He glanced at her, his heart swelling at the sight of her lovely profile, her mass of hair pushed behind her shoulders, flowing in waves and curls, away from her plate. She was a beautiful woman, over two-hundred-years-old. Ascended life broke the bonds of Mortal Earth so that here he sat, falling in love with a woman over twice his age.

She wore jeans again, a great look for her long legs. Her peach-colored blouse, nipped in at the waist, had a row of buttons down the middle that he’d like to unbutton one at a time. He’d caught a glimpse of her low-cut sheer bra and had almost kept her in the bedroom with him for an additional twenty minutes.

With some effort, he’d restrained himself.

And if he kept looking and thinking about what was under her clothes, he’d be in trouble all over again.

He focused on his meal, and every once in a while, joined in the conversation but mostly Merl liked talking, so he talked.

When at last, their host rounded the island and called for plates, Samuel slid his in Merl’s direction, who performed dishwasher duty.

He glanced at each of them in turn.

“You two ready to see if you can seal a darkening grid wall together?”

“Can’t wait.” Vela smiled broadly then turned toward Samuel.

He still thought he was right about her, that she’d gotten spooked after that terrifying death vampire attack so long ago, and had reined in her life way too far.

Even seeing her present excitement proved his point.

“All right, where do you want to do this?” Samuel looked around the kitchen then at the window with a view of the sunlit forest on the opposite mountainside.

“I’m thinking we should leave the Phoenix Metro area.”

“That was my thought,” Merl said.

Vela looked from one to the other.

“Right. In case we end up summoning wreckers accidentally, they won’t land in Merl’s living room again.” For the next hour, Merl took them to various places around Second Earth, opening the grid then trying to seal it up, and only letting the approach of wreckers end their efforts.

Bottom line, Vela didn’t always have enough power to seal the grid by herself.

She could do it maybe fifty percent of the time and when Samuel tried to join her, they became oil and water and the effort failed.

Later, back at Merl’s house, Samuel paced the living room. “The problem is that I don’t have the darkening ability. I can’t even see the grid wall.”

“But you have Third Earth power,” Merl said. “And you have a connection to the darkening or you wouldn’t be here.”

“I’m not so sure. I know I have a connection to Vela, but not necessarily to the darkening.” For some reason those words made her smile and he gave her a smile right back. Damn he liked her. No, he loved her, as much as he was able, he loved her.

He’d been inside her mind, and knew her better than most of his friends, and he valued all that he knew her to be. In this short time he’d been with her, he’d fallen in love, maybe for the first time in his fucked up life.

She came to him, and this time when he opened his arms he didn’t hold back, he just let his feelings flow.

This feels good, she sent.

Yeah, it does. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad the breh-hedden came to us.

I know. Me, too. She lifted her head to look up at him. I didn’t mean to pick at you earlier. I think you might be right about me and I wasn’t happy about that.

Me, too.

She nodded briskly, leaned up and kissed him. Could a man ask for more?

If Merl hadn’t been present, he would have returned the favor and made her feel that kiss to her toes.

As it was, Merl cleared his throat.

“Can we get on with this?” Vela drew back. “Yes, sorry Merl.

Just working some stuff out.” She blinked several times and listed on her feet.

“What’s wrong?” Samuel caught her arm and balanced her.

“Someone’s in trouble. It feels just like the last time, when Duncan called for me. Samuel, I have to go. This is why I’m here.”

“Just wait a second. Let’s get some back-up.”

“Can you hear her? My God the woman’s screaming like she’s in pain.” But Samuel’s instincts didn’t mesh right now with Vela’s. “This doesn’t feel right to me.”

“How would you know? You’ve already said this isn’t your gift.” He almost suggested she do a quick mind-dive and see what it was his instincts were telling him, but he shut that thought down fast. “Fine. Let’s check it out.”

“I’ll move us along as fast as I can and when we reach her, hopefully we can bring her back with us.” She glanced at Merl. “Can you sit tight?” Merl held his hands palms up. “Of course, but are you sure you don’t want to call in Leto at least?”

“Merl, if we’d arrived two minutes later, Duncan would have died. Period.

When the darkening calls, I have to go.” She held out her hand to Samuel and he took it, but added, “Let me get armed.” She nodded. “Of course.” He held out his free hand and drew his sword into his palm, a comfortable, solid, familiar weight, the identified grip like coming home. He’d battled a Third Earth wrecker not too many hours ago; he could do it again. If he thought about a squad of three, he shunted the image away.

