“Sam, I want you,” he said, breathily.
I opened my eyes, and for a minute, it was Lucien looking back. My eyes were playing tricks on me. He bent his head down, and his lips found mine. All I could think of was my Lucien as hot tears of betrayal slowly escaped from my eyes. His kiss was familiar. His taste was familiar. His scent was familiar. For a moment, I was back in Lucien’s arms. I managed to beg Cassiel to stop through his unwanted kisses. He wiped a tear from my cheek, and a look of rage swept over his darkened face.
“Tears? Why? Does my brother sicken you so that he brings tears to your eyes?”
He did it again.
“Stop reading my mind, dammit. I’m in love with your brother; you know that, Cassiel.”
“My brother’s gone,” he echoed.
I sat up and composed myself, pushing Cassiel off me. “I don’t know what just happened; but it’ll never happen again. Do you hear me?” I said in the best matter-of-fact voice I could muster.
Cassiel lowered his head in defeat and rose from me the way he had groveled upon me.
“He’s not coming back, so you’re going to wait forever.”
I kneed him in the gut with all my might.
“You do love me,” he said, almost laughing.
“Oh, my God, get out!”
How could I ever love you?
He gazed at me a moment, his face self-satisfied and pompous. I wanted nothing more than to slap him, but my knee had done just fine. I returned his gaze.
“I’ll let you sleep,” he said as he straightened his clothes and raked his hand through his dark locks.
“You do that,” I said coolly.
Giving up, he retreated and left me to my thoughts.
I looked up at a photo of me in my yard, sitting on the swing. It had to be after Finn’s funeral. I pulled myself off the bed and stood. My hand outlined the frame of the only colored picture. My hair was auburn then, windblown in front of my face. My eyes were sad and far away.
I stood there for a few moments, looking around at Lucien’s possessions. A black guitar propped against its case. I rubbed my fingers on the strings and imagined Lucien’s fingers strumming chords. I imagined his hands tracing the small of my back to the curve of my hip. I imagined it had been him on his bed with me, instead of his brother.
Sighing, I made my way over to his bed and curled up into a fetal position. I was so mad at Cassiel for trying to take advantage of me while my heart longed for his brother. I had grown too attached to him in Lucien’s absence. Now he thought my kinship toward him was more than friendship. I’m ashamed of myself for almost betraying Lucien.
I pulled Lucien’s blanket, still fueled with his scent, over me. I held it tightly and dozed off into a dreamless slumber.
46 Pyroninknesis
I woke up with stomach growling. Sitting to yawn, I almost forgot where I was. I ran my hands through my tangled hair. I folded Lucien’s blanket and made my way to the elevator to the main floor. It was quiet except for the humming from the hydrogen cylinder and water purification systems. I entered the computer room to find Eden staring at the monitor. It wasn’t fair that a living creature could be that lovely and not be able to share it with anyone else.
“Hey, have a good nap?” Her eyes zeroed in on the jeans I was wearing—her jeans. “Not bad.”
I looked down at my legs. “What? Oh, they’re a little tight.”
I remembered when I first had come to the ranch in my Halloween costume. Eden wasn’t so kind about letting me wear her clothes.
“I can see that. In the right places, of course,” she gave me a quick smile. “You know he likes you.”
“Who?” I said, knowing full well who she meant.
“My other brother, of course. You really have a hold over them.”
“Me?”
“Just be careful, Samantha; my brothers aren’t little high school boys you can fawn all over and then just want to be BFF’s with.”
I didn’t know what to say. Words were better left unsaid, so I left. I wanted nothing more than to go back home and forget I had ever met the Fosters. The mere thought of staying five more minutes here was driving me crazy. I wanted my Dad more than anything. The thought of him assuming I was killed in the fire at Oakridge was tearing my heart to shreds. I somehow found myself wandering outside near the corral. It was empty except for the horses. The smell of hay and manure entered my nose. Gag. I strolled around back to the fields. My eyes gazed upon Dusty, Gabe, and Cassiel. Gabe was wearing some sort of space-suit.
