Page 48 of Killing Time

“It’s Ruby,” he breathed.

“She’s here.”

12

PRIMA CONTACT

He’d never heardthe woman’s voice before. And yet, it sounded in his head as clear as a bell.

You’re a McAllister. You have to help me.

It disappeared after that, but he knew the voice could have only belonged to one person.

His clan’s missingprima-in-waiting.

Devynn was staring at him as though he’d just grown a second head. “She’s what?”

“I heard her…in here,” he said, and pointed at his temple. “I know it sounds crazy, but isn’t that what you said she could do — call out to her people when she was in trouble?”

“Well, yes,” Devynn replied. She looked past him, almost as if she expected to see Ruby standing in the corridor off to their left, but obviously, it was empty. “I mean, that’s what I heard, and your clan elders acted as if it was perfectly normal. But how could she even know you were here?”

He had no idea. Or rather, although his own magical talent had everything to do with affecting matter, of interacting with the physical world, he supposed he could see how, if Ruby already had a gift for instinctively reaching out to otherMcAllisters for assistance, she would also be able to sense whether anyone from her clan was near her.

“Can you try talking to her?” Devynn went on, and Seth made an impatient sound.

“I’m not a psychic.”

“No,” Devynn said calmly. “And I’m not a seer, but I had those weird dreams when we were back in 1884. Maybe the amulet is affecting both of us in ways we can’t really understand.”

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to entertain that particular idea. Something about it felt oddly disturbing, as though the very presence of the amulet was enough to alter their abilities, to bend time and space and their minds in ways they could only begin to understand.

Had he been drawn to La Posada because blood called to blood, and he’d somehow known the McAllisterprima-in-waiting had been imprisoned here, or had the amulet they’d found in the past pushed him here without him even recognizing its subtle influence?

He was beginning to see why Abigail had called it an abomination.

But he knew he couldn’t allow himself to think of the amulet in such a way, not if there was even the remotest possibility that it might allow him to communicate with his clan’s kidnappedprima-in-waiting.

“Maybe,” he allowed. “If that’s the case, though, maybe I should have it for a minute.”

Not even a second of hesitation.

“Sure,” Devynn replied. She reached into her pocket and drew out the amulet, then put it in his hand and wrapped his fingers around it.

The metal was warm against his flesh, but possibly that was because she’d been carrying it in her pocket this whole time.He’d rather think that than allow himself to believe the artifact had some intrinsic heat of its own.

Another glance around them, but this section of the hotel seemed curiously deserted. If that really was Ruby hidden in one of those rooms, Seth didn’t think it too odd that Jasper — or whatever Wilcox relative had secreted her in this place — might have rented out all the surrounding ones as well so there was no chance of anyone hearing her or realizing anything strange might be happening in this little eddy away from the rest of the hustle and bustle of La Posada.

Ruby,he thought, feeling a little foolish. Was he really trying to communicate telepathically with theprima-in-waiting?

I’m here,she responded. A pause before she went on,I don’t think I know you, though. Are you one of my cousins from Payson or Wickenburg?

This really was working. What in the absolute hell?

But he knew he couldn’t get lost in the madness of it all. No, he had to pay attention to Ruby and try to see if together they could come up with some way to get her out of there before her captors returned.

No,he said.My name is Seth. I’m Charles’s younger brother.

The one who disappeared right after I was born?

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