by Amy Freeman
Sam threw Anna a hard look. “Yeah or not.”
Trin unleashed his full attention on Sam. “I would love to see you dance.”
Sam could have felt Anna’s joy from a mile away. She was positively beside herself. Sam dug on a desperate search for strength. “So,” she said. “What do you study when you’re not busy clobbering the competition?”
“Physics.”
Anna’s grin got even bigger, if that was possible. “Physics, Sam,” she repeated.
“Hey Anna, why don’t you go attend to Vig? I’m sure he’s feeling neglected.”
Anna smirked. “Um okay, because the entire club’s population is fawning over him right now.”
Grand Master Sanchez had definitely captivated the club’s occupants, all but two.
Anna stood, so did Trin. “Well,” Anna said, “you two have a lovely night. I won’t wait up.”
“It was nice to meet you,” he said.
“It was great to meet you, Trin,” she said. “Take care of my girl.”
“I will.”
Anna turned to Sam with an exaggerated wink and disappeared into the raging crowd.
Trin sat next to Sam, rather than across from her as before, her heart racing at his close proximity.
“She gonna be okay out there?”
“Anna? Oh yeah,” Sam said. “She’s not really human. She’s actually Satan in ‘cute girl’ skin. You missed that, huh?”
Trin laughed, resting his elbows on the table. Again, he studied her. She wished he would stop. “Her boyfriend is actually the lead singer in the band,” Sam explained, trying to keep the conversation going. “She’s got all four of them, if necessary.”
Trin’s brow furrowed with mock intensity. “Impressive girl.”
“Truly.”
His gaze became serious. “You know, it would be nice to talk to you in a place where we could actually hear each other,” he said. “How did you get here?”
“I came with Anna.”
“Would she mind if I brought you home?”
Her heart raced. “Definitely not.”
He smiled. “Cool. Do you need to tell her?” he asked, pointing a thumb toward the dance floor. Sam’s attention shifted, barely hearing the question. Trin glanced back to find Sam locked in on his wrist and lowered his arm.
A beautifully crafted gold link chain hung there, expensive looking precious metal, almost regal.
Trin went silent. Sam reached out for a better look, taking his hand. A wall of euphoria leveled her. She glanced up at him, stunned. “Do you feel that?” she breathed.
He nodded once, jaw tight.
It all came flooding back. The energy she had felt in the dream was identical to what she felt emanating from Trin’s skin at that moment—as if she had always known him. For the first time living on campus Sam felt protected, safe—home. She gazed at his hand, beautiful, strong. So many things she wanted to say; so many questions. She held back. She barely knew him, although it didn’t feel that way at all. Shackled by his heavenly eyes, she forced herself to look away. God, what is happening?
She lifted the chain in her fingers.
He stiffened, expression hard.
“This is beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you.”
Her fingers traced the links to a golden plate connecting the chain. She turned it, exposing the underside. Embedded in the gold was a brilliant red gemstone resting in the middle of an upside down triangle. Just above it were three elegantly engraved letters:
Т†Б†К
ВєдунЙ хранитель
On either side of the symbol and stone were two words in the same foreign text. Trin’s energy went from apprehensive to heavily guarded. Sam felt the shift plain as day, fueling her intrigue.
“What is this?” she asked.
“It’s a family crest.”
“What language is this?”
“Russian.”
“You’re Russian?”
Trin nodded once. Sam held the beautiful chain between her fingertips. “When did you move to the U.S.?”
“When I was two.”
She continued gazing at the stone and inscriptions. “Do you speak Russian?”
“Yes.”
Sam lifted her eyes to his. “What does this say?”
“Hey guys!” Anna barreled over to their table with Vig in tow. Trin gently pulled his hand from hers.
“Trin,” she said, extending a hand. “This is my boyfriend Vig.” She turned to Vig and gestured toward Trin who, outside of Sam’s head, needed no introduction.
Vig extended a hand and a huge grin. “Way to represent, bro. You’re legendary.”
Trin smiled, grabbing his hand. “Thanks, man. You guys put on a great show.”
“Thanks. You guys comin’ over later?”
“We’re all going over to Vig’s as soon as they’re done here,” Anna said. She smiled at Trin. “Come with us.”
Trin looked at Sam, who interjected. “We were actually going to leave for a while,” she said.
“I’ll bring her home if you’re okay with that,” Trin added.
Anna glowed. “Yeah, I’m okay with that.”
Vig took Anna’s hand and began to pull. “Okay then,” he said, dragging Anna away. “Fantastic to meet you, Trin. Sam, as always.”
Sam and Trin said goodbye. Anna and Vig went back to the stage area where Vig grabbed his guitar for the next set.
Trin stood. “You ready?”
“Yes,” she said. “Let’s leave while we still can. I’ve got to get my purse from our table by the stage. They’re about to start. It’s gonna be a mad house in about three seconds.”
