“Danielle.” Lateef smiled in relief. “I thought I lost you.”
She opened her eyes and Abby bounced up to lick her face. She held up her hands to push the excited dog away.
“Back off, Abby,” Lateef commanded.
To Dani’s great surprise, the dog obeyed his stern command.
Lateef turned his attention to Dani.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m not sure.” The weakness in her voice surprised her. She tried to lift her head, but it was too heavy.
“You sliced open your hand.” Lateef took on a professional air. “Cut the muscle and nicked an artery. I didn’t know if I could heal the vessel in time. You lost a lot of blood before I knew you were hurt.”
She blinked slowly, trying to process the information. She heard everything—and the words seemed English, but it didn’t make sense.
He gave her a sad smile and ran a hand across her left hand and wrist, following the path the knife had taken. The skin was tender but didn’t hurt as much as she expected from her past experiences with cuts.
“Let’s get you to bed. You need to rest.” He picked her up and walked up the stairs.
Her head swam with the motion, but his grip steadied her. Once by her bed, he had her stand beside him as he pulled the blankets down. She glanced at her arm, but the skin looked normal—only a faint red line tracing the knife’s path.
“How is this possible?”
He silently tucked her in.
She gave him the space he obviously needed. His grief and guilt pushed against her skin like a smothering weight and she ignored the emotional cloud as long as she could. “Lateef?”
He sat on the edge of the bed, avoiding contact.
“What happened?” she asked.
He met her gaze, and she could see exhaustion in the depths of his blue eyes. “I was running from the Hatti.” His tone was clinical though the subject was bizarre. “I’d gotten away when my life boat crashed. They have these creatures called Jangxing they use to track fugitives. That’s what you saw in the window.”
“That monster didn’t come from Earth.”
His throat worked as he swallowed then sat up straight and met her gaze. “No, it didn’t. And the Hatti are not from Earth although they lived here in the ancient past.” He stared at her. “I’m not from here, either.”
Dani stilled with shock. Part of her accepted the premise, but that part was deep in her subconscious. The same part of her mind that allowed her to accept all the odd things without question.
“Danielle?” he prompted when she grew cold and silent. He touched her head, then swore.
Her eyes twitched, and the bed swayed like a boat in a storm.
“Let’s slide you down.” Lateef’s voice was an anchor in the chaos. He pulled her legs, raising them up and dropping her head. He propped her feet up on a pile of pillows and ran from the room. We he returned he held a straw to her lips. “Drink this.” He forced her to drink until the room steadied. “You lost a lot of blood. It’ll take a few days until the fluid volume is replaced. I can speed the process up, but it will still take time.”
“Where’s the cut?” Curiosity returned as her head cleared.
“I’m a healer.” The sheer matter-of-factness to his statement made him believable. “I healed it.”
Dani stared at him then shook her head. She must be dreaming. Her breath caught in her chest as she remembered Carl.
“I died.” It was more a statement than a question.
“Only for a minute.”
The anguish in his voice drew her gaze to him.
He sat beside her again and took one of her chilled hands into his. “I didn’t think there was any Hatti activity in the area and I got complacent. I needed to throw the Jangxing off your trail, but I should have made sure you were okay first.”
“What would this Jang… this thing have done to us?” She asked.
“I don’t think it would have come into the house, although they can be tenacious,” he said. “But it would let the Hatti associate you with me. I gave the creature a false memory, so it will remember me, but not you or this place.”
“What about you?” she asked. Maybe it would be safe for him to stay. His presence soothed her soul.
One side of his mouth quirked up. “I’ll be fine.”
“Where is home?” she asked.
He laid a hand on her forehead and a wave of exhaustion washed over her.
“Far away from here.” His voice grew quieter, and her eyes drifted closed. “I hope I can take you there someday.”
“I’d like that.” She didn’t know if she spoke aloud. She thought warm lips brushed across her cheek as she allowed the warm darkness to envelop her, hoping her nightmares were over.
Chapter Thirteen
You continue to amaze me, little one. Just when I thought you had provided all the energy I could get from you, you recover. My Apirri swore you were about to cross death’s threshold. And instead you brought me a new toy to play to with. I’ll use the new human’s feelings to increase your pain. It will be lovely.
I’m glad the Beryllian scum is as talented as his reputation claims. I almost had both of you, but I’m content to extend our time together.
I’ll come for you soon. This brief period of hope will make the ending ever so much more satisfying.
Chapter Fourteen
Kyle relaxed in one of the wooden chairs on Dani’s veranda, enjoying a mug of cinnamon coffee while he texted instructions to his admin. Cheerful music floated on the warm air and he shook his head, puzzled by the drastic change in Dani’s mood. He needed to get home and line up some new clients, but he couldn’t ignore the mystery in this quaint, mountain town.
Thanks to trying for too long to satisfy a now-ex girlfriend whose champagne tastes had demolished his beer budget, he badly needed the money the senator promised. But after getting to know Dani, he no longer wanted to let the arrogant jerk get his hands on her. He tried to tell himself he wasn’t positive about her identity, but it was a lie. When he arrived this morning, there had been a photo of a beautiful young girl, about three-years-old who was a dead ringer for the kid his client claimed was his grand-daughter.
