by Dale Mayer
Giving in, she held his hand and let him lead her to the center of the cavern she’d been avoiding.
Where she saw a man lying facedown on the ground.
“Oh no!”
She raced over, dropping to her knees at his side. And realized in that second that it wasn’t just any male. It was Connor Bateman. Her lost love. Why? How?
“Connor? Can you hear me?”
Her hands frantically searched his lean frame for injuries, her fingers slowing when she reached his hair and the sticky mess at the back of his head.
His pulse was warm and strong, and his chest rose and fell with a reassuring rhythm. But he was out cold. She dared not move him, not when he was injured like this. But she couldn’t leave him, either. And on top of that, no methods of communication worked down here.
Genesis stared at him. What was he doing here? And why now? Now that she’d finally accustomed herself to his absence? She brushed his hair back off his forehead and gently stroked his cheek.
If they could stay here, the energy of the cavern would help heal him. The pools would be better, but she’d never be able to carry him back there. The two of them would have to stay here until he woke up and hope the man with the gun didn’t return.
Hopefully that would be soon. The longer Connor stayed unconscious, the worse the scenario.
The wound didn’t look that bad, but head wounds could be tricky. “Wake up, Connor, please.”
She continued to gently stroke him, easing his pain and willing the healing energy of the cavern to do its job. “Please, Connor. Please wake up.”
Remi sat between them, one hand on her shoulder and one on Connor’s. Granny would have said that Remi was completing the circle.
Granny was full of those little tidbits.
Connor shifted in her arms. He groaned.
“Easy, Connor. You’ve got a head injury. You’ve been unconscious.”
He groaned again and tried to sit up but collapsed onto his side instead. “What happened?”
Genesis rose and shook out legs that were stiff from sitting in the same position for so long.
“Either someone hit you over the head, or you fell.” She squatted down in front of him. “What are you doing here?” she frowned. “Did Matt send you here?” Her voice dropped. “Or Grandfather?”
Genesis watched as he blinked at her. Then saw her. Like, really saw her. And his lips slowly curved upward. A beautiful, caring movement that caught her attention and wouldn’t let go. She sighed. He’d always had the power to move her, a sensuality that he never seemed to be aware of. He’d been quiet – reserved, almost – when she’d first met him. It had been that very quietness that had attracted her. Always beautiful, this visible vulnerability was touching.
And she barely knew him.
On impulse, she reached down and dropped a kiss on the top of his head, surprising herself.
And him, too. His gaze shot up to hers.
“Don’t take that the wrong way.” She backed up slightly. “I was just kissing your owie better.”
His gaze shifted away from hers, and she wondered for a moment if she’d really seen a whisper of disappointment in it.
“You never answered my question,” she said, smoothly shifting back onto neutral ground.
“I came to check out the pools and…I came looking for you.”
“Why?” She stared down at him curiously. “I’m fine. Did Matt send you?”
“He was concerned about you, yes.” Connor struggled to his feet. “Only I’m the one that got beaned instead.”
Once she was reassured that he wasn’t in danger of falling over or collapsing, she stepped slightly away from him and searched the darkness. “Did you see your attacker?”
“No. I’d been calling out to you when I got hit from behind. I fought back and he took off.”
The disgust in his voice said everything. But she had to study his features and see if he was telling the truth. Inside, her heart and mind twisted over his words. Why had he come looking for her? And why there? He couldn’t have known she’d be there.
He took a deep breath. “Yeah, I feel like a stupid fool.”
She winced inwardly. She was really going to have to work on her attitude. “Do you know anything about the work being done here?”
“No idea. I hadn’t heard of anyone doing construction here. I can see the public wanting to open up the pools to more people but…not like this.” He turned in a slow circle, surveying the cavern.
“And what about the simple matter of asking permission from the owner of the property? Or is this one of Grandfather’s projects? After all, he wouldn’t worry about a little thing like legalities, would he?” Despite her best efforts, some of her bitterness slipped into her tone.
“I don’t think Grandfather has anything to do with this.” Connor walked over to the closest wall and stretched a hand out to stroke along the smooth stone. “I thought this area was not deeded.”
“Says who?” she snapped.
He glanced over his shoulder at her.
“It’s always been that way?”
She stared back at him. “Is that what Grandfather told you?”
Connor studied her face, then walked closer. “I heard you have a problem with him, and I’m sorry for that. He’s not an easy man to live or work with, but he’s not some common criminal.”
He wasn’t a common anything, she thought, but she managed to keep from spitting the words out.
“Hmm.” She turned and started back the way she’d come in. “I don’t believe you, but there’s no point in arguing. We’re never going to agree on that point.”
Even his sigh spoke of his fatigue.
“Come on. Let’s get you back up to the surface. You’ve been down here long enough.”
“I’ve hardly been here at all. An hour or two at most,” he protested. “You’ve likely been down here way longer.”
“I’m not injured.” And knowing the words would hurt but not sure how else to say them, she added, “And my senses are all functioning properly.”