“Okay,” he said. A firm hand closed around her shoulder—guiding her through the crowd. A rush of carnal heat shot through her as he pressed her against his hard chest, an indescribable magnetism teasing her. She melted into him, his intoxicating scent swarming her senses, sculpted muscles moving beneath the fabric of his shirt as he pushed through the people. When they finally reached the other side of the club she hardly knew her own name anymore. He released her and grabbed the bag on the table. “This it?”
“Yeah,” she replied, avoiding his face, fighting the urge to attack him right there in the club. She took her bag and moved toward the exit, Trin following close behind. They reached the door, and pushed through it, leaving the chaos and thundering music behind.
CHAPTER NINE
Night flooded the streets. A warm breeze kissed Sam’s skin as she stepped outside, filling her nostrils with an aroma of ‘late summer, early fall’. The light wind swirled about her, then wafted back around, crashing Trin’s intoxicating scent into her. With a slow inhale her whole body warmed.
He moved to her side. “So, where do you live?”
“Sage Point.”
“Hmm.”
She looked up. “What?”
“That’s just kind of close by,” he replied. “I was kind of hoping for more time with you.”
“You don’t have to take me right home.”
He scanned their surroundings. “How about a drive?”
“Sure.”
They cleared the lot, arriving at a beautiful F150 Platinum package truck, black with California plates. Trin stopped and began digging into his front pocket for his keys.
“Pretty truck,” Sam said.
Trin glanced up and smiled. “Thank you.”
He hit the keyless entry button and the doors unlocked. Sam reached for the handle to the passenger side, but Trin stopped her. “What are you doing?”
She hesitated. “I’m getting in?”
His gentle eyes glinted. “Don’t ever open doors for yourself.”
“Okay...”
His hypnotic gaze lingered a moment, then he opened her door, and she climbed in. He rounded the truck, got in, and started the ignition. They drove at a leisurely pace through the city and headed east toward the campus and the foothills.
Trin glanced over.
“So, are you from Salt Lake?”
“Born and raised,” Sam said. She turned to face him. “Where did you grow up? I mean, I know everyone on the planet aside from me already knows the answer to that question, but were you born in Russia?”
“Yeah,” he replied, “a small town in the Ural Mountains.” He paused, glancing sideways. “It’s pretty remote. Most people here don’t know anything about the area.”
Sam nodded. “What brought you to the U.S?”
“My parents are both scientists,” he said. “They were offered positions at UCSD in 1991 so we moved to California.”
“Ah,” Sam murmured, “a whole family of ‘smart.’”
Trin laughed, throwing her a glance.
“What field do they work in, or do they teach?”
Trin checked his rearview mirror and switched lanes. “They do research. My dad’s a physicist.”
“Like father, like son.”
He smiled, staring through the windshield. “Yes,” he said, “and my mom studies the mind.”
Sam paused. “What do you mean? Like psychology?”
“Not exactly,” he answered. “My mother studies human consciousness.”
Sam stared at the floor, playing with a strand of hair. “So, what exactly does that mean?”
Trin hesitated. “She directs studies to substantiate the power of the mind and the human spirit and our ability to use them in the physical world.”
Sam’s gaze remained on the floor. “Kind of like that cool thing you did with me in the club?”
Trin slowed to a red light and stopped. After a silent moment, he turned to her. “Yes.”
Sam stared at him, confounded, eyes dancing with intrigue. “I know I just met you,” she said, hesitating, “...but can I ask you some things?”
Trin was quiet. The light turned green. He accelerated, but instead of going through it, he turned the wheel pulling the truck into a parking lot on campus. He parked and shut off the engine. “What do you want to know?”
Sam took a deep breath, glancing at the ceiling. “I’m going to tell you something,” she began. “But somehow I think you might already know.” She looked back at him. “I have a sixth sense, too.”
Trin smiled and glanced away. “You have more than one.”
Sam stared. “How do you know that?”
He glanced back. “I have similar gifts,” he said, his light eyes glinting in the moonlight. “I can see it on you.”
“You can tell when another person can see auras?”
“It’s not that hard if you know what to look for,” he replied. “The vibration is more intense in a person who can see, and you’re not just seeing the aura, by the way. If you can see it, you can learn to decode it; find out what’s behind it.”
Sam stared at the floor, mystified. “What you did at the club, with me, I mean, how did you do that?”
Trin smiled. “That one’s easy,” he said, leaning back. “It’s all in your intent. Anybody can do what I did.”
Sam looked at Trin as if he had just told her everyone could fly.
“Okay,” he laughed, leaning forward. “I started that badly, but only because it really is that simple if you understand it.”
“I and the rest of humanity don’t understand it.”
“Not true,” he countered. “There are several belief systems that acknowledge telepathic communication.”
Sam scoffed. “Telepathy.”
Trin laughed out loud. “Yeah,” he said. “Telepathy, because mainstream society believes in the ability to see auras.”
Sam smiled. “Touché.”
Trin’s gaze softened. “We all have the ability to reach each other without using words,” he said. “I was communicating with you.”
“How do you do it?” Sam asked, “and how do you know how?”
“It isn’t that I know how, it’s that I acknowledge the ability,” he said. “People do it all the time.”
Sam’s confusion was palpable.
