Neptune's Tears by Susan Waggoner

Author:Susan Waggoner [Waggoner, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781848122734
Publisher: Piccadilly Press Ltd.

CHAPTER 10

THE OUTLIER SPECIES

Zee was aware of swimming up through warm, heavy rivers of sleep. But each time she neared the surface she dived back down. Once the darkness turned rosy against her eyelids and she knew it was daylight, and knew that someone had set her windows for natural light. She just had time to wonder who before she dived again, just for a few minutes, she told herself. When she swam up once more, the rosiness was gone. It was evening, and this time she kept going until she broke the surface.

The last of the day’s light came through the window high on her bedroom wall and from the small sitting room walls turned down low. She got up and stood in the doorway.

‘David?’

He was sitting on her sofa. It seemed right that he was there, but she wasn’t sure why.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Then he crossed the room and put his arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry, Zee. I should never have let you walk away like that.’

She noticed she was wearing scrub bottoms and an oversized T-shirt that said Royal London Lacrosse, clothes she usually slept in. ‘Where are my real clothes? You . . . I . . . we didn’t . . . ?’

‘No. Mia and Rani got you cleaned up and changed into those. Before Rani snuck me in. She’s quite the watchdog where you’re concerned.’

Zee began to remember small bits and flashes, but was having trouble piecing them together. ‘The beautiful girl. Mia? You asked me to trust her and she helped us. She brought us here, right?’

‘According to her, you made a fantastic drunk.’

‘Who is she?’

‘My research partner.’

‘Who is she besides that? I’ve seen her places we’re at, like that day at Brighton, and you always know she’s there but never introduce us. What’s going on?’

He ignored her question. ‘And your friend Rani could be an actress. Mia said she came out into the lobby to get you and gave you the lecture of a lifetime, to make sure everyone would hear about it and leave you alone with your hangover for a few days. She brought some food, too. You should probably try to eat. You lost some blood and I had to give you something to help you sleep.’ Zee heard and felt again the sickening scrape of blade against bone. Cautiously, she touched her collarbone with her fingertips, then traced a line up her throat to her jaw. The skin was smooth and unbroken.

‘I don’t understand. The man with the knife . . . I’m sure he stabbed me. And you too. I can’t have imagined it, there was blood all over your shirt.’

David took her hand and slid it inside his shirt, her palm against his midriff. ‘He did stab me. Right about here. Feel it?’

‘No.’ Zee felt nothing but smooth skin and muscle. No dressing, no wound. ‘How did you do this?’

He held up a small silver bar. Zee recognised it at once

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