He just wished he had one of those shotguns in hand, though he’d agreed with Thorne about getting them looked over before any of them attempted to fire one again in the darkening.

Besides, with Vela’s speed, he felt confident they could get into the darkening, take care of business, and get back before the wreckers arrived.

As before, Vela levitated them at astonishing speeds through tunnel after tunnel, but the farther they traveled from the entry point, the more sharply his warning bells rang in his head especially the moment they crossed through the dimension into Third.

Vela, something’s wrong. This place feels way too familiar. We need to get out of here.

I can’t leave. The woman’s screams are ringing in my head.

I can hear her, too, but I think it’s a trap.

We’re almost there.

One more tunnel and Vela stopped them just in front of a woman bound in familiar ropes, kneeling on the stone floor of the darkening space.

The stone floor.

Same floor as Duncan’s prison cell.

A split-second later, five ascenders appeared in front of them and the woman fell silent, staring at up at them, a hard glint in her dark eyes.

Vela turned, not in shock, but in determination. She started to pull Samuel back through the darkening, but two squads of wrecking crews arrived, shotguns in hand, cutting off their escape.

Behind them, a very familiar Third ascender appeared, stroking his black goatee.

“Welcome back, Samuel. Did you enjoy your year of freedom?” He spread his hands wide, “It took some doing, some careful manipulation, but here you are.”

“You motherfucker,” Samuel shouted, raising his sword.

“But he took the butt of a shotgun to the back of his head, felt the added jolt of preternatural power, and flew face forward at his torturer’s feet.

The last thing he heard was Sharav saying, “Don’t touch the sword, you idiot; it’s identified.”

Chapter Eight

Vela stared down at Samuel, now laid out on the stone floor, unconscious.

This couldn’t be happening.

“Look at all that blond hair,” the woman said. “Can’t be a warrior. Not this one. Way too girlie.” Vela pivoted and watched the decoy rise to her feet, a very powerful looking woman who touched the numerous ropes and folded them away. Underneath, she wore flight battle gear. She planted her hands on her hips and offered a knowing smile.

A hand caught Vela’s arm and held her fast. She turned and stared at one of the wreckers. She didn’t even try to pull away from him; her body seemed frozen, incapable of movement.

Sharav lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke softly. The next moment, an explosion sounded behind her, so loud that she gave a cry and tried to cover her ears, but the wrecker jerked her arm, forcing her to hold still.

He turned her to face the direction of the blast. A shotgun had just taken out the darkening wall, the smoky ash boiling past the breach, obscuring what lay beyond.

He yanked her through the breach, into a stone cell, on Third Earth proper, a very familiar cell. The air smelled funny, tainted, then she looked at the floor.

Blood.

She covered her mouth with her hand. This had been Duncan’s cell. She stood in the remnants of his blood.

Samuel arrived next, carried by three wreckers, his head lolling. She stood by helpless as they bound him with heavy ropes, each length carrying a preternatural charge. They strung him up by his wrists from a swivel hook on the ceiling.

Two of them caught her beneath her arms, pulled her backward, then bound her with rope to wrought iron rings on a wall ten feet from Samuel.

The odd thought went through her head that for an advanced, more powerful civilization, Third Earth still relied on some very ancient methods.

Sharav emerged from the darkening tunnel, the looped braids beside his face swinging as he moved.

He smiled, the easy smile of a powerful man who owned the room.

“How do you do Vela Stillwell of Phoenix Two? Are you comfortable?” She lifted her arms, pulling at the ropes that bound her to the wall. “I’d be more comfortable in a recliner, but so far I can’t complain.”

“At least you’re not sniveling and begging to be released.”

“How about this: fuck you, Sharav.”

“And you know my name.”

“I know the man who tortured Samuel.”

“And you led him right to me. But just to be clear, I won’t be keeping you around much longer, just enough to give your man a little heartache. And though your power, for a Second ascender, is impressive, on Third, sweetheart, you’re pretty mediocre.” Something inside Vela grew very still. He’d tortured both Duncan and Samuel, transformed Samuel into a Third Earth warrior against his will, and now intended her death. Well, she wasn’t dead yet, so for now, she stayed focused and relaxed. If there was a way to take this motherfucker out, she meant to do it.