Olivia laughed. "Yeah, how could I ever forget our scenic train ride to the mines, where we infiltrated and took over BloodDark City?" She took Hernando's offered hand and squeezed. "I can come back later if I'm interrupting an important discussion."
Hernando grinned. "No, stay. We're just reminiscing."
"About how the abandoned mines would make an excellent place to hide some of the more aggressive forms of BloodDark technology?"
Caveman looked askance at her. "You've been working with the new Alphan high priestess? You're reading minds."
"You're such a joker, Caveman." She smiled, trying to keep her tone light to cover the anxiousness she felt. "Why did they ever elect you head of the council? Your fabulous wit?"
"Of course."
She glanced over at Hernando. Where is Valori?
Valori said she'd meet us at Penumbra City.
She's not taking the steam transport?
Hernando shrugged.
Olivia frowned at the news, but returned to her attention to Caveman. "Caveman, may I ask you a question?"
The graying redhead shrugged. "You may ask. Whether I answer it or not is another matter."
"Very funny." Olivia shook her head at his weak attempt at humor. "Is the ruling council keeping tabs on the humans who've visited BloodDark, particularly those who are currently here? Is there a complete log somewhere, noting their reason for traveling to BloodDark and their estimated date of departure?"
"Yes, we keep track of who's here and who isn't. Since the council controls the only Portal capable of transporting people, we know who is arriving, when they're leaving, and what they're up to while they're on BloodDark."
Olivia bit her lip. "It's all self-reported information, though, right?"
Caveman furrowed his brow. "Now that you mention it... We do take their word for their reasons for coming here."
"I know for a fact how easy it is to trick the system, since I lied and said I was my friend Jace's sister to travel here this last time as a mail order vampire bride."
"Yes, the mail order bride business is a big problem." Caveman sighed and threw up his hands. "I've been hounding the council on the leniency we've given Clan Alpha on allowing humans to immigrate, but they voted for it. The other clans are eager to follow suit, but so far, we've allowed the Alphans alone this opportunity. It's a test program, and I'll venture to say it's the last time it's going to happen."
"I've blown it for everyone?" Thinking of what a happy couple Kate and Mahvet made, Olivia felt guilty, but now wasn't the time or place to argue otherwise. "I'll accept the blame for the first attempt going awry, but with a few tweaks, I think it'll work out fine in the end. I just wondered if the council has a list of occupations of visiting humans BloodDark as of today."
"We'd have the list at the embassy on Earth," Hernando said. "It's part of the visa application, listing an occupation. You came as Lauren Petrowski and listed your occupation as 'student' as I recall."
"I did."
Hernando quirked an eyebrow. "It's how I tracked you down, because I remembered you telling me at Thanksgiving how Jace's sister dropped out of college and was unemployed when she first applied to emigrate. The inconsistency jumped out at me. After I interviewed Jace and he confessed how he'd helped you assume Lauren's identity... Well, I told your parents. I had to talk them out of having him charged with a crime."
"Wow." Olivia flinched. "Thanks for going to bat for Jace. I didn't realize my folks would be so upset."
"I know I'd be more than upset if my child had disappeared." Caveman put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. "They did the right thing sending Hernando back from BloodDark to check up on you and to temporarily shut down our border, as it is."
Olivia's jaw dropped open in surprise. "You mean... no one can transport to or from BloodDark?"
Hernando nodded. "Not since I arrived. Only communiqués to the embassy are allowed. We thought it best."
"Good idea," Olivia said. "We might catch whoever is responsible in the act."
"In the act?" Caveman frowned. "We caught the culprits—the Clan Alpha leadership—illegally selling artifacts. You think there's another crime happening now?"
"Don't ask me how, but I know there is." Olivia turned to Hernando. "Before you left Earth, did your office recently approve of any visa applications from military personnel or top level rocket scientists or engineers?"
"I don't believe so."
"Think hard. Anyone at all in a related occupation?"
Hernando furrowed his brow and pursed his lips as he wracked his memory. "Hmm, we did receive several requests this past month from archeologists wanting to join expeditions on BloodDark to search for ancient artifacts."
Olivia clapped her hands. "We're onto something. Tell me more."
"I made note of these archeologists because of the Pure Blood artifacts showing up in museums on Earth this past year. At the time they requested visas, I thought perhaps these museum showings had inspired Earth's archeologists to want to see things firsthand. Their credentials all checked out—twenty-five of them with their assistants altogether."
"Wow, a good number of people." Olivia couched her next questions in as delicate a manner possible. "Where on BloodDark did these archeologists say they wanted to travel to? Were there several archeological sites or just one big site in particular?"
Hernando's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "I believe they all said they were headed to the edge of the Mosaic Desert. They were going there via Penumbra City."
"All of them were going to one destination?" Olivia felt a shiver of dread dancing along her nerves. She turned to Caveman.
"Before you ask, I'll tell you—there aren't any Council-authorized archeological excavations right now in the Penumbra City region," Caveman confirmed. "Long story short, we don't always know what goes on down there."
"Why not?" Olivia asked. "Surely the Council has a say in things all over BloodDark."
"You'd think so,” Caveman replied, rubbing his jaw. "Truth is, it's not so easy. The Penumbrans fought longer and harder than anyone to keep their independence from the Pure Bloods, and they're
