Becoming - Daughters of Saraqael_Book 1 - Raine Thomas

BECOMING Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy: Book One by Raine Thomas Published by Iambe Books at Smashwords Copyright 2011 Raine Thomas. eISBN: 978-0-9838318-0-8 This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. 4/564 Visit the author's website: http://www.RaineThomas.com Cover design by: Nimbi Design Distributed via Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com This book is dedicated with love to my parents, by birth, by marriage, by choice: Diane and Steve Luanne and Brian Pame and Harry I’m so fortunate to have each of you in my life!

Prologue His lungs burned like hot coals in his chest as he ran. Although he would have preferred just about any other method of climbing to his destination, the thick surrounding trees prevented it. The terrain was treacherous, marked with jagged-edged rocks made wet and slick from a recent thunderstorm. The lack of moonlight on the hot night was a mixed blessing. He couldn’t see very well where he was going, but he hoped the cloak of darkness would offer him some camouflage from his pursuers. He was eternally grateful that the bundle in his arms didn’t squall or otherwise make noise that would surely give away their position. It made his task at least mildly easier. 7/564

Before he had started this last leg of his jour-ney, he had seen his two companions off safely. That was another blessing on this otherwise cursed day. Knowing they had achieved that much of their mission gave him hope that he could finish this. As he leaped over another boulder, the baby he carried in a special harness across his chest made a small cooing sound. Compared to his booted footfalls, the noise was nearly inaudible. But panic soared through him nonetheless. If that coo was the predecessor to a fit of screaming or crying, he knew all would be lost. Thankfully, there was no more noise from the baby. His gaze darted across the shadows as he plowed on, knowing that he couldn’t see nearly as well in this environment as his enemies. They were, after all, suited to shadows. Finally, his goal came into sight. The light surrounding the location would not be visible to his pursuers, but it stood out to him like a beacon. 8/564 It was a site used only in extreme emergencies because the results of using it varied so widely. This certainly constituted an emergency. His breath leaving him in sharp bursts, he ran straight for the light. And as he got to within feet of it, he nearly failed to notice the weapon aimed for his midsection. For the baby. He leaped. The weapon struck his leg, but missed its target. As he once again hit the ground, pain speared through his injured leg, bringing him to one knee. He did

what he could to cradle the newborn as he fought to regain his footing. But he wasn’t quick enough. This time, he felt the lance of pain sear through his lower back. He knew, out here in the wilderness as he was, it was a fatal blow. He had failed. And as a result, it would be the child who suffered. Pulling on every bit of experience and training he had, he staggered away from his enemy 9/564 toward the light only he could see. Moving with as much speed as he could manage, he unsecured the baby from the harness. He heard the sound of the weapon singing through the night air as it targeted his neck. He brought forth his second power even as he made one final lurch and thrust the baby into the light with a brilliant flash. As he died, he could only hope his final act was enough to protect the future of his kind.

PART I: Discovery Excerpts from the Great Foretelling: “Before there will be greatness, there will be failure. It is

how those failures are ultimately overcome that will shape the future of all kinds.” “It will be one of us who serves as the bridge…a guardian

with patience and the capacity to learn and then teach that which we have been incapable of learning from the beginning of time.” Chapter One

The blow to her head hurt more than just Amber’s pride, especially because she should have seen it coming. She had expected her opponent to follow the jumping inside crescent kick with a jumping toe kick, but he changed it up on her, throwing in a roundhouse combo that shoved her off-balance and sent her straight to the ground.

Get your head on straight, Hopkins, she thought, irritated with herself for being distracted enough to take the hit. Springing back up, she bounced on the balls of her feet and once again faced her opponent. Ignoring the noise and spectacle around her, she focused exclusively on the battle at hand. This time, when her opponent came in with a spear-hand strike, she countered with a high block, then 12/564 used her forward momentum to step in close and take him down with a double leg sweep. “Break!” At the instructor’s command, Amber immediately straightened rather than following the move with her finishing strike. She reached down to help her sparring partner, Timothy Mason, to his feet. He grasped her hand much as he had many other times over their years practicing together. Because they were about the same height, they were often paired together for sparring. “Good job, Hopkins,” their instructor, Mr. Jenkins, said. “Keep that up, you just might take the trophy at nationals next month.” Amber bowed, as did her fellow black belts, as the class was dismissed. Collecting her gear and slinging her well-worn equipment bag over her shoulder, she made her way to the front of the karate

center. Catching the proud gaze of Mrs. B—as she and her fellow foster and best friend, Gabriel Reid, called their guardian, Clara Burke—she felt a flush heat her cheeks. 13/564 “That was excellent work, Little Star,” Mrs. B said, using the nickname she had given Amber several years ago. “Thanks,” Amber said, shifting her bag uncomfortably over the praise. Then she ventured, “Since I’m all sweaty, I probably shouldn’t be going to get my hair done.” “Nonsense.” Mrs. B’s humored expression told Amber that her guardian was on to her. “Lulu will shampoo your hair. I want to do this for you. You only get one end-of-the-year pool party when you’re about to graduate high school, after all.” While Amber knew quite well that there were worse things in life to endure than spending half the day at a beauty salon, she was rather hard-pressed to think of any at that moment. Despite her qualms, she soon found herself shepherded into Mrs. B’s car and driven to her guardian’s favored salon. Within the hour, she sat in a chair undergoing what was to her a very foreign—and very 14/564 female—ritual. A fuchsia smock covered the shorts and Tshirt she had changed into, and her hair, having already been snipped and trimmed into what she was assured was a flattering style that didn’t remove too much length, was now covered in some kind of goop she had been told would

“bring out her natural highlights.” The steady hum of a hair appliance and the chatter of female voices buzzed around her ears as the sharp and pungent scents of permanent and highlighting solutions assaulted her nose. She still couldn’t believe she had agreed to this. Mrs. B sprang it on her before the haze of sleep had cleared her brain, and Amber figured that had a good deal to do with it. “It’s time for me to give you your graduation present, Little Star,” Mrs. B had said that morning as Amber downed her usual breakfast of orange juice. “Present?” Amber echoed as though this was an unheard of concept. 15/564 “Yes, indeed. Gabriel isn’t the only one who can acknowledge the hard work you put toward passing your final exams. I’d like to take you to the salon for a nice haircut before the pool party.” “Aw, come on, Mrs. B.” She felt her shoulders hunch in discomfort. “Don’t give me any nonsense, child,” Mrs. B responded calmly as she sipped her morning tea and read the paper. She was ever the educated southern lady when she spoke, and she made sure her charges modeled themselves accordingly. If nothing else, it had gotten Amber straight A’s in English. “You are absolutely deserving of my praise and recognition. I don’t want to hear a word otherwise.” It was eerie how Mrs. B got straight to the heart of the matter. Amber had frowned into her juice glass and wished futilely that Gabriel was already awake, then looked through her eyelashes at the woman who had raised her since she was twelve.

16/564 Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window and gleamed across Mrs. B’s reading glasses. The years had been kind despite the hardships she had faced. Sure, there was now a bit of gray sprinkled in her hair that hadn’t been there six years ago, but she otherwise appeared much as she had the day Amber first trudged through her door. Indeed, her constancy was one of the biggest gifts Amber had ever received, and all she ever wanted. She supposed accepting a graduation present from the woman who had raised her into adulthood when so many others had passed on the opportunity was the least she could do. “Okay,” she had said finally, trying not to sound too grudging. She even managed to contain her instinctive eye roll, but when she saw one corner of Mrs. B’s mouth rise, she realized she hadn’t quite passed it off. And now here she was, sitting in the salon of Mrs. B’s stylist and friend, Lulu Medley. Aptly named Lulu’s Beauty Shack, the salon had been 17/564 established in the basement of Lulu’s 1920’s home on Toombs Street in the hospitable, postage-stamp town of Palmetto, Georgia, not even fifteen miles from their home in Newnan. Amber’s apprehension over this experience was high enough since she hadn’t had her hair cut in forever, but when considering the fact that Lulu catered primarily to African-American cli-ents—and Amber’s skin was pale as the moon—she held more than one internal debate over the wisdom of having caved to Mrs. B’s “gift.” Fortunately, Lulu seemed to know her business. She had

either sensed Amber’s reluctance the moment she opened her front door or had been coached ahead of time by Mrs. B. Her no-nonsense nod and knowledgeable scan of her client’s appearance served to ease some of Amber’s anxiety, and the offer of a Coke and a homemade chocolate chip cookie worked its own kind of magic. Before she knew it, Amber had changed 18/564 her clothes and was being ushered into the stylist’s chair and draped in the fuchsia smock. “Clara, you were absolutely right about this one,” Lulu said now with a nod at Amber. The stylist, obviously at a waiting stage, sat what some might term a sizable backside into a straight-backed chair near Mrs. B. The rather uncomfortable-looking seat was situated between the three salon chairs in the room and the small waiting area complete with a coffee table sporting magazines and photo albums. Since the room was probably not much bigger than thirty feet across, the comment was easily discernible. Amber struggled not to squirm and dared not glance at the other stylist and client in the room. Because the second stylist was a younger, slim-mer version of Lulu, Amber assumed she was her daughter. She seemed completely focused on working in the second client’s elaborate weave as they chatted about the client’s three children, but Amber sensed their eyes flicking to her at the comment. 19/564 Wishing there was something in the room to read besides People, Ebony or girly hair magazines (couldn’t they have even one Spi n o r Rolling Stone?), she drummed her fingers on her thigh under the smock and prayed for a quick end.

“Of course I am,” Mrs. B said in her steady and unhurried tone. She had been reading a new edition of Southern Living and paused to look up at Amber. They caught gazes in the mirror and Mrs. B smiled. “My Little Star has a lot of shine just waiting for the right polish.” Amber felt the crinkle of her brow as she puzzled over the words. “Oh, yes…speaking of polish, I want to give her a nice manicure and pedicure,” Lulu said. “My treat.” “Why, isn’t that sweet of you, Lulu?” Lord, would this ordeal never end? Amber had never in her life wanted to be fluffed and pampered like other females seemed to enjoy so much. It just seemed utterly impractical. Between 20/564 karate and playing the guitar, she kept her nails short and unpolished. What good would a manicure do her? And the last thing she intended to do was show off her long, skinny, size-ten feet in some girly sandals. Sneakers had always been her shoe of choice. How had she ever allowed herself to be talked into this? She was absolutely out of her mind for even thinking she would be able to follow through with going to this pool party. “Lulu, while you finish up with Amber, I have a couple of errands to run,” Mrs. B said then, making Amber’s throat tighten in unease. She set her magazine down and got to her feet. “I’ll be back in a short while. Try to enjoy your time with Lulu, Little Star.” Rather than risk speaking, Amber merely nodded and watched her walk out. It really wigged her out to be essentially abandoned in such an anxiety-inducing environment. But she knew that allowing herself to succumb to high levels of stress right now was a very bad idea. If 21/564

her life followed its typical freakish pattern…well, with her eighteenth birthday soon approaching, things could get very bad very quickly. Sitting through an unwanted beauty appointment would be the least of her problems. “That’s a great woman right there,” Lulu said as she got back to her feet and walked over to give Amber’s hair an assessing look. “Yeah,” Amber agreed. She checked her eyes in the mirror, looking for any signs of a forth-coming incident, and focused on controlling her breathing as her anxiety crested. “She’ll sure miss you kids.” Now Amber caught Lulu’s sharp gaze in the mirror, temporarily forgetting about her other concerns. “Mrs. B mentioned the trip to Alaska?” She was referring to the long-awaited graduation trip that she and Gabriel had been planning for the past two years. Because she had always wanted to go to Alaska, Gabriel had vowed to go with her if she passed her finals. In truth, with as 22/564 much as she hated school, his promise and dedication to their shared goal was what had gotten her through her recently-finished exams. There had been many times when the only thing that motiv-ated her during the school day was the sight of Gabriel holding his hands up in the shape of a letter “A,” their silent signal to each other symbol-izing the trip. The stylist waved Amber’s comment aside. “‘Course Clara mentioned it. She’s very excited for y’all. But she realizes this is simply the first step. You and Gabriel are headed to college. You both have jobs and will probably want to find a place of your own soon.” That caused Amber a bit of a jolt. Lulu hadn’t said “places

of your own,” but the singular “place of your own.” Did Mrs. B think that Amber and Gabriel would get a place together because they were both going to attend Georgia State University? Their plans hadn’t progressed that far yet. 23/564 She had to admit that the idea held great appeal to her. She certainly hadn’t dwelled on what would happen when college started in the fall. But there had been more than a few moments when she had lain awake in her bedroom wondering what she would do when Gabriel, who always made friends easily with his natural affabil-ity and charm, inevitably got involved in college activities that didn’t include her and their lives turned down their separate paths. Those private thoughts always left an unmistakable hole in her heart. Of course, with her birthday approaching, she knew there was every possibility that their part-ing of ways could come even sooner than that. Every three years since she’d been born, she experienced what she had come to call an “incident.” The incidents, being bizarre, unexplainable and just plain creepy, had resulted in much up-heaval in her life. And she admitted to herself that she was worried—okay, terrified—that the next incident would be the one that finally 24/564 severed her relationship with Gabriel, the only friend she’d ever had. Sure, he’d stuck with her after she experienced the incident three years ago, but why remind him of her freakishness? Thus, she was working very hard this year to try and prevent it by keeping her stress under control. “You kids have been with her so long, it’ll be hard for the big goodbye,” Lulu continued, ignor-ant of Amber’s racing thoughts. Seemingly satisfied with whatever she saw during

her examina-tion of Amber’s hair, the stylist turned to study her face. “You could use a facial.” While her expression was probably not the equivalent to utter horror, Amber was pretty sure it came close. But Lulu got her way. Before Amber could argue, she was lying back in a padded chair with cold goop covering her face and a ridiculous cap on her head to keep the other goop on her hair contained. She imagined if Gabriel saw her now that he would not only check her 25/564 pulse, but would howl with laughter that would make her want to punch him in the head. In an effort to keep her stress contained, she closed her eyes and allowed the hum of the machines and the senseless chatter to calm her. When she slipped into sleep, she once again had The Dream.

She opened her eyes, and he was there. The handsome male with dark hair and intense gray eyes. The one who loved her. Saraqael .

The unusual and seemingly powerful name floated through her mind…though Amber knew it wasn’t truly her mind experiencing this encounter. This memory belonged to another. He reached out and took her hand where it rested on her sickbed. “Did the doctors have any news?” he asked. She shook her head. It took tremendous effort. The battle against her rare genetic disease had been long and arduous, and she was tired. 26/564

So tired. But she made the effort of bringing forth a smile for him. He had stood by her for more than a year now, offering her support first through his position as a deacon at the community church, and then as her friend. For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He simply stared at her. His emotion was obvious. Then he gently brought her hand up. He brushed that hand with his lips before holding it briefly against his cheek. It was as though he knew she would have caressed that cheek if she had only possessed the strength to do so. The tender action had tears flooding her vision. “I love you more than it should be possible to love

another,” he said, his voice hoarse now as he battled his grief. “You know that, right?” She nodded and communicated with her eyes what she was unable to speak. “I know you feel the same, my dearest heart.” He gave her

a brief smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There are many things that I wish I had told you before. But now, because I believe it 27/564 is possible the truths I hold could save your life, I would tell you everything.” Her breathing quickened. Hope and fear of the unknown had her blinking back more tears. She managed a nod. She had to know. So, holding her gaze, he spoke his first truth… “Amber?” Blinking as The Dream faded, Amber looked up and caught Lulu’s stare. The stylist was using a special puff to remove the facial goop. Amber made a noise in her throat to indicate she was awake.

But her heart drum-rolled in her chest as the last words spoken in her sleep state echoed in her mind. “I am not human.”

Chapter Two Gabriel leaned under the hood of the 1984 Nissan 300ZX he shared with Amber and with-drew the dipstick from the engine. Standing and holding it in the sunlight, he assessed the level and color of the oil. Finding it satisfactory, he re-inserted the dipstick and moved on to changing the air filter, idly wiping the sweat from his brow with the rag from his back pocket. He loved working on cars, especially this one. He took great pride in the fact that he had turned the ZX into a rather impressive machine after spending many long hours refurbishing the rusty heap he and Amber had purchased two years before. They had gone together to pick the new parts that would make the car truly theirs, from the black leather bucket seats to the beauty 29/564 of a V-6 turbo engine. Now, complete with a spectacular custom paint job, the car was a jewel. Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise” filled the air, generated by a transistor radio that was older than he was. The song was one of Amber’s favorites, and made him wonder where she was as he removed the old air filter and tossed it into a nearby trash can. She and Mrs. B should have been back from the karate class by now. Normally, he would have gone with them, as he helped Amber train for her tournaments and attended every one. But Mrs. B had asked him to take care of the yard work today since he and Amber would be at the pool party the next day.

He didn’t imagine they had gone shopping since Amber hated that particular activity. He wondered if she had an appointment with her DFCS worker and hadn’t told him about it. The thought concerned him. Those appointments always caused her a great deal of anxiety. She never admitted it and wouldn’t be happy to know he was aware of it, but he knew her very, very well. 30/564 Ever since the day he met her nearly six years ago, he’d felt an overwhelming need to look out for her. She had a tough outer shell, but he knew the girl inside that shell was terribly vulnerable. Years of bouncing from foster home to foster home until she joined him at Mrs. B’s had left Amber scarred and leery of forming emotional attachments. Outside of him, in point of fact, she had no close friends at all. He supposed that was why, in part, he did things like convince her to attend the end-of-the-year pool party at Devon Brewer’s house with him when he knew she would rather be just about anywhere else, alone. As he secured the last of the four bolts to the lid over the air filter housing, the sound of a vehicle turning into the drive caught his attention. His mood lifted as he wiped more sweat from his face and stepped out from under the hood, expecting to see Mrs. B’s car. Instead, the hot, early-June sun glinted on a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder convertible with 31/564 the top down. Gabriel’s smile faded as he stifled a groan. Michelle Moran. Or, as Amber said, “Michelle Moron.” Michelle had asked him out on a date earlier that year. He still regretted having said yes. He could only chalk his lapse in judgment up to

the fact that she was the cheerleading captain and last year’s Homecoming Queen, after all. That, and her long, brown hair reminded him a bit of— “Hi, Gabe!” she called as she shut the engine off. She was the only one who called him that. He supposed she thought it made her special to use the nickname. He knew it made Amber want to sew Michelle’s lips shut with fine stitches, a thought that now made his own lips twitch in amusement. Having celebrated eighteen birthdays under Mrs. B’s tutelage, he pushed aside his inherent qualms and turned to his southern, hospitable upbringing. Walking over to her car, he opened her door for her. “Hey, Michelle. How’s it going?” 32/564 “Oh, it’s goin’ perfect,” she said as she stepped out of the car, lowering her sunglasses a bit to give him a closer study with her dark eyes. “Especially now.” “Uh-huh. Can I—” the words lodged in his throat when she leaned in close as he shut her door, all but pinning him against the side of her car. Her flowery perfume seemed cloying and in-appropriate in the humid heat. He cleared his throat. “Uh, would you like to come on up to the porch and get out of the sun?” “Sure,” she said, not stepping back. “That’d be nice. It’s awfully… hot. Ain’t it?” He winced over the grammar, hearing Mrs. B clucking her tongue in his head. As he was covered in sweat and automotive grease, he figured a response was unnecessary. Of course, he had also figured his condition would repel her out of fear he would stain the white halter top she wore tied just beneath her breasts. It didn’t.

Indeed, she leaned a bit closer, giving him a snapshot of her robust cleavage. 33/564 It was all he could do not to clear his throat again. “Right. Well, the porch is that way.” “I know,” she said. Then she finally stepped back and sauntered up the porch steps, her rhinestone-covered flipflops clicking and her denim miniskirt riding up with each step she took. Turning from her, he sighed. Then he moved over to the ZX and slowly lowered the hood, trying to figure out how he could possibly get rid of her with the least amount of drama. He suspected if Amber got home while Michelle was still there that the sparks would fly, and he sure didn’t want to get caught in the resulting explosion. As Lulu continued with her persistent beauty treatments, Amber considered the intensity of The Dream. It had never progressed that far before. Nor had it ever been so vivid. And that name…Saraqael. That was new, too. What in the world kind of name was that? 34/564 Well, she h a d been obsessing lately about having an incident. She guessed it was only natural that when The Dream decided to make another appearance, it ended in such a weird way. With more pressing concerns at hand, The Dream faded to the back of her mind. In a weak moment that she barely remembered through the haze of perplexing styling products and Lulu’s repeated assurances, she even allowed the woman to wax her eyebrows and apply some makeup—though she had made her swear on her grandma’s grave it would be subtle.

And subtle it seemed to be, as she didn’t detect any raccoon smudges under her eyes or bloody red paint on her lips when she finally looked in the mirror. Instead, she acknowledged that whatever Lulu had done to her usually unre-markable brown hair had given it much more life, leaving behind what Amber could only think of as a kind of shimmer along with the stylish cut. Her light brown eyes now stood out, highlighted by mascara-enhanced lashes and a touch of 35/564 neutral-toned eye shadow on her lids. The lip gloss Lulu had used was understated but becoming. Mrs. B returned just as Amber was settling herself under the nail dryers. She gasped, came to a halt in the room’s doorway and brought a hand to her mouth. “Oh, Lulu—what a wonderful job!” Amber felt her face reddening as the ladies hugged and talked about the changes Lulu had managed to implement. The attention was just a step above torturous, to Amber’s thinking. “We’ll take all of the products you used today, Lulu, from the gloss to the hairspray,” Mrs. B declared. Amber opened her mouth to protest, but when she glanced up and saw the look in her guardian’s eyes, she snapped her jaw back shut. After Mrs. B made her purchases and Amber had been cleared for departure, they headed up the basement stairs to the car. Mrs. B kept glancing over at her and shaking her head, making 36/564 Amber want to run her painted nails through her hair. It occurred to her that she couldn’t remember ever having her nails painted by someone else. What a strange day. But at least she had managed to

escape this experience incident-free. They reached the car and Mrs. B placed the bag of styling products in the back seat along with what Amber saw were a number of plastic Walmart bags. Mrs. B grinned at her over the roof of the car. “Just wait until he gets a load of you.” “‘Til who gets a load of me?” Raising her eyebrows, Mrs. B studied her another moment, then gave a throaty laugh. “Lord, child, you have so much to learn! Now let’s get in this car and get you home.” Gabriel approached the front porch, knowing Amber and Mrs. B could be home at any moment. While he wanted to spare Amber the head-ache of dealing with Michelle, he was also facing 37/564 the uncomfortable fact that he had used Michelle as the reason for Amber to attend the pool party with him. He had insisted that by serving as his date, Amber would help him avoid going with Michelle. That was certainly true enough, even if it wasn’t his real motivation. By framing it as a favor to him, he had gotten her to agree to it when she otherwise never would. Michelle hardly knew that, however. “Come on up here, Gabe.” She sat on the porch swing and rubbed the seat next to her. He considered and instantly dismissed the idea of offering her something to drink, though he sure could have used a tall glass of sweet tea himself. “So, what brings you by?” he asked, wiping his hands on the rag as he took the three steps up onto the covered porch. He stuffed the rag back into his pocket and leaned against the porch railing rather than sit beside her. Her red lips moving into a pout, she twirled her ponytail with one hand and lifted the other one to rest on the back of the

swing. She lifted 38/564 one of her tanned legs to the porch railing to give herself a little push, exposing enough of herself to have him flushing uncomfortably. Smiling knowingly, she answered, “I wanted to share the good news that I found a way for us to attend the pool party together.” He stilled. “Come again?” “Well, you said you couldn’t go with me ‘cause you had to take your sister.” His jaw clenched. Slow anger replaced the flush in his face as he realized what she was doing. And he was suddenly quite all right with shoving the gentleman to the side. When they arrived home, Mrs. B had to park on the six-foot wide strip of grass near the street since Michelle Moron’s convertible blocked the driveway. Amber recognized the vehicle with a curl of her upper lip. Michelle had been the bane of her existence throughout high school. She had taken every opportunity she could to get under Amber’s skin. And she had always saved her best 39/564 insults and snide remarks for whenever Gabriel wasn’t around to hear them. As Amber and Mrs. B got out of the car, their across-thestreet neighbor, Mrs. Porter, called out to them in greeting from where she knelt weeding her flower beds. Amber assured her guardian that she would take a load of bags up to the house and recruit Gabriel’s help for the others so she could chat with the neighbor. Then she made her way around the tall, lush Italian Cypress trees separat-ing the house from Highway 29 and approached the familiar front porch. Gabriel faced away from her, his tall, muscular frame supported by the porch railing. She spotted a stained rag hanging from the pocket of his shorts and knew he’d been

working on the ZX, one of his favorite weekend chores. A quick glance at the front yard told her he’d also fulfilled Mrs. B’s request to cut the grass. Sweat stains covered his gray T-shirt and glistened on the back of his neck, dampening the dark brown waves of hair that curled there. That didn’t seem 40/564 to be any kind of deterrent for Michelle, whose split-legged pose would have done any Maxim spread proud. Amber snorted in dry amusement. If Michelle thought she could capture Gabriel’s interest by acting like a skank, she was impossibly clueless. He may have been one of the most popular guys in school, but he had high standards when it came to the people he hung out with. In her opinion, Michelle didn’t even rank high enough to live in the same zip code as he did. “Well, you said you couldn’t go with me ‘cause you had to take your sister,” Michelle said when Amber got within hearing range. Oh, Lord. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, realizing Michelle had come to make another pitch in her attempt to attend the stupid pool party with Gabriel. “Amber isn’t my sister. She’s my best friend,” he replied in clipped tones. That brought an unexpected smile to her face. Until she heard Michelle’s next words. 41/564 “Whatever. I know that you didn’t want her to go to the party by herself like a loser. And she’s hardly likely to get a date on her own. She hasn’t even got any friends.” Amber flushed hotly. She stood in rigid fury, staring at Michelle with

the distinct desire to chop her in the throat with a hard knifehand strike. Then Gabriel responded, “Is that so?” She guessed Michelle missed the warning in his tone when she said, “I mean seriously. You’ve looked at her, right? I guess since y’all live together you probably don’t notice how she looks. Anyway, I got Jason Harrison to do me a favor. He said he’ll take her.” Amber battled dueling waves of humiliation and anger. Then an unexpected surge rushed through her, this one much more disturbing than mere emotion. Much more powerful. Much more dangerous. “I figure she’ll be beside her little ol’ self,” Michelle continued. “Jason’s so popular that he 42/564 could go to the party with any girl he wants, but he’s willing to go with her.” As Amber fought to control the tremors in her arms as well as her rising panic, she watched Michelle get up and approach Gabriel, giving him a head-to-toe study. “Which means you’ll be free to take me.” And now, she ran a fingertip down his bicep, looking up at him over the top of her sunglasses. “And I will most certainly let you. Take me, that is. “So…what time will you pick me up tomorrow?” Gabriel caught and held Michelle’s gaze until she finally realized how he was reacting to her words. She lost her smile and wisely took a step back. “It seems you misunderstood,” he said, his tone degrees beyond cold. “I didn’t say I had to take Amber to the party. I’m taking her because I want to. And if you think that it would’ve been 43/564 any kind of inconvenience to Jason to go to the party with

her, you’re dead wrong.” She blinked rapidly at that, but then seemed to collect herself. Tossing her head so her ponytail flipped over her bare shoulder, she sniffed. “You just feel sorry for her.” “Amber’s hardly the one I feel sorry for,” he said, watching the remark hit home. Her jaw flopped open. “Quite frankly, you can’t hold a candle to her. And I’m quite sure you know it.” “Gabriel.” Jerking away from the railing at the sound of Amber’s voice, he turned and saw her in the driveway. A grin pulled at his mouth, despite the awkwardness of the situation. Then he noticed that she wasn’t moving and her arms were stiff at her sides. The plastic bags in her hands shook. Instantly alert, he hurried to her side and took the bags from her. “Hey, Am. You okay?” She took a deep breath. He couldn’t see her eyes behind her sunglasses, but he feared they 44/564 were more gold than her usual brown. Like last time. Then she whispered, “I just had a surge.” “You mean…a surge?” His voice was equally soft and intense. They hadn’t discussed this at all in the past three years. Since the last one. “Not a full one. Maybe a, um, prelude.” His jaw tightening briefly, he nodded. “Okay. We’ll both be on alert. You’re okay now?” “I think so. Yeah.” Michelle stepped off the porch and approached them. “Trying to fit in better, loser?” she said in a snarky voice,

staring at Amber. “Well, it’s a little late now. Four years of high school with frizzy hair, no makeup and unpolished nails, and now this? Please.” Taking a closer look, Gabriel realized what Michelle meant. Amber’s hair had been tamed and trimmed, and was styled around her face in a way that drew attention to her features. Her full, heart-shaped lips were coated in light pink gloss. 45/564 And when he glanced at her long, lovely fingers, he saw the polish Michelle mentioned. Feeling like an ass for not noticing, he turned to Michelle. “You need to move your car.” With a huff of disgust, she flounced past them and climbed into her car. Then she started the engine and tore out of the driveway, almost getting creamed by a car on Highway 29 in the process. They watched her departure in silence. “There are more bags in Mrs. B’s car,” Amber said at last. Her tone clearly indicated that she didn’t want to discuss the surge. He would certainly respect that. “Okay.” He couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. “Mrs. B took me to her salon after karate,” she explained. She sounded as though it had been quite a trial for her. “It was my graduation present.” “Ah.” 46/564 “Don’t you dare laugh,” she ordered. Then she sighed, lifted her sunglasses and looked at him. “I’m not going to laugh,” he managed, hoping he wasn’t gawking like a total dweeb. “You look—” Gorgeous.

Amazing. So beautiful you make my chest hurt. “Very nice.” “Yeah, right. Well, come on. Let’s move Mrs. B’s car and get the rest of the bags.” “Sure.” But rather than move, they both looked again where Michelle’s car had been. Amber lifted an eyebrow and glanced at him sideways. “You know if we had a pet rabbit that Michelle would probably end up boiling it on our stove Fatal Attraction-style after all that, right?” “Shut up,” he said.

Chapter Three Knorbis stood facing the long window in front of him, but the beautifully landscaped courtyard outside the window escaped his focus. Instead, his eyes settled on his soft, blurred reflection in the crystal clear sheet of glass. The smooth planes of his face had settled into a seemingly permanent frown of concern. White-blond hair stood up from his scalp in unruly tufts, something he would normally have done something about, but could not find the energy to do so now. His hands were cupped together behind his back, his posture stiff and unmoving. He had not slept in almost a week, and the dull throbbing in his head served as a constant reminder of his exhaustion, as did the dark circles under his deep purple eyes. 48/564 The sound of a door opening behind him had him shifting

his gaze within the window’s reflection to see who had entered the chamber. When he realized who it was, there was a subtle clenching in his chest…something he could not identify. “Good afternoon, Knorbis.” Turning at last, he responded, “Good afternoon, Malukali.” She left the door open as she walked in, telling him the others were not far behind. He took this moment with just the two of them to study her. She had the most marvelous long, brown hair. The rich stuff was straight and lustrous, capturing the rays of the sun as they filtered through the windows. He frequently found himself wanting to touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked, though he could not imagine why. Her scent floated across the room, like a warm, tropical breeze over a bouquet of vibrant orchids. She pulled a chair out from the table 49/564 centered in the meeting room, her every movement filled with elegance and poise. When she turned her potent, dark green gaze to his, the foreign sensation in his chest tightened again, causing him to inhale sharply. “Is everything all right?” she asked. She paused halfway down to her seat, her hands braced on the gleaming wood table. “I am fine,” he responded, waving her down. “There is much weighing on my mind, as you know.” She nodded. She certainly knew better than anyone. Her lips parted on a response, but the sound of the others approaching interrupted her. First through the door was Jabari, followed closely by Iniherit. They nodded at Knorbis and exchanged nods with

Malukali as they each took their seats. Jabari sat at the head of the table, as was customary. Zayna and Sebastian followed, issuing their own greetings. The last to arrive was Uriel, the large male seeming to fill the room as 50/564 he closed the door behind him and simply leaned against it. Finding himself unable to fathom sitting still, Knorbis remained standing by the window and addressed the room. “Thank you all for coming. I know you are all very busy.” “Of course, Knorbis,” Jabari said, his voice deep and calm. “We understand your reasons for wishing to meet this way. It is safest for everyone, after all. Please tell us why you have called us together.” Nodding, Knorbis said, “I have been having visions for over a week now. They nearly all center around Saraqael’s eldest.” The gazes of the others remained unblinking and intent on him. Not a gasp of shock or word of concern was issued. There had been a time when his intuition had been questioned, but after the events of nearly two decades ago, such was not the case any longer. “And what have you foreseen?” Jabari asked. 51/564 “Soon—very soon—there will be an exhibi-tion of power unlike any of the others we have witnessed. The outcome…” He trailed off, the pain in his head spiking as he tried to apply his powers of perception to his own visions and failed. “I cannot foresee it,” he said finally, his shoulders bowing a bit under the weight of this admission. “Do you fear for their safety?” Ini-herit asked. “I do,” Knorbis replied. “If for no other reason than I know not what they face.” There was a pause as they considered this.

Then Malukali said, “We all know that Kanika perceived a small surge yesterday, during the interaction between Gabriel and Michelle. Do you suppose that was a prelude to this larger-scale display?” “I do,” Knorbis repeated. “And there is more. Although my visions have primarily centered around Saraqael’s eldest, I have also seen the 52/564 others. And there were displays of power there, as well.” Another pause ensued. Glances were exchanged around the table. Normally, Knorbis would have opened his senses to attempt to analyze those glances. Now, though, he was simply too exhausted to bother. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Malukali studying him consideringly. She had spent most of her time with Saraqael’s youngest these past many years. He wondered if she doubted him, since she obviously had not sensed anything untoward herself. “Perhaps it is time,” she said then, surprising him. He lifted his gaze to hers and saw nothing but respect and belief. And there it was again. The mysterious twist in his chest. Jabari looked at Ini-herit. “Raphael is standing in for you since you came to this meeting, is he not?” Ini-herit nodded. 53/564 “Please be sure he is aware of this grave possibility.” Again, Ini-herit nodded. When his silver gaze flashed briefly, they all knew he was sending out the requested message. “I believe we cannot ignore Knorbis’ visions,” Jabari said, looking at each of them in turn.

“There is far too much at stake. It seems clear to me that we must begin making plans for the transitions.” “All of them?” Zayna asked, her brows drawing together. Jabari nodded. He caught Knorbis’ gaze. “Indeed. We must follow Knorbis’ intuition.” “But it has not been determined if Gabriel’s feelings are reciprocated,” Malukali pointed out. “We all believe this is very important toward the success of the transitions.” She looked at Ini-herit. “It is true that there must be some element of faith for a transition to be successful,” Ini-herit agreed. “And thus far, she does not seem to have 54/564 any. Without that, it will likely impact the transition for both of them in one way or another.” “I understand that,” Jabari responded, “and it is a concern. We do not know for certain whether it will ultimately matter, however. And if these displays of power are imminent, as Knorbis, sug-gests, we must take action. You must all consider the potential cost if we do not.” After another moment of silence, they all nodded in agreement. Sebastian said, “It will take some time to prepare everything. But we shall begin making the arrangements immediately.” Uriel shifted away from the door, drawing everyone’s attention. “I will alert Harold, Alexius and Balera. They will ensure that Simon, James and Caleb are notified.” “And I will do what I can to warn everyone on my end,” Iniherit added. “Very well,” Jabari said. “Let us get on with the

preparations. I expect I will see you all again within two to three weeks. Until then, we will 55/564 hope that we have acted in time to prevent any further tragedy.” Amber stood in her room on the day of the pool party wondering when, exactly, she had lost her mind. Because surely it had to have been some time before Gabriel convinced her to wear a swimsuit in front of all of the kids she had gone to school with these past few years. Frowning, she studied her reflection in the mirror over her dresser. The bathing suit was new. In truth, she had never owned one before...at least, not that she could remember. When she had used that as an argument to try and get out of going to the party, Gabriel had nipped that right in the bud by buying her one at BJ’s Ware-house, their joint place of employment. He said it was a combination graduation and birthday present. She couldn’t say that made her think any more fondly of the garment. She supposed it wasn’t too bad as far as embarrassing, clinging, skin-baring pieces of 56/564 clothing went. It wasn’t as though she was in a skimpy string bikini. Still, the black, one-piece suit with gold detailing woven through the bodice was comprised of far less fabric than she was used to wearing. Her pasty skin was a stark contrast to the dark suit, to her thinking. She knew most of the other pool party attendees would be nicely tanned at this point in the year. Unlike her former classmates, she had never seen the appeal of lying around in the sun just for the purpose of darkening her skin. Besides, she’d just burn and peel, a painful and unattractive prospect. Due to her track and karate training, her muscles were respectably toned, she supposed.

But she had what could only be termed an “ath-letic” build. When considering Michelle’s com-paratively swollen and curvy figure, Amber felt like an ironing board’s first cousin. There was a knock on her door. After a moment in which she seriously debated yanking her blanket off her bed and wrapping it around 57/564 herself, she sighed and opened the door. She was going to have to get used to being seen in this getup if she was truly going through with attending this party. And she had given Gabriel her promise. She wasn’t about to back out now. Speaking of Gabriel, he stood on the other side of the door. He opened his mouth in greeting, then stood there without speaking when he saw what she was wearing. Flushing, she turned and walked back into the room to stand again in front of the mirror. She fiddled with the halterstyle strap around her neck in hopes it might help. “I know, I know. It’s ridiculous. Just say it.” “Uh,” he said. “But I’ll just point out that you chose this thing. I might have gone with a full-body wetsuit if it was me, but…” When she trailed off and he still didn’t comment, she glanced at him in the mirror. He looked a little glassy-eyed. 58/564 “There you are,” Mrs. B said from the hallway. She appeared behind Gabriel. Normally, he would have moved the moment he realized she was behind him. Now, however, he simply stood in the doorway, his eyes on Amber. “Gabriel, may I get through?” Finally, he seemed to shake off his weird trance. “Sorry,” he muttered as he moved to the side and allowed Mrs. B to walk by. She carried a Walmart bag.

“Well, don’t you look lovely, Little Star?” Mrs. B said with a wide smile. “What a nice bathing suit.” “Thanks,” Amber said with another flush of embarrassment. Gabriel watched them from the doorway and she wondered a bit anxiously what he had come to talk to her about. “I didn’t get the chance yesterday to give you the things I bought you at the store for today’s party,” Mrs. B said. She pulled some black, stretchy fabric out of the bag she carried. “This is a bathing suit cover-up, since I know you well 59/564 enough to realize you won’t be comfortable at the party without one. The skirt ties over one hip.” She demonstrated briefly as both Amber and Gabriel watched, wearing twin expressions of bafflement, and then set it aside. “I also bought you some sunscreen and some new sandals to show off your pretty toenails. You can’t go to a pool party wearing socks and sneakers.” Although she wanted to argue, Amber realized her guardian was right. She would only call more attention to herself if she was inappropriately dressed. “Thanks, Mrs. B.” “Oh, child, you’re most welcome. You’ve asked little enough from me over the years. I’m happy to do for you now.” Amber smiled at the warmth in Mrs. B’s words and expression. “I know I’ll get a lot of use out of these gifts,” she said, though she wasn’t sure whether she meant it. “And I wouldn’t have thought to get any of this, so I really appreciate it.” 60/564 “It’s my pleasure.” Mrs. B glanced back at Gabriel, who still stood in the doorway. “I’m sorry if I interrupted your conversation,” she said. “Oh…no. It’s all good.”

“Well, I’ve got a load of laundry waiting to be moved to the dryer,” she said. “I’ll see you two off before you leave.” “Of course,” they said at the same time. She smiled, looking between them. “Good.” When Mrs. B walked out, Amber pulled the new sandals out from the Walmart bag on her dresser. They were simple black sandals with straps around the ankles and toes. They had wedge-shaped heels made of something that looked like cork. “So, what’s up?” she asked Gabriel as she turned the sandals upside-down and confirmed that the size was right. It was. She dropped them to the multi-colored rug on her floor and slid them onto her feet, bending to fasten the straps. 61/564 “I was just checking on you since it’s about time to go.” His voice was a little raspy. “Making sure I’m not bailing?” she asked, glancing up at him. He looked a little feverish, she realized. His cheeks were flushed and his blue-gray eyes shone a bit too brightly. A feeling of dread tickled the back of her mind. Was he freaking out over the surge? They hadn’t talked about it after Michelle left. What if he couldn’t deal with it this time? What would she do if he finally turned from her? “Yeah. Something like that,” he replied, his eyes moving from one object in her room to another but not meeting hers. “I just wanted to give you the ten-minute warning.” “Oh.” She hoped he wasn’t lying to her. Why wouldn’t he meet her gaze? “Um, no prob. I’m pretty much ready. But

since you’re here, can you help me put on this sunscreen?” He finally caught her gaze, but couldn’t seem to focus. “What?” 62/564 Wishing he wasn’t acting so strangely, she raised the bottle in her hand and repeated, “Sunscreen. It’s apparently a must for us pale-oids. And I can’t reach my back.” “Um. Right.” When he didn’t move into her room, she lowered the bottle as a sense of loss sliced through her. Then she said in a quiet voice, “That’s okay. I can get Mrs. B to do it.” “No, no,” he said, finally moving forward. “Sorry. Just got a lot on my mind.” Battling her flailing emotions, she handed him the bottle and presented him with her back, shifting her hair over her shoulder and out of his way. “What kinds of things?” she asked, fully expecting him to mention the surge and her utter freakishness. Her heart pounded relentlessly as she awaited his response. He didn’t reply at first, dragging out her worry. She heard the sound of the sunscreen opening and then the sound of him squirting some of the lotion onto his hand. The scent of 63/564 coconuts filled the room. Then he said, “I’m concerned about Michelle.” Relief flooded her. She felt the tension in her shoulders ease even as sympathy for him circled through her mind. That made perfect sense. She knew how uncomfortable Michelle made him, and she was bound to be at the party.

Before she could reply, she heard the sound of a heavy breath and turned to look at him curiously over her shoulder. He had cupped the hand-ful of sunscreen close to his mouth. “Don’t want it to be too cold,” he explained, still not quite meeting her eyes. Then he rubbed his hands together before lifting them both to her back. The sunscreen was cool despite his efforts, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Yikes.” “Sorry.” She was about to tell him not to worry and thanks for helping her out when she realized how absolutely incredible his touch felt. It occurred to her that she had never been touched like this by 64/564 anyone before. Actually, she usually did whatever she could to prevent it. Now, Gabriel slowly rubbed his hands along the column of her neck, then along each of her shoulder blades and the expanse between them, the movements purposeful, but tender. The sensation made her want to groan with unexpected pleasure. Then he progressed lower, to the skin exposed below the single bow tie in the back. When he reached the base of her spine, she realized her heartbeat had accelerated to a ridiculous rate. What the hell? “Done,” he said after another moment. His voice still sounded strained. “Thanks,” she replied, startled that her voice sounded rather similar to his. She cleared her throat. “I, um, I’ll be ready in another minute.

Meet you in the kitchen?” She caught his gaze over her shoulder. They stared at each other for what felt like a full 65/564 minute. He opened his mouth to speak, his eyes intense. Her breath caught in her throat. Then he swallowed hard and looked away. “Sure. Sounds good,” he said. And she suddenly knew with a great deal of surprise and certainty as he turned and walked out that there was much more that he wanted to say, and that it wasn’t at all along the lines of him thinking of her as a freak.

Chapter Four Heaven help him, he was making a huge mistake escorting Amber to the pool party. Gabriel eased the ZX into the makeshift parking area beside Devon Brewer’s house while praying he could keep his tongue in his head. Amber sat quietly beside him, gazing out the window and seemingly oblivious to his inner tur-moil. He knew he had made a complete fool of himself when he first saw her in her swimsuit. She had looked at him like he was demented as he stood there without speaking. But for the life of him, he hadn’t been able to command his brain to return to its fully functioning state once he saw how undeniably hot she looked. Unfortunately, her ensemble had only gotten sexier when she tied the cover-up/skirt thingy 67/564 Mrs. B had given her around her slim waist. The slit up the

side just drew even more attention to her well-defined legs and backside. And, dear Lord…those black, strappy sandals. How foot-wear from Walmart could be so provocative, he truly had no idea. Combine all of that with the stylish new haircut and some judiciously applied makeup and he was pretty sure his libido had hit the stratosphere. The fact was, he’d had many years to learn how to control himself when it came to his feelings for Amber. He was being put to the test today, yes. But what concerned him more was the reality that she was about to open the eyes of the many males of Newnan High School. It would almost certainly generate attention toward her that would make her highly uncomfortable, and it would be entirely his fault. “Nice digs,” she said as he cut the engine. Devon Brewer’s family lived in the Platinum Point Historic District of Newnan on nearly two acres of property. The house was Victorian in 68/564 style with beautifully landscaped gardens and a magnificent pool complete with a natural stone water slide, making it ideal for the party. “Yeah,” he agreed before he got out of the car. After six years together, Amber no longer attempted to open doors for herself if she was with him. He enjoyed being the gentleman. Mrs. B had instilled those manners in him from the time he was old enough to understand them. He walked around the car and opened Amber’s door for her. When she shifted and one of her long, sandal-tipped legs emerged, he forgot to breathe. “Well, guess it’s time to get this over with, huh?” she asked as she stood beside him, adjusting her sunglasses on her nose and tightening the knot on her cover-up.

“Am.” He paused, then sighed. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.” When she looked up at him with raised eyebrows, he added, “I know you’d rather be anywhere else. I thought it’d be nice—” 69/564 “Oh, stop beating yourself up,” she interrupted, elbowing him in the side. “Geez, you’re such a martyr. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be a hermit. A happy hermit, maybe, but a hermit’s just one step away from a Scary Cat Lady. So you’re merely doing your part to keep me from ending up the subject of a CSI episode where I get eaten by my own pets.” He stared at her for a minute. Then he burst out laughing. And just like that, the tension was gone. Swinging a companionable arm around her shoulders, he started toward the house. “The Happy Hermit would make a great pub name,” he said as they followed the sounds of the party, maneuvering past the other vehicles already in the parking area and walking around to the back of the house. “Hmm. Not bad. Not as good as The Toasted Ferret, though.” Because he held his arm over her shoulders, he felt the tightness building there as they got closer to the party. Careful to keep his tone level, 70/564 he said softly, “You’ll let me know if you experience anything?” Her shoulders somehow tensed up even more. She nodded. It was the only direct reference he’d made to the surge she experienced the day before. But he definitely remembered the incident from three years ago, and he

could safely say he wasn’t looking forward to going through that again. He hoped by being vigilant that they could avoid it. Whatever it was. The noise grew much louder as they entered through the back gate. A number of colorful lounge chairs had been positioned in the shade of an arbor by the back patio, with at least twice as many situated around the pool out in the hot sunshine. Tables for drinks were strategically placed to prevent spills around the pool deck. Two large propane grills hissed with the sound of cooking meat, filling the air with mouth-watering aromas that managed to blend perfectly with the scents of suntan lotion and freshly-mown grass. It seemed 71/564 every teenage boy and girl in Coweta County had put in an appearance, and with loud music pump-ing through a fancy sound-system and voices raised to compensate, even the great outdoors managed to feel like some energetic teen’s dance club. “Hey, Gabriel!” Looking to the left, he spotted his friend Ethan waving at him from a group standing beside a volleyball net. Ethan was a good guy and fun to hang with. Gabriel gave him a grin and a wave. His grin faded a bit when he realized that Ethan and the group around him were now staring at Amber. “Come and play a game, man,” Ethan encouraged. Just as he opened his mouth to say he wasn’t interested, a female voice said, “Yeah, Gabriel. Go play. That way I can hang out with Amber for a while, just us girls.” He glanced next to Amber and caught the friendly gaze of

Alicia Stephens, the sociable 72/564 cousin of their BJ’s co-worker and fellow senior, Cornelius Stephens. They had all hung out as a group a few times over the years. She and Amber got along relatively well, probably because Alicia liked to talk and Amber listened to her without comment or complaint. “We just got here—” he began. “Which means you’ll be here for hours yet,” she interrupted. “Go on and leave us be.” Amber tilted her head to look up at him. “It’s cool. Go play. I’ll sit with Alicia for a bit.” He didn’t even get the chance to ask if she was sure. Alicia promptly snatched Amber’s arm and pulled her over to a couple of open lounge chairs by the pool, chattering away the entire time. Unable to stop himself and feeling guilty for it, he watched the movement of Amber’s hips and backside as she walked away. Only when he turned back to his friends around the volleyball net and realized their interested gazes were also on her did he get irritated. Deciding there was 73/564 little he could do about it, he walked over to join the game. “So, who’s the chick?” Ethan asked when Gabriel approached. There were many ears tuned into their conversation. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “What—seriously?”

