Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
“Oh, Vic…” For some reason, Torri felt like crying. She told herself not to be silly. It wasn’t like she’d been expecting him to propose or anything like that. But the thought that it was completely impossible for them to end up together, made her heart ache for some reason.
Slowly, she climbed off his lap and lay on her side with her back to him.
“Torri? Are you all right?” He leaned over her anxiously. “Are you upset that I cannot call you as my bride and bond you to me?”
“No…maybe. I don’t know.” She sighed and curled tightly into herself. “I guess it just makes me sad that there’s not even any possibility of us being together. I mean, I know we haven’t known each other for long, but it just feels right with you. I mean, righter than it ever did with Chuck or anyone else I’ve ever been with, for that matter.”
“It feels right for me too, sweetheart.” Vic put an arm around her and pulled her close, so that his big body spooned hers. “So right it’s almost frightening,” he murmured. “I never knew I could have these emotions—they’re so strong they overwhelm me.”
“I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed myself,” Torri admitted. “Why don’t you turn out the light and just hold me, okay? I just want to feel close to you right now. While…while we still can. Since we go to the Mother Ship tomorrow and then you’ll go back to sleep and I’ll never see you again.”
The last word ended on a little sob that caught in her throat. She told herself again not to be silly, but she couldn’t help the feeling of loss that filled her at the idea of losing the big Kindred and never seeing him again.
“I want to feel close to you, too,” Vic murmured. He reached out and turned off the lamp, plunging the bedroom into darkness. Then he curled up around her again, making Torri feel completely surrounded and protected by his big, warm body. “Good night, sweetheart,” he murmured and kissed her gently on the cheek.
“Good night, Vic,” she whispered.
But knowing that it was both their first and last night together, it was a long time before she could get to sleep.
Thirty-One
“You have failed!” the voice of the Dark Father growled, from the parallel universe. “They are about to leave Earth and contact the Kindred Mother Ship. Soon the Kindred will come to rescue Earth and all will be as it was!”
“Forgive me, Father!” the scion within the Eye of Ten’gu begged. “But how was I to know the Kindred scout would be capable of healing itself?”
“I do not want excuses!” the Dark Father roared. “I sent you to that universe to hurt the Kindred—which you have completely failed to do!”
“Let me try again!” the scion begged. “I have been gathering power and the time-vortex around me still allows me to reach backwards into their timeline. Give me another chance to please you.”
“I will consider it,” came the grudging reply. “And what would you do with this power you have gathered?”
“I could incapacitate the scout’s ship in some way,” the scion suggested. “To make the scout unable to communicate with the Mother Ship.”
“Do so,” the Dark Father commanded. “And do not disappoint me again!”
The Eye blinked in acknowledgement. Then it focused on the past, reaching backwards a second time to do as much damage as it could…
Thirty-Two
Strangely, when she finally fell asleep, Torri didn’t have any Seeing Dreams that night. She missed finding Vic in her dreams and spending time with him in the meadow, but it was refreshing to have a dreamless night for once. She woke up feeling rested and renewed, though at first she was confused.
Wait—where am I? she wondered, looking around the room in the dim gray light of morning coming through the window. How did I get back to Nana’s house?
Then she remembered the crazy escape from St. Elizabeth’s with Vic, finding out that her dreams were real, and making their way to Nana’s cabin. Last, she remembered the sensuous experience of the night before and the way the big Kindred had touched her so gently and made her come so hard.
But that was our only night together and now it’s all over, she thought sadly.
Today they would get back to his spaceship (it still felt weird to think about that) and then fly to the Kindred Mother Ship to beg them to come to Earth and fight the Scourge. Then Vic’s job would be done and he would be put back into cold storage until the next time the Kindred needed him to scout a hostile planet.
The thought made Torri feel like crying but then she took a deep breath. If this was their last day together, she wasn’t going to waste it feeling sad. Instead, she turned over and pressed her face to his broad chest, breathing in his warm, wonderful scent—trying to burn it into her memory forever.