He stared at her, his gaze dark, hooded. Silent. Abruptly, he said, “I do know how to take care of myself, you know. This isn’t exactly the first time I’ve been in a situation like this.”
She shot a pointed look at his injured scalp. He glared back but kept his mouth closed.
“Why did you come down here in the first place?”
“I’m keeping an eye on the pools.” She slipped across the open cavern, sliding along the walls. “Looking for the reason why the forest is such a mess.”
Having made her point, she led the way back to the tunnel. She didn’t really want him using her private way in and out of the place, but it was preferable to meeting the guy who’d attacked Connor.
His color had returned with her comment on his missing abilities. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned it, but it wasn’t like he could hide it from her. Good. She didn’t normally take cheap shots, but it helped put distance between them. Necessary distance. She had no intention of getting back into an intimate relationship with Connor. He’d been her one and only love and things had been unbelievably hot between them, which made his betrayal all the more devastating.
And that was her problem. He’d made no promises. He’d left that last morning without waking her to say goodbye. And foolish her, she’d been devastated. An idiot to actually think he’d leave his job and stay here for her. But she’d made the mistake of letting him in. He’d been the only man to stir her senses before or since.
That hadn’t changed.
She just had to remember that he was here for a reason – and she wasn’t it.
*
Connor hated the distance between them. Cordial friends. Polite enemies. But he grudgingly kept space from her when what he really wanted was to take her into the pools around the corner, strip the clothes from her back, and remind her just how good they were together. She’d been the hottest thing he’d ever experienced. Their week
together had blown him away, and he’d never forgotten a single second of it. He hadn’t been able to get enough. Any time. Any place. God, he loved her and had since he’d first laid eyes on her.
He’d wanted her to leave with him. He hadn’t imagined that she wouldn’t feel the same way.
He hadn’t been raised here in town, and as such, hadn’t had the same prejudice that many did against her granny and therefore at her. Apparently her granny had been one short stop away from being loony. That the whole family line was unstable. And that nothing could come of a relationship with Genesis, long term. Or at least, that’s what Grandfather had voiced loudly and regularly.
Connor refused to believe that. Then he’d believed she’d choose them over her painful existence in this town. If she left with him they could have a life together, a life without the mockery of the townspeople.
Only she’d refused.
In the heat of anger, he’d left.
But with every mile he put between them, he knew leaving had been a mistake. He should have stayed. Or better yet, he should have dragged her with him.
Instead, he’d walked away.
He’d hated himself that day…and the next and every day that followed. And then, not long after, the hurt started. A slow, bleeding ache that had never healed.
Knowing he’d wronged her but confused about his own feelings, he’d buried himself in work, waiting for his emotions to stabilize. And, eventually, they had – firmly on Genesis’s side.
But by the time he sorted his heart out, months had passed and he’d started losing his energetic abilities. And he’d just been assigned another major problem on the opposite side of Glory, even with his mental state in turmoil, and feeling like he was only half a man. Inferior. Damaged.
It was all he could do to cope with the trauma and still do his investigative work. He could have gone to Grandfather and explained.
But Connor had been too proud. And worried.
He was a guardian. A protector. An investigator whose job it was to keep the energy centers safe. He’d found his place here because of those abilities. Then, when he’d lost them, he’d thought it was just some fluke; a mere blip on the radar. He thought they’d return – any day now. And when they hadn’t, he’d gone straight into denial. Until, finally, he accepted that this could very well be his future. He’d spent the last six months soul searching and realizing that he’d lost more than just his abilities. He’d also lost Genesis.
He’d cast his mind far and wide for a reason for the loss of his abilities. And Genesis, being an energy worker, had been put under the spotlight of suspicion. After all, they’d just broken up. Early on, still mired in pain by the fact that she wouldn’t leave with him, he’d wondered if she might have taken his abilities away. To punish him, naturally.
That was an idea he’d almost instantly tossed away. It wasn’t in her to do something like that. She was a healer, a woman who specialized in mixing herbs to soothe and calm – not to hurt and anger. To hurt someone by removing their energy would be the antithesis of who she was.
He cast a look sideways. She was very powerful. And at the same time, so gentle. He wondered for the hundredth time at the depth of her power and just how strong she was. She’d never shared any of that information, but he had his suspicions.
“Heavy thoughts,” Genesis said lightly.
“Yeah.” Talk about an understatement. He glanced around to realize that she’d led him through a new tunnel, one he’d never seen before. Moonlight shone ahead and grew brighter as they stepped out into the woods. “I don’t know about this entrance.”
“It’s not well known. I didn’t want to meet your attacker, so I chose this path.”
“How many entrances are there?”
“We’ve never counted,” she said. “But there are dozens.”
As he watched, she came to a standstill and cocked her head, listening intently to something. He couldn’t see anything wrong. Suddenly, Genesis laughed, held out her hand, and then continued walking. He stared at her outstretched hand. Was he supposed to hold that? He wanted to, but he had the horrible feeling she was already holding someone else’s hand.
