Marmora nodded, his face tight. “Sidney, we have to go to the authorities about this.”
An amused laugh fell from her. “And tell them what? I tried that ten years ago and it landed me here. If you go spouting off about men from the stars, they’ll lock you away too, doctor or not. You know I’m right.” She pushed lightly on him. “Go. Please. Run far from here and stay safe. You’re a good man. You’ve watched over me for ten years and I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
“Again?” the doctor asked and Sidney looked away, refusing to answer.
The door to the room opened, revealing a nurse. Her eyes were wide as she took in the scene. “Doctor? How? You’re in intensive care? She attacked you. She fractured your skull.”
“Leva, I’m fine. Sidney wasn’t the one who attacked me.”
The nurse made a move to enter the room.
Marmora put a hand up and the door slammed shut, locking the nurse out. He jerked. “What the hell was that? What just happened?”
Aland wanted to know the answer to that as well.
Sidney took the doctor’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I just wanted you to live. I didn’t know it would pass to you too.”
“W-what would pass to me?”
She lifted her free hand and wind began to swirl around them. As fast as it started, it stopped. She bent her head. “He threw you into the wall head first. Blood was coming from your nose, mouth and ears. I just…I didn’t want you to die, Doc. I didn’t mean to pass it to you. All I wanted to do was heal you as best I could.”
Aland sensed the nurse rushing to get backup and decided it was high time he showed himself. The minute he uncloaked his presence, Sidney lurched back, screaming.
He put his hands up, signaling he was no threat to her. “Sidney, I’m here to help. I want you safe. I want to take you to Phoebe and Heather.”
Marmora rounded on him. “Detective? You’re one of them?”
“So are you if you’re able to absorb her power like that,” he said frankly. “We don’t have time to figure it out now. We have a mess to clean up. Humans aren’t permitted to have knowledge of our kind and we’re about to have a whole bunch of them in here.”
“Why am I not surprised you have a mess here?” Sirius asked, appearing next to him out of thin air. He grinned. “I brought someone who might help Sidney trust you.”
In a flash, Phoebe was standing there, her long dark hair whipping around her. Aland watched as Sidney saw her sister. She shook her head and backed into the corner. “No. This isn’t real. It can’t be…”
Phoebe bent. “Sid? It’s real. Please trust Aland. He would never hurt you. He’s one of the good ones Dad always told us about.”
Aland could hear the emotions in Phoebe’s voice, her strain to keep from breaking down at the sight of her sister.
Marmora moved around, putting himself between Sidney and the rest of them. She let him come close, infuriating Aland. She put her arms around the doctor’s neck and Sirius turned, holding Aland back.
“Sidney, I know Phoebe,” Marmora said. “I know it’s been a long time since she paid you a visit and I know it’s anything but normal to pop out of thin air, but she is your sister and I’m positive you love and trust her. If she says to trust them, I think you should.”
Someone pounded on the door. Aland sighed. “Shit, I have got a big mess to clean up with the humans.”
Sirius patted him on the shoulder. “Ah, I’ll lend a hand seeing as how I lost interest in the stakeout. Phoebe?”
“Yes?”
“Convince Sidney to trust Aland because I don’t think I’m going to be able to convince Aland to leave her here a second longer.”
“Damn straight,” Aland said frankly. “Let’s go wipe their minds of this and then get the hell out of here.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Sirius headed toward the door.
Aland stopped, hating that he needed to protect the doctor too, in order to get on Sidney’s good side. “Sirius, we can’t wipe the doctor’s memory or leave him behind. He put himself at risk to save her and in the process, absorbed her power.”
Sirius stilled. “What?”
Aland simply stared at his old friend. The look was enough to tell him it was more than true.
* * * * *
Sidney watched as the detective and his friend passed through the wall. Dr. Marmora gasped, swaying slightly. She held tighter to him, offering unspoken support.
He exhaled slowly. “They just walked through the… Sidney?”
“I know,” she replied. “They can do that.”
“Oh,” he mumbled, his eyes wide. “This is commonplace for you then?”
A tiny laugh escaped her. “Kind of, but I’m a little afraid for you and nervous about what you think of me. I don’t want you to fear me because I can see them and…”
“Shhh.” He kissed her forehead and eased her to her feet. “I trust you, Sidney. We’ve been through too much together for me not to.”
She stared at her sister. “Phoebe?”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been here, Sid. I am. I just couldn’t stand seeing you this way. And for the longest time, I thought I was crazy because I was hearing a voice in my head.” She blushed. “Turns out it was Sirius all along.”
“The man with the detective?” Sidney remained close to the doctor.
Phoebe nodded. “Yes and, Sid, he’s my husband now.”
Her jaw dropped. “You married one of them?”
“Only just. This is new to me too, Sidney. Sirius finally made himself known to me and everything is happening so fast. He tried to get me to come here right away and tell you the news.” Phoebe cleared her throat. “I needed time, Sid. Time to find a way to tell you I’m in love with one of them but mostly…” she paused, “I needed time to gather the nerve to face you after not coming for so long.”
