I straighten the chain of my necklace and fasten one more button on my dress to ensure the crystal stays hidden under the fabric.
I message Irene.
I’m heading out.
But nothing comes back. She must be busy.
With a sigh, I head for the door and make my way down to the street. I search everywhere for Javen. I want to tell him I’m not really interested in having dinner with Luca. What if Javen thinks I was so angry at him that I’m doing this to spite him? I shake the silly thoughts from my head. I’ve barely known Javen a week, and strangely, there’s a part of me that’s not even sure if he’s real. But my mind returns to the kiss we shared. That felt real. More real than anything. The feeling of his mouth on my mine and his incredibly strong arms wrapping around my body . . . my cheeks flush, and heat spreads to my chest.
I look up and Spectra is right in front of me, and the sight jolts me back to my appointment. I gulp in a breath of air and enter the front door. Inside is Suzanna, the manager. Her eyes brighten when she sees me.
“I heard you were promoted,” she says.
A weak smile stretches across my lips, and I gather up as much fake excitement as I can. “It was fun working here, but duty calls.”
“Yeah,” Suzanna says. “You’ll be set.” She glances down at the computer screen on the hostess station. “Luca Powell is already waiting for you. He reserved the entire back room.”
My heartbeat skips with anxiety. I don’t want a private room. I force another smile. “Sounds good. Lead the way.”
Suzanna steps in front of me and walks toward the rear of the restaurant. On the way, we pass several couples and groups who are already enjoying their dinners. She opens the door to the farthest room, where Luca sits at a solitary round table, studying a menu.
As we enter, he looks up and smiles. Luca is a handsome young man, but something in his expression sends a shiver down my spine, and suddenly I wish I’d brought my sweater.
Luca places his menu down on the table and stands. “Hello, Cassi.”
“Hello, Mr. Powell.”
He frowns as he pulls out a chair, positioned a bit too close to his for my taste. But I sit anyway. Suzanna leaves and the door shuts behind her.
“I had hoped we might be beyond such formalities by this time.” He lowers himself into his seat and leans his elbows on the table. “I’d like it if you called me Luca.”
Inside I’m frowning, but I can’t let the expression get comfortable on my face. If Luca thinks I don’t like him, I’m never going to get anywhere.
A sweet smile overtakes my lips instead. “I’m sorry . . . Luca. I’m very nervous.”
Luca returns the smile. “Nervous? There’s nothing to be nervous about.” He gestures to the menu. “We’re only having dinner.”
“And discussing my new job.”
He waves his hand in the air. “Oh, that. Just a little business before pleasure.”
My stomach sinks at the word “pleasure,” but I try to hide my distaste by letting a chuckle escape my lips. “So, at the Gala, you mentioned that you don’t have any family on Arcadia.”
Luca smiles. “You have a good memory. I don't have family here, that’s correct. Unlike me, they don't have a lot of ambition. But I always have. When I was thirteen, I took an unpaid training program offered by the World Senate in D.C.”
“Washington?”
“Yes, that's where I'm from. My scores in school qualified me for the position and all of my teachers recommended me.”
“Your parents must have been proud,” I say.
“Not really.” A muscle in his jaw twitches. “They hate the World Senate and wanted me to keep my nose out of things. So, I ended up forging their permission slip and doing it anyway.”
“Didn't they know you were gone every day?”
Luca shrugs. "They barely noticed when I was there, let alone when I wasn't.” Sadness darkens his eyes and I start to feel a twinge of pity for him, until I remember who I'm talking to. “Anyway,” he says, “I did that every year until the end of high school. That's how I met Hammond. Instead of college, I was hired straight onto her staff.”
“Lucky you.” I don't really want to dig into Luca's life, so I change the subject. “How about you tell me what I should expect in the morning?”
Luca pauses as if he’s thinking for a moment. “Well, you’ll receive a tour of the building first. That way you know where you’re going.”
