beside him instead of letting him lead, but maintained
at least a seven-foot gap between them. He showed her all the crops they grew—everything
from strawberries to things she’d never heard of. He explained they used
science to create hybrid produce they could grow in Vermont’s climate or in the
property’s many greenhouses. His description shouldn’t have turned her on, but
the guy was a freaking genius. Darina had no idea she’d find brilliance so damn
attractive, but holy shit, she did.
Foster led her to the barn she’d seen in Estoria’s painting. The woman
had really captured the building, and Darina felt a familiarity when looking at
the structure.
“What are these flowers?” She fingered tall, orange blossoms that lined
the barn. Nothing in the city was that vibrant.
“Those are day lilies. They’re all over this land.” He said it like they
weren’t anything special.
Darina disagreed. Crouching to touch her nose to the fragrant petals, she
asked, “You don’t like them?”
“I guess I don’t really think about them. They’re so abundant here.”
“They’d sure make the city look better.”
Foster picked one bright blossom and tucked it behind Darina’s ear. “And
you make them look better.”
They stood in front of each other for several silent seconds, their
gazes connected, and Darina’s pulse drummed in her ears.
“Do you have animals?” she asked, hoping to get back to the tour and away
from the way Foster’s staring made her feel.
Blinking slowly, Foster said, “Sheep, horses, cows, chickens.” He ticked
off the list on his fingers. As he ushered them into the barn, something barked
behind her, its low raspy, neighing making her turn around.
A large, four-legged creature loped toward her with long strides. Black
and white with big, pointed ears and a long muzzle, the critter’s pink tongue
lolled over the side of its mouth.
“What in the world is that?” Too big to be a dog. Too small to be a
horse. Darina had never seen anything like it.
“Oh, that’s Homer.” Foster stepped around her and threw his arms out by
his sides. “Hey, boy!”
Darina held her breath as Homer bounded toward Foster and knocked him
down.
“Homer!” she yelled, fearing Foster had been hurt.
“No, no. I’m okay. He’s just saying hello.” Foster reached his arms up as
he lay on the floor in the barn and scratched the sides of the mammoth beast’s
head. “Homer’s a dorse—combination dog and horse. Rescued him too. Did you know
the government dabbled in hybridization of animals as a warfare option?”
“I did not.” What else didn’t she know? “So he’s a GEC too?”
“Yep. He got cast off like the rest of us here. Dorses didn’t learn
commands well, so the government didn’t want them.” He gave the critter a few
extra scratches. “But he’s got a home now. He’s a good fellow with a big heart.
Did you miss me, Homer?”
That big pink tongue unrolled and sloshed across Foster’s face.
Darina laughed as Foster struggled to his feet, still petting Homer. “You’re
soaked.”
“Homer gives the best kisses.” He raised an eyebrow at Darina. “So far
anyway.”
Chapter Six
Emerge Tech Building Crumbles to the Ground.
Now there was a headline Mikale could applaud. Official news wasn’t
broadcast any longer, but freelance writers often penned stories of interest
and circulated them underground. Mikale’s sources had picked up this story, and
he loved knowing his associates had been the ones to cause the blow to the
world’s largest, functioning corporation. Of course, no one else would know his
people were the catalyst for Foster Ashby’s domicile to be reduced to soot, but
he still reveled in the satisfaction of knowing he’d run the doctor out of his
protected cocoon.
“Nowhere is safe, Foster.”
His former colleague, however, had done a good job of disappearing. That
fire should have scorched him and ended Mikale’s primary
at least a seven-foot gap between them. He showed her all the crops they grew—everything
from strawberries to things she’d never heard of. He explained they used
science to create hybrid produce they could grow in Vermont’s climate or in the
property’s many greenhouses. His description shouldn’t have turned her on, but
the guy was a freaking genius. Darina had no idea she’d find brilliance so damn
attractive, but holy shit, she did.
Foster led her to the barn she’d seen in Estoria’s painting. The woman
had really captured the building, and Darina felt a familiarity when looking at
the structure.
“What are these flowers?” She fingered tall, orange blossoms that lined
the barn. Nothing in the city was that vibrant.
“Those are day lilies. They’re all over this land.” He said it like they
weren’t anything special.
Darina disagreed. Crouching to touch her nose to the fragrant petals, she
asked, “You don’t like them?”
“I guess I don’t really think about them. They’re so abundant here.”
“They’d sure make the city look better.”
Foster picked one bright blossom and tucked it behind Darina’s ear. “And
you make them look better.”
They stood in front of each other for several silent seconds, their
gazes connected, and Darina’s pulse drummed in her ears.
“Do you have animals?” she asked, hoping to get back to the tour and away
from the way Foster’s staring made her feel.
Blinking slowly, Foster said, “Sheep, horses, cows, chickens.” He ticked
off the list on his fingers. As he ushered them into the barn, something barked
behind her, its low raspy, neighing making her turn around.
A large, four-legged creature loped toward her with long strides. Black
and white with big, pointed ears and a long muzzle, the critter’s pink tongue
lolled over the side of its mouth.
“What in the world is that?” Too big to be a dog. Too small to be a
horse. Darina had never seen anything like it.
“Oh, that’s Homer.” Foster stepped around her and threw his arms out by
his sides. “Hey, boy!”
Darina held her breath as Homer bounded toward Foster and knocked him
down.
“Homer!” she yelled, fearing Foster had been hurt.
“No, no. I’m okay. He’s just saying hello.” Foster reached his arms up as
he lay on the floor in the barn and scratched the sides of the mammoth beast’s
head. “Homer’s a dorse—combination dog and horse. Rescued him too. Did you know
the government dabbled in hybridization of animals as a warfare option?”
“I did not.” What else didn’t she know? “So he’s a GEC too?”
“Yep. He got cast off like the rest of us here. Dorses didn’t learn
commands well, so the government didn’t want them.” He gave the critter a few
extra scratches. “But he’s got a home now. He’s a good fellow with a big heart.
Did you miss me, Homer?”
That big pink tongue unrolled and sloshed across Foster’s face.
Darina laughed as Foster struggled to his feet, still petting Homer. “You’re
soaked.”
“Homer gives the best kisses.” He raised an eyebrow at Darina. “So far
anyway.”
Chapter Six
Emerge Tech Building Crumbles to the Ground.
Now there was a headline Mikale could applaud. Official news wasn’t
broadcast any longer, but freelance writers often penned stories of interest
and circulated them underground. Mikale’s sources had picked up this story, and
he loved knowing his associates had been the ones to cause the blow to the
world’s largest, functioning corporation. Of course, no one else would know his
people were the catalyst for Foster Ashby’s domicile to be reduced to soot, but
he still reveled in the satisfaction of knowing he’d run the doctor out of his
protected cocoon.
“Nowhere is safe, Foster.”
His former colleague, however, had done a good job of disappearing. That
fire should have scorched him and ended Mikale’s primary
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