The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 6.1

"I am his kinsman. And Sabrina's too, by an adoption and marriage," Malvarak added, grinning at Sabrina.

"He's no friend to us!" Sabrina added.

"Stop it! I can't think!" Ford said, rubbing at his temples. "We must leave. We will go aboard my ship. But we will bring him with us as an adviser."

"Ford, no—" Sabrina protested.

"Stop it, Kesta!" Ford barked. "I have spoken."

"Cynthia—" Sabrina began, turning to her friend in desperation. She was cut off as she, Ford, and Malvarak vanished.

Cynthia blinked again, then concentrated on breathing. She was not, she resolved, going to have a hysterical fit about this appearing and disappearing thing. Out of thin air or otherwise. She had to help Sabrina, who was obviously no longer in control of the situation.

Well, she could at least satisfy her curiosity about one impossibility. Unclenching her fist, she smoothed out the crumpled card with the phone number on it.

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"Scotty," Khediva said, "your satellite number is being accessed. Do you want me to beam it through?"

"Yes," Scotty said, looking at Tirqwin in surprise.

"Hello?" came a breathless voice over the speakers.

"To whom am I speaking?" Scotty said in his best formal voice.

"This is Cynthia Grayson. I was given this number in regard to Sabrina Devon. I have something to report. But I don't want to do it over the phone."

"I'll be right there," Scotty said. When the transmission closed, he said, "Khediva, put me down where you picked me up from."

"The Pharon dissonance is lessening," Khediva reported. "Whatever caused it has apparently gone."

"Yeah, and two guesses who it was," Scotty grumbled. "I'm betting Cynthia might have a clue."

"Scotty," Aurora said, "may I go with you? It might—"

"No. She'll be less intimidated if it's just me. I'll be back in a minute or two."

Aurora and Tirqwin exchanged glances as Scotty vanished.

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Cynthia willed her hands to stop shaking as she answered the door. "Please come in," she said, proud of how even her voice remained. Her eyes swept over the man in front of her, trying to make him fit the image of the fourteen-year-old boy she'd known. She wasn't having much luck.

Obviously, he wasn't going to admit to being Scotty, if their earlier encounter was anything to go by. She needed to take control of this interview from the beginning. "So," she said, as her visitor settled himself on the couch, "how come you don't have a psychotic in tow? I gather it's all the rage in outer space these days, if your sister is any example."

Scotty opened his mouth, closed it, and then grinned sheepishly. "Hey, Cynthia."

Cynthia fell back in her chair. "So it's true. You're Scotty Devon."

"I'm afraid so. Did Sabrina tell you that?"

"Among other things. I decided if I could verify one of her claims, I could decide how seriously to take the others."

"And this isn't the answer you hoped for," he concluded. "I can't blame you for that. Still," he grinned, "glad to see you didn't turn out to be a mad scientist after all. That time you blew up the chemistry set in our garage still ranks right up there in my list of childhood disasters."