The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (23 page)

“
I
’
m sure that was enough to turn you off of archaeology altogether,
”
said Flintrop.

Ian didn
’
t look away from Sara.
“
Not entirely, no.
”

“
Well, we
’
re fully staffed now, so we won
’
t be taking up your time any longer.
I
’
m sure you have plenty of your own work to do,
”
Flintrop added.
He gave a plastered-on smile, then turned away from Ian and went back to tipping his brandy.

Sara stood.
“
Would you excuse us?
”
Without waiting for Flintrop
’
s answer, she started away.
Ian walked with her to her tent.
“
Sorry about him.
”

“
Who is that guy?
”

She sighed.
“
Alan Flintrop.
I
’
m going to be working with him for the rest of the summer.
I know he
’
s a pain in the—
”

“
No, he
’
s great.
Must have tons of friends.
”

“
Sure, if they
’
re wealthy enough to be in his little club of worshippers.
”
She waved her hand in the air.
“
That
’
s not the point.
We need his help on this project if we
’
re going to get done on time and within budget...and why am I explaining this to you?
You don
’
t care.
”

He stepped closer to her, causing her to back up in surprise against the wall of her tent.
His eyes bored into hers, as focused as a hunting raptor.
“
Oh, I care...just not about him.
”

Her heart thudded in her ears.
Could he hear it?
He bent his head.
His breath warmed her face, and she leaned forward to close the distance, because for the love of God, it wasn
’
t happening fast enough...

“
Sara, may I have a word with you?
”

Ian jerked back with his face completely blank.
Lambertson stood nearby.
Sara felt her face burn, and passed Ian a guilty look.
“
I—
”

He smiled.
“
Don
’
t sweat it.
I have some birding notes to catch up on.
I
’
ll see you later.
”
He turned and headed up the slope of the island.
She watched him until he disappeared into the darkness, even now wishing him back.
A charge of desire coursed through her and left her shivering with aftershock.
How?
How
, when he hadn
’
t even kissed her?

Lambertson approached her with an expression that made her feel like a wayward teenager.
“
I would venture to say he
’
s
distinctly
interested in what
’
s going on down here.
”

She gawked.
“
Are you being parental with me?
”

“
I am telling you to the point.
I don
’
t trust that young man, and I don
’
t want him here.
This project is confidential.
His presence is a liability.
”

“
Come on, Lamb—
”

His frown cut her off.
“
I am the project supervisor, Sara.
Don
’
t make me employ that authority.
”

He
’
d never used that tone on her before, even during her undergrad years.
Hurt, she zipped open her tent flap and stepped inside, shutting it before he could say anything further.

****

Several days after Lamb’s reinforcements arrived, the peat and earth gave way to the first layer of stone marking the enclosure of their suspected Viking-era house. Sara couldn’t feel more than a distant pleasure at the milestone. She hadn’t seen Ian in almost a week. Whenever she found the time, Lamb managed to concoct a task that kept her at the dig. Moody and restless, she worked beside Faith at one of the plots.

“
Now all we need from this mudpit is an artifact, and we
’
re in business,
”
said Faith.

Her sister seemed to have enough good spirits for both of them lately.
Sara offered a smile and went back to scooping earth.
Seconds passed.

At length, Faith hissed,
“
Quit moping and go see him.
You
’
re a grown woman.
”

Needled, Sara redoubled her efforts at removing soil from the house wall.
“
Lamb
’
s already made it abundantly clear what he thinks of Ian.
We can
’
t afford to lose this project.
”

Flintrop approached.
“
We
’
re having a bonfire tonight to celebrate,
”
he announced.
“
I
’
m heading to Unst this afternoon for some
aqua vitae
, if you
’
d like to come.
”
He spoke to both of them, but his attention hovered on Sara.

Faith leveled him with a revolted look and moved away.
He ignored it.

