Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

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

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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.?