Surfacing the Rim (Piercing The Fold) (20 page)

I look at Elisha. “Mind if I bunk with you?”

She eyes me, and then she says, “Sure, it’ll be Ang, you, and me. Let’s get you settled.”

Luke and Jake start rattling off bunk assignments for the night. I vaguely hear Ezra pair Nate and Xander together in a room.

Ezra calls to all of us. “Meet back here in an hour. We need to go over the plan for the next few days.”

* * *

I follow Elisha and Angela through the house to the room they had been sharing. I drop my bag to the ground and plop down on the nearest bed. Ang lounges on the beanbag while Elisha sits on the bed across from me.

Elisha doesn’t waste any time. “So, I see that you’ve been busy with this Xander guy.”

I look at her sharply. “I’ve been busy with a lot more than that.”

Ang supports my comment. “You have definitely had more drama than any of us. That’s for sure. Dallas has been boring, but there’s nothing like being back home.”

Elisha takes that into consideration. “Yes, I’m sure you have. It’s been a busy six months for you.” She absentmindedly fiddles with a loose thread on her sweater.

Ang must find the silence awkward. “Uh, I’m starving all of a sudden. I’m going to leave you besties alone to catch up.” She quietly leaves, closing the door behind her.

I realize that I haven’t talked to my best friend in six months. I put my hands down in my lap and look at her guiltily. “I’m sorry that I never called you when I left the facility. Things were not what I expected when we left.”

Elisha crosses her legs on the bed and waves her hand at me, dismissing my comment. “I didn’t want to say anything at the time, but I knew that you wouldn’t call when you got out.” She sighs, looking down. “Too much changes within you when you leave the facility. The things that were once the most important in the universe no longer hold much weight.”

I sit up, turning toward her. I stretch my hand out to hold hers.

She continues, “I’m not talking about us.”

I nod. “I know. You’re talking about all the stuff that seemed to mean so much more then, and now, they seem meaningless and mundane.”

Elisha smiles and nods. “Exactly.”

I’m curious about Elisha’s time at the facility. “When did you go?”

She sighs deeply, and then she looks at me with a smirk on her face. “Remember the summer I went to Switzerland with my parents? It was junior year in high school.”

I nod my head, remembering it. “You came back and told me all about it.”

Elisha scratches her temple with one hand, and she giggles. “Yeah, well, my parents went to Switzerland, and I went to the facility to train.”

I think back, trying to remember any indications of her being different somehow after she returned. I wink and playfully shake my finger at her. “You’re good, Lisha.”

She lies back on her bed sideways, looking at me. “Hey, it wasn’t easy!” Her face gets serious again. “But, I knew I had a purpose greater than myself to uphold. You were the biggest part of that. Before you all left Georgia, I told Ezra that I wanted to be called in when things heated up.”

I lie back on my side, facing her. “And, that’s why you’re here now.”

Elisha rolls her eyes jokingly. “Uh, yeah!”
She looks at me sheepishly. “So, tell me about this Alexander Sera and Nathaniel Sera.”

I roll onto my back, cover my eyes, and grunt, dreading the explanation of how complicated it all is.

* * *

I spend the next half hour telling her everything that has happened between Nate, Xander, and me.

When I finish, I sigh deeply. I look down at my hands, and then I glance back up at her. “I’m torn between them, Lisha. I care about Nate, even love him, I think. But, ever since Ezra told us that we’re implanted with Copulas that strengthen our link, I can’t help but consider that what we think we feel are just false emotions being confused with our physical attraction. Then, there’s Xander. We aren’t linked, and I feel such intense emotions and love for him. I’m sure that what he and I feel is real, but I don’t want to dismiss Nate and me. The thing is that I can’t tell either of them how I feel right now.”

Elisha’s brow furrows, and then she relaxes when she realizes the reason why. “You don’t want them to go into this battle with your decision weighing on their shoulders. You think it might kill one or both of them.”

I nod and close my eyes. “I can’t lose either of them, Elisha. I won’t let that happen because of me.”

Elisha says, “Oh, Jes.” She stands and plops down next to me on my bed.

I quickly sit up, and she pulls me in for the biggest and best hug she has ever given me.

I whisper, “Thank you for being here. I’m so glad you’re here with me right now, Lisha.”

Elisha smoothes my hair. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, Jes.”