He was finding excuses harder to come up with when his admin asked when he was coming home. His client’s poll numbers were slipping. The rumor that he had killed an inconvenient daughter-in-law didn’t help.
Just another excuse. The answer came from his subconscious. Got to quit falling for the pretty, yet potentially crazy ones. That was how he ended up in a financial crunch to start with.
The low growl of an engine coming up the long drive ended his internal conversation. He turned his phone off to ensure he wouldn’t attract the Sheriff’s attention with any untoward notifications. He wouldn’t be surprised to have the man snag his phone and check his messages if he got interested enough.
Charlie White Bear climbed the veranda steps, tilting his head in confusion. “What is that noise?”
“Black Light Effect’s Never Again,” Kyle said. “From their ‘Greatest Hits’ album.”
“I recognize the group.” Charlie glared at him. “I meant I’ve never heard music here before. Or anything, really—I didn’t think Dani even owned a radio or television.”
“She found an internet radio station,” Kyle explained. “It’s strange. I came over yesterday and she was acting tired and a bit off and then today… I dug through the trash looking for the pod.”
The older man gave him a puzzled look. “The pod?”
“From the alien that replaced her? You know, like in that body snatcher movie?”
“I heard you.” Dani stood in the front door. “I have not been taken over by aliens.”
“How are you doing?” Charlie turned his attention to her. “Anna wants to come
by in the next couple of days to get your advice on soap or bubble bath or something girly.”
Dani’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Girly stuff, huh? Tell her to come by Friday. I should have things under control by then. Unless, of course, the alien pod people do come by and then she’ll have to take her chances.”
Kyle stared at her, having trouble coming to grips with the sudden personality shift. Dani had always been friendly in a reserved sort of way, but now the constant shadow of sorrow was gone. He adored this confident woman, and had no desire to see this spirit crushed by her father-in-law.
She grinned at them. “I’ve seen my share of science fiction movies. I’m not totally ignorant of the culture.” She shook her head when they continued to stare.
“Want some coffee, Charlie? I’ve got blueberry muffins to go with it. And if you two need to compare notes I could work on lunch. Got a bunch of fresh trout I have to use or freeze.”
“No, thank you.” Charlie’s refusal was full of regret. “I can’t stay—although I wouldn’t mind a muffin to go.”
Dani laughed. “I’ll be right back.”
“What did you do?” Charlie whispered as he turned on Kyle.
“What do you mean?” Kyle leaned away from the intense stare in the sheriff’s eyes.
“Dani’s alive again. I haven’t seen this woman since before… well since the first time I met her and her family.” A shadow of sorrow passed over his face.
“You knew her husband and child?” Kyle kept his tone casual, hoping to get more information from the normally secretive sheriff.
Charlie held up a hand, looking quickly to make sure Dani was not eavesdropping. “We don’t talk about them around here.”
Kyle nodded thoughtfully. He’d wondered how the senator’s daughter-in-law had vanished from the hospital without a trace. Dedicated friends able to keep a secret could be the answer to the mystery. He decided to muddy the waters a bit. “I think someone else has been here when we’re all gone.”
“Why?” The sheriff turned on him, no longer the friend, but a grizzly roused early from hibernation.
Kyle wondered if he had miscalculated. “Nothing definite.” He decided against mentioning the bloody rags he’d found in the trash. He’d saved one for DNA testing, but wasn’t sure he wanted to know who had lost so much blood. Can’t be Dani’s, or she’d be in the hospital. The idea of her harming someone else is ridiculous, and yet… Maybe I’d better leave sleeping bears to snore. “I’ll stay close and keep an eye on things, I promise.”
Charlie studied him for a long moment. “You armed?”
Kyle snorted disdainfully. “Of course.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Danielle grumbled as she stepped out onto the porch with a bag. “Will you two please quit sniffing around each other? I can take care of myself. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I don’t need a father or big brother to keep me safe.”
Charlie straightened with a guilty look at her return.
“Here you go.” She handed the bag to the sheriff.
He took it in his strong hands and gave her a puzzled glance at the weight.
“There’s enough to share with your deputies and to give Anna one. Make sure she gets it, okay?”
She added the last line as a look of happy greed crossed his face.
“Thank you.” He tipped his hat to her. “Everything okay out this way?”
“No problems.” She rubbed absently at her left hand.
“Will you call if there is a problem?”
She turned a brilliant smile on him. “You’ll be the first one I call if I run into something I can’t handle.”
“That’s not what I meant, young lady.”
“I know, but it’s the best I can do.”
He gave her a long look and then turned. “I’ll tell Anna she can come out. And you let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” she said. “Thank you.”
Dani leaned against the door frame as she watched him drive away. The dog whined from inside the screen door.
“You need to stay there, Abby,” she said. “I don’t want you to run into another monster dinosaur.”
