Misplaced (95 page)

Oli
v
e
r
tilte
d
hi
s
hea
d
t
o
th
e
side
,
an
d
looke
d
a
s
though
something
dear
to
him
had
gone
missing.
“I
don’t
understand
Khara, what’s this got to do with you?”

Sh
e
refuse
d
t
o
speak
.
On
e
o
f
th
e
cat
s
jumpe
d
fro
m
the
mantel,
landed
with
a
soft
thud,
skirting
humans
and
furniture
with equal caution. Celeste looked
y
earningly at the stairs, and
V
ictoria switched off
the television and remained silent.

Oli
v
er crossed his arms. “
W
ell?”

“It’s rather complicated, dear,” Celeste inter
v
ened.

“
W
ith
all
due
respect,
Ms.
Celeste,
I’m
asking
her,”
Oli
v
er
responded.

“This,”
Khara
said,
holding
up
her
arm
so
he
could
see
the
bracelet, “completes the set.”

H
e
cocke
d
hi
s
head
.
“
Y
ou
’
r
e
smugglin
g
artifact
s
ou
t
of
Egypt?” he inquired incredulously.

“Of course not. The bracelets are mine.”

“Tha
t
gu
y
jus
t
sai
d
the
y
w
er
e
mad
e
fo
r a
pharaoh’s
daughter
.
Di
d
h
e
no
t
als
o
sa
y
th
e
bracelet
s
ar
e
o
v
e
r
four
thousand
y
ears old?”

Khar
a
glance
d
a
t
th
e
floo
r
fo
r a
moment
,
a
s
though
gathering
strength
for
what
came
next.
“I
am
the
daughter
of
P
epy the Second.”

“Don’
t
pla
y
wit
h
me
,
Khara.
”
Oli
v
e
r
appeale
d
t
o
Celeste
and
V
ictoria. “Why is she talking such nonsense?”

“I’
m
tellin
g
yo
u
th
e
truth,
”
Khar
a
state
d
simply
,
though
there
w
as a pleading note to her voice.

Celest
e
w
a
s
o
n
he
r
feet
,
shufflin
g
to
w
ar
d
him
.
“Instea
d
of
usin
g
onl
y
you
r
intellect
,
conside
r
wha
t
you
r
hear
t
i
s
tellin
g
you.”

V
ictori
a
coul
d
no
t
hol
d
bac
k
an
y
longer
.
“
A
s
unbelie
v
abl
e
a
s
it sounds, her guardian sent her into the future to protect her.”

H
e
rolle
d
hi
s
e
y
e
s
an
d
steppe
d
a
w
a
y
fro
m
Khara
.
“Right.
She’
s
fou
r
thousan
d
y
ear
s
old
,
an
d
I’
m
Geronimo
.
Wome
n
ha
v
e
strange
w
ays
of
dealing
with
things.”
He
looked
from
Celeste
to
V
ictoria,
and
finally
back
to
Khara.
“It’s
pretty
clear
you’
v
e
bee
n
keepin
g
somethin
g
fro
m
me
.
M
y
mothe
r
use
d
t
o
sa
y
an
Apache’
s
hear
t
i
s
mad
e
fro
m
th
e
mu
d
o
f
a
ri
v
er
,
whil
e
th
e
whit
e
man’s
w
as
chiseled
out
of
granite.
The
stone
half
of
my
heart,”
Oli
v
er said
quietly to Khara, seemingly
una
w
are they
w
ere not
alone
,
“say
s
tha
t
you’
v
e
ne
v
e
r
truste
d
me
.
N
o
wonde
r
yo
u
can’
t
tel
l
m
e
yo
u
lo
v
e
me.
”
H
e
reache
d
ou
t
t
o
her
,
an
d
the
n
pulle
d
his
han
d
back
.
“Th
e
w
a
y
yo
u
al
w
ay
s
see
m
t
o
b
e
holdin
g
somethin
g
back—it makes sense now.”

Her
expression
of
futility,
her
inability
to
defend
herself—
Victoria
recognized
it
all
and
cast
a
desperate
look
at
Khara.
Do somethin
g
!

Oli
v
e
r
too
k
a
dee
p
breath
.
“
I
gues
s
there’
s
no
t
muc
h
else t
o
say.
”
Afte
r
fe
w
agonizin
g
moments
,
h
e
spok
e
t
o
V
ictoria.
“
Y
ou
’
l
l
loo
k
afte
r
her
,
won’
t
you?
”
Befor
e
sh
e
ha
d
tim
e
to
ans
w
er, he nodded to Celeste. “Ma
’
am,” he said. Before he left, he stopped to kiss Khara on the forehead. “Whoe
v
er you are, I hope you find
what you
’
re looking for.”

Sh
e
woul
d
ha
ve
preferre
d
a
n
angr
y
sla
m
t
o
th
e
hollow
clickin
g
soun
d
th
e
scree
n
doo
r
made
.
Moment
s
later
,
Oli
v
e
r
strod
e
pas
t
th
e
window
,
w
e
t
hai
r
plastere
d
fla
t
t
o
hi
s
head,
a
n
injure
d
expressio
n
o
n
hi
s
face
.
H
e
focuse
d
straigh
t
ahead,
seemingly intent on ignoring the three women
w
atching him.