Rise of Alpha (The Prodian Journey #1) by Lorenz Font Page A

snickered and I had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what I was thinking.
    Detherina threw a glare in the younger man’s direction and continued. “You’ve met Gilbert. He’s the butler and a Binarian, too. And you’ve met Elizabeth, of course.”  
    I gave each of them a quick smile.  
    “The Ergans are going to be aggressive since Arthur is gone. I can feel their wrath spreading, and I want to warn you. They will be hunting Shannon before she reaches her Aarmark maturity.” Distress marred Detherina’s face.  
    I nodded and said, “I think I saw two of them last night outside my house. They tried to follow us here, but I lost them.”
    “They will interfere with your dreams, giving you more information than you’re ready for, so you have to be vigilant. It will be a struggle for you since they can manipulate accidents and tragedies around you to keep you distracted and confused. You’ll have moments when you will have to choose who you will help.”
    “I have friends who could give me a hand,” I said, thinking of Mark and Darryl. There wasn’t a doubt that they’d help. They’d love a good adventure. Besides, they were human, which was a good selling point.  
    “You have to make them aware of what is in store for them,” Matro said. “And I want you to know that, although humans surrounding Shannon are the best defense, the Ergans could find a way to eliminate them. They won’t be able to kill humans directly, but they can find ways to stage an accident.”
    “Like what happened to Shannon’s father?” I asked the obvious.
    Matro’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”
    Detherina placed both her palms on the table. “So you will have to make sure to keep an eye on them. This is a big load on your shoulders, but you’re all we’ve got. Ergans will play dirty. They’d do anything to incapacitate me.”
    “How can I keep Shannon safe?” I asked, wondering about living arrangements in particular. Matro coughed, and I realized that he could read my mind.
    “The society you live in would not understand Shannon living with you, so I’ve made arrangements to buy the house next door,” Detherina said.
    “But that house isn’t for sale.” I scratched my head, thinking of my neighbors. They’d just moved into the area a year ago.
    “It is now,” Matro quipped.
    “Shannon is awake,” Gilbert interrupted and left the room in a hurry.
    “Go now and be safe,” Detherina said to me. “Try to act normal. You have a good head on those shoulders of yours. Do the right thing and use your best judgment. Maintain normalcy. We’ll be in touch.” She placed a comforting hand on my arm.
    Maintain normalcy? The thought made me laugh. That would be a challenge. I was never normal . The idea was ludicrous, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I stood up and bobbed my head in understanding. With my head spinning from all the new information, I walked back through the secret door in the wall.
    “Here.” Gilbert thrust two glasses of orange juice at me.
    “Thanks.” Wow, these creatures moved fast.
    I tapped on the door before entering the bedroom. Shannon stirred in bed, and when her puffy eyes settled on me, she tried to smile.
    “Good morning. I got you OJ,” I said in my most cheerful voice.
    She sat up and stretched her arms toward the ceiling, stifling a yawn. “You had a nightmare.”
    I handed a glass to her and sat on the edge of the bed. When her sweet scent floated across the room, my raging teenage hormones made their presence known. I crossed my legs to hide the damning evidence.
    “Yeah, I have an overactive imagination.”  
    Shannon sighed, her eyes filled with sadness. I wanted to touch her face, but I kept my hands where they were, wrapped around my glass. I took a quick swig.
    “I’m scared,” she whispered, her voice quivering.
    I had no idea what to say, but I scooted closer. “I know you are, but you have to stay strong. I’m here for you.”
    Her eyes glistened. “Thanks,