“Dusty, you have to concentrate,” Cassiel said.
The afternoon sun had just begun to set. Cassiel’s eyes met mine as I stood next to Dusty. I could see his mood hadn’t changed since our last meeting.
“Getting ready for Halloween?” I asked, trying not to laugh at Gabe.
Before Cassiel had time to answer, a fireball blazed from Dusty’s hand, missing Gabe and landing right on Cassiel’s boot.
“It’s a fire-resistant suit,” Gabe said, pulling off the suit’s helmet and running toward Cassiel.
“Dusty!” Cassiel bellowed, stomping his boot on the ground.
He struggled to remove it, stumbling to the ground, pulling off his sock. Dusty held out his other hand; and a fireball barely missed Gabe, landing right on a pile of hay.
“Listen to me, Dusty. Think of it as turning on a light switch. You mentally turn it on. Now flick the switch off,” Gabe said.
Cassiel managed to stand, his foot red and boot smoking. I could’ve sworn I saw smoke coming from his ears, he was so mad. He limped toward me. I held back my laughter.
“You’d better not even start,” Cassiel said. His face was flushed.
Dusty tried again; this time his aim nearly caused the barn to go up in flames. Gabe scrambled to get the watering hose while Cassiel hopped on one foot to rustle the horses.
“What’s with the smoke?” Michael said, walking toward the barn that was still smoking. It was obvious he didn’t like what he saw.
“Your brothers are trying to teach Dusty how to control his powers.” I smiled.
Cassiel didn’t see the humor in my statement. Gabe winked, showing me he thought the situation was a little funny too.
Michael put his arm around Dusty. “You’re thinking too hard, kid.”
“Dusty, it’s all in your mind,” Daniel said, joining the pyro party.
“Tell him, Daniel,” Michael said.
“You’re thinking too hard; just relax and let it happen. Watch Michael.”
Michael lifted his hand toward the empty coke bottles lying on a bench near the burning hay. One by one, the coke bottles shattered. Dusty’s eyes gleamed as he watched Michael shatter each bottle, putting the flames out.
“Your turn. Tell your hands to listen.” Daniel went to the barn and took out a fresh stack of hay.
“He has no idea what he’s doing,” Cassiel barked. “My foot can attest to that.”
I turned to him, giving him a stern look. Daniel put the hay down in the open. We stood back, bracing ourselves. Dusty raised his hand and closed his eyes.
“Open your eyes, Katz. You’re not making a wish, dude!” Cassiel hollered.
Dusty opened his eyes and looked at me.
“You can do it, Dusty,” I said with gentle encouragement.
With the grace of a butterfly, Dusty raised his hand and a blazing ball appeared from his hand and hit the hay dead-center. We hollered and the boys marched toward Dusty, lifting him in the air like he had just hit a home run, winning the game. I left them to their male bonding while I kicked the gravel and sand in front of me. The boys headed to the stables.
I climbed the fence and watched the boys gallop out of the stables to the barrels, enjoying the crisp morning air, roughhousing and just being boys for the better part of the a
fter-noon. It was the calm before the storm. Dusty had no idea what was in store for him at dinner. I had no idea either, but I sensed it was not going to be a picnic. As much as I wanted to relax, it was impossible, knowing in the back of my mind that my dad thought I was dead. I watched Dusty ride the white and brown spotted mare like he didn’t have a care in the world.
I was enjoying the sunset over the horizon when I got a strange feeling creeping up through my bones. I jumped down from the fence onto my knees, kicking up dust with my shoes. My eyes roamed the ranch. Was I was being watched? What day is it? I had lost count of the days since the drug surged through my veins in the cellar. The equinox was March twenty-first. It had to be March second. Lucien must be close, but how close? A hundred light-years away?
I was still on my knees when Cassiel trotted up to where I was. He raised his muscular thigh over the black creature and lowered his body right above me. He smacked the stallion’s rump, setting it free to wander.