“Yeah, man.” Ethan glanced back at Amber. “She’s smokin—” He cut himself off. Tilted his head. Stared harder. “Holy—is that—?” Now he looked stunned. “No way.” Ignoring the comments around him, Gabriel glanced to his right and spotted Jason Harrison among the would-be volleyball players. Giving the other guy a nod, he said, “Hey, Jason, can I run something by you?” Shrugging, he said, “Sure.” He looked wary, though. They stepped away as the others began selecting teams. Staying within sight of Amber but out of hearing range of anyone else, Gabriel stopped beside a neatly-pruned rose bush. When 74/564 Jason stopped beside him, he said without pre-amble, “Michelle dropped by yesterday.” Jason frowned. His eyes were less friendly than usual, as was his tone. “Yeah. She already told me.” “Told you what, exactly?” Jason’s face flushed. Crossing his arms over his chest and shifting his gaze to Amber, he muttered, “Amber told Michelle she, uh, didn’t want to come to the party with me.” “Michelle said that, did she?” Perhaps gleaning something from Gabriel’s tone, Jason caught his gaze. He hadn’t been class valedictorian for nothing, and realization was quick to enter his eyes. Gabriel continued, “I imagine she said that Amber laughed at the idea of coming to the party with you or something?” Jason uncrossed his arms, running one hand across the back of his neck. “Essentially. She said Amber told her that she wouldn’t go out with me if I was the last guy alive—crap like that.” 75/564

“You know Amber,” Gabriel said, indicating their years together on the high school track team. “You know she isn’t like that. Everything you just said is complete B.S.” Jason nodded in understanding and looked again toward Amber. “Damn. What a bitch.” Knowing he meant Michelle, Gabriel smiled dryly. “You have no idea.” “Guess I should’ve known better, considering the source. I imagine you didn’t ask her to ask me to get Amber off your hands, right?” Gabriel just raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Figured. Well, screw it. At least I know. Thanks, man.” Now, he grinned. “Come on. Let me at least kick your ass at some V-ball if you get the girl.” “You’re sure welcome to try.” Amber’s gaze moved around the teeming backyard as Alicia rambled. She certainly didn’t want to ruin Gabriel’s good time by keeping him glued to her side throughout the party, but she 76/564 had to admit that she hadn’t expected to be on her own so soon. She couldn’t avoid a sense of panic as she realized she was going to have to socialize. Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted her chair and she prayed the physical reaction was merely nerves and not… more. “I love your hair,” Alicia said. “Where’d you get it done?” Struggling not to bring her hand to her head in discomfort, she replied, “Lulu’s.” A puzzled frown darkened Alicia’s pretty face. “Lulu’s? Huh. Don’t know that one,” she said in a tone that indicated she thought she should. “Hi, ladies,” came a deep voice, and Amber glanced up as a shadow large enough to cover both their chairs fell over them. Alicia’s cousin, Cornelius, had stopped a few feet away.

His impressive build was nicely displayed as he went shirtless with his light blue swim shorts. Although used to defending against aggressive offensive linemen as one of the high 77/564 school football team’s best players, he couldn’t have been a calmer, nicer guy. Amber had always liked him. Now, a remarkably bright grin split his dark face as he said, “Amber, girl, you’re sizzlin’ today. Wow.” She flushed to the roots of her hair. “Uh…thanks.” “And what about me?” Alicia demanded, tossing her long, dark hair over her shoulder and striking a pose in her hotpink tankini. Amber thought she could have been a model. Cornelius made a buzzing sound with his lips. “Please, cuz. Don’t gross me out here.” Alicia jerked her head and sucked air through her teeth. Well-used to the byplay between the cousins, who loved each other dearly for all their arguing, Amber remained wisely silent. “I wanted to know if I could get y’all lovely ladies something to drink,” he said. Alicia grinned cheekily. “I’d love one, thanks.” 78/564 “I shoulda known you’d say that. Amber?” “Uh, sure.” “Watered down fruit punch or watered down Coke?” “Diet Coke,” Alicia said. “Girl’s gotta watch her figure.”

Fighting back a chuckle, Amber shook her head. “I’ll have the punch, thanks.” When he turned with a small salute to go get their beverages, Alicia adjusted her sunglasses and then groaned. “Lovely. Michelle Moron just arrived. Can’t wait to see who she decides to target today. It’s never a party until she makes an idiot of herself.” Shifting so she could follow Alicia’s gaze, Amber spotted Michelle as she made her way through the yard. She was trailed by her best friend, Cynthia Ridley. Both of them had heads turning in their tiny bathing suits. “Seems Michelle couldn’t nab a date even with being willing to sleep with anything that 79/564 walks,” Alicia said. “Guess by that suit she’s wearing, she hopes to change her luck today.” Amber snorted. “Does a Kleenex held together with dental floss even constitute a bathing suit?” That made Amber laugh. Then she realized that Michelle and Cynthia were headed in their direction. Knowing that she was going to be the “target” that Alicia mentioned, Amber squared her shoulders. “Uh, Alicia, I’ve got to excuse myself for a minute. Be right back.” Alicia started to speak, but Amber quickly got up from her chair and started walking in the direction of the volleyball game. She didn’t want Alicia involved in this nonsense. And since the tremors in her hands were progressing into her arms, she knew she needed to get to Gabriel. There was no way this was just stress. “Running to

your brother, Hopkins?” Michelle called out then, causing several conversations to cease and people to turn and stare. 80/564 “Might as well. You’ve got him so cowed he’ll do anything for you.” Amber stopped walking. Slowly, she turned to face Michelle. “Well, she i s having sex with him,” Cynthia said loudly as they got closer. “That’s what Gabe told me,” Michelle confirmed as they stopped near Amber. She smirked. “He said he likes that they’re under the same roof so he can have her whenev—” She stopped abruptly when Amber’s hand shot out and paused mere millimeters from her face. The sound Michelle made was a bit like a duck getting its neck stretched. She jerked back so hard in surprise that her sunglasses flew off her head. Cynthia watched this all with her eyebrows several inches higher than usual and her lips in a round O. Holding the strike pose as firmly as she could in light of the vibrations coursing through her, Amber said, “Don’t ever talk about Gabriel that way again. Ever.” 81/564 The surge grew stronger as her anger and stress escalated, and Amber knew she was in trouble. She felt the snaps of energy starting in her chest, pulsing with the strong beats of her heart. As her panic grew, the crackle of energy grew…an unstoppable spiral that she knew would result in something disastrous.

She had to get out of there. Had to. But she couldn’t move. And then Gabriel was at her side. He didn’t acknowledge Michelle, but instead reached up and lowered her sunglasses enough to look at her eyes. “Okay—we’re out of here,” he said, pushing her sunglasses back up. Cynthia stumbled back two full steps. “What the hell is up with her eyes?” Alicia and Cornelius approached as Gabriel took Amber’s arm and started for the back gate. Alicia asked with concern, “Is Amber okay?” “She’s fine,” Gabriel lied as they hurried toward the gate. “Just a slight allergic reaction 82/564 aggravated by stress. I’ve got her medication in the car. She does better away from crowds.” “Gabriel.” Amber hardly recognized her own voice. It was croaky and panicked. The vibrations shaking her arms continued to increase in viol-ence. This could n o t be happening. “Hang on,” was his response. They ignored everything and everyone around them as they burst out the back gate and hurried through the parking area. Their car was wedged in among other cars in the Brewers’ makeshift parking arrangement. They’d have to do this on foot. Fortunately, the only people out front were about twenty yards away and thus far had their backs turned. Oh, God. They had to get away. Had to. Had. To. The pain was starting. God, it hurt.

“Gabriel?” Her voice was an anguished question now, and would normally have embarrassed her. Only a few seconds had passed since they left the backyard, but the tremors now shook her entire 83/564 body. Obviously sensing she was reaching a critical point, he bent over and slung her over his shoulder. Then he started running as fast as her added weight would allow. “Hang on,” he instructed again, breathing harshly and dodging trees as he ran. She couldn’t breathe. Her body was now outside of her control. She wanted to scream in agony as the surge threatened to overtake her. And even as she knew Gabriel was her only hope, she feared for him. Didn’t want him anywhere near her. She would kill him. Just as her entire body started convulsing, he burst through a clearing leading to a pond. The sight flooded her with relief even as the pain burst through her chest.

Gabriel! Her brutalized cry was nothing but a thought, but she somehow knew that he heard it as though it had ripped from her throat. Without pause, he plowed straight forward. They plunged unceremoniously into the pond, and she managed to 84/564 take hold of her senses enough to wrap herself around him so that their combined weight would drag them further under the water as quickly as possible. Then the world exploded.

Chapter Five

Ailfrid jerked back, away from the bed he had been leaning over. The movement propelled him into a wooden bureau and had him stagger-ing to regain his balance and breath. “What happened?” Ini-herit demanded, hurrying over to help keep Ailfrid upright. “Surge—powerful—” Ailfrid gasped, clutching his head in obvious pain. A trickle of blood dripped from his nose onto the front of his white garb. Ini-herit placed his hands on either side of the other male’s head. A silver glow shimmered around them and then faded. “Thank you, archigos,” Ailfrid said, blinking as the pain receded. 86/564 Beside them, Knorbis stood with his arms crossed. “Was that stronger than the one three years ago?” he asked. “Significantly so,” Ailfrid responded. He stood quietly, his eyes flashing dark green. When he again blinked back to full awareness, he said, “And the others experienced this, too.” Knorbis and Ini-herit exchanged a look. This was a first…as well as a fulfillment of Knorbis’ predictions. “Can you reconnect with Gabriel?” Ini-herit asked Ailfrid. Ailfrid looked again toward the bed. “I shall try.” While he advanced on the bed, Knorbis pulled Ini-herit a step back. “You will have to move up your timeline.” “Indeed,” Ini-herit agreed. “I am already sensing one

summons from the other side. Another is sure to follow.” He looked at the bed, which was now bathed in dark green light. “It appears you were once again correct.” 87/564 Knorbis sighed. “It would certainly appear so.” Then he caught Ini-herit’s gaze. “However, the reason you must act quickly is that this was not the surge I predicted. My fellows and I all believe that this was merely a prelude to what is still to come. “The next surge, if we allow it to occur, will leave no survivors.” The pond was a murky womb, a sensory deprivation chamber that left Gabriel floating without thought or feeling for a suspended moment in time. Only his body’s desperate need for oxygen finally pulled his consciousness forward.

Amber. Their limbs were still entwined, but his sudden movements to push toward the surface provoked no reaction from her. She wasn’t moving. Now driven by panic, he grasped her arm and kicked, propelling them both up. He broke through the surface and dragged in huge gulps of air, coughing and sputtering when some water 88/564 found its way into his lungs. She didn’t move, her body dead weight. He wasn’t a very practiced or skilled swimmer, but he was strong and he was determined. Kicking his sport sandals off and hooking his left arm under her armpits, he used his legs and right arm to pull them closer to the pond’s edge. Two hard kicks had them close enough that his feet could touch the bottom. “Hang on, Am,” he gasped around the water splashing in his face. “Hang on, girl.” It became a litany as he hauled her

onto the grass beside the water.

Oh, God…please, please, please help me remember the lessons from health class, he thought frantically as he straightened her prone form and tilted her head with shaking hands. After confirming that she wasn’t breathing, he positioned himself beside her like he remembered learning with the CPR dummy in class. But this wasn’t a dummy—it was Amber, and she was pale as milk edging toward blue. His 89/564 stomach threatened to revolt. He had never been this frightened in his entire life. Pinching her nose closed, he leaned down and began resuscitative breathing. Once. Twice. Three times. “Come on, Amber,” he demanded hoarsely. She remained lifeless. He couldn’t bring himself to check her pulse. He sensed that the impact of finding her heart unresponsive would send him over an edge that he couldn’t afford to approach. Instead, he moved almost robotically to her side and felt for the right spot on her chest to begin compressions.

This can’t be happening. This isn’t real. It felt like hours rather than seconds had passed when he moved back up and once again began administering lifegiving breaths. This time, she responded. Her chest issued an odd, almost whooshing sound and then she promptly expelled water. Quickly rolling her onto her side, he closed his eyes briefly and drew a shuddering breath. She really was going to be okay.

90/564 She coughed and gasped and clutched at the grass. When she started to push herself up with rubbery arms, he reached for her instead. “God, Amber, you scared the hell out of me!” He couldn’t prevent the tremor in his voice as he sat and pulled her into his lap, clutching her against him. “You have no idea…” She began shaking. Her eyes widened. “Gabriel, I—” “You’re fine,” he interrupted, his voice firm. He held her now-cool amber gaze with convic-tion. “Everything’s fine.” Though Gabriel wanted to take her to the hospital, Amber steadfastly refused. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how they would explain the circumstances of her condition to a healthcare professional. Besides, she knew from prior experience that her energy would return rather swiftly if she just allowed herself to rest. Though she was the first to acknowledge that this was the closest she had come to, well, dying, she simply 91/564 couldn’t face a host of questions and the possibly lifelong ramifications of going public, even for the sake of her wellbeing. So she remained in Gabriel’s lap and embrace until her trembling subsided and she began to feel more like herself. Although she figured it should have felt strange being held like this by the guy who had been her best friend since she was twelve, it didn’t. And she found herself willing to acknowledge that she had wondered for some time how it would feel. “Are you okay?” she asked after a few minutes of silence. She tensely wondered what he was thinking about all of this. In the past, this was when her placements—and thus,

her relationships with the people she had attached to— disrupted. So far, Gabriel had stuck. Would that change now? “I’m good,” he finally answered. “Though I could stand to go the rest of my life without going through that again. Geez, Am…for a minute there, I didn’t think you were coming back.” 92/564 Now she looked at him carefully. His tone had been light, but his eyes told a different story. She knew then that he would never abandon her, regardless of the circumstances. He was upset not because of how freakish this all was, but because she had nearly died. She brought her hand up and rested it gently along the side of his face. Such a gesture was entirely unlike her. She usually kept a distance between herself and others, but circumstances being what they were, it seemed like the right thing to do. For once, she relied on instinct rather than her brain to guide her. Then she simply said, “Thank you for saving my life.” He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. She read a depth of feeling in his gaze…feelings she realized now she had ignored for a long time. Funny, she never suspected her first kiss would occur under such weird circumstances, and though it seemed intensely fated now, she had never suspected it would be with Gabriel. 93/564 Without another thought, she leaned forward while using her hand to guide him toward her lips. She sensed his hesitation, knew she had caught him off-guard and his brain was trying to catch up, but she didn’t let it deter her. As though they had practiced it a hundred times, her mouth

found his. His response astounded her. There wasn’t so much a spark as a lightning strike when they connected. If she had thought the feeling of his hands on her back earlier that day had been amazing, the touch of his lips against hers now had rockets firing in her synapses. He kissed her with such intensity she wondered how she could stand it. In that moment, she knew all that he held in his heart for her and wondered how he had kept it from her all this time. Even more, she understood her own heart in glorious, almost painful clarity. They parted, clinging to each other and catching their breath. She gasped, “I always thought that romantic stuff in the movies was a load of crap.” 94/564 Issuing a choked laugh, he replied, “I know you did.” “You should have said—done—I don’t know.

Something sooner,” she chastised, gripping the back of his neck tightly. She touched her forehead to his. “You weren’t ready,” he said. Then he grinned. “Guess you are now.” She understood. It was always meant to be her choice. Realizing just how well he knew her, she kissed him again. He moved his lips against hers, gently at first, then with more purpose. She followed his lead, not really knowing what to do. When he ran the tip of his tongue against her lower lip, she almost pulled back in surprise. Then she sensed his intent and parted her lips. His tongue touched hers. She thought her head might spin right off. Was that her moaning?

It seemed the physical contact did more than stir passion between them. It created a kind of healing connection. By the time they broke apart 95/564 a second time, both of them were back to their normal color and strength. “Impossible,” they said at the same time. Looking at each other, they broke into laughter. As if this should seem impossible after what they had just gone through. “This has been a hell of day,” he said. “And I have to admit at the risk of losing my man card that if we don’t stand up soon, I’ll probably lose all feeling in my legs.” Elbowing him, she snickered and then got to her feet. She reached down to give him a hand up. When he rose, he didn’t let go of her hand, but pulled her close and anchored her against him with one hand at the base of her spine. “You know you can’t pretend like this didn’t happen, right?” he said. Wondering if he meant the kissing or the incident that led them to this pond, she nodded. He was right in either case. They looked around together in the afternoon’s dwindling light. The area appeared 96/564 relatively unscathed. Outside of some pond water dripping from the surrounding trees and some extra sediment and debris floating along the pond’s surface, no one would have ever suspected what had just occurred. Amber stared at the center of the dark pond and shuddered. As if sensing her thoughts, he turned her away from the water until she was looking at him. Reaching up, he plucked a wet leaf from her hair. Pulling

away from her slightly, he looked down the length of her. “You look like you drowned in a pond,” he observed. She couldn’t help laughing. “Well, hot shot, I’ve got news for you—” He cut her off by hooking her behind her neck and pulling her close for another kiss. She was amazed that she was still standing when they parted. Her legs felt rubbery. “Honest to goodness, every one of those romantic clichés is true,” she marveled. “With the right person,” he amended. “It makes all the difference, believe me.” 97/564 “Oh, I believe you. I felt absolutely nothing when I kissed that one guy earlier. Didn’t even catch his name.” A corner of his mouth lifted in response to her jest. “Well, I’m sure h e wouldn’t have kissed you when you were looking like you had rolled around in a mud pit,” he responded, grabbing her hand and starting to walk back to the Brewer house. “No?” She batted her eyelashes at him. “Gotta have standards, you know.” “Standards?” Now she glowered at him. “Mm-hmm. Standards. I, after all, have seen you every morning before a brush touches your hair or your teeth, when you’re still shuffling around in your ratty Led Zeppelin T-shirt and boxer shorts. So for me, this look is—” “Don’t you dare say it’s an improvement, Gabriel Reid. I swear I’ll make you eat the words. I don’t care how good you kiss.” “You like my kissing?” He looked thoughtful. “That’s good.

As it happens, since the feeling 98/564 is mutual, I’m quite sure I’ll want to do that a lot.” “Even when I’m in my Led Zeppelin T-shirt and boxer shorts?” “Oh, especially then. I’ve found over the years that I’m rather attracted to the ratty T-shirt and boxer look. Especially when it comes attached to a gal with a cranky, opinionated, smartass attitude.” Trying not to get her feelings hurt and failing miserably, she frowned. She started to tug her hand free of his grasp. “It’s a wonder you would even consider kissing someone whose style and personality are so obviously lacking.” Firming his grip on her hand, he stopped walking. She stumbled to a halt beside him but couldn’t seem to lift her gaze from the ground.

You can add insecure to that list of character flaws, she silently added, embarrassed with herself. 99/564 “Haven’t you listened to a word I said?” he asked, his voice laced with exasperation. “Amber, look at me.” Sighing, she did. He brushed a hand across her cheek and tucked a damp strand of hair behind her right ear. “You have so many wonderful qualities. You’re smart, talented, loyal and funny. You’re lovelier than you will ever know. But those other traits I mentioned, the ones you consider flaws, are what make you so much you. I didn’t fall for just the good stuff.” Now her cheeks burned for another reason.

She cleared her throat and said, “Well, I reserve the right at some later date to point out all of your many flaws. Just so we’re clear.” Grinning, he gave her a quick kiss and then started walking again. “Seems fair to me. Now, we’re really going to have to come up with a good story for why we both look like we’ve been, well, slopping around in a muddy pond. The car is buried in the parking area, so we can’t leave 100/564 yet. From the look of things, the party is going to last a while, so the car could be buried for hours.” The mere thought of her classmates walking out to move their cars and seeing her deplorable condition made her wince. “Can’t we just wait it out until the car is free?” “You mean…sit out in the hot, mosquito-in-fested woods for a couple hours?” “Okay, okay. Let me think.” She frowned and looked around. “Geez, this kind of thing is harder than I thought. What does it look like we’ve been doing? Maybe we can build on that.” Raising an eyebrow, he said neutrally, “I can think of one or two things.” She looked at him expectantly. After staring at her for a moment and seeing her blank look, he shook his head and grinned. “Never mind,” he said, patting her on the arm. “I have another idea.”

Chapter Six Gabriel’s plan to rinse themselves off with the Brewers’ garden hose and sneak into the party from the poolside ended up working like a charm. Michelle and Cynthia had been so freaked by their encounter with Amber that they gave her a wide berth for the rest of the party. It was midnight by the time Amber and Gabriel got home. Although she should have been exhausted after the incident

at the pond and having to socialize for hours on end, her energy was at full-throttle. She took a shower and donned her PJs (the Led Zeppelin T-shirt and boxers, of course) in an effort to wind down. It didn’t help much. While Gabriel took his turn in the shower, she headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. After she heard the shower shut off followed by 102/564 the telltale sound of the pipes running indicating that Gabriel was brushing his teeth, she set her glass down on the counter and reached into the cabinet for a second one. A minute later, Gabriel appeared in the kitchen’s doorway wearing his usual night ensemble of a well-worn gray T-shirt and navy blue cotton shorts. His dark, wavy hair was still damp from his shower. Spotting the glass in her hand, he gave her a shocked look. “Is that for me?” Rather than answer, she held his glass up for him and nodded her head toward the front door. He moved ahead of her and opened the door followed by the screen door, holding them so she could walk past with both glasses. They settled on the wooden porch swing, much as they had many other nights. Only this time, Gabriel lifted up his arm to encourage her to sit against him. She did so, once again waiting for a feeling of weirdness that never came. 103/564 “Why does this feel so…I don’t know? Natural?” He swallowed some water and gave her shoulder a squeeze. Since she had settled on the swing with her legs half-curled under her, he started them moving with one push

of his leg. “Well, for me, I’ve had lots of time to get used to the idea.” “Hmm.” Her brow wrinkled in thought. She supposed his obvious welcome of her attentions might have something to do with her own ease with the sudden change in their relationship. She had been thinking all afternoon of the many signs she had ignored over the years regarding his true feelings for her. There were all the times she had caught his gaze slipping almost guiltily from her face when she looked at him, for example, as well as his irrational annoyance whenever someone referred to her as his sister, among other things. If she was being honest with herself, she knew she had harbored the same feelings for him for quite 104/564 some time and had purposefully minimized them. It had been easier than expressing them and risking losing his friendship. She sighed. She certainly wasn’t someone who had to overanalyze something, especially when it made her happy. Very few things had that distinction. After sipping her water, she asked, “When did you first start thinking of me…” “As more than a friend?” he offered. “Yeah.” He sat quietly for a minute. Very used to him gathering his thoughts before speaking, she remained silent and gazed out at the front yard. A light, warm breeze and the songs of night birds and insects filled the air. The dark sky was carpeted with sparkling stars.

“Do you remember the day you came to Mrs. B’s?” he asked at last. “Of course I do,” she said automatically. “What do you remember?”

Loneliness. Rejection. Fear. Devastation. 105/564 The thoughts somersaulted through her brain, one on top of another. They had never really talked about this. It wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss, and he must have always known and respected that. Even, now, she felt herself shrinking away from the conversation. She frowned. He deserved an honest answer, and she wasn’t a coward. “I remember wondering what my new foster home would be like,” she began, laying her head against his chest. “This was my fifth placement, if you don’t count the stays in the emergency homes and shelters between placements, and I had only just turned twelve. I’m pretty sure my DFCS worker was about to give up on me. There had been talk about sending me to a group home or a therapeutic foster home, but I guess I didn’t really fit those standards. So eventually Mrs. Harris drove me up here to interview with Mrs. B.” When she paused, he asked gently, “What was that like?” 106/564 She drank some more water and listened to his heart beat. The steady, vital sound helped ease some of the tightness

that had settled in her chest. “I was nervous,” she admitted. “I had already been to two interviews with Caucasian families and the match didn’t work for one reason or another. Mrs. Harris thought that I was deliberately sabotaging the interviews, but that wasn’t true. I hated the shelter, but I didn’t want to end up someplace worse.” She paused again. He rubbed her arm and kissed the top of her head. “Mrs. B was great,” she continued after a moment. “She was very matter-of-fact. I’m pretty sure I said some smartass thing to her in the interview. I was twelve and felt like I knew my way in the world. Mrs. B was quick to inform me that I did not. And she took me in.” Now, she smiled slightly. “I was happy when Mrs. Harris told me the news, but...” “You were also afraid that it would end like all of your other placements,” he finished. 107/564 She nodded. “Anyone would tell you that’s perfectly understandable.” Finishing her water, she leaned over to put her empty glass on the small plastic table beside the swing. Then she settled back into her position beside him. “That first day in a new home…it’s full of tension and hope,” she said. “You want to be absolutely perfect so your caregiver will like you, but of course you can’t. No one is.” After a pause of reflection, she said, “I walked into Mrs. B’s kitchen that first day with all of my worldly possessions and saw you sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich.” “It was peanut butter and jelly,” he said helpfully. “Grape.” She lifted her head to look at him. “How do you remember

that? That was nearly six years ago!” “I remember everything about that day.” 108/564 Not sure what to say, she continued to stare at him. “I want to hear your version,” he encouraged. Giving him a thoughtful frown, she relented and eased back against his chest. Recalling the memory, she continued, “When I saw you, I remember thinking, ‘God, I’m hungry’ and ‘God, he’s cute’ almost at the same time. It was the first time I remember thinking about a boy that way, actually.” He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. It made her smile. “And you offered me half of your sandwich before you even knew anything about me,” she remembered now. She hadn’t known what to make of that. After so many years of forming connections with people only to have those connections severed, her faith in humanity had been all but extinguished. Likewise, she had come to the only possible conclusion that she was simply not worth loving and keeping around. Gabriel’s offer of half of his sandwich when they first met had been 109/564 the first of many steps toward helping her regain some of the faith she had lost. And she realized now she had also lost a piece of her heart to him even then. “Do you remember your response to my offer?” he asked. Thinking back, she couldn’t recall exactly what had been said. She shook her head. “You said, ‘Who are you?’” He gently ran his fingers through her hair. “I remember the sight of you standing in the kitchen, looking around with an expression that said you liked what you saw, and that it seemed to worry you. You

had a big, dark bruise under your left eye. I’ve often wondered how you got it.” Oh, yeah. She had nearly forgotten about that. Sensing that he wanted an explanation now, she fidgeted uncomfortably. “I was in a fight. At the shelter.” “Mm-hmm.” There was another long pause. Sighing, she continued, “There was this boy, Phillip. 110/564 Everyone called him Porkchop. I don’t know how old he was, but he seemed huge to me…too old to be in the same dorm with the twelve- and thirteen-year-olds. He cornered me in a bathroom.” “What? ” Gabriel’s hand stilled on her head. There was a tone to his voice that she couldn’t ever remember hearing before. It was chilling. The words came out in an anxious rush now. “He had followed me inside while everyone was out on the playground. I had to use the bathroom. Usually one of the staff at the shelter escorted us, but I hated it when they stood outside the bathroom listening to me pee, so I slipped away when they weren’t paying attention. When I opened the bathroom door to go back outside, Porkchop was there. He clocked me before I even noticed him. Then he dragged me back into the bathroom.” Gabriel’s body was now rigid with tension. She hated that she was the cause of it. “I swung and

managed to break his nose, and just about that time, one of the shelter staff came in with 111/564 another kid and saw what was happening. That was it.” Several breaths passed in silence. She didn’t know whether to break it. Eventually, he relaxed. “That’s why your DFCS worker got the funds approved to start you in karate,” he murmured thoughtfully. His fingers resumed their idle play with her hair. “I’ve always wondered if she was trying to protect you from me.” “You?” She shook her head and rubbed his knee. “I overheard Mrs. Harris arguing with her supervisor about placing me with Mrs. B after the incident with Porkchop. The supervisor knew that Mrs. B had become your legal guardian after your mama passed, and she was worried that I would react poorly to you after what had happened. Mrs. Harris knew that Mrs. B was pretty much my last hope. The karate lessons were a compromise so the supervisor would agree to the placement.” He nodded thoughtfully. “It’s very interesting, listening to the story about that day from 112/564 your perspective. I appreciate you sharing that with me.” He reached over and put his glass on the table. When he sat back, he wrapped his arms around her. “Here’s what I remember. “Mrs. B told me that we were going to have a new foster coming to stay with us. That wasn’t anything new. I’d lived here since I was nearly a year old and had seen plenty of kids come and go. This time it would be a girl about my age. I remember wishing at the time that it was going to be a boy. The last girl Mrs. B had fostered used all the hot water when she showered and spent most of her time in the bathroom.” Amber smiled. She would have loathed living with that girl.

“But I remember thinking it was cool that this new foster would be my age. We’d get to go to school together and hang out. I didn’t know how long you’d be staying with us, of course, but that didn’t really matter at the time. I remember Mrs. B having some closed-door telephone conversa-tions with this new kid’s DFCS worker. It made 113/564 me curious. Most of the kids who came here were placed by Child Protection Services, only temporarily removed from a home, waiting for a family member to come and get them. But in this case, the new kid was in the custody of Family and Children’s Services. This was different. “And then the big day came. We didn’t know when to expect you, so Mrs. B sat me down with my lunch. I remember hearing the car pull up just as I took the first bite of my sandwich. Mrs. B wouldn’t let me go to the door and ‘ogle’ the new kid, so I had to sit at the table and strain to see out the front windows. Mrs. B went outside to speak with Mrs. Harris, and she sent you in. “The first thing that caught my attention was the black trash bag. You held it in front of you like a shield, I thought. None of the other fosters had come without at least a backpack or gym bag. It was another sign that things were different with you. You held that bag without a thought, looking around the kitchen with that cool, but ever-so-fearfullyhopeful expression I mentioned 114/564 earlier. You had on faded green cargo shorts that were too baggy and a yellow T-shirt with a ketchup stain on it. You wore your hair tied back in a ponytail with some cheap, plastic, yellow sunglasses pushed up on your head. Some beat-up, off-brand sneaks on your feet. And there was a scrape on your right knee and that vicious bruise under your left eye.

“I remember being awed. This is the face of courage, I thought . This is a girl who hasn’t had someone who would or could buy her a decent piece of luggage. A girl whose every last possession fits into a black trash bag. A girl who has lit-erally taken a punch and is standing in front of me looking like she’s ready to fight the next fight.” Amber listened, the emotion caused by his narration gripping her tightly around the throat. His scent enveloped her, a welcome balm. “You were the most amazing girl I had ever met, and we hadn’t even spoken,” he said. “The 115/564 sight of you knocked the wind out of me. And I knew instantly that you were meant for me.” He shifted so he could lift her chin up and look into her eyes. “Of course, I took the safe route and offered you half of my sandwich instead of professing my undying love and devo-tion right then and there. And once I got to know you, I figured out you would tell me I was full of it if I ever told you that.” An unexpected laugh escaped her. “You have always known me better than anyone.” He smiled. “Of course I have.” “You’re my best friend,” she said softly. “You and Mrs. B are all the family I have, and you’ve stood by me, even during…” “Why don’t we call them The Incidents? Capital T, capital I?” She managed a smile over his deliberately cheerful tone, though the topic was hardly one to be treated lightly and they both knew it. She sighed. “I know we need to discuss that, and soon. But for now, I just want this to be…” 116/564 “About us,” he finished.

“Yeah.” She touched the side of his face, felt the hint of stubble there. She saw emotion and moonlight reflected in his eyes. “As I said, you’re my best friend, Gabriel. I’ve loved you for years.” Stunned, he said, “You’ve never said that before.” “I know.” Her expression was somber. “I don’t think I could. Loving you as my best friend was one thing. Being in love with you is another, much bigger thing.” “Ah.” He grinned. “Would this ‘much bigger thing’ involve kissing on a regular basis?” She leaned up toward his lips in response. The next morning, Mrs. B sat drinking her tea and reading the paper. Amber got up before Gabriel and shuffled into the kitchen to get herself a glass of orange juice. 117/564 “Good morning,” Mrs. B said, looking at Amber over her reading glasses. “How was the party?” Amber closed the refrigerator after replacing the juice carton. “It was okay.” Raising an eyebrow, Mrs. B repeated, “‘Okay?’ Did I just hear that correctly? Not ‘lame,’ ‘a waste of time,’ or ‘sucky?’” Hunching her shoulders, Amber stared silently into her juice glass. “Dare I ask what happened to upgrade this horrible social experience to an ‘okay’ time?” The sound of a door opening had Amber’s eyes drifting to the kitchen doorway. “Well…” “Good morning, Mrs. B,” Gabriel said cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen. He swooped down to kiss his guardian on the cheek. “Amber,” he added, moving around the table and giving her a quick kiss right on the lips.

There was a moment of humming silence as Amber and Gabriel looked at Mrs. B. She carefully removed her reading glasses and set them to 118/564 the side. Her gaze moved thoughtfully from one of her charges to the other. “Well, well, well.” She smiled. “It’s about time.” Chapter Seven “We’d like to welcome aboard all first class passengers to flight 1499. All passengers seated in rows three through six are now welcome to board.” Amber snorted and elbowed Gabriel in the side as she watched the toothy attendant greet the few passengers about to board the plane. “Figures. We get to sit here pathetically and watch the hobnobbers board first. I should've known.” They were seated in Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport at what Amber said was an ungodly hour of the morning waiting to board the plane that would take them to Dallas/Ft. Worth for their first layover and then on to Seattle for their second before finally arriving in Anchorage. 120/564 After a few days in Anchorage, the plan was to embark on a tour of Kodiak Island. They then planned to venture to Fairbanks to finish out the trip. For now, they had a full day of traveling ahead of them. So far, nerves and excitement were staving off exhaustion from their early rising. Gabriel grinned at her sarcastic comment. Then he stood up, hefting the single backpack they had filled as their carry-on, and took her hand. “Come on.” “What? ”

Greatly enjoying her reaction, he tugged until she got to her feet and then began pulling her toward the door leading to the boarding tunnel. “Gabriel, they won’t let us on,” she argued, thoroughly perplexed. “I may not have ever been on a plane, but—” “Welcome aboard,” the gate attendant said as she took the tickets that Gabriel extended. “Seats 3E and 3F. Have a wonderful flight,” she said, 121/564 smiling and directing them behind her with a wave of her hand. Giving Amber’s hand another tug to get her moving, he struggled not to laugh. Her expression couldn’t decide between shock and confusion. She allowed him to lead her down the ramp leading to the plane’s entrance. It was about halfway down the tunnel that she snapped out of it. “Wait a minute here,” she said crossly, coming to a stop. “Let me see those tickets, Gabriel Reid.” He handed them over to her, watching with further amusement as she pulled out the stubs and read the seat assignments. She would now be realizing why he had insisted on carrying the backpack and all of their paperwork through the baggage check and security. “But how…?” She caught his gaze and her eyebrows slowly lifted. “What did you do?” Taking her elbow, he once again began walking toward the plane. “I surprised my girlfriend 122/564 for her birthday.” Seeing that she was about to protest, he said, “And before you even think about arguing, I know your birthday isn’t for another few days, and I know you thought that bathing suit for the pool party was your gift from me. Just be gracious and accept that I wanted to spoil you.” He had obviously stolen the wind from her argument. She

remained silent as they boarded the plane. They both looked around curiously as they stepped over the threshold into the belly of the plane, neither of them having traveled by air before. The flight attendant standing at the door must have noted their lack of experience, as she stepped closer to them and smiled. “Can I help you find your seats?” she asked. He thought she looked like someone’s charming and doting grandmother. The thought eased some of his nerves and brought an easy, polite smile to his face. “Sure, ma’am,” he said, putting a hand on Amber’s shoulder. “3E and F.” 123/564 “Oh, you’re right here up front.” The attendant walked a few steps past the first class kitchen and pointed to the first row of seats on the left. “These are bulkhead seats, so you’ll need to stow your bag in the overhead compartment.” “Thanks,” he responded, watching as Amber moved in the direction of the seats. Lowering his voice, he asked the flight attendant, “Do you have orange juice?” She gave him a kind smile and patted his arm. “I’ll take care of it.” “Thanks again.” He took a few steps forward and nodded to the few other passengers already seated. They stared back at him. He figured they were wondering what two teenagers sporting jeans and Tshirts were doing in the first class section of the plane. Every one of the other passengers was wearing a suit or collared shirt and slacks of some kind, even the women. Considering the fact that he had needed to work quite a few auto-repair jobs on the side over the past six months to 124/564

afford the upgrade, he guessed he and Amber were a tad underdressed. Shrugging it off, he looked down at Amber, who had taken the aisle seat. “What are you doing?” “What do you mean?” “You need to scoot over to the window seat.” “You should take it,” she said stubbornly. He just stared at her blandly until she huffed out a sigh and moved over. Then he took the aisle seat so the passengers behind him could board. He passed the backpack over to her. “Why don’t you take out what you want and I’ll stick the bag up in the overhead compartment?” “Sure.” She opened the zipper and grabbed her MP3 player and the novel she had brought for the trip. When she handed him back the bag, he reached in and took out a pack of gum, his own MP3 player and the Rolling Stone magazine he had picked up the day before. Setting everything on the armrest/beverage holder between their seats, 125/564 he waited for a break in the flow of boarding passengers and stood to stow it. Before he had time to lift the bag up, he spotted a petite woman with short, curly brown hair and deeply tanned skin in the front of the coach section looking from her carry-on suitcase to the overhead bin with an assessing look in her eye. She hefted it as far as the empty seat beside her and gave the bin one more look.

After glancing around her and seeing that no one was paying her any attention, Gabriel moved forward and gave her a smile. “I’ll get that for you, ma’am,” he offered. “Oh, thank you,” she said gratefully, releasing her hold on the handle so that he could take it from her. Her eyes wrinkled at the corners when she admitted, “I had visions of taking out myself and several passengers with that thing.” With an easy laugh, he asked, “Which bin?” “That one, please,” she said, pointing to the one she had been eying. 126/564 He hefted the suitcase and slid it safely into position within the compartment. “There you go. No problem at all. Let me know if you need help getting it back down, hear?” She blinked at him, then nodded and thanked him again. He made sure she took her seat, then stood patiently to wait for the aisle to again clear of passengers. As he waited, his gaze moved to the row of seats directly across from him. A businessman with gilded blond hair and intense dark eyes was sitting there staring at him without a hint of expression on his face. Gabriel instinctively offered a questioning smile toward the stranger, who was looking at him almost like he knew him. The other man’s face remained impassive, though he did raise an eyebrow. Strangely, Gabriel thought there was something a bit familiar about him. But since he didn’t speak or introduce himself, he figured he had just seen him sitting in the airport terminal. The crowd cleared and he pushed the stranger to the back of his mind as he moved back up to 127/564 his seat. He grabbed the backpack from where he had left it and lifted it into the compartment above him.

“Can I help you with that?” the flight attendant asked from behind him. Surprised, he finished setting the bag in the compartment and replied, “Oh—no, ma’am, but I do appreciate the offer.” “My pleasure,” she said with a smile. Then she held out the two champagne flutes filled with orange juice that she held. “For you and your girl.” He grinned. “Why, thank you. I like the sound of that.” As he took the champagne flutes and moved to sit back down with them, he missed the attendant catching the eye of the businesswoman in 4B, bringing a hand to her chest and mouthing, “Oh, my!” The businesswoman fluttered her lashes dramatically and fanned herself in response. “See anything interesting out there?” Gabriel asked Amber as he sat beside her. 128/564 She was staring out the window, watching everything with rapt attention. The sun had risen above the airport now, bathing everything in a soft orange-yellow glow. Sunlight danced on her hair, which was pulled back only at the temples and spilled down her back in soft curls, the frizz tamed by whatever styling products Mrs. B had forced upon her. He found himself resisting the impulse to run his fingers through it. “I’m glad we didn’t pack anything terribly fragile,” she observed dryly. “They sure don’t seem to treat the luggage with much delicacy.” When she turned and saw him holding the orange juice, her eyes flashed in surprise and pleasure. To him, the smile that lit her face outshined the early morning sun. He handed her a glass and proposed, “A toast?”

“A toast,” she agreed. After a brief thought, she added, “To endings and beginnings.” He caught her sparkling gaze and nodded. They touched glasses and took sips of the sweet 129/564 juice. “I’m especially excited about the beginnings,” he said. “Me, too,” she admitted. Reaching over, she put her hand over his. “Thank you for this, Gabriel. It’s an absolutely perfect gift.” “How’s the orange juice?” the flight attendant asked, stopping by on her way to check in with the other first class passengers. Turning, he gave her a smile. “It’s great, thanks.” “Absolutely. Just let me know when you’re ready for refills.” When the attendant moved on to the next row, Amber nudged him. Her eyes were laughing when he glanced over. “You should really consider dialing it back on the charm there, hon. You have all of the ladies in the first ten aisles of the plane giving you the yum-yum.” “The ‘yum-yum?’” he repeated. “Yeah.” She slid her gaze deliberately from his head down to his toes. “Yum yum.” “Oh.” He felt embarrassment flood his face. 130/564 She sipped her juice and grinned. Lowering her voice to a conspiratorial tone, she added, “That’s how I look at you when you’re not paying attention.” When his lower jaw fell a couple of inches, she laughed

heartily. She shook her head at him and then turned when something outside the window caught her attention. Glancing surreptitiously over his shoulder, Gabriel spotted the businesswoman staring at him. She looked chagrined over having been caught gawking, but gave him a halfsmile and wave. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed several other gazes focused on him. All of those gazes— with the notable exception of the increas-ingly weird blond guy from 10D—were from women. Hunkering down in his seat and facing forward, he fought mortification. Most of the women looking at him were old enough to be his mother. 131/564 Amber turned back to him and saw his expression. She must have realized he had confirmed her theory. Patting his hand in a show of sympathy, she said, “It comes with being so polite and gentlemanly,” she guessed. “I just don’t think people are used to that kind of behavior anymore.” “You think that’s it?” “Mm-hmm.” He considered that and sipped his orange juice. He supposed that had some merit. Then she had to go and ruin it by adding, “And, you’re just plain gorgeous.” It was just after 7:00 p.m. Alaskan Standard Time when their plane touched down in Anchorage, and the sun was still bright in the sky. Gabriel knew from his research that there would be nearly twentyfour hours of sunlight in Anchorage this time of year as the summer solstice approached. It was, without a doubt, one of the strangest things he had ever experienced. And 132/564

with his body’s clock telling him it was 11:00 p.m., the cheery sunlight seemed even stranger. “I don’t think I have ever been this exhausted before just from sitting,” Amber commented as the plane taxied up to their gate. She rolled her head in an attempt to stretch her neck and shoulder muscles. Reaching over and gently rubbing the base of her neck where he felt a knot, he said, “Yeah, but we’re here!” “Thank goodness.” When the plane lumbered to a halt and the overhead tones chimed to allow them to remove their seatbelts, she grinned at him. “Free at last!” They had the privilege of being among the first people off the plane, something Amber swore made their airfare worth whatever price he had paid. He caught her hand and laced his fingers with hers once they entered the airport terminal. Although neither of them were experienced travelers, it didn’t take much more than common sense to follow the tide of passengers 133/564 heading in the direction of the clearly identified baggage claim signs. They looked around with interest as they approached the baggage claim area and took in the vast amounts of gleaming chrome and glass comprising the architecture of the airport, as well as the spectacular outdoor views through the walls of windows. Amber went in search of the bathroom while Gabriel waited for the luggage. He chanced to glance across the circulating baggage handler and noticed the blond businessman from 10D standing and apparently waiting for his own bags. He was once again staring right at Gabriel. Frowning, he considered approaching the weird guy to see what was up. Then he noticed Amber’s suitcase and reached over to heft it off the belt. When he looked up, the businessman was nowhere to be

seen. He shrugged it off. By the time he had both of their suitcases pulled off the belt, Amber had approached and he had spotted where they needed to go to get a taxi. 134/564 “It would’ve been nice to have a rental car to get around in,” she said as they wheeled their luggage outside and over to the taxi stand. “Seems crazy that you have to be twenty-five to rent from most places.” “Sure,” he agreed easily. “But I guess we’ll count ourselves lucky that we were able to get Mrs. Harris and Mrs. B to sign off on us taking this trip on our own even though you’re not eighteen yet.” “True.” They were second in line behind an older couple at the taxi stand. Gabriel had pulled their hoodies out of the suitcases and insisted that Amber put hers on before they stepped outside. As the wind gusted and pulled at her hair and he saw her shiver, he was glad he had. It felt like the temperature was sitting around sixty degrees. A far cry from the nearly ninety they had left behind. It didn’t take long for them to be shown to a yellow taxi. Their driver was about Amber’s 135/564 height and thick through the chest and waist. He wore a denim jacket over a black T-shirt and khaki pants with sneakers. His salt-and-pepper hair was thinning and more than a few wrinkles lined his face. He took their luggage with a cheerful smile and ushered them toward the back seat. Gabriel held the door on the passenger side open for Amber, closed it when she got in, and then walked over to the driver’s side back door. Their driver watched the procedure without comment as he

closed the trunk. “Where can I take you two today?” he asked as he got into the driver’s seat and secured his seat belt. Gabriel appreciated that the driver didn’t sound condescending. He hadn’t been sure what to expect as far as service when it came to them being teenagers. He gave the driver the address of the two-bedroom guest house in the downtown area they had rented with Mrs. B’s assistance. “You two visiting us from the south?” 136/564 “Yes, sir,” Gabriel said, squeezing Amber’s knee in amusement. “Guess the accents gave us away, huh?” The driver gave a nod and short bark of laughter. “Welcome to Anchorage. You picked a great time of year to visit.” While the driver rattled off facts and tidbits about the city that they had already learned in their research, Amber gazed out the window at the mountains in the distance. Gabriel, on the other hand, kept his eyes on her. The air of eagerness and adventure that had gotten her out of bed hours before her usual time still clung to her like an aura. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this unguarded. It was as though she had determined she was going to let go of her usual reserva-tions and actually enjoy the moment. Coming to Alaska had always been her dream. He knew that to be here now was a major accomplishment. He was very glad that he was a part of it. 137/564 They pulled up at the rental house about fifteen minutes later. He opened his door and walked around to the other side to open Amber’s. She waited for him out of habit, and he reached down to take her hand and assist her out.

“This place is amazing, Gabriel,” she said with a contented smile as she got out of the taxi. She looked over at the slate-gray rental house tucked away among the trees. “It’s even better than the pictures.” It was when she caught his gaze that he froze. Her eyes were molten gold.

Chapter Eight Recognizing the look on Gabriel’s face, Amber’s smile disappeared. She took his hand and averted her gaze from the driver, who had opened the trunk and was retrieving their suitcases. “I don’t feel any different,” she whispered tensely. “In fact, I feel great.” Nodding after a brief moment of consideration, he said, “Go on up to the house and see if you can find the key where the rental agency said it would be. There should be a lockbox. I’ll take care of the luggage.” She gave his hand one last squeeze and turned to do what he said. She numbly followed the short, paved path leading from the driveway to the front door, barely registering her surroundings. 139/564

What is happening to me? she wondered bleakly. Was she putting Gabriel in danger? The very thought pierced her heart. The lockbox was right by the front door where the rental agency had indicated. She entered the code they had been given and the box opened to reveal a single silver key on a cheap, yellow plastic keychain listing the rental agency’s name and phone number. As she inserted the key into the lock and turned it, she heard the suitcases being wheeled

up the sidewalk behind her. “Let me get that,” Gabriel said, releasing the suitcase handles and stepping forward to open the dark red front door. “Thanks,” she murmured, walking into the house and letting him handle the suitcases. The entry opened directly into a living room/ kitchen combination with warm, honey-toned hardwood floors and similarly shaded wood cabinets topped with Formica countertops that looked like flecked, dark-gray stone. 140/564 Immediately to the right of the entrance at the edge of the kitchen was a small, round wood table covered with colorful placemats and surrounded by four wood chairs. To the left sat a comfortable-looking deep blue couch positioned in front of a wood-and-glass entertainment unit supporting a flat-panel television set. The walls were decorated with paintings of the Alaskan landscape. A hallway directly in front of her appeared to lead to the single bathroom and two bedrooms that completed the guest house, but she couldn’t seem to make herself move more than five feet past the entrance. Gabriel brought the suitcases into the house and closed the front door. With sunlight coming in through the three large, gorgeous windows in the living room, there wasn’t any need to turn on a light. Walking over to her, he reached up and

put his hands on either side of her face. He stared intently into her eyes. “This is new,” he said after careful consideration. “I’m not sure how to describe it, exactly. 141/564 Your eyes aren’t quite the same color gold as…when there’s about to be an Incident.” Reaching up with her hands, she covered his wrists. “Tell me the truth. Do you think you’re in any danger, being with me right now?” He didn’t answer immediately. If he had, she would have known he was lying. Instead, he slowly shook his head. “Something’s happening, but it doesn’t feel violent.” A ragged sigh of relief escaped her. Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes. Startled at her emotional reaction, she tried to pull away from him. His hold on her tightened. “Don’t pull away,” he chided her gently. A tear escaped. He brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. Despite her best efforts to control herself, another tear fell. His gaze tracked the tear’s path down her cheek with something akin to amazement. The action made her feel incredibly vulnerable. “I can’t ever remember seeing you cry before. All of this held inside there just for me?” He held 142/564 her gaze for another moment, communicating without words. Then he pulled her closer so she could lean into him. She felt better just holding onto him. The solid connection seemed to give her strength. His familiar scent further soothed her, and her tears quickly dried. After another minute, she pulled back and looked at him.

