay
to mo
v
e, when she should hesitate a moment before stepping
bac
k
again
.
E
v
er
y
s
o
often
,
h
e
surprise
d
he
r
b
y
pushin
g
he
r body a
w
ay from
him and
twirling her
under his outstretched
arm
.
After
w
ards
,
h
e
woul
d
pul
l
he
r
clos
e
an
d
the
y
woul
d
mo
v
e quickly again, their bodies pressed together. How much better this
w
as than the composed dancing of pharaoh’s court!

A
femal
e
figur
e
brok
e
throug
h
th
e
trees
,
movin
g
quickly
to
w
ard the fire.

“
A
t last,
V
ictoria has returned!” Khara exclaimed.

“She
doesn’t
look
so
good.
Y
ou
’
d
best
check
on
her,”
Oli
v
er
advised, releasing her with a squeeze.

“Where
ha
v
e
you
been?
Y
our
face
is
the
color
of
alabaster,” Khara observed when they were face to face.

“Mescal,”
V
ic
t
oria
ans
w
ered
misera
b
ly.
Khara
sensed
t
hat
he
r
friend’
s
admissio
n
w
a
s
onl
y
par
t
o
f
wha
t
trouble
d
her.
“Where’s Celeste?”

“Sh
e
insiste
d
o
n
returnin
g
home
.
Y
o
u
kno
w
ho
w
meticulous
she is about taking her medication.”

“How could you let her lea
v
e alone?”

“She is not as helpless as you think. Furthermore, it offends
m
e
tha
t
yo
u
thin
k
I
a
m
s
o
irresponsible
.
Sh
e
insiste
d
tha
t
I
stay—to
w
ait for you, I might add.”

“Khara, I need to talk to you.”

“Y
es, of course, but may I ask something of you first?”

“Shoot.”

“A
t what?”

“I mean, go ahead.”

“I
n
you
r
wor
k
a
s
a
counselor
,
establishin
g
a
mutually
acceptable
agreement
is
far
more
important
than
determining
what is right or wrong, correct? I do not mean any disrespect.”

“None taken.”

Ther
e
w
a
s
littl
e
poin
t
i
n
circuitou
s
con
v
ersatio
n
with
V
ictoria
.
He
r
abilit
y
t
o
forc
e
honesty
,
e
v
e
n
fro
m
th
e
most
unwilling of participants,
w
as unequaled.

“What
isn’t
some
sort
of
negotiation?
Finding
the
lesser
of
tw
o
evil
s
an
d
tryin
g
t
o
d
o
th
e
mos
t
goo
d
wit
h
wha
t
you’
v
e
been
gi
v
en to work with?”

“I
suppose
so.
Y
ou
may
find
it
amusing,
how
ill-acquainted
I
am
with
the
art
of
bargaining.
Father
would
insist
that
a
deity
has
little
need
for
it;
the
desires
of
a
pharaoh
are
to
be
obe
y
ed.”

“Bu
t
you
’
r
e
no
t
pharaoh
,
y
et
,
ar
e
you?
”
V
ictori
a
paused
.
“Where are you going with this?”

Khar
a
mo
v
e
d
close
r
an
d
sli
d
a
n
ar
m
aroun
d
her
.
“Sometimes
I
think
they
ha
v
e
forsaken
me,”
she
admitted,
pointing
to
the
stars.

“They wouldn’t dare.
Y
ou, my friend, are one of them.”

T
h
o
ug
h
s
h
e
w
a
s
a
cc
u
s
t
om
e
d
t
o
a
d
ulati
o
n
,
s
h
e
s
en
s
ed
V
ictoria’
s
conviction
.
Fightin
g
th
e
lum
p
i
n
he
r
throat
,
she
replied, “
Y
ou mock me.”

“Not
at
all.
I’
v
e
decided
the
sun
would
do
as
you
ask.
Why
els
e
woul
d
I
stil
l
b
e
here
?
Th
e
surprisin
g
par
t
i
s
tha
t
I
don’
t
miss
m
y
lif
e
much,
”
V
ictori
a
admitted
.
“Sometime
s
I
don’
t
recognize
myself.”

Khar
a
hugge
d
he
r
fiercely
.
“
I
als
o
fin
d
mysel
f
w
antin
g
t
o
let
go
of
who
I
am.
There
are
precious
moments
when
I
catch
a
glimpse
of
who
I
might
be—a
wife,
a
mother,
someone
lucky
enough to enjoy true friendship.”

“Ha
v
en’t
I
been
telling
you
all
along
that
you
should
stay?”