By the time they'd shared a piece of mango-key lime pie and sipped frothy cappuccinos, they were almost back to being comfortable with each other.
"Are you up for a walk on the beach?" he asked after he'd signed the check.
"Absolutely. But I think I'd have to walk all the way back to the mainland to burn off all the calories I just devoured."
"We'll make up for it tomorrow," he promised.
As soon as they were beyond the maze of tropical plants, Noah took her hand and she had no real reason to object. He seemed to know where he was going and it was easy to let him lead. She reminded herself this was an assignment, even if it felt more like a fairy tale. The job, and probably their reunion, was only temporary, but for as long as it lasted, she decided it would be crazy not to enjoy the perks.
The moment they stepped outside, a gust of chilly wind blew stinging sand in their faces and they stopped in their tracks.
"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all," Noah said, shielding his eyes.
"Darn. It didn't look windy a minute ago. And the moon is just about to rise. I thought it could be quite inspiring to start your walk-around."
He drew her back into the lobby. "Tomorrow night the moon will be completely full. The energy will be even better."
"Another superstition to aid your search for all things spooky?"
He made a face at her. "It's not all superstition. The moon has a very real gravitational effect on Earth and its inhabitants, even the ones who don't believe in all things spooky." He ended the sentence by running his fingers up and down her spine.
It made her shiver and giggle at the same time. "Don't tell me, one of my tasks will be to chain you to your bed tomorrow night and make sure you can't get loose to wreak havoc on the poor townspeople."
He drew her close with one arm around her waist and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If you chain me to the bed I can guarantee I won't be thinking about the poor townspeople."
She gasped as though shocked by his insinuation and he nipped her earlobe. "Behave yourself," she ordered and gave him a playful shove.
"I couldn't resist. Sorry." He didn't look the least bit sorry.
"We agreed—"
"We agreed to no kissing," he murmured. "That was a bite. And you asked for it by suggesting I was a werewolf."
She felt her face flush and decided the only way to respond was to quickly change the subject. "Hey, did you know the glass domes were designed to withstand hurricanes?"
That made him chuckle, but he went along with her redirection. "Yes, I heard the bellman's speech. But did you know this little island was never shown on any maps until Robert Davenport accidentally discovered it when he was out sailing and got blown off-course?"
"I thought you didn't want to know a lot of facts in advance."
"I read it before I'd made a decision about this hotel. How could an island nine miles off the coast never be charted until the twentieth century? Even though the southern part of Florida wasn't well-populated before the twenties, fishermen and pirates were all over the Caribbean. Someone should have made a note of this place at some point."
"Aha, so it wasn't just the ghost stories that made you choose this particular hotel. You're also looking for pirate-buried treasure."
He winked at her. "It was a lot of things, but I'd bet my next royalty check that the story about an accidental discovery isn't even close to the truth." He tucked her arm through the crook of his elbow. "Since Mother Nature doesn't want us outside tonight, let's go check out the Amethyst Cave."
"Isn't that the lounge? I'm not much of a drinker... despite recent evidence to the contrary."
He smiled and patted her hand. "You don't need to have anything alcoholic. I just figured we should check it out... rather than go back to the room just yet."
"Oh. Good idea."
They weren't disappointed. Enormous blocks of what appeared to be dry ice served as a bar and shelving for an extensive display of vodka and martini mixes. The tables and chairs also looked like carved ice sculptures, though Maggie quickly discovered those and most of the blocks of ice were actually made of Lucite. What was most amazing, however, was the collection of giant quartz crystal formations and huge rock geodes split in half to reveal rich amethyst cores. They appeared to be placed randomly throughout the room.
She watched a woman walk up to one of the taller crystal spikes and hold her hands up, palms toward the stone. "What's she doing?" she murmured to Noah.
"Feeling its energy. Maybe sharing it. Or trying to draw some of it into herself. Try it. Then tell me what you feel."
Maggie glanced around. No one seemed to be paying attention to the woman so she decided to do as Noah suggested. One of the rocks seemed to house a darker purple cluster than the rest and she walked over to it. She stopped a few feet away and held her hands out in front of her. She felt nothing unusual. Not wanting to judge the experience too quickly, she moved closer, an inch at a time. When her hands were about six inches away from the stone she thought she felt a resistance of some sort. She stepped back then forward again and decided she wasn't making it up. It had to be the energy Noah mentioned. She was about to try it from the other side of the geode when a whoosh of chilly air swept by her and with it came the muffled sound of someone sobbing.
Help me. Pleeease.
Maggie's hands jerked back to her chest. She glanced from right to left then behind her. She was certain she had heard a woman crying for help but no one appeared to be in need, nor did anyone else look as though they'd heard the desperate plea. And it was definitely desperate. She approached the woman standing by the quartz.
"Excuse me. Did you hear someone cry for help just now?"
The woman turned her head without moving her hands. "Must have been The Weeping Woman."
