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He didn’t acknowledge the offer or her request for hio Slowly, fluidly, he strolled fro over to the clear case containing a marble bust of Beatrice frohieri "An impressive piece"

Jordana followed thein his modest attire more closely now None of his clothes looked newer than a decade old, and they fit him like they’d been broken in on someone else and cast off years later His brown leather loafers were scuffed and scarred, faded and timeworn like the rest of what he wore

"Canova is considered one of the greatest neoclassical sculptors," Jordana said, unable to resist sharing her knowledge of the collection "He was probably the most famous artist of his day, but I don’t find ht Particularly the lesser-known pieces like this one"

"More’s the pity" Her uninvited visitor’s mouth curved in a faint smile "Canova’s work is exquisite, no question There is a calmness to his sculpture, from the smoothness of his subject’s skin, to the fluid form of each curve and the flawless stroke of every line"

Listening to him speak so eloquently and so well infor he’d have to pay to view the art that belonged by rights to the world In spite of her earlier ued

He went on, still studying the sculpture "The perfection of Canova’s work--the pure idealiser, to study and adree?"

Jordana shrugged "Honestly, I find it too perfect His art is too … I don’t know Too controlled, I suppose" She gestured to a neighboring marble piece, one of the collection’s most important acquisitions "Take this Bernini bust, on the other hand Look at the energy of his work It’s unsettling, unrefined Aggressive"

The sculpture they looked at was Ani into the abyss of hell Jordana drew closer to the display "Bernini shows you every crag in his subject’s face, every livid vein and hair standing on end You can actually see the torment in the man’s face--you can feel it You can almost hear the scream of horror fro He dares you to experience it"

The stranger nodded "You take your art very seriously"

"I love it," Jordana ad flickered in his unusual green eyes "We share that in common, then I am a lover of art myself And today, a newfound appreciation for Bernini Your favorite piece, I take it?"

"Oh," Jordana said, shaking her head "No, there’s another sculpture that I like even more But it’s not as important as either of these"

"Will you show ot all about the fact that the exhibit was currently off-limits to anyone but museum staff She led hilas display

"Cornacchini’s Sleeping Endymion," he said, a smile on his lips Jordana noticed he hadn’t needed to read the placard "You know this one too?"

"It’s been in the museum’s collection for time patron of the eneral but with this particular piece as well "Endyo It was in another exhibitthis collection, I had to have it" She gazed at the reclining hu under Selene’s crescent moon "There’s not another piece in the entire museum that I love more than this one"

A cryptic ser’sin better hands"

Jordana considered the odd coer she spoke with hiuessed, but he had a wisdom about him--an indefinable aura that e

He wasn’t Breed; he had no der around during daylight hours without being wrapped in yards of UV-protective gear, if he was one of Nathan’s kind

And yet her senses seemed to resist the notion to call him human

Flummoxed, she extended her hand to him "I’m Jordana Gates, by the way The exhibit curator"

He hesitated rasp "Yes, I knoho you are" At her uneasy look, he indicated the ID badge hanging frohed nervously "I’m sorry, but … who are you?"

At first, she didn’t think he would answer Then, carefully, he said, "Cassian" No more, no less

Did she know that name from somewhere?

She couldn’t be sure, but Jordana knew she’d never seen this man before

Jordana withdrew her hand fro with you But it’s getting late and no one is supposed to be in the exhibit before it officially opens to his head slightly in an almost courtly bow "And I assure you, Jordana, the pleasure has been allof regret for the way she’d discounted hiht And she couldn’t just push hi how ht back"

She didn’t pause for his answer Impulsively, she pivoted away and hurried back into her office Riffling through her desk, she grabbed a pair of co event and full-day admission to the museum

"I just remembered I had a couple of leftover passes in my office," she said as she returned to the exhibit rooone

"Mr Cassian?" Jordana scanned the area, then made a quick search of the nearby exhibits

He wasn’t there

She hurried to the gallery overlooking the

He had left

No, he’d vanished

Mysterious Mr Cassian was gone, as swiftly and cleanly as a ghost

13

HE HAD RISKED FAR TOO MUCH

Cass h the city streets, oblivious of the rain that soaked his thrift store clothes and cheap, soggy shoes

He was across the city from the museum now, unsure where he was headed except that it had to be away Far away As far as he could get, and he had to go at once

He hadn’t expected to linger as long as he had In histhe h to visit the treasure that had branded him a wanted man, traitor to his queen and his kind

A treasure that he was giving up today … forever