“I doubt it is Lucien you feel. Maybe just wishful thinking.” His eyes gleamed as if he were remembering the advances he made toward me back in Lucien’s room. He extended his hand out to me, gesturing for me to take it as a rumble of laughter was set free from his lips.
“Samantha, really, I love the position; but please, you look pitiable on your knees, groveling among the manure.”
I flashed Cassiel a smile, all the while gritting my teeth. I succumbed to his opened hand. He swung me up, pulling me to his hard chest like we were going to dance the rumba.
“Don’t you ever give up?” I recoiled from his arms and wiped my hands on my jeans. My thoughts went to my father. “I need to let my dad know I’m all right.”
Dusty trotted up to us. He climbed down and stood beside Cassiel.
“Samantha, Jordan wants you to stay with us while you’re in danger of being snatched. Banth is not the only one who desires you,” he said with raised eyebrows.
“I don’t care what Jordan wants. I can’t stay here any longer than I’ve….” I paused. “It’s not fair. I have to go home. I can’t let this charade with my father continue.”
“If you leave now, I can’t protect you.”
I need protecting from you, Cassiel.
I looked squarely at him, knowing full well he could read my thoughts.
He pursed his lips in an unbecoming pout. “Besides, he seems to have become attached to you.” He looked in Dusty’s direction, then back at me.
I heard the shuffle of gravel from behind me. Cassiel’s eyes focused over my shoulders. Michael and Gabe stood by my side. Before I could explain to them why I needed to go home, the boys turned to make their way to the ranch; I quickened my pace, hurrying to catch up with them.
47 Dinner
Agent Harmon and Nathan Moore were already sitting at the dining table. This was the only room in the dwelling that had traditional human décor. Jordan sat at the end of the table. I looked at his distinguished, engraved skin. With an arched a brow, he peered at me. Eden was at his right, dressed in a black, sheer, sleeveless tunic dress, her hair swept over in a side ponytail and her gray eyes glimmering from the candlelight. Two servers stood at each end of the table, serving wine and a six-course dinner. In the center of the table was a crystal skull. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Jordan must have read my expression or was he an alien, too.
“It’s not one of the thirteen skulls portrayed in the Indiana Jones movie, my dear Samantha. Although, remarkably, it’s made of the same rare quartz crystal, the same as Lucien’s crystal that you’re wearing around your neck. Scientists have been baffled by the skulls for years. This particular crystal was brought here from an otherworldly being in 1947. It was on the craft that crashed. There are others, and the one the Smithsonian Institute has is from the crash in 1947. I could only carry the one.” As Jordan spoke, the crystal started to radiate a spectrum of colors, as if it understood that Jordan was speaking. “Properties are otherworldly at twelve thousand years old. It emits sensory phenomena. It glows and lights up, as you can see. It’s like a three-dimensional CD with information carved into each facet.”
I took Lucien’s crystal in my hand and felt its warmth beneath my fingertips.
“Lucien’s crystal is made from the same material. One of the beings aboard the craft was wearing it. It’s made of unusual, composite piezoelectric silicon dioxide. It has a negative and a positive charge. What that means is it can produce its own electricity. Inside the crystal is a library of information about your dear Lucien and his wonderful siblings,” Jordan said.
I looked at Cassiel and he smirked. I always wondered where Lucien got his crystal and how it seemed to glow. It made sense now.
“Now you know,” Cassiel said, reading my mind. I smirked back at him.
I hated when he did that. It was bad enough Lucien would do it. But he tried to control himself, unlike his arrogant brother. A handsome server filled my goblet with water. I watched them go to each Foster. I kept sneaking peeks at them. I later learned they weren’t human, but AI: artificial intelligent robots. The amazing thing was that Jordan had them built from scratch. I could have sworn one rolled his eyes at him. This world I was whisked into was more and more unbelievable.
