Free Into the Ether by Vanessa Barger Page B

wait to see what they were thinking. I kept my eyes fixed on a crack in the wall over the doorway. “I was supposed to check out the museum and see what I could find and then spend a few days trying to pinpoint the location of the object. Then I was supposed to steal it and return to Justin . They shouldn’t have chosen me. Everyone knows I have no heart for thieving. But Spiros said I would be able to find the object. Only I would be able to tell if it was the right object.”
    â€œHow?” Colonel Worthington ’s voice cut in, sharp and harsh.
    I flinched. “He said I ’ d just know. Didn’t give any other information than that.”
    â€œWhat was the thing you were supposed to find?” Colonel Worthington asked.
    I risked a glance at him. His bushy brows were drawn into a frown over his eyes, and he watched me carefully. Phillip just looked disappointed. That hurt far worse than the scorn the curator oozed.
    â€œA box. No one said what was in it. Just that it was a box : not too big, made of metal . Possibly with a key.”
    He nodded once. “Why tell me this now?”
    My shoulders fell. “I needed to tell you. Because you’ve been kind to me for no reason at all, and the only other person that has done that is Terry, and,” my voice cracked and I blinked away fresh tears. “We all see where that got him. I figured if I told you, you could protect yourselves.”
    â€œAre you still planning to steal the box?”
    Anger mixed with the shame and sadness I felt, making me shake. My fingers clutched the hat to my chest. “No. They betrayed me. Worse, they hurt someone who didn’t have anything to do with this other than his friendship with me .”
    â€œWhy protect us now? Why should I believe you? ” Colonel Worthington asked, his words cutting deep.
    I didn’t want to look at him, but I forced myself to raise my head.
    â€œ Maybe you shouldn’t trust me. But you’ve been kind to me and I like you. And I love this place. It never mattered to the artifacts or to either of you that I can’t remember where I came from or that I’ve lived in a sewer for the last six years. And if I can protect you where I couldn’t protect Terry, then I have to try.”
    Phillip’s voice was hard to read. “Why do you speak about it as if Terry is dead?”
    I held the hat out in my free hand. “There’s blood on this! He was running away from them when he came to you, and then this appears. What other conclusion is there?”
    Phillip didn’t say anything else. My eyes burned, but I’d cried enough tears. Anger was a warmer, stronger emotion. I didn’t want to feel any weaker than I already did whenever I looked at the blood on Terry’s hat.
    I looked at Colonel Worthington . “I understand if you’d like me to leave. I don’t have much, so it won’t take long to get it all together.”
    I pushed myself up out of the chair, cradling my injured hand against my stomach.
    â€œI didn’t say that, did I?”
    I stopped, the wind dashed from my sails. “What?”
    â€œMy dear , Genevieve, I’ve known you were sent here to steal something for quite awhile. I even know who Spiros is and who employs him. I’m quite impressed you and your friend have managed to stand up to them for this long.”
    I sank back into my seat, staring at the curator. My mouth opened and closed, but there were no words that seemed appropriate. “How?”
    He sat back in the chair. “I’ve been in the employ of the empire long enough to have my own contacts and methods. Let’s just leave it at that.”
    I wiped at the tears that snuck from the corners of my eyes. “Why would you keep me here if you knew?”
    He spread his hands wide. “What better way to keep watch on you than to keep you close? From a distance, I’d have had to patrol the building