He glanced down, his muscled shoulders hunching forward as he sought a way to explain it. He nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Have you ever been in a room full of people and you see someone you need to talk to, so you stare at them, willing them to look at you. Sometimes you might even be saying “look at me” aloud to try to get them to turn your way, and then they do.”
“Yeah,” she said. “That’s called sheer luck.”
Trin sat back. “Do you really believe that?”
Sam paused. She didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no either. The truth was, he made perfect sense; especially to her.
He leaned forward again. “When you send out a mental thought to someone your energy reaches out to them. I’m certain you’ve seen that before.”
“You’re right, I have,” she said. “What you did was different.”
“Stronger” he said. “I was very intent on reaching you. You can see energy so it made the experience a bit more intense,” he smiled. “But someone else might only have felt the weight of someone staring. Most people would be too distracted and wouldn’t notice it at all.”
Sam shook her head. “I’ve felt people stare before. I’ve never been pulled across a room.”
An amused glimmer flashed in his eyes, and he smiled. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”
Sam stalled a moment, his handsome face staggering her rebuttal. She glanced away, forcing composure.
“Sam, the only difference between me and everyone else is knowledge and application. We have limitless power within us that just sits dormant because most people don’t realize it’s there.” He sat up. “You’re a step ahead of most people.”
“And you?”
Trin nodded, looking away. “I’m...a bit further along.”
“A bit?” Sam said. “I can’t do any of the stuff you did.”
Trin’s eyes gleamed as he glanced back. “Everything you saw me do tonight I guarantee you can do.”
She was stunned, not a trace of doubt in his glorious face. “Will you teach me?”
Trin paused, subtle conflict in his eyes. He nodded once. “Of course.”
“Thank you.”
Without a thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Trin closed his eyes, inhaling slowly, almost as if enduring pain. Sam withdrew a bit, watching him as she let him go, his aura still unreadable. Her mind spun searching for a way in. There wasn’t one.
He gazed at her, light irises radiating restraint, jaw tight. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
Sam hesitated, distracted. “Um, uh, nothing. Homework. Calculus.” Her head fell to her hand, trying to focus. “I have this horrific calculus assignment,” she said. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Trin sat quiet for a moment. “Would you like my help?”
Sam looked up. “You’re good at math, too?”
Trin laughed. “I’m a Physics major, Sam.”
She flushed, lowering her head. “Right.”
He stared at her. “So, you want help?”
Her shoulders dropped. “Please.”
Trin chuckled. He turned the key in the ignition and started up his truck. “I have a swim meet tomorrow at one o’clock,” he said. “I can meet you at the library at five o’clock, if you want.”
“That would be amazing,” she said. “You have no idea how much I need you.”
His lips pursed, suppressing a smile as he put the truck in reverse. He glanced up through the windshield, then turned to her. “I’m happy to help,” he said.
Sam paused a moment, trying to find the meaning behind the playful glint in his eyes, then breathed in. She had felt so alone and scared. Now, in her darkest moment, the heavens had parted and given her Trin. She looked at the beautiful, man in the seat next to her and wondered if this whole evening wasn’t another of her recent bizarre dreams. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.
Trin stretched a muscled arm around her seat, looked over his shoulder, and backed out.
“I’m re
ally glad I met you tonight,” he said. He put the truck in drive, ravished her with his electric eyes one last time, and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Me too,” she replied. He had no idea.
CHAPTER TEN
T rin pulled into his driveway after dropping Sam off at Sage Point. He parked his truck and shut off the ignition, but didn’t get out. The silent darkness hung around him as he gazed at the steering wheel. An energy he knew too well filled the cab. He closed his eyes. “Я не могу это сделать.” I can’t.
“Тебе необходимо это сделать,” You must.
“Anvil please.”
A man appeared at his side in the passenger seat, large in stature, jet black hair framing a stern face and jaw with eyes of gleaming jade. His presence shuttered through the environment with an air of grace that surpassed description. “You cannot keep her safe unless you show her who she is, Trinton. She is completely helpless. He will take her from you.”
“Not if he can’t find her.”
“He will find her,” Anvil insisted. “You are blinded right now, Trinton. I understand what you—”
“No.” Trin cut him off. “You admitted it. You have no idea.”
His spirit guide paused a moment before continuing. “Your chances of success without her are completely unknown,” he said. “There is a right way to do this. If you alter your course you will fail.”
Trin glanced up with hardened eyes. “You can’t know that. None of us know anything anymore. We’re all sitting in the dark. We have no Oracle to go to. We have no connection to the Divinity. He sat back, eyes to the ceiling. “This is my mission. Doesn’t it make sense to follow my instincts?”
“You are ignoring them.”
Trin huffed in aggravation, glaring through his windshield.
Anvil focused an intent gaze on his successor. “It is because you are in the middle of it, because you are in the trenches.” He sat quiet for a moment. “Do you remember when I taught you that you couldn’t interfere with the tides? You were seven. You wanted to surf and the waves were not quite to your liking. Do you remember this?”
Trin inhaled, closing his eyes once more. He remembered.