"Catch her, Travis," Jessica said.

Travis sprang forward as Melissa's knees buckled and she started to fall.

Melissa's gaze clung to Jessica's face in horror. "No…Jessica."

"Shh." Jessica plumped the pillow on the couch. "Don't worry, Mellie."

"Dear God. You don't know what-" She slumped in Travis's arms, unconscious.

"What the hell?" Travis murmured.

"A sedative in the coffee," Jessica said. "Put her on the couch."

"You drugged her? Why?"

"This was going to be too hard on her. You saw how upset she was about the Wind Dancer. This way she'll wake up and it will all be over." She draped a throw over Melissa. "And there was a possibility she might have interfered. Cassie deserves this chance."

Travis gave a low whistle. "You're pretty damn tough."

"You knew she could be a problem. Are you saying you weren't tempted to do something like this?"

"I was tempted." He looked down at Melissa. "But I couldn't do it."

"Why not?"

"It seemed like dirty pool. A fighter like her deserves an even match." He brushed the hair from Melissa's forehead. "I like the shrew when she's not stabbing me with her little poison darts. I decided I'd rather have the problem than the solution."

"And I decided to not take the chance and protect both Mellie and Cassie." Jessica checked her wrist-watch. "Time to take Cassie downstairs."

"How long will Melissa sleep?" He turned toward the bedroom. "She took only a couple of swallows."

"I didn't expect anything else. I gave her a hefty dose. Four to five hours." She brushed a loving kiss on Melissa's cheek and whispered, "It's for the best. Good night, Mellie."

12:45 A.M.

Paul Guilliame was a thin, graceful, dark-haired man in his late fifties. He was also extremely nervous.

"Come in. Come in." He nodded to the guard outside the artifacts room and gestured for them to enter with one fluttering hand. "I must be insane to do this. Four hours. No more."

"We're not pushing it. Just find a chair for the lady," Galen said. "And then go get a drink to steady your nerves."

"I'm not leaving the premises," Guilliame said. "And what's that child doing here? You never said anything about a-"

"The clock's ticking. If you want us out of here, leave us alone and don't interfere," Travis said. "Where's the Wind Dancer?"

"On the worktable opposite the sarcophagus."

Jessica's gaze had already fastened on the statue. "My God" she murmured. "I've seen pictures of it, but it's different seeing it in person. It's wonderful."

"Where do you want the chair?" Guilliame was carrying one from across the room.

"A few yards from the statue," Jessica said.

He put the chair where she'd indicated and hurried out of the room.

Jessica sat down and held out her arms. "Put Cassie on my lap, Travis."

"I can hold her."

"No."

"She trusts me."

"But I'm the one who's been trying to persuade her to come back. You've just been a security blanket. I want her to realize that everything's different now."

He placed Cassie on Jessica's lap, facing the Wind Dancer." Now what?"

"We sit and we wait." She pulled Cassie closer. "Open your eyes, sweetheart. He's here. He's so beautiful, it almost makes my heart stop. I can see why you love him so much. Please open your eyes…"

"He's here!" Cassie's cry of joy tore through the haze surrounding Melissa. "I've found him. She keeps saying I have to open my eyes to see him, but I know he's here. You come and we'll see him together."

Darkness. Haze. Lethargy.

"We can stay here. He'll keep us safe. She wants me to come out, but we don't have to. We'll go deeper. He took me away once. He can do it again. And he'll come with us. I know he will."

She should say something. But she couldn't think. Why couldn't she think? The mist was deep and heavy as molasses. "What are you talking about?"

"The Wind Dancer, silly."

Fear jolted through Melissa, tearing the fog. "What?"

"I told you. He's here. I've found him."

Her heart was starting to beat like a jackhammer. "Where?"

"Jessica brought me to him."

Jessica.

The coffee.

Nol

"Melissa, come on. I've found him, but I don't want to leave you here. Come with me."

She had to open her eyes.

"Melissa."

"Don't go with him, Cassie."

Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Open your eyes.

Finally her heavy lids lifted. Blue curtains. The apartment. Hazy. Everything was hazy.

Sit up. Move.

Too hard.

Move.

It took her five minutes to sit up and another five to get to her feet.

One thing at a time. Get to the door.

What if she couldn't make it? She had to stop Jessica.

"Melissa, where are you?"

"I'm coming. Wait for me."

She fumbled in her pants pocket for the number she'd copied from Jessica's phone book. Now get to the phone.

Jesus, she couldn't see the numbers on the phone. It took her three tries before she dialed the number correctly.

"Hello," Andreas said.

"Cassie…Jessica. Museum d'Andreas."

"What? Who is this?"

"Melissa. Now. Go now." She hung up. They might not get there in time. They might not get there at all.

Take the purse; it had the gun Galen had given her. Get to the street. The museum was only four blocks away. She could do it.

One step at a time.

"Melissa, I'm going to open my eyes. I have to see him again. He's so beautiful."

Panic shot through Melissa. If Cassie saw those emerald-green eyes, then Melissa would see them. She didn't know if that would make any difference, but she couldn't chance it.

"No. Don't open your eyes. Wait for me."

"I'll try. Hurry."

One block.

She couldn't make it. Too tired.

"I can't wait any longer, Melissa."

"Yes, you can. You can do anythingyou want to do."

Two blocks.

She lurched and fell against the brick wall of the building next to her.

Straighten. Go on.

"I'm opening my eyes."

"No!"

"I have to do it."

And then Melissa saw it.

Emerald eyes staring out at the world with ancient wisdom. The statue was standing on a beat-up wooden worktable in a huge, cluttered room. A catwalk. Paintings. Travis was standing to one side of the worktable beside an Egyptian sarcophagus.

"I told you." Cassie's excitement was swirling around both of them like a cloud of static electricity. "He's here. He's here."

One more block. The museum was just up ahead.

The emerald eyes, but no pool of blood. It could be different. It had to be different.

She turned down the alley.

"Jessica is happy. She thinks because I opened my eyes that I'm coming back. She's talking to me, telling me the Wind Dancer would want me to do that."

"She's right, Cassie."

"How do you know? He took me away. It's safe here."

"But you can't see the Wind Dancer as you're doing now." Was she making sense? She was so scared, she couldn't think. All she could see were those emerald eyes.

But no pool of blood. No pool of blood. Make it different. Please, no pool of blood.

She was climbing the stairs to the back door, holding on to the railing.

So hard. Such a long way to the top.

She leaned against the door to gather strength. Another minute and she'd be in the hall. It was okay. She'd made it and nothing had happened. She'd not even been stopped by the guards.

The guards.

Where were the guards?

She pushed open the door.

Blood. Staring eyes. Two bodies.