Maggie frowned. "Shouldn't we do something? Report it?"
The woman huffed. "Oh, it's been reported. A lot. But unless you know how to calm down a ghost, there's nothing you can do to help her. It's that rock. I can't go near it without having an anxiety attack." She turned her head back toward the crystal and closed her eyes.
Maggie went back to where Noah had taken a seat and joined him. "That was... different."
"What did you feel?" he asked quietly. "I'm really interested."
"I, um, felt a little resistance about six inches away."
"Ah, the energy field is there but probably drained by people touching it or sucking the life force out of it."
She cocked her head at him. "How do you know about all this stuff?"
He grinned. "Research. Lots of research. If it's paranormal, supernatural or metaphysical, I've probably looked into it. I never know what I'm going to need in what book so I think of it as a buffet and make sure I try a taste of everything. The end result is that I know things exist that I can't see."
She smiled. "In other words, you're a true believer in the anything's possible theory of life."
"Without a doubt. Besides having witnessed the impossible firsthand more than once, it also helps me accept the things I cannot change. Are you familiar with the serenity prayer?"
She shook her head. "Should I be?"
"Not necessarily. I'll find it for you later. But something else happened while you were over there. I saw you react and go over to that woman."
"It's going to sound a little..." She waved away what she was about to say. "I know. You think creepy is cool. I felt a cold breeze then heard sobbing and a woman's voice begging for help. I thought maybe it came through an air vent but no one else seems to have heard it. The woman I spoke to said it was The Weeping Woman, like it's common knowledge."
"Probably one of the Davenport ghosts," he said with a nod. "If so, there will probably be a mention of her somewhere. We can look that up after we do the walk."
Maggie liked the way his eyes lit up with interest even if the cause was beyond her appreciation.
Noah rose, walked over to the amethyst geode and held his hands out. A fe
w minutes later he returned. "I felt a little resistance too. I've felt much stronger than that, by the way. But no voices. Have you ever had anything like that happen before?"
She shook her head. "If I did, I'm sure I thought it was my overactive imagination. It does run off the deep end now and then. On the way over here this afternoon I couldn't see the island so I started imagining that I'd been kidnapped by a modern-day pirate or human trafficker."
He laughed out loud at that. "That's one thing we always had in common." His expression turned thoughtful. "You said you thought it was your imagination when you saw the scene from our past in your mirror. But when I said I saw a man in my mirror, you believed me."
"Of course. You never lied to me."
He arched one brow. "You're sure about that?"
"Without a doubt," she replied emphatically, using words he'd used earlier. "I've almost always been able to tell when somebody says something that isn't completely true."
"Really? You never told me that."
She shrugged. "It's no big deal."
"Maybe not to you, but I'd sure like to have that talent."
"It's not a talent," she countered with a smirk. "Not like what you have anyway."
"Wrong. There are different kinds of talents and I'm thinking yours might be more along extrasensory lines." Her doubtful look made him continue. "It took me a very long time to distinguish an energy emission. You picked it up the first time you tried. You're probably more sensitive to alternate realities than most people. I study that sort of thing; it might come naturally to you."
She just rolled her eyes at that statement.
"Fine, but promise to tell me if you feel, see or hear anything that you might normally dismiss as your imagination. In fact, don't just tell me, make a note of it. Include every detail you can think of."
Maggie hurriedly got out her pad and scribbled down the date, time and location.
"I didn't mean this second," Noah said with a chuckle.
"If you want every detail, I need to write it down while it's fresh." She waited for him to nod then got the rest recorded in shorthand.
"That's cool," he said looking at her scribbles. "How fast can you do that?"
"As fast as you can talk. Consider me a backup to your recorder. You never know when the batteries could die out on you."
"There's a great innuendo in there but since you're insisting I behave myself, I will resist the temptation to say aloud what you made me think. Anyway, I'm impressed."
She rolled her eyes again. "It's just a skill. Anyone can learn it."
He combed his fingers through her hair then gave her earlobe a tug. "But hardly anyone bothers to learn it anymore. Maybe that's why we're together again—to make sure you realize how very special you are."
Chapter 5
Well? What do you think of them?
The Council of Abstracts opened their thoughts to one another in response to Love's question.
They definitely called on us by name, replied Fate and Synchronicity.
Moi aussi, added Mother Nature.
Nice redirect with the wind gust, by the way, Curiosity said. It was an excellent way to get the female to the crystals and find out quickly if she was ready to acknowledge her innate abilities.
Justice was anxious for a determination on the mission it had submitted. They are acceptable examples of the best of humanity in its current stage. Also, there is undoubtedly a bond between them and the male's comfort with alternate realities will help her adjust rapidly. But... is their union developed sufficiently to risk their own desires for the sake of a stranger? Are they willing to do battle in order to right a wrong? Since we are limited to one test per Earth decade, we must choose our pairs carefully.
