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went into the bedroom and snatched her purse off the dresser. When she returned to the outer room she found Lucas examining the contents of her bookcase. He had a copy of Orchid Adams’s newest release, Wild Talent , in his big hands. He glanced at Amaryllis with an odd expression.
    “Don’t tell me you like these psychic vampire romance novels,” Lucas said. He sounded wary, not derisive.
    “As a matter of fact, I enjoy them very much.”
    “But you don’t really believe there are off-the-scale talents who can take over helpless prisms do you?”
    “Of course not. That’s why they call it fiction, Mr. Trent.”
    “I don’t read much fiction. I prefer nonfiction.”
    “I’m not surprised that we have different tastes.” Amaryllis gave him a grim little smile. “There’s an old saying that high-class talents and full-spectrum prisms generally have nothing in common except the ability to hold a focus.”
    “True.” His eyes moved over her as if he were assessing all the various ways in which they differed. “Shall we go?”
    “Certainly.”
    The phone rang just as Amaryllis turned to lead the way toward the door. She ignored it.
    “Feel free to answer it,” Lucas said easily. “We’re in no hurry.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Believe me, I’m not in a rush to spend the evening sipping green wine punch and eating soggy hors d’oeuvres.”
    Amaryllis went to the phone and lifted the receiver. “Hello?”
    “Oh, hello, dear.” Hannah Lark’s voice sounded warm and cheerful, as it always did. She was a doctor, and her bedside manner stemmed from a genuinely caring nature. “I’m glad I caught you.”
    “Well, actually, Aunt Hannah, I’m just on my way out the door.” Amaryllis slid a quick glance at Lucas who was now studying her collection of music discs. “Can it wait?”
    “This will only take a moment,” Hannah assured her. “I’m filling out the marriage agency forms for you, as we agreed, and there are one or two questions I thought I’d bounce off you.”
    “Not now, Aunt Hannah, please.”
    “Do you have any strong preferences when it comes to physical appearance?”
    “Uh, not really.”
    “Height? Weight? Eye color?”
    “No, Aunt Hannah. It doesn’t matter.”
    “You’re sure, dear?”
    “I’m positive.”
    “Good, that makes things much simpler. Now, then, intelligence and education are critical, of course. I’ve already made a note of that. What about mutual interests? How picky do you intend to be in that area?”
    “Very picky. Compatibility is a must. Listen, Aunt Hannah, someone’s waiting for me. We’ll have to do this some other time.”
    “Who’s waiting?” Hannah’s voice sharpened with interest. “A man?”
    “Well, yes, as a matter of fact.”
    “Someone from work?”
    “Sort of. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
    “You’re avoiding me, Amaryllis.” Hannah sighed. “This happens every time I try to get your attention long enough to complete this form. You can’t make excuses forever. The Synergistic Connections agency is the best matchmaking service in the city-state. They only handle a certain number of select clients. Their list was already filled for the next six months. It wasn’t easy convincing them to make room for you. I had to pull a few strings.”
    “I know I’m lucky that you were able to get me registered with Synergistic Connections. I promise I’ll call you tomorrow so that we can fill out the form together, but I can’t do it now. I really have to run.”
    “All right, we’ll do it first thing in the morning. There’s no excuse for waiting any longer. By the way, where are you going tonight?”
    “The reception at the museum.”
    Hannah gave a delighted gasp. “Are you serious?”
    “Very. Talk to you later, Aunt Hannah. Good night.” Amaryllis dropped the phone back into the cradle before her aunt could recover from her shock. She looked at Lucas. “Let’s go before she calls back.”
    Lucas’s gaze was