by Karen Kelley
“You did something to her, that’s easy to see.” Nick frowned. “I guess I should’ve told you about alcohol, then maybe you could’ve at least kept the relationship platonic. Does it really do what Mason told me it does?”
“Don’t give Kia any. Take my word for it.”
“You sure Lara can’t be talked into staying?”
He shook his head, then took a long pull of the beer. It slid down his throat like liquid gold. He needed to drink enough so that it would numb him.
“You fell in love with her, didn’t you?”
“It was more than that.”
Visions of them making love, standing on the porch in each other’s arms as they watched the buck, even her getting her first taste of addictions like chocolate and slot machines—it all flashed through his mind.
“What do you mean?” Nick asked.
“We connected in a different sort of way. As if I know what she’s thinking, what she feels. Do you have that with Kia?”
“No, thank God. I don’t want to know what women are thinking.”
Sam raised his mug and drained the glass. “Let’s get back. They should have everything sorted out by now.”
“You don’t look any better. I had hoped getting away from the apartment would help. I think you look worse, buddy.” Nick stood, dropping some bills on the table. He hadn’t even drunk half his beer.
Sam made up his mind. “I’m not going to let her leave. That’s it. I’ll throw her over my shoulder and force her to stay with me. I can do that because it’s her fault I’m in this shape.”
Nick shook his head. “It wouldn’t work. The Elders would come after her.”
“Not if they don’t know where she is.”
“Have you forgotten about their locators? One drop of her blood, and they’ll easily find her. I bet they have it all on file, too. Better than the FBI.”
“Kia said they haven’t zapped anyone in years, but try to keep a healer, and I’m pretty sure they’ll bring zapping back into circulation.”
“It’s not fair.”
Nick patted him on the back. “Yeah, I know.”
Aasera sat on the sofa clasping her hands in front of her. “He left me when he found I was with child. He didn’t know I was an interplanetary traveler. I’m thankful for that. After he left, I realized he wasn’t a very good person. I’m not sure what he would’ve done with the information,” she finished.
“I remember you from when I was young. I envied the life you led.” Kia sighed. “Nerak has changed. The Elders have too many rules.”
“They’re only trying to protect everyone,” Lara said. “You mustn’t condemn them for that.”
Kia turned to Lara. “Maybe they’ll change, and maybe they won’t. Are you sure you want to return to a life that stifles the spirit?”
“I have to.”
Kia shook her head. “You have to do what you feel is right. Now tell us, what did Sam do to you? You’re not the same person as when you left here.”
“I fell in love with him,” Lara admitted to the group of women.
“It’s forbidden.” Aasera came to her feet and began to pace the room. “You of all people should know this. You’re not allowed close contact with anyone. You’re a healer. How can you keep a perfect balance if you let anyone get close to you?”
She was right. Lara had turned her back on everything she’d been taught.
“She’s a woman first,” Lyraka said.
Everyone looked at her.
Lyraka stiffened her spine. “Everyone talks about how great Nerak is, but if you ask me, the Elders are holding everyone hostage.”
There was a collective gasp.
“I don’t care what everyone thinks. I would hate to live like that. It’s as if you’re all created for a certain purpose, but because no one is really living anymore, what’s the point?”
“Lyraka is young. Please forgive her, Healer.” Aasera bowed her head.
“You’re just as bad, Mother,” Lyraka whispered, ducking her head.
Lara looked from mother to daughter, holding her breath, waiting for what was about to happen. She didn’t think it would be good.
“What?” Aasera asked, disbelief clearly on her face that her daughter would speak this way.
“It’s true.” Lyraka moved from her chair and knelt in front of her. “I mean no disrespect, Mother, but if you hadn’t been able to travel to distant galaxies, how would that have made you feel? Even now, I see the trapped look in your eyes. I feel the same way.”
Aasera drew herself up. “If I’ve been smothering you, then I’m sorry. If you feel this need to explore, then by all means, explore, but know that I was only trying to protect you.”
“I know, Mother, and I love you for it, but it’s time I found my purpose. I have gifts, and I want to use them.”
“It’s those very gifts that will get you into trouble,” Aasera said.
“I’m careful. You know I am. And it’s not as if we’ll never see each other again.”
Aasera was quiet. “I suppose I might have been a little stifling at times,” she finally admitted.
“I do love you.”
Aasera’s smile was sad. “I guess I was afraid of being alone.”
“I’ll always be near.”
She nodded, then turned to Lara. “And you, Healer, will you turn your back on all you know? Did you not hear my story? Men are evil.”