“Of course.” I lean in and place my elbows on the table to show him my intense interest.
“Then you’ll be escorted to your new office—”
“I’m getting an office to myself?”
He nods. “Yeah. Your job requires clearance with the Board, so you’ll need a measure of privacy. Then Hammond will probably speak to you about the current project.”
“The mining project?” My muscles tense at my words.
“Yes. There are several details we’ve not been able to resolve. The Board needs an expert to come in and modify the existing terraforming plan.”
“And I’m an expert?” I lean back in my seat.
“I’ve not seen your simulation records. But Hammond seems to think so. I do think you should come prepared though. She’s having you dive right into work. No honeymoon period.”
I’m not here to talk about me, so I grin at Luca and formulate a way to steer our conversation’s focus back onto him.
“So . . . can you believe your luck with being placed on the Board?”
He chuckles. “Luck had nothing to do with it. I’ve worked very hard to secure President Hammond’s trust over the last year.”
“What do you know about the mining? Will this new ore really change our lives?” I lean into him again and place my hands on the table.
The door to our private room swings open and an unknown server appears in the opening.
Luca holds up his hand to him. “We’ll be ready to order in a few minutes.”
The server nods and returns the way he came. The door shuts behind him, and reluctantly I return my attention to Luca.
He raises his hand onto the tabletop, placing his fingers over mine. A nervous jolt travels through my stomach, and everything in me wants to pull from him. But I resist. I need to stay focused on why I’m here: information.
“You were about to discuss the new ore?” I prompt.
His lips curve into a hint of a smile. “No. I don’t know much yet. She and I have a meeting tonight after this dinner. But I’m sure Hammond will fill you in as much as you need tomorrow.” Luca leans toward me, considerably closer than comfortable. “But I can tell you it’s something big, and I’m thrilled both of us are a part of it.”
I stare at him, not moving. Unexpectedly, Luca reaches his hand into my hair and bends closer toward me. My heart jumps. He’s trying to kiss me!
But before Luca gets that far, a cyan glow appears between us. Cold overtakes my body. Luca’s eyes grow wide as he jolts his hand back from me, as if shocked by electricity.
“What was that?” he asks, eyes still wide with shock.
I jump to my feet. “Uh . . . I don’t know. I’m going to go ask Suzanna if anything is going on outside.”
“No, don’t do that.”
“It’s fine; I'm feeling a little sick, too,” I say as Luca’s voice is already behind me. I dash for the door and throw it open. As I step through, a hand grips my arm. I gasp and swing around, expecting Luca. But instead, the scene shifts and bends and my surroundings change from the restaurant to a heavily wooded forest.
I swing my head around, and a pair of strong arms pulls me into a safe embrace.
“I’ve got you,” Javen says, and I sink into his chest.
Chapter 16
Although I have no desire to, I pull from Javen’s embrace. My heart is still racing at the thought of Luca trying to touch me—kiss me.
“How did I get here?” I look up at him. “Was that you who made the Starfire glow? To keep Luca awa
y from me?”
“Luca? The new member of the Board?” Javen’s hands form into tight fists and a vein forms on his neck. “What was he doing to you?”
My pulse batters at my eardrums. If Javen doesn’t know Luca tried to kiss me, I’m not sure telling him is a good idea. And I want to forget the whole thing happened anyway. “I was meeting with him to talk about my new job, which starts tomorrow. But mostly I was there to try and get information about my dad and maybe the new mining project.”
Javen’s face softens. “It’s dangerous for you to be seeking out information like this. I should never have taken you into Hammond’s office. You’re going to get yourself hurt.”
“I have to know what happened in the explosion. I can’t move on if I don’t,” I say. “But did you bring me here?”
Javen shakes his head. “I didn’t do anything. I was out in the woods alone, and then suddenly you were here, but . . .” He pauses. “But not fully. You were transparent. I reached out and then you were solid and in my arms.”
