John’s beaming face pulled her away from the morose thoughts that were setting her nerves on edge. “Jenn says she’s going to take them over to see the apartment this afternoon. She thinks it’s a great solution. Says she wants to talk with you later—no if’s, and’s, or but’s.”
“I’ll call her tonight.” Her voice broke.
She felt Dorian’s arm slip around her. “It’s okay,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s going to be okay.”
Morgan looked at him. He was the picture of calm. She didn’t feel it. The unknown was scaring her to death. Maybe she didn’t have what it took to do this. Or…to be part of the Abbott group…or Ruthorford.
He kissed her temple and leaned his head in against hers. She felt the current build and converge on her spine, where his hand rested. She took a deep breath.
“Thank you,” she whispered. She felt better. Stronger. She wasn’t used to needing help from anyone. All her life, she’d been strong, physically and emotionally. She’d never had an illness. Her exuberance with living seemed to encompass others. People tended to be happy when she was around. There seemed to be no carry over from the nightmares. Now that she knew she’d been dreaming of the Gulatega, her concerns about them had vanished. The idea that she might need strength from someone else was a new concept, but one, at least for the moment, that she was willing to embrace.
“Shall we go in?” Dorian gently guided her toward the small room across the hall.
Ian was lying on the floor, his arm pulled back. Morgan rushed to him. He looked to be sleeping, except his breathing was shallow and wispy. “Mr. Macintosh?” she touched his arm, ignoring the creatures swarming around her. She felt feather-like sensations along her legs and arms where they came in contact with her.
Ian opened his eyes and blinked. “I guess I fell asleep,” he said as he struggled to right himself. Dorian moved toward them, but she waved him back. Morgan helped Ian sit up. “I have the paperwork you asked for,” she said softly.
He smiled at her, “You really are a bonny lass,” he said and took the clipboard. He looked for the signature lines and signed his name, over and over, never once stopping to read the documents.
“Do you want me to read it to you?” she offered.
“No, lass,” he smiled at her. “Bask and I have come to an agreement.” He handed her back the clipboard, then grabbed her wrist.
A second of panic went through her until she saw the furrow in his brow. “One thing you can do for me. When this is over,” his voice broke, “check in on my Meadow, now and again. And tell Kayla I’m sorry.”
“I promise.” Morgan covered his hand with her own. She felt energy go down her arm and into his hand. She heard his intake of breath. She hadn’t intended it. She remembered thinking how weak he was and trying to give him sympathy. She jerked back her hand.
“It’s okay, lass,” he chuckled. “I appreciate the effort. I see you don’t quite have a handle on it yet.”
Her face reddened and she tried to smile.
Dorian reached down, his voice not as accommodating as Morgan’s had been. “Let’s get these cuffs off you. John and I will get you up while Morgan faxes back the paperwork.” He looked at Morgan. It wasn’t a suggestion.
She took the clipboard and left the room.
By the time Morgan was finished faxing the documents, re-stapling them and putting everything in a manila envelope for John, she had calmed. This was the best way. For everyone involved. If he stayed here, if she helped him heal—and she had no doubt from what she’d done in that room that she could—he could still be a threat to Meadow and Kayla, and possibly herself. But, she felt she still had to offer.
He was sitting on the cot, looking like a tired old man, when she walked back into the room. She swallowed and looked around the room where he had held her prisoner. And drugged her. It didn’t change things.
“Mr. Macintosh,” she began.
“Ian, child. Call me Ian.” His voice came out a bare whisper.
“Ian. I can help you. I felt it when I put my hand over yours. You felt it, too. You don’t have to do this. You can stay here.”
Dorian grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”
She pulled away from him, went and knelt down in front of this weary man and stared into his faintly glowing eyes. She ignored the creatures gathering at her feet. “Ian, let me help you. You don’t know what will happen when you go through that portal. You could die.”
“I’ve planned this for years, Morgan.” He gently patted her hand, but removed it before her energy moved through him. “I’m ready to do this. But I truly appreciate your offer.”
She nodded and stood, tears forming in her eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
It took the effort of both John and Dorian to get the increasingly weaker man down the steps into the lab. As Morgan watched from behind them, she was amazed that they didn’t trip over the Gulatega swarming and swirling around and between their legs. They seemed to have no interest in Dorian. John seemed to be unaffected as well. Still, she watched the creatures for any change in movement and John for any sign of confusion. She still couldn’t tell if they had substance in this dimension. Neither Dorian nor John seemed to take much notice of them. Every now and then, she would see one or the other shiver, as though they’d walked through a spider’s web, but their footing remained even and strong.
In the lab, Ian had them help him sit on one of the stools so he could explain some things he thought were pertinent to what they were going to do. Apparently, it wasn’t going to be as simple as Dorian and Morgan touching and opening the portal. The embedded gems and crystals were placed in specific locations for a reason. There were more stones that had to be strategically placed. He had them searching through the milieu of papers strewn across counters to find a diagram. He swore he had it memorized but he wanted to be damned sure to get it right this time—since this would probably be his only chance.
