“First of all,” she said in hersnootiest voice, “I’m fluent in a dozen languages, including French, and whatyou just said wasn’t even close.Second, I’m the best damned gemologistandmineralogist in the world, and if I say there’s a bloody fortune in Taaffeitehere, you can rest assured that there is.”She smiled sweetly.“And after youfind it, you can shove it up your ass.”
He waggled sandy brows that glistened with sweat from theoppressive heat in this godforsaken jungle.“How about you do it for me?”
Sweet Satie One-Eye, he was disgusting.Even Satie, an elfhero of lore who had fought giant demonic maggots, would agree.This guy was awhisky dick personified.Adjusting her hard hat, Jedda stepped around him andheaded inside the mine.“You really don’t want to taunt me.”
“Taunt...or tempt?”
Ugh.Gross.In the last two weeks, had this idiot notfigured out that she didn’t play well with others?Especially nothumanothers?She supposed she should at least be grateful he wasn’t aware that shewasn’t human, but then, maybe if he knew she was an immortal being he’d leaveher alone.
She might have to reveal her secret just to freak him out.
He followed her down the relatively cool shaft, past workerswho were busy extracting gemstones that, while less valuable than Taaffeite,would still net Tom’s mining company a nice profit.But he still played theinjured party, insisting that this venture was a waste of time and resources.
She knew better.As a gem elf, she could sense minerals thatgave off energy undetectable to humans, energy that she survived on.Enchantedstones, gems that had been blessed or cursed or used in powerful rituals, werethe most life-enhancing, especially when absorbed into a gem elf’s body, butthere was always a risk involved when using them, as she knew very well.
Her boots crunched down on uneven ground, but she kept herfooting, her enhanced reflexes and night vision giving her a distinct advantageover humans and most demons.Tom followed her much more slowly, cursing now andthen, muttering his displeasure at being bested by a woman.She had no doubt hewas generally capable in situations like thisas long ashe kept to a safe human pace, but his macho attitude wouldn’t let himlag behind, and he had no idea she was genetically suitedfor this exact situation.
She laughed when she heard him trip and fall.“Youokay?”she called back.“I can slow down if you need meto.”
“I’m fine,” he barked, and she laughed again at his volleyof obscenities.What an asshole.
She kept going, reaching out with her senses as shenavigated the dark tunnels.She could feel the elemental vibrations change asshe passed each new mineral, some of them leaving no more impression on herthan common gravel, others whispering to her like potential lovers.
But none of them possessed the special signature of theTaaffeite.Still, she was close.She couldn’t quite feel the deposit yet, butshe could smell it, a faint anise and berry tang in the musty earth that madeher mouth water.Every gemstone had its own unique scent, some spicy, somesweet, andTaafeitewas a delectable combination ofboth.
What felt like a cool breeze tickled her skin from anunexplored tunnel on the right.It was narrow, with jagged stones jutting fromthe sides like a giant cheese grater.Carefully, she went to her hands andknees and started to crawl.
“Hold up there, sweetheart,” Tom called out.“My men haven’treinforced this yet, and I’m not about to—”
“Quiet!”She paused, inhaled, tasting the sharp bite ofberyllium and aluminum on the back of her tongue.“It’s here,” she breathedexcitedly.
Giddy with anticipation, she turned up the intensity of thelight on her helmet, and there, just ahead in a space big enough to stand, wasa glint of violet peeking out of the boring gray and brown stone all around it.
Grinning, she scrambled the remaining distance in thecrawlspace, and when she stood, she marveled at the sight of a thick vein ofone of the rarest gemstones in the world.There was another vein near theceiling, and she could sense even more Taaffeite deep in the walls.She doubtedthere was more than about seven hundred carats’ worth of the precious gemstonehere, but at around three to four thousand dollars percaraton the human market and double that on the demon one, the stones would net arespectable haul.And because it was so rare, adding even a hundred carats tothe market would increase the value and the demand since right now few knewabout it, and those who did were collectors.
Very carefully, she plucked a chisel from her gear belt anddug a jagged hunk of stone from the surrounding rock.Under the light from herhelmet, the purple gem glittered, even with all the rough material coating it.Its aura glowed with stunning intensity, something the obnoxious human crawlingtoward her wouldn’t be able to see.
She closed her fist around the gem and inhaled, letting itsvibrations absorb into her body.Power pounded through her, makingher fleshthrob and her blood surge.This was a naturalstone, untouched by anyone, so its energy was pure, neutral, and unenhanced.Itwould give her added strength and stamina, but it wouldn’t add orsubtractfrom any of her special abilities.
It was, in the simplest of terms, life.
Tom emerged from the tunnel like a grumpy bear awakened fromhibernation.“What are you doing?”As he stood, dirt cascaded off him in achoking cloud of dust.
She opened her fist.The gem was gone, the earth and rockthat had surroundeditnothing but crumbs in her palm.
“I’m admiring my find,” she said, letting the remains fallto the floor of the cave.
As he studied a vein of Taaffeite, she dug another, aboutthe size of her thumb, from a crevice nearby.
“Nice work, honey,” he said, talking directly at herbreasts.“I’m impressed.Everyone said you’re the best.Should have listened.”
“Yes, you should have.”She turned toward the tunnel toescape this cretin, and as she did, he slapped her on the ass.Instant, searingrage welled in her chest, and fuck it, she was done with his shit.Her angerdestroyed the tight control she kept on herself, and suddenly the cave lit upwith the soft, iridescent glow emanating from her skin.She knew her eyes,normally ice blue, were glowing as well, still blue, but more intense.
“What the fuck?”Tom leaped backward in fear, but the fearturned to terror when she smiled and held up the gem she’d just dug out of theearth.
“Remember what I said you could do with the Taaffeite whenwe found it?”
She grinned, and he went pale.
