Again, his comment set the women to giggling. But Kallie found it hard to catch her breath.
“You are too much,” Charlene said.
He crinkled his brow as if not understanding. Kallie had the urge to reach across the table and tell him it was all right.
There was a clap of hands and their tour guide walked into the center of the room. “If you are finished,” she said, letting them know they were, “it is time to load back on the bus. It is waiting just outside the front door.”
Alarm hit Kallie at the thought of leaving Jerreon.
“Have no fear,” he said, looking at her. “I will be with you.”
Kallie could swear she felt the words instead of heard them, or maybe it was both.
“Good-bye,” the sisters chorused as they stood.
Jerreon rose and bowed to them.
Kallie came around the table to him. “Jerreon?” She wasn’t sure what she was asking.
“Have no fear,” he repeated, reaching out to take her hand. His finger brushed over her knuckle, and his other hand came up to caress a single stroke over her cheek. “I will find you again. First, I must deal with Lysias. It is my duty. If you need me call.” He raised her hand to the crystal at her neck and wrapped her fingers around it. “I will hear you.” This time she did hear the words in her mind.
His gaze again dropped to her lips, and she wondered if he might kiss her, then she felt Melissa take her elbow and draw her away. By the door Kallie glanced back, but he was gone.
“What is with you? I thought you were going to kiss him, and though that is a world class hunk, it is definitely not you. You are Miss Overcautious.”
“I am not.” She shrugged knowing it kind of was true. “I’ve just been waiting for the right guy.”
“And that was him?” Melissa asked her straight out.
“I think …. Melissa do you believe in destiny?”
“Well, I believe certain things happen for reasons we don’t always see, but are meant to be. So, I guess I do. I’m a strong believer in free-agency too. It’s not always free, there are consequences. But, are you asking − as thinking he is your destiny?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling … a connection to him. I’m drawn to him like I have never been to a man. And it’s not just physical.”
“Are you sure about that? One thing that man is, is an amazing physical specimen, and with that killer accent of his, it’s a pretty potent package.”
“I think I’m going to tell Justin you said that.”
“Justin knows he’s the only man for me. You just be careful. Though I guess we’re leaving now. You didn’t tell him where you live, did you?”
“No, I didn’t even tell him my last name,” Kallie answered, but inside she knew it didn’t matter, Jerreon would find her.
She glanced around once more before getting on the bus. Again, there was no sight of him. They’d hardly got to their seat toward the back of the bus when the engine started. People chattered excitedly as they stowed their purchases and settled in their seats.
Kallie’s hand went to the crystal. She wrapped her fingers around it trying to draw strength. Comfort washed over her. She could feel him on the edges of her mind.
He was watching, and he was worried. He wanted her away from this place – safe.
The guide worked her way down the aisle taking count. “All here,” she announced loudly and the bus started to move. Kallie became interested as the large vehicle maneuvering a turn around the fountain. It was an incredibly tight fit through a space with pillars on either side of the entrance to the restaurant’s courtyard.
A boom shook the bus, and it jerked to a stop. Gasps went up all around her. For a minute Kallie thought they’d clipped a pillar or something. But when she looked, they were clear. Another blast jarred the back of the bus. Several people screamed.
Kallie twisted around. There by the fountain in the center of the courtyard stood Lysias, his feet wide, his arms down by his side but stretched wide, his palm facing them.
“Come to me.” The call came clearly to her mind.
Kallie shook her head.
His fingers flexed. The bus shook again.
“No,” Kallie said aloud. Fear made her heart pound.
“You cannot defy me. No one on this planet can.”
“You want to bet.” She tightened her hold on the crystal. It felt like it was beginning to crackle with energy.
“What are you saying?” Melissa looked at her alarmed, but Kallie kept her focus on Lysias.
A child on the bus started to cry as if he could detect something was wrong.
Lysias lifted a hand. An odd blue glow danced in his palm. He brought his arm back as if to throw it. He started to bring his hand forward. The light in his palm flared out, shooting straight at the bus like a streak of lightning. Another stab of light streaked across the courtyard from somewhere behind the bus that intersected the first. They both disintegrated in a flash that rattled the windows.
The bus engine revved to a whine.
In the courtyard, Lysias stumbled back tripping over the edge of the fountain, falling into the water. The bus lurched forward. Kallie didn’t remember standing, but she must have because the motion knocked her off her feet into the side of the bus.
By the time she righted herself, she couldn’t see Lysias. The bus edged forward past the pillars then stopped. Out the front window, she saw a flash of silver-white hair, but felt no fear.
The front doors on the bus parted. A second later, Jerreon stepped on, ducking down so as not to hit his head. His gaze found her before he stopped to talk with the driver and tour guide. Only a couple seconds elapsed before he walked back toward her.
“I think it is better that I come,” he said, then looked at the teenage boy in the seat across the aisle from her, who had hit on her all the way there that morning. “May I?”
“Sure.” The kid slid out of the seat and moved into an open one a couple rows back.
