hoping that she would make it through the night without destroying her bed or screaming.
~~~
Daen stood in the tall grasses and watched the sun set behind the mountains. It was his favorite time of day. Over the years, he'd come to this place often with the hope he would receive a sign from his home world or, even better, a way back would be presented to him. Of course it hadn't happened. He hadn't stopped coming to this spot, but after a while he’d stopped thinking it held some significance in his mission.
When the sun was below the horizon, he turned towards the house. Dinner would be ready soon and it was his turn to set the table. Before he took his second step, however, he felt the power of the Libraim course through his body. Stumbling, he caught himself before he dropped to the ground. He spun around, scanning the yard and the woods. It had happened just as it had twenty-one years before. And just like then, he saw nothing. Disappointment pressed against his chest but he fought it, not allowing it to take control like it had in the past. After determining there was nothing to see, he turned to the house again.
Pam glanced at Daen when he came in. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just about. It happened again."
"The crushing sensation? Did it knock you down?" She glanced down his body, looking for injuries.
"No to the crushing and almost to the falling down. I felt the Libraim for the first time in more than twenty years." He pulled the plates from the cupboard and started setting the table.
"You're rather calm for having just felt a piece of home ," Pam said.
Daen laughed sardonically. "Calm is not the word I would choose. Subdued? Restrained? Those are good words."
Pam stepped in front of him as he approach ed the silverware drawer and wrapped her arms around him. "You know you're like a son to me, even if you are a lot older than me. I want you to be happy, even if that means you'll leave us one day."
Daen hugged her back. "I know. I care about you , too."
"Hey! Hands off the wife ," Ander laughed as he came into the kitchen. "She's likely to burn dinner if you distract her too much." Ander winked at Pam and patted her behind.
"Behave yourself , Ander, or you'll be eating PB&J," she retorted.
"Are you two at it again?" Randell asked as he entered the kitchen.
Pam laughed. "Your father started it."
"Ha!" Ander scoffed.
Daen pulled the silverware from the drawer. "I'm staying out of this."
Laughter filled the kitchen and Daen was glad to be there.
~~~
Two men lay dazed and breathless, gazing up at the tall trees, wrestling with their decision to cooperate with the hooded man.
Gauvin tried to sit up , but the world around him hadn't stopped spinning. Desperate not to lose his stomach, he closed his eyes and breathed through his nose before calling out, "Bestian?"
A deep , gravelly voice reprimanded, "Keep your voice down."
"I don't understand . What happened?" Gauvin leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, rubbing his temples as his head pounded.
Bestian hissed, "If you don't shut up, I will shut you up !"
Gauvin scanned the area around him and whispered, "Where are we?"
Bestian clenched his fists, fighting the desire to knock some sense into the idiot he'd partnered with for this assignment. But he couldn't move for fear of being discovered. A few feet from where he lay were a group of men and women talking, about what he didn't know or understand.
Thunk! Thunk! The sound reverberated from tree to tree, grabbing Gauvin's attention and causing him to dive for cover behind a tree. "What was that?" He peeked around the edge of the tree just as two bright lights burst forward into his eyes.
Bestian lay still, on his back, as the beams of light floated over his body, followed by a roar that could be described only as that of an angry beast. He dared not move, and he hoped Gauvin would have enough sense to stay down as well. The light swept the trees to his right and then disappeared as the
~~~
Daen stood in the tall grasses and watched the sun set behind the mountains. It was his favorite time of day. Over the years, he'd come to this place often with the hope he would receive a sign from his home world or, even better, a way back would be presented to him. Of course it hadn't happened. He hadn't stopped coming to this spot, but after a while he’d stopped thinking it held some significance in his mission.
When the sun was below the horizon, he turned towards the house. Dinner would be ready soon and it was his turn to set the table. Before he took his second step, however, he felt the power of the Libraim course through his body. Stumbling, he caught himself before he dropped to the ground. He spun around, scanning the yard and the woods. It had happened just as it had twenty-one years before. And just like then, he saw nothing. Disappointment pressed against his chest but he fought it, not allowing it to take control like it had in the past. After determining there was nothing to see, he turned to the house again.
Pam glanced at Daen when he came in. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just about. It happened again."
"The crushing sensation? Did it knock you down?" She glanced down his body, looking for injuries.
"No to the crushing and almost to the falling down. I felt the Libraim for the first time in more than twenty years." He pulled the plates from the cupboard and started setting the table.
"You're rather calm for having just felt a piece of home ," Pam said.
Daen laughed sardonically. "Calm is not the word I would choose. Subdued? Restrained? Those are good words."
Pam stepped in front of him as he approach ed the silverware drawer and wrapped her arms around him. "You know you're like a son to me, even if you are a lot older than me. I want you to be happy, even if that means you'll leave us one day."
Daen hugged her back. "I know. I care about you , too."
"Hey! Hands off the wife ," Ander laughed as he came into the kitchen. "She's likely to burn dinner if you distract her too much." Ander winked at Pam and patted her behind.
"Behave yourself , Ander, or you'll be eating PB&J," she retorted.
"Are you two at it again?" Randell asked as he entered the kitchen.
Pam laughed. "Your father started it."
"Ha!" Ander scoffed.
Daen pulled the silverware from the drawer. "I'm staying out of this."
Laughter filled the kitchen and Daen was glad to be there.
~~~
Two men lay dazed and breathless, gazing up at the tall trees, wrestling with their decision to cooperate with the hooded man.
Gauvin tried to sit up , but the world around him hadn't stopped spinning. Desperate not to lose his stomach, he closed his eyes and breathed through his nose before calling out, "Bestian?"
A deep , gravelly voice reprimanded, "Keep your voice down."
"I don't understand . What happened?" Gauvin leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, rubbing his temples as his head pounded.
Bestian hissed, "If you don't shut up, I will shut you up !"
Gauvin scanned the area around him and whispered, "Where are we?"
Bestian clenched his fists, fighting the desire to knock some sense into the idiot he'd partnered with for this assignment. But he couldn't move for fear of being discovered. A few feet from where he lay were a group of men and women talking, about what he didn't know or understand.
Thunk! Thunk! The sound reverberated from tree to tree, grabbing Gauvin's attention and causing him to dive for cover behind a tree. "What was that?" He peeked around the edge of the tree just as two bright lights burst forward into his eyes.
Bestian lay still, on his back, as the beams of light floated over his body, followed by a roar that could be described only as that of an angry beast. He dared not move, and he hoped Gauvin would have enough sense to stay down as well. The light swept the trees to his right and then disappeared as the
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