out the window of her limo. She’d hoped to impress her enough so that she would be able to oust her during the next visit. But Eve Duncan was one of those women who thought so much of themselves that they didn’t realize how far above them she was. Station and beauty meant nothing to them because they had some idiotic skill and thought they could compete. It was not only laughable, it was an annoyance. Now she would have to spend more time than she’d planned on getting rid of her. It would probably mean trying to influence that charity to—”
Her phone was buzzing.
She stiffened as she saw there was no ID.
Dammit! She had been afraid of this.
She punched in the access code and typed rapidly.
IT DIDN’T GO WELL. DUNCAN IS STUPID AND I CAN SEE SHE WON’T COOPERATE. IT WILL TAKE ME A LITTLE LONGER THAN I PLANNED.
A pause, then the answer.
WE BOTH KNOW THAT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE. I TOLD YOU I NEED HER GONE. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Orders? She tried to smother the bolt of sheer rage that shot through her.
I’LL DO IT AS QUICKLY AS I CAN. HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW COMPLICATED IT IS TO KEEP ALL THE BALLS IN THE AIR.
Another pause.
HOW DO I DARE? YOU KNOW HOW I DARE, ZAHRA. NOW STOP STALLING AND GIVE ME WHAT I WANT.
She should have been more cautious. She might have made a mistake. She typed in quickly. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
The answer came back instantly.
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
* * *
Eve finished the initial smoothing of the clay just after midnight.
She leaned back and gazed at the reconstruction as she wiped her hands. Everything was there, and smooth, and presumably correct. But he was like a baby asleep in the cradle, waiting to be roused. It was time to wake him up and bring him back to those who loved him.
Her hands were tingling again. But that was okay now. The blood flow usually helped the process and kept her from becoming exhausted.
“It’s time for you to get to work, Amari,” she said softly. “We’re almost at the end, and I need a little help here. I’ll be with you all the way, but there are so many tiny things I could miss that would make them sad if I didn’t catch them. We don’t want that to happen, so let’s make sure it doesn’t. Okay?”
She reached out and delicately touched the place on his skull that she’d repaired. “Let’s do this, first. Let’s make it go away forever…”
Smooth.
Careful.
Delicacy.
Don’t hurry. It has to be perfect.
Don’t let anyone know the pain that caused that wound.
See? It’s gone now, Amari.
Perfect.
Smooth.
Mold.
Go on to the cheekbone.
It’s going faster now.
Smooth.
Mold.
Hollow the left cheekbone a little more.
The clay was cool beneath her fingers.
Ears. Make them generic. Hajif could tell her if she’d gotten it right.
Smooth.
Mold.
Fill in.
The clay felt warmer now as her fingers moved faster.
Eyes.
No, not yet. There was something troubling about the eyes…
Go on to the nose.
Pay attention to the measurements of the space between the nose and upper lip.
Smooth.
Fill in.
Mouth.
So difficult.
Just go with what seemed right.
Eyes?
No, not yet. What was wrong with the eyes?
Go back to the cheekbones.
Not full enough, he’d not reached puberty and was still a child.
Smooth.
Mold.
Fill in.
Her fingers were flying now.
What’s wrong with the eyes?
Check the measurements.
Measurements correct.
But something was wrong.
Not with the right eye, she realized.
Left eye. Outer corner of the left eye.
Too smooth.
Indent.
No, build up.
It didn’t matter if she didn’t know the reason.
Just do it.
Now it was right.
Go on to the curve of the lips.
Something was missing.
Mold.
A deeper crease.
Her fingers were hot, fast, mindless.
Let it all come together.
Smooth.
Fill in.
Mold…
Chapter
5
Finished?” Gideon said behind her from the doorway. “It’s almost three. I gave you an extra—”
“Almost,” she interrupted. “I just need to put in his eyes. Go get Hajif and his wife.”
“It’s three in the morning. You want me to wake them up?”
“Yes, by the time they throw on some clothes, I’ll be finished. And they’re not going to care if it’s three in the morning. They deserve to be the first to see him. Go!”
“You’re continuing to order me about,” he complained. “I can’t say I’m accustomed to such treatment…”
He was gone.
And she was reaching for her eye case. There was no question about the color, they would be the same rich brown as Hajif’s. She carefully inserted the glass eyes in the orbital sockets and sat back to look at him.
Yes.
Only Hajif and his wife, Leta, could tell her if this