Jerreon dropped into the seat. His head tipped back, closing his eyes. Weariness flowed from him.
“Are you all right?” Kallie reached across the aisle and laid a hand on his arm. He opened his eyes, looked at her and put his hand over hers to hold the contact.
“I have not had much rest the last couple days.” He linked his fingers with hers and closed his eyes again.
The bus turned onto the main road and started to pick up speed.
“Kallie?”
She glanced at Melissa and gave a reassuring smile. “It’s all right.”
“Did something more than I know happen back there?” Melissa looked across to Jerreon.
“I think so. I’m just not quite sure what.”
Melissa leaned closer. “Who is he, really?”
Kallie wasn’t quite sure how to answer that either, wasn’t even sure if she knew. She did know he was a good man and he’d saved her, again. “He’s a friend. He’s after a criminal.”
“Who? That other guy back there that looks like him?” Melissa seemed to accept that.
“Yes.”
“Well, he’s no normal police officer,” Melissa stated and Kallie had to agree.
There was nothing normal about Jerreon. She leaned back and watched him sleep, her hand still stretched across the aisle on his arm, held securely by his hand.
Kallie tried to focus her gaze out the window at the beautiful ocean views broken by scattered stately-looking homes and rubble-constructed dwellings. It wasn’t long until it became more congested and the little shacks turned into buildings that were stacked on each other with graffiti covering much of their walls. A horn blared loudly as a car cut in front of them.
The fingers holding hers tightened. Kallie looked over to find Jerreon’s eyes wide open. He stared out the window. “What is this place?”
“It’s Tijuana. It’s a border town. We’re not driving through a very good area right now.”
“I do not know what to think. It is not
what I was expecting.” He looked so gloomy.
“We’ll be to the border soon. You have your passport, don’t you?” She felt a touch of panic.
He squeezed her fingers. “I have all I need.”
Chapter Five
What was a passport? Jerreon searched the information link on his wrist for clarification but nothing came up. Whatever it was had disturbed Kallie, and he didn’t want that. His language translation chip was functioning excellently, though it was still being integrated to his system, and it had gaps of knowledge which unsettled him. Still, he was glad for it.
The bus slowed to a walking pace.
At the front of the bus, the woman in charge stood. “I will be handing out declaration forms that everyone needs to fill out for anything you purchased.” She started down the aisle handing out pieces of paper.
He took it when offered then watched as Kallie got a writing implement from her bag. She drew out two small blue books from a pocket strapped to her waist. She opened one and he saw an image of Melissa. Kallie handed it to her friend, then opened the other that revealed an image of her. The likeness was very good, but she wasn’t smiling like normal.
Around him other people pulled out similar books. Jerreon realized a passport was an identification document. They had to carry such things instead of their systems recognizing automatically who a person was as he was used to.
Kallie finished writing on her paper and looked at him. “Would you like to borrow my pen?”
“Yes, thank you. May I see?” He held out his hand for the passport.
She shrugged and handed it to him. He opened it, going through the pages memorizing them, pausing on the page with her image. He took extra time there before turning to the next.
“I don’t have very many stamps. I haven’t been to many countries before, just to Canada and ones on a cruise.”
“Do you wish to travel?” He looked to her.
“I like to see new places.”
He would like to show her his home, but it was not meant to be, so maybe they could explore hers. There had been some beautiful places that he had seen images of.
“All right everyone.” The tour guide stood again. “We are coming to the border. We will all have to get off the bus and go through the building while the bus is searched. Please take your belongings with you. It looks like it won’t be a long wait today, about a half hour if we’re lucky. Everyone, please stay together. We will re-board the bus out the other side.”
Jerreon stood and let Melissa and Kallie go in front of him. They followed the other people ahead of them, moving in a straight line. He listened until he understood what was going on, then he looked around until he detected someone he thought might be in charge.
“I need to talk to that man over there.” He leaned down to speak to Kallie. He knew she watched him as he walked away, but he focused on the man. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his piece of the crystal. I hope this works. He channeled energy through it. “Could you help me pass through?” He nudged compliancy and helpfulness to the man.
“Certainly, if you will just step over here.” He led Jerreon to a desk off to one side. “Your passport please.”
Jerreon handed him the declaration paper and brought up the image of Kallie’s passport in his mind, but with his likeness on it. He willed the image into the man’s mind. The man looked at the paper. Then reached for a stamp, stamped the paper and handed it back to him.
“Have a nice day,” the man said, motioning him past.
Jerreon kept up the assurance that all was well directed at the man mind until he was outside the building on the other side. Then he released it and relaxed. His body trembled from the drain, but it had worked. The man had seen what he wanted him to see. He couldn’t believe it was possible.
He’d had no trouble detecting emotions and strong intentions off people since he’d arrived, but he would have never even considered trying to manipulate them, not until Lysias had tried it on Kallie. Though Lysias’s efforts hadn’t worked on her, he’d gotten the feeling that it had worked for Lysias before.
