Too bad. Austin almost spoke aloud but was glad she hadn’t. Gem looked uncomfortable, and maybe she should take that as a warning herself. Gem wasn’t the kind of woman she’d pick up for an hour or two in a hotel room on a long layover somewhere. She didn’t do it all that often, but when the constant travel, unrelenting pressure of defusing one crisis after another, and the endless self-questioning got to be too much, her choice was to drink until she slept or have sex until she didn’t think. When she’d found herself drinking a little too much four or five years before, she decided sex was a better antidote. She didn’t turn to it frequently, but when she did, she enjoyed the game, took pleasure in the flirtation and the seduction and ultimately in the final, if fleeting connection. She’d already gone beyond the point of flirtation with Gem. She liked her. Anything beyond that would only be complicating what was likely to become a very difficult situation. “Literally, then…you might have seen the Sisters of Revenge series. It’s about a cadre of—”

“Women warriors dedicated to protecting women on a planet where the captives of territorial wars are sold into slavery. I know that one. Did you—?”

“That would be mine.”

“You’re kidding. You’re Ace Grand?” Gem rocked back in her seat and laughed aloud, her face transformed by pleasure. “That’s amazing. You’re awesome!”

Austin just stared, stunned by a whirlwind of sensation, dizzy as if she’d stepped into a rainbow of color and heat. She’d never met a woman capable of such spontaneous delight. A tightly coiled tendril of hope, long lost and deeply hidden, stretched tentatively toward Gem, testing the possibility of connection. Everything else—the job, the constant pressure to excel, to succeed, to be better than—disappeared. The unrelenting need to measure up and not be left behind faded.

How would she ever hold on to this feeling? What could she possibly do to make Gem look at her this way again? A tight ball of regret filled her chest. Before very long she’d likely destroy any chance she had of being the benefactor of Gem’s favor. Knowing she would lose yet again, she determined to hold on to every glimmer of pleasure as long as she could. “That’s me. But you don’t have to call me Ace.”

“Ace. Yep. It suits.” Gem leaned forward, gripping the coffee cup the waitress had placed down a minute before. “I love your stuff. The characters are incredibly vivid, and the dialogue really jumps. The adaptation you did of Young’s Demon Darkness series was fabulous. Really true to the novels, and the physical depiction of Andromira was…Sorry, I know I’m being a fangirl, but—well, I’m a fan.”

“Hey,” Austin said, trying not to preen, “don’t apologize. I’m really glad you like comics. I don’t meet many people I can actually have a conversation with who do.”

“Do you do signings?”

“Not very often. My schedule is pretty jammed.” Austin couldn’t very well tell her that most of the time she had to squeeze her graphic work in between trips to one part of the world or another to neutralize a potential global disaster. “I don’t get much exposure to the audience.”

“There, you see? That’s why you don’t know there are lots of people like me who really enjoy comics.”

“You’re probably right. I’m very happy that you proved me wrong.”

“Well, I doubt proving you wrong could become a habit.” Gem smiled. “You strike me as being someone who knows what you’re about.”

“Thanks, I think.” Austin saw no point in telling her she was wrong. That she’d never entirely been able to shake her childhood, when she’d known she’d failed to meet her parents’ expectations, and she still carried the scars, not all of them physical, as reminders.

“So…” Gem paused as the waitress deposited their food, left a check, and hurried off. “Do I get a sneak preview of Ciri? I can’t wait to see how you see her.”

Austin grabbed the pen the waitress had left on the table by the check and folded over a corner of the paper placemat advertising local garages, contractors, and pet sitters. She quickly sketched Ciri holding her sword overhead with both hands, her long braid flying behind her, bolts of lightning shooting from the blade, and a banshee war cry enclosed in the balloon above her. She tore the paper in half and passed it to Gem. “There you go.”

She held her breath while Gem turned it back and forth, as if she could see beneath the flat page to the rest of the action. When she glanced up at Austin, her eyes glowed. “If I show up at your hotel room and demand to see more, will you think I’m a crazy stalker?”

Austin forced a grin, knowing that wouldn’t be the reason Gem hunted her down. “I think I’ll probably be safe.”

“Mmm.” Gem folded the paper carefully and tucked it into her pocket. “I’ll remind you you said that.”