I glance around at my location. It appears very much like the place Javen brought me to the first time I was here, except no river. Still no signs of civilization: no other people, no city skyline in the distance, no buildings or structures. Above is only the setting sun. Arcadia’s two large moons hang in the night sky, out of sight, and wait to make their appearance. I can make out what might be a few dots of bright stars in the distance.
“So, you didn’t use the Starfire to bring me across the Intersection?”
“No, you must have crossed yourself.” He turns and rakes his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I’ve not seen an Earthling be able to complete the transfer alone. As far as I know, only my people can because of our link to the Starfire.” Javen twists my way and runs his hand over his face, revealing a tense jaw.
His gesture sends a sick feeling into my stomach. “I don’t understand. Is this a bad thing?”
“I’m not sure what your crossing the Intersection on your own means at this point, but I’m concerned how my people will take the news. It could change things.”
“For good?” From his expression the question is a long shot, but I have to ask.
“I’m afraid not.” Javen lowers himself to sit on the ground. “The girl who attacked you the other day . . .”
I sit beside him. “How could I forget?” The ghost of her fingers encircling my throat hovers around my skin again, and I reach to touch the spot.
“Her name is Beda, and she’s my cousin. The man she was with is my uncle Wirrin.”
Cousin? That’s why she reminded me of Javen. “Why would your cousin try to strangle me?”
“My people are peaceful. We’ve always had everything we needed on this planet. The Starfire is a clean energy source and allows us to travel long distances without things like the trains and vehicles you’ve brought here. We do not need large buildings, either. My people learned to live in nature without giant structures. We can even travel to your dimension for short periods of time. But most of us found little reason to do so. Until humans came from Earth, we had known very little division. However, when your people arrived, their presence created a disturbance.”
“A disturbance?”
“Some of the Alku wanted to go back to the old ways. The ways that embraced war.”
“But most don’t?”
“No,” he says.
“And what about you?” I stare at the angles of his face.
Javen’s lips curl into a soft smile. “I don’t agree with everything the Council decrees, but in this, they are right. The Alku have thrived since we became peaceful, and killing is wrong. I don’t want to return to those ways. Your father was working to repair the problem. The city of Primaro was originally much closer to the Starfire fields. He moved the city as far away as he could and was arranging for safeguards to keep the fields undisturbed. It was a good solution and allowed us to share the planet with Earth.”
“Then the explosion happened and Dad . . .” Emotion wells in my chest and I can’t hold my words back anymore. “Oh, Javen . . . I want to believe my dad is only missing . . . but he’s dead, isn’t he?”
As fast as the words empty from my mouth, Javen folds me into his arms. “I don’t know, Cassi,” he whispers into my hair, his voice like music again. “He could still be alive. I don’t want to give you false hope. But you called on the Starfire and the energy bringing you to this side of the Intersection makes the impossible possible.”
I lay my head on Javen’s chest and breathe in his scent—a fusion between earth and sky, intoxicating my mind and body. Dissolving every thought save thoughts of him. Desire takes over, especially desire for my pain to dissipate, and I snake my hands around his neck while raising my mouth to meet his soft lips.
Javen’s feelings are obviously the same for me because he doesn’t resist. Not even for a second. He wraps his arms around my waist, and then his hands travel up my spine and to my shoulder blades, entwining our bodies closer.
Our kiss is hungry, though not rushed as his soft lips press into mine. So many times. I run my hands through the base of his hair and don’t let him go. My body fills with warmth and excitement, feelings that consume me as my hands roam to his shoulders. I want this moment to last forever. Wonder fills me, and when I crack open my eyelids to peek at him, we’re both enveloped in a cyan glow. At the sight, I pull from his lips.
“Please . . . don’t stop. Stay with me forever,” Javen whispers and opens his eyes, which swirl with color. Then, as if the color were mere mist, the hue dissipates.
He pants for breath but doesn’t loosen his hold on my back.
“Is that normal?” I ask, knowing so little about his people. To be honest, I’m not even sure the Alku are human.
