Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy (25 page)

I leaned back against the seat. "How do I learn to control it? How can anyone possibly have their emotions in check when there's a hoard of creepy aliens appearing through the walls?"

"Practice," he said. "It's all new to you Lucy. No one expects you to be a master at it yet."

Marcus joined the conversation. "Relax Luce. I'm surprised you're not a basket case after all you've been through." He patted my knee again. "You're holding up really well."

I didn't feel as though I were. My life had become a series of crazy surreal incidents which I could hardly believe had happened. I almost wished this were all a dream, or more aptly, a nightmare, but then, if it was, and I awoke and found it was all a figment of my imagination, there would be no Aric. I leaned back against his shoulder, tucking my head under his chin and slipping my arm across his waist. I held him tight and his arm tightened around my shoulder in response. I knew he understood what I was feeling even without reading my thoughts. We sat quietly for a while, and I began to relax as I felt the reassuringly real beat of his heart through his shirt.

Phil looked back at us through the rear view mirror. "We'll be there soon."

I lifted my head and looked around. As far as I could tell, there was nothing of significance to be seen for miles around. The highway stretched out ahead of us and disappeared into blackness at the end of the car's headlights. The sky overhead was inky black, interspersed with a smattering of stars which did nothing to brighten the gloom. We drove for another half hour before Phil took a right turn on to a single lane asphalt road which twisted and turned up a steep hill. As we rounded a corner, a large modern house came into view, its windows bright with light - a cheery and welcoming contrast to the darkness around it. A feint orange glow could be seen on the horizon behind the house. I was thoroughly confused. I didn't think it was nearly sunrise, and I thought we'd been driving north west, not east.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Aric sat up and stretched his arms over his head. "Old friends," he said. "The house overlooks Spring City." That explained the orange glow - Spring City was one of the biggest cities in the desert. Phil steered the car up the steep driveway, and the porch light went on. Ellen appeared at the front door, and hurried down the path to the car.

"Oh, thank god!" she exclaimed, giving Saul a hug as he exited the car. She clasped Marcus in a quick hug too before she hauled him out of the way to get to me. She saved the biggest embrace for me.

"You poor love!" she said, smoothing my hair back from my face. "What an ordeal, come on - you need a hot cuppa and something to eat I suspect." I went to move but my legs were still wobbly. I felt as though I was running on empty. "Aric, help me get her in," she ordered. Despite my protests that I could walk by myself, the two of them held me up as I dragged my tired feet up the path to the front door.

The interior of the house was modern but homely. I was led to the living room where a small fire burned cheerfully in the big stone fireplace, taking the chill off the desert night air. Ellen fussed about me for a moment, spreading a blanket over my knees and placing my feet on a footstool.

A woman appeared carrying a tray. "A bowl of homemade tomato soup, and some toast. Phil, Aric, make yourselves useful and go and fetch the coffee." She was stunningly beautiful. Tall, elegant, with perfectly coiffed blonde hair, and exquisitely fine features, it was difficult not to stare at her. I wondered if she was a whisperer like Aric. I wouldn't be surprised - she had that strange, charismatic quality Aric possessed. Aric and Phil left the room obediently.

"Ah, Jomi, just the thing. Lucy, this is Jomi, a very old friend of ours. She is kind enough to put us all up here."

Jomi smiled at me, a perfect smile with pristine white, straight teeth. "Not so much of the 'old', if you please Ellen," she said with a laugh. Even her laugh was enchanting.

"We have plenty of room here, and you're most welcome," Jomi told me, arranging the tray on my lap. "Be careful, the soup is scalding hot."

I was so tired I could barely hold the spoon, but I dutifully sipped some of the soup. It was hot, but delicious.

"There is more soup in the kitchen for the rest of you," Jomi said. "I don't know whether you want to eat in here too?"

Saul turned from the window and its panoramic view of the city lights in the valley below. "Olaf isn't here?" he asked.

Jomi shook her head. "Olaf is my husband, he drives a big rig," she explained to me, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. "He's due back soon."

