Return to Eden by G.P. Ching Page A

form a cloud over them for shade. But this was someone else’s handiwork. She couldn’t change it.
    Necromancer gave a concerned whinny.
    "Just a little farther," Mara said. "I want to know what’s back here."
    Over the next dune, a crystal palace rose out of the sand, shining like a diamond in the desert sun. She pulled Necromancer to a halt and took in the sparkling beauty. The circular structure cast bizarre shadows across the sand, transfixing her.
    "Enjoying your ride?" Henry said from behind her.
    "I was wondering when you’d catch up with me." Mara leaned sideways and accepted a kiss from Henry, who had sidled up to her on Reaper. "It’s so beautiful. Whose place is this?"
    Henry grinned. "You of all people should know who this is."
    Mara shrugged. "How would I know? I’ve never even been here before."
    "Because your life as a Soulkeeper would have been remarkably different if it wasn’t for him."
    Concentrating on the architecture, it dawned on Mara that the palace was acting as a giant sundial and she knew immediately whose it was. "This is Time’s house."
    "Yes. His name is Aldric."
    "He controls time the way you control death?"
    Henry chuckled. "Control is a strong word. I don’t control death; I simply facilitate the soul’s journey home. Aldric’s job is much the same. Time passes and he facilitates its order in the universe."
    Mara frowned. "I don’t get it. What does he do?"
    "I don’t think I would have any more hope of explaining why Aldric exists than I would of explaining why I exist. He is the power that allows me to be in multiple places at one time. And, I am sure, your power came from him, just as Malini’s power came from me."
    Necromancer tugged the reins and stomped her feet. "I think the horses want to get out of this heat. We should go," Mara said.
    "Of course." Henry nudged Reaper around and Necromancer followed, falling into place beside him.
    "Do you think Aldric can feel me here? You know, how you can feel when Malini is near you. You said there was a tug, a sort of thrum, that told you she was close by."
    "Maybe," Henry said. "We shouldn’t get too close." His tone was serious.
    "Do you miss Malini? You guys went to prom together and there's the arm..."
    The sand melded into the Tuscan countryside and the horses picked up the pace, enjoying the breeze that drifted over them the moment they crossed from one territory into the next.
    "No. We have a connection because I gave her my gift and I was excited to experience the human world with her, but I never loved her." Henry glanced meaningfully at Mara.
    "Oh." Her heart skipped a beat and she became crucially interested in the way his shoulder muscles pulled against his jacket as he rode.
    "Who lives there?" Mara asked, tipping her head toward the Italian villa.
    "Fate. We call her Fatima." His gaze drifted toward the forest in the distance. "I’m sure she knows you are here. Nothing gets by Fatima."
    "Do you think she'll turn us in?"
    The muscles in Henry's cheek tightened and he turned black eyes in Mara's direction. "She has no reason to, but we can't hide forever."
    When they entered the tree line, Mara’s shoulders relaxed. She hadn’t realized how being outside Henry’s reality had made her tense up. This was coming home, entering into a world that was theirs. It sounded strange. They’d only been together for a short time but it felt both like a lifetime and a fraction of an hour. Time in the In Between wasn't measured like it was on Earth. She couldn't plot their relationship against a calendar or a clock. But whatever it was, it wasn’t long enough.
    Sighing toward the approaching castle, Mara decided now was not the time to be secretive with her feelings. Who knew how much longer they’d have together?
    "I don’t want to go, Henry," Mara said. "I know it’s only a matter of time before God or Lucifer comes for me. But I don’t want to go. I’d stay here, with you, if I had the choice."
    They reached the castle.