Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle Read Free Book Online

“His name is Vincent.”
    The second ghost hunter frowned. “Not sure we’re authorized to allow a varmint into the tunnels.”
    Lyra narrowed her eyes. “The bunny is with me. He goes where I go.”
    Cruz took a locator out of his pocket and checked his amber as he walked past the men. “They’re both with me.”
    “Yes, sir,” both hunters said simultaneously.
    They stepped quickly out of Lyra’s path. She made to follow Cruz, Vincent tucked firmly under one arm.
    One of the men spoke behind her.
    “Miss Dore?”
    She paused. “Yes?”
    “Do you really think you can open that amethyst ruin?” he asked. “We’ve got two good men trapped in there with the research team.”
    “Morgan and Estrada,” the second man said. “Morgan is a friend. Estrada is my brother-in-law. My sister is in a real panic.”
    Their anxiety was genuine, Lyra thought. She gave them an equally genuine smile. “Don’t worry; I’ll get it open.”
    “You think they’ll be okay?” the first man said. “There’s talk about some weird energy inside that ruin.”
    “I’ve been informed that no one was caught in the entrance when it closed, so unless they’ve done something really dumb like try to get through the energy field, they should be fine,” she said. “I spent a lot of time in that chamber before Amber Inc. and the Guild forced me out. There’s nothing inside the ruin that would harm your friends.”
    Both men looked relieved.
    “Thanks,” the first one said. “Don’t mind telling you we’ve all been damn worried.”
    The second one exhaled heavily. “We appreciate what you’re doing for us, ma’am.”
    “Right,” Lyra said. She turned away before either of the two men could remind her of the old Guild saying, “The Guild always repays a favor.”
    “The Guild always repays a favor, Miss Dore,” the first hunter called after her.
    She winced. “Thanks, but I’ll pass on any Guild favors.”
    She hurried toward the staircase. Cruz was waiting for her at the top of the glowing green steps. He looked amused.
    “Amber Inc. has the same policy,” he said.
    “Excellent. If you want to repay me, you can return the ruin to me.” She started down the staircase.
    He ignored the comment and started down the stairs behind her. “You were nice to those two guards,” he said. “Thought you said all Guild men were thugs. Sort of like all Amber Inc. people.”
    “Amber Inc. is a closely held family business. They don’t actively recruit. But the Guilds do. What’s more, they focus their efforts on vulnerable young males, seducing them with notions of an adventurous life in the underworld. But the reality is that most ghost hunters are nothing more than bodyguards for the research and excavation teams that go down into the tunnels and the jungle.”
    “And Amber Inc.?”
    “The power behind the throne,” she said. “For the past fifty years, ever since your grandfather cheated mine out of the Radiance Springs claim, your family has controlled half the SRA production in the four city-states.”
    “My grandfather tells the story a little differently.”
    “I’m sure he does. But the truth is, AI tolerates wild catters and independents only so long as we don’t get in your way or come up with any really spectacular finds. If we do get lucky, you step in and take over. What’s more, you have all the connections with the Guilds, the archaeologists, and the government to make it happen legally. On top of that, you keep things in the family. You’ve never gone public with your stock, so you don’t have to explain things to shareholders or follow the usual corporate rules.”
    “We don’t like the idea of outsiders trying to tell us what to do,” Cruz said mildly.
    “Trust me, I know the feeling,” she said. “Let’s move. It’s late, and I’ve got to be up early in the morning.”
    “Appointment with a client?”
    “No, my Harmonic Meditation class.”
    “When did you start taking classes in