Lightning Game (GhostWalkers #17) -Christine Feehan Page 0,56

and Jonquille had to travel quite a distance in order to get across a gorge to allow them to see the flat, bald top of the mountain where Rubin planned to conduct his experiment. Diego spotted a crevice Jonquille could fit her smaller body into to keep the lead stroke from finding her.

“Can you see Rubin?” There was no way to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

“Yeah, I’ve got him, he’s lying flat just to the right of those boulders. See them? Left side up near the highest point.”

Thunder rumbled. There was little to stop the wind or keep it from slamming into them. She couldn’t imagine what it was doing to Rubin, exposed as he was. Overhead, the clouds were dark, black and purple. They lit up, lightning forking inside them as the charges bumped against one another repeatedly, causing enormous friction. The pull on her body was horrendous.

“You all right, Jonquille?” Diego asked. “You’re glowing like a Christmas tree.”

“Just keep your eyes on Rubin. I’ve done this a million times now.”

“You really are worried about him. I’m sorry I thought about killing you so often. That would have been a tragedy.”

She wasn’t so certain, not when her core temperature was so hot now she felt like the ground around her was melting just from the contact with her body. This was never going to end for her. She’d done so much research. Rubin, as far as she knew, was the best mind in the field working on the possibilities, and yet he couldn’t help. She’d been at her research for years. It didn’t seem as if there was any hope for her. Maybe Diego’s bullet would have been a kindness.

Static buildup was fast. The charge was coming. She couldn’t help herself. She was folded into a little ball, crammed tight into the crevice, but she stuck her head out to look up at the sky just as the bolt of lightning slammed to earth. She saw the trajectory in her mind. Knew where it would hit. Out of nowhere a blast of energy every bit as strong hit it, diverting the path, knocking it off course so that the spear moved from its intended target to another. Sparks flew up in all directions.

“He did it. That son of a bitch actually did it.” Elation poured out of Diego. “He said he could, and he hit the target dead-on.”

“What target? There were no targets.” Jonquille felt like a turtle, with her head stuck out of the crevice trying to peer at the bald mountaintop.

“Rubin mapped the entire mountaintop into various coordinates. He told me where each strike would be directed.”

Another was coming. She felt the pull on her body. “Watch your eyes, Diego,” she warned.

Thunder crashed directly overhead as the blinding flash of white-hot electrical energy burst down looking for the charge coming from the ground. Again, before it could reach its target, it was struck and knocked off course. Diego was muttering continually to himself. “This is insanity. No one can do this.”

“Do you know how fast he has to be?” Jonquille demanded. She nearly crawled out of the crevice. “He hit it quicker that time. He knows it’s coming the way I do. I want to go up there. I wish I could talk to him the way you do. I should have asked him if we could do that. It would have made things so much easier.” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.

“Hang on a moment and don’t do anything dumb like move.”

“There’s another one coming,” Jonquille warned again.

This one was very dangerous, directly over Rubin’s position. He directed it with seeming ease this time. It was all Jonquille could do not to sprint back up the mountain toward him.

“I’m a strong telepath, Jonquille,” Diego surprised her by saying. “I asked Rubin if he minded if I looped you in. He agreed, so I’ll start you out. That way you can talk with either of us when you need to.”

“That would be so perfect, thank you.”

Rubin, she’s all yours.

She is, Rubin agreed.

I’m coming up there. The minute I start moving, the lightning will start striking. The lead stroke will look for me.

Even down here? Diego asked. We’re quite a bit below Rubin’s position.

Yes. I’m fast though. After the next strike I’ll start running. Rubin, do you think you can redirect when the lightning is targeting me?

Rubin was silent. She could tell he was thinking it over. I know I could if you