“Not all men,” Kia intervened. “Nick put his life in danger to save me and was shot. Not all men are evil.”
“He did this?” Aasera asked with surprise.
Kia nodded her head. “That and a whole lot more. He’s taught me how to live.”
Aasera seemed to be taking this all in. She finally looked at Lara. “I guess you’ll be staying, too?”
Duty warred against her feelings for Sam. “I have to return so that I can take the remedy to the Elder. I don’t have a choice.”
The door opened, and Nick and Sam came inside. Sam’s gaze immediately sought hers, and she knew the exact second he accepted that as much as she cared for him, she would go back to her own people.
She came to her feet. “It’s time. I can’t delay any longer.” She didn’t add that each second made leaving that much harder. She came to her feet.
“We’ll walk up with you,” Kia said.
It was the longest and the shortest walk she’d ever taken…and it was the hardest. Once there, she pushed a button on the box she’d slipped inside her pocket earlier. The craft’s invisibility shield disappeared, and the tube was there in front of her.
“A tube craft,” Aasera whispered. “They were just beginning to build them when I left on my last mission. It’s built for speed, and even though it’s compact, it can hold at least six people. She’s absolutely beautiful.”
“You’re right, travel is much faster in a tube craft,” Lara nervously explained. She really hated flying.
“Lara,” Kia said, “I will miss you.”
Lara took her hands, then impulsively hugged her sister. Healer or not, she didn’t care. This was her sister, and she would show her how much she cared.
Nick was next. She bowed, showing him much respect. “Make her happy.”
“I will,” he said, then stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek.
Aasera and Lyraka nodded respectfully.
And then there was Sam. Tears filled her eyes. She didn’t care about what was proper as she went into his arms and one last time, felt his lips against hers. It was a gentle kiss, one that would have to last a lifetime in her memory. When she stepped away, her heart felt as if it were breaking into a million tiny pieces.
This isn’t fair. Not fair at all.
His thoughts or hers? Maybe both. She turned and went toward the craft. Before she got inside, she looked one more time at Sam, committing his face to memory.
“I love you,” he mouthed.
“And I you.”
“You can’t leave,” an unfamiliar voice said from the rooftop door.
Everyone turned toward the man.
“Mr. Beacon,” Lyraka said. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to stop the healer from leaving.”
Chapter 26
“W ho the hell are you?” Sam asked, reaching for his gun, then remembered he didn’t have it with him. Great cop he was. Dammit, if this was someone looking for a big story or another jewel thief, then…
“I work for the government.”
“Busted,” Sam muttered.
“Great.” Nick moved closer to Kia.
“It’s not like you think,” Mr. Beacon began explaining. “Not many people know of our group. You could say our agents are gifted with certain abilities.”
“And what exactly do you do?” Sam wanted to know. He wanted Lara to stay, but if he hadn’t been able to convince her, then what made this Mr. Beacon think he could?
Mr. Beacon shrugged. “You could say I’m a recruiter. We get the jobs others can’t handle.”
“And you want to recruit Lara. It’s not going to happen, buddy.” Yeah, he could see Lara fighting crime. What was she going to do—raise her eyebrows at them?
“I’ve had Aasera’s colony under observation for some time. I know where she’s really from.” He nodded toward the craft. “This pretty much confirms it.”
“I should never have let a man stay at the colony.” Aasera cast a glare in Mr. Beacon’s direction that would’ve brought most people to their knees. He didn’t even flinch. In fact, he ignored her comment and returned his attention to Lara.
“You have stronger powers because you’re a healer, untapped strengths that we’ve learned to bring to the forefront. Most of the Nerakians who are here don’t realize the extent of their powers because they haven’t been pushed to the limits. We can teach you. We have trainers who work with you to develop your skills, to control them.”
Lara raised an eyebrow. “It sounds like we’d be test subjects put under an observation glass. Even if I could stay, I’m not sure I’d like that,” Lara said.
“This is an elite force. The work would be dangerous, I won’t lie to you, but you would be helping this country.”
She shook her head. “I can’t stay.”
“I’ll go with you.” Lyraka stepped forward.
Mr. Beacon looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, I know you’re only half Nerakian. I had hoped to ask Aasera, except the more I’ve been around her, the less I think she’d fit in with the group.” He bowed slightly toward her. “Excuse my frankness, but I doubt you would want to go anyway.”
Lyraka was standing by Nick one second, and in the next, she was beside Mr. Beacon. “I assure you that I have plenty of skills.”
“Lyraka, no,” Aasera cautioned her daughter. “He could be lying.”