“I think this is about the corniest thing I’ve ever said, but I couldn’t stand it if something happened and I hurt you.” “Yep. Corny.” He gave her a brief smile, but his expression told her that he understood. After a pause of consideration, he mused, “Well, we’ve made it this long. I seem to have some kind of, I don’t know…immunity or something. I’m not sure. In fact…” He stopped talking and kissed her. Amber figured she should protest. The timing certainly didn’t seem right for passion or romance. But the mere contact of his lips on hers pushed all of that aside. Warmth, contentment, 143/564 happiness and vibrant excitement unfurled within her, replacing her fears and anxiety over the unknown. They eventually parted, and he once again looked into her eyes. One corner of his mouth rose. “Huh.” He seemed pleased and a little bewildered. Curiosity got the better of her, and she turned and marched determinedly down the hall to the bathroom. Because she grabbed his hand when she started walking, he followed. Flicking the light switch, she stared into the mirror. Her eyes widened, but she otherwise controlled her reaction to the change in her reflection. “They were even more gold before I kissed you,” he said, also looking at her eyes in the mirror. “Now they’re kind of…” “Amber,” she finished. Her grip on his hand had tightened with the flip of the light switch, and she consciously loosened her hold. They both stared at her eyes in the mirror for another few 144/564

beats in silence, each lost in thought. Finally, she shook her head. “Man, this is crazy.” “The best I can figure,” he said, turning her so that they were once again facing each other, “is you’re reacting to the dramatic change in your environment. I somehow help counteract that, maybe because I’m the closest thing to your usual ‘environment.’” She thought about that for a moment. “Is it scary that I find that an acceptable explanation for my eyes dramatically changing color?” He smiled. “When you’ve experienced what we have over the years, eye color seems almost superfluous.” “You know how I like it when you use words like ‘superfluous.’” “Of course I do.” Grinning appreciatively, she patted his cheek. “This doesn’t mean we can continue to put off talking about The Incidents.” “Sure. But why don’t we walk up to the grocery store and get some supplies before it closes. 145/564 I know you won’t be happy in the morning if you don’t have your orange juice.” Because he was right, she nodded and then took a more careful look around the bathroom. A shower-tub combo to the rear of the room was lined with serviceable beige tiles. The toilet sat to the left of the entrance between the tub and the white pedestal sink under the oval mirror. The hardwood floors from the front of the house continued through to the bathroom and bedrooms, so the owners of the home had placed a woven blue mat on

the bathroom floor. Stepping out of the bathroom, she glanced left and right and saw two bedrooms, both with queen-size beds. What appeared to be handmade quilts topped each of the beds, and serviceable wood furniture, more woven mats and paintings similar to those in the living room decorated each room. “I’ll take the one with the pinkish spread,” she said generously. 146/564 “My manly sensibilities surely thank you.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Why don’t I haul those suitcases into the rooms and then we’ll head out?” “Sounds like a plan.” About an hour later, they were back from the local City Market and the fridge and cupboards were stocked with the basics they would need over the next few days. They had arranged their things in their bedrooms and taken their turns in the shower, and were now sitting at the kitchen table eating a late meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “So, tell me about the first Incident,” he said. She swallowed a bite of sandwich and asked, “The first one I remember?” He thought about that. “I guess that’s an important distinction, huh?” She nodded and took a drink of orange juice. Then, figuring she might as well just get on with it, she set her glass down. “I think the very first 147/564

Incident happened when I was around three.” Seeing his interested expression, she continued, “Mrs. Harris left my file on her desk once when I was waiting in her office. I looked.” “Of course you did.” He grinned at her. Sensing his sincere ease with the conversation, she relaxed a bit. Why have I always dreaded this? she wondered now. Fiddling with her napkin, she went on, “I was found in an abandoned industrial building shortly after I was born. Due to the neighborhood where I was found, it’s thought that my mother was a junkie and/or a prostitute. Apparently, investigators never found any evidence leading them to my parents. At that point, I was placed in my first foster home. Ed and Lisa Vonnegut. The file said everything had gone well and that adoption proceedings had begun.” A pang passed through her at that, and she paused to take an unwanted bite of her sandwich to collect her thoughts. Yes, she had come very close to having a solid foundation on which to 148/564 build her life…a happy family. She looked up and caught Gabriel’s understanding gaze. But what she ended up with pleased her just fine. “The file said that the foster mother, Lisa Vonnegut, was witnessed shaking me violently. I ended up slicing my chin open on the edge of a table, had to have stitches. CPS investigated and, although Mrs. Vonnegut denied that she had shaken me, it was determined that the risk was too great. They didn’t want to assume liability if something worse happened. End of placement.” He sat silently for a moment. “You think that you had an Incident, and that’s why you were shaking in Mrs. Vonnegut’s arms?” She nodded.

“Okay. What about the next Incident?” Appreciating his matter-of-fact manner, she drank some more juice and then continued, “My next placement was with a couple named Ron and Deena Anders. They had another child they had adopted. Julia. She was a year or two older 149/564 than me. Once again, things seemed to be going well. Then, shortly before my sixth birthday, Ron and Deena were cooking dinner while Julia and I played in the backyard with a couple of kids in the neighborhood. The report said that Julia just lost it and attacked me, repeatedly ramming my head into the concrete patio. Julia denied it, but the most reliable witnesses on the scene were the few six and seven-year-olds in the yard and my foster parents, who saw it from inside the kitchen. CPS once again intervened. They determined that Julia was a dangerously jealous child and that it wasn’t in anyone’s best interests to keep me there. Placement ended.” He reached over and covered her hand where it rested on the table. “Is it safe to assume the next Incident occurred when you were nine?” She hooked her fingers with his. “Yeah. You’re pretty good. It took me until I was fifteen to see the pattern.” “Well, you’ve never talked about it, and I’m sure you avoided thinking about it as much as 150/564 possible. Until you look at the linear progression of events, the pattern isn’t very noticeable.” “Linear progression?” she repeated. One corner of her mouth rose when he grinned sheepishly. “Well, you’re right. I was about nine. This time I was placed with a single foster mother. Allison Palmer. She was younger than many foster parents. Twenty-five, the file said. I remember thinking she looked even younger. She was very nice, and had a lot of experience working with kids. The file said that she had the perfect background for fostering and had taken more than her share of classes needed to qualify. Everyone had high

hopes that the placement would work long-term.” “What happened to disrupt this one?” “The Incident was more severe. It left me physically scarred, at least long enough for it to be seen by the CPS investigator. It unfortunately happened at a time when Allison was at work. I had come home early from school because I wasn’t feeling well. Being me, I hadn’t actually 151/564 told anyone at the school. So when the school realized I was unaccounted for, they tried to reach Allison. She was in a meeting at the time and didn’t answer her work phone, so they called the local authorities. By the time they found me at the house, it appeared that I had scalded myself with boiling water.” “Let me guess. You had a convulsion while boiling water on the stove?” “No. I really don’t know what happened. I know I wasn’t cooking. There wasn’t any char-ring in the house. But I had serious burns over more than half my body, and I was unconscious when they found me. There were also several broken things in the room where I was found...a table, a lamp. They suspected I broke the things when I fell. “At any rate, Allison fought the disruption of my placement far harder than my previous foster parents had. She argued that she’d had no way of knowing that I was home unattended, and that the school hadn’t called her cell number or she 152/564 would have answered. The burns healed quickly, and I even confessed to having snuck away from school without going to the nurse or notifying a teacher. It didn’t help. The Powers That Be decided that anything resulting in me being physically injured was negligence and cause for removal.”

Amber got to her feet and carried their empty plates to the sink. Gabriel followed her with their glasses. She turned the water on and waited until it ran warm. She used some of the dish soap they had found under the sink and squeezed a bit onto a washcloth as he grabbed the dishtowel. They settled into a comfortable rhythm of washing and drying. “It was really dumb of me to leave school without telling anyone,” she said, handing him a washed plate. He didn’t say anything until she glanced at him. Then he held her gaze as he dried and said, “You were so young. And much of your experience with people in positions of authority had 153/564 resulted in very bad times for you. Why would you have felt comfortable turning to them?” Handing him the next plate, she gave him a rueful smile. “You’re a pretty handy guy to have around when I’m in the mood to beat myself up.” “Of course I am.” She shook her head at him and finished rinsing the glass in her hand. “My next placement was in the home of another married couple. Ken and Holly Jamison. I remember they were Southern Baptists, true Bible Belt folks. By then, I was old enough to realize that my living arrangements were unusual compared to other kids. I had to start at yet another school, where I was the butt of a lot of jokes and the source of plenty of gos-sip. They had two of their own kids living in the home. It’s safe to say I didn’t make life easy for any of them.” “No. Not you!” Rolling her eyes, she handed him the last glass and shut the water off. “Sarcasm is completely unwarranted here.” 154/564

“But it’s such an underappreciated form of humor.” Because she was in complete agreement and she knew he was trying to keep her from dwelling on these terrible memories, she didn’t comment. “A few days before my twelfth birthday, I had my fourth Incident. This one was at the church that the Jamisons attended. Well, in the parking lot.” Gabriel re-hung the dish towel and took her hand. They walked over to the living room and sat next to each other on the blue sofa. The room was still bathed in soft sunlight even though the clock read 9:56 p.m. Leaning comfortably into his side, she continued her story. “I don’t remember that Incident, either. All I know is that I was seen leaving the church during the service and they found me convulsing on the ground by the Jamisons’ car. All of the windows of the surrounding cars were broken.” 155/564 “Well, if there wasn’t anyone around, your foster family couldn’t have been blamed for causing you harm, right? So, what happened?” Her thoughts went back to the memories she did have about that particular Incident. The absolute horror on the faces of the parishioners gathering on the church steps as she regained consciousness. Later, the preacher speaking at length with the entire Jamison family while she sat on the front steps of the church, alone. That night, sleeping by herself in the bedroom she usually shared with the Jamisons’ youngest daughter because her parents didn’t want them in the same room. The next day, sitting in the back of Mrs. Harris’ car on her way to the shelter. Another placement disrupted. Before answering, she took a deep breath to suppress the anxiety that the flood of memories provoked. Then she took

the plunge. “They were convinced I was possessed by Satan.”

Chapter Nine Gabriel almost asked her to repeat her answer. She had spoken very quickly as she released her pent-up breath. But he watched as she nervously pulled at the ties to her red plaid pa-jama pants while she awaited his response, and he knew he had heard her correctly. There was all manner of jokes he could have cracked, but it was easy to see that this confession was a painful one for her. “Well…I didn’t see that one coming,” he admitted, keeping his tone calm. She relaxed against him and he knew he had said the right thing. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. Her unbound hair smelled faintly of the generic, lightlyfragranced shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom and an underlying 157/564 scent that was distinctly her own, a scent that made him think of sunlight and spiced honey. His fingers moved to her hair as he sorted his thoughts. He watched the light coming through the windows glimmer on the strands as they filtered through his fingers. The action gave them both time to process this last Incident. He supposed it would have shocked Amber to know that he wanted nothing more at that moment than to go and hunt down Ken and Holly Jamison. And he wanted to do much more than explain just how hypocritical and ridiculous their behavior had been. The fact was, the more he considered just what must have taken place when Amber needed them most, the more he really wanted to throttle them both. “I think I’ll choose to thank the Jamisons for their absurd conclusion,” he said at last, focusing on keeping his voice

light. She turned and caught his gaze. “What?” “Obviously, if they hadn’t been such moron-ic, paranoid, narrow-minded idiots, you wouldn’t 158/564 be sitting here with me. So, yes, I’m going to thank them.” Her eyebrows rose and then settled into considering lines. “That’s an interesting way to look at it.” “As Mrs. B always says, all things happen for a reason. It sounds like you ended up better for that placement ending.” When she shrugged agreeably and settled back against his side, he figured at least some of the pain of the memory she had shared had ebbed. “Okay. You thankfully disrupted the placement with the creepy Jamisons. So, now we’re to the Incident that happened about three years ago.” “Yeah.” By unspoken agreement, they hadn’t talked about that Incident after that day—not at all until she experienced her recent surge during his con-frontation with Michelle. He hadn’t wanted to cause an investigation that might result in her losing her placement with Mrs. B, and he figured 159/564 the same reasoning applied to Amber’s silence on the matter. “We were at Stone Mountain Park for the pic-nic with Mrs. B’s church group,” he recalled. “The sun was about to set, and I managed to convince you to go out with me in one of the River-boat Marina pedal boats.” “I still don’t know how you convinced me.” He grinned over the dry tone of her voice. “I have it on good authority that I

can be rather charming when it suits me.” “Hmm.” “So, I charmed you into going out onto the water with me. Mrs. B signed the waiver and off we went. About ten minutes in, you started shaking.” Now she shifted agitatedly. “I don’t really remember what happened after we set out.” Rubbing her arm, he continued, “I felt you shaking. At first, I thought you were just struggling to keep up with the pedaling. It was tougher than I’d thought, so I started to make a joke about 160/564 it. Then I looked at you and saw your eyes. They had changed to an almost solid gold color. The pupils were barely visible.” She shuddered. “Man.” “I can’t explain why, but I just suddenly knew that we needed to get out of the boat, and we needed to do it fast. I pulled off our life jackets—again, I don’t know why, but I did. Your shaking had gotten much more intense. You didn’t respond when I tried to talk to you. And then I grabbed you and jumped off the boat.” Gripping his hand, she caught his gaze. She looked embarrassed. “You sure picked a freak of a girlfriend.” “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” After studying him for another moment and then giving him a small smile of appreciation, she asked, “What do you remember after we went overboard?” “Not much, actually. I remember hitting the water with you and then I remember getting fished out by the marina lifeguards. I remember 161/564 Mrs. B getting all over us for having taken off our life vests when we assured her we wouldn’t. We made it seem as though we had been goofing around and fell into the water.”

“That part I remember.” “And we never mentioned it again before now.” “Yeah.” She yawned widely. “Come on,” he said, getting to his feet and helping her up. “It’s way past time to crash.” As they made their way to the bathroom to brush their teeth, she asked, “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” He shrugged as they reached the bathroom, handing her the travel-size tube of toothpaste they were sharing. “You didn’t want to talk about it, so I didn’t.” She squeezed some toothpaste on her tooth-brush and handed it back to him. “That’s it? Didn’t you think there was something wrong with me?” 162/564 “No. I really can’t explain it. I somehow sensed the danger was over when we were fished out of the marina and your eyes looked, well, like they normally do. And,” he admitted, “I didn’t want CPS coming to investigate and taking you away.” She grunted in response to that as she rinsed. They finished brushing their teeth. As they left the bathroom, she stopped in the hallway, looking into her bedroom. He could see her wrestling with something. Standing patiently, he waited until her internal battle was over. After another moment, she sighed and caught his gaze. “Will you come in and keep me com-pany tonight?” Another pause. “I’m worried something might happen,” she finally admitted.

“Of course.” Her shoulders relaxed at his simple agreement. “Thanks.” They climbed into the bed after drawing the roomdarkening shades. She tugged the quilt over so it only covered her legs, knowing he would 163/564 never use it. They settled under the sheet in the relative dark on their sides, facing each other. “So, I imagine you’ve been tested.” She nodded. “Yeah. The convulsions during a couple of Incidents resulted in me getting all kinds of tests and imaging, especially of my brain. They never picked up anything unusual.” “Well…maybe you’re psychic or something. You might have telekinetic abilities but don’t use them, so they kind of…blow up. That seems kind of logical. Your body sort of recharges the energy over three years or so and then has to, well, release it.” He was warming to his theory. “And you have some kind of intuition about it, because you always try and remove yourself from the public when an Incident occurs.” She hadn’t ever thought about it that way before. But he was exactly right. Although she couldn’t say how she felt during the very first Incident, she did remember playing Freeze Tag with Julia just before she turned six and trying to get away from her. And she left the school before 164/564 the following Incident, walked out of the church for the one after that, and allowed Gabriel to paddle her onto the middle of a huge lake when she otherwise never would have. “Yeah. That actually might make some sense. So, what can I do about it?” “We’ll research it when we get home. There’s bound to be

someone who can help.” “I guess.” She sounded uncertain. “There’s no sense in dwelling on it during our trip,” he reasoned. “I suppose you’re right.” She leaned across and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ve been waiting for this trip for as long as I can remember. I don’t want to ruin it.” “Right. So let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a full day ahead of us.” Amber was happy to comply. And when she did, she slid back into The Dream… “I know this is a lot to absorb,” Saraqael said. “I am so sorry to have kept it from you.” 165/564

She shook her head. She loved him too much and had too little time left to dwell on apologies. He seemed to understand. Bringing his hand to the side of her face, he said, “I have the scroll with me now. It…well, it involves more than just speaking a few words.” Puzzled, she crinkled her brow to prompt an explanation. He cleared his throat, his face filling with color, and held her gaze with quiet intensity. “We must join…in both body and soul.” She didn’t even have to think it over. Her heart and her mind were as one on the matter. Finding more strength than she thought she had left, she said simply, “Please.” Their first three full days in Anchorage were filled with walking around and exploring the city. They went on a glacier tour, took their time visiting the

Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Museum of History and Art, snapped some pictures in front of the Crossroads of the World 166/564 Signpost at the Log Cabin Visitor Center and even panned for gold. On the fourth morning of their trip, they checked out of the Anchorage rental house and made their way by taxi to the airport, where they boarded a forty-five minute flight to Kodiak. Their downtown Kodiak vacation rental was an apartment in a small complex located a few minutes from the beach and the closest grocery store, so it suited them nicely. It was styled in a country theme with warm colors and oak accents, making them think of home. This rental also had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and a living area complete with a treadmill. “Seriously?” Amber had asked, eyeing the workout equipment balefully. “I don’t even want to look at that thing after all the walking we’ve been doing.” Gabriel had laughed at her expression, though he was in complete agreement. The change in their accommodations meant another visit to the grocery store, so they took 167/564 care of that after settling in and then ate dinner in the apartment. The long-lit days as well as the change in time zone played havoc with their internal clocks, and by the end of their first day in Kodiak, they fell into bed by 8:00 p.m. Gabriel woke first the next morning. Slightly groggy, he lifted his head and glanced at the clock. It read 7:31, earlier than he would have ever dreamed of waking on a nonschool day if he’d had a choice in the matter. Ah, well. His gaze shifted to Amber. Because her eyes continued to

fluctuate in color—something they couldn’t explain, but he still didn’t think was dangerous—he continued to sleep in the same room with her just in case something happened. He found the experience of waking up beside her both foreign and oddly comfortable. The sight of her sleeping now made him smile. She rarely looked as peaceful when she was awake. Easing out of the bed as carefully as he could, he managed to get to his feet without disturbing her. He walked to the door and opened it quietly, 168/564 then just as quietly closed it behind him. After a quick trip to the bathroom to relieve his bladder, wash his hands and face and brush his teeth, he ventured out into the kitchen. A guy didn’t live almost eighteen years with Mrs. Clara Burke and not learn his way around a kitchen. Opening and closing cupboards, he quickly found the pans he would need, a mixing bowl and appropriate dishes. Humming a tune and wishing for a radio, he began slicing the loaf of fresh-baked sourdough bread they had purchased the evening before. Once that was done, he set the bread to the side and then opened the fridge and pulled out butter, eggs and milk, carrying them to the cooking island in the center of the kitchen. He cut a pat of butter and slid it into the pan on the stove, turning the heat on to get it melted. Then he got to work cracking eggs, measuring milk and whipping them together into a frothy liquid batter. He had just soaked the first piece of bread in the egg mixture and set it in the pan to fry when 169/564 he heard the bedroom door open. A moment later, the bathroom door closed. He placed a couple more pieces of bread in the pan and then set the table. After flipping the bread, he put the real maple syrup he had insisted on buying onto the table.

Just as he slid the three finished pieces of French toast onto a plate, Amber shuffled into the room. Her eyes were still heavy-lidded from sleep and there were faint pillow lines on her cheek. She might have tried to tame her hair, but no one would know it. He grinned. “Happy birthday, Sunshine,” he said cheerfully. When she got close enough, he pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Your birthday breakfast is ready and waiting.” Giving him a sleepy smile, she took the plate he handed her. “All this for me?” “Hey, you’re old enough to vote and everything. It’s a redletter day.” “Well, thanks. It smells amazing.” 170/564 When she sat at the table and reached for the butter, he filled her glass with orange juice. She was just pouring some syrup onto her plate when he joined her with his own. “You ready for a full day?” he asked. “I thought the only thing we had planned was the Alutiiq Museum,” she said around a bite of French toast. “It’s your birthday. This is the first year I can do boyfriendthings for you on your birthday. I want to shower you with attention and presents.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve given me presents already. Those first class tickets had to set you back quite a bit. I don’t want or need anything else.” He shook his head woefully at her. “I’ve harbored my feelings for you for six years. So, I figured six presents.” “What? ” She goggled at him. “You’ve lost your mind, Gabriel Reid. Besides, you’ve given me presents every year. Last year you gave me a new song book. The year before that, you gave 171/564

me a journal. The year before that was the…what?” He was grinning foolishly at her. “You remember all of the gifts I’ve given you?” Her face flushed and she fiddled with her fork. “Yeah, so?” “Why, Amber Hopkins, I think you’ve held a torch for me for some time.” Kicking him under the table, she grinned back and ate another bite of French toast. “Fine. So you don’t have to give me six presents. That is seriously over-the-top.” “If it makes you feel better, I’ve already given you three of the six gifts. Your bathing suit, the airline tickets and the amazing breakfast.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “You’re out of control.” “I’m going to treat you to a nice lunch—” he glanced down at his plate of food, “—or dinner, or something in between, out by the marina…gift four. And I’ll give you your last two gifts when the time seems right.” 172/564 She tried to glare at him, but couldn’t manage it. “Okay. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll try not to be-grudge your need to give me gifts if you don’t take me somewhere to eat where they’ll stick moose ears on my head and make me stand up while everyone sings to me.” He burst out laughing. “You’ve got a deal.” Chapter Ten Amber took more time than usual getting ready for the day. While Gabriel finished clean-ing up after breakfast, she went into the bedroom and seriously weighed her wardrobe options…something she had never done before. Her usual outfits consisted of shorts or faded, relaxed jeans (some of which she had worn holes through), comfortable

T-shirts (either with band logos or sarcastic sayings, or those plain ones which she considered her “dress shirts”) and socks and sneakers. She had brought along a serviceable, gray cotton hoodie and a navy blue pea coat, knowing that Alaska summers were a far cry from Georgia ones. But Gabriel’s enthusiasm for treating her special on her birthday prompted her to consider dressing the part. 174/564 Fishing through her suitcase, she pulled out the sweater and jeans that she had bought in a moment of weakness. Not long after the pool party, Alicia had invited Amber to go shopping. Only because she knew she needed a few things for the trip did she agree to go. They spent several hours hopping from one store to another at The Avenue in Peachtree City because Alicia declared she wouldn’t shop anywhere else. Eventually, Amber hit pay-dirt at American Eagle Out-fitters, managing to supplement her usual wardrobe since they were having a huge sale. Alicia dragged her along to several more stores and still ended up buying less than Amber had. It was while they were at the Gap that Alicia harassed Amber until she tried on a girly sweater and what she was told were “skinny” jeans. When Alicia saw her come out of the dressing room, she wouldn’t let up until Amber broke down and bought them. Although she had envisioned leaving the new clothes buried in her closet, likely never to be 175/564 worn, she had found herself removing the tags and washing everything before she changed her mind. And now here she stood, holding the deep rose-colored sweater and the stylish blue jeans and wondering if she would feel freakish the entire day if she put them on.

“Man up, Amber,” she finally muttered, and started changing. The sweater was fairly thin but warm, and made of a soft, fuzzy material that she had to admit felt incredible. It fit like a second skin, something she had known would feel foreign to her, and ended right at the waistband of her jeans. Alicia had insisted on helping Amber find the perfect bra to wear with it, which, of course, meant she had to buy the matching panties. Amber had griped heartily about that, as she had no intention of showing anyone her undergarments, but Alicia had clucked her tongue at her and marched her directly over to Victoria’s Secret. Lingerie, for heaven’s sake, Amber had grumbled at the time. But she had to admit now that the 176/564 effect of the bra under the contouring sweater was remarkable. The neckline of the sweater scooped wide enough to show her collar bone on either side, but didn’t plunge low, which she preferred. The jeans were a dark shade of blue with intentionally faded spots along the thighs and back pockets, and they sat much lower on her hips than she was used to. Alicia had gone on and on about how flattering they were, bemoaning that she herself didn’t have the long legs to effectively pull the look off. Amber had stopped short of buying a belt or accessories, knowing they would be a waste of money. She didn’t even own a watch. Now, she wondered if she should have invested in some shoes other than her usual sneakers, but there was nothing to be done about it. Besides, she and Gabriel would certainly be walking, and sneakers were the most comfortable shoes for that. She laced them up without another thought.

177/564 Grabbing her toiletry bag, she cautiously opened the bedroom door and peeked out. Not seeing Gabriel, she hurried over to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She wasn’t ready to face her own embarrassment over what she was doing just yet. Sighing over her behavior, she shook her head and looked at herself in the rect-angular mirror that ran the length of the double vanity. The sweater was a lighter rose color at the top and grew gradually darker as it went down. It was a much bolder color than she was used to, but she could privately admit that it suited her. She ruthlessly tackled her hair with her brush and the travelsized styling products she had purchased from Lulu the week before. It pleased her ridiculously when she removed the tangles and frizz without too much effort. While she was finishing that, she heard the bedroom door close and figured Gabriel had gone in there to get ready. She pulled her hair back at the temples and fashioned a braid beginning at the crown of her head. Then she tied it off with one of her thick black 178/564 elastics and left the rest of her hair down, the way she knew Gabriel liked it. Next, she pulled out her makeup. She hadn’t worn much of it since Lulu styled her out the day before the pool party. She had to admit that at the moment, just looking at it invoked waves of anxiety. Once again telling herself to get over it, she opened the container of powder-base and got started. The bedroom door reopened just as she got started on her makeup. Trying not to think about how clichéd it was for the guy to be sitting and waiting on the girl to finish getting ready, she carefully applied the makeup until she was satisfied that she didn’t resemble a clown. In fact, she

thought the results turned out surprisingly decent. Reaching back into the toiletry bag, she pulled out the travel-sized body splash from Bath and Body Works that Alicia had given her and put a couple of squirts on her wrists. After rubbing her wrists across her neck to trail some of the scent 179/564 there like Alicia had shown her, she figured she was as good as she was going to get. Her stomach fluttered nervously as she reached for the doorknob, and she mentally chided herself. This was Gabriel, for goodness’ sake. She opened the door at last, but didn’t see him down the hallway. Figuring he was sitting in the living room, she tossed her bag onto the bed in their room and walked out to join him. The back of his head was visible from where he sat on the sofa watching SportsCenter on the television. At the sound of her shoes on the wood floors, he called out, “You should’ve seen the highlight they just showed, Am.” He turned with a smile as she paused a few feet into the room. “You would’ve—” The smile dropped from his face, his mouth hanging open on whatever he had been about to say. He slowly got to his feet, but his eyes never left her. Amber instantly decided all of her effort had been worth it just to see his expression right now. 180/564 As he stepped closer, his gaze moved from her head to her toes and lingered in places that brought a hot blush to her cheeks. His expression intense, he reached out, took her hands and slowly lifted both of her arms up above her head.

When she felt the cooler air in the room against her suddenly bare midriff, she tried to pull her hands away from his. “Uh-uh,” he argued, his grip tightening to hold her in place. Then he started turning her, his gaze settled on her waistline. Fighting back her blush, she in-dulged him by turning in a complete circle. “My, oh, my.” He drawled out each of the words as she once again faced him and caught his gaze. His eyes had picked up the sharp blue of the T-shirt he wore and were filled with male appreciation. He released his hold so she could lower her arms, but his hands moved to either side of her hips to pull her within a couple of inches of his tall frame. His thumbs ended up resting against her skin 181/564 where her sweater didn’t quite meet her jeans, and his touch evoked an excited stutter in her heartbeat. “Wherever did this come from?” he asked, his gaze searching her makeup-enhanced features. Trying to sound nonchalant, she replied, “Alicia took me shopping. At the Gap.” “Did she now?” She nodded as his hands idly caressed the bottom edge of

her sweater. Her skin flushed with heat wherever he touched. “And Victoria’s Secret.” He blinked a couple of times as he processed that blurted admission. Finally, he managed, “Is that right?” His eyes had darkened a bit in color and he had swallowed hard after her last statement. So she added, “And Bath and Body Works.” Rather than comment, he closed the meager distance between them by pulling her up against him. Then he leaned down toward her neck and 182/564 slowly drew in her scent. The feeling of his warm breath against her skin made her entire body sim-mer with pleasure. With barely a thought, she tilted her head sideways to give him better access. His lips gently brushed her exposed neck and collarbone, making her pulse race. “I’d thank Alicia, but I think she’s trying to kill me,” he whispered into her ear. She gripped his arms and closed her eyes as all of her nerve-endings blazed. His lips then moved along her jaw line. “Still, I can see you intend this to be a kind of a present for me. I can’t help but appreciate it for what it is.” Then he captured her mouth. Her every thought centered on him as passion flared. His scent: like the ocean wind before a storm, calm with the potential for aggression. His taste: rich, potent and heady. His body: hard, strong and enveloping. As he kissed her, his hands moved slowly from her hips up along her ribcage, leaving a blazing path of sensation behind. She could 183/564 barely breathe as he reached ever higher. His hands explored her leisurely, the feelings he generated with his touch both intensely pleasurable and inexplicably tormenting. She issued a ragged sound that might have been a sigh or a moan.

When he eventually broke away from her, he stepped back and held her at arm’s length, his head lowered as he caught his breath and struggled to center himself. Although the move had been abrupt, she couldn’t take offense. It was obvious she had inadvertently pushed him to an edge she hadn’t even realized existed. She warred with delight and guilt over having trampled on his usual gentlemanly sensibilities. After a moment, he looked up at her and gave her a rueful grin. “You smell—and taste—delicious.” She smiled back at him. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your present.” He shook his head with a chuckle and glanced over at the clock. “Speaking of presents, I know it isn’t even nine o’clock yet, but I think 184/564 it’s time for gifts four and five.” Catching her gaze, he added, “I could use the distraction.” She nodded slowly. “Okay.” “Not here, though,” he said, suddenly thoughtful. “Not quite right, I think.” Curious, she followed him without a word as he led her to the front door. After he grabbed his hooded sweatshirt off the coat rack by the door and Amber collected her purse, they left the house and made their way to the beach. He studied the area as they walked, evidently looking for the perfect spot. She couldn’t imagine what two

gifts he intended to give her that involved walking to a random spot without so much as a box, bag or card envelope. After several minutes of hunting along the beach, they came across a small outcropping of rocks. There was a large, flat rock surrounded on three sides by taller ones. They sat on the flat rock facing each other and it was suddenly as though they were isolated from the rest of the world. 185/564 Gabriel took her hands in his and gave them a quick squeeze as he caught her gaze. “I know you’re wondering what in the world I’m doing,” he said, his tone and expression uncharacteristically serious. “You’ve always found it difficult to accept gifts and the sentiment attached to them. I understand that your past has a lot to do with that.” She didn’t answer, but he saw her agreement in her eyes. “It pleases me more than you can know that you came out here without question, knowing that I wanted to give you something. That tells me you’re really ready to accept this from me.” He released her hands so that he could lean back slightly to fish around in his jeans pocket. She watched him curiously, wondering what he could have fit into his pocket and figuring it had to be a piece of paper. Maybe two tickets to a dinner show, she guessed. Then she caught the glint of something shiny as he pulled his hand back out, and her eyebrows shot up. 186/564 “Gabriel, is that—a ring?” He held his hand out so she could see its contents. “Two rings, actually. One for each of us.” Now it was her turn to gape, her mouth opening but no words coming out. Each

ring was made out of a glimmering metal that was either bright silver or something similar in coloring. The smaller ring had some intricate detailing around the band, ultimately framing a golden-brown center stone in the shape of a rounded-edged rectangle. The men’s ring was a larger version with more squared off corners around the center stone and more subtle engraving along the wide band. As she stared at the rings, he said, “I’m sure you remember the saleswoman in that little jewelry store in Anchorage who harassed you into viewing and trying on a hundred things you didn’t want while I shopped for something for Mrs. B.” 187/564 Now her gaze shifted to his, and his charming grin lifted the veil of disbelief that had settled over her thoughts. “You put her up to that?” He shrugged unapologetically. “I had to get your ring size somehow. She was kind enough to force you to have your ring finger sized with her handy little tool, and then she took you off to the other side of the store so I could buy these.” Staggered, she merely breathed, “Okay.” Patting her knee, he said, “I can see your thoughts whirling around in your head. So let me get straight to Part Two of this gift before you throw me and these rings off this rock.” Shifting, he took the men’s ring and placed it in her right hand, curling her fingers over it when she paused in confusion. “Amber, these are intended as promise rings. Promise rings…well, they sym-bolize a significant promise and commitment between two people.” She looked into his eyes. The gray and blue warred for dominance, both colors conveying great depth of feeling. 188/564 “We’re eighteen,” he continued. “Many would say we’re too young to commit our lives to each other. But I believe that

we’ve done that already in more ways than one over the past six years.” He glanced down at the ring he still held, then once again caught her gaze. “I love you more than I can ever imagine loving another person.” Suddenly, The Dream flashed through her mind. “I love you more than it should be possible to love another. ” Blinking, Amber cleared the thought from her mind. Gabriel was what mattered right now, not some weird dream. But she couldn’t deny the similar wording was a little freaky. He continued, “The other gift I want to give you now is the promise that goes with this ring. Are you willing to accept it and give me your own promise in return?” Perhaps she should have been shocked and overwhelmed by this turn of events. She 189/564 supposed it would have made sense to hold a long, internal debate over the wisdom of making this bond that she knew Gabriel took very seriously and had every intention of keeping. He was right that everyone else would think them crazy and ill-fated in light of society’s struggles when it came to relationships and long-term commit-ments. But she knew very clearly what was in his heart as well as her own.

Her heart and her mind were as one on the matter. Once again pushing The Dream to the side, she answered, “Yes.” Smiling, he reached for her left hand. “There should be some amount of ceremony with this, I think. So I’ll say as I give you this ring, Amber Hopkins, that I love you now and always will.

You’re my best friend and I have complete faith in you. I’m giving you this ring as a symbol of my love and unbreakable commitment to you.” She felt the soothing warmth of the metal as he slid it along her left ring finger and into place. 190/564 Although she had only rarely ever worn jewelry, the ring felt unexpectedly comfortable on her finger. Knowing it was her turn, she took his left hand in hers. She normally would have scoffed over this type of romantic nonsense. Now, though, she found the words he had spoken not just a haze at the edge of her thoughts, but clear and eager to be voiced in return. “And I will say to you, Gabriel Reid, as I give you this ring, that I love you now and always will. You’re my best friend and I have complete faith in you. I’m giving you this ring as a symbol of my love and unbreakable commitment to you.” Lifting his left hand, she placed the ring on his finger. He then laced his left hand with her left hand, their rings touching, and leaned in to kiss her. Neither of them noticed the brilliant glow of their joined hands since their eyes were closed. The vows were sealed.

PART II: Transition Excerpts from the Great Foretelling: “The pieces will come together, a perfect fit…and she will

come to understand that she was meant for more than she ever understood of her world.” “He will face decisions far more complex than those that

brought him to this point.

For what did he ever have to risk losing before?” Chapter Eleven Rather than spend money on a taxi, Gabriel and Amber walked the couple of miles to the Alutiiq Museum. The weather was gorgeous and warm for the area, right at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and they opted to walk along Mission Road so they could enjoy the views of the nearby water. There weren’t many people out yet, so they were afforded a decent amount of privacy. Since it wasn’t even ten in the morning, they had plenty of time to enjoy the museum and eat a leisurely lunch. Gabriel held Amber’s hand in his as they walked. He thought about how much he liked the feel of the ring on her finger. There was just something substantial about it… something tangible to represent their feelings for each other. 193/564 He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to purchase the rings. It certainly hadn’t been his plan when he walked into the small Anchorage jewelry store. He had thought to try and find something nice to get for Mrs. B as a thank you for signing off on their trip and helping them book all of their accommodations. But just as he walked in, the display of rings under the crystal-clear glass caught his attention. Amber had lingered at the sporting goods store next door and thus wasn’t with him at that moment. One of the two saleswomen behind the counter had walked up and given him a friendly greeting. “Anything in particular I can help you with?” His gaze had settled on the two rings that he and Amber now wore. “Well…” The saleswoman followed his gaze. “These?” He nodded.

“A beautiful and unique set, made by a local designer,” she said, taking the rings out of the display and handing them to him for closer 194/564 inspection. “The center stones are honey amber and the bands are a radiant white gold. This etch-ing along each band is symbolic of love and fi-delity, making them wonderful promise rings.” He glanced up. “Promise rings?” “Yes. You could think of them as pre-engage-ment rings,” she explained helpfully. And it had all settled into alignment for him then. Just as they finished discussing ring sizes and payment, Amber had walked in. As it turned out, the display rings had been their sizes, making things infinitely easier for him. Glancing over at her now, he couldn’t help but feel the compelling pull of Fate. Much as he had sensed the first time they met, he somehow knew she was meant for him. She walked along now with her hand comfortably in his, her new sunglasses in place and the sea breeze lifting her hair, apparently oblivious to the intense thoughts pressing on him. “I can feel you thinking about me,” she said. He raised both eyebrows. 195/564 “It’s not psychic ability,” she said dryly. “You’re staring at me and you keep running your thumb over my ring.” “Oh.” He couldn’t help but grin abashedly at that. “Caught me.” “I’m sure there are much more interesting things to focus

your attention on.” “On the contrary, I can’t keep my thoughts from you. In true male fashion, as a matter of fact, one of my main preoccupations centers on what you’re wearing under that sweater and jeans right now.” Much as he knew it would, the comment set a pretty blush in her cheeks. He expected her to come back at him with a barbed comment about being a typical guy. Instead, she reached up with her right hand and lowered the neckline of her sweater enough that he could glimpse a teasing amount of the garment she wore underneath it. “Ah...okay,” he managed to say when he found his voice again. “Um. Wow. Was that red?” 196/564 Smiling, she answered, “Rose. Or so I was told.” “Uh-huh.” He paused as they walked a bit further. “Was that lace?” “Yep.” Another pause. “And matching…” “Oh, yeah.”

Sweet baby Jesus. She laughed heartily as if she knew his thoughts. He tugged playfully on her hand. “That was just mean,” he said without any heat behind it. “Yep.” “Hmm. I’m thinking I foresee moose ears and raucous singing in your birthday future.” She laughed again and released his hand so that she could put her left arm around

his waist in a half-hug. “It’s a good thing I know you’re a guy who would never renege on a deal. Merely one of the things I love about you.” “You’re just trying to turn my attention with sweet praise.” 197/564 “Is it working?” “Of course it is.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. A hint of the fragrance she wore floated up to him, immediately reminding him of their kiss that morning and the intense wave of feelings it had produced. “What’s that scent you’re wearing?” Pushing away from his side, she said defensively, “Oh, no. You’ll just make fun of me.” “Will not,” he insisted, grabbing her hand again. Grinning, he guessed, “Is it some really girly-sounding name? Like Pink Passion or Exotic Ecstasy?” “Not far off,” she admitted in an embarrassed mumble. Then she focused on the names he had made up and snorted a laugh. “And what have you got on the brain, I might ask?” “Ha. Now tell me before I turn us around and walk back to the house to find out for myself.” Rolling her eyes, she said, “Sensual Amber.” “What? Really?” His grin spread. “Well, that’s just perfect.” 198/564 The museum came into sight then and he lifted her hand to kiss the back of it. As they approached, they studied the unassuming beige building with its clean lines and many angles and looked for the front entrance. A few other people were also headed to either the museum or the Holy

Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church across the street, so Amber and Gabriel blended into the small crowd to wait in line to pay their museum admission. “The Alutiiq dancers start at noon,” the woman in front of them told her companion. “We’ll need to time it so we can see their performance.” Interested, Gabriel leaned forward and said, “Excuse me, ma’am. Where are the dancers performing?” The woman glanced back in surprise, but her face warmed when she caught his friendly and interested gaze. “Over in the park just down the street.” “Thank you,” he said with a smile. When she turned back to her friend, he glanced at Amber. 199/564 “Why don’t we go see them? It shouldn’t take more than a couple hours in here.” She shrugged. “Sure.” So they toured through the museum, enjoying the various exhibits. Gabriel found it fascinating to learn about other cultures from the histories they left behind. The museum contained an impressive collection of artifacts, from photographs and contemporary artwork to full-size, handmade kayaks and ancient tools, every piece of history telling the larger story of the Alutiiq people. When they were done with their tour, they stopped in the gift shop and Amber found a hand-carved jewelry box that she wanted to buy for Mrs. B on their way back to the rental, figuring it could hold the earrings that Gabriel had bought their guardian in Anchorage. They then made their way to the park that the woman had indicated earlier. Amber removed her sunglasses, pulled out her small camera from the tiny purse she wore across her body and began taking a few photos of 200/564

the park as they arrived. A sizeable crowd had gathered in anticipation of the performance. So that they had a good view of the dancers, Gabriel led Amber to the front edge of the circle that the crowd had made. It appeared they had made it just in time, and within a couple minutes, the crowd’s murmuring grew in purpose and the dancers came into view. There were about twenty dancers ranging in age, size and gender, all dressed in traditional garb of leather and fur. Some wore colorful beaded headdresses and others decorative masks. Every one of them had dark hair, but there was a surprising range in skin tones. As the dancers set themselves in the middle of the circle, Amber shuddered. “Are you cold?” Gabriel asked from where he stood behind her. “You can wear my hoodie.” She shook her head. “No. Just a chill.” Since she had snapped a few pictures and replaced the camera in her purse so she could enjoy the performance, he pulled her so that her back 201/564 was pressed against his chest and wrapped his arms lightly around her. She settled against him and brought her hands up to hold his arms where they crossed over her chest. Right then, a drum beat echoed through the park and the performance began. Gabriel was highly impressed by the skill of the dancers. Since Amber bounced a couple of times in rhythm with the drums, he figured she felt the same way. After a few minutes, his attention focused on one of the younger female dancers. She was one of the few wearing an elaborate headdress and her every movement was a study in grace and emotion. Although the flow of the dancers only brought

her to the edges of the audience a couple of times, he couldn’t help but sense something familiar about her. Just as she started to get close enough that he could try to get a better look and figure out what it was about her that had caught his attention, something more powerful tugged at his senses. 202/564 His gaze flickered to the opposite side of the audience circle. And saw the gilt-haired businessman from seat 10D. Although he was dressed normally in khaki pants and a long-sleeved, white collared shirt, there was something ominous in the serious set of his expression. There also didn’t appear to be anyone around him who knew him or even acknowledged his presence. His dark eyes bored right into Gabriel’s. Trying to convince himself he was imaging things, Gabriel instinctively tightened his hold on Amber and tried to focus again on the performance. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he could sense the other man’s steady and unblinking stare. What were the odds that they had all ended up in this same location at the same time? Probably somewhere near astronomical. By the time the performance ended, he was inexplicably eager to depart. He applauded the performers along with everyone else, then 203/564 prepared to usher Amber away from the crowd when the circle broke up. “That was pretty cool,” she said, moving easily in line with Gabriel’s guiding arm as he turned.

“Mm-hmm.” Her gaze moved to his as they started walking. “Is everything okay?” “Sure.” But she knew him too well, and she turned to briefly glance over her shoulder before once again turning forward. “Middle-aged blond guy with the khaki pants, looks like he’s about to sit down at a business meeting?” “Yeah.” She didn’t say another word and continued walking steadily in the direction he guided her. He had never appreciated her matter-of-fact manner more. His fingers linked tightly with hers. “Amber!” The sound of her name in this remote location had both of them turning. He watched with no 204/564 small amount of astonishment as the female dancer who had tugged at his curiosity bounced in their direction. She had removed her beaded headband and the leather and fur jacket she had been wearing, leaving her dressed in just the cos-tume’s black leather pants and a black cotton tank top. Her hair was also nearly black and hung unbound down her back. She had a few black ink tattoos on either side of her neck and a single silver stud pierced just below the center of her bottom lip. Filled with interest and excitement, her light blue eyes flashed between them even as she hurried over and threw her arms around Amber. “I’m so happy to finally meet you!” she declared. Gabriel watched the display in confusion. He instinctively wanted to protect Amber, knowing she hated to be

touched, especially by complete strangers. But this girl came across as a familiar friend, making him hesitate. 205/564 And, outside of her deeper skin-tone and eye and hair color, she looked disturbingly like Amber. “Hey,” Amber said gruffly, releasing his hand and not so gently pushing the newcomer away. “I think you’ve gotten me confused with someone else.” An expression that might have been hurt flashed across the dancer’s features, but she quickly rebounded with her bright smile. “Sorry—I wasn’t thinking. I forgot you haven’t learned about me yet.” Now understanding that Amber had no idea who this person was, Gabriel took her arm and pulled her closer to his side. A few of the audience members had stopped to watch the exchange. He knew the attention was the last thing Amber wanted. “Look, uh…” “Skye,” the dancer offered, still smiling with outrageous cheer. 206/564 Gabriel began to wonder if she was mentally off-balance. After seeing the blond businessman again so unexpectedly, her behavior had him highly on edge. He took a step back, his hold on Amber’s arm prompting her to move with him. “Yeah, okay. Look, Skye, we really enjoyed the performance. Great work there and all. We have somewhere else to be, so—”

“I know you’re wondering what’s going on,” Skye interrupted with a laugh and a careless wave of her hand. “Nick told me to wait, but I just couldn’t. You must be Amber’s friend, Gabriel.” Amber glanced over and caught his gaze. They exchanged a look that clearly said, “What the…? ” “Or maybe…” Skye continued, eying them thoughtfully as though she didn’t notice their perplexed and concerned expressions. Then her eyes widened. “Oh! Definitely more than a friend.” Now she leaped forward and threw her arms around them both. “Congratulations, you two!” 207/564 This time, Amber pushed at one shoulder and Gabriel pushed at the other until they managed to distance themselves from the dancer. They didn’t bother to mask their discomfiture over the exchange. “Okay,” he said firmly, “I don’t know what’s going on here, but this isn’t funny. Have you been following us around or something?” “Of course not,” Skye replied indignantly. Her features formed a pout that looked foreign on a face so like Amber’s. “I warned you not to go about this in this way,” came a deep, accented voice from behind Gabriel and Amber. They turned again and both of them had to look up. The very tall and muscular man standing only a couple of feet behind them had the characteristically dark coloring of a native Alaskan. The gray in his long hair and the deep lines around his brown eyes indicated that he was of a certain age, but his face was utterly expressionless. He had folded his arms over his broad chest as he looked 208/564

past them to the dancer. The chinos and plaid button-down shirt he wore looked comfortable, but didn’t suit his overall appearance. Gabriel couldn’t help but think it was kind of like seeing the Venus De Milo in a miniskirt. He looked like he should be wearing something much more rugged. “I’m sorry, Nick,” Skye said, her laughing eyes belying the words. “I couldn’t help myself.” The older man sighed. Catching Gabriel’s gaze, he unwound his arms and held out a large hand. “Nick Tomaganuk.” Uncertainty warred with good manners, and in the end, manners won. Gabriel reached out and took Nick’s hand. “It seems you already know who we are.” “Yes,” Nick agreed easily, his face still unreadable. “But I hope you’ll forgive Skye’s tendency for being dramatic. We’re here to help.” “Ah…” Gabriel looked around and noticed that the crowd had dispersed. He no longer saw the blond businessman, either. Amber remained 209/564 completely silent beside him, her troubled gaze shifting from Nick to Skye. His own anxiety around the strange encounter had eased a bit due to Nick’s calm and straightforward manner. Finally, he said, “I really wasn’t aware that we needed any help.” “I understand. But the fact is, you do. It is time that you and Amber learn the truth.” “The truth about what?” Amber spoke up at last. She had once again taken hold of Gabriel’s hand. Nick glanced behind them again, apparently a silent signal. Amber and Gabriel turned to see two females emerge from behind a cluster of trees. A white cat inexplicably trailed behind them. One woman appeared to be in her midforties, tall and blonde; the other was much younger with medium-brown hair, intelligent green eyes…and a familiar

face. “The truth,” Nick explained, “about your sisters.”

Chapter Twelve Amber decided that Gabriel had certainly gone out of his way to arrange this elaborate prank. Where he managed to find two girls who looked a lot like her, she couldn’t guess, never mind why he would do so. She almost laughed at the senselessness of it all. Then she caught his gaze. He looked troubled, and she knew immediately that he hadn’t arranged any of this. “Uh, hi,” said the new girl. Wearing a gray, dark-green and black argyle sweater over a crisp, white collared shirt, pressed gray khaki pants and black loafers, she looked like she had just stepped out of a prep school ad. Contributing to that image, she wore her chestnut brown hair back in a tight knot at the base of her neck. She 211/564 carefully assessed Amber’s body language with her ivygreen eyes. Then, rather than launch herself into a hug as Skye had, she extended a hand. “I’m Olivia Murdoch. This is my adoptive mom, Jean.” Her accent pegged her as heralding from the Midwest. Almost robotically, Amber extended her free hand and accepted the handshake. She couldn’t think of a single, rational thing to say. “I know this is weird,” Olivia acknowledged with a half-smile as the large white cat wound its way through her legs. “I’ve known for a little while now and I’m still getting used to the idea. Meeting you really kind of seals it for me, though.” As Amber pulled her hand away, another shudder went

through her. An intense, almost painful tingle made its way from her fingertips up her arm, causing her to shake her hand as if to wake it up from sleep. Seeing and feeling her reaction, Gabriel watched her in concern. Then he 212/564 took her chin and lifted her face so that he could look into her eyes. “Gold,” he said. When another, more violent shudder coursed through her, Amber didn’t even think. She just grabbed Gabriel behind the neck, pulled him closer and kissed him thoroughly. “Wow,” Skye breathed from a short distance away. Nick cleared his throat. Amber ignored them, the panic of having another Incident pushing her into self-preservation mode. When she finally pulled away from Gabriel, he kept his eyes closed briefly, then opened them and looked at her. Because he was still catching his breath and trying to regain his composure, he merely nodded. “Thanks.” She touched the side of his face in a further show of appreciation. Then she sighed and dared to glance around, trying to stifle her blossoming embarrassment. Skye and Olivia were both 213/564

trying—unsuccessfully—not to gape, and the two adults looked considering. “Have you been having these kinds of episodes frequently?” Nick asked after a moment. Surprised that he was reacting to her behavior with such calm, Amber wondered what to say. She wasn’t exactly sure what he was referring to. Did he think she was prone to seizures? Or was he referring to her jumping her boyfriend in public? He couldn’t possibly know about The Incidents…could he? Uncertain, she shrugged. Frowning, Nick said, “This just tells me how very important it is to move forward. I’m sure you both have many questions. But this isn’t the place to address them. You need to speak with Ini-herit as soon as possible. We should go back inside the museum.” “Wait a minute here.” Amber looked disbelievingly at each of the people surrounding her. “You think we’re just going to go off with a group of strangers making wild claims? You people must be out of your minds.” 214/564 Now Jean, dressed very similarly to her daughter in a camel-colored sweater and matching khaki pants, spoke up, her expression earnest. “We understand that this is a lot to take in. You don’t yet realize how important the timing is for all this.” Because she obviously noted their remaining doubts by gauging their expressions, she continued, “Look, we have to make you believe and understand. Ini-herit can explain better than any of us, but the truths he’ll reveal to you aren’t for public ears. How can we convince you that it’s in your best interests to

meet with him?” Even as Amber raised an eyebrow and took a breath in anticipation of issuing a sarcastic response, Olivia stepped forward. She looked from Skye to Amber. “We should link hands.” “What?” Amber defensively crossed her arms and tucked her hands out of sight. “Why would you think that would be a good idea?” As Skye gamely glided forward, Olivia explained, “You don’t believe we’re sisters or that we’re telling the truth. We’re trying to convince 215/564 you otherwise. You had a reaction when I shook your hand.” “Uh…I don’t think this is a good idea,” Gabriel said, pulling Amber a step back from the other girls. “Let us have a minute.” “Sure.” Olivia and Skye turned and walked a few feet away. The white cat continued to stay near Olivia wherever she walked. It was a little creepy, Amber thought. “They’ve got such great accents, don’t they?” Skye observed in a voice that carried. Amber rolled her eyes. When Gabriel ushered her a short distance away, she didn’t protest. A sense of unreality had settled over her senses, almost as though she was viewing everything from someone else’s perspective. This had certainly turned into a very strange birthday. “There’s something big going on here, Amber,” he whispered when they were far enough out of hearing distance from the others. She felt 216/564 curious eyes on them and shifted uncomfortably. He continued, “You’ve had two physical reactions since coming into proximity of these girls.

