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prisoner here and, as you ve proven just now, you have access to the entire complex.
How could I betray you even if I wanted to, which I don t?
 Information is power. Any fool knows that. Whoever controls the flow of
information can change the course of the conflict.
 What conflict? I thought we were working toward a common goal.
He spun her back around and she heard the distinct click of his zipper.  We better
be. He nudged her legs apart again and lifted her hips toward him, effortlessly finding
her entrance with his erect cock.
She closed her eyes and braced for the coming storm. He d been aggressive before,
but this time felt different. Anger and mistrust propelled each punishing thrust. He
moved in her and against her without care or emotion. This was what she d expected
the first time, yet she had no idea which approach she found more arousing.
* * * * *
131
Cyndi Friberg
 There is something I d like to show you before you agree to be defined. Erin
reached out and took Carissa s hand.  It will only take a few minutes, but I think it s
important.
Carissa took a deep breath, trying to regulate her surging emotions. Ava was safe.
She wasn t out there running from the hunters. She d found a secure place to hide.  All
right.
Erin smiled at Quinn and said,  We ll be right back. Which was a polite way of
telling him he wasn t invited.
Without further explanation, Erin led Carissa through the mudroom and down the
stairs. The passageway was cool and slightly eerie. Even with the overhead lights, the
tunnel felt claustrophobic to Carissa.
 Isn t the control center that way? Carissa asked as Erin turned down a different
tunnel.
 It is, but that s not where we re going.
With no markings of any kind, it was a wonder anyone could find their way around
in the underground labyrinth. Erin walked with purposeful strides, obviously sure of
her direction. They finally came to a metal door that was secured with a palm scanner.
The modern technology seemed extremely out of place in the primitive surroundings.
Erin pressed her hand to the scanner pad and a beam of light passed over her palm.
The lock made a soft popping sound as it disengaged. Erin heaved the door open and
motioned Carissa inside the shadowy room. Motion-activated lights illuminated the
interior as she stepped across the threshold.
She took two steps into the room and stopped, paralyzed by wonder and confusion.
Enclosed cabinets lined three of the walls, making the room appear more museum than
bunker. Each cabinet was fitted with directional lights, showcasing its contents. A
square table and two chairs arranged in the far corner were the only furniture.
 What is this place? She walked along the shelves, admiring the eclectic
assortment of artifacts. Paintings, statues, jewelry and numerous leather-bound books.
 Is everything as old as it looks?
 Yes. Erin looked around with obvious pride but offered no further information.
 Shouldn t these things be in a museum?
 This is a private museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Omni Prime. I
call it the vault. She motioned Carissa toward the case on their left.  Everything is
arranged chronologically and the story of each item is logged in the Historians
journals.
The oldest item was an exquisite gold amulet intricately inlaid with amethyst,
turquoise and a reddish stone, perhaps coral or jasper. At the center was a woman
seated on a throne, holding a flail and crook. To her left stood a being with the head of a
cat and the body of a man. To her right stood a being part bird and part woman.
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Therian Prey
Deep inside her belly Carissa felt an odd stirring. Her fingers tingled and heat
spread over her skin.  Is this Egyptian?
 According to the journals, it belonged to Cleopatra. Carissa snapped her gaze to
Erin, expecting to see humor in the older woman s eyes. But Erin looked entirely
serious.  I had the chain carbon dated and the result supports the claim.
 This piece alone must be worth a fortune. The amulet seemed to pulse with
energy and Carissa couldn t drag her gaze away.
 Every piece in this room is priceless. That s why so few are allowed to know this
room exists. I m the Historian, entrusted with the secrets of the Omni Prime.
That caught her attention. She turned her head toward Erin and asked,  Entrusted
by whom?
 My mother. Erin stood in the center of the room, hands buried in the pockets of
her cardigan.  As the Omni Prime runs in your family, the Historian has been passed
down from mother to daughter along my bloodline. My mother was a midwife and I
would often help her with the deliveries. When I was fifteen, we encountered Maggie.
She was quite old to have a child, so my mother was concerned that the birth would not
go smoothly.
 Wait a minute. You were fifteen when my mother was born? She looked at Erin s
gently lined face and shook her head.  That would mean you re pushing sixty. There s
no way you re that old.
 We aren t human, Carissa. You must stop judging us by their standards. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]