“Baby sister,” Sidney said, emotions lodging in her throat. “As much as I’ve missed you, I do understand. Trust me. I do.” She continued to hold Marmora. “What I’m having the hardest time with is the fact you’re married to one of them.”
Phoebe glanced at the doctor but spoke to her. “Sirius is a good man, just like Dad said. You remember Dad’s stories, right? Remember how he’d tell us that while many were bad seeds, a few living among us humans weren’t? Sirius is one of the good guys. So is Aland. They’ll do anything to keep us safe from the renegades.”
“Renegades?” Sidney asked, still clinging to the doctor.
“The ones who try to pull us through the portals. The ones who attack us.”
As her sister’s words registered, Sidney gasped. “They came for you again? They tried to take you?”
Nodding, Phoebe locked gazes with her. “Yes, but Sirius and Aland were there. They kept me safe, just like they’ll keep you and the doctor safe.”
Sidney stiffened at the feel of another presence in the room with them. She drew in a sharp breath, yanking her sister closer to them. She pushed Phoebe and the doctor against the far corner of the wall a second before the renegade who had come for her before reappeared. He wasn’t in orderly attire. He had on what most of the star men did when they came—a dark robe, open down the front, leaving his sculpted torso showing. His leather pants were open on the sides but laced all the way up each leg. They molded to his muscular, powerful legs. Markings showed on his body—the signs of the zodiac. Or, in Sidney’s view, signs of the enemy.
“Sidney!” Marmora yelled, trying to come for her.
Thankfully, Phoebe held him back.
The renegade tipped his head, staring at the doctor. “You should be dead.”
“And you,” Sidney charged him again, drawing on her power this time, “should learn to leave well enough alone.” She hit him and he fell backwards. She went down with him too, punching him as hard as she could. Her hand stung but she ignored the pain, striking him again. With a worried breath, she released a wave of her power. When it slammed into him, the s
inister smile upon his face died. He blinked up at her, grabbing hold of her hips and steadying her on him.
Vaguely, she heard her sister yelling for her husband and Aland.
“You will make a prized wife.” The man rolled with her, putting him on top. He bent his head and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. “Say my name, Sidney. I want to hear it fall from your lips.”
He tugged at her mind, using his power in an attempt to peel the layers of her mind away. She’d had enough attempts like this in her life to know the signs of it and to ward it off. She focused, invading his head instead.
“Your name is Boraine,” she whispered, hate hanging from her every word.
He seemed shocked with her knowledge even when he requested she pluck his name from his mind. It was the opening she needed to gain the advantage. Bringing her knee up with a speed other humans did not possess, she connected with his groin. Boraine howled and went to the side. She was up within a second and kicking him in the side. She twisted at the sound of Marmora’s shouts for her. It was the wrong thing to do.
Boraine grabbed her leg and jerked. She went down hard. He lunged for her and she turned, coming up fast, striking him in the midriff with the entire weight of her body.
Sidney remained focused on the renegade, needing to keep her sister and the doctor safe. Marmora moved past her, attacking the renegade full force. Much to her surprise, Boraine’s head jerked back and blood pooled at the edge of his mouth. Marmora didn’t give up. He went at the renegade again, knocking the man far from Sidney. The doctor fought with skill and precision. She’d never pegged him as a fighter. Clearly, she’d been wrong. Still, to take on a star man was a feat she wouldn’t have believed had she not seen it with her own eyes.
Aland and Sirius ran through the wall, and the minute the renegade spotted them, his eyes widened. He brought his hands up and something deep within Sidney told her if she didn’t intervene, things would end badly. She charged, grabbing hold of Marmora as Boraine’s power rose around them, locking them in and the others out.
Sirius was there, holding tight to Aland who was trying to get to Sidney. She shoved as hard as she could, knocking Marmora through the power, whispering words she didn’t recognize as he crossed the threshold. He made it through without harm. She was left alone with Boraine.
He came toward her, gracious enough to look impressed with what she’d done thus far. “It would appear you’ve decided to join me willingly. Your Gatekeepers can help you no longer.”
“Sidney, no!” Aland shouted.
“He’ll kill himself to get to you!” Phoebe yelled, her gaze landing on Aland, her words meant for Sidney.
Unable to bear the thought of Aland or any of the others coming to harm for her sake, Sidney took matters into her own hand. Bending her head, she spoke words she didn’t know in a language she knew only a little of—the language of the star men. Water began to seep into the room, filling only the area she and Boraine were in.
He turned in a circle, his gaze first going to Aland and Sirius and then to her. “This cannot be. A female Gatekeeper does not exist! You cannot possess this gift! You are but a human with enough psychic gifts to make you an acceptable mate to our kind. You are not actually one of us!” He came at her fast, knocking her into the water. He pushed her upper chest and submersed her in the water. She kicked him in the groin and he released his hold on her. She came up gasping for air and pissed.
Narrowing her eyes, she began to circle him, turning the tide of the battle. She became the aggressor, knowing he wasn’t expecting as much. Her lower back burned and she hissed, going to a knee, dunking her back under the already waist-high water. She came up and tugged at the back of her pajama bottoms. Her sister’s shocked intake of air alerted her something was off.