They had a very strong connection when they were young, Love offered. And they have already cleared up the misunderstandings. Their mutual physical desire to mate is very strong but I believe they will not allow it to distract them from what they need to do.
As usual, Reason countered. If there is a chance such a human weakness might distract them, they may not be the best pair to choose.
Love had its answer ready. Quite the contrary. I am certain that once they give in to desire, their bond will be even stronger.
We do not have time for an extended debate, Time reminded them. As always, the most successful tests have been launched during an eclipse of a summer's full moon. Such energy will be present in twenty-four Earth hours and the portal will open. Also, as it has been since the beginning, it will close again on the subsequent new moon, whether or not a pair has been agreed upon.
Justice had one more concern. Unfortunately, the case I selected has extenuating circumstances that do not allow for the full fourteen days in between the opening and closing of the portal. The pair will have five days at most to complete their task. Because resolving this case would have positive repercussions that would greatly benefit Earth's future at this stage of its development, I prefer not to choose another, simpler case. Therefore, I again question Love about the suitability of this pair for this particular case.
Love hesitated a moment before responding. I do believe they are capable of success, even in the shortened time period.
The collective consciousness turned to one who could veto an otherwise unanimous Council decision. Karma always weighed these matters very heavily before speaking. I see no harm in using them. They did not resolve their karmic issues during their first fated encounter and a second meeting was destined to take place. I believe using them for this particular mission fits within the parameters of their personal trials.
With Karma's approval, The Council voted favorably on both the mission and the couple.
As customary, The First had not intervened in the discussion, but had the final say as there was much more to be considered than simply choosing the case and the pair of humans.
Because changing the past was the most tempting and potentially catastrophic sort of interference, the guidelines regarding such had to be the strictest of all. Most importantly, the change could not alter fixed historical events affecting a mass of humanity.
If the test ended with a successful alteration of events, the next generation of humans would be born with an upgrade in the form of a mental, physical or spiritual enhancement that would ultimately ease or improve human life on Earth. If the pair failed the test, there would be neither a reward nor punishment... unless ten consecutive tests ended in failure. In that case, The Human Experiment would be terminated and the human population on Earth would be reduced to the minimum required for humans to begin again... but without celestial guidance or assistance of any kind.
Although there were more failures than successes throughout the millennia, there was only one instance of ten consecutive failures and, as decided by The Council, a great flood nearly decimated the planet. Because it was so early in The Human Experiment, however, The First overruled the guideline regarding ending the experiment. But here they were, an eon later, and the last nine tests had ended in failure.
The future of humanity was once again in jeopardy.
Sadly, humans had never needed an upgrade as desperately as they did now. Too many humans had forgotten the basic guidelines they had been given. They were regularly doing harm to others, themselves and their host planet.
Weighing all the circumstances and conditions, The First did not believe there would be a significantly better time or more appropriate pair of humans. Therefore, that conclusion was shared with The Council.
With The First's endorsement of the pair, it was agreed that Noah Nash and Maggie Harrison would be sent on an event-correction mission tomorrow night. What The First did not share was the hope that Noah and Maggie would correct more than one event while they were away. Robert Davenport and his descendants were due a favor and The First believed Maggie and Noah were possibly the pair to take care of that debt while simultaneously, yet unknowingly, saving their world.
Chapter 6
As they rod
e the tree house elevator up to their suite, Maggie said, "Thank you for a lovely evening, Noah. Part of my brain keeps saying I should feel guilty for having fun when I'm supposed to be working. But I'm feeling too good to listen to it."
"Good," he said, hugging her close to his side for emphasis.
She couldn't seem to stop smiling and, since dinner had been hours ago, neither the wine nor decadent food could be blamed. The rest of their time in the lounge had been spent people-watching. Noah had introduced her to one of his creative games—making up a background for someone based on something he or she was wearing or doing—and it kept them whispering and laughing for over an hour. Afterward, they had rambled through the rest of the hotel's sprawling interior, making mental notes of where the various amenities were and doing a little window-shopping along the row of elite shops.
They'd made one more attempt to go outside but it had started to rain. There was nothing left to do but return to the penthouse.
Maggie tried to hold on to the easy feeling as they entered the living room but one glance at the couch where they had shared their second kiss changed the energy between them.
"It's not a problem," Noah said in a very sincere tone. "I meant what I said about us getting to know each other as adults. We have separate bedrooms and you can trust me to stay in mine."
But I'm not sure I can trust myself to stay in mine. She smiled softly. "I know that. I'm curious. Did our tour this evening count for any of the walk-around?"
He angled his head at her. "Why do you ask?"
"I usually read before I go to sleep and now I'm anxious to learn more about the hotel. I thought I might be able to find something about The Weeping Woman."
He frowned a little and walked over to the bookshelves. "How about something here instead? Just until after tomorrow." He pulled a hardcover book off a shelf. "This looks like a good one."
She saw it was one of his novels and chuckled. "Actually I have one by that author in my room. But like I said, I'm not a fan..."
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