“Gave it more bling than the original,” Cassie said. “We needed something your father would believe had mysterious powers. Nothing says mysterious like glow-in-the-dark. Also, crushing a chunk of rock bare-handed is guaranteed to wow an audience.”
Faye picked up the Sage Stone and inspected it. “Given its legendary reputation, it’s not very impressive as a physical specimen, is it? Looks rather like a lump of bread dough that hasn’t risen.”
“Hence the need for bling,” Maddie said.
Addressing Cassie, the memory guardian asked, “Has the artifact spoken to you yet?”
“Not a peep,” the pythia admitted.
“Well, perhaps it’s just groggy after its three-thousand-year nap.” Faye laid it back on the table.
“But the power of the Sage Stone surely protected you from my father’s second attempt to kill you,” Daniel insisted. “Are you saying that was a trick too?”
“No,” Cassie conceded. “The split second before Metcalf fired, I could sense he was about to pull the trigger and that he was aiming for my head. I tried to shield my face the best way I could. The rock I was holding was made of iron, and when a bullet hits iron, it ricochets. I expected the rebound, but there was no way I could have controlled the trajectory of that bullet.” She shrugged helplessly. “I have no explanation for how that happened. It was purely an act of goddess.”
Daniel rubbed his temples. “This is a lot to take in.”
“Forgive us the elaborate charade, my dear,” Faye said. “I am truly sorry if our strategy distresses you.”
“We thought that if we could rattle Metcalf enough, he might back down and call off his army,” Maddie explained.
“Best case scenario, everybody might have walked away from Ahkka Mountain in one piece,” Cassie added. “Of course, we also had a last-ditch backup plan to trigger a cave collapse.”
“That option would only have worked if our guns hadn’t been confiscated.” Zach darted Maddie a sullen glance.
“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?” the chatelaine muttered. “Everything worked out anyway since Leroy Hunt took care of the cave-in for us.”
“All’s well that ends well, kid,” Erik advised. “Take the win.”
“We really didn’t want anybody to die,” the pythia reassured the new diviner. “Not even Metcalf or Hunt.”
Daniel regarded the group solemnly. “It’s strange that you would seek my forgiveness after my father and Mr. Hunt repeatedly tried to kill you all. As far as I’m concerned, they both met the fate their murderous actions invited. I understand that you only resorted to trickery in the hope of saving lives. I just need a little more time to make sense of it all.”
“I’m sure we’ve left Daniel with a lot to think about.” Hannah stood up. “Maybe we should switch to a less intense topic. Anyone for pie?” she asked brightly.
Chapter 55—Réveille
Before the dessert course was served, the guests pitched in to clear the table and carry food back to the kitchen. While everyone was busy with plastic wrap and storage containers, Erik tugged at Cassie’s sleeve. “I need to talk to you.”
She registered surprise. “What about?”
The paladin glanced around him. “Let’s go outside.”
As they moved toward the dining room, Griffin asked in an overly casual tone, “Where are you off to?”
“Erik wants to talk to me in private.”
The scrivener’s eyes narrowed as he watched them go.
Erik led Cassie through the parlor and out the door. He came to a stop in front of his Corvette which was parked by the curb. Leaning back against the vehicle, he folded his arms. “You can tell your boyfriend he doesn’t need to be jealous. I’m not trying to hit on you.”
“He’s not my—”
“Oh, don’t even.” Erik cut her off. “I’ve seen how you two act around each other. It doesn’t take a psychic to pick up on that vibe. How come you don’t see it?”
Cassie peered at him. “What are you talking about?”
The paladin sighed. “There’s a saying in the Arkana. Never play poker with a pythia.”
“Because we cheat?” she speculated blankly.
“No.” Erik rolled his eyes in exasperation. “It’s because pythias have mad skills at reading intent. They don’t even need a physical tell to know when a player is bluffing. So, why is it that a chick with trans-dimensional 20/20 and X-ray vision into people’s psyches suddenly gets so nearsighted that she can’t see past the end of her own nose?” He stared at her fixedly. “I think it’s because of us.”
“You can’t be crazy enough to believe that I want to get back together with you,” she protested in irritation.
“Calm down.” He raised his hands. “I know that ship sailed and sank a long time ago. That’s not it. I mean...” He hesitated, searching around for the right words. “It’s just that... When it comes to romance, I play at the shallow end of the pool.”
“When I play at all, I play for keeps,” she shot back.
“Yeah, I get that now.” He lowered his head briefly. “In my defense, I never hooked up with a pythia before. I should have realized your entire job is to feel things that the rest of us can’t. Or maybe the rest of us are just too scared to jump that far down the rabbit hole. Either way, it’s not a skill you can leave behind when you clock out at the end of the day. It’s who you are. While I was splashing around in water up to my knees, you were piloting a mini-sub on the ocean floor. That pairing was doomed from the get-go. So, after I bailed I’m guessing you made up your mind to dodge a future catastrophe by taking yourself out of circulation.”
“I’m massively defensive, remember?” In a small voice, she admitted, “I had to protect myself somehow.”
“Protection doesn’t mean shutting yourself down,” Erik insisted earnestly. “I like the wall around my own heart just fine, but I’d hate like hell to see you build one around yours.” He placed a hand
