LITMIR.BIZ

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tell him to get lost afterward. She’d give him one chance. If he answered her honestly, she’d hear him out. If not…

      “I asked you a question. Are you human?”

      He tugged at the neckline of the borrowed scrubs. “Not exactly.”

      * * * *

      He tried to gauge her reaction each time they passed beneath a streetlight, watching her face light in the glow of the streetlamps then slip back into shadow as they passed back into darkness. Light, dark, light, dark, the hypnotic effect captured him, held him.

      “Look out.” She threw her hands up and braced them against the dashboard.

      Jackson yanked his gaze from her and found headlights barreling toward him. He overcorrected as he pulled back into his own lane and swerved onto the shoulder, sliding in the sand as he hit the brakes.

      When the car finally rocked to a stop, he shoved it into park and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Sorry.”

      Mia clutched the door handle in a death grip, a look of terror frozen on her face. “Is it back?”

      The tiny whisper knifed through his heart. “No, kiddo, everything’s fine. I just wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

      She nodded and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

      “Are you all right?”

      Ryleigh finally released her hold on the dashboard to face him.

      “Yeah, I’m okay.” Her hand shook as she brushed her hair behind her ear. “Watch where you’re going.”

      The reprimand caught him off guard, and laughter escaped before he could suppress it. “Yes, dear.”

      Her answering smile clenched his stomach. For a flicker of time he allowed himself the illusion that everything between them could be normal. Reality quickly intruded, though, and he shoved the car into gear and guided it back onto the road.

      “So tell me, if you’re not human, what exactly are you?”

      The sarcastic bite of humor in the question ignited a small flame of hope. How much should he tell her? He didn’t want her to run, but at the same time he couldn’t protect her if she didn’t understand the danger she was in. A quick check in the rearview mirror showed Mia listening intently. Oh well, best to get it all out in the open. At least then they could make some decisions about how to handle the whole bizarre situation.

      “My name is Jackson Maynard. I’m from a land called Cymmera.”

      “I’ve never heard of that. Where is it?” Mia grabbed the seat backs, slid forward to perch on the edge of her seat, and peeked around to study his face.

      A quick check of Ryleigh’s features showed only interest, so he continued. “Cymmera is another realm. My people are able to transfer between our realm and yours.”

      “Can humans go to Cymmera?” Ryleigh’s eyes held curiosity but a little fear as well.

      “Not if they are alive.” Was that true? He had a sneaking suspicion it might be only partially true. “Actually, I’m not a hundred percent sure about that. Until now, no human has ever passed into Cymmera by choice.”

      Shadows and suspicion turned her blue eyes a deep, stormy gray. “What do you mean by choice?”

      He pulled over in a small parking lot not far from where she’d parked. “Please, Ryleigh. You have to understand and give me a chance to explain before you get upset and run away. Promise?”

      Her turbulent eyes held his, and she nodded once.

      That would have to be good enough for now. He shifted the car into park. “Give me your keys and wait here. I’ll run and get your car, so you don’t have to answer any questions.” Emergency vehicles littered the lot and the street, lights flashing, even though the sirens no longer blared.

      “You can follow me back to the hospital so I can return the car. We’ll clean up and settle Mia then we can sit and talk all night if you want.”

      “Fine.”

      He got out, went around, opened Ryleigh’s door, and held out a hand.

      She handed him the keys, climbed out, and stood staring at the destruction down the street. “Everything looked so normal by the hospital. How could there be so much damage here?” A tremor coursed through her.

      He left her leaning against the car surveying the damage and strode toward the lot. He’d never thought of the destruction his people left behind. Sorrow filled him, and he hung his head, ashamed. How could he ever tell her his people had caused this mess? What would she think of a race who held such little value for human life? Maybe he could explain the reason they were so bitter first, and then perhaps she could have some compassion for them. Did they deserve it, though? He stopped and spoke to an investigator, then got permission to take the car. Even without any special powers, he could be quite persuasive over humans.

      He returned to Ryleigh, not wanting her alone any longer than necessary. “Come on, let’s get Mia in the car and go somewhere warm.” He helped the girls into Ryleigh’s car. “You’ll follow me?”

      “Yes, but I’m not making any promises other than I’ll hear you out.”

      “Fair enough.” He closed her door and returned to the stolen car.

      He tried to organize his thoughts as he drove. No matter how he phrased it, he couldn’t change the fact that the inhabitants of Cymmera had been enslaving humans for hundreds of years. Would she understand? Forgive him? And what did the future hold? Would he be able to continue on the path the Cymmerans were currently following?

      What about Kai, that bastard? And Daygan? Had it been his soldier Jackson had disposed of in the parking lot, or one of Kai’s men? He’d have to ask the warrior when he saw him next. He rubbed the back of his head, winced at the pain, and returned his hand to the wheel. Well, maybe after he taught the cocky bastard a lesson.

      He searched behind him in the rearview mirror. Good, Ryleigh was still back there, and as far as he could tell, no one else followed. When he pulled into the parking lot, he gestured for Ryleigh to wait where she was, then held his breath while he parked the borrowed car and ran back to her. He opened the driver’s door. “Move over, I’ll drive.”

      She raised an eyebrow.

      “It’ll be fine, I’ll pay attention.”

      She glanced around but remained in the driver’s seat.

      “Your feet have to be killing you. Just move over. I’ll drive, and you can rest them.”

      She finally shrugged and got out and limped around.

      He followed and opened the door for her. With one last look over his shoulder, he climbed in and hit the gas.

      She laid her head back against the headrest. Strain lined her face, dark circles cradled her eyes, her hair hung limp and tangled. Her eyes drifted closed. Maybe she was offering him a reprieve.

      He reached toward her to soothe some of her tension.

      “Start talking.”

      No such luck. He heaved a deep breath in, and let it out on a whoosh. “Cymmera is dying, has been for hundreds of years. Since the death of our Queen.” Jackson thought of his mother, as he often did. He’d only been a small child when she died, and several hundred years had since passed, yet he remembered her vividly, the radiance of her smile, the warmth of her embrace, the flowery scent always surrounding her. He missed her terribly still. Grief filled him, the only emotion Jackson fully understood.

      “Daygan’s army attacked the farthest reaches of the Kingdom, a day’s journey at the least. The king had already left to lead his warriors into battle. They’d hoped to defend the outlying areas, head the invaders off and stop them before they reached the

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