Aric and Phil appeared with the drinks tray, and Ellen and Jomi busied themselves with the distribution of the mugs of steaming coffee. Aric handed Marcus a soda. I was grateful for the coffee, but my eyes were closing, and all I really wanted to do was sleep.

Aric sat down beside me. "I think Lucy needs to get to bed," he said, "she's about to fall asleep in her soup."

Ellen jumped to her feet. "Oh, yes, but, honestly, first I think you need a bath Lucy, and a change of clothes. Aren't those the ones you were wearing when you left the apartment?"

I blushed. My clothes reeked. I'd showered at the facility, but I'd made sure I'd put the clothes Aric had given me back on again.

"I have some things which will fit you," Jomi said. "I'll be right back." She left the room, and Aric took the tray from my lap before it fell to the floor.

It was all I could do not to fall asleep in the bath, and it was so difficult finding the energy to heave myself out of the tub I was afraid I might have to call for some help. I slipped into the silk pajamas Jomi had provided, and reluctantly handed my dirty clothes over to her - she faithfully promised she would have them washed and ready for me in the morning.

My room overlooked the amazing array of twinkling lights from the city below the mountain. I wished I was more alert so I could appreciate the view. Ellen pulled the blinds, and the lights disappeared. I slid between the sheets, Jomi and Ellen fussing over me like mother hens. The combination of comfortable, safe surroundings and unfamiliar pampering felt strange to me. Once they were satisfied I was comfortable, they left, and Aric entered the room. He bent to kiss my forehead. Despite my exhaustion, an exhilarating wave of affection washed over me, followed by a flush of guilt. He'd risked his life to rescue me, had searched for me and never given up on finding me, despite all the horrid things I'd said to him before I'd left Saul's flat. I'd never apologized.

I heaved my exhausted body to a sitting position.

"Aric," I began, "About what I said, before, you know, at Saul's..."

He cupped my cheek in his hand. "I really am sorry," he said.

I glanced up at him with alarm. Did he really think I was still sore after everything he'd done for me?

"No! I'm the one who should be sorry. I said some horrible things."

"You were only speaking the truth."

"No. I understand what you did. There were... 'mitigating circumstances'." I smoothed his hair out of his eyes, wincing as I noted the pain still evident in their depths.

"It still doesn't excuse what I did. But I am sorry." He lowered his head and rested his forehead against mine. I pulled him against me and we sat still, silent for a while, enjoying the closeness. My eyes closed and sleepiness washed over me again. I let out a yawn. He sat up, his hands resting on my shoulders and smiled.

"I think you need to get to sleep." I lay back down and Aric pulled the blanket up around my shoulders, bending once again to kiss me. After weeks of living in my impersonal cell, I felt as if I were in heaven.

"Good night Lucy, sleep tight. I'll see you in the morning."

My eyes closed, only to flutter open instantly as his weight left the bed. I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Aric, what's going to happen?" I asked. "Are we going to Canada?"

He pushed a lock of hair from my face. "Shh, don't worry about anything tonight. We'll talk about it in the morning. Right now, you need to sleep." His voice took on the smooth, tranquil quality he'd used before. My eyelids drooped until they finally closed, and I felt him place another kiss on my forehead.

"Goodnight, Lucy," he whispered. I heard him cross the room, and he switched off the light.

No sooner was he out the door, than my head was filled with visions of large black shiny eyes, and blood soaked fangs. Overcome with panic, I sat upright in my bed.

"Aric!" I yelled. He was through the door in an instant.

"I don't want to be alone tonight."

He crossed the room, sat down on the bed, and kicked off his boots. "Move over then," he said with a smile. He lay down beside me, and I snuggled up to him, laying my head against his chest. We lay together in the dark in cozy silence, his fingers caressing my shoulder soothingly. I felt safe for the first time in weeks and I wanted to savor the moment forever, but exhaustion took over, and I fell asleep within minutes.

* * * * *

In the morning I found myself sprawled on top of Aric, my face tucked into his shoulder, my arms and legs thrown around him. I looked up to find him watching me.