Chapter 30

Corinna

Tokyo, Japan

With his hand resting on my lower back, Sam guides me into the Womb nightclub. His thumb brushes against my exposed skin just above my low-cut silken top. That small, simple touch sends a rolling wave of immeasurable sensation through me. It’s so strong that my mouth instinctively falls open, and I sigh.

When I turn to look at him briefly, Sam’s hooded eyes tell me that he knows the effect his touch has on me. I sense it has the same effect on him.

Our desire for each other is becoming more difficult to overlook. I breathe in deeply, pushing away the intimate images going through my mind as we walk toward the back of the lounge to a doorway.

Sam knocks once, and the door swings open, revealing Hiro on the other side. He’s dressed in a dark suit with a white-collared shirt and a light blue tie. He looks from me to Sam, and then he nods once, moving aside to let us pass.

Silently, he escorts us to the elevator. Sam and I enter the elevator, and Hiro steps inside before the doors slide closed.

I can feel Sam’s body heat close behind me. He is so close that I can feel the warmth of his breath on my neck.

Sam whispers, “You look beautiful tonight. Perfection.”

His hands come to rest on both sides of my waist, and he pulls me back into his hard chest. Sam runs the tip of his nose along my shoulder and collarbone.

Breathless now, I ask, “What happened to not giving into desires?”

I hear the elevator ding. Just as the door slides open, I pull away from Sam, walk into the expansive suite, and set my eyes on the small crowd we need to take tonight.

Windows line every wall in the dimly lit space. Sam is next to me now.

His voice is low
but serious, “Look, we need to appear to be a couple, remember? I…I was just getting into character.”

I look at him to see how much truth is behind his statement. I smirk. “I would go so far to say that your character is a little too good, Sam.”

I put my hands on both sides of his neck and pull him into me, kissing him in the middle of our audience. I don’t hold back. If he wants to put on a show, I can do it, too.

My legs instantly weaken when his tongue parts my lips and finds mine. I’m grateful when his arms encircle my waist because I am sure to crumble to the ground without his hold on me.

The kiss slows, and we pull apart. We don’t say anything to each other. I know that Sam is waiting for me to speak first. But, I also know that the one who speaks first loses, and I’m not about to lose. If he can resist, I can, too.

I ask, “Believable?”

Sam’s voice is deep and grating, and I know I’ve had the effect I intended. “Yes. Very believable.”

The seduction in his voice makes me want to pull him back to me. Instead, I drop my hands and walk toward the nearby cluster of lounge chairs occupied by Katsuro, one of Hiro’s sons.

When we approach, Sam calls to him from behind me. “Katsuro, so nice to see you again.”

Katsuro is holding his tumbler on the arm of the chair. His other hand is resting on his mouth. He rises slowly to greet us.

Katsuro pulls me into a gentle embrace while Sam and Katsuro exchange a strong handshake. He motions for us to sit with him.

As Katsuro eyes the sea of moving bodies through the tinted glass, he says to Sam, “The diplomats are being…entertained on the fourth floor. It has been reserved for them and close guests.”

I smile, thinking about what entertained entails. The last group we took were very entertained by the group of men and women escorts Sam had hired.

I clear my throat. “There were ten last night. How many are there tonight?”

Katsuro looks at me with his index finger leisurely resting on his temple. Katsuro smiles at my question. “Fifteen tonight—nine men and six women. Quite a catch, huh? But, diplomats travel in packs, so it isn’t that difficult to orchestrate a gathering. Birds of a feather, right?”

I calculate how many I will take.

Sam chuckles lightly. “Two days ago, it was eight. Last night, it was ten, and now, it’s fifteen. You’re stepping up your game for us. Thank you, Katsuro. It will not go unrewarded. Sanderson will take care of you.”

Katsuro’s smile fades as he looks from me to Sam. I wonder why Katsuro doesn’t like Sam.
Katsuro responds, “I know what has been promised. I don’t need you to remind me, Sam. This has very little to do with you, and everything to do with building our fellowship.”

I feel the tension rising between the two men, so I stand to distract them.
I bow graciously to Katsuro. “Thank you, Katsuro, for your help.”

Katsuro quickly stands in response to my gesture. Instead of bowing back, he pulls me to him
softly and whispers into my ear, “Be careful, Corinna.”

I push away and hold him at a distance. Katsuro’s eyes are glaring at Sam. Katsuro releases me, and he bows to Sam. Turning to look at Sam, I see him return Katsuro’s glare while he bows.