Sara stood and stretched her back.
“
Why don
’
t you take one of your own crew?
”

“
Because,
”
he said, moving closer and lowering his tone,
“
I
’
d really like you to come with me.
Please?
What
’
s it going to take for you to accept my apology?
”

Lamb
’
s voice rose from the other side of the dig, hailing them all to midday break.
Members of the crew shuffled off in the direction of the summons, leaving them alone.

Sara walked away and climbed onto the stone wall, preparing to jump down and follow the crew to lunch.
“
I don
’
t think—
”

The earth roared under her feet.
With a shriek, she lost her balance and toppled headfirst down the other side of the wall.
A fissure tore open and yawned beneath her.

A hand seized her ankle.
She jerked to a stop above the crack in the earth.
The amulet slithered from under her shirt and dangled from her neck over the crevasse.
Sara gasped and clapped it to her chest.
Open space gaped below her.
The land thundered again.
Flintrop
’
s grip slipped on her ankle, and she screamed.

“
Pull yourself up!
”
Flintrop shouted.

One-handed, she clawed at the ragged walls of the trench, refusing to let go of the amulet.
Panic stabbed her.

And then she saw it.

At the bottom of the fissure lay a human skull, half-buried in the dark soil.
She froze.
I
’
ll be damned.

Flintrop
’
s grasp slipped again.
“
Sara!
Give me your hand!
”

Another tremor issued from the earth.

Sara jackknifed her body and flung her free hand toward him.
He seized her and jerked her out of the fissure just as part of the wall collapsed into it.

They ran for the edge of the dig and dove over the wall on the other side to a last, teeth-chattering quake.

The land settled.

Sara stuffed the amulet back inside her shirt, praying no one had seen it.
She got to her feet, then hunched over with her hands on her knees, panting.

“
Are you all right?
”
he asked.
He glanced from her to the yawning tear in the earth.

She nodded.
“
Thanks.
”

Lamb came running toward them with Luis in tow.
“
Is anyone hurt?
”

“
No,
”
she answered.

“
Someone had better go check on Ian,
”
suggested Luis.

“
I will,
”
she said before anyone else could reply.

Lamb shook his head.
“
Luis and Alan will go.
”

She opened her mouth on a burst of indignation.
Lamb had never countermanded her in front of a team before.
In front of Flintrop, it was a slap in the face.
“
Lamb, I know him.
”

“
As does Luis, which is why I
’
m sending him.
They will see to Mister Waverly.
I want you here.
”

Her blood boiled.
Humiliated and worried, she stalked away toward the rest of the crew.

She heard Lamb order Luis and Flintrop away, and then Lamb
’
s hurried footsteps as he caught up with her.
He settled a hand on her shoulder.

She rounded on him.
“
How could you do that to me?
Ian is my friend.
Ever since you got here, you
’
ve been acting like—
”

“
Exactly as your father would have acted, had he known your house had been burglarized.
What were they looking for?
”

She stilled.
“
I don
’
t know what you
’
re talking about.
”

“
Don
’
t be obstinate.
You and I both know it wasn
’
t a chance occurrence.
Your mother contacted me and said your father
’
s stored research was decimated, a fact which I find curious when you and your sister are out of the country in Shetland itself.
How well do you know this
‘
friend,
’
Sara?
”

She struggled to maintain her calm.
“
It wasn
’
t him.
How could it be, when he
’
s been here?
”

“
I don
’
t take coincidence lightly.
That young man followed you here.
He knows something, and I want to know what it is.
”

With an effort, she kept her features neutral.
Ian knew something, all right.
Something she
’
d been hiding for twenty years, and God forbid the secret got any further.

She and Faith couldn
’
t afford to trust anyone.
Even Lamb, who
’
d been like a father.
She stifled a queasy sensation in her gut.
“
Ian has nothing to do with this dig.
”

“
I very much doubt that,
”
said Lamb.

She forced her temper past the guilt.
“
Believe it, or don
’
t—I don
’
t care.
But if you think upstaging me in front of Flintrop is going to bring me to heel, you
’
re sorely mistaken.
”

Lambertson looked stunned.
“
I had no intention of doing any such thing.
I
’
m trying to protect—
”