"Good morning," he said with a smile, planting a kiss on my forehead.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and lifted my head to see the room was bright, the blinds were opened to reveal a brilliant blue, cloudless sky hanging over the sprawling city below.

"'Morning," I mumbled. "What time is it?"

Aric looked at his watch. "Eleven am. I've been waiting for you to wake up. I didn't want to move and disturb you. You obviously needed the sleep."

I realized I was lying on top of him. He grinned at me. "You know - you're like a heat seeking missile when you sleep - where ever I moved, you followed me."

Abashed, I removed my leg from its position over his waist - I'd been clinging to him like a barnacle. "Sorry."

He rubbed an affectionate hand over my hair and smiled again. "Don't be sorry - I kind of liked it."

"Oh, well, in that case..." I replaced my leg back over him, and stretched my arm out across his waist. This was a lovely way to wake up.

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Aric asked.

I glanced up at him and grimaced. "Oh no, what did I say?"

"Well, Ellen reckons you were bowling - you told her she had 'a strike'."

"A strike?"

He nodded. "She came in earlier this morning to see how you were, but I asked her to let you sleep. She opened the blinds and you yelled 'that's a strike!'"

"Hmmm... right." I wondered why I would be dreaming about bowling, and then I remembered - I had been talking about bowling with Doctor Chenski. The light mood darkened immediately.

"How did Doctor Chenski find you?" I asked. Aric pushed a lock of hair back from my cheek. "It was kind of odd. We've been searching for you for weeks. Ellen got her assistant to run her store while she helped us look for you. The assistant phoned her one day to say a man kept pestering her about ordering 'stingy roses'. She had no idea what he was talking about, but when Ellen told me, the penny dropped, and I realized it had something to do with you. I arranged to meet him, and he told me where to find you."

The image of his disappearing jeep flashed into my head. "The poor doctor. Do you think that orange light killed him?" I felt sorry for his daughter - she had no father now, because he'd helped me.

"I doubt it - they'll probably claim his wyk and set him back down somewhere."

"Why didn't you want to tell me what they really do with the humans?"

A haunted look crossed his eyes. "I didn't - don't - want you to be scared. You don't need to have to worry about all that. It's not your fault you're caught up in all this - you didn't ask for it." He pressed his lips against my hair. "I just... want you to feel safe and happy," he said simply.

"You should have told me about the Council."

Raising his head, he looked at me in surprise. "You know about that?" His head sank back to the pillow, and he pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I wish you didn't."

"Why?"

He turned over to face me, and I moved to the pillow so that we were face to face. He traced his fingers gently over my cheek. "If there's one... cardinal rule, which is put into our heads, it is not to tell humans about how the earth is, well, you know... it's not what humans really think it is."

"But why can't we know? Don't we have a right to know what's really happening?"

"Does it make you feel good knowing you're a part of a giant experiment and could be... wiped out at the whim of those who created the experiment?"

I swallowed hard. "No, you're right, it's a pretty disturbing thought."

He nodded. "Humanity is built upon a warped version of the truth. Imagine if the real truth got out - think about the panic, it'd affect politics, religion, education... the world would be a shambles."

"So, I guess, if the Council created this earth, then there is no god - religion is a waste of time."

Aric shrugged. "I didn't say there is no god. I really don't know, but, I think, suspect... something had to begin everything - something had to create whatever happened in the beginning. The Council didn't create the planet - they just seeded it... so who created the Universe? The first seeds of life?"

I groaned and rubbed my forehead. "Ugh, this is way too complicated and confusing for this hour of the morning!"

Aric laughed. "This hour? Half the day is gone! Jomi's probably thinking she's got a couple of layabouts on her hands!"

I was enjoying lying so close to him, and the comfortable banter, and I didn't want to give it up just yet.

"Jomi is lovely. There's something... different about her. Is she a whisperer too?"

An uncomfortable look crossed Aric's face, and then it was gone. "No, she's not a whisperer. She isn't human though - she's... Pleiadian. From a star system called Pleiades."

I don't know why I was surprised when so many other strange things had been revealed to me lately.

"I thought the earth was in quarantine and no one was supposed to come here from... anywhere else."