“Sirius, look at her back! You and Aland have those marks on your arms!”
“So do I,” Marmora said, his voice tight. “Someone get her out of there. That maniac is going to kill her.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Sirius replied.
“Sidney!” Aland yelled. “Pull back on your power now! You’ve sealed the portal and you’ll both drown if you don’t stop.”
She heard her sister’s shouts for her. She knew Aland was trying to get to her and that Marmora was there, aiding him. She never took her gaze off Boraine. Finally, a laugh bubbled up from her.
Boraine’s brows met. “You are out of your mind!”
“Yes,” she said. “I am.”
She floated up, as did Boraine.
“Unlock the portal, Sidney,” he pressed, swimming for her. He grabbed her hair and ripped her under the water level. When he pulled her head free of it, his eyes were swirling with liquid. “End this! We may control the element of water but we do not have gills. We will not survive…”
Sidney drew upon more of her power, forming a current specifically aimed at Boraine. It yanked him under, pulling him against the wall and pinning him under. She swam, diving under, going right for him. Her chest heated, wanting air, but she didn’t surrender. She remained in place, wanting him to see her until the very last moment. His eyelids fluttered shut and his body jerked violently.
Sidney released her hold on the portal then, allowing it to open once more. Water flushed away fast. Boraine fell to the floor, his body limp. She turned him and tipped his head back before pushing on his chest, expelling water from his lungs. He was still alive. If he wasn’t, the power around her would have faded away.
He spat and coughed, throwing up water. He stared up at her, confusion creasing his brow. “You could have killed me.”
“Not my style,” she said, moving back and kicking with all her might, shoving him through his own portal. The power around her dropped instantly and Aland was there, scooping her up and off the floor. He bear-hugged her. She was soaked to the bone but he didn’t seem to care.
She panicked and broke his hold, reaching for the one person she trusted most in the room.
Marmora.
The doctor opened his arms wide and hugged her, kissing her temple as he did. Aland’s narrow gaze landed on the doctor and it was plain to see he was more than jealous.
Sidney almost went to him to calm his concerns but she found herself staying close to Marmora. “Sander,” she said softly, calling him by his first name, something she’d never done before.
He pulled her against him, hugging her tight. “I will never be able to apologize enough for thinking this was all in your head, Sidney.”
Sidney sank into Marmora’s embrace and shook. The events of the day had taken their toll on her. She felt the heavy weight of someone’s stare upon her and knew without looking it was Aland. The strangest urge to run to him all but consumed her. She resisted, staying close to Marmora. The doctor had been a close friend for ten years. He was safe.
Something in Aland’s haunted expression warned that while he’d never physically hurt her, he would certainly do things to her body she’d never forget.
A shudder ran through her. Marmora rubbed her arms. “You’re wet and freezing. Let me grab a jacket for you.”
“No,” she said, clinging to him. “I just want to go. Please.”
Phoebe came to her. “We’re going, honey. Come on.”
Chapter Four
“Where did you learn to do all of that stuff?” Phoebe asked.
Sidney remained close to Marmora, having not left his side since they’d been ushered from the hospital. Sirius and Aland assured them things were handled and the humans had implanted memories to think Sidney had been released and that Marmora had taken an extended leave of absence to assist on a case across the country. She didn’t question how they did it, mainly because she had similar gifts.
“Honey?” Phoebe touched her hand. “You’ve been tucked away in that place for ten years. How did you learn to fight?”
She slid her damp hair over her shoulder before putting her head to Marmora’s upper arm. He was in Sirius’ clothes after his show
er and Sidney wore her sister’s. She’d never seen him in anything other than his dress clothes. It was odd. What was even stranger was the fact he had the identical tattooed band around his arm that Sirius had. She was willing to bet Aland had it as well. The symbols were ones she’d seen enough of over the years. They marked the men from the stars.
Phoebe lifted her hand. “Sweetie, talk to me, please. You’ve gone quiet and it’s scaring me.”
She thought about her sister’s question. “I learned from the men who come for me. Some I actually just kind of knew. The rest I’ve picked up along the way.”
Her sister’s lips pressed in a thin line.
“Exactly how many renegades have come for you?” Sirius asked, Aland close at his side, still glaring at Marmora.
Shrugging, Sidney exhaled slowly. “Two hundred and eighty-three.”
All eyes came to her.
Marmora cleared his throat, wrapping his arm around her. “Sidney counts when she’s nervous. It’s common for—”
“The insane,” she finished for him with a wicked grin.
He touched her chin. “You’re not insane.”
“I liked it better when you thought I was,” she admitted. “It meant you were safe from them. They’re ruthless, Sander. They’ll kill you to prove they can. To them, we’re like cattle.”
“Not to all of them,” Phoebe scolded. “I’ve told you that Sirius and Aland aren’t like the others.”
Marmora grunted. “Apparently, I’m one of these things too.”
Aland lunged for him. “We’re not things, Doctor, we’re—”
Sidney’s sharp intake of breath stopped him from actually touching Marmora. He drew up short, his blue gaze landing on her. He closed his eyes and backed away from the doctor. “Shit. I’m sorry. I just, well, we’re not things.”
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