I interrupt the silent exchange, “I’ll text you when we’re ready for the transport.”

Chapter 31

Sam

Corinna quickly walks toward the elevator, and I’m right by her side.

She asks, “What was that exchange between you two?”

I can understand why Katsuro is attracted to her. She’s a very beautiful and seductive woman. And, Katsuro knows what kind of man I am, and I won’t let him near her.

We enter the elevator, and I
growl, “It was about you.”

I feel Corinna’s eyes shift to look at me as the door begins to slide closed. As soon as it shuts, I pull her to me and kiss her with all the pent-up growing emotions and desires I have had for days.

I could easily take her right now, and I know she would let me. I can feel her desire for me as well, but we have a mission. As I slow the ravenous kiss, I grab hold of Corinna’s hand and interlock our fingers.

When I pull away, I keep my eyes fixed on hers. I whisper, “Not now.”

Our breath is coming quick when the elevator dings. The door slides open to the fourth floor.

“You’re right. We have a mission,” she says breathlessly, trying to pull back from me.

I don’t let her escape. Instead, I pull her close and claim her mouth with mine again. This time, I kiss her tenderly.

I breathe a word onto her lips,
“Later.”

She searches my eyes, my mouth, and then she nods. She whispers back, “Later.”

Corinna brushes her lips against mine one more time. Then, we exit the elevator hand in hand, and we begin preying upon the laughing, mingling, and unknowing targets around us.

Chapter 32

Jesca

Elisha and I head down to the living room to meet the others. Everyone is already waiting for us to join them. I see Nate and Xander exchange a glance. Although it isn’t malicious, it’s an exchange that leaves me curious.

Ezra is fiddling with the computer. “I almost have it. Alright, we’re ready to connect with Siobhan on Skype.”

I question, “Siobhan?”

I remember that Corinna’s sister, Isabel, is being trained as a guardian by Siobhan while they’re in Japan.

From the kitchen, Ang yells, “Wait! Wait for me!”

I hear the distinct sounds of a phone ringing once and then twice. On the third ring, the monitor changes from a blank screen to Siobhan’s familiar face.

She asks, “Can you see me?”

We all move in to hover near the computer screen. Sebastian sits front and center.

He confirms, “Yes, we can see you.”

Ang lets out a startling girl scream and says, “S, it’s me! Hi! I miss you so much!”

Ang leans in to the lens a little too close.

Siobhan rolls her eyes and smiles. “Back up, Angela!”

Jake inches up to the screen, so he can be in the visual of the webcam. “Hey, babe. God, I miss you.”

Siobhan smiles the softest smile I have ever seen on her face.

“I miss you so much, babe.”

It’s so sweet to see their exchange. I peek over at Elisha. Having witnessed their outward affection even though they’re thousands of miles apart, she gets this sappy look on her face.

Siobhan looks around her screen at all of the prying eyes. Taking in the emotional moment, she quickly clears her throat, and then she sips her coffee.

Her voice is hard when she speaks. “It’s pretty early here still. Isabel isn’t awake yet, but I can wake her if you like, Sebastian.”

Sebastian replies, “No, it’s fine. How is she progressing with her training?”

Siobhan looks over her shoulder, and then she leans in. “You know I don’t brag much on the guardians, but I can say that with only a couple of short weeks of training under her belt, she has improved her physical strength, her speed, and her ability to heal others beyond what I was expecting.”

Ezra smiles and says, “I’m sure her mentor had quite a bit to do with it.”

Siobhan laughs a little, full of pride. Then, she whispers, “More than anything, I think she’s motivated by the goal of saving her sister, Corinna.” She briefly looks down. “I don’t want her to have false hope that her sister will be fine.”

I sense Siobhan’s wholehearted concern for Isabel.

Siobhan continues, “I’ve been realistic with her. I’ve told her that the chances of saving her sister are fifty-fifty.”

Balthazar asks, “And, how did she respond to that?”

Siobhan answers, “With hope. Isn’t that what all of us are living on right now?”

She’s right. We’re all focused on the hope that we will be strong enough to save our world from invasion and destruction.

Through the computer speakers, I hear a door open and shut. A voice brings tears to my eyes. She sounds just like Corinna.

“Who are you talking to, Siobhan?”

Siobhan turns to look behind her, and a younger version of Corinna with a few minor facial differences becomes visible on the screen. Siobhan pulls back from the webcam, allowing room for Isabel to get a look at all of us on the screen.

