Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy by Tracey Lee Campbell Page B

been. He didn't just heal others - he could heal himself too. As I stumbled along after him down the mountain, I wondered what other amazing secrets he was keeping.

    * * * * *

    The helicopters were still buzzing behind us, making a meticulous surveillance sweep of the ridge as we reached the line of trees near the barn. We'd managed to stay out of sight by keeping just off the path, avoiding bushes and boulders but it made the going harder, and the descent to the valley was slower than Aric had hoped. Arriving in the valley well after noon, we crouched at the edge of the tree line, Aric's hand on my arm as though he thought I might break for the safety of my home any moment.
    He had left his truck parked at the side of the house. From our vantage point amongst the trees behind the barn, we could see the driveway and part of the front porch. A long black car was parked in front of the house. Two men dressed in dark suits were talking to Uncle Tom and Aunt Janet, who were standing on the steps of the porch. Gus was walking two saddled horses towards the house. I could see my cousins, Luke and Michael standing on the rails of the fence pointing at the helicopters. A police car bumped along the drive from the direction of the road, heading for the house. Why were the police there?
    "We won't be able to get my car," said Aric. I shuffled forward to get a better look.
    "Who are those men? Detectives? Maybe they'll help us."
    "Afraid not. We've got to get out of here now."
    "Do you know them?"
    Aric surveyed the scene in front of the house. "Sort of. I think they're hybrids too."
    "Then shouldn't they help us?"
    "Those are the bad guys. They're on the wrong team."
    He crouched down as one of the suited men looked towards our hill.
    "We really need to go. We'll head for the highway and hitch a ride. But we need to stay in the cover of the trees. If we head south, can we get to the highway along this hill?"
    I scanned the route he wanted to take. The covered slopes eventually turned east, and we needed to go south west. We'd have to cross a lot of open fields, and it would be a long walk.
    "My friend Steven lives on the next ranch up that way. He'll help us. It's only a thirty minute hike, and we could clean ourselves up. No one will want to give us a lift looking like this."
    Aric considered it for a moment, and agreed. "We have no choice." We headed north towards Steven's place, keeping to the trees, the helicopters maintaining a constant buzz above the tree canopy.

    * * * * *

    The Hornesby Ranch was a show place - a perfect example of an idyllic, picturesque farm, with a big white farmhouse kept in perfect condition, alongside a large red barn. The gardens were neatly trimmed, the fences newly painted a pristine white. Steven's parents were meticulous about the appearance of their home, which made the battered old car parked in the drive seem incongruous to the scene. I recognized the car as Jenny's old bomb. What was she doing at Steven's place?
    There was no sign of any other cars; I crossed my fingers and hoped that Steven's parents were out. We crept past the barn, setting off the farm dogs into a barking frenzy. Aric stopped and fixed them with a stony stare, and they were instantly silenced.
    The front door was open. I pressed the doorbell, sending a twinkling melody ringing through the house. We waited, but there was no answer. I pressed the doorbell again. Still, no one answered the door.
    "Odd," I said. "Maybe they're out the back."
    We searched downstairs and checked the back porch - both were void of people. I hoped they wouldn't mind helping a hungry neighbor out, and we headed for the kitchen. We were just about to raid the fridge when we heard muffled laughter coming from upstairs.
    I raised my eyebrows at Aric, and he led the way up the staircase.
    "That's Steven's room," I said, as we pinpointed the source of the laughter.
    I knocked quietly on the door, and pushed it open.
    Steven and Jenny were lying on his