Misplaced (108 page)

“Y
o
u
ha
v
e
;
relentlessly
,
I
migh
t
add
.
Bu
t
tha
t
possibility
remains
out
of
the
question.
Just
once,
though,
I
would
like
to
b
e
nothin
g
mor
e
tha
n
a
woman
.
A
woma
n
i
n
lo
v
e
.
I
s
tha
t
s
o
much to ask?”

“No, girlfriend, it’s not.”

“Th
e
hou
r
grow
s
late
,
an
d
I
stil
l
ha
v
e
no
t
consulte
d
wit
h
the
shaman.”

“Trus
t
me,
”
V
ictori
a
a
v
erred
,
rollin
g
he
r
e
y
es
,
“ther
e
are
better
w
ays to spend the e
v
ening.”

Khar
a
ha
d
learne
d
that
,
sometimes
,
th
e
fastes
t
w
a
y
t
o
an
explanation from her friend
w
as to remain silent.

“
Y
ou
’
r
e
goin
g
t
o
b
e
disappointed,
”
V
ictori
a
w
arne
d
and
pointe
d
t
o
th
e
othe
r
sid
e
o
f
th
e
fire
.
“That’
s
him
.
Th
e
on
e
giving
us the evil e
y
e.”

“No
t
th
e
impressio
n
I
hope
d
t
o
make
.
Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
manage
to make him dislike you so quickly?”

“Y
ou wouldn’t belie
v
e me if I told you.”

Oli
v
e
r
’s
e
y
es
follo
w
ed
them
as
she
and
V
ictoria
w
alked
to
the far side of the gathering.

Chapte
r
Forty
Vic
t
oria

Be
n
greete
d
thei
r
approac
h
wit
h a
dismissi
v
e
look
,
the
sam
e
baitin
g
loo
k
fro
m
th
e
gir
l
i
n
th
e
wickiup
,
th
e
on
e
that
mad
e
he
r
guzzl
e
mesca
l
an
d
kic
k
a
n
innocen
t
ma
n
wh
o
now
w
anted nothing to do with them.

“Ben.
”
V
ictoria’
s
attemp
t
a
t a
prope
r
introductio
n
felt
ridiculous.

He rubbed his shin and ga
v
e Khara an uneasy look.

In
her
bow,
Khara
achie
v
ed
the
perfect
balance
of
re
v
erence
and
self-assurance.
“Oli
v
er
tells
me
your
wisdom
exceeds
the
realm of the mortal world.”

“Look
,
I’
v
e
explaine
d
i
t
t
o
th
e
bo
y
a
t
leas
t
a
doze
n
times.
Regardles
s
o
f
whethe
r
th
e
tw
o
o
f
yo
u
stan
d
befor
e
th
e
Great
Spirits
individually
or
side
by
side,
your
paths
do
not
change.”
The
regret
on
his
face
w
as
genuine.
“Now
I
see
why
he
w
as
so
disappointed,”
he
confessed,
the
hardness
of
his
stare
wilting.
“I hope you know that there isn’t any prejudice invol
v
ed. Hell,
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
lik
e
a
nephe
w
t
o
me
.
Havin
g
n
o
father
,
w
e
eac
h
pitched
i
n
a
s
b
es
t
w
e
could
.
S
t
ill
,
i
t
i
s
wha
t
i
t
is
,
miss
.
I’
m
sorr
y
to
be
t
h
e
one to tell you.”

W
ise
father,
I’
v
e
come
to
seek
your
wisdom
in
an
entirely
different
matter.”

He
r
deliberat
e
word
s
w
er
e
accompanie
d
b
y
sorrow
.
Ben
looked
deeply
at
Khara,
as
though
trying
to
see
what
y
earning
la
y
beyon
d
he
r
coo
l
exterior
.
An
d
whethe
r
h
e
kne
w
i
t
o
r
not,
h
e
w
a
s
w
el
l
o
n
hi
s
w
a
y
t
o
helpin
g
her
.
Somethin
g
aki
n
to
v
eneratio
n
sprea
d
acros
s
hi
s
fac
e
lik
e
caramel
,
w
ar
m
an
d
almost
sickeningl
y
s
w
eet
,
an
d
h
e
manage
d
a
grin
.
“Promis
e
no
t
t
o
kick
me?”

A hint of a smile pla
y
ed on her lips. “I will do my best.”

Th
e
thre
e
mo
v
e
d
a
w
a
y
fro
m
th
e
group
.
W
it
h
eac
h
breath,
V
ictoria’
s
bod
y
temperatur
e
dipped
.
T
eet
h
chattering
,
she
asked, “Couldn’t
w
e stay a little
closer to the fire?”

“To
o
noisy,
”
Be
n
ans
w
ered
,
indifferen
t
t
o
he
r
an
d
the
w
eather
.
The
n
h
e
sa
t
dow
n
an
d
patte
d
th
e
earth
.
“Thi
s
wil
l
do.”

Solemnly
,
Khar
a
seate
d
hersel
f
acros
s
fro
m
him
.
I
n
the
semidarkness
,
Ben’
s
fac
e
looke
d
rathe
r
diabolical
.
Mayb
e
it’s
th
e
aftereffect
s
o
f
tha
t
wretche
d
drink
,
V
ictori
a
thought
,
bu
t
h
e
seems
to
be
sneering,
and
his
e
y
es
are
dark
pools.
V
ictoria
inched
closer
to
Khara, rubbing her arms to keep
w
arm.

“Wha
t
ha
v
e
yo
u
com
e
t
o
ask
?
Y
o
u
sai
d
i
t
w
a
s
no
t
abou
t
lo
v
e,
so that lea
v
es destiny.”

“I
w
ant to know what became of the
Ancient Ones.”

Ben’s
e
y
es
widened.
“What
would
a
girl
like
you
care
about
the
Anasazi?”

“I
s
i
t
tru
e
tha
t
the
y
v
anishe
d
withou
t
a
trace
?
Oli
v
e
r
says
there is a rumor—”

“Apach
e
histor
y
i
s
ful
l
o
f
superstitio
n
an
d
rumors,
”
he
quipped.

Poor
Ben.
How
could
he
know
what
a
resolute
creature
she
w
as?
Khara
turned
the
full
impact
of
her
golden
stare
on
him.
“
As
the
story
w
as
recounted
to
me,
there
is
a
place
sacred
to
the
Apache
,
wher
e
i
t
i
s
belie
v
e
d
th
e
Ancien
t
One
s
departe
d
into
another world.”