Isabel quickly pulls her robe tight around her body. She says awkwardly, “Uh, hi.”

Siobhan introduces us to her.

When Siobhan gets to me, her voice softens. “Isabel, that is Jesca Gershon-Sera.”

Isabel’s eyes fall to the ground, and then she looks back up into the camera. Her eyes are full of tears now. “Hi, Jesca.”

I can’t speak. The knot in my throat has blocked any words from forming out of my mouth without a whimper or cry coming out first. I bite my lip to hold myself together, and then I put my hand up in a small waving gesture.

Elisha senses my sadness and runs her hand along my back in a pattern to soothe me. I breathe in deeply and swallow the lump in my throat.

Balthazar questions, “Have you been able to get a device in place at the Sondian safe houses in Japan?”

Siobhan nods. “Yes, the mosquito drone came in handy. We’ve bugged every safe house. I have the other local Dobrian cells listening in on the chatter. As of now, everything has been the same. Mt. Fuji and the Aokigahara Forest are still the points of interest to open the wormhole during the intersection.”

Siobhan eyes Isabel, and then she says, “Sam and Corinna have been increasing the implantation of civilians. They’re really pushing their numbers for the intersection. Last I heard, they abducted over twenty diplomats and high-ranking government officials within the past three days.”

Balthazar replies, “Yes, we’ve heard the same from other guardians globally. Corinna and Sam are ramping up their forces as well as making sure they secure governmental support by taking these diplomats.”

Sebastian thanks Siobhan for her hard work and tells Isabel to keep up the training. He continues, “We will be on the morning flight to Tokyo.”

Ang startles us again with her girl scream. She quickly says, “Sorry. I miss you, S!” She covers her mouth quickly before anything else escapes.

Isabel looks at all of us on the computer screen. “All of you?” Her eyes quickly dart to me.

I can’t tell if she’s eager for me to be there or if she’s dreading it. I find myself looking away from the screen now, wanting to avoid her eyes.

Siobhan says, “We’re going to need every guardian available. I have all of the cells ready to dispatch on my call. Still, I’m concerned we might not have enough. We should have worked on increasing our numbers.”

Sebastian chides Siobhan, “We talked about this.”

Siobhan nods. “I know. We can’t rush humanity into something it isn’t ready for.”

I remember our conversation in the car when we were on the way to the safe house earlier. If we approached average humans with what we have to offer—the implantation of a device that will help them adapt and evolve with our world in order to survive—they would run the other direction away from us and right into the arms of the Sondians who would force their warped device on them.

Balthazar shifts in his chair to look at me while answering Siobhan. “Soon, we will make our move.”

Siobhan and Isabel say they will be awaiting our arrival, and Sebastian ends the Skype call.

Xander looks down in disgust, and I immediately want to know what he’s thinking.

He looks over to me and willingly gives me his thoughts, God, Jes, she looks just like Corrina.

Sebastian and Balthazar swivel their chairs toward us and start laying out the basic plan for the next twelve hours—eat, sleep, and hop on a private jet to Tokyo, Japan to meet with Siobhan and Isabel before our mission.

Sebastian says, “We need to see where everyone’s at with controlling their abilities—combined and separate.”

Luke responds, “Jake, Elisha, Nick, Angela, and I have been training together with our abilities.” Luke looks at Elisha and smiles. “Elisha was a little rusty, but her Telekinesis and Ushering came back to her quickly after she began training with Nick.”

Nick interrupts Luke. “Uh, yeah, we’ve actually been able to combine our abilities a couple of times.”

Elisha adds, “Nick has been a huge help.”

Elisha and Nick exchange a glance that says they’ve been doing more than training. I catch the exchange and cover my growing smile.

I’m distracted from Elisha and Nick when Ezra’s voice rises from behind me.

Ezra growls, “Xander, why have you not said anything?”

Xander yells, “Because of this! You would freak out! Ezra, he doesn’t have a clue.”

I rush over to Xander, Nate, and Ezra. “What’s going on?”

Nate stands next to Xander. “Ezra, he told me about his visions with Sam. I’ve been helping him!”

Ezra gets in Nate’s face. “He’s not supposed to be initiating dreams with Sam.”

Xander moves toward Ezra. “I’m not. He comes to me.”

My eyes are bouncing like a Ping-Pong ball between the three of them.