They look just like you. It’s…” “Eerie,” she finished in an equally low whisper. Glancing over at them, she added, “Even saying out loud that I have sisters I’ve never known about comes across like come kind of bad soap opera episode. It sounds absolutely ridiculous.” She paused, trying to assess her own reaction. She felt as though the normal response to all of this would have been to blow off all of their absurd claims and leave with Gabriel, maybe even reporting these lunatics to the local authorities as scam artists. So why did she feel instead that this wasn’t a hoax? It was almost as though this was where she was meant to be at this time. And then The Dream again flashed through her mind. “I am not human. ” 217/564 Shaking her head at herself, she said, “These girls look like they’re my age. We’re not identical, so I don’t see how we can be the same age if we’re supposedly sisters.” “Maybe…fraternal triplets?” “Is that even possible?” “Sure it is. Triplets can be a mix of boys and girls. Fraternal is definitely possible.” “So then, why are we just finding each other now? And in this location?” She realized even as she spoke that she was indirectly giving weight to their story. Gabriel shrugged. “I don’t have any idea. I just have this

sense that we’re going to have to talk to this Ini-herit guy to get the answers.” He reached for her hands and gave them a squeeze. “These people all seem pretty believable. And they didn’t bat an eye over your eyes changing colors or the tremors. I think they know something pretty important, and we need to hear it, too. Maybe we can find out why you’re having these Incidents and how we can stop them.” 218/564 She sighed. “Yeah. This is just crazy. But I guess in the scheme of things, it kind of goes along with the rest of my life, doesn’t it?” Squaring her shoulders, she nodded at him. “Okay. Let’s do this.” They walked as a group back to the museum, leaving Olivia’s odd cat curled under a tree near the entrance. Nick gave a quick nod to the security guard as they walked in, and they were passed through to a part of the museum reserved for administrative functions. The walls in this area were a neutral beige and the doors were of the white and hollow variety. Covered in flecked brown industrial carpet, the floors offered little cushioning but kept their footfalls from echoing. A smattering of windows along the left side of the hallway allowed in some natural light, with glaring overhead fluorescents lighting the rest of the area. Motivational posters in cheap plastic frames decorated the right-hand wall where there weren’t office doors. There was hardly any noise 219/564 with the exception of a copier in action behind one of the closed doors. They didn’t pause to chat with any of the people in the few offices, making an apparent beeline for their destination. Amber appreciated the directness of Nick’s course. He

moved with purpose and confidence, which somehow helped ease some of her anxiety about the strangeness of this situation. She couldn’t bring herself to con-verse with the other two girls yet. Chatting with strangers wasn’t her strength even on a good day. Her thoughts swirled, doubt and confusion taking the lead with a healthy dose of fear running a close second. They soon reached an office near the back of the administrative corridor. After offering to hold Gabriel’s hooded sweatshirt and taking it from him, Nick knocked on the closed door and a voice on the other side said, “Enter.” Amber took a deep breath as Nick opened the door and waved her and Gabriel ahead. As soon 220/564 as they crossed the threshold, Nick closed the door behind them, giving her a bit of a start. Her gaze shifted quickly around as her hold on Gabriel’s hand tightened. There was a single gray, metal desk with a brown faux-wood top straight in front of them, facing the door. Two gray, fabric-covered visitors’ chairs faced the desk. A large bulletin board covered in papers and brochures was attached to the wall behind the desk, with two windows on either side of the board. Overstuffed bookshelves covered the right wall of the room, while a fullsize printer/copier/ fax combo unit and several filing cabinets sat on the left. A name plate on the desk read, “Nicholas Tomaganuk.” She assumed the office was being borrowed for the purpose of this meeting. This assessment of their surroundings took only a second, and her gaze swiftly settled on the man she figured must be Ini-herit. Somehow, it didn’t surprise her to realize it was the blond man with dark eyes who had caused Gabriel such anxiety during the dancing. He stood behind the 221/564

desk with his hands behind his back in a non-threatening pose, but his gaze scoured over them both as though he was trying to see their very souls. “Gabriel, what have you done?” Once again, Amber started. The deep, ominous tone of his voice seemed to echo through the room, even though the volume of it hadn’t been much above normal. Realizing that Ini-herit was addressing Gabriel as if he knew him, she looked up at Gabriel questioningly. He was staring at Ini-herit with a puzzled expression. Then he flinched and released her hand, bringing both of his hands to either side of his head. “Gabriel?” she asked uncertainly. He made a sound like a hiss, his eyes squeezed shut as if in terrible pain. Alarm lanced through her. She swiveled to see how Ini-herit was reacting. He still stood behind the desk, his intense gaze directed on Gabriel. And in that 222/564 moment, she understood that whatever was happening to Gabriel, Ini-herit was causing it. With an agonized cry, Gabriel fell to knees, still clutching his head. Rage such as she had never known suddenly flooded through Amber, propelling her between Gabriel and Iniherit. “Stop it!” she shouted, and flung her hands out as if to ward off whatever Ini-herit was doing to hurt Gabriel. To her shock, it felt as though she came into physical contact with an invisible barrier. As she threw out her hands, Ini-herit’s impassive expression morphed briefly into amazement even as his head snapped back as if from a blow. He stumbled into the bulletin board, shaking it loose from its moorings and crashing to the floor.

“Gabriel,” she said shakily, her heart feeling like it was in her throat. Dropping to the floor beside him, she put her arms around him. “Look at me. Are you okay?” 223/564 He was now on all fours with his head down. Even as she watched, a steady stream of blood poured from his nose and onto the floor. “Oh,” she managed, her panic rising. “Oh.” After a quick glance around in which she realized Ini-herit had one hand on the desk and the other pressed to his forehead, she noted there was nothing resembling a tissue or paper towel nearby. Her small purse held only her camera, sunglasses, some cash and her driver’s license. Giving up, she pulled her sleeve down over her left hand and reached out to stem the flow of blood. “Come on,” she said, using her right arm to guide Gabriel into a sitting position. She found it surprisingly easy to move him and figured he was in a severely weakened state. Her angry gaze shifted to Ini-herit, who had evidently recovered from whatever had happened and now watched them expressionlessly. She returned her attention to Gabriel. His complexion was pale 224/564 and shocky. His glazed eyes kept shutting and then flickering back open. Working hard at keeping her voice calm, she told him, “I’m going to try to stop the bleeding.” “I can be of assistance,” Ini-herit offered after a moment. “Do you really think I believe that?” she snapped as she

switched to the other sleeve, her first now covered in blood. The flow of blood seemed impossibly strong for a simple nosebleed. Fighting back her distress, she used her left hand to pinch the bridge of Gabriel’s nose. “You’re the one who did this.” “I did not know,” he said by way of apology. “I would not have caused Gabriel harm.” She shook her head. Then when Gabriel swayed, she said, “Don’t you dare pass out on me. I’ll never let you live it down.” “That is inevitable,” Ini-herit said without in-flection. “He is hemorrhaging and will lose consciousness shortly. And then he will die.” 225/564 The blood drained from her face. “What do you mean? What did you do to him?” His expression unchanged, he responded, “That is not as important right now as healing him. Your stubbornness is preventing him from recovering.” She hesitated only a second, then gave a jerk of her head to beckon him closer. “If you harm him, so help me—” “Yes, yes.” His tone remained level and unconcerned. Lowering down into a squat, he caught her gaze. “You must remove your hands from him.” Pursing her lips, she reluctantly did as he ordered. Her hands were now both coated with Gabriel’s blood. She absently wiped it on the front of her sweater while she focused on what Ini-herit was doing. He placed both of his hands on either side of Gabriel’s head. “Look at me,” he commanded. Something in the power of his voice must have gotten through, as Gabriel’s blue-gray eyes 226/564

flew open and focused on Ini-herit. No other words were spoken. They continued to sit there and stare at each other for a long moment. Amber looked from one male to the next, wondering what on earth was going on and whether Gabriel was in any danger. After another minute, she noticed that his nosebleed had stopped. Finally, Ini-herit broke the connection. He sat heavily on the floor and seemed to stare into nothingness. Amber saw with a jolt that his nose was bleeding, though only one drop had emerged versus Gabriel’s previous free-flow. “Amber?” Gabriel said faintly. She turned back to him, so relieved to hear his voice that she was afraid she might turn into a simpering, emotional mess right there on the ugly carpet. Instead, she crawled to him and gave him a small smile. “Hey. Are you feeling better?” He slowly rubbed his temples and blinked as if to clear his vision. “Man, my head is killing me. What happened?” He abruptly stilled and 227/564 stared at her sweater. “Why are you covered in blood? Are you hurt?” “Oh, I’m fine,” she said, feeling remarkably calm as her wobbly arms gave up and she plopped down into a sitting position beside him. “No need to worry about me. After all, it’s all your blood.”

Chapter Thirteen With disbelief etched on his features, Gabriel pulled his Tshirt away from his body and studied it, the blood on it already starting to congeal. Amber reached up with her blood-stained hands to wipe ineffectively at the drying blood still covering him from nose to chest. Even though she was able to wipe away some of

it, he was a mess. The sight of all of the blood on his face, neck and shirt, not to mention what covered her and the floor, made Amber light-headed with the realization of how close she had come to losing him. “Did you have another Incident or something?” he asked, once again turning his gaze to hers. “Are you sure you’re all right?” 229/564 “She is fine,” Ini-herit responded from his place on the floor beside them. “Your injuries were caused by me.” “Accidentally, he says,” Amber added when she saw Gabriel’s darkening expression. Ini-herit got to his feet and looked down at them. “It was not on purpose. And we are now wasting valuable time.” Turning, he strode back behind the desk, this time taking a seat in the chair. Frowning at Ini-herit, Gabriel moved to get to his feet. He got no further than his knees when he faltered and had to sit back down. He brought a hand to his head with a groan. “Maybe you should let me be the gentleman for a change,” Amber said, trying to make light of the situation. She was concerned about how pale he looked. Pushing to her feet, she reached down to help him up.

“I don’t think I can make it up,” he said quietly, as though raising his voice would hurt too much. “Something’s not right.” 230/564 Once again, Amber felt the tickle of fear in the back of her throat. She glanced over at Ini-herit, who shook his head. She then realized he couldn’t do anything else for Gabriel. Since her knees no longer wanted to support her anyway, she sank back down to the floor. “Okay,” she whispered, her voice just a shaky breath. She didn’t know what to do. Should they call an ambulance? Was there an EMT or nurse on staff at the museum for such things? Would they even be in time to help Gabriel if he had a bleed in his brain? And what if it wasn’t a normal injury, since none of this was at all “normal?” Suddenly, she flashed to the experience at the pond and the first time they kissed. That connection had helped heal them both after she had nearly drowned. And kissing Gabriel since then had helped stabilize her during the onset of her recent episodes. Catching his pained gaze, she made her decision. 231/564 “I get extra points for this,” she said to him, and then, swinging one of her legs over both of his so she straddled him, she quickly leaned forward to press her lips to his. When he started to jerk back, obviously cognizant of the blood all over his face and Ini-herit sitting a few feet away, she held him tighter. After a moment, he relaxed against her and deepened the kiss, probably sensing her reasoning. She ignored the salty, coppery taste of the residue left on his lips. Instead, she instinctively focused on his energy and essence, running her hands along his upper arms, chest and back as though she was rubbing a healing salve into his skin. Then

she wove the fingers of her left hand into his dark, wavy hair near the base of his neck, gently stroking the muscles tensed there. Eventually, his arms lifted from their bracing position on the floor so he could put them around her, a sign he was regaining strength. As the kiss continued, she felt his fingers brush against her bare skin several times, then encircle her waist. 232/564 His fingers flexed on her hips as though they itched to move along her body and it was a struggle to keep them in place. Thus, Amber sensed the kiss had done its job. Finally, she pulled away from his mouth, her heart racing and her lungs burning. Gabriel was in a similar condition, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he held her gaze. She was deeply relieved to see that his color had returned and the pain had left his eyes. They both then became aware of the presence standing right beside them staring down, and they lifted their heads as one to look up at Ini-herit. Amber wondered how long the strange man had been standing there essentially watching her make out with Gabriel, and wanted to die of mortification. His dark gaze was inscrutable, but his eyes seemed to glitter with understanding as he looked from one of them to the other. “So…it appears your powers have already started to Become.” 233/564 Amber sat in one of the armless visitor’s chairs across from where Ini-herit once again reigned over the desk. Gabriel had pulled the other chair up right next to hers and was now holding her right hand. By unspoken agreement, they had

gotten up from the floor after Ini-herit’s announcement, none of them wanting to have this conversation while Amber and Gabriel were sprawled in such a position. There wasn’t a thing that could be done about the blood covering them at the moment, so they just had to deal with it. Now, Ini-herit sat quietly, staring unblinkingly at Amber. “Powers?” Gabriel prompted in an effort to restart the conversation. “Indeed,” Ini-herit replied, his dark eyes shifting to Gabriel. “We were unsure what form each of the girls’ powers would take. It appears Ambryl has already begun to develop the ability to heal. At least, she can heal you.” Amber and Gabriel exchanged a look. “Ambryl?” they repeated at the same time. 234/564 Ini-herit paused. He seemed lost in thought. Then he said, “The story of your origins has many beginnings.” Rolling her eyes impatiently, she said, “Look, could we just skip the trailers and get right to the main feature?” “What she means,” Gabriel explained when Ini-herit blinked in obvious confusion, “is we just want to know what’s going on.” “Yeah. I mean, am I psychic? Telekinetic?” she asked. “No,” Ini-herit answered. “At least, not in the human way you mean.” There was another heavy pause as they processed this information. Gabriel looked from Amber to Ini-herit and said slowly, “Let me be sure I’m getting this right. You’re saying that Amber isn’t human?”

“That is, indeed, what I am saying. And neither are you, Gabriel.” Holy crap. The Dream. 235/564 Amber felt a little faint. There was just no way…was there? Could The Dream possibly have been more than just that? Looking sideways at Gabriel, she saw doubt and uncertainty in his eyes. Catching her gaze, he gave her hand a light squeeze. Not human? Several months ago, she would have scoffed heartily at Ini-herit and pegged him for an insane liar. In the past few weeks, though, The Dream had been making frequent appearances, she had barely lived through some kind of explosion in a pond and witnessed Gabriel brought to the brink of death by a stare, among other crazy things. She supposed she was willing to set aside her usual cynicism for some answers. “Okay, fine. Sure. So, what are we?” she asked at last. Ini-herit had obviously been waiting to see how they would react before telling them anything else. Nodding in apparent approval, he replied, “We call ourselves Estilorians. We have resided here on Earth since the dawn of man.” 236/564 Amber started to speak when he once again grew silent, but he held up a hand. “Please, just let me speak. We do not have much time and I know you have many questions. I will tell you what I can now, but I must collect my thoughts.” She closed her mouth. When Ini-herit again spoke, his deep, level voice held them in thrall. “Millennia ago, when civilization first began, humans and Estilorians shared the Earth. We both have similar physical characteristics and compatible mental

processes, so this seemed logical for everyone. Where we differ, we have since discovered, is at a very significant cellular level. And as this evolutionary difference became more apparent and Estilorians advanced more rapidly than humans, there was an unmanageable shift in the balance of power. “For many centuries after we were first identified, Estilorians were revered by humans. We were depicted as gods and goddesses and other fabled beings in human literature, art and music. Our unique abilities and the fact that we are long-237/564 lived set us apart from humans in a way that no social construct could withstand. Humans are emotional beings, and what began as reverence ultimately turned, at least for many, into jealousy and resentment. Unwilling to accept that they would never acquire the powers and abilities of Estilorians, those humans grew to revile us. And because they knew they would never defeat us if they challenged us directly, they did what to them was the second best option. They turned on the humans who still called us friends. “There were wars and persecutions…and far too much death. Seeing how our presence was destroying humanity, we did the only thing we could. We joined together and created a new plane of existence, removing ourselves from humanity. In time, the stories about us were deemed nothing more than mythos.” He stopped and studied them. Gabriel shifted in his chair. “You’re saying that human stories about Zeus and Apollo and stuff like that are based on fact?” 238/564 “Yes.” “So, Estilorians are immortal? Like the gods in those ancient stories?” Amber asked. Her eyebrows were up

near her hairline by that point. “Not immortal. Long-lived. There is a difference. Although we heal quickly from injury and can survive more significant injuries than humans, we are quite mortal. But we do not age.” Blinking at that, Gabriel said, “You’re saying that we’re Estilorians? How can that be if we age?” “You, Gabriel, are an Estilorian, presently in an aging human form. Ambryl is a new being altogether, one we have been working to protect since her birth, just as we have her sisters.” After exchanging another look with Gabriel, Amber asked, “Well, if Estilorians removed themselves from humanity, how come we’re here?” “An excellent question. I will begin to answer that by explaining that the creation of the new Estilorian plane was completely unprecedented. 239/564 It required the cooperation of the most powerful of each of the nine different classes of Estilorians. Even with those combined talents, the power required to complete this feat nearly killed all of us.” “You were one of the nine?” Gabriel guessed. “I was,” Ini-herit answered. “And so were you.” Amber had been rather proud of herself up until then. She had suspended her disbelief and tried to make herself open to the idea that the strange things that were happening to her were because she wasn’t quite human. But this stopped her in her tracks. “Are you saying that Gabriel is like, a thousand years old? And that he’s this Estilorian being who is more powerful than other, similar beings?” “He is actually much older than that,” Ini-herit responded calmly.

She stared at him, then realized he wasn’t going to expound. Then she turned and caught 240/564 Gabriel’s gaze. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged, obviously at a loss. “Once the new plane of Estilorian existence was formed,” Ini-herit continued, “humans could no longer detect us. Well, some of the more intuitive humans sometimes catch glimpses of us, but for the most part we are able to move about the Earth undetected. Even those who sense us think of us in human terms…as ghosts or spirits or angels. Those kinds of beings.” “And you just come over to this plane whenever you feel like it?” Amber asked, still trying to make sense out of what he was saying. “On the contrary, crossing over from one plane to the next is extremely difficult. Very few of us have the ability to move between them. And we have found that when we do cross to this side, our powers are not at all what they had been while on this plane before we removed ourselves.” Shaking his head in bewilderment, Gabriel asked, “So, how is it that you apparently crossed 241/564 over now and have retained all of this knowledge, but I’m on this plane and have no idea what you’re talking about?” “Because you asked this to be the case.” “Come again?” Ini-herit paused again, evidently lining up his thoughts. Then he continued, “Let me go back nearly twenty years. And first, you must understand that Estilorians do not have reproductive systems designed like those of humans. We resemble each other in appearance, yes, but Estilorians cannot breed or carry children. At least, not with each

other.” Here he stopped to look at Amber, who blinked and said, “You mean you, uh, have babies with humans, instead of with each other?” “No. In fact, we had proven over time that this was genetically impossible. Instead, Estilorians as a species have historically repopulated by harvesting human souls on the brink of expiration and transitioning them into new Estilorian forms. The circumstances for this to work successfully 242/564 are nearly enough to make human conception look simplistic, and over the centuries, our numbers have dropped dramatically.” Amber’s eyes widened. What Iniherit had just described sounded an awful lot like the idea of passing through the Pearly Gates. It made his reference to humans equating Estilorians to angels even more impactful to her. He continued as if he didn’t notice her reaction. “There is an Estilorian class called the Corgloresti who can pass through to the human plane. I am the oldest and most powerful. Our primary purpose is to identify willing humans whose souls make the best candidates for what we call The Embrace. Because of the nature of our role—that is, developing relationships with humans whose lives are ending—our level of emotional detachment is even higher than that of other Estilorians to protect our psyches.” Well, that certainly explains a lot, Amber thought. She once again noted Ini-herit’s impassive face. She had to admit that getting to know a 243/564 bunch of people only to watch them die sounded like one of the worst jobs in the world. “Once a soul crosses planes through The Embrace, it retains no knowledge of its human origins. Most often, the new Estilorian is entirely different from the human shell it left behind.” And thus, wouldn’t be the same person that the

Corgloresti had befriended on the human plane. So they wouldn’t even be able to reconnect on the other side. Amber sighed. Yep…definitely the worst job in the world. “Twenty years ago, a Corgloresti named Saraqael crossed to the human plane in the form of a deacon at a small church.” Now, Amber felt the blood drain from her face. Saraqael. Oblivious to the reaction he had caused, Ini-herit continued, “We have found over time that this type of role draws us closest to those humans most likely to accept The Embrace. Due to the need to convey the human emotion of compassion, this role is also best suited for our youngest 244/564 Corgloresti who have not yet become too detached. Saraqael was just over two centuries as an Estilorian. And he became emotionally attached to a human parishioner whose soul would be perfectly suited for The Embrace. “She was a young woman and innocent, but dying of a rare human disease of the blood. Although he knew what he must do, Saraqael could not accept that she would be lost to him. He tried to extend his time with her in her human form by communicating with human doctors, all to no avail. When that did not work, he returned to the Estilorian plane to seek out a way to extend her human consciousness into her Estilorian form. But such a thing is impossible. Still, determined not to lose the human woman, Saraqael spent his every waking moment searching for some way to stop the inevitable. And then, to all of our surprise, he found it.” Amber realized she was holding her breath and slowly released it. Ini-herit’s smooth and 245/564 intense narration held her transfixed. His eyes never flickered from hers.

“In the oldest Estilorian library, there exists a room of scrolls. This vast vault stretches longer than the eye can see, and is filled floor to ceiling with cases of scrolls. There is not an Estilorian in existence who knows everything contained in that room, but I can tell you that there are scrolls in there that this world would be better off never seeing. Scrolls identifying some of the darkest and strongest powers imaginable. Saraqael managed to find one. And he used it. “As the human woman lay in her bed recovering from her last failed medical treatment, Saraqael entered her home with the scroll and performed the ritual it outlined. He believed it would save her life. The ritual involved a joining of both body and soul…powerful energy far beyond his control. It destroyed him. “But not before the human woman conceived.”

Chapter Fourteen After swallowing in an attempt to moisturize her dry throat, Amber broke the ensuing silence. “You’re telling me that I’m a result of some evil spell used by a love-struck Estilorian who died after using it?” She couldn’t believe how absolutely ridiculous that sentence sounded as it came out.

“You are one of three such ‘results,’ if you choose to look at it in such a way,” Ini-herit replied matter-of-factly. “Though I said the scroll that Saraqael used was powerful, not evil. In any case, due to the scroll’s power, the human woman’s genes were apparently altered enough to allow her to carry an Estilorian’s offspring. She gave birth to three girls before ultimately 247/564 succumbing to her human frailness. You, Ambryl, were her firstborn.” Amber didn’t have a clue how to feel about that. She was too busy reeling over Ini-herit’s unemotional revelations and the stunning fact that she believed every word of them. It was like pieces of a nebulous puzzle had finally taken shape for her, and she could actually put it all together for the first time in her life. In the rational part of her brain, it seemed absolutely crazy to her that she could just accept Ini-herit’s story as truth. But it clarified the glimpses she had seen through The Dream, and it fit so neatly with the events of her life that it made perfect sense. Her world had been turned completely upside-down in the span of an hour. Realizing that she had a death grip on Gabriel’s hand, she deliberately eased up. When he tightened his hold in response, she looked at him and caught his understanding gaze. She suddenly didn’t trust her voice, and he seemed to sense it. 248/564 “Is Amber’s mother an Estilorian now?” he asked Ini-herit. “No. When Saraqael perished, he severed the chance that her soul could be successfully harvested. Once a Corgloresti marks a soul, he or she is the only one who can successfully Embrace it.”

Well, that was a real kicker, wasn’t it? Amber mused darkly. She finally learned who her parents were only to discover they were both dead. She supposed that it didn’t change a thing as far as she was concerned. Her birth parents hadn’t ever been a part of her family equation and she had gone her entire life thinking much worse things about her parentage. In fact, it should have seemed like an improvement that her father had cared enough for her mother to risk everything for her. Instead, the knowledge brought a brutal wave of grief. She pictured the handsome young man with gray eyes in The Dream and realized what he had sacrificed for love. Her chest felt too tight and she was 249/564 horrified she might actually lose her composure with Iniherit’s cold, dark eyes watching dispassionately. Drawing a deep breath, she clamped down viciously on her reaction. Grief had to wait. “I want to know her name,” she said at last. “My mother’s name.” Ini-herit nodded as though to himself. His voice was surprisingly soft when he said, “I knew you would be the strongest.” “What?” He waved that away. “The woman who birthed you was called Kate. As I said, you were born first, followed by Olaya and then Skylar. The birth was an amazing experience…unlike anything we had ever seen. All of the most powerful Estilorians attended. Including you, Gabriel.” Gabriel’s eyebrows drew together. “You keep saying things like that. It doesn’t make me feel any differently than I did

before this morning, or remember anything unusual.” 250/564 Ini-herit made a sound something like a grunt, but his face remained impassive. “But how were you able to attend?” Amber asked in confusion. “You said my mother was human and not Estilorian, and you said that not all Estilorians can pass onto the human plane. So how were all of you able to attend our births?” Now, Ini-herit’s face showed surprise and interest. It was almost scary after staring at his unmoving face for so long, and Amber was rather relieved when the expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “Another excellent question. With your mother carrying children that were only halfhuman, and knowing that human doctors would not know what to do if they identified anything unusual during their exams, we convinced her that it would be best to receive her prenatal care on our plane. As it happened, your mother was able to be temporarily brought over. We surmised that her absolute belief in Saraqael’s origins combined with the fact that her body chemistry was altered because she carried 251/564 three babes of Saraqael’s blood was enough to allow her to make the passage.” Amber processed this. “So, we were born on the Estilorian plane?” “Yes. Your mother was kept carefully protected during her term. We had no way of knowing what the pregnancy and, of course, the birth would do to her. Fortunately, we have a number of Corgloresti with human medical knowledge and they were able to help care for her. The pregnancy went very well, actually.” “How long did she survive after we were born?”

“Not for very long. After you—and thus, Saraqael’s blood— left her womb, she had to be returned to the human plane. Although Saraqael had cured her disease, the damage it had already done to her body, compounded by the births, prevented her recovery. She died soon thereafter. We sent along those Estilorians who could cross the plane to help care for her as best we could.” 252/564 It seemed they had done everything in their power for her, and Amber found herself nodding in acceptance. “Then what happened?” The slightest frown flashed across Iniherit’s features. “As with all societies, we have our darker side. While most of us saw the births of Saraqael’s children as a miracle and, indeed, a possible saving grace for our dying people, others remained unconvinced. Some felt that mixing Estilorian DNA with that of a human was an insult and an abomination. A few even thought to keep you imprisoned to conduct experiments on you, saying it would be to ensure you were not a danger to us. I have found that sentient beings, no matter their origin, usually fear what they do not understand. We are, regrettably, no different. “During the last months of your mother’s pregnancy, an uprising began. Led by the Mercesti leader, Grolkinei, they sought to destroy you, cursing you as an evil plague upon the Estilorians. This was what finally convinced the rest of us that you would be safer on the human 253/564 plane, at least until you were old enough to protect yourself if needed. The Mercesti have no influence here. “At the urging of the wisest and most ancient Elphresti, Jabari, we made a plan before your birth to keep the three of you together. As a people, we know nearly nothing about raising children. But after centuries of living among humans, some of us have made a study out of successful childrearing. Everything supports the idea of keeping siblings together. However, once you were born, we realized immediately that our plan would not work. The aura of

power detected between the three of you was discernable even to the most untried Estilorian. And there were physical reactions when the three of you touched. You would never pass for human, and we were forced to separate you. “Before a second plan could be effectively developed, Grolkinei’s followers attacked. They used trickery to lead the majority of us away from you, leaving you guarded by a small 254/564 contingent of Waresti. The dissenters were too many, and overtook the fighters. But during the fray, three Corgloresti who had been charged with your safekeeping made their escape. “In a secret location, the talented Scultresti elder, Zayna, had created human forms for you and your guardians to use on the human plane. Although Corgloresti cannot maintain human forms for extended periods of time and we had no way of knowing how long your forms would last, we had no other choice. After meeting with Zayna, the three Corgloresti took you and your sisters and made their way as carefully as they could to the locations we had planned to open pathways between the planes. These pathways open only for the Corgloresti. Joshua, the Corgloresti carrying you, waited until your sisters had been safely transferred and then took you to the closest transition point. Grolkinei himself lay in wait. “Joshua sacrificed his life. But he managed to send you across the planes before Grolkinei 255/564 destroyed him. Fortunately, he had the ability to send your Estilorian form to safety using his second power. Otherwise, your Estilorian form would even now be in Grolkinei’s control.” Gabriel had released Amber’s hand during this part of the story and shifted even closer so he could put his arm around her. Even with his body heat

pressing against her, she felt cold and somehow alone. She realized that was how she had ended up abandoned in that industrial building shortly after her birth. Somehow, the unknown Corgloresti’s sacrifice was almost more saddening to hear about than her parents’ deaths. “We mobilized immediately, hoping to get a Corgloresti transitioned to you before you were discovered by humans. Unfortunately, we had no way of knowing exactly where on the human plane Joshua had sent you since he had veered from our hastily sketched plan out of necessity. We were forced to wait until a Corgloresti already on the human plane learned your 256/564 whereabouts and relayed your location to us. It was one of the most difficult waits of our existence.” Amber thought the sentence sounded insincere due to Iniherit’s monotone. “Fortunately, the social worker who was ultimately assigned as your legal guardian was one of us. He did not get assigned to work with you until you had already been screened by Child Protection Services and placed with the Vonneguts, but he seemed pleased with the placement. As soon as he identified you, he notified us so we could keep track of you.” “If Amber’s DFCS worker was a Corgloresti, why wasn’t he able to prevent all of Amber’s disrupted placements?” Gabriel asked. If Amber hadn’t already been ridiculously in love with him, the anger in his voice over that question would have sealed the deal. She leaned her head into his shoulder and stared at Ini-herit, who managed to

look at least mildly uncomfortable. 257/564 “He did try to maintain the placement with the Vonneguts, of course. Unfortunately, it was his human supervisor who made the final decision. The witnesses who had seen Mrs. Vonnegut with you went to the authorities, and it ended up being broadcast in the media, adding pressure to the supervisor to end the placement. As it was, though, that particular Corgloresti had really extended his time on the human plane to an unhealthy level. Had he remained much longer, he would have lost his sanity and then his life.” Amber couldn’t think of a thing to say in response to that. “We knew before you were born that because of our limited time allowed here at any one time, we would have to rely on humans to give you the strongest basis of your guardianship on the human plane. In Olaya’s case, her human guardian, Jean, is what humans would consider a medium, or would be if she opted to exercise her abilities in any significant capacity. She is highly open to what humans call the spirit realm and believes in 258/564 things that most other humans dismiss. When her human soul is ready to expire, she will make a prime candidate for The Embrace. After the births, Olaya’s Corgloresti spent time on the human plane until he met Jean. It did not take much to convince her to become Olaya’s human caregiver.

“Similarly, Skylar’s appearance among the Yupik people here in Alaska was welcomed with open minds and eagerness. Her arrival coincided with the death of a very respected and prominent elder, Sky Tomaganuk. She also bore his name, and the tribe believed her eye color combined with her serendipitous arrival into their culture represented a sort of rebirth for the elder. Nick is Sky’s son, and he accepted Skylar into his family without question.” An unwelcome surge of bitterness coursed through Amber as she realized that the two girls sitting out in the hallway had managed to have fairly normal upbringings while she had suffered. Had Olivia or Skye ever questioned their worth? 259/564 Had they ever dwelled in misery, wondering whether there was something seriously wrong with them? Had they ever wondered whether they were worthy of a parent’s love? She had to doubt it. And was that their fault? she argued with herself. Of course not. So get over it. Centering her thoughts, she asked, “Okay, so what about my other placements? Couldn’t you have done something to prevent those from disrupting? I mean, you managed to get Olivia and Skye into stable enough environments.” “Yes, but they did not have the surges of power that you did.” Seeing her surprise, he nodded. “The first one, when you were three, was thought to be an oddity. As I said, your sisters did not show any similar displays and we had no way of knowing what had caused it. When nothing happened for a period of time afterward, we dismissed it. And you seemed stable enough after your placement in the Anders’ care. Only after the second surge did we come to understand that 260/564

there was something significant happening to you. As a result, we threw caution aside and arranged it so that you were placed directly into the care of a Corgloresti. Called Allison Palmer by humans, she risked everything in order to remain with you as long as possible. As she is one of our eldest and most powerful Corgloresti, we had hoped she could maintain her human form longer than most because of that. At least enough to raise you to an age where things could be explained to you.” Blanching, Amber realized what had happened. “I screwed it up.” “Don’t say that,” Gabriel argued, giving her a little shake. “But she did,” Ini-herit confirmed emotion-lessly, making Gabriel’s eyes narrow. “Inadvertently, yes, but the placement was going well until the day she had another display of her power and her Corgloresti was not there to assist her.” Numbly, Amber reached up with her left hand and linked her fingers with Gabriel’s over 261/564 her shoulder. Their rings touched and the connection made her feel much better, the tension easing a bit from her shoulders. It was almost as if she could hear his thoughts.

You were just a child…you didn’t understand what was happening to you…you weren’t to blame! “The placement with the Jamisons was done without our influence,” Ini-herit explained. “We did not have a Corgloresti in the child services department at the time or we would have done what we could to prevent that

placement, narrow-minded fools that they were. Nevertheless, we quickly put several Corgloresti in place in the school and church you attended as well as in the DFCS office, trying to prevent another displacement. Allison had noted the scarring impact that the changes in your caregivers had caused to your emotional stability, and we wanted to do what we could to prevent further damage.” Amber jerked in her seat at being referred to as “damaged.” No longer comforted and suddenly feeling undeserving of Gabriel’s touch, she 262/564 tried to pull her hand back down. His grip tightened, holding her in place.

Don’t listen to anything this guy says about emotions. I mean, just look at him! Turning and catching Gabriel’s gaze, she cocked her head to the side. Those thoughts had definitely been in his voice…hadn’t they? Before she could consider it further, Iniherit continued his narration and they both tuned back in to it. “As the third year of your placement with the Jamisons approached, all of the Corgloresti in your vicinity were on guard. Unfortunately, when the anticipated power surge came, you left the church during the service that the on-site Corgloresti was performing, and he could not chase after you without drawing the attention of all of the humans in attendance.” “The preacher was a Corgloresti?” She had always thought that he had fed into the belief by the Jamisons that she was possessed. “Indeed. And they were so intolerant that they would not listen when he tried to convince 263/564 them that you needed their support, resulting in another displacement. So we made the only decision we could.

“We sent you to Gabriel.”

Chapter Fifteen On the Estilorian plane, far from the visibility of the other Estilorian classes, the leader of the Mercesti, Grolkinei, sat in conference with his team of commanders. They had gathered in his lakeside manor house and were currently seated around a hand-crafted wooden table that would have looked at home in any human Fortune 500 CEO’s office. In point of fact, everyone gathered there was dressed to impress in business attire. Custom-made suits, silk ties, dress shoes. Sunlight winked off the placid lake visible through the wall of windows comprising half the room. An intricately landscaped garden started at the edges of their current location and wove around the lake, across more than three acres of property. Pots of tea and coffee sat in the middle 265/564 of the table. Three of his four commanders had delicate, classically-designed cups sitting before them. “We have intercepted confirmation that they will attempt to make the transition tonight,” said Cesaro. Of Grolkinei’s commanders, he was the most reliable when it came to ferreting out information. The thin, unassuming, white-haired Mercesti was so successful because he was willing to illicit

the information through any means necessary. Easy enough when you didn’t have a conscience. Across from Cesaro sat the blonde, waif-like Layla, Grolkinei’s mystic commander and the female who currently entertained him as a mate. She nodded in agreement, her Mercesti red eyes moving among the other commanders. “I intercepted another message to the Elphresti not an hour ago also confirming this.” Although it wasn’t extremely reliable, Layla had the ability to pick up on the thoughts sent out 266/564 by the Orculesti. She had been focusing her energies on this skill for several months, since they had first gotten wind of the possibility that Saraqael’s daughters might be returning to the Estilorian plane. Grolkinei nodded. “Excellent. I imagine since neither of you have mentioned it that the exact location of their transition has not yet been identified.” Cesaro shook his head with a frown. Layla replied, “No. But I will continue to scan, of course.” “Of course.” He turned his attention to the tallest and largest figure in the room. “Angius, how would you recommend we proceed?” Between his face being half-covered in leath-ery scars that had occurred during his acceptance of his Mercesti form and his absolutely legendary fighting skills, Angius was by far the most feared Mercesti outside of Grolkinei. He was also highly intelligent and a brilliant strategist. His bald head gleamed almost white in the sunlight. 267/564 “Without knowing their transition location, we are forced to wait.” With

considerable

reluctance,

the

other

fighting

commander in the room, Ryce, growled, “I hate to say it, but I concur.” Grolkinei once again nodded. “Much as I had determined myself. Well, we have waited this long. Another few hours will hardly impact our plans, and we can spend some more time defin-ing our strategy.” He raised his eyebrows. “Any more coffee or tea, anyone?” Rubbing his thumb along Amber’s ring, Gabriel stared consideringly at Ini-herit. The cool, remote tone of the Estilorian made his narration seem unconscionably harsh. At several points, in fact, Gabriel had wanted to verbally lash out against the things he said, but that would have done little good. It was evident that Ini-herit was acting in the only manner of which he was capable. His words were simply meant to inform, not hurt. 268/564 But hurt they had, and Gabriel felt it in Amber’s taut frame. His heart ached for the loss she had suffered and for the pain these new revelations had caused. Knowing she wouldn’t welcome it didn’t prevent him from wanting to wrap her up in his arms and get her away from there as quickly as possible. Fortunately, she seemed calmer now that they had gotten to his part in this bizarre tale. That helped ease his own tension, and he asked, “Am I a Corgloresti, then?” “No. You are a Gloresti. In human terms, think of this as something like a bodyguard. When Corgloresti transition to the human plane, their Estilorian forms are vulnerable. The Mercesti are aggressive and unscrupulous and would think nothing of harming a transitioned Corgloresti. And there are occasionally environmental dangers such as stray animals or weather changes. Thus, the Gloresti dedicate their lives to the protection of the Corgloresti on the Estilorian side of the plane. In the direst of circumstances, 269/564

the most powerful Gloresti can cross planes, but it must be in order to protect their paired Corgloresti, and the time they can remain on the human plane is even more limited than for us.” Ini-herit looked again at Amber. “At least, that had been the case before the girls were born.” With a sinking feeling, Gabriel said, “I was Saraqael’s Gloresti, wasn’t I?” “Not directly, but you were supervising the Gloresti who was supposed to protect him. At the time of Saraqael’s interaction with Kate, you were not pledged to a particular Corgloresti. You were between pairings. We needed more Gloresti trained, and as the oldest and strongest of your class, you were the best to do so. Unfortunately, as is the case with most Estilorians, particularly those with more than a century of age, your perception and interpretation of human emotions were both highly compromised. You, and thus the Gloresti you were training, failed to realize 270/564 what was happening between Saraqael and Kate until it was too late.” An inexplicable feeling of guilt flooded him. Amber’s right hand moved to his knee as if she knew his thoughts. His grip on her hand tightened briefly in appreciation for her silent support. “Once Kate arrived on the Estilorian plane, you spent time with her trying to reason out what had happened. We needed to know if other Corgloresti could be at risk of succumbing as Saraqael had. You felt obligated to prevent such a fatality from occurring again. However, achieving a complete understanding regarding Kate’s claims of Saraqael’s love eluded you, as it did the rest of us. We certainly know on a basic level what love means among humans, but actually experiencing that significant a connection—one that results in putting ourselves as well as humanity at risk—is a foreign concept among Estilorians.

271/564 “Of all of us, you were the one most concerned with how our lack of comprehending this specific human emotion had resulted in such dramatic consequences. You felt the weight of Saraqael’s loss most keenly. You also argued that the coming children would be half-human and likely prone to human emotions of this level. You pointed out we would be unable to perceive or correctly interpret those emotions, meaning we could not effectively communicate with them. It was a valid concern. “And so, when you approached the remaining elders and said that you wanted to enter the human plane in such a way that you could gain this much-needed understanding of human nature, we listened to your plea with objective ears. It was decided that we put all of humanity as well as our own kind at risk by not educating ourselves as thoroughly as possible. And we devised a plan to make it happen. “After much deliberation, it was determined that the only safe way to enmesh you into human 272/564 society without risking your sanity was to deliver you to the human plane in the form of a baby and have you grow as a human would. To do so, we had to completely repress your Estilorian self. In essence, we had to erase everything you were from your awareness. It required your complete submission, a relinquishing of all of your power and a great amount of our combined abilities to make it happen.” He sensed Amber turn her head to look up at him and he glanced over. One corner of her mouth rose.

I’m not surprised. You’ll always do what’s right. Blinking in surprise, he wondered if he had just imagined her thoughts. The words had seemed startlingly clear. Then he swiveled back to Ini-herit when he spoke again.

“By the time we were ready to send you over to this plane, the girls had made their crossing and Ambryl’s whereabouts had been determined. We opted to place you geographically near her, 273/564 knowing that her Estilorian guardian had been killed before a proper human guardian could be identified. The Elphresti reasoned that having you near at least one of the girls would make our tracking of everyone easier. As it happened, that decision proved to be the solution to Ambryl’s placement issue.” There was another pause. Gabriel held Ini-herit’s creepy stare and tried to find some part of his consciousness that identified with his supposedly Estilorian “self.” He still didn’t feel any different. But for some reason, he hadn’t doubted a word that Ini-herit relayed. It was more than a little scary. “Hey,” Amber said suddenly, looking over at Gabriel. “If you came over here after me, that means you’re actually younger than me!” “Actually, his form was that of an infant rather than a newborn when he transitioned. And he is millennia older than you,” Ini-herit corrected in his serious tone. 274/564 After a moment of staring at the Estilorian, both Amber and Gabriel broke into laughter. It was just what they needed to help lighten the intensity of the conversation. Ignoring their outburst, Ini-herit went on, “The Corgloresti assigned to you on this plane, Gabriel, posed as your human mother until she identified a suitable human guardian.” “Mrs. B,” Gabriel murmured, his humor fading. “How much does she know?”

“Enough,” Ini-herit responded vaguely. “We have been able to monitor your progress using the skills of our Orculesti, who can travel to the human plane with their minds using an Estilorian on the human plane as a conduit. We observed you grow into the young man you are now. And when Ambryl joined you, we were then able to monitor her more closely than we had before. It admittedly made things easier for all of us.” “Geez,” Amber said with a frown. “Totally Big Brother. What about privacy?” 275/564 Ini-herit shrugged. “A human concern that means little to us. Your safety was of far more importance.” He had a point. His dark gaze moved between them and then settled on Gabriel. “At approximately nine o’clock this morning, we lost all connection with you. Something occurred to place a barrier against entering your mind, which is why I injured you when I tried.” Amber gave Gabriel a questioning look, and he caught her gaze while adding pressure to her ring using his thumb. She blinked as shock and comprehension sank in. Rather than explaining, they turned back to Ini-herit. “Is that why you’re here?” she asked incredulously. “Of course not,” he answered, “though it is perplexing.” He paused and stared at them another moment. Realizing they weren’t going to respond, he said, “We surmised that this disrupted connection might somehow be a result of your 276/564 birthday and the growth of your power, Ambryl. After all, that is the reason I am here.”

“My power?” “Your recent surge was more intense than the previous ones. If Gabriel had not acted quickly, human lives would most certainly have been lost. As it was, you nearly drowned.” Amber looked stunned. Gabriel figured she was now realizing that the Estilorians knew liter-ally everything about her…meaning they also knew what had happened at the pond after he had rescued her. Her face flushed and she started nib-bling on her lower lip. He released her hand and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “And your sisters also had surges this year,” Ini-herit explained. Obviously forgetting all about her embarrassment, she sat straighter. “They did?” “Indeed. Neither of their surges was as violent as yours, but we quickly came to the conclusion that this is the time to bring you all back to the Estilorian plane as quickly as possible.” 277/564 “I’m kind of relieved to hear—what?” She gaped at him. “Since we knew you were planning this trip and Skylar lives in the area, it was quite simple to get you all together for the transition. I followed you from Atlanta to make sure nothing went awry with our plans.” Seeing their expressions, he added, “Ambryl, you are now old enough to defend yourself and understand your origins. The hunting by the Mercesti on our plane has grown steadily more persistent since your birth, putting your Estilorian form at greater risk. And, most importantly, your presence on the human plane will endanger human lives, which we find unacceptable. Our Wymzesti have unanimously predicted that by the end of this day, your power will surge to a highly dangerous level. They are rarely wrong.”

Gabriel thought about Amber’s fluctuating eye color and the near-convulsion she experienced when she touched Olivia. Then he pictured her lifeless body beside the pond, remembering 278/564 all too clearly his absolute terror when he thought he had lost her. Torn, he looked down and again caught her gaze. “I’m not going to leave you,” she said firmly. “I don’t care if I have to hide in a cave to get through the night, I won’t do it.” “And you will not have to,” Ini-herit responded before Gabriel could. “Gabriel is coming with us.” Fifteen minutes later, they emerged from Nick’s office two very different people than who had entered it. Still reeling and feeling like the survivor of a major catastrophe, Gabriel put his right arm around Amber’s waist as Ini-herit opened the office door and directed them through. Across the hall in an open office sat Olivia, Skye, Nick and Jean. They all got to their feet and turned to face them when they walked into the hall. Their expressions ranged from Nick’s seemingly mild curiosity to Jean’s 279/564 maternal concern. Olivia and Skye both looked startled and uncertain. “Uh…” Skye began, her gaze shifting between them. “Gabriel, um, you have a little something right—” she started to point to a place on the side of her mouth and then made a wide circle to indicate her entire upper body, “here.” Glancing down, he suddenly remembered the blood covering them both. It seemed ridiculously unimportant now. “Yeah,” he said for lack of anything more insightful to say. “I’ll go get you two some clean T-shirts from the gift shop,” Nick said. He paused as he neared them. Reaching out, he briefly placed a companionable hand on Gabriel’s

shoulder. Then he turned and walked down the hall. Jean had stepped forward and now reached out to rub Amber’s upper arm in a show of concern. Gabriel felt Amber tense against him at the stranger’s touch. He gave her credit for not pulling away. 280/564 “Why don’t I show you two to the bathroom so you can get cleaned up?” she offered. “Thank you, ma’am. That’d be great,” he responded for both of them. “You can just call me Jean,” she said with a gentle smile, and waved them after her. It didn’t take long for them to use the available soap and water in the restrooms to cleanse themselves of the blood on their skin. Nick provided Amber with a dark green T-shirt sporting an Alutiiq petroglyph that resembled a deer. Gabriel’s T-shirt was gray and sported a dancing human figure with the words, “I like to PUKUK.” Since Nick had taken Gabriel’s hoodie before their meeting with Ini-herit, it was still clean and wearable. Skye had an extra cardigan that she loaned Amber. It was a neon shade of pink that Amber would never have usually been caught dead in, but they had bigger things to worry about. Ini-herit had explained at the conclusion of their time with him that they would have to leave 281/564 all of their human possessions behind. In vague terms, he told them about the transition from one plane to the next, informing them that nothing would physically cross over with them. A Corgloresti would be sent to remove their things from the rental house and settle the payment with the owners. He was deliberately vague regarding what Mrs. B would be told regarding their disappearance. Gabriel was

convinced she would be told they were dead, a thought that troubled him and Amber deeply. They traveled, a rather quiet and somber group, in a passenger van driven by Nick to a different airport than Gabriel and Amber had arrived at just the day before. Iniherit led them through the small terminal and out onto the tar-mac toward a chartered plane they would be taking to Fairbanks. Giving the girls a moment to say goodbye to their human guardians, who would not be traveling to Fairbanks, Ini-herit walked over to con-verse with the pilot. A pet carrier containing 282/564 Olivia’s white cat was being loaded onto the plane. Amber and Gabriel stood quietly apart from the others, watching Skye talk with Nick while she wiped a steady stream of tears from her face. Olivia was equally tearful as she spoke with Jean. They hugged several times. Then Olivia took something from Jean and made her way over to Amber and Gabriel. When she reached them, she gave them a small smile and held out the object she carried. It was a cell phone. “Here,” she said. “I know Ini-herit probably told you that you couldn’t speak with your guardian before you leave. But if it was me, I couldn’t leave Jean without saying goodbye.” Amber didn’t say anything at first, but she reached for the phone. Gabriel started to speak, then held back. He gently squeezed her shoulder. “Thanks, Olivia,” she said softly. “We really appreciate it. Though…I don’t know what we can really tell her.” 283/564 Giving Amber’s upper arm a brief pat of understanding, Olivia looked at each of them with compassionate green eyes that held the wisdom of someone three times her age.

“Just tell her what she needs to hear.” Then she turned and walked back to Jean. So, as Ini-herit made the final arrangements with the pilot, Amber slowly dialed the familiar number that would allow her and Gabriel to tell the woman who had raised them into adulthood that she would never see them again.