“Did you see it?” Kyle hoped to startle her into revealing something that would help him decide what to do. He had to find a way to please his nasty client enough to pay him without putting her into danger.
She merely glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Depends on which one you mean,” she said. “The butterfly or the raccoon?”
“The one that was outside of your workroom.” He stifled his satisfaction as she turned to look at him in surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“What did you see out there?” He was confident he was on to something. “You put up curtains and I saw some weird footprints on the ground near the house.”
“I got tired of the afternoon sun in my eyes.” She turned back to the door in an obvious gesture of dismissal.
“And you won’t let the dog run free anymore.” He slowly rose to his feet to walk closer. He was onto something, he could feel it.
“She doesn’t always run wild. She likes to stay home sometimes.”
He opened his mouth to push her, but she suddenly stiffened, looking to the west for several minutes and then darted inside without another word.
His gaze shifted between the empty horizon and the house, but he couldn’t see anything to cause such a strange reaction. He followed her to the kitchen.
“You need to leave,” she said as soon as he walked in. She pulled an amazing variety of food out of the fridge and pantry. “Trout for the main protein, and a fresh salad and maybe…” her voice trailed off as she rummaged around in the pantry.
“What are you doing?” Kyle demanded. He followed her so closely she bumped into him when she turned around, nearly dropping a bag of flour.
“Company’s coming.” She pushed him out of the way gently. “I don’t have much time.”
He tried to make her stop, but she side-stepped his attempt and headed for the pantry. “If you won’t leave, then be useful. Wash and peel these, please.” She handed him a stack of purple, red and white potatoes, guided him to the sink and handed him a peeler, rushing on to another task before he could get a question out.
He could see strands of panic in her eyes, so he decided to help. At least I’ll be here to take care of any problems. The worst thing that could happen is we have to either freeze a bunch of food or have a party. This is pretty strange. He peeled the huge stack of potatoes, as she slammed around the kitchen.
“Okay, all done.” Kyle dumped a bowl of peeled potatoes into the sink with a loud clang. “What’s going on, Danielle?” She looked calm. What did I miss?
She gave him a bright smile. “Grab a bunch of different ripe tomatoes from the garden, please?”
He accepted a bowl and trudged out to the garden, hoping he could figure out which plants were tomatoes. Fortune smiled on him and he had no trouble recognizing the correct plants, but the fruit came in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Finally, he resorted to grabbing a few from each plant, figuring green was still growing and yellow or red was actually ripe. He stopped when the bowl was nearly full and heavy.
When he returned to the kitchen, she was tossing the last handful of chopped potatoes into a pan of melted butter.
“Thanks, keep an eye on the potatoes for me? Give them a stir every couple of seconds. I need to grab some herbs.” She thrust the spoon into Kyle’s hand and ran out the door, leaving him speechless.
Before he could get too worried, she returned and dumped the batch of leaves and stems into a colander and rinsed them before taking the spoon to check the progress of the potatoes. She sprinkled salt and some other seasonings into the pan. “Keep stirring every few minutes. I don’t want them to burn.”
Kyl
e watched as she fileted the fish, moving with a practiced grace and speed that freaked him out. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
She froze in the process of chopping some green plant and stared at him with wrinkled brows.
“I’ve never seen anyone use a knife like that. Are you positive you’re not some ninja assassin?”
Laughter bubbled out of her chest, lightening the mood of the house. “That has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever been accused of. I have a lot of practice on vegetables.”
“Just vegetables, huh?” He gulped audibly. “I saw what you did to the poor trout.”
Dani shook her head, her hands never slowing as she started a second dish. She cut the tomatoes, tore up chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese and some green herb, then poured balsamic vinegar over the top.
Her movements slowed as everything seemed to be close to done and he tried to get some answers.
“What are we doing here, Dani?” He put a snap of command into his tone and she glared at him.
“I can’t explain right now. Get some plates and silverware and put them on the table please.” The wind shifted and she lifted her head to listen. Abby whuffled by the door. Dani turned back to Kyle and placed a hand on his shoulder to meet his gaze. “You need to leave,” she pleaded. “I can’t explain why, but you’ll be safe if you go now.”
“Danielle.” His voice took on a husky timbre that caught him by surprise. “I want to protect you, not be protected by you.”
“Not your job.” Her expression started out angry, but soon softened to concern. “I don’t need anything from you. Please go home and take my thanks for your help.”
She darted around him to pull the last trout off the grill to place on a bed of fresh lettuce.
“I don’t care if you want anything from me.” Kyle followed her to the stove but kept a distance. Won’t get anywhere by antagonizing her. “I need to know if there’s something dangerous going on. If I need to leave, then so do you.”
They glared at each other, frozen for several seconds, until Abby began barking ferociously at the back door.
Dani’s face went stark white and she swayed. “It’s too late. You’d never get far enough away.” She took a deep breath and stared him in the eyes. “Please don’t say anything. Just help serve lunch and don’t volunteer any information. Don’t tell any lies—not even a little white one. If they ask any questions, give the shortest answer you can, but make sure it’s the truth, okay?”
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