Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
“Indeed.” He straightened, and his gaze lifted to my face, lingering for a moment. “You have a remarkable touch, Delaney. Rare in someone so young.”
Heat rose in my cheeks at the compliment. I admired him as an academic, so it meant a lot coming from him. He wasn’t warm in the way my parents were, but professionally, he was brilliant. But I always got the sense there was something artificial about him, so I was never quite certain where I stood with him.
“Thank you.” I flashed him a genuine smile. “I’m lucky to learn from you.”
He dipped his chin before glancing at the clock on the wall. “Don’t stay too late, Delaney. The world is rough on beautiful things that aren’t properly protected.”
His choice of wording was a little odd, but I felt a flush of appreciation that he’d bothered to check on me at all.
“I won’t,” I promised with a soft laugh. “I’m almost done. I’ll clean up and head out soon.”
“Very good.” He lingered another moment, his gaze drifting once more over the brooch in my hand before he finally turned toward the door. “Good night, Delaney.”
“Good night, Dr. Kinghorn.”
His footsteps faded up the stairs, and the basement fell quiet again. I let out a slow breath and shook my head, rolling my eyes at my own jumpiness.
Since we worked with light-sensitive artifacts down here, the lab was fairly dim. Alone again, the shadows between the storage cases seemed to stretch longer under the preservation lights. I rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the faint prickle that crawled across the back of my neck. It felt like someone was watching me, but there was nobody else in the lab.
Still, I glanced over my shoulder once before turning back to the brooch. “Just you and me and the ghosts tonight, huh?”
The joke helped. I finished the final round of cleaning, then sat back and studied my work under the lamp. My earlier uneasiness was replaced with satisfaction for a job well done. This was only the first step in the process, but I could already see how beautiful the brooch was going to be once the restoration was complete. I loved taking something damaged and giving it new life.
I switched off the task lamp, covered the brooch with its protective cloth, and began cleaning my tools with the same gentle precision I used on every artifact. Then everything went back into its exact place in my kit. Mom always teased me about how obsessive I was, but these tools were extensions of my hands. They deserved care too.
Once everything was packed, I slung my bag over my shoulder, double-checked that the climate controls were stable, and headed for the door. The emergency strips along the baseboards provided a dim glow in the hallway outside the lab, and my footsteps echoed softly on the old tile.
I reached for the last light switch, my fingers hovering for just a second before I flipped it.
I was already thinking about the leftover Thai in my fridge and the call I’d make to my parents tomorrow as darkness swallowed the lab behind me. I moved through the quiet corridors, staying alert as I made my way toward the employee exit. It was late at night, but a guard was posted at the exit, and the parking structure was well lit.
As I dug for my keys, a shadow shifted behind me. Before I could turn, a strong arm wrapped around my chest, and a cloth slammed over my mouth and nose. The sharp, sickly-sweet smell flooded my senses. I jerked hard, panic exploding through me as I tried to twist away. My bag dropped to the ground with a thud.
I clawed at the arm, my heart hammering wildly. The world tilted, and my limbs grew heavy, refusing to obey. My terror grew right before everything faded to black.
2
DELANEY
My eyelids felt impossibly heavy when I finally dragged them open. A deep, throbbing ache pulsed through my skull, and my mouth tasted dry and metallic. It took me a moment to realize I was lying on my back on something hard and unfamiliar. The air around me held the scent of old stone, faint incense, and dust. The kind that settled in places long forgotten.
I tried to move my arms and hissed at the sharp burn circling both wrists. Twisting my neck to look up, I found a thick, coarse rope wrapped around them. I’d been tied up long enough for marks to have been left behind on my pale skin.
My confusion gave way to rising panic.
Glancing back down, I realized I no longer wore the jeans and soft sweater I’d put on this morning. I was now dressed in an ankle-length gown of delicate ivory linen. The fabric felt lightweight but old-fashioned, with a high neckline that brushed my throat and long sleeves that ended in gentle cuffs.