Amanda Ashley (20 page)

“Alex, do you think Barrett's given up yet?”

“I doubt it.”

“I need to call home.”

“I know, but it's too soon. Maybe in a couple of weeks.”

Kara nodded. As eager as she was to call home, to let Nana and Gail know where she was, to make sure all was well at home, she knew Alex was right.

They drove to town the following night and put a deposit on a new black leather sofa and a matching chair for the main room. Tomorrow, Kara would rent a truck to carry them up the mountain.

After leaving the furniture store, they wandered through a bookstore, buying whatever piqued their interest, until they had almost enough books to restock the bookshelf. They bought a portable stereo and spent an hour choosing cassettes.

Their last stop was at the grocery store where they bought bread and milk, a variety of canned goods, and some fresh fruits and vegetables. Alex lifted an eyebrow in amusement as Kara dropped a dozen candy bars into the shopping cart.

“Sweets for the sweet?” he murmured.

“Just give me my chocolate and no one gets hurt,” she retorted with a saucy grin.

Time passed quickly, the days turning into weeks, the weeks into a month.

In spite of everything, Kara had never been happier. She put her fears for the future behind her, determined to enjoy this time with Alex. She quickly adjusted her lifestyle to his. They stayed up late at night and slept late in the morning. Sometimes they spent the afternoon reading. Alex was a voracious reader with a wide range of interests. He might read Shakespeare one day, and Tom Clancy's latest novel the next. He also enjoyed medieval history and philosophy. Some days they played cards; poker, canasta, pinochle, gin rummy, he was adept at them all. He taught her to play chess.

At other times, when he was feeling melancholy, he told her of his life on ErAdona, of his parents and his daughter. He rarely mentioned his wife. Life on ErAdona sounded very much like life on Earth, only much more peaceful. Kara tried to imagine cities without crime or pollution, tried to imagine being able to walk down the streets of New York or Los Angeles late at night, alone and unafraid.

In the evening, they often went for long walks. Now was one of those times. Kara had grown to love the night. She found beauty in the darkness that she had never seen in the daylight, heard things she had never noticed before. She listened to the wind whisper love songs to the pines, heard the soft scurrying sounds of the small night creatures that came out only after sundown. She saw an owl questing for prey, a doe tiptoeing through
the forest. She felt a shiver run down her spine the first time she heard the melancholy cry of a coyote.

Sometimes it surprised her, how happy she was, living in a cavern on the top of a mountain, far from the world she had known.

She glanced at Alex, walking beside her, and knew she would be content to spend the rest of her life here, in this place, with this man.

She wasn't surprised when their journey ended at the hot spring. It had become their special place, a magical place.

Heat rose within her, warm, alive, exciting, as Alex reached for her. She craved his touch, burned for his kisses. No longer shy, she let her hands drift over his hard-muscled body, a body she now knew as intimately as she knew her own. She began to undress him with infinite care, wanting to prolong the pleasure. She loved to touch him, to watch his eyes grow hot with desire as she removed his shirt and ran her fingernails over his chest and back, letting her palms slide slowly, seductively, over the unique ridge of flesh on his spine.

His groan of pleasure filled her with joy. Never, she thought, never had she dreamed that love could be so wonderful, so beautiful.

Locked in each other's arms, they sank to the ground. Heart pounding, Kara lay back while Alex undressed her with gentle hands, his dark eyes aglow with love and desire. And then he was kissing her again, his tongue moving over her like a flame of fire.

She drew him deep inside her, wanting to shelter him, to shield him, to absorb him into herself.

“Alex!” She cried his name aloud as his body merged with hers. Her nails raked his back, fueling
his desire, until she writhed beneath him. “I love you,” she gasped. “Love you!”

The words rose in her throat, repeating themselves over and over again as he carried her higher, higher, until they soared above the earth, bodies and souls melded into one.

Natayah . . .

She heard his voice in her mind, an exultant cry as she shuddered to completion beneath him.