Javen lifts a side of his mouth, as if shy. The look is utterly boyish and my pulse glitters in response. “No,” he says softly, “but I don’t think anything about us is normal.”
I’ve kissed a few boys in the past, even thought I was in love once. But Javen is different. I’m not sure I can determine exactly what my feelings for him mean. Though much of me thinks he was right that the Starfire linked us. My heart is bound to his, I realize. And a smile flits across my lips when I also realize I don’t want it any other way.
I draw in a steady breath and pull him close to me again, eager to fulfill his request to continue where we left off. Javen’s lips part and his hands tighten on my shoulder blades as he lowers to me. But before my lids shut, the world around us shifts. The dirt and trees bend and fade to become buildings and pavement.
My breath hitches as I wonder if we’re simply going to appear in each other’s arms on the streets of Primaro for anyone walking by to see.
“Are you able to stop it?” I ask as the scene before us seems to pulse.
Javen closes his eyes, inhales a shaky breath, and then opens them again. “I can’t control the Starfire this time.”
I grab for the necklace under my shirt. “What if I took it off?”
He pulls my hand away. “No, we have no way of knowing if removing the Starfire could damage this Intersection point. I’ll do my best to cloak us, though.”
I stand, and Javen follows. The pulse stops and the two of us end up on my side of the Intersection. All around us is a light cyan glow. Several people walk by and pay us no mind.
To our left is the restaurant. The front door opens and Luca walks out. Upon seeing him, the memory of his attempt at kissing me floods back and my heart shudders. Apparently, he must not have eaten dinner, not that I blame him after what happened.
Javen’s attention swings to Luca. “He didn’t harm you, did he?”
I study my feet and lift my shoulders and say, “No.” Everything in me wants to leave and return to the dorm. But when I look up at Luca again, an idea forms. “We are invisible, right?”
“Yes. With the Starfire, I can cloak us to be unseen. You are the only person I’m aware of who can see through this cloaking.
”
“We need to follow Luca,” I say. “He told me that he had scheduled a meeting with Hammond tonight after our dinner. They might discuss my dad.”
Two lines form between Javen’s brows. “I don’t want to put you in danger.”
I place my hands on his upper arms and gently squeeze. “Javen, you know I can’t let my dad go.”
Javen sighs and nods. “I’ll help you.”
I stretch up and give him a quick kiss and release his arms. “Thank you.” Then I swing around to Luca, who’s already halfway down the block toward the Capitol building.
The two of us sprint after him, and the sensation of moving through the air is exactly how I visualized Javen when I first noticed him in the ship’s bay while he was running through the crowd—like he was swimming. Our movements feel as if we are gliding through water, but with little resistance. I can see everything going on around me, but I’m not a part of any of it.
We eventually catch up to Luca and follow him all the way to the Capitol building. Luca makes his way through the front and into the elevator. Javen and I slip in from behind and stand on the opposite side of the cab from Luca.
Unaware of our presence, he chooses the floor and the doors slide shut. My stomach drops as I study his face. His jaw is tense, and he shoves his hands into his pockets.
Javen stares at Luca, eyes narrowed, and I’m pretty confident that Javen knows I wasn’t telling the full truth about my time with Luca. I slip my hand into his to calm him, and luckily Hammond’s office is only on the fifth floor, so the ride isn’t long.
When the doors slide away, I don’t hear the chime. Luca moves out, and we continue to trail him to Hammond’s office, just past the briefing room.
“Come in,” echoes Hammond’s voice from the other side, following Luca’s knock.
I gulp down my nervousness as Luca steps into the office. Javen and I rush after him before the doors shut automatically. I tap my Connect and scroll through the options, activate the camera, and hit record. I have no idea what Hammond is going to say, but I might need the footage later.
“Give me just a moment, Luca.” Hammond doesn’t even look up from her touchscreen. She slides her hand across the surface, studying information.
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