telling the intimate feelings of the stranger even if he was hurting the shifters. His soul had been so raw and exposed—hurt and loneliness entwined with rage and vindictiveness.
“It’s about payback,” she finally said. “I don’t know what shifters have done to this guy, or what he thinks they’ve done, but he’s mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. That’s the gist of it.” She hesitated before telling the rest. “When he saw me, it was like he knew me and was expecting me. He was about to tell me some big secret when I pulled away and came back here.” She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat and reassured by the solidity of her breastbone beneath her palm. Traveling in the astral realm was a little disconcerting, and she was glad to be grounded with John crouched by her side, one hand resting on her knee and his worried eyes studying her.
“I don’t like putting you in danger like this.” He glanced at Perron. “We should go on alone, leave her here.”
“Unguarded. Good thinking. Especially since he can reach her whether we’re with her or not.” Grant tapped his temple. “Inside. Not a lot you can do to protect her from that, McGruff.” Sherrie stood, a little unsteady on her legs, but energized and ready to go. “I can lead you to him. It’s as clear as if I had a map.” She could almost see a neon line laid out in front of her. “By the time we find him, maybe we’ll know what to do.”
John nodded, but didn’t look happy as he shouldered the backpack.
Sherrie led the way from the clearing up the steep, rocky slope. The ground was treacherous, and shale slipped beneath her feet, making her stumble. Either John or Grant was always right there, ready to catch her.
As the sun rimmed the mountain peaks with gold, morning mist shrouded them. It was like walking through a primeval land where a dinosaur might emerge at any moment. The world was hushed, not even a birdcall disturbing the silence. The only sounds were their footsteps and the sliding stones beneath their feet.
After two nights with very little sleep, Sherrie should’ve been dragging, yet she’d never felt more keyed up. She had a sense of marching toward her destiny, which should’ve been frightening, but was invigorating. At last she’d know why she was here—not here on the mountain, but on earth. All her life she’d felt a little different, a little set apart from other people. She used to think it was because she and her mom moved so often that she’d never made very close friends, but when she was being honest with herself, she knew her “otherness” was more than that. As an actress, she’d tried on different personas, but none of them had filled the void, nor did hooking up with men. Maybe this stranger on the mountain, crazy or evil as he might be, could give her a real answer about herself.
The sun began to burn the fog away. Sherrie started to sweat as she climbed, and her calves ached more than ever, but she recognized the rocky outcropping she’d seen in her dream. She walked toward it faster. On either side, her two companions flanked her as they climbed the path out of a ravine.
“Is this the place?” John asked. “Maybe we should find another approach that’s less exposed. The guy’s probably keeping a lookout. Or he might have scouts working for him.” Sherrie shook her head. “No. He’s alone up here.” Always alone.
John reached for her arm. “Wait. We still don’t know exactly what we’re facing or the extent of his power. He might—”
There was a rumbling noise, and the ground trembled. More of the loose shale crumbled from beneath Sherrie’s feet, and she fell, stones stabbing into her knees. She’d lived in L.A. long enough to immediately think, Earthquake. But that wasn’t likely here. As John landed on top of her, shielding her body from a shower of pebbles and stones, she amended her thought to Avalanche!
Rocks tumbled around them. She
“It’s about payback,” she finally said. “I don’t know what shifters have done to this guy, or what he thinks they’ve done, but he’s mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. That’s the gist of it.” She hesitated before telling the rest. “When he saw me, it was like he knew me and was expecting me. He was about to tell me some big secret when I pulled away and came back here.” She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat and reassured by the solidity of her breastbone beneath her palm. Traveling in the astral realm was a little disconcerting, and she was glad to be grounded with John crouched by her side, one hand resting on her knee and his worried eyes studying her.
“I don’t like putting you in danger like this.” He glanced at Perron. “We should go on alone, leave her here.”
“Unguarded. Good thinking. Especially since he can reach her whether we’re with her or not.” Grant tapped his temple. “Inside. Not a lot you can do to protect her from that, McGruff.” Sherrie stood, a little unsteady on her legs, but energized and ready to go. “I can lead you to him. It’s as clear as if I had a map.” She could almost see a neon line laid out in front of her. “By the time we find him, maybe we’ll know what to do.”
John nodded, but didn’t look happy as he shouldered the backpack.
Sherrie led the way from the clearing up the steep, rocky slope. The ground was treacherous, and shale slipped beneath her feet, making her stumble. Either John or Grant was always right there, ready to catch her.
As the sun rimmed the mountain peaks with gold, morning mist shrouded them. It was like walking through a primeval land where a dinosaur might emerge at any moment. The world was hushed, not even a birdcall disturbing the silence. The only sounds were their footsteps and the sliding stones beneath their feet.
After two nights with very little sleep, Sherrie should’ve been dragging, yet she’d never felt more keyed up. She had a sense of marching toward her destiny, which should’ve been frightening, but was invigorating. At last she’d know why she was here—not here on the mountain, but on earth. All her life she’d felt a little different, a little set apart from other people. She used to think it was because she and her mom moved so often that she’d never made very close friends, but when she was being honest with herself, she knew her “otherness” was more than that. As an actress, she’d tried on different personas, but none of them had filled the void, nor did hooking up with men. Maybe this stranger on the mountain, crazy or evil as he might be, could give her a real answer about herself.
The sun began to burn the fog away. Sherrie started to sweat as she climbed, and her calves ached more than ever, but she recognized the rocky outcropping she’d seen in her dream. She walked toward it faster. On either side, her two companions flanked her as they climbed the path out of a ravine.
“Is this the place?” John asked. “Maybe we should find another approach that’s less exposed. The guy’s probably keeping a lookout. Or he might have scouts working for him.” Sherrie shook her head. “No. He’s alone up here.” Always alone.
John reached for her arm. “Wait. We still don’t know exactly what we’re facing or the extent of his power. He might—”
There was a rumbling noise, and the ground trembled. More of the loose shale crumbled from beneath Sherrie’s feet, and she fell, stones stabbing into her knees. She’d lived in L.A. long enough to immediately think, Earthquake. But that wasn’t likely here. As John landed on top of her, shielding her body from a shower of pebbles and stones, she amended her thought to Avalanche!
Rocks tumbled around them. She
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