turn her closed eyes away or be blinded by the light. The brightness
was nearly unendurable, but the cuffs didn?t melt, not even as she
drained the last of her volts. There were few substances that could
withstand so much heat at normal atmospheric pressure without
turning into a liquid or a gas.
?Tungsten,? she whispered through her dry, cracked lips, angry
with herself for acting without thinking first.
The white-hot links of nearly un-meltable metal led to a lightning
rod that was jammed into the ground like a stake. Not only was she
immobile, but any attempt she made to throw a bolt at an enemy
would only end up dissipating in the sand.
?I wouldn?t have thought you had any bolts left,? a woman?s voice
called from down by the waterline. The crouching shape rose and
walked over to Daphne.
?I took a lot of your blood to dehydrate
you, or at least I thought I did.?
?Why are you doing this?? Daphne asked softly. ?You?re not a
killer, Pandora.?
?I know I?m not,? Pandora admitted with a humiliated nod. ?I
tried to kill you while you were unconscious, but I couldn?t do it.?
?Then let me go,? Daphne said with a sad smile. ?I know why
you?re doing this. Denial is a powerful thing, and grief can make a
good person evil.? Daphne hauled herself up onto her knees. ?But
why don?t you believe me? Or if not me, why not Lucas, your own
nephew? He?s a Falsefinder.?
?Lucas has every reason in the world to want your version of the
story to be true,? Pandora hissed, kicking at the sand as she began
368/395
to pace. ?He is blinded by his love for Helen, and he would do anything
to keep her. Maybe even lie to his own family.?