In a safe, Morgan found several bags of gemstones, none of which looked familiar but all of which she was sure were worth a fortune. Following Ian’s direction, she took the stones with them into the cave room and placed each stone exactly as Ian indicated. On the wall, he had her feeling for a ledge here and there and placing one just so. Twice, he had her exchange stones. When she was done, he had John and Dorian help him move about the room to make sure of every stone’s placement. By the time they were done, Ian was gasping for breath and sweating profusely.
“Are you sure you want to do this while you are so weak?” she asked.
“I don’t think it’s going to get any better, lass. We best be getting on with it.”
Ian took a yardstick and walked to the center of the room, looked around, and turned slightly. He drew a line in the dirt. “This is where the portal should start to open.”
Morgan looked around. It definitely looked like the location from earlier. “Does it come from the floor?”
“Very astute.” Ian pointed to the line. “I’ve embedded stones beneath the floor. They correspond to the earth’s energy grid that crosses this location. There are also stones to the side and in the ceiling. I need the portal to be large enough for me to cross. Generally, they are small and the Gulatega barely squeeze through.” He reached in his pocket, withdrew a beautifully carved stone, set it in the middle of the line.
“Two things…” he turned to them, “When I am gone, I want you to take the stones in the walls with you. I am turning the house and everything over to Bask. For now, I don’t want just anyone following me willy-nilly. Please. I beg of you.”
Morgan looked at John and Dorian. They nodded. She turned and nodded as well.
“And the second thing?” Dorian asked.
“I want you two to stand over there, by that ledge. When this opens and widens, I don’t want you two being sucked through.”
Morgan immediately stepped back.
“John, your safest place would be in the lab, but knowing you won’t do that, please at least stay at the entrance, as far back as you can. I don’t want your natural rhythms to screw this up.”
When Dorian nodded agreement, John walked back to the entrance and pulled his gun holding it at his side. Ian smiled.
“I’m game when you are,” he said. “Oh, I have an envelope for Meadow in the safe. It’s for her birthday.”
“I’ll see that she gets it,” Morgan promised.
“Whatever you do, don’t break contact. This could take a bit longer and require more effort. Please, see this through.”
Dorian took Morgan’s hand and led her to the area by the ledge. They turned sideways, so they could both see Ian. Dorian leaned forward and lightly kissed Morgan’s mouth. She felt the tingle. Then she felt his arms embrace her, his legs move to either side of hers and he placed his forehead to hers.
Surges of energy raced between them. Erratic at first, then pulsing, Morgan felt her heart rate change to match the pulse. She could feel the energy, hotter than before, move between them. She tightened her palms against his sides. The current deepened, widened.
About the room, stones began to glow. At a certain point, the light from the stones began to pulse. The pulses quickened. As Morgan watched, the line on the floor emitted a spark. Beams of lavender light shot up from the floor, through the stone in the center, and fanned out toward the ceiling. The creatures circling Ian’s legs moved back and forth, more and more erratic. Ian was beginning to slump. Morgan started to pull away, to go to him. He saw her and yelled, “No!”
She held on to Dorian, tears stinging her eyes. The current was moving up and down her spine, then down to the floor and back again. She couldn’t tell if she was energized or drained. She and Dorian stood as one.
Suddenly, she could see the portal. She stared. Lights of lavender and a rainbow of other colors pulsed in the area where the portal should be. She knew it was open when one of the creatures went through. Then another. Ian, having slumped to the floor, began dragging himself toward the brilliant, flashing pulses of light. The last creature disappeared into the glow. The portal seemed to blink.
“Please,” Ian begged, staring at the portal opening as though he could see through it to the other side. “Please help me.”
Morgan tried to break free. Dorian held on tight, clasping her in his arms.
Ian stretched out one hand and she saw it disappear into the glow. The glow changed color and encircled his wrist. He pulled back, looked at his hand. Thrust it through again. Pushing with his feet, he inched toward the portal. His breathing became labored, he could barely move, yet he refused to remove his hand from the portal.
Suddenly, one of the creatures appeared back through the portal. Then another. As more came through, Morgan sucked in her breath. What had they done? They watched as a mass of Gulatega encircled Ian, and, by sheer will, inched his form slowly toward the portal.
Morgan didn’t realize she was holding her breath until the last creature began to move through the portal. The creature reached down and pushed the stone that Ian had placed in the middle through the portal and followed it through. The portal collapsed upon itself. Ian was gone.
She began to shiver. Dorian tightened his arms around her and held her. Tears poured from her eyes. She took great gulps of air into her lungs. Morgan knew that, had Dorian not been holding her up, she would have collapsed.
