He froze. “What?”
“She went after Eos.”
Dathan whirled and ran. He flew out of the ship, over the sand, and sprinted through the streets until he reached the cavern entrance. His lungs were burning. “Eos!”
She rose from a crouch on the other side of the cavern. A pale blur in the shadows. “What is it?”
He halted. “You’re okay? Darc hasn’t been here?” He scanned the cavern.
She shook her head. “No. I’ve been working.”
Her stilted speech made him wonder if she was mad at him. “You’re still angry about before.”
She smiled. “I’m not angry.”
Something was off. The hair on the back of his neck rose. He stepped closer and studied her face. Same high cheekbones, dusky skin, and eyes like beaten gold.
“Why were you angry before, Eos?”
She blinked again, a small frown pinching her lips. “I’m not angry.”
“We fought. About the artifacts.”
The smile came back. “No reason to fight. I need to get back to work.”
He snatched the smartphone off the shelf. “You okay if I take this?”
“Sure.”
His stomach hardened and as he watched, her image wavered.No. He turned, gaze searching the cavern. He saw a faint glow on the underside of a shelf. Snatching up the small device, he pressed the red button. Eos’ image flickered and disappeared.
A damn hologram. He felt sick. He crushed the microprojector in his palm.
Then he grabbed his Sync. “Nik? Darc has Eos, I don’t know where she is.”
The sick feeling spread as he stepped onto the empty street.
He had to find her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The cut on Eos’ arm stung.
Darc had forced her out of the cavern and to the other side of the ruins at knifepoint. Eos had protested once and gotten cut.
The woman’s spooky armor made Eos feel like she was talking to a syndroid.
“Stop here,” said the disembodied, electronic voice.
“I know who you are, Darc. Can you lose the visor?”
The hunter stared for a moment, then pressed a button on her neck. The helmet retracted.
She was stunning. Platinum-blond hair and amazing eyes that were a mix of red, green, blue, and silver like a multi-hued nebula. But they were soulless.
“What do you want?” Eos demanded.
“I want you to find the treasures of the New Louvre for me.”
