“Correct. Everything around us, including our own bodies are made up of energy…a life force. From the trees growing on the land to the clouds resting in the skies and all that is between. Naura is able to pull energy into herself, filter it, and replace it with her own.”
So many questions and possibilities whirled through Abbie’s fever-muddled brain at once. “That’s amazing, Hauke.”
“It can be. It can also be a curse. In order for her to heal, she absorbs the affliction into herself.”
Understanding dawned, leaving Abbie horrified. “So she is feeling the pain from my injury?”
“Yes, but it will pass soon. The pain she took into herself will leave with the rejuvenation of new energy. Only the more serious of afflictions cannot be returned from.”
“Such as?” Tony prompted, pulling up next to a house on the beach and switching off the engine.
“Sometimes, sickness of the mind or the dying.”
Abbie gaped at Hauke’s profile. “She can resurrect the dead?”
“Not the dead, my mate. The dying. The dead lack the energy required for healing.”
“So, what you’re saying is, if someone were dying of cancer or some disease, she could take their sickness into herself and heal them with her own energy?”
“That is accurate.”
“Wow. I have no idea what to say to that.”
Tony jumped out and opened Abbie’s door. “We don’t have time to analyze your alien’s sister right now. The government will likely bring in the CIA, if they haven’t already, and we’ll be sitting ducks if we don’t get out of here now.”
Abbie straightened and exited the car with Hauke right behind her.
“I’ll get Naura,” Tony murmured, going around the car to her side. He opened the door and lifted Hauke’s sister into his arms before hurrying toward the house.
Hauke and Abbie followed suit, keeping to the shadows and entering the house through the side door Tony had taken.
“How are we going to get to the water without being seen? “Abbie moved to sit next to Naura on the couch where Tony had recently deposited her.
Tony stood gazing out the sliding glass door that faced the beach. “I have a boat anchored about a mile out from here, which means we have to swim to it. Are you up for it?”
“I will help her to the boat,” Hauke stated, moving to stand next to Abbie’s uncle.
Tony nodded without looking away from the view of the gulf. “How long would it take you to get the equipment on board the boat from here?”
Hauke glanced down at the three large bags lying on the floor. “Not long.”
“All right then, let’s get things rolling.
With one last look at Abbie, Hauke grabbed the bags and slipped quietly through the sliding glass doors.
Abbie sat on the sofa with Naura’s head in her lap, running a hand up and down the woman’s arm. Her resemblance to Hauke was remarkable with their raven-colored hair and matching emerald-green eyes. The Bracadytes had an ethereal beauty unlike anything Abbie had ever seen.
“Thank you for what you did for me,” Abbie whispered around the lump forming in her throat.
Naura’s eyes fluttered open, wet with a suspicious-looking moisture. “You would have done the same for me.”
“Yes, I would,” Abbie agreed without hesitation.
“Besides, my brother loves you, and you carry my nephew inside your belly.”
“How do you know it’s a boy?”
“I am not certain how I know. I only know that I do.” She sat up with a soft smile on her lips. “We must prepare to depart. My brother returns soon.”
Abbie got to her feet and wandered off to the bathroom to take care of her needs. Anxiety mixed with excitement over the anticipation of meeting Hauke’s people, his parents in particular.
She wondered how she would be received. What if they didn’t like her or want her there? Would they cast her out after finding out about the baby?
Dropping to her knees, Abbie hugged the toilet, heaving up her dinner until nothing remained but nerves fluttering in an empty stomach.
It seemed as if hours passed before she stumbled to her feet, rinsed out her mouth, and stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.
Her face appeared pale, and her eyes were sunk back in their sockets. The pain in her arm might be gone, but evidence of the virus still remained.
With a heavy heart, she ran a hand over her ribs to her abdomen. Would the bacteria inside her flow over into his tiny body? If Hauke’s healer couldn’t do something to help her, she wouldn’t live long enough to bring him safely into the world.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Hauke and Abbie moved along the beach under the cover of the night’s sky and entered the water undetected. They hovered on their knees, waiting for Tony and Naura to appear.
“Are you cold, my mate?” Hauke pulled Abbie closer to his side, enfolding her in his arms to keep her warm.
She shivered against him. “It’s the fever, Hauke. It causes chills when the body temperature is hotter than the elements. Once I get in the wetsuit, I’ll be more comfortable.”
He knew she attempted to keep his worry at bay; he had heard her teeth chattering only seconds before. “This suit will warm you up?”
“In a sense. It will hold my own body’s heat inside and hopefully break my fever.”
He hoped it did also. He hated seeing her suffering in any way.
The sight of Tony and Naura darting across the beach was a relief to Hauke. He rose enough to be more visible and waved them over.
They silently entered the water and quickly disappeared beneath the surface only to pop up a few feet from Hauke and Abbie’s location.
Tony pushed the hair from his face, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Okay. We have a mile’s swim ahead of us. With Abbie’s condition, we’ll need to pace ourselves.”
“I have a safer way of getting Abbie to the boat,” Hauke stated, pulling her closer.
Tony’s eyebrow shot up. “I’m all ears.”