And that’s when he remembered the talk about her. And her imaginary friend. At the time, he’d laughed. Like a fool. Spirit pets, some people called them. But seeing as no one could see these pets but their owners, the stories were hard to credit. Energy workers saw them apparently, but he’d been raised isolated, unaware of paranormal abilities. Puberty had changed all that, but he’d yet to see one of those spirit pets himself.
He stared at her now, her head tilted to one side as if listening to someone who walked next to her.
Was it possible? In the last year, he’d heard about more people having pets no one could see. As if there was a mass condition of neurosis. But if the others were all energy workers, what was the chance that those like him with less than their full abilities – or none at all – just couldn’t see these animals? Not that he’d seen them before losing his abilities. It wasn’t impossible. Glory held many wonders. They’d barely scratched the surface of what this place could offer.
What had she called him? Rami? No, Remi. That was it. She said he was a rare plumer. Long, furry body, walked on two or four legs, and made a weird sound when he cried.
It was one thing to slay a dragon you could see, but how could he open up to a relationship with an animal he couldn’t see? It was hard to acknowledge that the damn thing even existed.
If it did, he’d like to see it at least once – to know for sure.
But according to the lore, the plumers chose their owners; chose who could see them.
And he hadn’t been chosen.
Something to do with energy readers and having an affinity for other energy workers.
Which he no longer was.
Chapter 5
Genesis moved easily through the forest. She was a creature of the moonlight. And sunlight, too, really, but there was a special, unique connection with moonlight. She always thought of secrets, of healing, or sadness, when she walked in moonlight. As if something about it set off her emotions. Sunlight was different. It brought joy and laughter and exuberance to her world, whereas the moon was about inner quiet and introspection.
Having Connor beside her was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. Remi had walked up and grabbed her hand; Genesis hadn’t thought anything of it. They were always together. But she rarely showed his presence to others by her actions.
Not that Conner would have noticed.
The pale, wan look on Connor’s face spoke volumes. He needed to lie down and rest, and soon. She didn’t think he was fully aware, but for the last hundred yards, he’d been following her blindly. He’d spoken little before, but even that had slowed to a mumble.
She didn’t know what to do. If he hadn’t been attacked, she would have taken him to the pools, but considering the attacker was quite possibly still around, that wasn’t a safe option.
And Connor couldn’t drive back. Not in the shape he was in.
That left one place within walking distance. The cottage.
There was also the fact that Connor didn’t argue as he followed her through the woods in the opposite direction of where he’d entered. He had to be hurting bad for this to happen. His eyes were half closed, and he held one hand out as if looking for support, but at the same time, he kept putting one foot in front of the other.
Somewhere along the path, she’d slipped her arm around his waist, helping to keep him upright, his arm resting on her shoulders. She led him deeper into the woods. Most people knew nothing of this area, and the ones who did avoided it at all costs.
“How much farther?” he whispered, the sound so faint she had to lean in close to hear. She shot him a worried glance. How badly injured was he?
“It’s just around a couple more corners.” She picked up the pace slightly, needing to reach the cottage before he collapsed. He was too heavy for her to lift. She winced as more o
f his weight dropped onto her shoulders.
Catching sight of his face, she noticed the gleam of sweat forming on his forehead, and a glassy, unseeing look in his eyes.
“Shit.” She tried to move faster, but she couldn’t and still keep both of them on their feet. “Remi, can you help?”
A quiet, worried chitter sounded as Remi moved to Connor’s other side and held his hand. She bit back a laugh. “Thanks, Remi.”
More chattering.
Damn, she was struggling with his weight now. Then inspiration struck. “Remi, show me the way. A shortcut. Break a path for me to follow.”
Remi bounded ahead to the left. Genesis corrected her course and followed. Remi was small and lithe, and although Genesis wasn’t big, supporting Connor made all the difference. He was now shuffling along, completely leaning on her, trusting her take him somewhere safe.
For all their personal history, she could not let him down.
He was a wounded animal. And what was even worse, he got that way because of her. He’d come looking for her.
Remi burst excitedly through the brush, jumping up her legs and swinging from her shoulder onto Connor’s shoulders. She took his enthusiasm to mean the cottage was just up ahead.
Just then, Connor stopped moving, swaying on his feet. Oh, shit.
“We’re almost there, Connor. Just a few more steps. Come on, please, take a few more steps.” He struggled forward one more step and stopped. Genesis exhaled loudly, tightened her grip on him, and pushed him forward.
Alternating encouragement with shoving, they finally broke through the brush to see the cottage. Relief swept over her. As they walked closer to the building, a sound behind her caught her attention. She glanced back. The brush had already closed up and the path had disappeared. Everything looked normal. Yet it didn’t feel normal.
With a last wary eye at their surroundings, she nudged Connor forward.
“We’re here. Let me open the door.” She leaned him up against the wall beside the entry, and using Granny’s energy twists, unlocked the door.