Chapter Four

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive for a while?” Gem asked as she buckled into her seat and Austin got behind the wheel. She’d almost hated leaving the warm cocoon of the diner, where she’d felt a little removed from her ordinary life and a little bit out of control. She wasn’t quite herself, and the unexpected freedom was exhilarating. Austin continued to fascinate, by turns charming and amusing and then, suddenly, quiet and reflective—as if she were struggling with some larger question and finding the answers elusive. Gem loved puzzles, although her interest didn’t usually extend to people. She’d learned a painful lesson when it came to people—she was terrible at reading them and vowed never to be in a position where her flawed ability to discern another’s true intentions would matter. If she didn’t care, she couldn’t be hurt. Austin had already made her forget her sacred promises—from the beginning, Austin had been a mystery Gem wanted to unwrap.

“I’m good for now. But thanks.” Austin eased out onto the highway. Traffic was light, but the visibility was almost zero. The mist had turned to a steady, light rain and fog blanked the sky, making the day nearly as dark as night. They’d been on the road half the day and were still only a third of the way to their destination. “If we keep making the kind of time we have all day, I’ll take you up on it.”

“We could surrender,” Gem said. “Pull into a Motel 6–type place and ride this out. The rain may not let up, but eventually the fog will lift. We’d probably end up arriving at about the same time, and the driving would be easier. Probably safer too.”

“We might have to eventually.” Austin didn’t have any intention of quitting, but she couldn’t really come up with a plausible reason why she needed to reach Rock Hill Island ASAP. “But the fog has to break eventually, and we might get lucky sooner rather than later. You okay with being cooped up in here awhile longer?”

“I’m fine. I’ve never minded coops.” Gem smiled. “And the company is excellent.”

“Yes, it is.” Austin glanced over and smiled. “Is there someone you need to update on your situation?”

“Someone…oh, at the sanctuary, you mean?” Gem shook her head. “No, not really. Our study group is funded through a national program in association with the sanctuary’s foundation. I’m actually in charge of the research program, and I planned to arrive a few days early. I wanted a little time alone just to enjoy the place before the work got started.”

“To wake up to nothing but the sounds of the wind and birds,” Austin murmured.

Gem flushed, glad Austin’s attention was on the road. “My inner geek is showing, isn’t it.”

Austin looked her way and shook her head slightly. Her expression was solemn, unexpectedly serious. “Not at all.”

“Well,” Gem said, her throat unusually tight, “the other investigators have been here before. If anyone does show up before me, they’ll settle in fine on their own. How about you?”

“Sorry?” Austin said.

“Is this a solitary vacation, or do you have friends in the area?”

“Oh.” Austin preferred to say as little as possible about her plans—the less said, the less she had to embellish. And the less guilty she’d feel about not explaining her real purpose for the trip. “No. Just me.”

“You are serious about holing up, then.”

“Once I get into the drafting stages of a project,” Austin said, happy to retreat to safer ground where she could answer without subterfuge, “I tend to hibernate until it’s finished.”

“How about I give you my number when we get there,” Gem said, “and if you decide a change of scenery will improve your concentration, or you just need a break, you can call me. I’ll show you around the sanctuary. It’s quite beautiful this time of year.”

“I…thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Gem said quietly, a little taken aback at her offer. She could tell herself she was just being friendly, just returning Austin’s generosity in giving her a ride, and that would be true—partially. But it was more than that, if she really wanted to look at it. She liked Austin’s company. She wanted to see her again, although that didn’t seem likely given what Austin had just said. Reaching out to someone—someone who interested her in a personal way—just wasn’t something she did. More often than not, she was the one gently saying no to proposals from women to get together. She wasn’t unfriendly, and she enjoyed the company of women, but so very often, those invitations came with the unmistakable undercurrent of interest in something she had no interest in. She didn’t want a date. Not that she wanted a date with Austin, and Austin hadn’t given her any indication she was at all interested in anything like that.

She just enjoyed her company—her easy confidence, her gentle teasing, even her occasional silences that hinted at some hidden hurt. Those glimpses of internal struggle might intrigue her most of all. And if she was honest, she’d have to admit that she wanted to know those secrets. She didn’t want to say good-bye at the end of the trip and never see her again.