Naura cocked her head to the side.
“I’m listening,” Tony amended with a sigh.
“She will wrap her arms and legs around me for the much-needed body heat, and I will breathe for her as I do not need my lungs for breath.”
Abbie laid a hand on his chest. “Can you swim with my weight attached to you?”
“Weight is different in the water than on land. It will be as if you are not there.”
“And I will do the same with Tony, if he is not opposed to it,” Naura offered, moving closer to the semicircle of bodies.
Hauke could feel Tony’s hesitation, but common sense obviously won out in the end. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get us there as quickly as possible.”
“Let us go then.” Turning to face Abbie, Hauke waited for her limbs to wrap around him before covering her mouth with his own. With one last look at his sister, he dove under and swam as fast as he could in the direction of the boat.
* * * *
“I have never experienced anything like that before,” Abbie gushed, adjusting the gear of her wetsuit. The four of them had made it to the boat without incident and were now anchored forty-five miles offshore, near the drop point.
“The speed with which you move underwater is amazing, Hauke. And for me to breathe through you while moving that fast was wow. Just wow.”
Tony stepped up to check her gauges. “Yeah, I’ll admit it was pretty intense. Your sister can move like the wind.”
Hauke nodded and pointed toward the north. “There is a drop in the gulf’s floor up ahead. Aukrabah is a great distance below, hidden beneath the cliff.”
Abbie’s uncle appeared perplexed. “You are lucky that you haven’t been discovered. There’s a lot of offshore fishing that goes on out here as well as deep dives due to the oil wells that have been put in over the years.”
“Aukrabah is not visible from the outside. We will not be found.” Hauke
moved to grab the waterproof bags.
“If you’re sure,” Tony relented.
“You will see. Naura will go down with you to guide you in. I will see that Abbie makes it safely inside.”
Tony gave a quick nod and moved to help his niece with her face mask. Hauke listened as he went over everything with her once more, ending with,” If you get into trouble, don’t panic. Your alien will be there, and I’ll be right behind you.”
“I got it, Uncle Tony. I’m certified to do this.”
“I know, but a lot could go wrong. See you down there,” he finished while assembling his own gear.
Hauke waited as Abbie dropped into the water before following her, smiling at her thumbs-up sign. Her uncle had informed him of its meaning when they’d done a walkthrough of the dive plan.
Hauke rather liked it and decided to return the gesture, loving the grin that appeared on his mate’s beautiful face.
It took some time to reach their destination with Abbie’s body requiring adjustments to the rising pressure.
The suit she wore was an incredible invention in Hauke’s eyes. It enabled her to dive a great distance, and the light attached to her head gave her the ability to see in the night waters.
Arriving at the bottom of the cliff, Hauke stopped and took hold of Abbie’s hand with his free one while jerking his chin toward the downward rush of water along the cliff’s front.
“It’s an underwater waterfall,” Abbie mentally pointed out.
Hauke would have given her the humorous thumbs-up sign if his hands were free. Instead, he tightened his hold on her and swam toward the raging fall.
Abbie’s panic burned through their connection, slowing his race to the falls. “Do you not trust me, my mate?”
“Yes, of course I do,” she sent back without hesitation.
“Then know that I would never endanger you or our child. The entrance to my home is on the other side of the falling water.”
With one last look at her sweet face, he pulled her along beside him and swam through, emerging safely on the other side.
Abbie’s eyes were huge in her face as she glanced around the entrance in awe. She slowly removed her mask and deeply inhaled before meeting Hauke’s gaze. “I have no words. It’s even more beautiful in person.”
It pleased him that she appreciated Aukrabah’s beauty. “This is the entrance. It’s considered a place of enlightenment.”
At her questioning look, he continued. “The doorway from your world to mine.” He ran a hand along the top of the water. “This is the pool of life. It has nutrients that are beneficial to us, along with a plentiful supply of food.”
“Where does the light come from?”
“There are minerals in the deep that you do not possess on land. Stones that capture the brightness of the sun while others are said to absorb the soft blue of the moon’s glow.”
“It’s magical, Hauke.” She shivered and rubbed her arms. “I could stay here all night, staring into its beauty.”
“Come. You have chills from your fever.” Setting the bags over the side, Hauke took Abbie’s hand and guided her to the smooth, natural steps of the pool and onto the flat surface beyond.
“Will you get me some dry clothes while I get out of this wetsuit?” she asked through chattering teeth.
He snatched up the bags, rifled through their contents, and grabbed two pink garments, holding them up for her inspection.
“That’s perfect. Those are called sweats, and they’ll work really well to help break this fever.”
He handed her the clothing and helped her remove the dive gear. “I will need to hide your wetsuit. If a Bracadyte came through here and happened upon it, he would most likely destroy it without understanding its purpose. I do not know what I would do if something happened and I could not get you to the surface if it became necessary.”
Hauke’s gaze traveled over Abbie’s small frame, and his stomach clenched. If she were fortunate enough to survive the virus raging inside her body, she had yet to face the birth of his son.