Chapter Sixteen The plane was in the air by 2:30. It seemed impossible to Amber that this was still the same day that had begun that morning with Gabriel fix-ing her French toast. He sat beside her now in the last row of the small plane. Olivia and Skye were seated beside each other across the aisle from them, their heads bent together in conversation. Ini-herit sat in the front row by himself, by all appearances completely unmoving. “How’re you holding up?” Gabriel asked her quietly once the pilot announced that they had reached their cruising altitude. He had lifted the arm rest between their seats and was now holding her left hand between both of his on top of his right thigh. 285/564 Turning from the window and catching his serious gaze, she answered, “Like Alice after she went through the looking glass.” That provoked a small smile, which had been her goal. “I keep wondering how the hell we got here,” he admitted. “It’s like some crazy dream.” “I know.” She frowned, thinking of The Dream. “The shock and numbness are wearing off now. Reality’s starting to set in. I mean, holy crap!” “Are you wondering like I am why we were so easily convinced about all this?” Giving that some thought, she

shook her head. “Actually, I think we’ve both known for a long time that I’m unusual.” She gave herself a moment to enjoy his quick, playful grin. Then she added, “I’ll admit that finding out you’re a bit of a freak, too, was quite a shocker.” His expression sobered. “Yeah.” Keeping her voice low and studying the back of Ini-herit’s head as though he could hear her, she asked, “Why do you think Ini-herit’s 286/564 Wymzestis—or Orculestis, or whatever they’re called—lost the ability to connect with your mind this morning? And yes, I know that is one of the strangest questions to ever leave my mouth.” He managed another smile and then shook his head. “I wish I knew. That’s right around the time that we exchanged the rings, but how something like that could affect a being from a whole other plane…it completely defeats me.” She knew she had to let it go. Neither of them had a clue what they were getting into, so they had no chance of gaining an answer to this particular puzzle. She tipped her head to the left and settled it on his shoulder. Sighing, she whispered, “I’m scared.” “I know,” he said. He kissed the top of her head and held her hand more tightly. “I am, too.” Ini-herit had told them that the Estilorians had no real way of knowing how the transition between the planes would affect any of them, particularly their minds. The chances were favor-able for the girls that they would end up on the 287/564 Estilorian plane with their human personality traits and memories fully intact, as this was the only existence they had ever known. But a small chance did exist that they would enter their Estilorian forms and have only the memories they retained from that plane. Meaning, they would have the minds of newborn infants. He also very bluntly said there was a fifty-fifty chance that Gabriel would retain his human awareness. Thus, the chance was equally great that Gabriel would revert entirely to his formerly Estilorian self on the Estilorian plane, not

retaining a single memory of his time as a human. Because the Estilorians had never attempted anything like this in the past, they simply had no way to know whether it would work. Amber pondered this very disturbing possibility as the single flight attendant on the plane circulated with drinks and bags of snacks. The enormity of the risk they were taking—the very real chance that Gabriel wouldn’t remember her or his love for her in only a matter of 288/564 hours—weighed on her like stone. But Ini-herit had spent quite some time impressing the importance of them making the transition with all haste to prevent the loss of human lives. She knew they didn’t have any choice. Gabriel handed her one of the bags of dried fruit with granola and a small bottle of water. Although her stomach was a sour knot of fear, she decided to eat since she figured she was unlikely to get any other food in the near future. Looking at him as she pulled the small bag open, she said, “You know that if you forget me when we cross over that I’m going to nag and browbeat you until you give up and fall in love with me again, right?” His eyes filled with warmth and appreciation. Then he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Well, it sure worked the first time. I’d say you have yourself a sound plan.” Across the aisle, Olivia and Skye watched the byplay between Amber and Gabriel as they ate. 289/564 The plane’s engines were too loud for them to hear any of the words they exchanged, but the feelings shared by the two of them were clear enough. Skye elbowed Olivia. “Isn’t that something? I mean, he comes here to learn about powerful human emotions and

then falls in love with our sister. It’s just poetic.” Although Olivia was typically more inclined to think in terms of logic and reasoning than in flowery romanticism, she couldn’t argue with Skye’s assessment. There was something almost palpable about the connection between Amber and Gabriel. It was enviable, really. And even though she hardly knew Amber, she was very happy for her. From what Olivia had gauged in only the past few hours, her elder sister was highly uncomfortable with connections with other people. It didn’t take much to deduce that Amber’s path had not been an easy one. Which made her love for Gabriel even more significant, she thought. 290/564 “It’s sweet,” she said out loud, returning her gaze to her tray table. She didn’t want to infringe on their privacy. “Have you wondered what guys are going to be like on the other plane?” Skye asked around a bite of granola. “No, actually,” Olivia acknowledged. “I haven’t known about all of this for very long. It’s a lot to process.” “Oh, for sure,” Skye agreed with what Olivia had determined was her perpetual enthusiasm. “I mean, gosh, I’ve known about this for most of my life. I don’t know how you and Amber are handling it. I’m sure I’d be freaking out!” Freaking out. Olivia supposed that was a fairly accurate term for her initial reaction. First had come the unexpected power surge. Fortunately it had happened while she was with Jean, as she blacked out almost as soon as it occurred. Jean had been warned to look for signs like that, of course, and it wasn’t even a full day 291/564 after the surge before Ini-herit showed up at their front door to have the “big talk.” Shortly thereafter, the reality of leaving behind the world she knew had sunk in. She had curled into a ball on her bed and cried for the better part of a day. How

could she possibly leave the mother who had raised her? What about her friends and her future plans? She was on her way to college, for goodness’ sake! She couldn’t just step away from all of that. But in the end, nothing had changed when she again emerged from her bedroom to discuss everything with Jean. And now here she was, sitting on a chartered plane eating granola with a girl with a face piercing and tattoos. Who happened to be her sister. Her friends at St. Ignatius Prep would take one look at Skye and not know what to make of her. Thinking of her high school turned Olivia’s thoughts to the stylish but homey apartment she and Jean lived in on the south side of downtown Chicago. She thought of the bagel shop they walked to every Sunday morning after Mass, and 292/564 the Jewel grocery store with the cute bag boy she had had a secret crush on for more than a year. She thought about the public library where she had spent the bulk of her weekends during her senior year when she wasn’t babysitting or tutor-ing other students to earn some money. She thought of Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza, which she rarely ate but would miss more than she would have ever thought possible. Did they have such things on the other plane? She hadn’t ever thought to ask. Even as the first tear slipped over her lashes, Skye was reaching over to touch her arm consolingly. “Hey,” she said quietly, her expression more somber than usual. “I know this is kind of scary. And I know you’re going to miss your mom and the people you’re leaving behind. I am, too, and I’ve had a long time to prepare for this. But, well, try to think of the positive things about what we’re going to experience.”

293/564 Olivia wiped her eyes with her beverage napkin and said, “Like what?” “Well, what about our powers?” Skye answered, her smile wide. “Ini-herit said we’ll Become, though I don’t know exactly what that means. But we’re bound to have some non-human powers on the other plane. Won’t that be something?” Olivia considered that. “You think we’ll end up like Wonder Woman or something?” “I think even better. Nick says he believes that on the other plane, they haven’t had to curb the level of powers they can achieve because humans can’t detect them anymore, anyway. So it follows that over the years, Estilorians have evolved to amazing levels.” “Really? Did he say what kinds of powers?” Skye looked a bit sheepish. “Well, he didn’t exactly know, being human and all.” Then she brightened. “But he always taught me that you’re only limited by the size if your imagination. So, 294/564 that’s got to mean that the possibilities are endless!” Holding back a concerned frown, Olivia nodded. She didn’t find it necessary to go into the fact that she had never had a very active imagination and, in fact, preferred to deal in fact and logic. Dampening Skye’s enthusiasm wouldn’t benefit anyone. In an effort to switch the subject, she said, “So, what do you think the guys will be like over there?” “Oh,” Skye said, her brilliant blue gaze shifting to Gabriel. “Well, I can only hope they’re that nice on the eyes.” Olivia

laughed. “But I’m worried they’ll have Ini-herit’s personality.” That stopped the laughter. “Er, really? You think the guys are all like that?” “Well, Gabriel came over here to learn about our emotions, right? So that has to mean that they don’t really, well, have them.” 295/564 “No emotion?” Olivia repeated. A feeling of dread crept over her. “I don’t know about ‘no emotion,’ exactly. But I think that Gabriel wouldn’t have given up his entire existence to come here if they didn’t at least lack the big ones.” “Big ones?” Olivia echoed weakly. “Yeah. You know…love, passion, humor. Those kinds of deep emotions.” Then, finally noting Olivia’s expression, Skye added hastily, “But, well, our father obviously fell in love with our mother or we wouldn’t be here, right? So, um, I think it’s just the ones who’ve been around for a long while who kind of forget about those kinds of feelings.” Surprisingly, that made sense. Olivia relaxed a bit. She couldn’t say that she had ever sat around thinking about a future with a human male any more than she had considered what life among Estilorian males would be like. With Jean, a college professor, as her role model, she had always imagined going to college, earning her 296/564 MBA and then becoming a successful professional. She hadn’t been foolish enough to pin herself into one field.

Keep your options open, she thought. But certainly at some point she had imagined getting married and starting a family. The thought of living among males like Ini-herit made such a thing seem completely unachievable. Her gaze again shifted to Amber and Gabriel. She could only see the back of Gabriel’s head, but she noted that it was tilted toward her sister with obvious attention to whatever it was she was saying. And Amber’s eyes were more avid, more filled with emotion when she focused on Gabriel than they were otherwise. Their love for each other was painfully obvious. And Olivia had to ask herself as she studied them whether it was better to have never experienced a love like theirs… or to have experienced it only to face losing it.

Chapter Seventeen They landed in Fairbanks almost exactly an hour after they had taken off. The airport where they landed was definitely not a large one. Gabriel released his seatbelt and pressed closer to Amber so he could look out the window as they taxied to the gate. All he saw was a line of trees. Her scent floated up to him. Unable to resist, he bent down as she leaned toward the window so he could kiss the side of her neck. She turned slowly to look at him over her shoulder, the look in her eyes both interested and amused.

The amusement faded to seriousness when she saw his expression. Thinking only that they didn’t have much time left on this plane of existence—and what a crazy thought that was—he 298/564 leaned the remaining couple of inches between them and kissed her. He was still kissing her when the plane rolled to a stop. Only the loud clearing of a throat finally got through enough that he pulled away. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Olivia and Skye staring at them with huge grins. “Time to disembark,” Skye said cheerfully. “Thanks.” Glancing back at Amber, who caught his gaze with one eyebrow raised, he repeated, “Time to disembark.” He waited for the girls to get up and move toward the front of the plane and then he followed them out the door and down the stairs. Since they only had to wait for Olivia’s cat to be retrieved and a quick bathroom break for everyone, it wasn’t long before Ini-herit led them to a shiny, new-looking, black Land Rover. Ini-herit opened the rear hatch and the pilot settled the pet carrier in the back. As Olivia crooned wordlessly to the cat before stepping back to allow the door to close, Gabriel exchanged a look with Amber. 299/564 “Okay,” he said, waving his hands as if in defeat. “I have to ask. What the heck is up with the cat?” Olivia smiled. “I wondered how long it would take you to ask. The short answer is that she’s my feline friend, Aurora.” “Oh! Like the princess in Sleeping Beauty?” Skye asked. “Uh…no, actually,” Olivia answered as though the thought had never occurred to her.

She moved around the side of the car when Ini-herit indicated they should get in and clarified, “Aurora as in Borealis. I’ve always had a fascina-tion with the Northern Lights.” Her gaze shifted to the sky, where the powerful light energy swirled, hidden by the continuing sunshine. “I guess now I know why.” There was a moment of discussion about the seating arrangements since Amber couldn’t touch her sisters without having a reaction. She ended up in the front passenger seat while Ini-herit drove. Gabriel sat in the back with Olivia on his 300/564 left and Skye on his right. They were so closely pressed together that the fuzz from the electric blue sweater Skye had put on for the trip clung to his hoodie’s sleeve and Olivia’s elbow kept pok-ing him in the side. Oh, well. Nothing to be done about it. In an effort to distract himself from feeling penned in, he looked over at Olivia. “So, what’s the longer version of the story with your animal friend back there?” She had been staring out the window and turned back to him at the question. “Well, thanks to my recent power surge, as Ini-herit calls them, I now share a mental bond with Aurora. Ini-herit believes she’ll cross the planes with me. The Scultresti are apparently even now finishing the creation of her Estilorian form.” “Really?” His eyebrows winged up.

“That’s...um. Interesting. So, you can tell what she’s thinking?” “Sometimes. If the thoughts are loud and direct enough.” 301/564 “Loud thoughts? Huh.” He let his mind drift back to the time in Nick’s office when he thought he had heard Amber’s voice in his head. Even as that memory crossed his mind, she turned in the front seat and caught his gaze. He nodded. “Very interesting.”

Can you hear me? he thought while he held Amber’s gaze. Her eyes widened. Yes!

Too. Cool. She broke into a smile. He glanced up and saw Ini-herit’s eyes on him in the rearview mirror. He realized that Olivia and Skye were also studying them. Amber turned back around with a laugh and a shake of her head. Grinning, he asked, “So, what if Aurora can’t cross the planes with you?” A troubled look crossed Olivia’s features, making him want to kick himself. She answered, “Then she’ll be on her own in the wilderness, because I won’t be here to protect her.” “I’m sorry,” he said, trying not to wince. 302/564

Good one! Reaching to the front, he lightly smacked Amber’s upper arm in response to her thought.

She laughed again. Choosing to ignore her, he turned to Skye. “So, what about you? Did you bond with anyone—or anything—when your power surged?” Skye shrugged casually. “Nothing more than usual. I’ve always had the ability to communicate with the spirit of Sky Tomaganuk, the elder whose name I share. He’s with me still. Maybe a bit clearer in my mind, I guess.” “Your powers are all growing,” Ini-herit said, drawing their attention to him. “But we have no way of knowing what these links will do on the Estilorian plane. They could become stronger or disappear altogether.”

What a ray of sunshine, Gabriel thought toward Amber. A humored snort issued from the front seat. Ini-herit again looked at him in the rearview mirror, so Gabriel kept his face blank. 303/564 “I should tell you all a bit more about this transition,” Ini-herit continued when he returned his attention to the road. He had no map or GPS and Gabriel had to wonder how he knew where he was going. “You should not be entirely unprepared for what is about to happen.” “Is it going to hurt?” Skye asked. The quickness of the question made it apparent that she had been thinking about it for some time, and Gabriel looked over at her. Her eyes were downcast and she was fiddling with the cuff of her sweater in a young and endearing way. “I do not know. You girls were wailing newborns when you

made the initial transition between the planes. There was no way for your Corgloresti to know whether your cries were from pain or some entirely different reason.” Rolling his eyes over Ini-herit’s frank response when Skye inhaled sharply beside him, Gabriel reached over and patted her on the hand. “You have tattoos on your neck and a stud pierced through your chin. Why are you worried 304/564 about pain? If anything, that should be me. We all know guys don’t handle pain as well as gals.” She relaxed a bit at that. “Hey, you’re right! Thanks.” “It should not—” Knowing that Ini-herit was about to point out that it wouldn’t hurt Gabriel at all because he was an Estilorian whereas the girls were only half, he interrupted, “Why don’t we avoid dwelling on that part of this experience? Whether it hurts or not, we’re going through with this. So…tell us about the other side.” Nodding, Ini-herit turned the vehicle off of the main road and onto a narrow dirt path into the forest. The move had them all bouncing in their seats on the uneven surface. He said, “Very well. One of the first things of which you should be aware is that your appearance will be different on the other side.” “Different how?” Amber asked, her brow furrowed. 305/564 “You have to understand that what exists of you on the Estilorian plane right now is mostly a nebulous being. The exact form of your Estilorian self will not develop until your full essence reaches that plane, so it is impossible to

answer your question,” he explained.

Of course it is. Gabriel fought back a grin in response to Amber’s sarcastic thought as Ini-herit continued. “Zayna, the Scultresti elder who created your human forms, did her best to mimic your predicted adult physical characteristics. But she had never done such a thing for a newborn baby before, so she was really working off of experience and instinct. You will note, for example, that each of you girls has a different shade of hair. She knew it would be brown, but exactly what color she could only guess. The same applies to most of your other physical characteristics. Thus, our prediction is that you will look similar to your current forms, but more likely a combination of each of your physical traits.” 306/564 There was a moment of silence as they processed this new information. Then Skye spoke up. “I want Amber’s hair. All those blonde and red strands mixed in—I’ve wanted hair like that for most of my life!” Olivia laughed as Amber blushed. “Can I have Skye’s nose?” she asked, her green eyes twinkling. “I’ve always thought mine was too big.”

Say something about Olivia, Gabriel thought toward Amber. She turned and caught his gaze. Then she looked briefly at Olivia with an assessing eye. “If I had a choice, I’d want Olivia’s eyebrows and forehead. I’ve never liked mine.” The three sisters smiled at each other. Ini-herit caught Gabriel’s gaze in the mirror. “Indeed,” he said. He evidently sensed enough not to tell them that they had no real choice in the matter.

“It will be interesting to see what human traits you carry over to the Estilorian plane.” 307/564 Another heavy pause in the conversation. As he maneuvered around a nearly blind turn in the thickening forest, he continued, “The Estilorian form can be impacted by damage done to the human form. If a Corgloresti is killed while in human form, for example, the Estilorian being is also killed.” “So, I could still have a scar on my neck and a healed break in my left arm from my fall out of a poplar tree when I was five?” Olivia asked. “You could,” he acknowledged. “Or no impact from that at all. We don’t really know.” “You say that a lot,” Amber said dryly. “Well, you are completely unprecedented,” Ini-herit replied. “How are we to know anything about you?” He had her there. “We are operating off of the assumption that your human personality traits will transfer into your Estilorian forms,” Iniherit said. “As I have explained to each of you, we have no way to—” 308/564 “Confirm this,” all three girls said at the same time. Startled, Gabriel looked around at each of them. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the surreal sound of their three voices chiming simultaneously. He again caught Ini-herit’s gaze in the mirror and realized the Estilorian was as unfazed as ever. “That is correct,” he agreed. “I can tell you that Estilorians assume a large variety of forms on the human plane. As Estilorians, we often look nothing like the human forms we

assume. In the case of you girls as well as Gabriel, we tried to stay as consistent with the Estilorian form as we could in an effort to make the transition between the planes have less of a psychological impact upon you. It seemed…the right thing to do.” They rode along quietly for a moment, bump-ing up and down in their individual seats as the vehicle hit jagged bumps in their path.

What if I look completely different? 309/564 The thought came through as clearly as a voice. His expression softened. He was all too aware of Amber’s insecurities. Focusing, he thought toward her, Do you think

I fell in love with your appearance? He heard her sigh. No. But it’ll be weird, won’t it? Raising a corner of his mouth, he thought, Only if I can’t tell

you apart from your sisters. As he had predicted, she laughed. The sound was a welcome break to the substantial silence. Ini-herit glanced beside him at Amber and then looked again in the rearview mirror. Gabriel would have thought his gaze was disapproving if it hadn’t been so devoid of emotion. “We are here,” Ini-herit said. And stopped the vehicle.

Chapter Eighteen The Land Rover jerked to a shuddering stop in the middle of the woods and Ini-herit turned off the engine. After a moment of almost stunned silence, they all watched him open his door and get out, leaving the keys in the ignition. Olivia quickly followed suit, so Gabriel exited on her side of

the car and walked over to the passenger side. Since neither Skye nor Amber had emerged, he walked around and opened both passenger side doors. “Ladies?” Skye grinned up at him. “I wonder if you’ll be so polite on the other plane,” she said, giving his arm a friendly pat as she got out of the vehicle. 311/564 He didn’t respond since she was already whirling away from the vehicle and looking around with wonder etched on her features. She loped gracefully over to Olivia and linked arms with her, saying something he couldn’t hear and pointing up into the trees. Turning, he looked down at Amber, who had also gotten out of the Land Rover and was now quietly staring at him. He closed the doors he had opened. Then he took her hand and started walking determinedly in the opposite direction of where the others stood. “Gabriel—” they heard Ini-herit object. “A minute,” Gabriel said firmly in response. They walked until the woods enveloped them and the only sounds were their crunching footfalls. Finally, he stopped. Then he put his arms around her and hugged her. The fear and emotion he had been suppressing now surged forth, all but seizing him around the throat. “I don’t know how much time we have left, Amber,” he said, trying to keep his voice level. 312/564 Pressing her cheek against his heart, she whispered, “I don’t care how lame or clichéd this sounds. I can’t do this if

I don’t go into it believing we’ll still have each other on the other side. Please tell me you believe that.” I believe it. We didn’t

come this far to lose each other. She pulled back and caught his gaze, and he knew he had been successful in transmitting his thoughts. Rather than say anything, she nodded. He kissed her gently, and then framed her face with his hands so he could hold her gaze. “I want you to know before anything changes that I had plenty of plans for us for the future.” He watched her honey-brown eyes grow warm and slightly damp. “I figured I’d nag and drag you through college like I did through high school. I’d propose to you sometime during our junior year so you and Mrs. B could plan the wedding for after we graduated. We’d get jobs we liked and we’d buy a house, maybe have a kid or two.” 313/564 Now a tear slid down her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb. “We would’ve had plenty of friends and neighbors and cookouts during the summer. Maybe I would’ve even convinced you to get a dog.” The sound she made in response to that was something between a laugh and a sob. She had always been distrustful of animals. He caressed her cheek to wipe away another tear. “Well, maybe a fish. Anyway, I always figured we’d grow old together, sitting out on the front porch whenever the mood struck. I certainly never figured us for anything groundbreaking or terribly exciting. And yet, here we are.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Essentially, the lives we know are about to end.” Again, she nodded. She couldn’t seem to manage anything

more. “We may not have wanted it, but we’re about to embark on something both ground-breaking and exciting. And, in my mind, the best part is that we get to do it together.” He paused and 314/564 again gave her a light kiss on the lips. “When Ini-herit first said that you had to go back to the Estilorian plane, my first reaction wasn’t confusion or disbelief over the weirdness of what he said. Instead, I felt like my world had tilted off its axis. All I really heard was that he was going to take you away from me. And when he said I was going, too, well, the world righted itself. I don’t care how insane all of this is. If we’re together, we’ll get through it.” Her tears had dried. She gave him a small smile and said, “I can sense the depth of your confidence. It helps.” She reached up and placed a hand against the side of his face. “I may not have had very definite dreams about my future like you did, but I can say what I did envision always had you in it. I’m not about to let that change now.” He kissed her then, long and deep. And they allowed themselves this time to let go of everything except each other, knowing that soon the choice to do so could be taken from them. 315/564 The sound of something thrashing vigorously on the forest floor drew their attention as they neared the edge of the clearing where the Land Rover was parked a short time later. Amber looked up and caught Gabriel’s puzzled gaze just as they broke the tree line. “Olivia?” Amber saw her sister on the ground in the grips of an apparent spasm. “Oh, thank goodness,” Skye gasped. She was on the ground beside Olivia. “I was just about to come and find

you. Her eyes changed to this lime green color and she just —” Amber had run across the clearing and was already on the ground. After a quick assessment of Olivia’s condition, she said, “Gabriel, get Aurora.” She wasn’t sure why she sensed that the cat would make a difference. But it couldn’t hurt. She placed her hands on either side of Olivia’s face and felt some of whatever energy was over-loading Olivia seep into her. The tremors began 316/564 in her fingertips and would soon work their way up her arms. But it seemed to help. Olivia’s thrashing subsided even as Gabriel quickly approached with the pet carrier. The animal inside was mewling loudly. “Oh my gosh—your eyes,” Skye said as she watched Amber begin shaking in earnest. With a horrified expression, she scrambled back a few inches. Gabriel managed to unlatch the pet carrier and release Aurora. The white cat sprang free and made her way right to Olivia. Aurora looked at Amber until Amber removed her hold and backed away, and then she climbed onto Olivia’s chest and leaned down until her feline face was positioned over Olivia’s. There was a subtle, rhythmic rumbling sound emanating from the cat. It grew steadily in volume even as Olivia’s movements stilled and she seemed to regain control of herself. Realizing Olivia was going to be okay, Amber turned shakily to Gabriel. He didn’t need 317/564 coaxing to pull her closer and kiss her until she stabilized. “Oh my gosh,” Skye said again. Her face was pale and her eyes wide. “Is that what’s going to happen to me? To us?”

“In your human forms, yes,” Ini-herit said tonelessly. He was standing apart from them, by all accounts an impassive observer. “That is why we must make this crossing. Olaya was affected more strongly right now because she has an affin-ity for nature and we are thoroughly surrounded by it.” Olivia slowly sat up, her arms instinctively cradling Aurora. She looked slightly stunned and some debris from the ground clung to hair and clothing, but she was otherwise fine. She glanced up at Amber, who was now standing calmly with her arm around Gabriel’s waist. “Is that what the kissing is all about?” she asked in an amazed voice. 318/564 Amber grinned. “Not entirely,” she drawled meaningfully. Then, after Olivia smiled in response, she added, “But yeah.” “Awesome,” Olivia breathed. She got to her feet and then, after giving Aurora a nuzzle in the neck with her nose, placed the cat on the ground. Then she turned and noticed Skye gripping her knees and rocking slightly, so she squatted back down beside her. “Hey, Skye, it’s okay. See? We’re fine.” Skye looked up with frightened eyes brim-ming with tears. “But you two have someone—or thing—here with you to help when you start reacting like that. I don’t! What’ll I do?” She sounded incredibly pitiful. Amber sighed when she felt Gabriel giving her a mental push forward. After rolling her eyes at him, she moved away from his side and joined Olivia, squatting on Skye’s other side and propping her elbows on her bent knees. “Look,

Skye…Ini-herit said that he thinks one of my powers is to heal others. It worked for Gabriel 319/564 and it was working for Olivia before her cat took over. I’ll heal you if something happens.” Wiping at her wet cheeks, Skye whispered, “Promise?” “You don’t know me, or you’d know I don’t say things I don’t mean,” Amber replied matter-of-factly. Her directness seemed to help assure Skye, who finally sniffed loudly and nodded. Olivia reached out to grab Skye’s hand. They all got to their feet. “You’re not in this alone anymore,” she pointed out. With a watery smile, Skye said, “I guess I forgot.” Then Ini-herit turned their attention. “The time is growing near. We must walk the rest of the way on foot.” He glanced at Olivia. “The cat is your responsibility now.” Turning her gaze to the cat winding her way between her ankles, Olivia appeared lost in thought. Then she looked up. “We’ll be fine.” “Very well,” Ini-herit said. “Follow me.” 320/564 They walked for nearly two hours. Amber was no stranger to this kind of environment, having grown up near many different undeveloped wooded areas. But Ini-herit wasn’t sticking to any kind of path, and they were steadily rising. She could feel her calves burning, and in spite of the chill in the air, a light sheen of sweat coated her skin. After the first hour, she removed Skye’s sweater and tied it around her waist. Gabriel did the same thing with his hooded sweatshirt and Skye followed suit with her sweater. Olivia, on the other hand, seemed determined to remain in her perfectly-coordinated best until she keeled over.

Amber had never been more grateful for her years of track and competitive karate and the rugged physical conditioning they required of her. As she made her way over another fallen log, she admitted to herself that she was a little surprised at Skye’s endurance. Her youngest sister had obviously worked hard at her dancing and 321/564 was benefitting from that now. She looked exhausted, but was holding her own. It was a kind of revelation to Amber that Skye’s tendency toward overly emotional reactions didn’t necessarily mean she was weak. “How much farther?” Olivia asked breathlessly, drawing Amber’s attention. She wasn’t faring well at all. Amber noted that her cheeks were flushed, her hair was starting to come unraveled from its knot and sweat dripped along her hairline. Her breathing was harsh and erratic. This was not a girl used to activities that strained the cardiovascular system. “A bit higher,” Ini-herit said. He sounded like he was sitting still, so unaffected was he by their climb. Olivia made a sound in her throat that Amber thought resembled a wounded animal, but to her credit, she didn’t say a word. Frowning, Amber walked over and grasped her arm. Olivia turned her head and gave her a small, apologetic smile. “I don’t think I can do this, Amber.” 322/564 “Of course you can.” Amber stopped walking, unconcerned that Ini-herit marched on without pause. Olivia stumbled to a halt beside her. Gabriel stopped about a foot from them, his eyes on Amber. When she realized what was going on, Skye also stopped.

She moved closer as Amber reached up and placed her hands on either side of Olivia’s neck where her pulse raced out of control. “Try to relax,” Amber said. Then, smiling slightly, “Well, as much as you can with my hands around your throat.” Olivia gasped out a choked laugh even as she fought doubling over. Amber wasn’t sure what she needed to do to make her “power” work, but she was certainly willing to try. Closing her eyes, she focused on the feel of Olivia’s heartbeat against her palms. It fluttered too quickly, like the wings of a hummingbird. It should feel more like the coo of a dove, Amber thought.

Calm…peaceful. 323/564 Now she opened her eyes and caught Olivia’s green gaze.

Her temperature should feel less like she’s just stepped out of a sauna, she reasoned. It should be more like she’s…relaxing in an air-conditioned room. Yeah… “Holy cow,” Skye breathed. “Her eyes.” “Beautiful, aren’t they?” Gabriel responded, pride evident in his tone. Amber released Olivia, sensing that any more contact would have her sister lying on the ground and so relaxed she wouldn’t be able to move. As it was, Olivia wobbled slightly and had Gabriel and Skye reaching out to steady her. “Oh my goodness,” Skye said excitedly. “You did it, Amber! You helped Olivia!” Gabriel released Olivia as soon as he realized she was okay, and he walked over to Amber. Her eyes were almost solid gold, but she wasn’t shaking as she usually did.

“You don’t seem to need this, but—” he leaned in and captured her mouth. Amber lifted her arms to encircle his neck. 324/564 “Aww,” Skye said with a giggle, elbowing Olivia in the side. Ini-herit returned, evidently realizing they were no longer behind him. “What is this?” he demanded, looked around at each of them. “This is hardly a time for kissing.” Gabriel pulled away from Amber. He seemed satisfied by whatever he saw as he stared into her eyes. He nodded and said, “It’s always time for kissing, Ini-herit. Just one of those things I was apparently sent here to learn.” ”Yes, well,” Ini-herit replied levelly, “Any delay at this point could cost you a great deal more than one moment together.” Amber sighed and pulled away from Gabriel. “The guy’s weird,” she said, glancing from Gabriel to Olivia and Skye. “But he sure knows how to make a point. It’s time to move on.” Chapter Nineteen “Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a bottle of water,” Amber complained during the third hour of their hike. She lifted her right arm so she could wipe the sweat from her brow on the shoulder of her T-shirt. “Talk about dehydration.” Gabriel couldn’t argue. He was nearly out of gas himself. He was really feeling the lack of food and water over the past few hours. With the notable exception of Ini-herit, all of them were dragging. The increase in altitude wasn’t helping. His breathing was growing more labored and he noted that the girls were in similar conditions. The air was obviously thinning. More than once, he wondered if they were all being led like ignor-ant lambs right to their deaths. Ini-herit certainly 326/564

didn’t instill much confidence as a benevolent leader. “I know,” he said finally, stepping sideways as they walked and reaching out to rub Amber’s arm. “I don’t think he understands human limitations.” She glanced ahead at Ini-herit’s back. “You think he’s going to kill us before we can make the switch from one plane to the next?” He grinned humorlessly. “It’s like you read my mind.” They continued for a while longer in silence. Gabriel realized that the sunlight was fading. The shadows on the forest floor were growing longer and less distinct. Although he wasn’t wearing a watch, he figured it was probably around seven o’clock. Due to the time of year, they wouldn’t actually be hiking in the dark unless they were still walking into the very early hours of the morning. They would never make it that long, he knew. He tried not to dwell on that unhappy thought. 327/564 “Stop,” Olivia said suddenly. Recognizing the urgency in her quiet command, everyone —including Ini-herit—stopped. “Are you okay?” Amber asked. “Shhh,” Olivia ordered, holding up a hand. At her feet, Aurora hissed and arched her back. Olivia closed her eyes and tilted her head at an angle as though she was straining to listen to something. When she again opened her eyes, they were lime green. “Something’s coming. I think wolves.”

“Wolves?” Skye repeated in a loud whisper. “Can you tell how many?” “No,” Olivia answered after a moment. “Their thoughts are too many. They scent us, though. They’re…hungry.” And then she collapsed, her body unused to the strain of funneling her power. Ini-herit moved forward and picked her up. Aurora shifted onto her two hind legs and clawed at Iniherit’s pants with her front paws, but he ignored the animal. “Walk,” he instructed, and began moving. 328/564 Not knowing what else to do, they followed. Amber, Gabriel and Skye ended up walking swiftly with just inches between them, their eyes rapidly scanning the thick trees. Aurora raced ahead of them, very near Ini-herit’s feet. Their pace was quicker than it had been in an hour. Gabriel strained to hear any signs of the animals Olivia mentioned, but outside of the noise they themselves were making as they hurried along, he couldn’t detect a thing. “Wolves travel in packs,” Skye explained nervously, her voice barely audible over their footfalls. “They usually hunt smaller animals during the warmer months. Voles, lemming, squirrels…things like that. They can go for days without eating. But they rarely pass up a chance to take down prey that enters their territory.” When Amber and Gabriel gave her odd looks, she smiled grimly and said, “You get a different kind of education when you grow up out here.” Skye’s softly spoken warning about the wolves fed Gabriel’s growing concern. He 329/564 looked around at the nearby trees. Most were so tall that

there were no low branches they could grab to climb out of the reach of snapping wolf jaws. And then they heard them: growls and distinct animal noises growing nearer. “Hurry,” Ini-herit instructed from several yards ahead. And even with the added burden of Olivia in his grasp, the Estilorian started running at an astonishing clip. They didn’t need any further urging. Amber quickly pulled ahead, having both her extensive track training and her fear of animals to propel her into the lead. Gabriel started out right behind her, but realized almost instantly that Skye was much slower than them and was thus going to make the most vulnerable target when the wolves ultimately reached them. He instinctively slowed his pace to remain by her side. The growling got closer. “Come on,” he encouraged her when she jumped over a tree root. “Keep moving.” 330/564 “I’m trying,” she gasped. He watched as she untied the sweater around her waist as they ran, letting it fall to the forest floor. He heard the sound of snarling and thrashing behind them only seconds later and guessed the wolves had found the sweater. Skye let out a frightened whimper when she heard the noise. They cleared a ridge within the forest and a sharp wind swept around them, carrying the scent of pine and dirt and unclean animals with it. He vaguely clued in to the fact that the wind didn’t seem to be coming from a particular direction, almost as though they had entered the center of a small storm. Even with the increased wind, the predatory sounds of the wolves became loud enough to make the hairs on his arms stand up. His adrenaline spiked again the moment he realized they weren’t going to escape. Amber was now a number of

yards ahead of them. She kept looking back over her shoulder like a heroine in a horror movie fleeing the dreaded villain. 331/564

Gabriel! I know! Suddenly, Skye emitted a shriek. His heart pounding with exertion and fear, he whipped his head around to help her —and suddenly found himself airborne. “Gabriel!” Amber shouted. She had heard Skye’s short scream and had turned to try and help, only to find no one behind her. Now, instead of running away from the wolves, she turned and ran toward them. A voracious howl came from her right. She felt her knees trembling. She knew she should run, but she couldn’t without knowing what had happened to Gabriel. Her head jerked sharply from side to side as she simultaneously looked for Gabriel and Skye and scouted for the wolves. The sound of her drumming pulse thundered in her ears. “Amber, run!” 332/564 Gabriel’s voice seemed to come from the trees. She looked up, but saw only the heavy canopy of branches and leaves above her. “Run!” She turned and ran. If they had managed to climb a tree— and she didn’t see how that was possible with the branches

being so high—then she was the only one in any danger.

They’re coming! Amber heard the thought in her head as she hurdled over a fallen log. A loud growl came from only a few feet behind her on her left. Another one sounded from even closer on her right. She felt her fear like a tangible object rising into her throat.

Amber! A gnashing jaw lashed out behind her, snag-ging the sweater around her waist. The resulting tug slowed her down, but didn’t stop her. She fumbled with the knot of the sweater as she ran. Another vicious growl sounded even as the knot loosened and the sweater slid away. Her eyes 333/564 scanned the surrounding forest in desperate hope for a tree to climb or some other means of escape, all to no avail. When she tried to jump over another fallen tree, the wolves descended. From more than thirty feet above the ground, Gabriel clung to the tree branch he had landed on after whatever force Skye had managed to generate swept them off the ground. He lost sight of Amber only moments after she realized that he was in no danger and she turned to run. Within seconds, five large, gray wolves passed under the tree in which he lay, moving quickly and stealthily in Amber’s direction. The sight chilled him to the bone. Skye was crying beside him. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” she chanted. The branch she was on vibrated under her, leaves falling to the ground due to the strong movement. Her tearfilled eyes were the color of blue ice.

334/564 Gabriel looked around him, desperately trying to figure out a way to get safely to the ground. Below him was nothing but bare bark along the tree’s trunk. He could taste his fear, knowing Amber wasn’t going to make it far with the wolves so closely on her tail. The ominous sound of their growling and snarling carried through the trees. Just when he turned to Skye to have her try and use what power she had to get them down, he heard Amber’s scream. It cut off abruptly, leaving only the deadly sound of ravaging wolves. “No!” His terrified cry echoed across the forest. The weight of the first wolf shoving her to the ground provoked Amber’s scream. She realized quickly that the sound did her little good, and focused instead on trying to stay alive. Curling into a ball, she rolled until she was pressed in the fetal position, facing the fallen tree. She brought her arms up to cover her head, 335/564 doing her best to protect her neck from their powerful jaws. Her T-shirt pulled up, leaving her lower back bared to their claws and teeth. Unspeakable pain erupted along her back and left side even as she heard Gabriel’s cry. Then the sound of determined, hungry animals filled her senses. Flashes of red and black flooded her vision. Nausea rolled through her. Then nothing. Olivia abruptly regained consciousness when she heard

Gabriel. Her mind went from gray to crystal sharp clarity in the span of a second. “Put me down!” she demanded. Ini-herit put her on the ground. Olivia started running. Aurora darted ahead of her, guiding her to the top of the ridge leading down to where the pack of wolves was attacking Amber. “Stop!” Olivia shouted, praying she could control her power enough to save her sister’s life. 336/564 Gabriel clutched the tree branch beneath him in numb, raw disbelief after Amber’s scream abruptly ended. Skye’s sobs beside him grew louder, the torment in his shout of denial causing her to clutch her hands to her ears. “I’m so sorry!” she said again, her breath hitching uncontrollably. “Don’t be sorry!” he responded harshly, suddenly furious. A fresh wave of pain rolled through him, and he knew it was Amber’s. Anger and helplessness clashed in his chest in a searing wave. “Get me the hell down from here.” “I can’t!” “Yes, you can,” he insisted, trying to calm the tone of his voice and failing. “You got us up here. You can get us down.” She shook her head. He suddenly wanted to grab her and shake her fiercely, an impulse he had never had toward a female in his entire life. Amber was down there, most certainly hurt and possibly— he couldn’t think it. The fact that he suddenly 337/564

couldn’t sense her in his thoughts impacted him even more deeply than her cut-off scream and projected physical pain. “Skye Tomaganuk,” he said through gritted teeth. She looked at him, her eyes much lighter than usual. He took that to mean that she was still at least somewhat in the grip of her power. “Listen to me. We’re about to jump out of this tree,” he decided right then. “And you’re either going to save us…or die trying.” “What? ” she asked in a high, terrified voice. He didn’t respond. Instead, he crouched on his tree branch and sprang over to hers. She shrieked as his added weight bowed the branch, tipping them rapidly toward the ground. “Time to show me what you’re made of, Tomaganuk,” he said. And then, grabbing her around the waist, he leapt. The wolves obeyed Olivia’s command, suddenly stopping their assault on Amber and 338/564 coming to rest on their haunches in front of her body. Olivia saw blood on most of their muzzles and open, panting jaws. Normally, that would have appalled her. Now, however, she was partly in their minds. She understood their hunger. Their need to survive. Their dispassion. “Leave,” she commanded, sending the message out with her mind as well as her voice. With a few loud, keening whines, they turned and dispersed. Just as Ini-herit walked up behind Olivia and the last wolf disappeared into the trees, Gabriel burst out of them. Olivia

sank to her knees as he jumped over the fallen tree, his eyes fervently scanning the woods. He caught Olivia’s gaze and started in her direction…until a splash of red on the ground caught the edge of his vision. Whirling, he finally spotted Amber on the ground just as Skye rushed onto the scene. 339/564 He fell to the ground beside her. His breath was choppy with fear and excursion as his hand went to her bloodmatted hair. “Amber!” There was blood everywhere. Her back, side and left arm were a mess of bites and claw marks. Her left shoulder had been viciously torn where they had tried to get at her throat. Blood continued to pour from the gory wound. He pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around the injury as best as he could. She remained still, her mind shrouded in a veil of darkness. Ini-herit stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “She lives,” he said in his placid voice. The Estilorian’s words released the tight hold of terror over Gabriel. He clutched Amber against him and shook like a newborn foal.

Chapter Twenty Amber resisted consciousness. In the dark, there was no pain. No fear. She could remain apart from the devastation imposed on her body. In the dark, there was at least the semblance of calm and comfort. Eventually, though, something besides pain compelled her to resurface.

Amber. She was unable to resist his imploring call to her mind. The

flavor of him was on her lips. On her tongue. She felt his fear and the depth of his love for her…pulled on the well of his strength as he willed her toward full consciousness. As she eased from the darkness, she sensed the energy he was sharing through his kiss pulsing and swirling through her as shades of blue and gold. 341/564 Not fully aware of what she was doing, she allowed her developing instincts to direct the energy in a way that would heal her the most effectively. Tissue knit. Blood vessels closed. As she got nearer to the surface, pain peaked brightly and then ebbed. Her shoulder felt as though it was on fire. Then ice. Her body bowed in Gabriel’s arms. Her throat ached with the need to scream, only to have Gabriel’s prolonged kiss soothe and extinguish the rending, consuming agony. Gradually, in deliberate degrees, she eased back toward consciousness. She became aware of the sound of someone crying. The cat, Aurora, was purring loudly not even a foot away. Concerned whispers were exchanged, but she couldn’t tell between whom. A crisp breeze drifted across her, bringing goosebumps to the surface of her bare skin. The scent of blood mixed with freshly turned earth and crushed green leaves filled the air. 342/564 Gabriel’s arms encircled her, holding her tightly but not pressing on her still-tender injuries. His lips moved gently over hers again. She wanted to lift her left arm to touch him, but it wouldn’t seem to cooperate. Her right arm was pinned against his body. So she used her mind.

Guess I scared you, huh? He abruptly pulled away from her. She finally allowed her

eyes to open. He was studying her closely, his expression a mix of hope and anxiety.

I love you. His breath left him in a shudder at her focused thought. He buried his face next to her neck.

Oh, God. I love you, too. “Is she okay?” Skye asked in a small voice. Gabriel nodded. Amber leaned a bit to her right and kissed the part of his jaw that she could reach. “We must move,” Ini-herit said. He managed to sound less brusque than usual. “Our goal is not much farther.” 343/564 “That’s what you said an hour ago,” Olivia pointed out. “We’re tired, thirsty, hungry and scared. And now Amber is hurt. This isn’t at all what we set out for earlier today.” Amber turned her head to look up Ini-herit. The Estilorian was staring at her. His gaze moved between her and Gabriel and back again. “You will feel none of those things when you transition to the other plane.” “Oh, sure,” Olivia argued with a wave of her hand. “This you seem sure about. Everything else has been, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘We have no way of knowing.’ But when you’re trying to convince us to get on board with your plan, suddenly you’re the voice of authority. You must think we’re a bunch of gullible idiots.” Amber choked out a laugh. Gabriel leaned back enough to catch her gaze and grinned.

“I really think I’m beginning to believe she’s my sister,” she said, then watched Olivia flush with embarrassed pleasure. Ini-herit’s lips pressed together. 344/564 Rolling her eyes, Amber said, “Fine. Let’s go. Goodness knows I’m not fairing very well on this plane as it stands.” Gabriel helped her get to her feet. That was when she realized that he had taken his shirt off. “Oh, my.” Deliberately ignoring the nagging pain in her left shoulder, she wiggled her eyebrows at him to keep the mood light. One corner of his mouth rose and his eyes lit with humor. Then he untied the sweatshirt from around his waist and slipped it on, shaking his head at her when she made a tsk, tsk sound. “I, um, found the sweater you were wearing, Amber,” Skye said. She reached out to extend it toward her without making eye contact. “Thanks.” Sensing Skye’s tension, Amber gave Gabriel an inquiring look as she reached out with her right hand to take the sweater. “There’s, well, not much left of your T-shirt,” he said by way of explanation. She sensed there was more, but didn’t push it. 345/564 Glancing down, she realized why she felt every breeze as though it was touching her bare skin. It was touching her bare skin. Only the front of the T-shirt remained intact. When she turned her head to look over her left shoulder, she realized that the neckband and the right arm of her

Tshirt were the only things keeping it up. “Well, that’s attractive,” she said at last. At least it looked as though her bra had made it through. Not that it would matter in a short while, anyway…and what a waste of money that was. With that thought flashing through her mind, she sent a quick glance around. “A moment?” They all turned around and stepped a few feet away to give her some privacy so she could change.

Not you. Gabriel stopped in mid-turn, giving her a surprised look even as she used her right hand to lift the neckband of the ruined T-shirt over her head and tossed the tatters on the ground. 346/564

You wanted to know what I had on underneath , she conveyed to him. This is your one and only chance to see it. At first, she received no thoughts from him at all. She took that, as well as his wide eyes, to mean he was completely stunned by her actions. And as the shocked silence of his mind eased into wonder and pleasure and his eyes narrowed in intense consideration, she knew she had been right. He approached her and took the sweater from her. Positioning the left sleeve so that he could slide it over her arm without aggravating what remained of her injuries, he got the garment up over the first half of her upper body. Then he closed the distance between them so that mere inches separated them. Using his fingertips, he traced the edges of the lacy rose-colored bra she wore, allowing his

feelings as he did so to flow into her. She gasped lightly in surprise at the wave that overtook her.

Thank you, he thought as he slid the right sleeve up and began buttoning the cardigan. 347/564

You’re welcome. Oh—and I just want to say for the record that you are absolutely out of your mind if you ever think I’m letting you get a dog. Just as she had intended, he laughed. And she knew it would be all right.

Are you going to tell me how you ended up in a tree? She decided to communicate with Gabriel silently since she continued to read intense anxiety in Skye’s body language. He held her right hand and gave it a squeeze.

Skye’s power decided to make itself known, he returned. Okay. Vague. So…what? She can fly? Well, it was more like the air lifted us. Whoa. Amber glanced again at Skye, who had yet to meet her gaze since she had woken up after the attack. She doesn’t look like she’s handling this well at all. She got a sudden influx of thoughts and emotions from Gabriel that she sensed he was 348/564 buffering. Rather than pursue the conversation, which was obviously just distressing him, Amber let it drop. His relief was evident. Ini-herit hadn’t been exaggerating. They reached their destination within fifteen minutes of walking. He led them to a small clearing, about the size of Mrs. B’s kitchen back in

Newnan. As soon as she stepped into it, Amber felt a surge of energy like a kind of electrified field. All of the small hairs on her body stood on end and there was a slight vibration coursing through her, not as intense as the vibrations that usually resulted in a convulsion, she was relieved to note. It was more refined somehow. Strangely, more natural. “Wow,” Olivia breathed as she stepped into the clearing. “Can you feel that?” Finally, Skye seemed to shift from her somber mood. Her eyes widened. “Yeah.” Gabriel held his hands in front of him as he stepped into the clearing, obviously just as 349/564 sensitive to the energy change as the rest of them. He studied his hands as if he expected to see them transform right then and there. “You have now all experienced the beginning of your powers Becoming,” Ini-herit said as he moved into the center of the clearing. “We anticipated that the process would be expedited when you came into contact with each other at last. It appears, on that count, we were correct. I am sure it is now also evident as to why you cannot remain here on the human plane.” It almost sounded to Amber like he was trying to convince himself. When his gaze again moved from her to Gabriel, she began to wonder if it was possible that he was feeling guilty. And that thought then made her wonder if he knew more about how this transition would affect Gabriel than he let on. Her heart started pounding more fiercely in her chest. “As Olaya has already reasoned,” Ini-herit continued, “we often use what the humans call the Aurora Borealis to transition between the 350/564 planes. Although this energy stream is found across the earth in varying degrees, this particular location has been

found to be the most potent store for our needs. The fact that this stream is not visible to the human eye at this time of year does not at all diminish its power. It was decided to bring you here for the transition, believing it has the best chance for succeeding without negative results.” Amber watched Olivia and Skye exchange worried glances. “So, how’s it going to work?” she asked, trying to keep the other two girls from dwelling on the term “negative results.” “We will join hands, and I will establish the connection with the other plane. The Gloresti awaiting us on the Estilorian plane will funnel our Estilorian energy along the pathways to the other side. We will assume our Estilorian forms. After that…” “Yeah, yeah. You really don’t know,” Amber finished. She thought briefly of how it was going to feel to suddenly find herself in this strange 351/564 place. It wasn’t at all a comfortable thought. “So, will we understand the language over there and everything? I mean, does everyone speak English?” “No, but your mind will interpret everything said into your native language. There are no such communication barriers on the Estilorian plane.” That was helpful, she mused. “Okay. And what happens to our, um, bodies?” “Some Corgloresti will return to this spot tomorrow and dispose of them in the human manner.” “What— bury us?” Olivia asked, her eyes wide. “Actually, they will burn our remains.” That was a lot to accept. Instinctively, they all looked down at themselves and rubbed a hand over an arm, stomach, face…something to establish a connection with their soon-to-be-dead human forms. Vigorously pushing aside the thought of her body

lying among a pile of flaming corpses, Amber squared her shoulders. 352/564 “Okay,” she said. “Is it time?” Before Ini-herit could respond, Skye burst out, “No! Wait.” To Amber’s surprise, Skye walked over to her and Gabriel. Her eyes were sad, but dry, a huge relief to Amber. She was wringing her hands together when she stopped in front of them. “I just…want to say…” she was staring at the ground. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up, her gaze drifting from Amber to Gabriel and then back down to the ground. “I might not have another chance to say this. We could all forget all of this in another few minutes. I hope not, but…anyway.” She again looked up. “Gabriel, I’m so, so sorry. I was a coward. I could have cost you more than anyone should have to lose. I would have, if you hadn’t forced me to—” He abruptly cut her off by pulling her into a tight hug. She sobbed against his chest, and Amber caught his pained gaze over Skye’s head. She knew then with absolute clarity what had 353/564 happened, and understood what the flashes of fury and helplessness she had sensed a short while ago meant. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Gabriel said to Skye after a long moment. “Once you realize that, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.” She pulled away and wiped her face. “You forgive me?” He gave her a smile. “You were brave enough to ask me for forgiveness. Why wouldn’t I give it?” With a hiccup and nod, she turned her ashamed gaze to

Amber. “And you?” Raising an eyebrow, she said, “What’s to forgive? I’m here, aren’t I?” Amber accepted Skye’s vehement, grateful hug without flinching. She saw Olivia wipe a tear from her cheek out of the corner of her eye.