Kara, ah, Kara . . .

She felt his warmth spill into her, filling her, and then he buried his face against her shoulder, his body trembling convulsively.

“I love you, Alex.” She whispered the words as she stroked his hair. “I love you so.”

Much later, after a leisurely soak in the hot spring, they lay side by side in the moonlight. Kara gazed up at the stars, wondering again which one was his. There was so much about him she didn't know.

“You're very quiet,” Alex remarked. “Is anything wrong?”

“No. I was just wondering . . . do your people believe in God?”

“Of course.”

Turning on her side, she raised herself on her elbow so she could see his face. “Tell me what you believe.”

“Our beliefs are much like yours. We believe in one God, a superior Being who created the universe. It is against our laws to steal, to kill, to lie.”

“Do you have churches?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have more than one religion?”

“No. In that, my people are different from yours.
Every race of people I've ever encountered believes in a Supreme Being, but it is the same God, Kara. It doesn't matter whether you call him
Wakan Tanka,
Elohim, or Allah. He is the same. Omnipotent. Eternal. Without beginning of days or end of years.”

Kara nodded. What he said was what she had always believed. She remembered a scripture she had read once that had stuck in her mind: “Worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose . . . For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away . . . And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them. . . .”

“Were you . . .
are
you a religious man?”

Alex nodded, the burden of killing Rell pricking his conscience. But he did not regret killing the man; he would do it again even though he knew it was wrong.

“Have you been to other planets?”

Alex turned on his side to face her. “Some. People are the same wherever you find them, Kara. They're all humanoid. One head, two arms, two legs. There might be minor differences in skin or hair texture, but none of them look like the ridiculous creatures depicted in your books or movies. They don't fly around the galaxy abducting people and subjecting them to bizarre experiments. Most are too busy living their own lives to worry overmuch about life in another part of the galaxy.”

“I always thought that if we found people on other planets, they'd be just like us,” Kara remarked. “I mean, my Bible tells me that God created man in His own image.” She shrugged. “I
always thought if that was true, then people would be the same all over. It's kind of nice to know I was right. Do they—I mean, have any of the people from other planets . . . You know what I mean. Have any of the people from your planet had children with other races?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Never?”

“I don't know, Kara. I only know that, among my people, it's forbidden to mate with those from other worlds. I can't help but think there must be a good reason behind such a strict directive.”

Knowing he was probably right made her feel suddenly alone. She didn't want to think about it anymore. He'd told her that people were alike all over, and yet it seemed they weren't exactly alike, after all.

She stretched out on the ground again, her arms folded behind her head as she stared up at the stars. Thoughts of Gail and Nana crowded her mind.

“I wonder how things are going at home,” she remarked, anxious to change the subject. “I've got to call Gail.”

He nodded slowly. He understood what she was feeling, knew she needed to assure herself that she wasn't cut off from everyone and everything she loved. It was a feeling he knew well.

“Who did you call last time?”

“Mrs. Zimmermann next door.”

“All right. Tomorrow night, we'll call Mrs. Zimmermann.”

They drove down the mountain at dusk. Kara could hardly sit still, so anxious was she at the prospect of calling home.

They pulled into the first gas station they saw to make the call. Kara fidgeted nervously while she dialed the number. The phone seemed to ring forever.

“She doesn't answer,” Kara said, hanging up the receiver.

“We'll try again tomorrow night.”

“No. I want to call home. I have to get in touch with Gail.”

“Kara, we talked about that before. It might not be safe.”

“I don't care! I have to call home, Alex. I have a feeling something's wrong.”

He studied her face for a moment, then sighed in
resignation. “I'll make the call. No one will recognize my voice.”

Kara nodded in agreement. Dialing quickly, she thrust the receiver into his hand.

The phone rang three times, then a female voice Alex didn't recognize answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello. May I speak to Kara, please?”

“I'm sorry, she's not here. May I take a message?”

