Blood of Amber Read Online Free PDF Page A

  Had a couple days’ worth of amnesia, and they can’t seem to figure what caused it.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that.”
    “Well, the X-rays didn’t show any damage-like he’d hit his head or anything.   And he seems okay now.   They say he’ll probably be fine.   But they want to keep an eye on him a little longer.   That’s all.” Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, she asked, “How’d he seem when you were talking with him, anyway?”
    I’d seen it coming, so I didn’t hesitate.
    “He seemed fine when I talked with him,” I answered.   “But of course I hadn’t known him before, so I couldn’t tell whether he was acting any different.”
    “I see what you mean,” she said.   “Do you want him to call you back when he gets in?”
    “No.   I’m going to be going out;” I said, “and I’m not sure when I’ll be getting back.   It was nothing really important.   I’ll get in touch again one of these days.”
    “Okay, then.   I’ll tell him you called.”
    “Thanks.   G’bye.”
    That one I’d almost expected.   After Meg.   George’s behavior had been overtly weird, at the end there.   What had bothered me was that he’d seemed to know who I really was and to know about Amber-.and he even wanted to follow me through a Trump.   It was as if he and Meg had both been subjected to some strange manipulation.
    Jasra came to mind immediately in this regard.   But then she was Luke ally, it seemed, and Meg had warned me against Luke.   Why would she do that if Jasra were controlling her in some fashion? It didn’t make sense.   Who else did I know who might be capable of causing such phenomena?
    Fiona, for one.   But then she’d been party to my later return to this shadow from Amber and had even picked me up after my evening with Meg.   And she’d seemed just as puzzled about the course of events as I was.
    Shit.   Life is full of doors that don’t open when you knock, equally spaced amid those that open when you don’t want them to.
    I went back and knocked on the bedroom door, and Flora told me to come in.   She was seated before a mirror, applying makeup.
    “How’d it go?” she asked.
    “Not too well.   Totally unsatisfactory, actually.” I summarized the results of my calls.
    “So what are you going to do now?” she inquired.
    “Get in touch with Random,” I said, “and bring him up to date.   I’ve got a feeling he’ll call me back to hear it all.   So I wanted to say good-bye, and thanks for helping me.   Sorry if I broke up your romance.”
    She shrugged, her back still to me, as she studied herself in the mirror.   “Don’t worry-“
    I did not hear the remainder of her sentence, though she continued talking.   My attention was snatched away by what seemed the beginning of a Trump contact.   I made myself receptive and waited.   The feeling grew stronger but the caller s presence did not become manifest.   I turned away from Flora.
    “Merle, what is it?” I heard her say then.
    I raised one hand to her as the feeling intensified.   I seemed to be staring down a long black tunnel with nothing at its farther end.
    “I don’t know;’ I said, summoning the Logrus and taking control of one of its limbs.   “Ghost? Is that you? Are you ready to talk?” I asked.   There was no reply.   I felt a chill as I remained receptive, waiting.   I had never experienced anything quite like this before.   I’d a strong feeling that if I but moved forward I would be transported somewhere.   Was this a challenge? A trap? Whatever, I felt that only a fool would accept such an invitation from the unknown.   For all I knew, it might deliver me back to the crystal cave.
    “If there is something you want,” I said, “you are going to have to make yourself known and ask.   I’ve given up on blind dates.”
    A sense of presence trickled through, then, but no intimations of identity,
    “All right,” I said.   “I’m not coming and you have