I look from Nate, then to Ezra, and then rest my eyes on Xander. “Wait! You’ve been in communication with Sam?”

Then, feeling somewhat betrayed, I yell at Nate. “And, you’ve been helping him?”

Xander defensively whispers, “Sam needs to think I’m still loyal to the Sondians.” He looks at Ezra. “You said it yourself back at the cabin. I need to keep him thinking that I’m on their side. He can’t get into my head, remember? I need to keep stringing him along until we get to Japan. Nate has just been watching me to make sure I get out of the dream safely.”

I hiss at Nate and Xander, “I don’t like it at all. This is putting you both in danger.”

Sebastian, Balthazar, and the others make their way over to us.

Sebastian asks, “Xander, Sam doesn’t know that you are with us? This is great news.”

Balthazar crosses his arms over his chest. “It’s perfect. But, Nate, has he detected you?”

With his hands on his hip, Nate answers for Xander. “No, Xander has been very careful with blocking his thoughts while in the dream state. I’m able to feel and hear everything in the dream, just like I am with Jesca’s.”

Sebastian blinks a few times, seemingly somewhat confused. He turns to Ezra. “Wait! Nate and Xander are linked?”

Ezra nods dramatically. “And, Nate and Jesca are linked.”

Balthazar runs his fingers along his lips in thought. He whispers, “This is fascinating news.”

Nate turns back to me, putting his hands on both of my shoulders. “We are not in danger, Jes. You know that you would sense my fear. And, you haven’t, have you?”

I have to admit that I have not sensed any fear from Nate.

Nate squeezes my shoulders with his hands and whispers deeply, “Sam will not catch me off-guard this time, Jes.”

I know Nate’s talking about the last time Sam attacked me. He was slow to react, and Xander saved my life.

Nate continues, “I promise I will protect both you and Xander.”

Hearing Nate vow his protection for Xander makes my heart swell, and I feel an urge to pull him to me, wanting to hold him for the man he is becoming.

Skype begins to ring, interrupting us. Sebastian walks back to the computer to see who’s trying to patch in.

He looks at Balthazar. “It’s Claiborne.”

Ezra asks, “Adam Claiborne?”

Sebastian nods and answers the call, “Adam.”

I turn to look at the screen and see a very thin older man with white hair trying to steady the web camera on his end. His eyes are a rich brown, and his skin is a very pale color. His hair is disheveled, and he’s wearing round spectacle-type glasses.

Adam responds, “Sebastian, Balthazar.” He notices all of us standing behind them and hesitantly asks, “Is this a bad time?”

Balthazar replies, “No, it is fine. This is the Dobrian team we are accompanying to Japan. Please speak freely. Has something come up?”

Adam is still showing signs of being skittish with all of our staring eyes.

Sebastian notices his apprehension and begins introducing us. “Adam Claiborne, this is Ezra Kahn. He’s a fellow physicist.”

Sebastian continues introducing all of us, and then he circles back to Adam. “Everyone, this is Adam Claiborne. He is one of the astrophysicists working with us on determining what is drawing our galaxy to the Andromeda galaxy.”

Adam visibly shifts in his chair. He seems uncomfortable before he begins to explain the reason for his call. “Yes, we have determined the cause of the pull from within Andromeda through the GRB…” Adam stops himself, realizing that we have no clue what he means. He restarts, “There are these gamma ray bursts that aren’t visible to the eye, but our satellites can detect them. We have been tracking these bursts that are coming from Andromeda. Apparently, they are coming from the large black hole within the galaxy.”

Ezra holds up his hand to stop Adam from continuing. “Hold on, you said from within the black hole?”

Adam leans in closely to the webcam and looks a little distorted from the shape of the lens. “The pull has been pinpointed from within the black hole.”

Elisha breaks into the conversation. “So, the black hole has some kind of cosmic string attached to our galaxy, and it has reeled us in?”

Adam looks disappointed at her layman’s answer. “Yes, and we have speculated what it is attached to.” He sighs deeply. “It is being drawn by us. Humans. Our life force.”

Nick scratches his temple. “Why? What do we have that is so attractive?”

Ezra’s eyes glaze over as he crosses his arms over his chest. He whispers, “It’s our souls. The uniqueness of our race is that we have souls.”

Adam nods. “That is one speculation that we are fully considering since we assume they are an advanced race.”

I ask, “So, you’re thinking that this race is trying to draw us in because they our curious about our souls?”