“Is Gail there?”

“Yes. May I ask who's calling?”

“I'm a friend of Kara's.”

“Oh?” There was a world of curiosity in the word.

“May I speak to Gail, please?”

“Who should I say is calling?”

Alex grimaced. “Who am I speaking to?”

“This is Mrs. Zimmermann.”

Alex held the receiver out to Kara. “The neighbor lady's on the phone.”

Kara's hand was shaking as she lifted the receiver to her ear. Something
was
wrong. She knew it. “Mrs. Zimmermann?”

“Kara, is that you?”

“Yes. Is everything all right?”

“I'm afraid I have some bad news, dear. Your . . . your grandmother . . . she's, I mean, ah, she's in the hospital.”

“The hospital! What happened?”

“She collapsed at the grocery store.”

“Collapsed! Is she all right? When did it happen?”

“It happened day before yesterday,” Mrs. Zimmermann said, sounding flustered. “At first they thought it was a heart attack, but they've ruled that out.”

“Where's Gail?”

“She's here. Hold on, I'll get her.”

Moments later, Gail's voice came over the phone. “Kara, Kara, where are you? When are you coming home?”

“As soon as I can, sweetie. How's Nana?”

“I don't know. Dr. Petersen said it was caused by stress. They're giving her some kind of medicine. I don't know what it is.” Gail sniffed loudly. “He said she'll probably be all right. But what if she isn't?”

“Gail, has Barrett been around?”

“Every day. And he's not alone. There's two guys with him. They look like—like crooks.”

“What hospital is Nana in?”

“The one here in town. Dr. Barrett suggested moving her to Grenvale for some kind of test. He says they have better facilities there.”

“Tell Nana to stay where she is, Gail. Tell her to insist she wants Dr. Petersen to look after her. Is Mrs. Zimmermann staying with you?”

“Yes. I'm scared, Kara. Please come home.”

“I will. Have you called Steve?”

“I tried, but he's out in the jungle somewhere and they can't get hold of him.”

“All right. Don't tell anyone I called. I've got to go now, Gail. Try not to worry. I'll be home as soon as I can.”

“All right. Bye.”

Kara hung up the receiver and turned away from the phone. “Oh, Alex, Nana's . . .”

“I know,” he said, drawing her into his arms. “I heard.”

“I've got to go home.”

“I can't let you do that. You heard what Gail said. Barrett's been there every day.”

“I don't care. I've got to see Nana.” She looked up at Alex, hope shining through her tears. “You can
help her, can't you, the way you helped me? She'll get better if you give her some of your blood. I know she will. Please, Alex, I can't let her die.”

“Kara . . .” His hands knotted into fists. What she was asking was impossible. He hadn't managed to survive here for two hundred years by taking chances. His life span might have increased drastically, but he wasn't truly immortal. He was subject to pain and death just like any other living creature. “As much as I'd like to, I can't do what you want.”

“Why not?”

“I can't.”

“Very well, then, I'll go alone.”

“Dammit, Kara, I understand how you feel, but I can't let you go home. I won't let you put your life in jeopardy.”

“If you won't go with me, then I'll go alone. But I am going! Nana's taken care of me since I was fourteen. I can't desert her now, when she needs me most. I can't, and I won't.”

She stared at Alex through her tears, feeling as though he had betrayed her. She had counted on him to help her, and he'd let her down.

“If you won't give her any of your blood, then I'll give her some of mine. Maybe it will work just as well as yours, but even if it doesn't, I've got to go. I've got to try.”

Alex stared at the tears shining in her eyes, at the stubborn tilt of her head, and knew he couldn't let her face Barrett alone.

“Your blood would work just fine, Kara.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said.” Alex took a deep breath. It was time she knew the truth. In a voice devoid of emotion,
he told her the whole truth about the rat and how he had tested her blood, as well as his own. Both had restored the rodent's health, though his own blood, unmixed and undiluted, had worked more quickly.