Free The Timeseer's Gambit (The Faraday Files Book 2) by Kate McIntyre Page A

Chris?”
    “Mnn?”
    “I take it that you were sour-faced and snappish with William, as well?”
    “Ah,” Chris flushed, remembering the way he’d acted, turning Will out of his house, saying he didn’t want to see him. The wounded look in his only real friend’s eyes. He avoided Olivia’s prying gaze. “I…” No use denying it. “Yes,” he said. “I suppose I was.”
    “Well,” Olivia said, patting his hand. “You’d best apologize to the boy posthaste. It’s probably eating him from the inside out. He likes you, you know.”
    “I know.”
    “No,” Olivia said and gave him a look. “He likes you, Christopher.”
    Chris could only look at her for a moment before his eyes slipped away. His mind skirted the knowledge she was trying to impress on him. “Right,” he said. “Of course. We’re friends.”
    And she sighed.



hris had privately doubted that an hour was enough time to gather three separate church families from across Darrington. The Crones and Elders tended to be very old, indeed, which did not lend itself to quick travel. But when he and Olivia strode into the sanctuary of the Heart Church, they were met by an unfamiliar old woman in Crone’s robes, holding an armful of files against her chest. She was small and wrinkled like a raisin, but she had a kind sort of face. She smiled at them, and when she met Chris’s eyes, he could tell she’d been crying. “Good afternoon, Miss Faraday, Mister Buckley,” she said, ducking her white-haired head respectfully. Chris made the sign of the Three and Three. Olivia didn’t, studying her closely.
    “You’re Heart Church’s Crone,” she said, finally.
    The old priestess looked startled, blinking large eyes owlishly at them. “Why, yes,” she said. “Grandmother Harriet is my name, dear. Did Greta tell you about me?”
    “No,” Olivia said with a conspiratorial smile. Before the Crone could ask further, Olivia swept past her and into the waterlogged back hallway. “Are the families all here?”
    “Oh, well―yes, indeed they are, dear. If you’ll just follow…” But Olivia was already gone.
    The poor old woman hitched up the skirts of her habit to hurry after her. “Oh, but Miss Faraday, that kind Officer Dawson also brought these reports―”
    Chris ran his eyes through the sanctuary, with its stained glass windows and its vaulted ceilings. Mother Greta had her head bowed in prayer at the front with a small group of worshippers. For a moment, he swore he saw familiar silver hair and a strong back kneeling before the altar to Healfdene the Elder. Then he blinked, and the apparition was gone. He hurried after Olivia and Grandmother Harriet.
    The water level had retreated during the hour they’d been gone, but they still sloshed to their destination. Chris’s shoes would be completely ruined.
    Olivia didn’t seem to notice as she flipped through the files. “Hmm,” she said. “Two fiaran attacks, one sylph, and now an undine. No pattern of the type of elemental, so we can rule out one of those limited ‘binders.” She allowed Grandmother Harriet to move in front of her, leading the way. She turned a few more pages and then made a noise in the back of her throat. “Oh, now,
this
is interesting.” She stopped in her tracks, flipping back and then forth again through the pages. “All of the others died in their beds, late at night. Asleep. That’s… different.”
    Grandmother Harriet turned back. Her eyes were dark and sad. “It would almost be better that way, don’t you think?” she murmured. “Poor, dear Lachlan. He deserved a peaceful end, like the others.”
    “Mnn.” Olivia flipped through again and then closed the files. “Three asleep in their beds and one taking a bath. That
is
quite strange.” She shook her head and glanced up. Grandmother Harriet tilted her head, and Olivia flashed a smile. “Well,” she said. “Lead on, won’t you?”
    The Crone blinked and then nodded, turning away and starting off