I’m so sorry you had to go through that, she thought, catching Gabriel’s gaze. 354/564 He didn’t respond. But when Skye pulled back and walked over to give Olivia a hug, he pulled Amber against him and kissed the top of her head. “Very well,” Ini-herit said, sensing that they had all said what they wanted to communicate with each other. “Join me in the center of the clearing.” After hours of questioning, worrying and in-decisiveness about the path ahead, they all moved together without another word. Amber joined hands with Gabriel on her left and Olivia on her right. Ini-herit stood on Gabriel’s left and took Skye’s right hand, and then she linked hands with Olivia to complete the circle. Aurora sat directly in front of Olivia, her tail curled around her legs. Amber felt another surge of energy course through her. Olivia and Skye gasped. And it suddenly seemed quite right, like a moment they had awaited their entire lives. 355/564

I love you, Gabriel, Amber thought as she sensed Ini-herit begin to open the connection that would lead them to the Estilorian plane.

I love you, Amber. See you on the other side. PART III:

Becoming Excerpts from the Great Foretelling: “And so it will be strength, courage, wisdom and faith that

bring them to us. But it will be love—that of which we know nearly nothing—that will prove most vital to our future.” “With their coming, we will welcome a new class of being.

One that can guide and teach as much as it can learn.” Chapter Twenty-One Amber floated. The release from her human form was smooth and painless. Although her thoughts felt quite fuzzy and nebulous, she had the sense enough to wonder what she had been so worried about. She was soaring, part of something much bigger than she had ever known. And she innately understood that she was willing to accept it because it was the path to returning to Gabriel. Colors whirled, rainbow hues as well as blacks, whites and grays. Every color she had known as a human and a few she didn’t even recognize. There was no sound outside of a soothing, indescribable white noise. No scent at all. There was a flying sensation, but no feel of wind or even a body against which the wind would 358/564 contact. Weightlessness. She had no sense of direction, but somehow knew that she was being led where she needed to go. Time ceased to matter or exist. It might have been seconds or decades that she floated. Her cotton-padded thoughts couldn’t crystallize into a coherent form. One name, though, repeatedly drummed itself into her altered consciousness.

Gabriel.

Even in this extremely foreign state, she thought of him. As she spun through the energy suspended in the Earth’s sky, almost like a single sock in a dryer, her thoughts turned again and again to him. Eventually, she sensed that she was getting closer to her destination. Her thoughts grew a bit clearer. She remembered some of the details of the human life she left behind. Slowly, the memories fell back into place, one behind another, like slides in a projector. They fell one after another within her thoughts until it felt like her life was an animated film, ticking along from one 359/564 frame to the next until it all became a cohesive story. The flickering of the memories continued until they flashed to the last frame. She stood with her hand in Gabriel’s, her last coherent thought focusing on her love for him. And then she was aware. She didn’t open her eyes immediately. Although her consciousness became aware of the fact that she had successfully made the transition between the planes, she wanted time to orient herself before she faced this new reality. The air was a bit stale, as though there hadn’t been a fresh breeze through in quite some time. There was an odor in the air that told her she wasn’t alone. It wasn’t ominous, but it was definitely unfamiliar.

That’s to be expected, she thought, and tried not to focus on the fact that the scent in the air was definitely not Gabriel’s. There wasn’t a lot of movement around her. In

fact, it seemed unnaturally still. In 360/564 contradiction to the harsh starkness she sensed in the air, however, she felt a distinct softness beneath her body, as if she lay on an expensive mattress in some five-star hotel. There was an almost sinfully soft fabric against her skin, but she knew that it wasn’t the same garb she had left behind on the human plane. After all, Ini-herit had warned them that they wouldn’t bring anything with them to the Estilorian plane. So why did she still sense the ring on her finger? With this at the forefront of her awakening Estilorian mind, she opened herself even more to her new awareness. There wasn’t much sound where she lay, she could tell that much. Not a whisper of a voice. Not a strong breeze or even an animal making itself known. She thought that was very odd when she had initially sensed the presence of a number of other living beings around her. She detected a kind of steady reverberation some distance away. Maybe a dripping noise. But she had to 361/564 acknowledge to herself that she could be interpreting the sounds on this plane incorrectly by comparing them to what

she was used to on the human plane. Still, she reasoned as she fully released her link to the human plane and settled with a nearly palpable thud into her Estilorian form, Gabriel would help her figure it all out. She was sure of it. Slowly, her eyes opened. The area she was in was dim, as if underground. She took a deep breath. And then the air around her finally stirred. The beings she had sensed suddenly moved, turning to gaze at her as if they sensed her awakening. It was then that she realized that there were no less than twenty pairs of eyes staring down at her…and not one of them was familiar. For Olivia, the transition was turbulent. Not painful, but not smooth, either. 362/564 The part of her mind that had held such strong aptitude for science and math and logic for eighteen years suddenly warred with this new side of her being that relied on absolutely none of those things. She had been given such a brief amount of time to come to some kind of terms with this part of herself. Jean had tried to teach her from the time she was old enough about things that weren’t necessarily tangible. But for Olivia, if it couldn’t be measured, weighed or proven with mathematical theorems, then she couldn’t fathom how it could be real. Until she had her first surge of power. Even then, until Ini-herit had arrived and demonstrated to her in no uncertain terms that there was far more to Olivia’s world than human math and science had led her to believe,

she had been comfortable chalking up her power surge to a medical issue. As ridiculous as it was, Olivia knew she would have reacted more rationally to a 363/564 brain cancer diagnosis than to the news that Ini-herit imparted at their first meeting. All through their travels to Alaska, Olivia questioned her sanity. Jean served as a calm point of reassurance to her, as did Aurora. In fact, it was her unexplainable mental connection with the cat that had ultimately convinced Olivia of the truth. And then, after meeting Skye and Amber, she had even more fully realized the legitimacy of her abilities. Actually, if it hadn’t been for their displays of power leading up to the clearing, Olivia wondered if her mind would have survived the transition. For as it was, the resistance of her human self to the experience was causing her to feel as though she might burst apart into a million pieces of disconnected energy. Her fear rose as the sensation of being pulled in two very different directions grew stronger. Light and color roared around her in a vortex of energy. She became disoriented. Her human 364/564 thoughts grew fragmented…confused. Where did she need to go? What was she doing here?

This way, Olaya. Through the tangle of her thoughts, she heard the voice. No louder than a whisper, but still compelling. The speaker used her Estilorian name and sounded male, but it wasn’t Ini-herit.

Follow my voice. He’s so calm, she thought. Her heartbeat slowed. The

energy around her also seemed to slow. Change its motion. Now, instead of slash-ing around her in a distorted storm, the energy started flowing in one direction. Toward the voice.

Very good. This way. She hadn’t expected to be so cognizant of every part of the transition. And yet, it now made sense to her that she would want to analyze every part of this experience. Letting go and leaving something up to the course of Fate wasn’t in her nature. She needed to know, to experience and learn from everything around her. 365/564 But she realized that didn’t mean that she couldn’t do this. She would just have to do it on her own terms. Focusing as clearly as she could, she moved in the direction that the energy flowed. It seemed to pick up speed the more that she concentrated on her goal.

Excellent. This way. You are nearly here. The unknown male’s encouragement propelled her. She could do this, she realized with gathering excitement. She didn’t have to abandon the way that she thought as a human, she just had to pull that part of her over to the other plane. That realization brought a giddying sense of relief to her, loosening her grip on rationality just long enough that she felt her energy somehow being gently but purposefully gathered up and pulled the rest of the way. And the next thing she knew, she was still. No more swirls of energy. No more confusion or disorientation. Now, clarity. She felt herself lying on her left side on a firm surface. A temperate, 366/564

fresh-scented breeze drifted over her, touching her head, arms and shoulders but not the rest of her, making her realize she was covered by something. She sensed a large and warm presence close to her face. Beyond her eyelids was light and awareness, but she was hesitant to open them.

Wake up, Olivia. This voice was female and husky. And familiar.

Aurora. Before Olivia could open her eyes to greet her feline friend, she felt an impossibly large, rough tongue rub against her cheek. Then her eyes flew open. Looking back at her only inches from her face was a large, white panther—and wasn’t that something?—with absolutely beautiful green eyes.

But how…? she wondered in amazement. The cat issued a mental chuckle. Ini-herit said that our

forms would be different on this plane. Looks like he was right. 367/564 Transitioning was an experience that Skye had anticipated with eagerness for nearly her entire life. Unlike her sisters, she had long known about and embraced the fact that she was something more than human. Even though the specifics about her nature were a mystery to most of her friends and adoptive family members, it had set her apart from them. It had made her special. But she had not anticipated the strength and control

needed to wield the latent power within her. And when it had unexpectedly surfaced, it had overwhelmed her. She would never in her life, regardless of her form, forget the suffering she had caused Gabriel. When they were in the forest, he had deliberately hung back in order to protect her from the wolves. That was instinctive for him. She knew that even after only spending a few hours with him. He would have died trying to save her. 368/564 And she had repaid him by refusing to help him get to Amber after she had accidentally yanked him from the ground with her burgeoning power. She refused even when her sister’s scream sounded around them and they had both known she needed help. Skye’s fear had simply seized her. Even the utter devastation she had read on Gabriel’s face and in his voice as he cried out for Amber hadn’t given her the courage she needed to help him. No. Only her fear for her own life when Gabriel had pulled her from the tree had prompted her to find it within herself to use her power. And she would have to live with that dark, horrible truth about herself for the rest of her life. So it was with hope that she could learn from her terrible mistake that she joined hands with her sisters, Gabriel and Ini-herit and welcomed the transition. For her, this experience was now about more than just transitioning between planes. It was about learning how to control her power and, most importantly, how to stop being 369/564 the kind of person who could turn away from someone in need just because she was afraid. She knew the moment Ini-herit made the connection with the Estilorian plane. To her, it was like a direct path of energy opened before her, leading the way. Her Estilorian self all but leaped onto the path. She chose to enjoy the

moment that she had awaited for so long, welcoming the surge of energy that drew her along, doing the equivalent of cartwheels and dancing leaps as she traveled. Although she had no sense of time, it seemed all too soon she had reached her destination. And because she was so receptive to the transition, she had no ability to prolong it. She opened her eyes in her Estilorian form, instantly aware. Directly in front of her floated a silvery, sparkly image. She recognized the figure instantly as that of Sky Tomaganuk, the tribal elder whose passing on the human plane had occurred shortly before her arrival there.

Welcome, Skylar. 370/564 The thought was far clearer in her mind than it had ever been on the human plane. His face was kind, lined with age and framed by long, flowing hair. Although he was indistinct and col-orless, she noticed his eyes were light blue.

Do not focus your energy on negative thoughts, he chided, obviously sensing the shame that flooded her.

But I have dishonored myself and our people, Qel'a . No, Skylar. You would dishonor yourself if you did not recognize your failings and work to correct them. You have been granted forgiveness by those you wronged. Now you must forgive yourself. When I’ve earned it, she vowed, and watched the image nod approvingly, shimmer and disappear from her vision. She still sensed him with her, though, and found it comforting. The weight that had settled on her chest in the forest suddenly felt much lighter…more bearable. As the last shimmering vestiges of her 371/564

guardian vanished, she tried to get a better sense of her surroundings. Hesitantly, she lifted just her head to look around. She realized she was lying on some kind of solid cloud. It looked to her like it was nothing but mist, yet she was on top of it and floating.

So cool, she thought, her eyes widening. The blanket covering her didn’t feel like any material she had ever known. It was thin and seemed to change color as the surrounding light hit it. “She is aware,” she heard, and turned her head quickly to her left. Her eyes fell on the being who had spoken.

Well…wow, was all she could think. Chapter Twenty-Two According to Ini-herit, Gabriel had transitioned between the planes at least once before. Knowing that didn’t make the process any less mystifying for him in his current form than it was for Amber and her sisters. In fact, he could admit a good amount of trepidation about the whole thing. After all, he had been given no assurances by Ini-herit. What if he got to the Estilorian plane and became a living vegetable? Stranger things had surely happened.

But he hadn’t been lying to Amber when he said that he believed they would be together on the other side. Their connection was so substantial to him that it felt like a vital part of his bio-logy now. It was simply inconceivable that he wouldn’t know her, regardless of their forms. 373/564 Still, his human nature couldn’t help but voice doubts, and he had to forcefully push them aside as he felt the flow of energy between the planes open up. His last conscious human thought was of Amber. Then his foothold on the reality he knew shifted right out from under him. He zipped rapidly along the swirling energy current, unable to catch a single, straightforward thought. Then came a disorienting, dizzying, tumbling sensation like falling head over heels again and again. Around him sounded a million faint voices clamoring at him, seemingly trying to pass along messages. But he couldn’t quite hear them, and none of them made any sense. Confusion overtook him. Images flashed like shocking pops of bright light, creating a surreal strobe effect. Centuries of Estilorian consciousness combated aggressively for dominance against less than two decades of human awareness. There was no contest. 374/564 In a vague, floating, almost disinterested way, Gabriel realized that Ini-herit had lied. The Estilorian had known that the chances were nonexistent that he would be able to return to the Estilorian plane while retaining his human sensibilities. None who had sent Gabriel over to be born a human had believed that he would succeed with his quest. But then, they hadn’t believed he would learn to love.

Amber... She became an anchor. His sword and shield. As he felt his human self falling beneath the Estilorian assault, he used what abilities he had to conjure her image. Her delightful face. Her familiar, comforting scent. The feel of her lips against his. Her laugh. Her sweet vulnerability. Her unmatched courage. Wave after wave of battling images washed over and through him, threatening to drown him. It felt like all of the Estilorians stood behind the waves. But this was about what he wanted, not 375/564 what they believed. He had Amber to keep him afloat. He refused to yield. Eventually, the sense of attack eased. The brutal haze surrounding his mind began to clear. He struggled to the point of mental exhaustion against the wealth of images and information that inundated him as he neared the end of his transition. Too much at once, he sensed, would pull him too far from where he wanted to be. With Amber. So, as he began to feel more stable, he focused on categorizing the information flooding in. Human here, Estilorian there. And as he felt himself merge completely with his Estilorian self, he realized he had been victorious. His eyes opened. Unmoving, he stared up at the creamcolored ceiling above him for a moment as he forced the noise in his head to quiet down. He imagined it would take time to merge his two consciousnesses to the point where he didn’t feel like his head was stuffed with more

information than could ever be processed. 376/564 He realized as his thoughts settled that he was in a bed. More than that…it was hi s bed. It was an odd feeling, remembering something like that, yet not quite remembering it. Almost like experiencing déjà vu. Propping himself up on his elbows, he glanced around. The large, comfortable bed had been built in the center of the spacious room. It was made of beautiful, polished dark wood, the frame an intricate design that resembled a Roman tub with a carved headboard. Several steps led down each side to an inlaid stone floor. A couple of woven mats in neutral colors decorated the floors. A single wardrobe in the same dark wood stood in a corner of the room. He didn’t note a single decoration on the creamcolored walls, nor any knickknacks. Not even a TV or radio. Man, his life must have been boring. More intriguing, though, were the floating balls of energy lighting the room. No need for lamps when you could generate your own light, he figured. He then noted the nondescript, beige-377/564 colored sheet covering him from the waist down. It didn’t appear that he was wearing anything underneath it. Although he tried to remember, he wasn’t sure if he had left the plane in this manner or if he had been placed here. It was mildly disconcerting. He quickly determined from his scan that the girls were elsewhere. He frowned. He wanted to see Amber. Finally, he sat up the rest of the way and fully faced the group of Estilorians standing a few feet from the foot of his bed watching him. He counted over twenty males, their appearances ranging in age, size and coloring. Most of

them had burnt orange eyes. Three of them were markedly different from the rest. The largest of these three males had silver eyes. Not gray, but an almost liquid, iridescent silver. He had tanned skin and long, midnight black hair tied back in a single braid. Had he been human, Gabriel might have guessed he heralded from the Middle East. He appeared to be 378/564 between twenty and twenty-five human years old and was thickly muscled, the black tank top and khaki camo pants he wore displaying a highly tuned physique and an array of silver tattoos. His expressionless eyes stayed focused on Gabriel’s every movement. Another male about the same age in appearance had short, curly, red hair and unusually dark green eyes, and stood to the far right of the group. He kept his arms crossed over his chest, but he looked more curious than forbidding. Gabriel’s human self found his outfit of a knee-length white toga and leather sandals absolutely hilarious. The third of the unique males, this one with short, wavy, white-blond hair, wore a gray tank top and navy blue pants with some kind of leather loafers or moccasins. He looked several years younger than his counterparts and stood in the center of the group, slightly in front of the others. He watched Gabriel with vivid and thoughtful dark purple eyes. 379/564 Gathering the sheet around his waist and holding it in place with his right hand, Gabriel suddenly pushed himself to the side of the bed and descended the stairs. He had expected to feel weak or sore or unable to move comfortably, like a patient awakening from a long coma. On the contrary, he felt stronger and healthier than he had when he left the

human plane.

Holy crap. I’m on another plane of existence. The errant, distinctly human thought struck him as he touched the stone floor with his bare feet and he realized that he stood taller than most of the other males, almost all of whom wore boots. Either he was taller in this form, or they were all shorter than six-two. But such an observation was hardly the main issue right now. He paused in front of the dark-haired, silver-eyed male. They were nearly on eye level. “You lied,” Gabriel said, quite pleased to hear his human southern accent in the words. “Ini-herit.” 380/564 The group started. Most of them exchanged glances with each other. Ini-herit, however, held Gabriel’s gaze without flinching. “I said what I needed to in order to get you here,” he responded. “Where’s Amber?” “You remember her?” the purple-eyed Estilorian asked. He sounded intrigued. Gabriel gave him a considering look and tentatively probed his overtaxed memories. He came back with the name Knorbis. He remembered he was the Wymzesti elder who predicted the girls’ births so many centuries ago. He answered, “Of course I remember Amber.” He glanced around at all of the males in the room. “I remember everything from the other plane.” Another round of murmurs swept through the room. Knorbis and Ini-herit exchanged a long look. Growing frustrated, Gabriel said, “Look, you obviously got into my room pretty damn quick after materializing over

here, Ini-herit, since 381/564 you’re fully dressed and everything. So bring me to Amber. Are the sisters in another bedroom?” “They are not together,” Ini-herit replied. “What do you mean? They’re in separate bedrooms?” Gabriel tried to remember more details about this dwelling that his Estilorian self called home. It was like trying to swim through molasses. “No. It was deemed unwise to keep them together. If one was found, all would be found. So they are each at three secret locations with their own contingent of Waresti, and of course, their assigned Gloresti and Orculesti. They are perfectly safe.” Blinking, Gabriel glanced around the room. A thought tingled at his awareness. “Aren’t those classes of Estilorian mostly male?” Knorbis answered, seemingly unsurprised by Gabriel’s confusion and obviously compromised memories. “The Orculesti actually contain many females. We sent a female Orculesti with each contingent.” 382/564 “Okay. And how many Waresti are with each of the girls?” Ini-herit waved his hands to either side, indicating the group in the room. “So…let me get this straight,” Gabriel said levelly, focusing on maintaining his patience. “You presently have a contingent of approximately twenty males—oh, and one female—standing guard over these three teenage, half-human females who have little to no understanding of Estilorian culture. And,” he looked down at himself, “the girls are awakening naked, in a strange place, without anyone they know nearby.” There was a very long

pause. “What in the hell are you people thinking?” he asked in a near shout when he realized he had been correct. He thought of Amber and her distrust of strangers, then magnified her anxiety by introducing the element of having no clothing and being in a new, unfamiliar place, not to mention an unfamiliar body. He could have choked someone. 383/564 “I told you so,” the red-haired, green-eyed Orculesti said. Gabriel again scanned his memories for this particular Estilorian’s identity and came back with the name Ailfrid. He remembered Ini-herit mentioning that the Orculesti as a class had the ability to send and receive thoughts to and from Estilorians on the human plane. They served as advisors. He suspected that they had a better understanding about human thought processes than most other Estilorian classes. Rather ironically, though, it appeared most of the other classes didn’t give the Orculesti much credence. He saw now that everyone in the room was giving Ailfrid irritated glances. Exhaling loudly, Gabriel reached up to rub his left hand down his face as he tried to think of what to do. When his hand reached his mouth, he felt the warm metal on his ring finger. He realized with a great deal of astonishment that he was still wearing the promise ring he had exchanged with Amber. Clamping down on the triumph and 384/564 elation that surged through him, he forced his expression to remain carefully blank and lowered his hand back to his side. Then, bringing the situation back into focus, he glared at Knorbis and Ini-herit. “I’m going to find some clothing. You need to get me to Amber immediately.”

They didn’t argue as he marched over to the wardrobe and yanked the door open. He pulled out the first full set of clothing he could find and headed into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind him. With barely a glance at the walk-in shower and enormous bathtub, he set the clothes on the marble vanity counter, dropped his sheet to the ground and walked to the toilet to relieve himself. Apparently, Estilorians still performed the same general bodily functions as humans. As he washed his hands, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror running behind the long vanity. He had kept his human eye color, he realized, and wondered at the significance of that. 385/564 His eyes had been dark blue on this plane, he remembered now. His dark brown hair was a bit longer here, but seemed to be the same texture and general waviness. The rest of his facial features weren’t that dramatically different. Zayna the Scultresti had evidently known what she was doing. There was a bit more sharpness to the planes of his face now, seeming to add a year or two to his physical age. And, he observed as he dried his hands on a white towel, he was definitely taller and more muscular than he had been as a human. “Freaking weird,” he breathed, and reached for the first item of clothing on the pile so he could get dressed. He wanted to see Amber. Knorbis looked over at Ini-herit the moment the bathroom door closed. His expression was inscrutable. “I admit to being surprised that this actually worked. His eye color has changed, of course, as has his accent. And he no longer bears 386/564 his Gloresti markings. That is all unexpected. Did you see

the ring?” Ini-herit was still staring at the closed bathroom door. “I did. It crossed the planes. I noticed that he and Ambryl each wore one as humans.” “She also wears a ring?” Knorbis gave this a moment’s consideration. “And she repelled you when you attempted to enter Gabriel’s human mind?” Ini-herit gave a brief nod. “I wonder…does this signify what I suspect it does?” “We will not know until they reunite. But it is, as you said, unexpected.” Shaking his head, Knorbis said, “If this is what it appears, this has tremendous significance to our people. There will be much to consider.” “Indeed.” Ini-herit finally looked away from the bathroom door and caught Knorbis’ gaze. “I will be interested to gain your impressions after you see the two of them together. I believe you 387/564 will find yourself reconsidering everything you ever thought you knew about human emotions.” Chapter Twenty-Three Along the far reaches of the Estilorian plane, Grolkinei sat at the head of his long, wooden dining table. As it was now night, the windows reflected the many flickering candles throughout the vast, richly-decorated room. He occasionally enjoyed the more archaic method of illumination to the balls of red light his class could create. The dining table was covered in nearly every conceivable kind of food and drink, but none of it interested him. No, what interested him was the news now being conveyed to him by Layla, the only other presence in the room. “The transitions were all successful, my lord,” she said.

389/564 He smiled darkly. “So, you successfully intercepted the thoughts of their Orculesti?” When she nodded and bit into a cracker covered in cheese, he ran his fingers along her shoulder in approval. “I knew you could do it. Predicting that they would ultimately inform the elders of the news made it easy enough to focus your energies on the interception. Even their best masking talents cannot prevent overhead thoughts if the target of them is known. And they are clearly outside the protections of their main base. Foolish idiots.” Layla sipped her wine and gave him an amused glance over her glass. “I appreciate your confidence in my talents, my lord.” “Did they give any indication where the sisters are being kept?” “No.” Now her red eyes glittered angrily, her mood changing in a blink. She put her glass down hard enough to slosh its red contents over the edge. “They were frustratingly vague and brief in their messages. From what I could 390/564 determine, it does not even seem as though they are all being kept at the same location.” He considered this for a moment. Then, with a negligent wave, he sat back in his chair with his elbows pressed on the chair’s arms and steepled his fingertips together. “Not to worry, my sweet. You can continue to monitor their thoughts for me. I have every confidence that we will find them. After all, the world is only so big.” It took all Amber had not to scream like a girl when she opened her eyes to find nearly twenty sets of eyes staring unblinking back at her, but she managed it. Her heart was thundering so hard that she saw the sheet covering her chest vibrating.

Gabriel? she thought. She realized immediately that the

thought hadn’t been received. It seemed to echo back to her in her head. Unwilling to give up, she ventured aloud, “Gabriel?” There was murmuring. 391/564 “See? She remembers,” said one of the males standing at the foot of her bed. He had an unusual accent. To Amber’s un-trained ear, it sounded like a variation of maybe a South African dialect. He had sunny blond hair, dark blue eyes and the build of a dedicated NFL quarterback. His clothing was old-fashioned, a flowing, white shirt with laces rather than buttons, worn loose around the neck with rolled up sleeves, paired with conforming black pants and knee-high, black leather boots. He moved around to the right side of the bed, pushing aside several of the even more muscular males who surrounded her. Instinctively keeping her left hand beneath the sheet and out of sight, Amber reached up with her right hand to hold the sheet closer to her neck and moved to sit up, only to find her head pinned. Alarmed, she reached for the back of her head, accidentally releasing the sheet in her haste to find out why she was bound. The sheet slipped precariously to her waist and she reached to grab 392/564 it back, a hot flush burning her cheeks. She silently cursed Ini-herit for not warning her about this. The vicious pounding of her heart continued unchecked. Seeing no way around it, she lifted her left hand to the back of her head while her right held the sheet. She realized her hair was the reason she was pinned. It was unbound and much, much longer than she had ever worn it. With a shift of her body and a tug, she was able to loosen the hair pinned beneath her enough that she could slowly shift into a sitting

position. Her wary gaze settled on the blond male, who had stopped near the head of the bed. “Hello. I am Simon,” he said. “I am the Gloresti who was assigned to watch over your Estilorian form. I helped you make the transition between the planes.” Okay, that made a little sense. Amber nodded to indicate she understood. A quick sweep of her gaze around the room told her that all of the other 393/564 Estilorians were also males. They all had weird, burnt orange eyes. Her heart sank. “Where’s Gabriel?” “Archigos Gabriel transitioned quite a distance from here,” Simon explained. He had a friendly face and warm voice. That didn’t make her feel any more cordial toward him.

Archigos? she thought as she said, “I want to see him.” Exchanging looks with several of the males standing around her, he said, “Do not worry. You will. And your sisters, as well.” Amber frowned. She certainly didn’t know her sisters well, but they were more known to her than this group of strangers. “They’re not here, either?” “No. The Elphresti figured you would be safer apart. Only those of us in this chamber know your exact location.” Somehow, that didn’t ease her anxiety in the least. And she suddenly realized with a tremendous amount of embarrassment that she really 394/564 needed to pee. After glancing around and seeing that they were in some kind of underground cavern, she couldn’t even imagine what kind of bathroom facilities they might have. Did Estilorians even urinate? What if they didn’t? How would she possibly explain that to these guys? Her mortification seemed to know no bounds.

“The elders thought it best to assign you and your sisters each a young Gloresti,” Simon continued, “so we can relate to you better. I have only been on this plane for ninety-seven years. But I did pretty well bringing you over, did I not?” She could hardly argue that. She was sitting there, wasn’t she? She gave a reluctant nod for lack of knowing what else to do. “And I will be an excellent guardian for you. I pledge my life on that.” Her eyebrows lifted over the declaration. She wasn’t about to ask anyone—especially someone she didn’t know—to lay their life on the line for 395/564 her. But before she could say anything about that, Simon started leaning toward her. Panic flared. “Our Orculesti explained that humans hug and sometimes kiss as signs of friendship and affection for each other,” he said, reaching for her. “I would like to welcome you.” Amber scrambled back and away from him, her heart somehow soaring to an even greater speed. It was a wonder it didn’t just blow up in her chest. She backed right into one of the other males on the other side of the bed. Jerking away from him, she ended up in a tight, sitting ball, pressed against the headboard with the sheet grasped to her chest with both hands. It was a hard struggle not to start hyperventilating. Simon, noting her reaction, once again stood tall. He looked puzzled. “Humans do not hug and kiss as signs of welcome?” Swallowing hard to control her reaction, Amber answered

through a clamped jaw, “I can only say that this human doesn’t.” And—did she mention?—she wanted to see Gabriel. 396/564 “Ah.” Simon nodded, then gave her another winning smile. She was beginning to hate that smile. “Well, would you like me to show you around?” “I want to see Gabriel,” she repeated, not caring if she sounded ungrateful. She could feel herself beginning to shake, a delayed reaction to the panic Simon had caused her. But she refused to come apart in front of this group of males who appeared to be soldiers of some kind. She guessed maybe they were the Waresti Ini-herit had mentioned. “Simon,” came a female voice, “for all holy sake, give the girl some breathing room. Can you not see she is uncomfortable?” A couple of the males beside Simon shifted, allowing the speaker to approach the bed. Amber noticed that Simon didn’t look away from her, even at the newcomer’s approach, and found his unwavering stare unsettling. Maybe his focus was due to him being her Gloresti, she thought. 397/564 To avoid looking at him, she turned her attention to the female. Appearing to be around Amber’s age, she stood nearly a head shorter than the males around her, but commanded all of the attention in the room. Her hair was long, straight and as black as a moonless night. A silver circlet rested on her head, a dark red jewel in the shape of a tear hanging from the headwear over her forehead. In contrast to her dark hair, her skin was pale and luminous. Her eyes were a darker green than Amber could ever remember seeing on

a human. Small, coordinating green markings—some kind of hieroglyphs, Amber thought—decorated the outside edges of her eyes, giving her even more allure. The round curves of her body were perfectly displayed in a ruby-colored bustier and a flowing, light pink skirt made of many thin sheets of fabric. Amber guessed that when she moved, the fluttering panels swept aside to reveal her legs. Large silver hoops swung from her ears and numerous bracelets lined both of her wrists 398/564 She looked like she had just stepped off the set of Lawrence of Arabia. “I am Kanika,” she said in a lightly accented voice that spoke of ancient ruins and hot desert nights. “The Elphresti assigned me as the Orculesti to be present when you transitioned.” She gave a rueful smile. “It appears I managed to excuse myself at the worst possible time. Please forgive me.” When Amber didn’t reply, Kanika turned to Simon. “I will take her to the spring.” Simon nodded. “Are you hungry?” he asked Amber. She shook her head. Although she probably should have been ravenous, all she could think about was her painfully full bladder. “Very well,” Kanika said with a cordial nod. “Please come with me, Ambryl.” Edging carefully toward the side of the bed while keeping the sheet around her, Amber glared at the Waresti blocking her path until he moved aside. When she got to the side, she realized that she was on a mattress supported by a 399/564 stone altar. It looked like a fairly significant jump to the ground without any stairs. “May I assist you?” Simon asked.

Since he didn’t just grab her without asking and he was, after all, supposed to be dedicated to her safety, Amber gave a short nod. He reached under her legs, braced her back and swept her easily to the floor. She was rigid with tension as her feet touched the ground. “Thanks,” she mumbled, clutching the sheet around her as tightly as her grip would allow. Kanika started wordlessly in the direction of a tunnel, so Amber swiftly moved to follow. The sheet made walking an ungraceful experience, but she wasn’t about to shed it and go without, especially since she could sense the eyes of all of the males in the room watching them walk away. Her gaze swept their surroundings as they walked. The cave was made out of an unusual, glittering type of stone in a rosy brown color. There appeared to be a series of tunnels leading off from the main chamber they had left behind. 400/564 Glowing balls of energy floated up near the high, craggy ceiling, lighting the way. She almost tripped after staring up at them for a long minute and wondering how they got up there. It wasn’t long before they entered a chamber that made her forget all about the lights. It was circular on the left side but flattened out on the right. The stone appeared to have been specially carved on the rounded half of the room, as it surrounded a swirling, bubbling pool of water. Holes on either side of the pool allowed the water to flow through, a perpetual spring. An arrangement of colored glass bottles sat on a flat-topped rock on the edge of the pool, and a series of carved stairs led down into the water. On the flat side of the room was a wall-length mirror over a

stone vanity. It appeared, due to the nozzles over the single basin, that it was an operating sink. Immediately to Amber’s right as she entered the chamber, enclosed in a small stone niche, was a sight that warmed her troubled heart. 401/564 “Please feel free to make use of the facilities,” Kanika said lightly. “I will be over here when you are done to assist you with your bath.” Without bothering to comment on the whole bathing part of the statement, Amber hurried over to the toilet. There was no door, but Kanika had walked out of sight, so Amber dropped her sheet and grabbed her hair to pull it out of her way. It fell nearly long enough to brush the backs of her thighs and felt heavy and cumbersome. The earli-est opportunity she had, she was taking a pair of scissors to it. As she emerged from the toilet niche once again wrapped in the sheet and started to walk over to the sink, Kanika moved forward. “You may wash your hands, along with the rest of you, in the pool. I will assist you. I think it would be enjoyable for you to wait to see your new form until after we get you ready for the Becoming ceremony.”

Becoming ceremony? Curse Ini-herit and his lack of detail! 402/564 Flushing uncomfortably, Amber said, “Thanks, but I don’t need any help.” Kanika’s dark brows lifted. “But the anointed bath is a part of our welcome to

you, as is the adornment of your custom-designed clothing afterward. We have been preparing for your arrival for more than eighteen years.” Sweeping her hands in the direction of the pool, she said, “All of the oils and cleansers have been specially crafted for you, as were the clothes and decorations you will wear. It is our honor to welcome you.” An image of Mrs. B flashed through Amber’s mind. Don’t

ever turn down gracious hospitality, child. Sighing, she nodded in surrender.

Chapter Twenty-Four Amber was more than a bit relieved when Kanika added the contents from one of the colored glass bottles to the pool and golden, bubbling foam covered the entire surface. When the Orculesti told her to get into the water, Amber removed the sheet and all but jumped in before the other female could see anything. Perhaps her modesty was a bit ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. Kanika seemed to catch on to the fact that Amber wasn’t entirely comfortable with her nud-ity…or, in point of fact, the entire situation. So she remained clothed on the edge of the pool, dangling only her bare feet and calves in the water, and had Amber situate herself near the edge where she could reach her to wash her hair. 404/564 “You really have nothing to be shy about,” Kanika said as she selected a bottle from her collection and leaned forward to gather Amber’s hair for washing. “Things are different on the human plane,” Amber responded. “Especially for females.” “Ah, yes. I have gotten that sense. Some humans are very peculiar about such things.” Not knowing what to say to that, Amber merely shrugged. Kanika expertly gathered her hair

and applied the contents of her selected bottle, gently massaging it into her scalp and all the way to the ends of each strand. Amber felt herself relaxing a bit. The scents floating around her were somewhat familiar. Was that lemon oil? It made her think fondly of her home in Newnan. “We are very impressed that you successfully made the transition,” Kanika said as she worked. “It is supposed to be a very difficult process, especially without any training.” “Mmm.” Amber closed her eyes and slowly reopened them. Something in the water was 405/564 proving so relaxing that she stopped paddling to keep herself buried under the water. Instead, she floated, limbs loose, as Kanika finished cleansing her hair. “There are those who did not think that half-humans would be strong enough for the transition,” Kanika continued, her tone soft and soothing. “Will they not be surprised?” “They shouldn’t be,” Amber found herself saying, her speech slower than usual. “Humans are stronger than you give us credit for.” “Ah, but you are not entirely human, are you?” Kanika pointed out. “We must rinse your hair.” They spent some time in silence completing that task. Then Kanika added the contents of another bottle to her hair, insisting that it would add sheen and conditioning. So tranquil that she couldn’t argue, she just let Kanika take care of it. After a while, Kanika broke the silence by saying, “Once you are dressed in your ceremonial garb, we will take you to the destination revealed 406/564

by the Elphresti elder, Jabari, to Simon once you transitioned so that you can meet again with your sisters.” “And Gabriel?” Amber asked. She wondered why her voice sounded a bit slurred. “Oh, well, that I cannot say,” Kanika replied with a shrug in her voice. “Why?” Amber struggled to regain some focus. The conversation had taken a disturbing turn. “Well, it depends, of course, upon how archigos Gabriel fared during the transition.” Kanika started rinsing the last combination of solutions from Amber’s hair. “There is a high possibility he will be in no mental condition right now to participate in the ceremony. It might take time for him to reorient himself to our plane. And no one believes that he will come through remembering anything of his human experience, so he might not understand the significance of the ceremony in time to attend.” 407/564 Alarmed, Amber’s eyes widened. She started paddling again, her mind sharpening at this news. Was that why she couldn’t hear him in her thoughts anymore? “What do you mean? Ini-herit said there was at least a fifty-percent chance that he would—” Kanika interrupted with a humorless snort. “Fifty percent? The Corgloresti elder was lying.” All sense of relaxation abandoned her. Amber sat, taut as a bowstring, as Kanika finished her work on her hair. Her mind tumbling from one thought to another, she accepted the washcloth that Kanika handed her with the contents of the next bottle all over it. She numbly used it to wash herself as she considered the exotic Orculesti’s words.

Had her worst fears come true? Was Gabriel somewhere right then with absolutely no memory of her? No memory of their love for each other? The bitter sting of tears hit her behind the eyes and she fought to keep them back. She had joked with Gabriel about making him fall in love 408/564 with her again on this plane if he forgot her, but what if she couldn’t? What if he was incapable of experiencing that level of emotion, as Ini-herit expressed was the case for older Estilorians? Or worse, what if he was entirely different and didn’t like her at all? Would her heart be able to withstand that rejection? She took a deep, calming breath. Despite Kanika’s concerning words, she felt pretty confident that she would sense it if Gabriel was gone from her in more than just a geographic sense. And she was still wearing the ring he had given her. That had to have some significance, didn’t it? On top of that, since he was the first of his kind to have ever attempted this, then there had to be at least a fifty-fifty chance of it succeeding. Although she absolutely hated math, Gabriel had forced her to learn at least enough that this thought calmed her back down. “I think you will like the ceremonial garb that our most talented Lekwuesti have created for 409/564 you,” Kanika said conversationally. “They have been working on it for years.” “Years?” Amber couldn’t contain her surprise. “How could they possibly know what size I would be when I transitioned?”

“Hmm. How do I explain? You see, the essence of your Estilorian form has been fully matured for some time. Although we did not know the exact final details that your physical shape would assume, we knew enough to determine measurements for tailoring.” “Wait a minute. What do you mean, ‘fully matured?’” “I mean, your Estilorian form is…how do you say it? In its adult stage. You will not change from what you see in the mirror today.” Amber nearly dropped the cloth in her hands. She was sure her jaw was hanging open. “Ever?” “That is correct.” “But we’re only eighteen!” “In your human age, yes. But Estilorians never change from the form they assume when they 410/564 transition. You will find that most of us are very young in appearance. We have come to believe that when they transition, human souls assume a shape that to them represents the most vital age at the time of their human existence. Thus, many of our oldest Estilorians are the most youthful in appearance, because life expectancy was much lower thousands of years ago. We were not sure what would happen with you and your sisters due to your halfhuman natures, but when your forms on this plane grew at such a rapid pace and then stabilized for a number of years, we realized what had happened. Regardless of what age you think you are due to your human upbringing, you are fully mature on this plane.” Amber handed the washcloth back. “So, we can live as long as any other Estilorian?” “Well, that remains to be seen, does it not?” Unable to argue, she ascended the steps and allowed Kanika to wrap her in the soft towel she held out for her. They were silent as Amber dried herself. Kanika directed her over to a tall, flat 411/564

stone beside the pool, out of range of the mirror, so that she could begin brushing her hair. “Please, can you get some scissors—hell, a knife—and cut some of this off?” Amber implored. Kanika clucked her tongue. “We must not change a thing about you until after the Becoming ceremony. That would not be tolerated.” Rolling her eyes, Amber relented. It took a tremendous amount of time to get her hair combed, so much so that it was dry enough for Kanika to style when she was finished combing it. She sang softly as she worked, which helped distract Amber from freaking out about Gabriel. It also made her very much miss her guitars. Did they even have instruments here? When Kanika finished styling her hair, she went to work on Amber’s makeup. She wouldn’t accept any argument, once again citing the up-coming ceremony. “You do not understand,” she said as she applied color to Amber’s eyelids. “You and your 412/564 sisters are a heralded presence on our plane. I know you are aware that not all of us think of you as a blessing, but many of us do. On this plane, a male can look at a female with appreciation for her form, but not truly understand why. The depth of true passion—and all other strong emotions— is missing, especially among the elder males.” Amber thought of Gabriel and simply couldn’t reconcile what Kanika was saying with the young man she loved. “It is our hope that you will introduce new blood to our people. And, in doing so, help those of us who most need it to remember those emotions.”

Before Amber could analyze that thought, Kanika sat back, studied her work and then nodded. “I will get the ceremonial garb.” The “ceremonial garb” was little enough material that Kanika brought it back in one hand, and Amber’s eyes widened. “Uh, just how many 413/564 Estilorians are expected to attend this ceremony?” “Oh, do not worry about that,” Kanika said with a wave of her hand. “The important thing for you to know is that this is ceremonial. The makers of these garments wanted to display at the Becoming ceremony what they considered your finest attributes.” Unconvinced, Amber reached out to see just how little fabric was in the other female’s hands. Before she made contact with the clothing, Kanika grabbed her hand. Her eyes flashed in a way that had Amber blinking in confusion. “How is it you still wear this ring?” she demanded. Amber snatched her hand back, surprised and uncomfortable with Kanika’s reaction. At first she wondered how the Orculesti knew about the ring at all. Then she remembered the Big Brother monitoring methods Ini-herit had described and realized Kanika must have mentally viewed the vow exchange. She didn’t see a reason to

respond 414/564 to Kanika’s outburst, though, and just stared at her in silence. It was, quite frankly, none of the other female’s business. After a moment, Kanika’s gaze again grew calm. She gave Amber a small smile. “How interesting. Well, let us get you ready, shall we?” The Gloresti standing behind you right

now is James. He worked very hard to bring both of us over to this plane, Aurora thought to Olivia. Beside him is the Waresti second commander, Alexius. He is the larger of the two. With a mental nod, Olivia held the sheet to her chest and rolled so that she could see the Estilorians Aurora referred to. “Hello, James and Alexius,” she said, giving them each thankful smiles. Alexius tilted his head, but said nothing. She was surprised to note how young he looked. No more than twenty human years old, if she had to guess. He stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His burnt orange eyes were quite 415/564 intense. She noticed that his daunting muscles were covered in orange markings and wondered at their significance. His dark hair was worn close to his scalp. His expression was unreadable, making him even more intimidating. Her smile faltered. James was quite handsome, she realized as she shifted her gaze, and he also looked no more than a couple years older than her. His straight hair, worn in a kind of choppy cut around his face, was that just in-between shade between brown and blond. He wore it long enough in the back to brush the neckline of the maroon tank top he wore. His eyes were the blue of dark, ripe ber-ries, and studied her with obvious curiosity. He seemed to be processing the

fact that she knew their names. “Hello, Olaya,” he responded in a melodious voice. He attempted to return her smile, but it looked like an unfamiliar action. Finding his behavior humorous, she sat up, using one hand to hold the fabric that had been 416/564 covering her in place and the other to reach out and pet Aurora’s head. Looking behind her, she noted the long length of her hair and raised an eyebrow. But then, she imagined there were many things about her transition that would surprise her. The biggest surprise of all to her was that she had made it across. And she knew that she owed that entirely to James. Turning back around, she said, “Thank you for all of your efforts to bring us across. I know words aren’t enough—” He blinked in apparent surprise and interrupted her. “But that was my duty,” he said, as if that explained why he had gone to so much effort. For some reason, that just increased her humor. “I’m sure it was. And you’re excellent at your job. But that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for it.” He didn’t seem to know what to say about that. He tilted his head slightly in consideration and then said, “Your assigned Orculesti is second 417/564 commander Dalila. She will prepare you for the Becoming ceremony.” “Oh. Okay.” For another long moment, he just stood there staring at her. Then he turned and walked away. After taking his own turn to study her in silence, Alexius

followed him. Aurora gave a mental chuckle. Of all of the males here to

see to your protection, they are the only two who stood by you until you awoke. I think I frightened the rest away. Really? Olivia gave that some thought. I think I like them, Aurora thought. I do, too. The male Estilorian who stood in front of Skye when she became aware was rather exotic in appearance. His skin color was somewhere between tan and very tan. His long, dark brown hair was a series of soft curls that he had tied back into a ponytail with three separate loops around it. But his most compelling feature, his 418/564 almond-shaped, dark blue eyes, drew Skye’s full attention. She thought she could have gazed into those eyes until the world came to an end. “Get up,” he said. The smile that had formed over her thoughts of him suddenly froze. “Excuse me?” “I said, ‘Get up.’” Unused to such rudeness, Skye wasn’t sure how to react. So she sat up. The Estilorian’s gaze shifted down and then back up, over her shoulder. “Cover yourself.” Sighing, she did as he instructed. “I am Caleb,” he said, “the Gloresti who watched over your Estilorian form and assisted in bringing you to this plane. Behind me are the Waresti who have stood in protection of you since your birth. Together with your assigned Orculesti,

archigos Malukali, we will prepare you for the Becoming ceremony.” “Well, isn’t that something?” Skye responded tartly, deciding she didn’t at all like Caleb’s tone. 419/564 “I’m Skye Tomaganuk, and I’m here to save your entire people. So…how about that?” Chapter Twenty-Five “Okay. Take a look.” Amber gave herself a mental pep talk before she stepped in front of the mirror. She once again thought of the analogy of Alice and the looking glass. Just too appropriate. Then she took two steps to her left and looked. It was like meeting a stranger. This stranger was spectacularly beautiful. She had brown hair filled with luminous blonde and red highlights. The rich mass of that hair had been woven into an intricate plait and wound into a fancy bun of sorts at the crown of her head, leaving just a few loose tendrils curling along the sides of her face. Sparkling gold threads had been worked into the braid and glimmered in the light. Expertly applied makeup enhanced long-lashed eyes the 421/564 deep gold color of newly-minted coins. The contrast between her dark hair and light eyes was striking, especially with the added effect of the cosmetics. Amber realized that she had, indeed, managed to inherit Olivia’s finely arched eyebrows and the shape of her forehead, and the thought brought a smile to her face. Where had the dimple in her left cheek come from? she wondered when she saw it. She noticed that her mouth still looked much as it had…full, heart-shaped lips that were

presently colored with a soft shade of lipstick. Would her sisters also have this mouth? Would they have the same defined cheekbones and delicate jaw line? The same slender neck? Her skin was golden tan, more like Skye’s human skin color had been than her rather pasty white. The definition in her shoulders and biceps was notably improved in her current form. She looked more like she lifted weights daily than just a few days a week, as she had back in Newnan. As her gaze moved over her chest—which 422/564 had gotten a bit fuller, as well—she realized that her abdomen could have been featured in any Sports Illustrated magazine. Even her long legs were seriously toned and pretty fabulous. Holy cow—she was cut! She guessed that was why her ceremonial garb designers had chosen not to cover much of her up. Around her neck was a flexible hoop made out of hammered gold. The hoop scooped down to just below the start of her breastbone. Around the hoop was what Kanika had described as specially-designed armor. It felt just like a slick, fluid fabric, but it would apparently stop any weapon. Amber certainly hoped it wouldn’t be put to any tests. Because it was meant to be ceremonial and not functional, the iridescent black fabric only covered her from the middle of her breastbone to the bottom of it. The only back to the top was a thin strap of the odd black material that crossed beneath her shoulder blades to connect it on either side. Dangling all along the bottom of the material from just beneath her 423/564 breasts to just above her navel were varying lengths of delicate strands of gold that reflected the light when she moved. A second, wider version of the flexible gold hoop sat low on

her hips, beneath her navel. Hanging from this hoop was a skirt of the same clinging black armor that covered just enough of her to be considered decent, falling not even to mid-thigh. Black and gold sandals covered her feet, the thin straps starting from her ankles and wrapping around her legs to just a couple of inches below where the skirt ended on her thighs. The only other adornments she had been given were thin gold coils tipped with black gems that wrapped around each of her biceps. She looked like she would wipe the map of her enemies and take names later. She could only assume that was what the designers had been going for. It was rather overwhelming. Suddenly, it occurred to her that she had been just standing there gawking for several minutes. 424/564 She watched her cheeks turn pink. How embarrassing. “So…what makeup did you use to do these?” she asked Kanika finally, pointing to three star-burst designs that appeared to be painted in gold along the outer ridge of each eye, one at the end of each eyebrow, one at the edge of each eye and one at the top of each cheekbone, all evenly spaced. They served as remarkably feminine enhancements to her already highlighted eyes. Since Kanika also had them, she figured they must be an Estilorian trend of some kind. Kanika raised an eyebrow. “Those are not cosmetics. They are part of you.” “What? Seriously?”

