The Mother read aloud.
“So he carried me away in spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written. Mystery. Babylon the Great. The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.”
The fog swam around Sarah, rotating her consciousness until it swirled. Until creatures rose from the floor to claw at her, devouring her to shreds with hot, whiplike gashes that seemed to separate her skin from her bones.
Until there was nothing left of Sarah but a single heartbeat.
And then it stopped, and only silence remained.
Only a ragged inhale. Exhale.
And then nothing.
Just black.
Chapter Six
Eliana grabbed a can of probiotic soda and a lunch tray, then waited while the woman ahead of her vacillated between bowls of salad with more tomato or more olives. She’d had that old dream again last night. It had been years since she thought of it, but now it was back—and she was on edge, thinking about shadowy faces in the dark.
Head of Security, “Just call me Tony,” grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerated cabinet between the cafeteria counter and the door to the room. “Thanks again for agreeing to lunch, even if it got postponed for a day. I figured if anyone could tell me about the real behind-the-scenes stuff here, it was you.”
She tried to keep her feelings from her face but wasn’t sure that was a skill she possessed. Eventually, everyone wanted to talk about who she was. She held the tray and glanced back at Tony. “Are you from Chicago?”
“Not originally.” He sniffed. “I was actually living in Arkansas until a couple of weeks ago when Syl—uh, Director Caughton—contacted me about the position.”
“So your history that got you the position is personal?” Eliana moved to the salads and selected a bowl, sliding it onto her tray.
He didn’t say anything.
Eliana glanced over at him.
“Like your personal history that got you this job?”
She frowned. “I was offered this position. I didn’t seek it out.”
“I guess our stories are similar, then.” He selected a plate of pasta salad. “It’s been a long time since Sylvia and I have seen each other, so you don’t have to worry that I was hired because we’re sleeping together or anything like that. I’m married.”
She wanted to make a quip about the day being young, so he had time if he wanted to give it a shot, but she didn’t want even that much information about her boss—or his boss. Or the state of this guy’s marriage. She could’ve argued there was nothing similar about them, but what was the point? She had no idea.
The reality of living with unanswered questions shouldn’t ever surprise her, but when it seemed like everyone around her had those answers, how was she supposed to feel about it?
He cleared his throat. “I understand Director Caughton gave serious consideration to giving you the job. You just haven’t been here that long.”
Meanwhile, he showed up the day before. But he hadhistory. And now he had the access to the vault that she needed.
“Thanks.” Eliana smiled at him. “That actually does help.”Ish.“I like working here, and I do want to advance. But if it’s not the right time…” She shrugged.
He nodded, selecting an open-faced, loaded cheeseburger. “Why work here at all? It’s a pretty controversial place. Most people visit the museum out of a sense of morbid curiosity. Other people come because they want to figure out how to destroy it from within.”
She took a plate of what looked like a chicken and cheese quesadilla and slid it onto her tray. “Other people, the kind who like crime fiction, show up and take the tour like it’s entertainment and not history. They want to pretend this is just a fabrication rather than part of real life. Or the historyof the world.” She set her tray on an open table and sat while he settled across from her. “Half the scientists here were either part ofDominatusin some way or couldn’t be because of ethical considerations but wanted to. Now they finally have a shot to research whatever it was with no repercussions. All in the name of science. Or posterity.”
He bit into his cheeseburger, which left only silence between them. Contemplating her words? More likely, he was assessing her.
“I know I look like her,” she added. Why not get it out in the open to start with? “My mother, I mean.”
His eyes flared for a second, and he coughed, which made him reach for his water. After taking a sip, he said, “Yeah, you really do.”
She forked a bite of salad. “People tell me all the time that I look like her. Maybe I’m connected to the family through some kind ofDominatusgenetic experiment. But I’ve never been able to find out how.”