Bracadyte births were not an easy feat. The babies were born overly large compared to human children. And judging from the size of his mate, it could prove impossible without intervention.
Chapter Thirty-Four
An overwhelming feeling of being home settled inside Abbie’s chest. She’d made it to Aukrabah, Hauke’s place of birth and the place she would birth their son as well.
It didn’t matter that she’d left her life behind, her career, family and friends as long as she had Hauke.
Aukrabah was nothing if not stunningly beautiful. The pool of life as he’d called it was pale aqua-blue with iridescent lights shining up from the bottom that lit up the entire area.
She dressed quickly in the pink sweats she’d brought along and pulled on her sneakers. “Where are your people?”
“Deep within. Most will be sleeping at this hour, which is good. It will ensure our trek through the halls is without incident.”
Abbie knelt next to one of the waterproof bags, snagged her freezer baggie of toiletries, and a bottle of water.
“Uncle Tony and Naura should be here by now.” She opened the bottled water and took two aspirin she’d retrieved from the clear baggie.
A frown marred Hauke’s brow. “What are those?”
“Aspirin. They will help with the fever until we can see your healer.”
“Is it something that you will need more of?”
Recapping her water, she stood. “Let’s hope not. I brought along some antibiotics I had left over from a wisdom tooth extraction also, but it’s not enough to do much good if this gets worse.”
She hated her ignorance of the Psinum Incola virus, but being on the run for the past couple of months and constantly in hiding prevented her from getting pertinent information.
The only knowledge she had of the bacteria she’d learned from the television. And past experience had taught her to never trust the media.
“Where do all those openings lead?” Everywhere she could see contained an arched doorway with glowing stones that rested inside hollowed-out sconces.
Hauke glanced in the direction of her gaze. “The one straight ahead leads to my quarters. My parents are through there.” He pointed toward a giant circular entrance with near flawless steps leading to the opening.
“That one goes to the great hall where my father holds court.” He indicated an even larger passage. “And that one goes to many residents, bathhouses, schools, and training rooms.”
Abbie trailed over to run her hand along the smooth rock wall of the cave entrance. “How big is Aukrabah?”
“It is split into more than one direction for many miles.”
Abbie mulled that over for a minute. “As in north, south, east and west? “
“That is correct. It branches off not far from this location, connecting in different places throughout.”
“How long have your people lived here?”
Hauke retrieved Abbie’s dive gear and strolled toward a small mountain of rock against the opposite wall. “The Bracadyte—or our people, as you say—have been here since the old king disappeared below with his native bride more than five centuries past.”
“How long do the Bracadyte live?”
He shot her a grin. “You are a curious little human.”
Abbie immediately felt contrite. “I’m sorry. This is all so overwhelming and incredible.”
“I am only teasing you, my mate. I do not mind answering your questions.”
He stowed the gear behind the rocks, moving them around to better conceal its contents. “Our lifespan differs from yours. Enzymes received from the blood we take into our veins speed up our healing and restores our bodies, enabling us to live much longer.”
She took a seat on a square-shaped boulder next to the pool. “Mind if I ask your age?”
“I was born fourteen thousand, two hundred, and forty-five moons ago.”
Chewing her lip, Abbie
mentally calculated the numbers. “So, you’re thirty-nine years old.”
He nodded. “I learned of the human celebration every three hundred sixty-five days. It is called a birthday. The Bracadyte celebrate their birth every three thousand, six hundred, and fifty moons.”
Abbie gaped at him. “Every ten years?”
“It has been a Bracadyte custom since before the ancient scrolls were written.”
Shadows entering the pool of life caught Abbie’s attention, saving Hauke from further questioning.
She peered over the side in time to see her uncle pull his hand free of Hauke’s sister’s and swim away from her.
Odd how Tony behaved in Naura’s presence, Abbie thought, watching him pop up a few feet from the steps of the pool. Something felt off about him as if he couldn’t bear the Bracadyte female’s touch.
He swam to the water’s edge and removed his mask, the look on his face one of amazement. “What is this place?”
“Welcome to Aukrabah,” Naura softly announced, climbing from the pool. The borrowed clothing she’d gotten from Abbie showed her womanly curves in all the right places, leaving Abbie slightly intimidated.
“Is something amiss?” Naura trailed over to Abbie, wringing the excess water from her hair. The jeans she wore were far too short, as was the top, but on Naura’s flawless body, they looked perfect as if she’d walked straight off the cover of a magazine.
“Your uncle is not an easy man to like.” She took a seat next to Abbie, stretching her long legs out in front of her.
Abbie knew all too well about Tony’s shortcomings. “I know. I’m sorry you got stuck with him. He can be a pain in the ass, but he’s come through for me on more than one occasion.”
“She’s the pain in the ass,” Tony accused, jerking his chin toward Naura while stepping from the pool. “You both are, actually.”
Hiding a smile, Abbie ignored his insult. “Are you going in with us?”
“I do not think that is wise.” Hauke straightened, sauntering toward them with a frown. “If he is found in the halls, I cannot guarantee his safety. It will be difficult enough explaining your presence, my mate.”
Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) Page 17