48 Dusty’s Departure
Michael was seated at the far end of the table next to Gabe, and at the other end sat Daniel and Agent Harmon. I sat directly across from Cassiel, with Dusty at my right. The main entrée was filet mignon, which was bloody rare. The Fosters’ dinners were not even cooked at all. Beethoven’s “The Creatures of Prometheus” played in the background. I knew this from Lucien’s lesson on classical music during our trip to the Roswell museum last December. It was so fitting for the Fosters.
The still of the room was broken when Jordan raised his goblet. “I’m so glad to have you all here together. The only one missing is the prodigal son. To Lucien’s safe return.” He held his goblet high as did the whole table, except me.
“Samantha, please join us in a toast.”
I clumsily held my crystal goblet of red wine, spilling some on the white linen. I thought it best to comply with Jordan’s request.
“To Samantha, our future, the girl who has been sure of herself, willing to sacrifice everything—even her life—for the beautiful boy she loves, and to Dustin’s safe journey to Greenbrier, his new home.” Jordan looked proudly at Dusty and returned my gaze with a raised brow, lingering on my face for a few seconds.
Okay, what did I miss while I was sleeping?
“Samantha, you and Cassiel are going to take Dustin to West Virginia.”
“West Virginia? That’s clear across the country. Why on earth must I take her?” Cassiel asked.
My thoughts exactly. I took a big sip of wine. I swallowed hard before I could choke out a reply. Cassiel saved me from my own discord.
“Cassiel, it’s done,” Jordan said.
“Uncle, it’s not necessary. I can go alone.” Cassiel’s gaze darted between me and Jordan.
“Samantha, Cassiel has already agreed to take Dustin.”
“Clearly by his own description, he hadn’t.”
“I want you to accompany him. Having you out of the immediate area is better for your safety,” Jordan said.
“Jordan, excuse me if I sound unappreciative, but I want to go home. Cassiel can take Michael or Gabe.” My eyes pleaded and darted across each Foster to claim someone’s approval. However, none came to my defense. One of the servers placed a steaming hot plate in front of me. I peered down at the rare piece of meat and a baked potato as if it were poison. At that point, food only made my stomach sick. I pushed the plate away. I took a deep breath and pushed myself up. My eyes scanned the room. All eyes were fo-cused on me.
“Samantha, is there something wrong with your filet mignon?” Jordan said with a chagrined expression.
A rumble of laughter caught my ear
s. I staggered backward when I realized the sound was coming from me. I held my hand to my mouth, trying to stifle my outburst. “You’ve got to be kidding. First off, if I wanted to eat raw meat, I would have gone to the butcher my-self; second, I have no intention of going anywhere with Cassiel. The only place I’m going is home,” I said.
“Samantha, please sit down,” Jordan bellowed across the table. I ignored his command while my limbs shook with anger.
“Sam, just sit down,” Michael said.
I was damned if I were going to be summoned back to the table like a scolded five-year-old.
“Jordan, Samantha has every right to leave if she so pleases.” Nathan stood quickly and flashed me a reassuring smile.
The lines in Jordan’s face deepened and his complexion changed to a crimson shade. “This is not up for negotiation.”
“I’m going home and you can’t keep me here against my will.”
I pushed my chair in and began to swing around to leave when I was thrown off-balance. Cassiel stood and glared. I was about to turn and show them who was boss when I realized that my legs wouldn’t budge, although I tried with all my might. I could feel my blood pressure rise with fury. I narrowed my eyes at Cassiel.
“Cassiel, I swear. I’ll never forgive you if you don’t release me.” He was using his gift of telekinesis on me like I was some sort of plaything used for his amusement. “Cassiel,” I repeated.
“Cassiel, release her now,” Michael stood, knocking over his chair. Cassiel proved he was an ass by just tipping his head in Michael’s direction.
“Silence!” Jordan said at that moment.
I felt my legs and arms return to normal. I swerved and was going to prove to them I was back in control.
“Samantha, please just sit and listen,” Agent Harmon said.
Why should I listen to him? He had been wrong about O’Neil. I thought for a moment and pushed my hair behind my ears. I felt my stomach growl; it’d been hours since I’d actually had food. The filet mignon was starting to look appetizing.
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