Now Amber moved closer to the mirror. She reached up to touch them on her face. How were they able to glimmer like that if they weren’t painted? Too weird. Then she turned slightly and looked again at her back. “So, these long, dark gold lines, um, crescents, tattooed along each of my shoulder blades. These are permanent, too?” 425/564 “Well, of course they are. We all have them. Did archigos Ini-herit not tell you? “They are for your wings.” Amber wasn’t sure just how many more changes and surprises she would be able to process. Wings? She would be able to fly? Oh, not until after the Becoming ceremony since her “powers” weren’t fully activated until she and her sisters connected. But, yeah. She would be able to fly. Kanika led her back to the chamber she had arrived in, explaining that all Estilorians could fly, that their wings matched their eye color and identified them as belonging to a certain class, and that a few of them had certain powers in addition to those inherent to their classes. The elders had forbidden any of those caring for the girls after their transition from using any powers until after the Becoming ceremony. They felt it would be too much at once. Amber personally felt that she had accepted enough of what was happening 426/564 to her that she was about to walk into a room full of strange Estilorian males wearing the most revealing outfit she had ever worn. Somehow, seeing someone exhibit power just paled in comparison. “What’s your power?” Amber asked in an effort to turn her attention from the approaching chamber and the males it

contained. “Well, as an Orculesti, I can read and send thoughts.” “Oh. Right.” She blinked at that. “You can read my mind?” A frown appeared between Kanika’s eyes. “No.” Relief flooded through her. She remembered Ini-herit saying that the mental connection had been disrupted when she and Gabriel exchanged their rings, and guessed that might have something to do with Kanika’s puzzlement. “Okay. What else?” 427/564 “I can retrieve objects using my mind. Just sort of picture them and make them appear. Not overly large things, mind you.” “That’s probably pretty handy.” Amber said. Even she could hear the nervousness in her voice. She shut up. Within a matter of a couple minutes, they reached the chamber. Kanika swept into the room first with Amber trailing reluctantly behind. Kanika clapped her hands loudly, gaining the attention of everyone milling around. Amber truly wished she hadn’t when all eyes turned to her. “Ambryl is ready,” Kanika announced, as though it wasn’t incredibly obvious. Simon stepped forward, his eyes wider than they had been and moving rather rapidly up and down as he absorbed her

appearance. It made Amber highly uncomfortable. When he started to reach for her, she frowned and crossed her arms forbiddingly, standing her ground. He wisely backed up a step and instead gave her one of his smiles. 428/564 “You will be traveling with me to the ceremony location,” he explained. His expression had smoothed into sheepishness. “I promise to keep you from harm.” She relaxed slightly, as she had figured she would have to be transported somehow without having the ability to fly herself. And if it brought her to Gabriel, she would have traveled by camelback through a sandstorm with demons at her heels. She could do this. Inclining her head, she lowered her arms. “Fine.” She looked around the chamber at the Waresti who simply stood and stared. With another flash of Mrs. B entering her mind, she decided that being among a group of people for any length of time without receiving introductions was unacceptable, regardless of her discomfort with social situations. She walked closer to the Waresti who stood in front of the others. His blond hair was quite short, giving him the appearance of an ancient Roman. If the muscles 429/564 revealed by his rust-colored tank top and tight khakicolored pants were any indication, he could bend solid steel into a ball and kick it to Kansas. Those muscles were liberally covered in burnt orange tattoos of some kind. His skin was dark enough to indicate a good amount of time spent in the sun. As she got closer, she realized the top of her head didn’t even reach this giant’s shoulders. Holding out her hand, she said, “I’m Amber.

I’m assuming you’re some kind of Waresti team leader?” Taking the hint, he reached out and clasped her hand in a surprisingly friendly shake considering his lack of expression. “I am Harold. Commander of the Waresti class.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Harold.” She focused on his face and repeated his name to herself to memorize it. Then she turned to the Waresti behind him. This one had long blond hair and wore a green tank with brown pants. He stood only an inch or so shorter than Harold. 430/564 “I am Donald,” he said, following Harold’s lead and stepping forward to grasp her hand. Obviously realizing what she wanted, the rest of the Waresti came forward to introduce themselves. Amber focused intently on each name as it was said, as well as some distinguishing feature of each of them. She was intrigued that they were a mix of all races and nationalities, but, as Kanika had indicated, they were all under forty human years in appearance. Probably due to their class, they were all huge and heavily muscled. She had to wonder what the Estilorians faced every day that they needed warriors of this kind. Just one more thing she had to learn. After the last introduction was made, she stepped back enough that she could see all of them. “Okay. Let me make sure that I have this down.” And she quickly ran through everyone’s names again, making eye contact with each of them as she said their name, not moving on until they nodded at her to confirm that she was correct. 431/564

“Thank you. It eases my mind to know everyone who is apparently placing their lives on the line just to get me to this ceremony. I want you to know that I appreciate it, even if you just see this as another duty.” She smiled then, more at ease. “And I’ll do what I can to keep us out of trouble.” Harold actually smiled then. She suspected it was something he didn’t do often, especially when it quickly faltered and he looked confused. Laughing and suddenly eager to depart, Amber turned to Simon, who stood patiently behind her. “Thanks for waiting so I could do that, Simon. I’m ready now. Let’s get to the ceremony.” Amber was mildly surprised to see it was early night when they departed the cavern. The Estilorians didn’t prepare to fly until they ventured outside. She had never seen anything as magnificent as their glowing, ethereallooking wings. 432/564 Kanika’s segmented wings glowed dark green and had rounded edges, larger on the top and smaller on the bottom with slightly scalloped edges, like a butterfly. The wings of the Waresti, on the other hand, were not segmented and came to points at the tips. They looked like they were comprised of roaring orange flames, flickering at the tips. She wanted to get closer to them just to see if they radiated the heat that they appeared to. Simon’s wings were also solid rather than segmented. They glowed a cool, midnight blue. With a slight bend in the tops as well as the bottoms, they resembled the wings of a bird. The energy that created the colored wings pulsed within them in mesmerizing swirls. Simon settled Amber in front of him so she wouldn’t hinder his wings. With a harness designed for this purpose, she

was soon safely strapped with her back to his front. Then they were airborne. It was a totally exhilarating experience. She pushed aside the fact that she was pressed rather 433/564 intimately against a strange being. She focused instead on the rush of the wind as they soared. Lights twinkled from the dark landscape streak-ing beneath them. They watched the sun rise over an ocean. She had no idea which one it was. She had never seen the ocean up close before. Its vastness both terrified and awed her. They stopped a few times to rest. It puzzled Amber that she wasn’t hungry or thirsty when she had been in her new form for more than a day. Simon explained that Estilorians required less sustenance than humans because their metabolisms were so vastly different. Amber wondered if she would ever learn everything there was to know about this other side of herself. Finally, when the sun had again set and stars filled the sky, they reached their destination. She realized with some shock that they were approaching an ancient-looking coliseum. Because it was isolated and surrounded by darkness, she reasoned that it wasn’t the most famous one. She 434/564 still figured they were probably in Europe somewhere. How crazy was that? As they made their descent, she searched the crowd for Gabriel. She noted that her sisters were already there, but didn’t see any sign of him. She tried not to let that send her into a panic, but it was a hard thing. “Amber!” Skye cried happily with a vigorous wave. The youngest sister was standing with one imposing-looking Gloresti behind her, about fifty feet from Olivia, who stood in the middle of the coliseum with her own Gloresti and

Aurora. Amber’s eyebrows winged up over the cat’s new size. Simon touched the ground gently, fifty feet on the other side of Olivia. As he unstrapped the harness, he said, “You must remain here with me until the ceremony commences.” She understood, so gave him a brief nod. When he continued to stand right next to her after removing the harness, she took a deliberate step forward, away from him. He continued to make 435/564 her uncomfortable, but she was now easily able to dismiss him from her thoughts. She wanted only to see Gabriel at last. Nothing else mattered.

Chapter Twenty-Six Gabriel hadn’t realized how long it would take to travel from his home to the site arranged by the Elphresti for the Becoming ceremony. Even the totally awesome thrill of flying didn’t make the time pass more quickly. He wished that he could still hear Amber in his thoughts. The broken connection worried him. Was it just a natural result of the transition? Or had something gone wrong to consciousness? He had no way to communication between the groups of protecting the girls was deemed unsafe. And didn’t want to compromise her safety.

affect her know, as Estilorians he certainly

Ini-herit and Knorbis had explained a bit about how the ceremony would proceed. All of the eldest and most trusted of each class of 437/564

Estilorian would attend—except, of course, the Mercesti. Also in attendance would be the contingents assigned to each of the sisters. The ceremony would be led by the Elphresti elder, Jabari. Once the ceremony was complete and the sisters had Become, the elders would meet separately to discuss what should be done with the girls to prepare them for life on the Estilorian plane. Gabriel was deeply relieved that he would be among those making that decision. He didn’t want to lose Amber again. At long last, their destination came into sight. His heart rate accelerated in anticipation. As he grew closer, he noted the numerous balls of energy in the sky above the coliseum, bathing everything in soft light. The seats surrounding the center of the stadium were nearly half-filled with those Estilorians who had been honored with an invitation to attend the exclusive ceremony. His gaze moved to the six figures slowly growing larger in his sight standing in the middle of the coliseum. Even from this distance, he 438/564 recognized Amber. She stood with her arms crossed and her legs braced apart as if preparing for battle. Her head turned in his direction the moment he identified her. He wondered if she could see the glow of his wings and the many pairs of wings behind him. When she uncrossed her arms and kept her attention focused on him, he knew she could. As he got closer, he was able to make out more details about her new form. He was glad that there wasn’t anybody near enough to see his reaction. He was simply staggered. Words completely escaped him. Emotion rushed through him. Ini-herit and Knorbis had warned him that he wasn’t allowed

to enter the center of the coliseum. They had told him that he would have a space reserved at the forefront of the Gloresti section in the seats, as the eldest representative of his class. Suddenly, that didn’t seem acceptable. As if they sensed this change in his complacency, Ini-herit and Knorbis soared ahead, serving to 439/564 block him from maneuvering wherever he wanted to within the venue. Frustrated, he allowed himself to be led to the section reserved for the Gloresti. He landed lightly as the Estilorians who had traveled with him did the same in their assigned locations. The Gloresti sitting behind him greeted him by rising and bowing as a group with their right arms crossed over their chests. He bowed in return. Wings winked out of existence around the stadium and a hush fell as everyone realized the ceremony was about to begin. He remained standing, as did the other elders of each class. He focused on Amber. She stared back at him, her magnificent eyes filled with hope, worry and undeniable love. He tried to reach out to her with his mind to reassure her, only to have his thoughts echo back to him. How could he communicate what he wanted to share with her without shouting to her across the stadium? Then his lips curved into a grin. He held his hands up in the shape of a letter A. 440/564 The smile that lit her face made his chest ache with its joy. She laughed, the delighted sound bouncing through the silence. Then she started to move toward him. The Gloresti behind her reached out to stop her, his hands gripping her upper arms.

A sharp and unexpected burst of energy rushed through Gabriel as his eyes shifted to the male who touched Amber. Had Gabriel been human, he might have mistaken the sensation for some kind of overriding jealousy. But his Estilorian self recognized the energy surge for what it really was. It was the urge to protect an Estilorian to whom he had been paired. But that was impossible. Only one Gloresti could ever pair with a transitioned soul. The bond was meant to be personal and binding to ensure the Gloresti never lost the desire to serve the role of guardian. The Gloresti now holding Amber in place should be the one experiencing this, not Gabriel. 441/564 Even as he blinked slowly in confusion over the powerful sensation, Amber jerked away from her Gloresti. She turned to give him an irritated glare until he released her. The sight brought a smile to Gabriel’s face. He realized then with tremendous relief that nothing about her personality had changed during the transition. He was still smiling when she turned again to look at him and shrugged apologetically. Then she surprised him by doing a little pose, waving her hands along her body as if to say, “Look at me!” She tilted her head expectantly. Unable to stop himself from laughing, he gave her a thumb’s up. She bit her bottom lip and blushed, her eyes alight with humor. They both seemed to realize at the same time that they were the objects of everyone’s attention. The Gloresti behind Amber—Gabriel couldn’t remember his name—was frowning. Olivia and Skye stood in their respective locations, both wearing happy smiles. When he turned his gaze 442/564

to them, they waved enthusiastically. He returned the gesture. He noted that outside of the way they were dressed and their eye color, the girls were now nearly identical in appearance. Still, he easily spotted the differences between them simply through their body language. While Amber stood braced as if prepared for anything, Olivia’s pose was rigid and uncertain. She alternated between clutching her hands and touching the top of Aurora’s head, seemingly seeking reassurance. On the other side of the stadium, Skye stood with energetic poise, her hip thrust to the side in a sassy stance. She kept her hands on her hips in a manner that said she was quite fine being an object of everyone’s focus. They were all simply stunning. Olivia had been garbed in a flowing gown the palest shade of green imaginable. It covered only her left shoulder in a thin strap of material caught by a jeweled clasp, leaving the other shoulder bare. The gown covered her all the way to the tops of 443/564 her feet, but curved flatteringly along her softly rounded figure before flaring out slightly below her thighs. Her hair had been braided and coiled against the base of her head. Dainty white and pink flowers peeked out of strategic places along the braid, making her look very sweet and innocent. Her eyes were the color of a canopy of spring trees, the exact shade the leaves turned when the sunlight hit them. Light green markings lined her eyes, but she was too far for Gabriel to see what they were. Skye, on the other hand, wore a bold, turquoise, midriffbaring blouse and some exotic-looking trousers that were sheer enough through the legs to see how much dancing as a human had benefitted her Estilorian musculature. A silver chain with solid silver circles dangling from it hung around her waist, just below her exposed navel. She wore large silver earrings in her ears and a series of jingling silver

bracelets from her wrists to the middle of her forearms. Small turquoise slippers covered her feet. Her hair had 444/564 been braided and left to hang down her back. Something that looked like diamonds sparkled in the light when she moved her head. Decorative hair pins of some kind, he guessed. The coordinating markings by her light blue eyes were also indistinguishable from this distance. He noted all of this in a quick sweep of his eyes, just as he noticed the two young Gloresti standing within a foot of each of Amber’s sisters. The Estilorian part of his mind registered things he would have changed about their posture to be more protective and aware, even as the human part thought how relieved he was that the girls were safe and guarded now. Only a span of about two minutes had actually passed since he landed, but he sensed the crowd stirring with an interest in moving things along. Just as that thought entered his mind, a loud, deep voice echoed across the coliseum. “My fellow Estilorians, thank you for attending this most unprecedented gathering.” 445/564 The welcome had come from Jabari, the Elphresti elder. Gabriel met Jabari’s gaze across the stadium. Everything about the Elphresti was dark: his fathomless black eyes, his ebony skin…even his wings would be black once summoned forth. Almost as if to offset this, he had painted his face in a collage of color. Each color and design would have significance, Gabriel knew. He also wore an elaborate ceremonial headdress of feathers and beads, and was dressed in yards of vividly patterned fabric in a floor-length, toga-style garment over a bright yellow undershirt. Quite the dramatic difference from Gabriel’s simple navy

blue tank top and matching pants. “As you all know, we are here tonight to meet three new and unique members of our plane. We are all pleased that they made successful transitions, despite the doubts of many. Those of you who are here tonight came because you believe, at least in part, that these three represent a positive change for our people. An evolution.” 446/564 The orbs of light dimmed as Jabari said, “We will henceforth join together to teach these three newcomers the ways of our kind. And welcome them.” Now, only the orbs above Amber lit up. She looked up at them with interest as Jabari said, “Welcome, Ambryl. I am Jabari, eldest of the Elphresti.” She realized that she had been singled out, and gave a brief, acknowledging nod to Jabari. Gabriel knew her enough to read her anxiety, but he was positive no one else would recognize it. She looked bored. His lips curved as the orbs above her once again dimmed and the orbs above Olivia lit instead. “Welcome, Olaya.” Olivia gave a slight bow with a tentative smile. The lights went through the same routine and ended up highlighting Skye. “Welcome, Skylar.” Skye issued an elaborate, graceful curtsy and beamed from ear to ear. 447/564 The lights once again returned to their full strength. Jabari

said, “With the help of our Orculesti and Corgloresti, we have watched you three grow on the human plane. You each experienced different upbringings, and as a result, you each bring with you very different strengths and weaknesses. Although it was not our design for this to happen, we believe that you complement each other in unique and essential ways. “Ambryl.” Again, the lights shifted to focus on her, glittering on the gold accents in her hair and across her midriff. Because she now faced mostly away from him, Gabriel allowed his gaze to rove over the remarkable strength and beauty displayed in her ceremonial outfit. He had to force himself to focus on what Jabari was saying. “Your path has been the most challenging. We have deduced that you draw your energy from within the earth itself. It is a raw and volatile force that can be very difficult to manipulate. As a result, it is also incredibly powerful when 448/564 placed in the hands of one strong enough to wield it. “The rather explosive nature of this energy exhibited itself in unpredictable ways throughout your life on the human plane, often resulting in negative consequences for you. You learned to develop emotional shields to protect yourself against those consequences. Over time, you have begun to learn that those shields can be lowered, but still, you weigh the decision to do so with great care. “You approach new experiences with doubt and cynicism. You lack faith, most often believing the worst is always the inevitable result. The disruptions of your placements with human guardians contributed to this side of yourself. They led you to believe you were unworthy of affection. You questioned what was wrong with you and grew to think of the world as a harsh and unforgiving place, rather than realizing that the fault lay with the inadequate caregivers.”

449/564 Gabriel watched Amber’s hands curl into fists at these painful and public revelations. Another wave of protective Gloresti energy surged through him, along with stark human protective-ness. Jabari’s eyes shifted briefly to him, then returned to Amber. “In time, you will master your skepticism. And we will all rely on your admirable strength.” The lights dimmed over Amber, and Gabriel saw her relax a fraction. His posture also relaxed and he watched the lights brighten over Olivia. “Olaya,” Jabari continued, and now Olivia tensed. “Where your elder sister draws on the power within the earth, you rely on nature and its many forms. Nature can be gentle and unassuming,” and here, his gaze shifted to Aurora, “and it can also be vicious and without mercy. This is a delicate balance that requires incredible control to maintain. You have developed that control. “You approach every experience with a measuring and assessing mind. Your human guardian helped foster your faith in the unknown, 450/564 though you still harbor what you see as practical doubt. You have worked hard to open your mind and expand your spiritual education, even if only to please your guardian. You will draw on this in time to overcome your still-existing doubts. “You are the physically weakest of your sisters, having dedicated your time to learning and social interaction on the human plane. But your absolute determination to prove yourself will prompt you to do whatever it takes to make yourself stronger. We will all rely on your sharp intellect and unquestionably sound judgment.” Again, the lights faded, rising over Skye.

Gabriel thought she looked unusually somber. Getting analyzed so thoroughly in front of a group of strangers had to be terribly difficult. “Skylar. Where your sisters rely on earth and nature for their energy, you draw it from the air around you. For you, something does not have to be tangible to exist. You have always maintained absolute faith in what you are, your confidence in your own abilities never flagging. This spiritual 451/564 inner strength made your transition notably easier than it was for your sisters, and it will aid you considerably in your new form. “You have developed grace and poise and a respectable amount of physical strength through your dedication to dance. That precision of movement and the ability to convey thought and feeling through action will also be something upon which you can draw as you learn in your Estilorian form. “Where Ambryl and Olaya use caution or innate control regarding emotion, however, you do not have this ability. Your emotions fly wide and free, prohibiting you from achieving the focus you will most definitely need to manage your power. As with your sisters, however, you can learn to develop this necessary focus if you are willing. We will rely on your unfailing faith through the challenging times ahead.” The lights rose. Gabriel was rather surprised at the absolute silence. There was hardly a hint of movement in the entire coliseum. Everyone, 452/564 including the three central objects of their attention, stood as if transfixed. Jabari managed a small smile, easing some of the tension. “When you were born,” he said, looking at each of the girls in turn, “you were each given a mark to identify you on this

plane as the progeny of Saraqael. This mark will now be revealed by your assigned Gloresti, the guardian who has watched over you on this plane since you were first sent across to live as humans. The Elphresti will witness this revelation as the governing Estilorian class. Simon, please turn Ambryl around.” Gabriel couldn’t prevent himself from tensing as he watched Amber’s Gloresti reach for her. She hurriedly turned herself before Simon could actually touch her. Jabari nodded. “And now, the Gloresti’s kiss to reveal the mark.” At that announcement, Gabriel’s eyes closed in response to the intensity of the energy surge that rushed through him. His human awareness 453/564 wanted to vehemently protest such an act. It took all of his focus to calm himself down and remind himself that this was simply a ceremony and that Amber needed this to fully Become. When he again opened his eyes, it was to find Amber staring at him with mild panic in her eyes as Simon leaned toward her. Then the Gloresti touched his lips gently to her right shoulder. And nothing happened.

Chapter Twenty-Seven Amber held Gabriel’s gaze as she felt Simon’s lips touch her shoulder. She was so intensely relieved that Simon wasn’t kissing her on the lips that she could barely breathe. She might just have had to punch him and tell them all that they could take their ceremony and—well, she supposed that was irrelevant now. As she had at one time earlier in the ceremony, she watched Gabriel’s eyes flash to a dark blue. Once Simon kissed her and stepped back, Gabriel’s

eyes eased back to their human blue-gray. It was quite fascinating. Then she became aware of the murmurs. When she saw Gabriel’s brow wrinkle in puzzlement, she glanced over her right shoulder and caught Simon’s eye. He was obviously confused. 455/564 She tried to look at her own shoulder to figure out what was going on, but couldn’t see a thing. When Simon turned to look at the colorfully-dressed ceremony leader, she lifted her gaze to him, as well. Jabari raised an eyebrow as he studied her bare shoulder. Then he looked over her head, across the stadium. “Gabriel. Please approach the Elphresti.” Amber’s head whipped around in alarm. Would Jabari blame Gabriel because something had gone wrong with this reveal? If so, what did that mean? Was there something she had done to cause this? Her heart pounded fiercely. She watched Gabriel leap easily over the low stone wall that divided the seats from the center of the stadium. He didn’t use his wings, and she suspected it was a deliberate choice on his part. As he got closer, she was able to more clearly see the physical changes he had undergone. If she had thought he was “yum yum” before, he was a delectable delicacy now. She could sense the 456/564 power in his every movement. It was a heady thing. He quickly reached the outer edge of the ring that had been

etched into the dirt floor to delin-eate her boundary. His gaze remained on her with every step. Unable to resist, she started moving toward him. She just wanted to touch him. Just one touch. Suddenly, he raised one hand, his eyes flashing dark blue. She came to an abrupt halt as she heard a sound of surprised pain behind her. When she glanced around, she saw Simon stumbling back awkwardly and clutching his chest, as if Gabriel had physically shoved him. Simon had obviously been reaching out to stop her. “She doesn’t like to be touched,” Gabriel said in a hard voice. She realized he still had his southern accent. For some reason, even in light of the stressful situation, that made her smile. While she was considering all this, Simon bowed his head in response to Gabriel’s comment. She turned back to 457/564 Gabriel and watched his eyes fade back to blue-gray. He caught her gaze. “I’ll be right back,” he said softly. She nodded. Then she watched him walk over to Jabari and fought the urge to join him as a show of support. When Jabari indicated as much, Gabriel came to a halt. She guessed this wasn’t meant to be a private conversation, as Gabriel was somewhere between the ring in which she stood and the position of the Elphresti elder. After a moment of heavy silence, Jabari spoke. “Gabriel, are you avowed to Ambryl?” Avowed? Her brows drew together in thought as she heard gasps and murmurs around the stadium. She ran her thumb over the ring on her left hand.

The phrase was obviously foreign to her, but she sensed its import. This had to be the reason that Simon hadn’t been able to make the mark appear on her shoulder. The ineffective kiss and the fact that their rings—for she had seen Gabriel’s on his 458/564 finger—had survived the transition between the planes must be of great significance. She could see Gabriel considering his response to the question. Then he turned and caught her gaze. She nodded at him. He smiled and turned back around. “I am.” Noise swelled at his response. “And this obviously occurred on the human plane,” Jabari said when the crowd again quieted. “It did.” Jabari’s gaze moved from Gabriel to Amber and back again. “I am assuming because your Estilorian self was suppressed at the time that the exchange of vows occurred before you understood their significance?” “That’s true,” Gabriel responded matter-of-factly. “But even now that I have again assumed my Estilorian form, my vows remain true.” There was more buzzing from the crowd. Amber’s gaze shifted around the coliseum’s seats. It may have been her imagination, but it 459/564 sure felt like everyone was looking at her. The sensation was highly disconcerting. Jabari turned briefly to consult with the group of Elphresti behind him. Then he turned back around and looked at Amber. “And do you, Ambryl, understand what it means to

be avowed to Gabriel?” Pushing aside her hatred of being the focus of attention, she forced herself to think about what needed to be done if she was to remain with Gabriel. She stepped to the edge of her circle. “May I move forward to address you?” she asked. “Of course.” Deeply relieved, she left the circle and walked to Gabriel’s side. She noted that he had gained a couple more inches on her and she had to look farther up to catch his gaze. Although they couldn’t read each other’s thoughts, the love in his eyes was clear. Because she knew she wouldn’t want to stop touching him once she started, she refrained from reaching out to grab 460/564 his hand as she so wanted to. Instead, she stood inches from him and faced the Elphresti. “First, while I have your attention, I would like it known to everyone here that I prefer to be addressed as Amber, out of respect to my mother and the life I left behind to come here.” Without so much as a blink, Jabari said, “That is no problem, Amber. Henceforth, you shall be addressed as such. And now, in answer to my question?” She turned to face Gabriel, but spoke loud enough for her voice to carry. “I can only assume by everyone’s reaction to the term ‘avowed’ that it bears great weight among Estilorians. The vows Gabriel and I exchanged were private…intended only for each other. But they were sincere and spoken from the heart. I’ll repeat them here and now if that’s what it takes to remain by his side.” She held out her left hand. Gabriel’s delightful eyes caught the light as he held out his. They wove their fingers together. She nodded at him.

461/564 At the same time, they said, “I love you now and always will. You’re my best friend and I have complete faith in you. I wear this ring as a symbol of my love and unbreakable commitment to you.” And when the rings began to glow, they leaned forward to kiss and seal the vow. The universe could have imploded then and Amber wouldn’t have noticed. The past couple of days had been the longest she had been apart from Gabriel since they first met, and they had been by far the most stressful. As soon as her lips touched his, it was as if everything was suddenly all right. His taste filled her. The feel of him, both familiar and foreign, felt perfect against her. His hands moved to cradle her, making her understand without words that she was loved, cher-ished and under his protection. A quick sear of pain slid across her right shoulder and along the outside edges of her eyes, like she had been branded. She inhaled sharply. 462/564 Almost immediately thereafter, he tensed against her in a similar manner. They didn’t pull apart. Although she had never been romantic or at all sentimental, she wanted nothing more than to en-gulf herself in the essence of him for all the days to come. And then her mind was filled with thoughts and sensations that were not her own.

Thank God. I’ve missed you so much. I love you, Amber. She could have wept when she realized she could hear his

thoughts again at last. Instead, she briefly came to her senses and broke away from his kiss, pulling back to look into his beautiful eyes.

I love you, Gabriel. His face reflected surprise as he also realized the connection had been reestablished. Then he grinned.

You’re wrapped around me , he thought with a laughing gleam in his eye. 463/564 Now her eyes widened and she looked at herself. He wasn’t lying. With a flood of embarrassment, she started to put some space between them. He wouldn’t let her. Instead, he held her still beside him for a moment and looked into her eyes.

We have much ahead of us. But we’ll face it together. The silent words calmed her down as nothing else could. She nodded firmly in agreement. When he deliberately turned her so that she faced the center of the stadium and her back was to the Elphresti, she didn’t resist. She trusted him implicitly. His voice rang out across the silent stadium. “Amber bears the mark of her father, Saraqael. It falls to you, Jabari, to acknowledge the mark on behalf of the Elphresti and the Estilorian people.” Jabari’s magnificent black wings suddenly emerged, and he lifted out of his place in the seats to land quietly beside Amber. She kept her eyes on him and realized that he didn’t make her 464/564 nervous or uncomfortable. She sensed that Gabriel considered him a friend, and that allowed her to relax.

When he gave her a subtle wink as he approached, she hid a smile. This was someone she would consider a friend. The Elphresti approached her and glanced at her shoulder. Then he turned and looked at Gabriel’s right arm. He nodded. “Let it be known that the Estilorian known as Amber now bears the mark of her father, Saraqael, as well as that of her avowed, Gabriel. And he also bears her mark.” Amber realized that the pain in her shoulder and around her eyes during the kiss had been the making of her mark. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder and saw an indistinguishable glimmer of burnished gold and blue-gray. Realizing that only a mirror would allow her to see the parts of her body that now bore the imprints of her pairing with Gabriel, she turned to him. He held his right arm toward her so she could see his bicep. Now inscribed there was a star-like 465/564 pattern, very similar to what she had seen on the outer edge of her eyes. It was a four-pointed gold star, like a ball with thin, diamond-edged tips at four points. Surrounding the star on Gabriel’s arm were flickering, blue-gray flames. To her, it was utterly beautiful and perfect.

And so are you, she heard. Startled, she looked at him. Then she realized he had read her thoughts. She laughed, not caring that it was the only sound in the silent coliseum and that all eyes were entirely focused on them. She had Gabriel now. Before Jabari spoke again, Gabriel took Amber’s arm and pulled her gently in the direction of the circle she had abandoned. Simon stood there still, watching uncomplainingly and without expression. She suddenly

realized how the Gloresti who had protected her must feel, having failed to invoke the mark he had spent nearly two decades waiting to bring forth. Guilt flooded her. 466/564 As they neared the circle, she glanced at Gabriel. Please let me speak first, she thought. He released her without a word of objection. “Simon,” she said clearly as she entered the circle. “I can’t thank you enough for your protection while I resided on the human plane, as well as for your assistance as I transitioned. I truly wouldn’t be here if not for you. To me, you are surely all that the Gloresti strive to be. I am indebted to you.” The blond male before her looked positively stunned. Then Gabriel took a step forward, and Simon’s slightly widened eyes shifted to the Gloresti who governed him. “Simon,” Gabriel said, his voice more commanding than Amber had ever heard, “you have done everything in your power to keep Amber’s Estilorian form safe, and you successfully brought her over despite many believing it couldn’t be done. You would have given your life for her. And to me, there is simply no repayment for that. But I will begin by offering you a 467/564 highly valued position of authority under my command, as you have demonstrated that you can be trusted to guard that which is most important to me and our people.” Another round of whispers flooded the stadium. Simon’s face wavered between shock and elation. After a moment of processing this turn of events, he went down to one knee and crossed his right arm across his chest. “I am honored, archigos Gabriel.”

“Please rise and join the ranks of your fellow Gloresti,” Gabriel said. “We’ll discuss your new appointment at a more appropriate time.” Simon rose and gave a nod. He leaned forward briefly so that only Gabriel and Amber could hear him. “I admit that I am glad I did not mess up. When the symbol did not appear, I had my doubts.” Then, with a wink, he turned and flew the short distance to the Gloresti seats. His brethren offered him words of congratulations as Gabriel turned back to Jabari. 468/564 “My apologies for causing such disruption during this important ceremony.” “We accept your apology, Gabriel,” Jabari said, his goodhumored eyes moving to Amber, “especially under the circumstances.” Then he turned and walked to the center of the stadium. “As I am already here, let us proceed with revealing Olaya’s mark.” “Um, Olivia, please,” she responded shyly. Raising an eyebrow, Jabari responded, “Very well, Olivia.” He turned his head to glance over at Skye. “And you?” “I’d prefer to be called Skye, if it’s all right with you.” He paused thoughtfully, then said, “It does seem fitting to bring your human names with you. Very well.” He looked again in Olivia’s direction. “James, please proceed with the Gloresti’s kiss.” James bent down and touched his lips to Olivia’s right shoulder. She flinched and her eyes glowed bright green for a moment. Her hands 469/564 curled into fists as she experienced the same searing pain

that Amber had. Still, she maintained a calm expression and didn’t make a sound. Jabari approached her and turned her so that her shoulder was visible to the other Elphresti. A still-shimmering image of a curving green olive branch with finely-detailed leaves had appeared. “Let it be known that the Estilorian known as Olivia now bears the mark of her father, Saraqael,” Jabari said in his deep, resonating voice. He walked over to Skye, who was almost bouncing up and down in her enthusiasm. Jabari smiled at her. “Caleb, please proceed with the Gloresti’s kiss.” Skye looked over her shoulder with a small smile and caught Caleb’s gaze as he bent toward her shoulder and kissed her. When he stepped away, she gasped at the resulting pain. Her blue eyes gleamed. Once again, Jabari stepped forward, turning Skye so that the brilliant blue swirls of her mark 470/564 could be seen. “Let it be known that the Estilorian known as Skye now bears the mark of her father, Saraqael.” A wash of noise covered the stadium. “And now it is time for Saraqael’s identified progeny to assume their powers.” Chapter Twenty-Eight Grolkinei was in the middle of a bench press weightlifting routine when Layla, who sat beside him doing free weights, suddenly drew in a sharp breath. The dumbbell in her hand fell free from her slack grip, landing with a heavy thud less than an inch from her foot. She didn’t move. She sat and stared into nothingness. With excitement flowing through him, he re-set the barbell and slowly sat up on the bench, then sat as still as he could and watched her. He knew that any abrupt sound or action could disrupt her. Her lips moved faintly, her red eyes

darkened almost to maroon. After a long, intense moment, she blinked rapidly, her breath leaving her in a dramatic 472/564 whoosh. He lurched off the bench and caught her before she fell off her seat. “Now, now, lovely,” he said in his smoothest tones as he sat beside her to prop her up. “Take a couple of deep breaths. Good girl. I need you to tell me what you just intercepted.” She gasped in another breath as her body re-set itself after the intense subconscious intrusion. “It was not,” she said breathlessly, “an interception. It was direct contact.” His eyebrows rising, he clarified, “An Orculesti reached out to you?” She nodded as she continued to focus on stabilizing her breathing. He rose, leaving Layla to support herself. He began pacing. The Orculesti typically did everything in their power to buffer their thoughts from the Mercesti. Because the Mercesti class was formed of members from all other Estilorian classes who had diverted from the path of what was considered “good,” there were some Mercesti, such as Layla, who had once been 473/564 Orculesti. Thus, all Estilorians knew that some of the abilities that Layla and other converted Orculesti innately had would have transferred into their Mercesti selves. In an effort to keep the Mercesti from intercepting Orculesti thoughts, specific protections had been put in place. He couldn’t think of another time that an Orculesti had overridden those protections to contact a Mercesti. Could it be a trap of some kind? “What did they say?” he asked sharply. Having caught her breath as he paced, she replied, “They gave me the location of the Becoming ceremony, which is

taking place right now.” He stumbled to a halt. “What?” Her eyes gleamed. “They are at Flavian’s Coliseum.” “But—that is not even ten leagues from here!” He ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair as he considered this. “Were you able to determine anything about the Orculesti who sent it?” 474/564 “Not really,” she admitted, rubbing her temples while her elbows were braced on her knees. “But the broadcaster promised to get at least one of the sisters into an unprotected location for us in short time. They said we have only to move in and wait. And,” she looked up with a dark grin, “I did easily sense the rage, hatred and jealousy that prompted it.” And here, Grolkinei stilled. And smiled. “I see. So be it. Go with Ryce and Angius and bring them back. Saraqael’s daughter… “…and our new brother or sister.” The noise in the stadium swelled and ebbed as Jabari made the announcement to complete the Becoming ceremony. Gabriel instinctively reached out and took Amber by the shoulders. She leaned back into him and looked up to catch his gaze with a smile. He knew that she would never have done the same with anyone else. It was a knowledge that made him feel both powerful and extraordinary.

475/564 “Amber, Olivia and Skye,” Jabari said loud enough to carry, “Please join me in the middle of the stadium.”

You’ll be magnificent. Just remember the little people when you’ve fully assumed your powers, okay? A corner of her mouth rose. I’ll make every effort to fit you

in between the glamorous parties and my many television appearances. He grinned, then gave her a gentle push toward the center of the stadium where Olivia and Skye already stood with Jabari. As his hands left her bare skin, he couldn’t prevent the less than gentlemanly thoughts that flashed through his mind. She glanced at him over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow as she walked.

Hey, I’m still a guy. And you look amazing. She snorted inelegantly and shook her head at him as she joined Jabari and her sisters, but he saw her smile. The lights settled into focus on the new central location as she stopped a few feet from Jabari. She eyed Aurora, who still sat in the 476/564 center of Olivia’s ring not far away, with notable suspicion. And then, with a flick of Jabari’s wrist, an image started to form between the three girls of a round, waist-high table made of light gray stone. Gabriel sensed Amber’s amazement as the image solidified, and was impressed by her unaffected stance and expression. Olivia started visibly when the table settled into place with an audible thud, though curiosity soon filled her gaze. Skye looked positively enraptured. “Please join hands around the table,” Jabari instructed. Sensing Amber’s hesitation, Gabriel thought , Don’t worry.

You’ll react differently here. She gave an almost imperceptible nod, squared her shoulders, stepped closer to the table and reached for her sisters’ hands. The moment the girls were all connected, a blaze of energy seared through them. It was so powerful and intense that it brought Gabriel to one knee as he struggled to somehow buffer his connection with Amber. He kept his gaze 477/564 centered on her. The girls’ eyes gleamed like they were backlit. They all stood rigid and unmoving as the energy swirled faster and faster, like an invisible riptide that could whisk them all out to open sea. Aurora suddenly let out a sound that made everyone glance around warily. She had risen from her haunches and now looked poised to pounce. Gabriel assumed she was seeking to defend Olivia, as he also felt that danger was imminent. The urge to protect soared through him. When a powerful eddy of wind whipped through the stadium, he knew he was right. He forced himself back to his feet.

Amber, you have to focus. You’re losing control. All of you have to focus! She was unresponsive. The wind picked up in speed, making him blink against the sand that it swept up from the ground. The ground rumbled. Behind Skye, an image suddenly blinked into appearance. He watched the silvery, transparent figure of who he guessed was Sky Tomaganuk 478/564 stride toward his namesake. Aurora studied the image with frighteningly intelligent green eyes and then sprang closer to Olivia. Gabriel followed their lead and stepped out of Amber’s circle to approach her.

“None of you must interfere,” Jabari called out above the wind. “They must assume their powers on their own, or they will lose their abilities forever.” Coming to a halt about ten feet from Amber, Gabriel held his hands in fists at his sides. Come on, Amber. I know you

can do this! You’re the strongest person I know. And then, he felt the pressure of the monstrous energy he was unconsciously siphoning from her begin to ease. The ground slowly settled. Moving to the side as the wind continued to blast through the stadium and Aurora let out another terrifying panther call, he positioned himself where he could see Amber’s eyes. The bright light in them was slowly ebbing. He noticed the pressure he had been feeling seemed to 479/564 ease in synchronicity with her calming eye color. And then she was blinking as if to bring her vision back into focus. She saw that she was still gripping Olivia’s and Skye’ hands. When she looked at her sisters and then glanced around, she seemed to realize that things had taken a bad turn. Then she closed her eyes in concentration. Her grip on her sisters’ hands grew tighter as she did what she could to help them find the strength to take possession of their powers. Aurora slowly backed away and sat quietly on her haunches. The wind slowed, then died out. The color of Olivia’s eyes softened to spring green and Skye’s to light blue. Not a single sound or movement could be detected throughout the stadium. Jabari stepped forward. “Congratulations, Amber, Olivia and Skye.

You have Become.” Flashes of color appeared around the seats. Within seconds, the sisters were surrounded by 480/564 Jabari, Gabriel and six other Estilorians, all with different colored wings. Jabari’s glimmering black wings appeared. He then turned pointedly to Gabriel. With a thought, Gabriel’s wings emerged. There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone absorbed the changes in his wings. First, of course, they had changed from the midnight blue of the Gloresti to the same blue-gray as his eyes. Now, the blue-gray contained intricate gold markings.

Beautiful. He caught Amber’s gaze as her thought entered his mind. Her amazing golden eyes were transfixed on his wings. When he saw the other Estilorian elders step forward, he did the same. His left wing touched Jabari’s right, and his right wing touched Knorbis’ left wing. Once they were all connected, another wave of energy flooded the atmosphere around the girls, who continued to hold hands in a circle around the table. “Daughters of Saraqael, we are proud and honored to have you now among us. I am Jabari, 481/564 eldest of the Elphresti. We will guide you with a focus on wisdom and learning.” Next to Jabari stood Ini-herit, his fluid silver wings rippling calmly. “I am Ini-herit, eldest of the Corgloresti. We will guide you with a focus on spirituality and faith.” “I am Malukali, eldest of the Orculesti,” said the brunette woman next to Ini-herit. Even with dark green eyes, she looked like a native island dancer who would have been at

home in a grass skirt. Her serene voice continued, “We will guide you with a focus on meditation and internal centeredness.” The tall, black-haired giant beside her spoke next. “I am Uriel, eldest of the Waresti.” His burnt orange eyes moved from one girl to the next, his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. “We will guide you with a focus on strength and confidence.” When it was her turn to speak, the mocha-skinned female beside Uriel nodded. Her warm brown eyes and beautiful brown wings seemed 482/564 quite natural in combination with her complexion. Her blue gown was all the more stunning against such a monochromatic backdrop. “I am Zayna, eldest of the Scultresti. We will guide you with a focus on creativity and attention to detail.” Beside her, the much shorter and paler male with lavender eyes and wings seemed lumines-cent. He had a surprisingly deep voice when he spoke. “I am Sebastian, eldest of the Lekwuesti. We will guide you with a focus on hospitality and custom.” Then it was Knorbis’ turn. “I am Knorbis, eldest of the Wymzesti. We will guide you with a focus on intuition and instinct.” Gabriel watched as all of the sisters looked at him. He smiled. “I am Gabriel, eldest of the Gloresti. We will guide you with a focus on loy-alty and defense.” There was a moment of silence as the energy circled the girls. Then Amber spoke. “As we will learn, so will we teach. My sisters and I will guide you with a focus on love…” 483/564 “…hope…” Olivia intoned. “…and joy,” Skye finished. And then the energy centered itself over the stone table

between the sisters. It began to take on physical shape, glowing…a bright, white light that became too intense to watch. When Gabriel again opened his eyes, he saw several objects on the table. “These have been created specifically for each of you,” Jabari intoned. “As your training commences, these will be among the items you keep closest to you.” Gabriel took a closer look at the table as the sisters released each others’ hands and leaned over their gifts. He realized there was nothing in front of Skye, but he quickly understood why when she cupped her hands together over the table and a ball of soft blue light appeared. She laughed in delight and promptly started making the light appear and disappear. Olivia reached down and picked up the bow and quiver that lay before her. She looked rather disheartened. He 484/564 guessed she had never imagined using a weapon of any kind, never mind something as archaic as a bow and arrow. Somehow, though, he figured with her intense ability to concentrate that she would have quite the skill with it. His gaze shifted to Amber as she reached down and took the hilt of the sword that had appeared in front of her. She lifted it with confidence and appreciation for its weight and form. The metal was unlike anything on the human plane. It shone white with its luminosity, making the markings inscribed on the blade gleam. The hilt had been wrapped in light brown leather and thin black strips of leather for gripping. The pom-mel at the base of the hilt was an orb of clear, honey brown amber. With an obvious nod to her competitive karate training, the blade was gently curved and shaped similarly to a katana. It wasn’t quite standard, though, and he guessed it had been adjusted to better suit her. Taking a step back, she engaged in a few dips and swings

to test the sword’s feel. A smile lit 485/564 her face. Then she switched her hold on the grip and suddenly broke into a flurry of movement that left Gabriel breathless with awe. Her blade caught the light, winking as she moved. Finally, she came to rest, one leg extended slightly behind her while the other was bent a bit at the knee in front of her. She held her sword above her head with her right hand, the blade pointing forward. Her left hand was extended as if she held an opponent at bay. She stood up. “Thanks,” she said easily as she studied the sword, obviously unaware of the fact that all eyes in the stadium were transfixed on her. “This is great. Do I get to keep it?” Chapter Twenty-Nine “Okay, you two,” Amber said a short time after the ceremony as she stood with Olivia and Skye in one of the coliseum’s tunnels. “Why are you both staring at me like I have two heads?” Gabriel had taken James and Caleb aside so that he could discuss the protection of the girls with them. Then he was going to have to enter in-to a meeting with the other elders to discuss what needed to be done now that the Becoming ceremony had concluded and nearly everyone had departed. Because he wanted to speak to the Gloresti privately, the sisters were stuck in the lit tunnel until the males returned. Aurora sat at the end of the tunnel to ensure no one entered who sought to harm them. 487/564 “Um…” Skye glanced at Olivia, who wore her bow and quiver across her body as she had been instructed. The middle sister looked highly uncomfortable and kept adjusting the leather strap and bow string crossing her chest. “Well, we were just wondering where you learned to use a sword like that.”

“Oh.” Amber blinked and instinctively brought a hand to the hilt of her sword where it now rested in its sheath against her left hip. “I practiced karate back in Georgia.” Skye’s eyebrows lifted. “So you, like, fought with swords and stuff? Like a ninja?” Snorting, Amber shook her head. “Not like a ninja. We didn’t use real ones. The only swords I ever used were wooden or plastic. I’ve tried my hand with a bo, tonfa, nunchucks, some sai. But usually we just used our hands and feet.” She looked consideringly down at her sword. “In truth, I can’t explain how I knew exactly what to do with the sword. It just kind of happened. It felt right, I guess.” 488/564 Olivia smiled. “Well, you sure looked like you could kick everyone’s ass.” They all shared a laugh. After a brief flash of her green eyes, Olivia said, “The Orculesti who traveled with you is approaching, Amber.” Aurora must have sent the information. “Kanika? That’s weird. I figured she’d be gone by now,” Amber mused, glancing up the tunnel toward the entrance where Aurora sat. Sure enough, the exotic Orculesti soon appeared. She gave them all a cordial nod. “Hello, Olivia and Skye. I do not know whether Amber mentioned me. I am Kanika, the Orculesti who prepared her for the Becoming ceremony. It is a pleasure to meet you both.” “Thanks,” Olivia and Skye answered at the same time. Kanika turned to Amber. “Amber, archigos Gabriel asked me to come back when I mentioned to him that we must prepare you.” “Prepare me?” Amber echoed in confusion. 489/564

“Of course. For the…” she trailed off in apparent thought. “Well, I believe humans call it the ‘wedding night.’” All of the color drained from Amber’s face, only to then return in a hot flush. “Uh…” “Oh my gosh,” Skye breathed, and then she clapped her hands together, her eyes bright with excitement. “Amber, you’re married!” “Actually,” Kanika qualified as she took Amber by the arm and began leading her further into the tunnel, “Amber and Gabriel are avowed. That is a much stronger bond than any sort of pairing found on the human plane. Once an avowed pairing is made, it is never undone. Or so I understand, as we have not experienced such a pairing in more centuries than many of us have been in existence.” “Can we come with you?” Olivia asked, seemingly as excited as Skye. They were already following, so the question was almost rhetorical. “Of course,” Kanika responded to Olivia’s question, not breaking stride. They turned a 490/564 corner, the floating lights above them spotlight-ing their progress. “You are Amber’s sisters, after all. I am sure she would enjoy having you both involved in this very ceremonious occasion.”

Amber’s knees felt like they were made of Silly Putty, her mind frozen in shock as she absorbed this new understanding of her connection with Gabriel. She didn’t know what to say. For some reason, she hadn’t even considered the fact that their vow exchange had been the Estilorian equivalent to a wedding. It sure hadn’t resembled any wedding she had ever pictured. But she had to acknowledge that the ceremony had been blatantly powerful—and, of course, heartfelt. So, what did this mean? That Gabriel was her husband? She struggled to contain her whirling thoughts, not wanting him to be indirectly hurt by picking up on her stunned disbelief as she settled her thoughts into alignment with this unexpected information. Okay…so what? Sure, she had only 491/564 turned eighteen human years old. But she was apparently as physically grown on this plane as she was ever going to get. And she knew she loved Gabriel more than anything in the entire world. They would have eventually gotten married on the human plane, anyway. Was it really so crazy that she was now his wife?

Wife. Oh, boy. They rounded another corner, and the haze around her brain began to clear. She was completely unsure how long they had been walking. A tingle at the back of her neck suddenly put her on alert. She slowly removed her arm from Kanika’s grip, trying not to draw attention to the action. “I appreciate you doing this, Kanika,” she said, glancing surreptitiously at Olivia and Skye. “But Gabriel told us to wait for him in the tunnels until he

came to get us.” “Oh, you know how males can be,” Kanika returned with a dismissive wave. “He gave no 492/564 thought to the need for female preparation for the joining to come.” Amber winced at the term “joining” and felt her face flush again. They had reached some kind of inner chamber at the end of the tunnel. The strange lights that had followed them throughout the twisting tunnels didn’t progress ahead, however. They remained outside the door leading to the black chamber. “I think Amber’s right,” Skye said uncertainly as she gazed into the darkness. Belatedly, Amber remembered she had an easy way to check out Kanika’s story. Before she could send out a thought to Gabriel, however, Kanika gave her a strong shove from behind, propelling her into the room. Skye watched the Orculesti shove Amber into the pitchblack chamber. She stood immobile with bewilderment that rapidly changed to shock and alarm. From within the darkness of the chamber, she heard the sound of a sword being 493/564 drawn, and numbly guessed it was Amber’s. Even as she registered that sound, she watched Kanika’s green eyes flash into a violent red.

What the—? The unmistakable sound of swords clashing together came from inside the chamber, followed by a stunned gasp of pain. It sounded like Amber. Kanika laughed, an unhinged sound. All of this took place in

only a couple of seconds. “Skye,” Amber shouted urgently, and Skye’s head whipped around, her eyes wide. “I need light!” There were several more clinks of metal and another intake of breath indicating pain. With less than a second’s hesitation to gather her thoughts and courage, Skye took a deep breath and then ran into the chamber. And sent her energy flying.