The stones no longer glowed. The only signs of what had transpired were scratches in the dirt. No one would know what had occurred. No one would believe her.
“You all right?” Dorian leaned back and looked at her. His expression was strained, his brow furrowed.
She nodded. She could do nothing else.
John walked into the room and handed Dorian the velvet bag. Silently, they walked around the room collecting the rare stones and placed them in the bag as Morgan leaned weakly against the ledge. John brought the diagram over, folded it and slipped it into the bag. With one last look around, the three of them walked silently out of the cave, the lab, and up the stairs to the main level.
Dorian sat Morgan in a chair in the hallway and disappeared into the library with John.
“You okay with us leaving?” Dorian asked.
“Bask will have the clean-up team here anytime. I’m pretty sure nothing’s going to come through that portal—at least not while I have these.” He held up the bag of stones.
Dorian clapped him on the back. “Thanks, I owe you one.”
John smiled. “It all works out. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Dorian walked back into the hallway and helped her to her feet. As they got to the door, John called. Dorian stopped, took the duffel bag John handed him, smiled at his friend, and led Morgan to the SUV.
Morgan glanced at the side view mirror as they wound their way down the drive. Looking back, one would never guess that this estate sat so close to the Atlantic Ocean. They turned onto a narrow road. Sand scattered in windblown wave-like patterns across its gravel and asphalt surface. She could see the divided highway ahead with beach cottages and dunes separating it from the ocean. Most of the cottages were boarded up for the winter now, with a few permanent residents the only holdouts.
Dorian turned onto the divided highway and drove in silence. Morgan let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. She opened them again. She kept seeing Ian disappearing through the portal and she wasn’t sure she was ready to handle that imagery yet.
Dorian swung into a fast food drive-thru, placed a double order, and retrieved it while she watched in silence.
“I bet you don’t have any idea of when you ate last.” He handed the bag to her and set the drinks in the cup holders in the console.
The smell of hot fries escaped the bag and she sniffed longingly.
“Go ahead,” he encouraged.
Morgan slipped her hand into the bag and pulled out a container of fries. Her favorite kind—fresh and piping hot. The tang of salt and heat touched her tongue and she reached for another. She held out the carton in offering. Dorian grabbed a few, cursed when they burned his fingers and sucked in air around the hot grease he’d just popped in his mouth. She smiled and nibbled on another, closing her eyes in appreciation of the distraction.
He turned down a short road and parked the vehicle at the end, overlooking the ocean, now cloaked in night. Morgan could make out the white of the waves’ crests as they raced toward shore. Even with the windows up, she could hear the sound of the ocean.
Dorian doused the lights and reached for the bag of food. He pulled out his burger and set another carton of fries on the dash. They ate listening to the sound of the waves.
“Want to take a walk?” he asked as he shoved wrappers back into the bag and tossed it behind the seat.
“Sure.” She was feeling better. The food helped. Maybe a walk along the sand would help her regain perspective. The ocean always seemed to give her strength.
Dorian took her hand as they stepped down onto the sand. The waves sounded louder although they weren’t breaking very high. The blackness of the ocean pulled at her, its unknown beckoning. They walked down to where the water had dampened the sand, giving them a firmer path. They turned and headed toward the distant lights of a pier. Morgan crossed her arms over her midriff as a chill breeze ruffled her hair. Dorian threw his arm around her and pulled her close, slowing to adjust his gait to hers.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded, watching the twinkle of the sand in the dark and wondered if he could see its sparkle. She turned and looked up at his strong profile, the unshaven line of his jaw, the unruly curl of his hair. He turned and looked down at her, his eyes clear in the night.
They stopped. He turned her toward him and pulled her gently against his body, dipping his head down to kiss her lightly on the lips. The heat of his mouth warmed hers and she parted her lips, welcoming his exploration. Her arms moved to his chest and up around his neck. He pulled her tighter and deepened the kiss. She felt the comfort of the current moving between them, giving and taking, advancing and retreating, as the water kissed the shore.
As he lifted his head, he kissed her temple. Morgan looked down. They were encircled by the perimeter of sparkling sand, glittering in the night.
“Can you see that?”
He looked down. “Yes.”
“I’m glad. I never know what things only I can see.”
“If it’s within a spectrum I can perceive, I can see it. Probably not as vividly as you, but I see it. “Which means,” he lightly kissed her and turned to walk back in the direction they had come, “others can see it as well.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” She laughed softly.
She felt much better. Energized. As she always did when they connected. Even a kiss set up a connection between them.
“Do you want to go back to your parents tonight?”
“It’ll be late. I don’t want to bother them. I should call them, however.”
“Bask already did that. I’m sorry; I forgot to tell you. I knew you’d want them to know you were okay.”
“Then let’s go to my apartment,” she said, then added, “If you don’t mind?”
“Sounds like a plan.”