could save the world, and truly help people? The number of stars in the sky? Oh, how she’d tried her best and with her whole heart. Now, she was just too darn old.
They stopped inside a small empty cavern. Warm, it was luminous enough to see. The cycle settled perfectly, and remained upright.
“We’ll walk the rest of way. Are you okay?” He removed his helmet and turned back to her when she released his waist.
“What are you going to do with me?” She leaned back, stared at his features, handsome and adorable. Almost magical.
“Protect you, angelic one.”
Sedona blinked, his voice inflection utterly unfamiliar to her, not to mention the kindness of his tone. Swinging her leg over, she slid off the cycle. “You don’t want me for some sort of sick blood sacrifice?”
“I am not your enemy, Sedona.” He gleamed a brief smile, then easily dismounted. Opening the compartment, he took out her bag.
She stepped back, and kept staring. “How do you know my name. Or the name I now use?”
“I am on assignment. My sacred duty is to protect you.”
He lifted her bag beneath one arm, then faced her. Reaching out, he removed her hood, his touch extreme gentleness.
“Why?” she stammered, as much from his touch, as by his extraordinarily beautiful eyes. Purple
midnight
, silvered. He wasn’t merely Earth human. Whoever, whatever he was?
“The future of Earth depends upon it.”
“Are you sure?” Sedona cocked her head as strange tingles seized her flesh.
He smiled, beatific and devilish. “Haven’t you prayed for protection? A protector?”
“Sure, who hasn’t? I’ve also prayed to die.”
“Not time,” he murmured, compassion emanating from him, warm and comforting. “Are you hungry?”
“Always, these days. Haven’t mastered becoming a Breatherian.”
“Me either. We can eat, rest here for awhile. Then we’ll have to leave. They’re coming for you, Sedona. The Dark Masters of this world.”
“Dark Masters?” She let him take her hand, and walked beside him. “Do you mean the evil leaders of the New World Order?”
“Their Masters. They mistakenly believe if they eliminate Earth of the angelic ones, they will rule.”
“Won’t they? Not saying I am, what you seem to think I am.”
“For a splinter of time, only long enough to remove the entire population of Earth.”
“Another flood?” Sedona’s belly churned. Her head spun. She noticed they moved toward a bubble-like sphere. Somehow her feet stayed with him as he brought her inside. “Do you have a name? Geez, your hand feels strong.”
“All the better to protect you. Winds, Sedona. Unrelenting winds.”
“Oh.” She watched him put her bag down, perform an action that looked like he sealed them within. How silly, her hand felt empty without his.
“Temporary haven,” he explained. “By now, they’ll know I’m here.”
“And you are?” Suddenly lightheaded, she pressed her hand to her forehead.
He shook back flowing sable hair, and grinned, reminding her of Tom Cruise again, his role in Top Gun, not that he actually resembled the actor turned rebel leader.
“Call me Volcano here.”
“Here?”
“On Earth. Better if you don’t know my divine name.”
“Sure,” she half-mocked. “What’s in a name?”
“Frequency. Recognition. When you think of me, practice thinking of me as a human friend only.”
“Right, Volcano. I would have a human friend named Volcano.”
“Don’t a lot of you change your names now?”
“Yep, any tactic to fool big brother and get off the grid.”
He sat down lithely, cross-legged. “My lap?” he invited, smiled intimately, as a friend would.
Once her slight case of shock ended, Sedona shook her head ‘no’.
“Food,” he enticed, reaching into the side pocket of his jacket. Producing two wrapped bars, he held one out to her.
“What is it?” she asked, taking the foil-wrapped, Hershey-sized bar.
“Manna. You’ll like it.”
“Do you mean ‘manna’
They stopped inside a small empty cavern. Warm, it was luminous enough to see. The cycle settled perfectly, and remained upright.
“We’ll walk the rest of way. Are you okay?” He removed his helmet and turned back to her when she released his waist.
“What are you going to do with me?” She leaned back, stared at his features, handsome and adorable. Almost magical.
“Protect you, angelic one.”
Sedona blinked, his voice inflection utterly unfamiliar to her, not to mention the kindness of his tone. Swinging her leg over, she slid off the cycle. “You don’t want me for some sort of sick blood sacrifice?”
“I am not your enemy, Sedona.” He gleamed a brief smile, then easily dismounted. Opening the compartment, he took out her bag.
She stepped back, and kept staring. “How do you know my name. Or the name I now use?”
“I am on assignment. My sacred duty is to protect you.”
He lifted her bag beneath one arm, then faced her. Reaching out, he removed her hood, his touch extreme gentleness.
“Why?” she stammered, as much from his touch, as by his extraordinarily beautiful eyes. Purple
midnight
, silvered. He wasn’t merely Earth human. Whoever, whatever he was?
“The future of Earth depends upon it.”
“Are you sure?” Sedona cocked her head as strange tingles seized her flesh.
He smiled, beatific and devilish. “Haven’t you prayed for protection? A protector?”
“Sure, who hasn’t? I’ve also prayed to die.”
“Not time,” he murmured, compassion emanating from him, warm and comforting. “Are you hungry?”
“Always, these days. Haven’t mastered becoming a Breatherian.”
“Me either. We can eat, rest here for awhile. Then we’ll have to leave. They’re coming for you, Sedona. The Dark Masters of this world.”
“Dark Masters?” She let him take her hand, and walked beside him. “Do you mean the evil leaders of the New World Order?”
“Their Masters. They mistakenly believe if they eliminate Earth of the angelic ones, they will rule.”
“Won’t they? Not saying I am, what you seem to think I am.”
“For a splinter of time, only long enough to remove the entire population of Earth.”
“Another flood?” Sedona’s belly churned. Her head spun. She noticed they moved toward a bubble-like sphere. Somehow her feet stayed with him as he brought her inside. “Do you have a name? Geez, your hand feels strong.”
“All the better to protect you. Winds, Sedona. Unrelenting winds.”
“Oh.” She watched him put her bag down, perform an action that looked like he sealed them within. How silly, her hand felt empty without his.
“Temporary haven,” he explained. “By now, they’ll know I’m here.”
“And you are?” Suddenly lightheaded, she pressed her hand to her forehead.
He shook back flowing sable hair, and grinned, reminding her of Tom Cruise again, his role in Top Gun, not that he actually resembled the actor turned rebel leader.
“Call me Volcano here.”
“Here?”
“On Earth. Better if you don’t know my divine name.”
“Sure,” she half-mocked. “What’s in a name?”
“Frequency. Recognition. When you think of me, practice thinking of me as a human friend only.”
“Right, Volcano. I would have a human friend named Volcano.”
“Don’t a lot of you change your names now?”
“Yep, any tactic to fool big brother and get off the grid.”
He sat down lithely, cross-legged. “My lap?” he invited, smiled intimately, as a friend would.
Once her slight case of shock ended, Sedona shook her head ‘no’.
“Food,” he enticed, reaching into the side pocket of his jacket. Producing two wrapped bars, he held one out to her.
“What is it?” she asked, taking the foil-wrapped, Hershey-sized bar.
“Manna. You’ll like it.”
“Do you mean ‘manna’
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