Aurora! Olivia sent out the frantic thought the second she saw Kanika’s eyes turn red. The call seemed 494/564 to echo oddly in her head. She knew, of course, the moment that Amber had been so forcefully shoved into the dark room that something wasn’t right. But her trusting, human mind had tried to somehow rationalize it. Maybe this was some strange part of the Estilorian preparation process, she thought in confusion. But when the sounds of Amber’s distress bounced to them, prompting the unnatural laugh from the Orculesti, she knew her initial instinct had been right. “Skye, I need light!” Amber’s command had Olivia feeling inadequate and unprepared. But she was so very proud of her youngest sister when she turned toward the pitch black chamber and ran in, her entire body somehow radiating light. As Skye ran, Olivia shouted, “Aurora!” And prayed the cat heard her. Kanika issued a scream when the bright light touched her. Olivia realized that whatever Skye was doing was physically injuring the other female.

495/564 Then Aurora’s hair-raising cry cut through the tunnel, making Kanika scream for another reason altogether. Olivia stood, all but forgotten, as the Orculesti tossed a terrified glance over her shoulder toward where she knew the white panther approached and then turned to run into the chamber. Olivia ran after her. Amber finally got to see her opponent when Skye made her magnificent appearance. Of course, by then she was unarmed and as vulnerable as a newborn babe. When Kanika shoved her into the chamber, she instinctively turned the forward momentum into a somersault that returned her to her feet. And, because she sensed at least one other presence in the room, she unsheathed her sword even as she found her balance. Of course, she had trained in lit rooms, facing opponents on equal footing. She was entirely out of her element. Still, when she felt the slash of a 496/564 blade coming toward her, she allowed instinct to guide her and deflected it. She deflected two more slashes before she missed and a blaze of pain blossomed along her right hip and waistline. Knowing she was in trouble, she frantically tried to send out a thought to Gabriel and felt it circle back to her mind. What was going on? Was she too far away from him or something? As she called out to Skye for help, she sensed the blade coming at her again. She managed to parry that slash and get in a slash of her own, then felt the opposing blade slice her again, this time along the inside of her right forearm.

Her nerve endings damaged by the deep cut, she dropped her weapon. About that time, the room flooded with light. She saw her opponent in full relief: Black tank, pants and boots, bald head, red eyes, savagely scarred features and muscles enough to do any bodybuilder proud. His sword was as black as onyx and wickedly curved. Just like Kanika, he was physically affected when Skye’s light 497/564 touched him. He was forced to shield his eyes and he gave a quick grunt of pain. She could only assume because his eyes were red and none of the eight classes that they had met thus far had been represented by that color that she was facing a Mercesti. As another of Aurora’s fierce panther cries echoed into the chamber, Amber tried again, unsuccessfully, to send out a thought to Gabriel. She kicked her opponent’s sword hand using the heel of her foot, knowing her unprotected toes would be damaged otherwise. The kick wasn’t strong enough to dislodge the weapon. She used the time he took to recover his loosened grip to dip down in an attempt to retrieve her dropped weapon using her less dominant left hand. Then Kanika ran into the chamber, followed closely by Olivia. The Orculesti threw herself at Amber, forcing Amber to catch her weight and pushing them to both to the ground. Vaguely, Amber heard Olivia cry out in surprise and, oddly, pain. 498/564 “He’s mine,” Kanika shrieked, clawing at Amber’s left arm, which she was using to shield herself. Her long nails drew blood. “Gabriel was always meant to be mine! I waited eighteen years for him to come back here and learn to love

me. You stole him from me, you whoring human half-breed!” Using brute strength fueled by anger and hatred, she managed to wrench Amber’s arm away from her body. “This ring is mine.” And then she made the mistake of trying to pry the ring off Amber’s finger. Gabriel hadn’t wanted the sisters to be involved in his conversation with the Gloresti who protected them because he had a few delicate issues to discuss. For one, he wanted to give James and Caleb a run-down of what he had identified as each of the girls’ strengths and weaknesses. The two males needed to be particularly focused on defending the sisters in the areas where they most needed it. Jabari had provided an overview of each of the girls’ abilities and areas in need of 499/564 improvement, but he couldn’t include the human mindset behind that like Gabriel could. He saw no reason to put the sisters through a possibly humiliating highlight reel of the things Estilorians considered weaknesses. And then there was the conversation he forced himself to have with James and Caleb about human females— especially young human females—and some of the thoughts and emotions they were bound to experience. Because he wasn’t sure just how soon this topic might become an issue, he felt it best to just get the conversation out of the way. He talked briefly about the human penchant for privacy and modesty, which most Estilorians disregarded but the girls would want to be respected. And he talked, in very general terms, about some of the physiolo-gical things the girls would likely experience as a result of their human mother. “So, if they menstruate, can they conceive a child with an Estilorian?” James asked curiously.

500/564 Struggling with his intense discomfort over the topic, Gabriel shrugged. “I have no idea. But, well, our females don’t experience this monthly reproductive cycle. We don’t even have the, um, feminine products for it on this plane that they’re used to on the human plane.” Good Lord, Amber’s sisters owed him big time for this. “Just know that they’ll likely be embarrassed when this ultimately comes up. And even more emotional and irritable.” “I hardly see how that is possible,” Caleb said dryly. Gabriel struggled not to laugh. It was going to be very interesting watching the sardonic and abrupt Gloresti interact with the exuberant Skye. “Another tip: don’t let them hear you say something like that.” Suddenly, James tilted his head as though he was listening to something. “Did you hear…?” He turned and looked behind them toward the tunnel a short distance away. “Where is Aurora?” 501/564 Curiosity had Gabriel walking toward the tunnel. In truth, he wasn’t overly concerned because he figured Amber would have sent a thought his way if something was up. Maybe Aurora had gone into the tunnels to investigate something she heard.

Amber? His thought echoed back to him. That was when he started running. James and Caleb matched his stride, picking up on his alarm and confusion. He realized that the tunnel was now dark where it had been lit a short while ago. Then they heard Aurora’s cry from somewhere in the tunnels, confirming something was terribly wrong. But why wasn’t he experiencing the rush of Gloresti energy that he should

have felt if Amber was in danger? Realizing as they entered it that the inside of the tunnel was too narrow for them to use their wings, Gabriel fought back a curse. Beside him, James put his hands together and created one of the balls of light that floated freely on the 502/564 Estilorian plane. They didn’t break stride as they plunged into the tunnel. Gradually, the sounds of shouting reached them, though the words were indistinct and the directionality was thrown off due to the echoes. Gabriel couldn’t determine whether it was one of the girls or someone else entirely making the noise. When they reached a branch in the tunnels, he hesitated, uncertain which way to go. He didn’t want to give away the element of surprise by shouting. And then the amber stone in his ring shone with a brightness that rivaled the ball of light floating above his head. He knew they had to hurry.

Chapter Thirty When Olivia charged in after Kanika, she had intended to try and halt the obviously crazed Orculesti. What she would do then, she had no idea. But she knew from the sounds coming from the chamber that Amber and Skye had their hands full, and Kanika would only serve to hinder them further. So in she went. And promptly found herself roughly grabbed from behind, her bow and quiver ripped away and tossed uselessly to the side. She could do no more than gasp at the fierce pain in her ribs as arms vised around her. Something snapped audibly. Even as a wave of nausea threatened her, she was dragged to a dark corner of the vast chamber, a knife

pressed to her throat. 504/564 “Well, now, what have we here, eh?” asked a deep, raspy voice in a whisper against her neck. Olivia struggled for terrified and agonized gasps of breath. She listened to Kanika shriek maniacally at Amber and felt the sharp edge of the knife cutting into the delicate skin of the un-derside of her chin as she swallowed hard. “You and me, we are going on a little trip, chickadee. The second that blasted light eases, consider us out of here.” Deciding she would never overpower the muscular male holding her so tightly against him, she risked accidentally cutting her throat and used the only weapon available to her: her mind. “You may think so, but I believe you’ll choose differently in another moment.” Blood trickled down her chin, the pain that roiled through her bringing tears to her eyes. Suddenly, Kanika let out a distressed scream. Light flashed through the chamber, causing the male who had attacked Amber and the one now 505/564 holding Olivia to also cry out with its intensity. The knife dug deeper as her captor flinched. Amber did something then that made a grue-some crunching noise as she connected with Kanika’s face. The Orculesti fell to the ground, obviously unconscious. Even as Olivia watched, Amber rolled, picked up her sword in her left hand and hurried to face the large, bald male who was already advancing toward her. Olivia saw blood running down Amber’s side and right arm.

It dripped onto the ground as she moved. “Hurry up, you idiots!” a female voice called out impatiently from what Olivia realized was another entrance to the chamber. Amber fended off a strike of her aggressor’s sword, using her smaller size and better mobility to evade rather than attack. “My energy is flagging. I cannot keep their connection to their Gloresti dampened forever. Just grab one of them and come on!” Amber and Olivia both flicked glances toward Skye. Their younger sister moved quickly in the direction of the entrance still hidden by 506/564 shadows. The strain of using her power for so long without any training was evident on her face, but she also looked determined. When the bald Mercesti moved to try and stop her, Amber launched herself between them, feinting with her sword to keep him off balance. She actually managed to score a hit on the Mercesti’s sword arm. “Was that what you thought would change my mind about taking you, chickadee?” Olivia’s captor grated against her ear as she watched the scene playing out before her. “A little bit of pain from some puny light? I know a great deal about handling pain. And administering it.” He squeezed her tighter and she bit back a cry. Another scream came, this one from the tunnel leading out of the chamber. Skye must have found the unidentified female. The light inside the chamber dimmed as Skye moved further away. And suddenly, Olivia once again felt Aurora’s presence in her mind. Deliberately digging her nails as hard as she could into her captor’s bare forearm where it 507/564 pressed against her chest, she smiled despite her pain and the knife he twisted quite brutally against her neck. “No,” she responded as she drew shallow breaths.

Just then, Aurora leaped into the room with a growl fierce enough to have even the intimidating bald man starting visibly, allowing Amber to get in another strike. “I mean her.” Aurora’s growl increased, her glowing green eyes focusing on Olivia. “What the hell?” her attacker asked, his voice louder and higher than before. “I can control her with my mind,” Olivia explained, moving her jaw as little as possible. She watched Aurora get closer so he could see her vicious fangs and razor-sharp claws. “So, you have a choice. You can release me…or I’ll release her.” Skye had been debating what she could possibly do to help Amber or Olivia that wouldn’t disrupt her energy and cost them light. Then she 508/564 heard the female voice coming from the unseen tunnel. Somehow, she felt her sisters silently compelling her toward the female’s voice, and she quickly understood why. That female was disrupting their connection with their Gloresti, and Skye had to do something to reestablish the connection. Although she felt exhausted enough to collapse onto the floor and sleep for a week, she hurried closer to the tunnel. As she neared the entrance, she hesitated slightly, making sure she wasn’t walking into a trap. After seeing the terrifying shadows part to grab Olivia and snatch her away, Skye knew better than to go in blindly. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fists and pulled from whatever reserves she had to bring forth more light. Then she “threw” it into the tunnel. The resulting scream was rather satisfying. Emboldened, she edged further into the tunnel.

She heard Aurora behind her and realized that reinforcements had arrived. She suddenly saw a 509/564 flash of bright red light a short distance ahead of her, and she realized the female had called forth her wings and was preparing to flee. This tunnel was obviously wider than the other one leading into the chamber. Gathering her resolve, Skye took a deep breath and held her hands together. The building ball of light wasn’t as bright as the one before it, but she wanted it to last longer. When she sensed it was stable enough, she lobbed it toward the ceiling in the large chamber above her sisters, where it hung, casting a soft blue light over the center of the chamber. She turned and thought, I need to fly after her and stop her. And her light blue wings unfurled. She soared ahead, hardly able to appreciate the exhilaration of suddenly flying, she was so intent on stopping the Mercesti who had endangered her and caused bloodshed for her sisters. Blood-red wings grew visible as she rounded a corner. She gave another push to her already 510/564 strained power and flung a pellet of light ahead of her toward the retreating figure. There was a sharp, panicked gasp. Then, the female shouted, “Sleep!” Skye found herself unable to resist the dark and powerful command. She never even felt it when she crashed to the ground and slammed in-to the stone wall. When Gabriel hesitated in front of the split tunnels, James pointed out Aurora’s prints. They quickly followed them. Not long after that, Gabriel was suddenly flooded with Gloresti energy and Amber’s thoughts and feelings. He hissed as

searing pain shot through his right forearm and the side of his waist, but he didn’t stop running. Thoughts ran through his mind faster than he could process them. Silent cursing. Violence. Fear. Anger. Protectiveness.

Amber! he thought desperately. Oh, thank God! Gabriel. There are at least three Mercesti — 511/564 “Mercesti,” he panted to Caleb and James as they paused to evaluate a set of Aurora’s prints that seemed to circle back and forth. Then Amber’s thoughts grew more jumbled and rapid-fire.

Down. He’s—slash. Parry. Aurora. Gotcha! They were getting closer, he could sense it.

Kanika led us in here. I knocked her out when she tried to grab my ring. Hope I broke her nose. He turned another corner. Who’s Kanika? If thoughts could laugh, hers would have. The ironic humor she was feeling flooded through him. The Orculesti who

prepared me after the transition. She thought she was the love of your freakin’ life. It suddenly fell into place. He still couldn’t remember this particular Orculesti, but it was easy enough to understand how the girls had been taken off-guard and lured into their current location. They had been betrayed. And the Mercesti had added to their ranks by one.

512/564 Amber smiled humorlessly as Aurora neared Olivia and her thoughts with Gabriel flew back and forth, bringing him ever closer. She never moved her gaze from the brute in front of her. He was now circling her, seeking a way to get around her frequent movements to evade. Blood still flowed steadily from her injuries. That and the insane amount of pain radiating through her indicated they weren’t shallow scratches. The blood loss would weaken her over time, but as unbelievable as it seemed, it had actually only been a matter of a few minutes since Kanika shoved her into this blasted chamber. She had enough energy left to protect herself. She hoped. When the male who had grabbed Olivia gave up, throwing Olivia bodily toward Aurora, Amber relaxed a bit more. He was an angry-looking, dark-haired male dressed identically to her opponent in all black. Without a glance in Amber’s direction, he took the unconscious Orculesti with him as he fled. She noticed he was limping. She 513/564 felt little more than relief, never considering trying to stop him. “Guess that leaves you and me, big guy,” she said with a glance at the remaining Mercesti, her voice more confident than she actually felt.

Amber! The thought was a warning. She returned, Well, hurry UP

then! For some reason, his utter exasperation made her want to laugh. Maybe the pain and blood loss were affecting her

more than she thought. And when her head swam unsteadily, she knew that was exactly what was happening. The bald man shifted his gaze to Aurora as the panther approached, fangs bared. Her thoughts growing muddled, Amber foolishly lowered her guard when his attention was diverted, and he slashed out viciously in response, catching her along the left thigh. She bit back a cry of pain and staggered back, barely stopping herself from falling. 514/564 “A little something more to remember me by, my love,” he said with a wicked grin. And he turned to fly out of the chamber with a dark laugh trailing behind him. Gabriel ran in as the Mercesti’s crude farewell echoed through the chamber and he disappeared down the escape tunnel with a flare of red wings. He saw Amber struggling to keep her balance and realized what must have happened. Stark rage coursed through him. Without a thought, he unsheathed the dagger he was wearing in his right boot even as he ran toward the tunnel. Then he threw the weapon unerringly after the Mercesti. From the vicious curse that erupted, he knew he had hit him. That sound was enough to release Gabriel from the most violent part of the fury that threatened to overwhelm him. “A little something to remember me by,” he called into the tunnel. The name he tacked onto 515/564 the end of his rebuke was far less flattering than “my love.” Amber swayed, but remained on her feet. “Go after Skye. She went into the tunnel,” she said. “I’ll be

okay for a few more minutes.” Caleb didn’t even slow, having determined that Skye wasn’t in the chamber. He was already into the tunnel and flying. James knelt beside Olivia. Now that the Mercesti had fled, the floating lights all spilled in, flooding the room. It showed in rather grue-some detail just how injured both sisters were. “Who did this?” he demanded as he gently lifted Olivia’s chin to assess the damage to her neck. Blood flowed freely from her injuries and he knew she wouldn’t—possibly couldn’t—speak. Her breath came in shallow, bubbling gasps and she clutched desperately at his arm. Aurora made a keening noise in the back of her throat. Glancing behind him, he said, “Olivia is severely hurt. 516/564 It appears an artery has been severed. She will need healing quickly to repair the damage done.” Gabriel had just reached out to steady Amber, whose eyes were shining a bit too brightly, her pupils huge. James frowned when he realized that she was covered in even more blood than Olivia. But Gabriel’s golden-eyed warrior pulled out of her avowed’s hold to take a couple of steps closer to her sister. She dropped her bloodied sword and fell quite ungracefully next to James. “Amber, you can’t,” Gabriel said, obviously torn as he looked from one girl to the other. “You’re losing a lot of blood yourself.” Waving that aside, Amber said simply, “She’s my sister.” She leaned over Olivia. “Just look at us,”

she said as she replaced James’ hands on Olivia’s neck. “Not even three full days in these lovely new bodies and we’re both sliced and diced. Isn’t that always the way?” Olivia gave her a small smile and then closed her eyes tightly when Amber’s gaze started glowing gold. James couldn’t help but be awed by the 517/564 wash of gold light that appeared around Olivia’s throat where Amber touched. Even as he watched, the blood stopped pulsing from Olivia’s knife wounds. Then the cuts themselves began to heal. He was absolutely certain that there wouldn’t be so much as a scar left once Amber was done. It was more powerful than anything he had ever seen. “Ah, what a bastard,” Amber murmured, her eyes closed. Her hands moved deftly from Olivia’s neck to just beneath her breasts. “I’m sorry, Liv. Two of your ribs are broken.” When they healed, it was with the grotesque noise of bone rubbing against bone. Olivia sobbed and arched her back, tears streaming down her face. James felt inexplicable pain in his palms and glanced down with puzzlement. His hands were in tight fists, his knuckles white. When he opened his fingers, he realized with amazement that his nails had dug deep enough to draw blood. 518/564 After another full minute, Amber pulled her hands away. Olivia appeared to be sleeping, her breathing calm and even. James leaned forward and confirmed he had been correct. Not one scar. “Amazing,” he breathed. Beside him, Amber sat back heavily onto her backside. “Gabriel?” she said, her voice barely audible. “Yes?” he responded, worry in his tone as he squatted beside her and reached out to touch her shoulder.

“Don’t say I told you so,” she ordered. Just before she fainted.

Chapter Thirty-One Caleb soared swiftly and silently through the tunnel, not far behind the red wings of the Mercesti who had been fighting Amber. Gloresti energy surged through him, something he had not experienced in all of his ninety-three years. It was extremely powerful and instinctive, and led him right to where Skye lay crumpled on the ground, her back to him. Of course, she was rather hard to miss. The shimmering outline of her spirit guardian stood over her. Caleb realized the strange holy being had kept the Mercesti from taking Skye along with them as they fled. In keeping with his Gloresti instincts, he ignored the fleeing Mercesti and drew to an immediate halt when he saw Skye, running the 520/564 remaining distance to her. As soon as he knelt on the ground, the spirit beside her winked into darkness. Caleb realized he was holding his breath as he leaned over her to determine if she was still alive. Would he sense if she had been killed? He was still too much a novice to really understand this connection he had with the aggravating, tem-peramental, emotional…amazing girl. In any case, he couldn’t deny his relief when he heard her breathing. The sound was harsh and choppy, as if her ribs were constricted, but it meant she lived. When he did a closer inspection after generat-ing some light, he saw bruising already starting to form along the side of her ribcage visible to him. Her left arm was bent under her at an unnatural angle. She was bleeding from a large cut along her hairline. The bump alongside the cut concerned him, as did the blood on her lips. Had she bitten herself, or was she bleeding internally?

521/564 The foreign sensations of worry and outrage that rushed through him as he assessed her condition took him completely by surprise. Why should he feel so intensely for this obstinate half-human girl when he hadn’t done so for anyone else in nearly a century? He decided it must be his Gloresti impulses. Because he had trained for just this role for his entire existence, he wasn’t quite sure what to think about the foreign emotions. Unwilling to risk moving her, he sat beside her to wait. He knew the others would come shortly. Before they did, he allowed himself to touch her vibrant hair, something he had wanted to do since she had assumed her Estilorian form. He would die before ever admitting such a thing to anyone, of course. And he vowed he would hunt down whoever had done this to her if it was the last thing he did. Grolkinei had not once doubted the capability of his team of top commanders to complete their 522/564 mission. So when they returned to him, battered and defeated, he raged. “What do you mean by coming back to me like this— dragging your tails behind you like defeated lambs? You have bested contingents of Waresti and Gloresti, for unholy sake! These girls are half human!” They were again gathered in the meeting room. One of the beautiful windows overlooking the lake had already suffered at Grolkinei’s hands. He had thrown a chair through it. Wisely, none of the commanders sitting tensely at the long, wooden table spoke. They knew their leader had to wind down before he would hear them out.

Cesaro, the one Mercesti commander who had not gone on the mission, sat back with a smug expression on his face. Angius gave him a deadly glare, causing the smugness to fade. “You are an embarrassment to all Mercesti,” Grolkinei railed. “I should execute every single one of you as an example to everyone else!” 523/564 On and on he went, throwing objects, pounding on the table and spewing a stream of curse words. After a while, his eyes stopped glowing such an intense red. His breathing leveled out. His pacing slowed. The commanders began to relax, seeing he was finally regaining control of himself. He threw himself into the chair that he had abandoned when they had walked in as a group and caught him with the unexpected news. His custom-made suit jacket sat in a heap on the floor, covered in glass and his shoe prints. His tie hung loosely around his neck, the top buttons of his tailored shirt having been ripped off when he viciously yanked it. His ebony hair stood on end where he had rent his fingers through it. Now, he sipped calmly on a glass of water and nodded to Angius. Taking the hint, Angius finally got to his feet, as he had been itching to do. He stood with his legs braced apart, his arms held behind his back in an at-ease stance, and faced the room. Blood 524/564 trailed down both of his arms where he had been scored by his opponent’s sword. His black pants were wrapped with bloody bandages around his left thigh where the dagger had struck him. “The half-human females had assumed their powers by the time they were led to us. They are more powerful than we anticipated. And they each appear to have different talents.

“The first one, the object of the Orculesti’s anger and jealousy, entered the chamber armed and prepared to do battle. I do not know how she knew we were there. Perhaps she simply did not trust having been shoved into a dark room. But she drew her weapon the moment she gained her footing. Seeing that she knew her way with the weapon, and that the weapon was forged unlike anything I had ever seen, I attempted to disarm her. Even in the dark, she somehow sensed my actions and deflected me. She even got in several hits during the course of us facing each other. I suspect her blade is blessed, as my wounds will not stop bleeding, though they are rather 525/564 superficial. I was forced to use my sword against her.” Grolkinei frowned severely. “You used your sword and drew blood?” When the commander gave him a confirming nod, he pursed his lips. “That is unfortunate. In addition to being a key we must need to cross to the human plane, she sounds like she would have made a rather magnificent addition to our growing army.” Layla gasped at that, but held her tongue. Angius grunted, but whether he agreed with his commander or not wasn’t evident. “Yes, well, it appears she was bound to Gabriel.” Surging up from his chair, Grolkinei placed his hands flat on the table and leaned forward, his eyes flaring. “What? We received no word that he had made the passage back from the human plane.” Turning to Layla, who rapidly shook her head, he cursed and began to pace. “What does this mean? Has he resumed command of the Gloresti?” When no one responded, he turned 526/564 back to Angius. “Precisely what do you mean by saying Saraqael’s daughter was ‘bound’ to him?” “I cannot say for certain. But the Orculesti we brought back with us, once she regains consciousness, should be able to explain. I can tell you the golden-eyed half-human wore a

ring on her left ring finger, and whatever it signified is what sent the Orculesti female to us. When the Orculesti tried to remove the ring, there was a surge of powerful and searing holy light. She could not remove it.” Once again running his fingers through his hair, Grolkinei muttered to himself. Then, obviously realizing he wouldn’t be getting answers to this mystery, he waved a hand. “Tell me about the other two daughters.” “One of them—the blue-eyed one—was able to command holy light. It hurt.” For Angius to admit as much, it must have been excruciating. Grolkinei looked again at Layla, whose head was bowed. Lifting her face, he studied the angry red burns extending from her 527/564 left ear to the left side of her nose. Her left eye had, mercifully, been spared. But her beauty would never be the same. “Is this the one who so marked you, my lovely?” “Yes,” she admitted in a hard voice, refusing to weep. “With her blessed blue light.” “Then you alone may kill her.” She looked at him as though he had just gifted her with the largest gem on the Estilorian plane. “Thank you, my lord,” she said reverently, bringing his hand to her lips. “I have no need for anyone whose spirit is pure enough to command holy light,” he said dismissively. Then he looked pointedly at Angius to continue. “The other was in Ryce’s control.” Ryce rose, his mien as harsh and angry as always. “The green-eyed one was nothing. I could have had her gone from there in a thrice if not for the blasted holy light. While I was waiting for a chance to get clear of the chamber, a huge white panther entered. The half-human I had captured 528/564 said she could command the animal with her mind. When I

told her she was lying, that the cat would get her as soon as it would get me, she lifted her feet from the ground and the cat swiped me in the leg at the exact same time. It was obvious they were able to communicate with each other. I had no choice but to abandon her.” He paused, then realized he might as well get the next admission over with. After clenching his jaw, he ground out, “I believe I may have nicked an artery in her neck with my knife.” His expression murderous, Grolkinei ground out, “Let me be certain I have this right. Of Saraqael’s daughters, all of whom have enviable powers, the two that I could possibly have any use for are probably dead?” The silence in the room was as fragile as the window glass. Angius and Ryce sat down at the same time, knowing their lord was about to have another explosive fit. It was going to be a long night. 529/564 Gabriel had forgotten that when more than one Gloresti at a time felt a surge of protective energy, a mental alert went out to all Gloresti. He also forgot that any significant distress experienced by an elder of any class was felt by all of the other elders. So it was with quite a bit of surprise and no small amount of relief that he watched the remaining seven elders hurry into the chamber even as Amber fell backwards into his arms, unconscious. “What has happened?” Jabari demanded, hurrying to Gabriel’s side. His eyes shifted from Amber to Olivia and James, his expression appalled and disbelieving. “Skye is also injured,” Malukali announced after she paused in the room for a moment. Her eyes glowed brightly, indicating she was using her mental abilities. She lifted her long, colorful skirt and ran for the dark tunnel leading out of the room and the coliseum. Her dark green wings appeared as soon as she was cleared for it.

530/564 Ini-herit and Knorbis knelt beside Jabari and Gabriel and listened as Gabriel quickly related what had happened. The expressions of the other elders darkened in concern with every word.

Skye is down. Unconscious. Terrible head wound. Broken ribs. Dislocated shoulder. She needs to be healed, Iniherit. Malukali’s voice whispered through all of the elder’s minds, including Gabriel’s. He nodded at Ini-herit, giving the other elder his agreement for him to leave. Gabriel planned to help Amber’s healing speed along, and it sounded like Skye’s injuries were pretty severe. Within the span of a heartbeat, Ini-herit stood, turned, and ran from the chamber, his silver wings glistening into existence as soon as he entered the tunnel. “Amber is bleeding freely,” Jabari said with a concerned frown. “I know. I’m going to help her.” Pausing, Gabriel glanced up and caught the gazes of the other elders in the room. “This was what we did 531/564 on the human plane to promote her healing, just so you know.” Jabari responded for them all with an understanding nod. Gabriel leaned down and pressed his lips gently to Amber’s. He waited for the strong healing connection to make itself known, as it had done when she had been attacked by the wolves. But her lips were cold and unresponsive. His brow drew together as he tried to deepen the kiss.

She remained still and unmoving, his touch not appearing to make any difference at all. “I don’t…” he trailed off, pulling back a few inches from Amber and looking at her beautiful, lifeless face with confusion and a deep, spreading alarm. “She is barely breathing,” Jabari said quietly. “What manner of blade was used against her?” His throat tightening with fear as he processed Jabari’s observation and question, Gabriel responded, “I have no idea. I wasn’t —I wasn’t here.” He suddenly pulled Amber against him in 532/564 a fierce hug, as though he could press some of his vitality into her just by being close to her. Realization slowly began to penetrate as he listened to her heartbeat slow one laborious beat at a time. “Amber!” “Gabriel—” Jabari began. “No!” he shouted. He heard the terror in his own voice. But he refused to hear what he knew the other elder was going to say. No. Oh, God, no. Please. He couldn’t bear anything other than the thought that Amber would be okay. “We cannot help her if we do not know what caused these injuries, Gabriel,” Knorbis said, his voice subdued. And then a soft voice whispered, “Black.” They all turned and looked at Olivia, who was now sitting, propped up by James’ arms. She studied them with clear green eyes and then looked at Amber. Those lovely eyes filled. “The Mercesti’s blade was black.” 533/564 Jabari and Knorbis closed their eyes and bowed their

heads, making Gabriel’s heart seize like a ball of ice in his chest. Fighting the urge to close his own eyes to brace himself, he pushed past his panic and asked, “What?” He was involuntarily running his hands up and down Amber’s cold arms as though he could rub feeling into them. When her head lolled loosely to the side, he switched his hold to cradle her, inadvertently breathing in her familiar sunshine and spiced honey scent. He swallowed hard against the impact her scent had on his fragile grasp on his feelings. “What does that mean? A black blade?” “Only one Mercesti carries a black blade,” James responded, his voice even more solemn than usual. He exchanged glances with the elders. “Angius, the strongest of all of Grolkinei’s commanders. It is said that his blade was cursed by the darkest of all of Hell’s demons when it was forged.” 534/564 When Gabriel continued to look blank and desperate for a clear explanation, Jabari reached out and covered his hands with his own. “Amber has been struck by a cursed blade,” he explained softly. “Gabriel, I am so sorry. Such an injury defies our ability to heal. This is something no Estilorian can survive.”

Chapter Thirty-Two Something no Estilorian can survive. Jabari’s words echoed in Gabriel’s mind. They became a sort of mantra. After all, he reasoned, Amber was not full Estilorian.

But he knew. Skye had been healed enough by Ini-herit to walk back into the chamber of her own volition. Blood covered half of her face and she had a hideous bruise along her right side, but she didn’t seem to notice. She stood to the side of the chamber with her arms around Olivia, who was equally covered in dried blood and was now also on her feet. Aurora and their Gloresti stood beside them. Their eyes were all centered on Amber’s still form. 536/564 When all of the elders were again together and pulled Gabriel into a circle of power, leaving Amber lying alone on the hard ground in the middle of them, he didn’t resist. He knelt, called forth his wings, touched them to the wings of the elders kneeling beside him and allowed their power to circle and flow through and around him. He even did what he could to contribute to that power. But he knew. Because their powers were stronger when positive energy was the focus, he buried his fears and deepest emotions to avoid distracting the others. If Amber was to have any chance, she needed their power at its greatest strength. So he repeated Jabari’s words in his mind, praying that somehow, Amber’s human blood would make her immune or at least resistant to the deadly effect of the cursed blade. But the moment Jabari had issued those damning words, Gabriel had mined his own 537/564 memories in search of information about the Mercesti weapon. And he knew.

He knew Amber was right now in a dark void, feeling no pain. Her soul was somewhere deep inside of herself, shunning the awful effects of the unholy marks on her body. The evil stain-ing her blood would spread, however. Slowly and inevitably. And she wouldn’t be without pain for much longer. Soon, it would be all she experienced. Until finally— and, by then, mercifully—it would kill her. And because she was his avowed, it would kill him, too. Such was the nature of their connection. But that wasn’t a concern to him. No. He would suffer far worse than the mere act of dying over the next interminable span of time, simply because he would have to sit and watch as she died. Yes, they would watch, and they would do what they could with their power and their energy to counteract the effects of the injuries. 538/564 Gabriel prayed with everything human and Estilorian in him that it would be enough. He tried to send thoughts to Amber, tried to reach her mind. But it was as though she was no longer there. Even when they had been apart before the ceremony, he had at least sensed her. He had sensed that they would soon be together again. Now, nothing. And he knew. He sat in self-enforced numbness, willing the others around him to help him generate enough power to save her. His hands were clenched in front of him like he knelt in prayer, which was exactly what he was doing. He watched Amber’s still form for any sign of life as the formidable power of the elders circled and built. He listened for her with his mind with an equal intensity.

And then the pain began. Physically, Gabriel felt none of it. But he would bear witness to its vicious brutality. Her body writhed. Inhuman noises— the sounds of the tortured—issued from her throat. Her fingers and 539/564 her heels dug into the hard ground beneath her for purchase. Her wounds no longer bled red, but black. When she opened her once-beautiful golden eyes, they were also entirely black. But the tears that spilled from those eyes were clear. Gabriel sat as his avowed lay dying by cruel inches. He felt the will of the other elders focusing on keeping him in place so they could continue to try and help her. Then, because he was on the left side of her body, he saw her ring catch the light. And it shattered him. Before he could project the thought and thus prompt someone to stop him, he retracted his wings and scrambled desperately over to her on his hands and knees. He lifted her and clung to her. And simply allowed himself to feel. “Oh, God—Amber!” his voice broke. When she bucked and screamed, he tried to soothe her, even as sobs shook him. The agony he sensed in her became his own, an uncontrollable anguish that pierced his heart and soul. And 540/564 when that pain then crashed through the group of elders, the sensation was so intense that there were audible gasps and soft cries. He would have done anything to stop her from experiencing one more second of the pain.

Every one of her screams ripped through him. She clawed and fought, but he refused to let her go. Because the circle had already been broken, Skye and Olivia hurried closer. Skye took Amber’s right hand in her own, unconcerned that Amber’s grip could break the bones in her hand. Olivia did what she could to hold Amber’s legs steady. The sisters wept along with Gabriel. His ravaged grief was unbearable to witness. When one of Skye’s tears slid down her bloodstained cheek and dropped heedlessly onto the oozing black wound marring the hand she clung to, there was a flare of light when the tear touched Amber’s flayed skin. 541/564 Gabriel saw it. He caught Skye’s baffled gaze. He also realized that Amber’s thrashing had paused for a notable instant before resuming. He was afraid to move. Afraid to breathe. Afraid to hope. Olivia, however, could never let a puzzle go unsolved. She blinked back her own tears and then leaned forward to catch one of Skye’s glistening tears on her fingertip. She held it over Amber’s wound and let it drip. Nothing happened. But when she moved to sit back and a tear that had traveled along her cheek and through the blood covering her chin plopped onto Amber’s injured thigh, another pop of light flared. He understood. Frantically glancing around, he spotted

Olivia’s arrows scattered on the ground. Grabbing the closest one, he paused to gather one of his own tears on his left ring finger, then used the fine arrow tip to pierce the skin. Then he touched the combined fluids to Amber’s hip. Brilliant light flared. Amber moaned rather 542/564 than screamed when the next wave of cursed pain hit her. Even as Skye and Olivia caught on and silently leaned over so their bloody tears would touch Amber’s injuries, the chamber filled with the sound of weapons leaving their sheaths. Shocked by the sound, Gabriel glanced around in confusion. Only then did he realize that every one of the elders was weeping. Even the unemotional Ini-herit. Gabriel’s overwhelming grief had affected them all. They came forward, slicing fingers and palms, mixing their blood with their tears and then touching Amber where the cuts had been made. The chamber filled with flashes of light. Eventually, Amber’s thrashing ceased. She stopped crying out. Her face eased into peaceful lines. Before she closed her eyes and eased into a more natural state of unconsciousness, her irises had once again turned gold. Her wounds closed, 543/564 appearing as nothing more than thin, red lines where the cursed blade had broken her skin. She would be scarred forever…but they believed she would live. “We have all done what we can,” Jabari said solemnly. “The rest of this fight is hers alone.” Amber slept. When she opened her eyes, her brain felt thick. Feverish. She couldn’t

seem to hold onto a solid thought. Gabriel sat beside her. Wherever it was she was lying. Catching his gaze, she said the first thing that came into her hazed mind. “Are we married?” His lips twitched. He put something cold and wet against her forehead and she wanted to protest, but it was surprisingly soothing. “As married as Estilorians get.” A concerned expression crossed his features as he brushed his hand over her cheek. “Is that okay with you?” Her tongue didn’t want to cooperate, but she managed to reply simply, “Sure. I love you.” 544/564 Then she closed her eyes to clear her vision with a slow blink because she was seeing two of him. When she reopened them, he was clearer. And dressed in a different outfit. He looked more like the human Gabriel in a white T-shirt and blue shorts. Her brain still felt wrapped in Kleenex. “Weird wedding, though,” she said, continuing their conversation. Realizing she was speaking, he leaned closer. She vaguely realized that he was the only thing around her she could manage to focus on. “What?” “Weird wedding,” she repeated, wondering why her voice sounded like a croak. “Oh. Well, we can have a more human ceremony when you’re feeling better,” he offered with a small smile. Even in her foggy state, she recognized the worry in his gaze. He held a cup with water in it and propped her up enough that she could sip it.

545/564 The liquid felt like a miracle against her dry throat. “Thanks,” she said slowly as he settled her back down. “Orange juice would be even better.” Now his smile reached his eyes. She had another thought she wanted to express. She closed her eyes to bring the thought in-to focus. This time when she opened them, Gabriel was dressed in a royal blue short-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts. She might have been imagining it, but his hair looked longer. Her brain finally clued in that she was blacking out rather than blinking, but that was the best it could do before her thoughts scattered again. “Does this mean we get to have sex?” she asked, finally recalling what she had meant to convey before she closed her eyes. There was a snort of laughter, but since she was staring at Gabriel, she knew it hadn’t come from him. He turned and sent a warning look over his shoulder. She was too loopy to care that someone had overheard the intimate question. Where in the world was she, anyway? 546/564 “We’ll discuss that when you’re feeling better,” he said softly when he again looked at her. She processed that. “Am I dying?” “No,” he answered vehemently. She saw raw emotion flash through his eyes. She wished the fog in her brain would clear so she could hear his thoughts. “Guess I’ll get better then,” she said. “Got any orange juice?” “Of course I do.”

He turned to the small table beside her bed. Huh. She was in a big bed. Her vision grew more indistinct when she tried to see beyond the bed. There were splashes of color around the room. Were those the outlines of other people? But then Gabriel held a glass of orange juice to her lips and assisted her in drinking it, and she suddenly couldn’t find the energy to care. As he gently laid her back against the pillow, her thoughts cleared for another moment. She recognized the exhaustion and sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. 547/564 He frowned. She tried to say more, but her eyelids felt like weights, and she once again faded. This time, she dreamed. In the dream, she wielded her sword, its blade flashing white in the moonlight. There was movement all around her, but her gaze was centered on her opponent: the Mercesti who had faced her in the coliseum chamber. “I am going to kill you,” he said matter-of-factly, circling her and waving his curved black sword. “None can survive me.” “That’s funny. Because I’m still standing here,” she replied, her eyes following him. His scarred face spread in a malignant grin. “But you are not. Do you not see? I have taken you from him. Only those with unshakable faith can defeat the curse of my blade.”

“Well, I have faith in Gabriel. And no one and nothing will take me from him.” She swung her sword. They battled until the sun rose. She never flagged, swinging her blade 548/564 again and again, parrying his attempts to get past her guard. Her instinct guided her and led her true. And finally, when the sun fully crested over the horizon, she nodded. “Enough playing around,” she said. “Gabriel is waiting for me. Go to Hell.” And on her next opening, she drove her sword right through the Mercesti’s heart. The next time she surfaced, she felt perfectly coherent. The room was dimmer. She figured she had surfaced at night. Only one softly-glowing orb rested against the high ceiling. Slowly, she lifted her head. Now she could focus on the entire room. It was presently empty outside of her and Gabriel, who was lying next to her in the big bed. He had an arm thrown protectively over her waist. She was covered only with a sheet. He lay on top of the sheet wearing a pair of dark brown shorts and no shirt. For a while, she simply settled back and stared at him. Memories from her mental 549/564 nebulousness slowly filtered back to her. He had never left her side. The exact circumstances that had led her to this bed weren’t clear, but she knew she was recovering. He had left a glass of water on the bedside table an arm’s reach away from her. She carefully reached over and lifted the glass to her lips, finishing every drop. When she set it back down, her hand shook. She was obviously still weak. As she returned to her pillow, Gabriel stirred. He pulled her closer without opening his eyes and brushed his lips against her forehead. When his breathing quickly

evened out in sleep, she realized the action had been wellpracticed and instinctive. The knowledge touched her deeply. She turned her head and noted that their lips were just an inch apart. It took little effort at all to lift her head the remaining distance to kiss him. He responded even in sleep. His lips moved against hers. She slowly brought her right hand up and curled her fingers into the hair behind his head, deepening the kiss. That was when he 550/564 awoke. But rather than pull away, he pulled her closer. And there was the healing energy she needed. Finally, she was strong enough to focus her power on healing herself. The energy coursed through her in brilliant waves. Instinctively, she pushed some of that energy toward him. Golden light flared around them. She clung to him, welcoming his touch, sa-voring his kiss. He promoted her healing, yes, but it was his love she craved. Her entire body tingled as it regenerated strength. She sensed the same thing happening to him and realized he had been almost as much in need of her touch as she had his. He had weakened as she had weakened. Not just from a lack of sleep, but from emotional turbulence and deeply crippling worry for her.

I love you so much, she thought fervently, not wanting to part long enough to speak the words. Realizing their mental connection was reestablished, he responded in kind. Her mind flooded with all of the things he had wanted to 551/564 tell her while she was battling the curse and couldn’t. There was so much emotion in his thoughts that tears filled her

eyes and trailed down her cheeks. In the end, she understood with exceptional clarity that she had in Gabriel everything she had ever wanted. Indeed, all she ever needed. With him, she could truly conquer anything, no matter how incredible it might seem. And he felt exactly the same about her. He would never turn from her. To him, she had always been and always would be worthy of his love. And so it was that they healed each other.

Epilogue They were married in a traditional human ceremony in a location known and attended only by the Estilorian elders, Olivia, Skye, James and Caleb. The setting was remote, tropical and temperate with a rocky and awe-inspiring coastline. As the sun set over the calmly rolling sea, Amber and Gabriel joined hands and exchanged vows on the white sand beach while Jabari officiated. “I, Gabriel, take you, Amber, to be my wife…” “I, Amber, take you, Gabriel, to be my husband…” She was dressed in a simple white sundress with a sweetheart neckline and a flowing skirt that reached the tops of her bare feet. Her hair, which she had insisted on cutting, hung in loose, 553/564 windswept curls to just between her shoulder blades. She wore a single orange and gold tropical bloom above her left ear. The gold stars and blue-gray flames that marked the outsides of her golden eyes served as the only added color on her lovely face; she wore no makeup. Her only jewelry was the ring that hadn’t left her finger since she and Gabriel had exchanged them on the human plane. Jabari simply improvised that part of the ceremony.

Gabriel wore a loose white shirt unbuttoned over a white tank top and khaki-colored pants, his feet also bare. Behind him, wearing identical garb, stood James and Caleb. On Amber’s side, Olivia and Skye wore sundresses the exact blue-green of the ocean beside them. They carried bouquets of tropical floral in bright shades of gold and orange. The Estilorian elders, all of whom were in attendance, got into the spirit of the wedding’s casual theme. They wore loose, colorful dresses, casual pants and tank tops. No one wore shoes. 554/564 When Amber and Gabriel kissed to seal their marriage vows, their shared joy spread among everyone in attendance. It was nothing short of a miracle to a people who had felt very little in centuries. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the group moved to a spot on the beach that had been prepared with wooden chairs and softly glowing orbs of light around a fire pit. There was food and drink for everyone. The mood was festive and light. When the sun had fully set and everyone had eaten their fill, Gabriel turned to Amber. “I have a wedding present for you,” he said. Her eyes widened. “We were supposed to get each other presents?” He laughed. “I don’t know if we were supposed to, but I did.” And then he glanced at Sebastian, the Lekwuesti elder, who waved his hand toward Amber. 555/564 Amber stared at her lap as the gift materialized with a wash of lavender light. Her eyes grew even wider.

Skye gasped with delight. “A guitar!” “Not just any guitar,” Amber softly clarified as she rubbed the body reverently. “The same exact kind of guitar he bought me for my fifteenth birthday.” She tested the strings, tilting her head as she gauged its sound, and positively beamed. It obviously met with her approval. “How were you able to get this?” Olivia asked curiously. They all knew objects didn’t transition between the planes. “I worked on recreating it…with a little help,” he said, giving a thankful nod toward the Lekwuesti elder. Sebastian gave them all a modest nod and small smile. Amber set her gift carefully on the empty chair beside her and then threw her arms around her husband, kissing him soundly. “Thank you, Gabriel. You know I love it. It’s perfect.” She 556/564 touched the side of his face. “I wish I had thought to get you something.” “I would consider it a gift if you would play it, Little Star,” he responded, his eyes full of warmth and pleasure. After touching her forehead to his and sigh-ing happily, she sat back down and lifted the guitar. She gave it a few practicing strums. “This is so cool!” Skye said excitedly, bouncing in her seat. “I wish I could play. Oh, what can you play?” She clapped her hands together. “I know! Can you…” she trailed off and flushed, obviously aware of the fact that her taste and style differed from that of her sisters. But she continued gamely, “Can you play ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow?’ You know, the ukulele

version?” Blushing, she stammered, “It’s a happy song. It’s always made me think of the beach.” Not removing her gaze from Skye’s, Amber gave her a half-smile, moved her hands on the neck of the guitar and immediately launched into the song her sister had requested. 557/564 As the cheerful strumming surrounded them, Skye laughed and jumped to her feet. She turned to Caleb beside her and yanked his arm until he reluctantly stood. Then she started dancing, forcing him to move to keep up with her as she held his hands and gyrated and spun in time with the music. Olivia sang along with Amber, their voices blending melodiously together. Gabriel nudged James with a grin. It would be remembered as the most joyous event in all of Estilorian history. From a distance away, Knorbis stood beside Ini-herit and watched the festivities. The Wymzesti was smiling, something his friend the Corgloresti hadn’t yet mastered. Knorbis supposed it wasn’t so surprising that the practical and grounded Ini-herit was much more receptive to the more negative of the powerful emotions shared recently by their connection to Gabriel. But he found it unfortunate and worrisome. Achieving the balance between the positive and 558/564 negative sides of these extraordinary feelings would be essential if Ini-herit and the other elders were going to be able to handle processing them. Opening oneself to only the negative side was a recipe for disaster. But Knorbis understood, as well, that he was more open than all others to every level of feeling due to his highly intuitive Estilorian class. He would help the elders all learn

how to embrace the amazing emotions transferred to them by Gabriel. “Does she know she was largely in the dark for nearly a month?” Ini-herit asked to break the silence. His gaze was focused on Amber, and Knorbis also turned his attention to her. She looked like a different young woman now than the pale shell who nearly wasted away recovering in Ini-herit’s own bedroom. Knorbis doubted she would ever truly know the details of that month. How the worry, sadness and utter devastation that her condition caused Gabriel created a ripple effect that 559/564 sent all of the elders into seclusion to try and cope with the foreign and powerful sensations. How her sisters wouldn’t leave the house where she lay, unwilling to be away from her in case she needed them or if there was any change in her condition. How all of the Estilorians who had welcomed her presence to their plane had mourned in their way, knowing only that she had been attacked by Angius and struck by his cursed blade. The elders had yet to share the news of her survival with anyone outside of those currently attending the wedding, still uncertain whom they could trust. Knorbis and Malukali, being from the two classes most in tune with mental processes, had done what they could during the dark time. They both spent most of the past month sitting with Gabriel, giving him an outlet for his grief. They had listened to his many stories about the human plane. About his relationship with Amber. Although they hadn’t understood it on the most 560/564 basic emotional level, they certainly listened and absorbed. It had also helped Knorbis better understand the odd reactions he had when in Malukali’s presence…but those self-revelations were his to deal with at a more appropriate

time. “I believe Gabriel explained that to her,” he replied finally. “They do not keep things from each other. As I understand it, they can read each other’s thoughts, so deceit is really impossible.” Ini-herit grunted. “It seems that Gabriel has helped her learn to move past the typical barrier she once placed between herself and others. She has clearly accepted her sisters.” Knorbis agreed. “They will need her strength as much as she will rely on their individual powers. She risked herself for them, and they did the same for her. That will help them bond and guide them through any challenges to come. They will need every advantage they can get.” “Do you really believe she has developed an immunity to the cursed blade?” 561/564 Nodding, he said, “I am confident of it. She has more depth of faith and spirit than we could have guessed, or she would have succumbed to the cursed blade’s deadly powers.” No one would think to question Knorbis now regarding such things. His prediction about the half-human girls and their impact on the Estilorians had proven true thus far, after all. And no one had ever believed that could happen. And so, Ini-herit simply nodded. “She does not know it yet,” Knorbis said, his gaze still focused on the beautiful young woman who strummed the guitar and looked at his dear friend with so much love. “But she will lead us all in the fight against the Mercesti with her sisters by her side. And it will come sooner rather than later.” When Ini-herit didn’t respond, Knorbis turned and clapped him on the back. “Until then, though, there is no reason why we should not join the others in celebration.” Pulling on Iniherit’s

562/564 arm, he smiled. “Come on, my friend. It is time to go and welcome a brighter future.” Note from the Author To borrow a well-loved quote from Samuel Johnson, “A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.” Thank you for helping me finish Becoming, a book that is much like a firstborn child to me. I hope you’ll check out Central, the second book in the Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy, now available everywhere e-books are sold. Website: http://www.RaineThomas.com twitter: http://twitter.com/Raine_Thomas Central: http://www.RaineThomas.com/ books/Central Foretold: http://www.RaineThomas.com/ books/Foretold About the Author Raine Thomas is the author of a series of young adult fantasy/romance novels about the 564/564 Estilorians. She has a varied background including such

professions as wedding planning and mental health…two fields that intersect more often than one would think. Residing in Orlando, Florida with her husband and daughter, Raine is hard at work on her next series of books about the Estilorians: the Firstborn Trilogy.

Document Outline BECOMING Prologue PART I: Discovery Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten PART II: Transition Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty PART III: Becoming Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Epilogue

Table of Contents BECOMING Prologue PART I: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten PART II: Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty PART III: Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two Epilogue