Timebound(72)

“Don’t worry,” I chuckled. “I haven’t the slightest intention of leaving.” I gave her what I hoped came across as a sympathetic smile. “Katherine—that’s my grandmother—says she’s never seen anyone able to activate the key as quickly as I did. Was I foretold in your Book of Prophecy? According to your criteria, I should be among the predestined. Or does it even exist? I’ve heard rumors…”

“It exists,” she snapped. “Each Grand Templar has a copy. And you’re not in it.”

“Are you sure? I find it hard to believe that Cyrus wouldn’t have foretold my arrival, wouldn’t have known that I’d want to learn more.” I pushed the chair a bit closer and lowered my voice a bit. “Or will they not let you read the entire thing? I’ve heard that the Chosen are only given little snippets of prophecy—like the paper inside a fortune cookie.”

Her jaw tightened. “Most Cyrists only see the Book on the day they join the Chosen. I live here, however.” Her glance drifted slightly over her left shoulder, to the shelves behind the desk. “I haven’t read all of it—that would take ages—but I most certainly can read anything I want.”

I gave her a skeptical look. “Well, if that’s true and if you know where the Chosen are listed, then why not check while we wait? One less thing to be taken care of when your father arrives. I mean, either I’m in the Book or Cyrus made a rather large mistake.”

“Cyrus doesn’t make mistakes.” She walked around the edge of the desk and searched the fourth shelf up, which was filled with large and ornately bound volumes. Her hand closed around a much smaller book, however, which I recognized instantly as a CHRONOS diary. The only decoration was on the front, where the words Book of Prophecy were engraved in simple gold letters, with a Cyrist emblem below.

She opened the book and then, after a few seconds, snapped it shut again, an annoyed look on her face. “We’ll have to wait. I don’t have the…” She paused, searching for the word. “Oh, the adapter thing… I can’t remember what Daddy calls it.”

“Oh,” I said. “The little translator disk? I have one. Here…” I stood up and put my hand behind my ear, hoping that she would come closer before I actually had to remove it. She walked part of the way around the desk and then paused, waiting.

“Damn!” I said. “I dropped it again. These disks are awful—it’s like trying to find a contact lens…” I leaned forward and a few seconds later, Eve took the bait and joined me, bending down slightly to examine the carpet.

I felt guilty beyond belief but reminded myself that I really had no choice. I pulled the office chair upward and swung hard. One of the wheels flew off and rolled under the desk as the pneumatic base of the chair connected solidly with the side of her head. Eve fell backward and hit her head on the desk with a resounding thump before she crumpled to the floor.

I waited a second and then touched her eyelashes to see if she was faking. There was no flutter, so she really was unconscious, but it was impossible to say how long she would stay that way. Or, I thought, glancing around nervously, whether there were security cameras hidden in the room.

That’s when the barking began. I turned automatically to look and wished I hadn’t because both Dobermans were staring straight at me through the glass, teeth bared.

I took several steps toward the door and then remembered the access badge. It was on the desk, next to the Book of Prophecy. I grabbed them both, stuck the book into the waistband of my jeans under my various layers of camisoles, and ran as fast as I could for the door.

The hallway was still empty. I hurried down it toward the door to the gym, hoping that Trey was still there and not wandering around the temple with the other Acolytes. I waved the badge in front of the keypad as I looked through the small window.

I could see several of the group still seated at the tables, but Charlayne and Trey weren’t with them. The access pad beeped and I pushed hard to open the door, nearly hitting Trey and Charlayne, who had been about to open it from the opposite side.

“Hey, watch out!” Charlayne cried, jumping back. “See, she’s fine, just like I told you.” She moved toward me and looked down the hallway. “Where’s Eve?”

“There were no kits,” I said. “She’s going to look in the main office…” I grabbed Trey’s arm and pulled him out of the gym.

“How can she do that?” Charlayne asked. “You have her access badge.”

I stared at her for a moment. She wasn’t my Charlayne, not really, but I didn’t like lying to her. “Eve’s not your friend, Charlayne. I know you won’t understand this, but she was using you to get to me. Take care of yourself, okay?” And then I threw the badge as far into the gym as I could. As I’d hoped, she gave me a confused look and then turned around to retrieve it.