“You can check me out,” Mr. Beacon told them, suddenly excited to discover what he wanted and to realize it had been right under his nose the whole time.
Lyraka looked with pleading eyes toward Aasera. “I want to do this, Mother. Maybe this is my purpose in life. Just as yours was exploring.”
“We’ll definitely be checking you out,” Nick warned him. “If anything you’ve said doesn’t fit, then I’m warning you now that you’ll turn up missing and no one will ever know what happened.”
“I have nothing to hide.” He looked at Lyraka. “I just assumed your gifts would’ve been diluted.”
“They’re actually stronger,” she explained.
“We can still use you,” he told Lara.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” She stepped into the tube craft. “Good-bye, Sam.”
So this was it; she was leaving. Don’t go , he thought to himself.
Her gaze locked with his. I have to. Her words were just as clear as if she’d spoken them aloud.
The door closed. Sam felt as if he was going to be sick. He couldn’t watch. He couldn’t…
The door opened. Hope leaped inside him.
“Something is wrong. I pushed the button to start the transport, and nothing happened.”
Aasera stepped forward. “I’ll take a look. They can’t be much different than the crafts we used. Maybe a little more advanced, but they’re the same design.”
She stepped forward, then went into the craft, pushing a button that opened the back, and disappeared inside.
“My mother told me how she used to work on her craft, so don’t worry, Healer, she’ll be able to fix it.”
They didn’t have to be so blasted helpful, Sam thought to himself. Lara looked at him. Man, why did she have to look at him like that?
He had to hold her one more time. He walked to the craft and stepped inside, taking her into his arms. The kiss was only supposed to be a gentle good-bye, but when their lips met, fire ignited between them.
In the background, he heard the swish of the door closing. Good, he wanted this moment to be private. He leaned against the wall of the craft, pulling her closer. These were the last few seconds he would be able to spend with the woman he’d fallen so deeply in love with. When he ended the kiss, he pulled her tight against him.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave.”
“I know.” There were tears in her voice. “I’ll never love anyone like I’ve loved you.”
“I think it’s fixed,” Aasera said, coming to the front as the door to the control room swished open. “You can make the journey home now.”
“Good-bye,” Lara told Sam and pushed the button to open the door.
He blinked several times, but everything was still a very bright white outside the craft. What had happened to the apartment complex roof? Where was Nick? And everyone else, for that matter?
Okay, what the hell was happening here?
He quickly scanned the area, noting the glass panels overhead that bathed them in white light. The walls sparkled as if crushed gems had been added to the mixture that had created the stone walls.
They were in some kind of landing dock, and there were women approaching the craft. They didn’t look too happy.
“Lara?” Oh, man, he wasn’t in Kansas anymore, or even Texas, for that matter.
“Oops,” Lara said beside him.
“Oops? What do you mean, oops?”
Aasera stepped forward. “Nerak,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
“H
ow did we get here so fast?” he spoke in a low voice.
“It doesn’t take as long in one of the tube crafts. I told you, we’re a superior race. We’ve mastered the technology of interplanetary travel.”
“Then get me the hell back home.”
“Too late,” Aasera said.
“Healer.” The three women spoke in unison and bowed slightly, then turned to the other two occupants. “We have called warriors for your protection and the protection of Nerak.”
“They’ve called for warriors? This is how your planet is protected? By the time your warriors arrive, I could have taken over Nerak.”
“Should we disintegrate him?” one asked as she pulled a small box from her pocket that looked suspiciously like the one Kia had carried.
“No!” Lara quickly intervened. “He’s not to be harmed. He’s a friend.”
So maybe they weren’t as vulnerable as he’d first thought.
“I will speak to the Elders. Prepare an aero unit.” Lara raised her chin and looked down her nose at the other women.
She was a feisty little thing. He almost grinned but immediately stopped his smile from forming. Now might not be a good time to relax.
“He is an Earthman. We’ll take him to decontamination.” The woman covertly eyed him as if decontamination wasn’t the only thing on her mind.
Okay, he wasn’t too sure about these women. They were starting to look at him as if they wanted to eat him alive. He knew Lara said they didn’t eat food, but maybe that’s what had really happened to all the men.
He mentally shook his head. Too many sci-fi movies.
“You question my authority?” Lara asked. She glared at the woman who was still giving him the eye.
“Of course not, Healer. We will ready an aero unit.”
A panel slid open, and two women emerged, weapons drawn. In their uniforms they resembled Kia, and they both had short black hair. And they looked excited about the prospect of taking him down.
“Move away from the healer,” they commanded.