“Everything all right?” Kallie came up from behind, startling him. He was so fatigued for once he hadn’t sensed her.
“Yes.” He turned. “I’m just tired.”
“You said you’ve only been here a couple days, probably a bit of jet-lag.”
“Yes,” he agreed, not sure what that was. It was unusual, most of what was said to him was easy to follow, but others; he had no clue of the meanings.
“We’re in the U.S. now. Have you ever been here before?”
“No. It looks … cleaner.”
She laughed. “There are a lot of amazing things in Mexico, but some rough, struggling areas too. The U. S. has areas like that also, but there is a difference.”
“I will place myself in your hands to show me.”
“That could be setting yourself up for trouble,” Melissa said. “I’m just not sure what.”
Jerreon felt the woman’s scrutiny. He could respect Melissa’s caution. She wanted to protect Kallie, but he wanted her to know he would never hurt Kallie. She was his One. He was incapable of bringing her harm. When the link was formed between them, any pain that came to her would come to him.
On his world, the sharing of pain made them stronger and more united. It was not so with all mates, but he knew it would be with him for her. He could already sense her so strongly and the bond was not even formed. What did it take on her world to have them united?
He looked up to find Melissa watching him. He wished he could ease her concerns, but he was too spent to try right then. His body was crashing. The food had helped, as had the short rest on the bus, but he’d expelled a lot of energy and needed a full restorative rest. He could not allow that of himself though until he knew Kallie was somewhere settled and safe.
“The bus is through. We can board now.” The tour guide ushered everyone toward the large transport.
Once on board, Jerreon sank into his seat, relieved. He wanted to reach for Kallie but his arms felt like stone. He needed to sleep but willed himself to stay awake as he’d been doing the last three days.
All he had been able to think about was that Lysias had an eight days head-start on the world, and what he could have been doing. At least, Lysias had not gotten the crystal. That was fortunate. Still, Lysias had had more time to familiarize himself.
Since awakening on a barren beach, Jerreon felt more than lost. The only thing he had to hold to was the fragment of crystal that called out to its mate. And, if he could feel it Lysias could.
Maybe he should have taken the shard from Kallie. He had no doubt she would give it to him if he asked, but inside, he knew it was the wrong thing to do. It had called to her as much as it called to him. It had brought them together. He reached into his pocket and felt the warmth of energy flow through him. The techs were right. With it, he did pick up strength from the Earth.
Outside the windows, the world seemed to have changed. Transportation units filled the roadways. Those going the other direction were moving slowly but many going their way sped by. He wanted to ask Kallie about them but he wasn’t sure how much he should reveal yet. He didn’t want to frighten her.
They drove into a city that was far different from where they’d been. There were tall buildings that gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The transport turned off onto a smaller road that wound around, through the buildings.
They pulled up in front of a beautiful structure. A large portion of people got off. When Kallie showed no sign of getting off, Jerreon remained in his seat.
The transport continued on and the view opened. Rows of gleaming white boats of all sizes filled the bay. On the far side there were larger gray ships that filled him with wonder, boosting his attention, as did the sight of an airship that seemed to drop down and land in the midst of the buildings. It enthralled him, keeping his eyes open so he could see more.
The bus continued on, curving around the bay
, until they pulled up in front of another set of buildings. These were not nearly as tall. Lush green grass carpeted the area giving it a garden-like feel that reminded him of his home, as it was also more open and airy. Kallie and Melissa both stood along with about half the remaining people on the transport. He rose.
Melissa glared at him.
“I will see you safely to your room,” he said.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Melissa answered before Kallie could. “You need to go find your hotel.” The warning came loud and clear.
When Kallie began to object, Melissa took her arm. “If you want to give him your number, he can call you, but he has been around you enough for one day. You need time to think things through.” Melissa gave him a look that dared him to challenge the wisdom of her words.
“She is right. You need time. I will find you later.”
“I’ll only be here three more days,” Kallie said.
“That is good. The farther you are from Lysias, the better. I will be close if you need me,” he restated his promise from earlier. Unable to resist, he reached up and touched her cheek in a caress that he felt to his soul. “Have a good evening and sleep well.”
He watched as they got off. Kallie looked back at him before disappearing down the trail the led to her room. Jerreon remained standing as the transport started to move. When it reached the edge of the complex, he walked forward to stop the driver. He stepped to the ground giving a final urge that the rest of the people forget all about him as he straightened.
The bus pulled away leaving Jerreon wondering what to do now. All he’d learned the last few days seemed useless here. Evidently, they let rooms. Jerreon figured the first thing to do was to obtain one. He just hoped he had enough currency, or that he could exchange it.
He walked back toward where they originally stopped for the people to disembark. He was drawing near when a car passed him and halted, letting a man and a woman out. The man got a large bag out of the back storage area of the car.
Jerreon followed them inside, studying their interaction with a woman at a long desk. When the woman at the desk finished talking with the man, she motioned for another man to come forward, who picked up the bag and led the man and woman out.
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