“Hiding will keep us safe. I’m not ready for everyone’s opinions.”
“Why not?”
“Because I know they think you should be with someone better.”
He couldn’t help a small chuckle. “Gemma, that’s not possible. There isn’t anyone better than you.”
She tipped her head with a frown.
Stepping forward, he placed a hand on either side of her face. “People can think whatever they like. Nothing is going to make me change my mind about you.”
Her blushing smile was sensational, but it disappeared within seconds. Grasping his wrists, she squeezed and looked at him with two pleading eyes that he knew he’d have to say yes to.
His heart sank a little.
“Please, just give me a little more time,” Gemma whispered. “There are things I need to explain.”
“Alright, fine, but after school today, you’re all mine.”
She winced. “I can’t today, I have to get home, but…”
He dropped his hands and stepped away from her.
“Hey.” She took his hand and pulled him back. “My parents are away this weekend. Meet me at the mall. We can go for a drive, spend the day together.”
“The whole day?”
She smiled. “The whole day.”
“I’m keeping you to that.” Placing his hand behind her neck, he pulled her into a kiss that had his body igniting with fire and left his senses reeling. They staggered away from each other and the only comfort to watching her sneak out the door without him was the goofy grin on her face.
Chapter Thirteen
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida - 2011 AD
“And where do you think you’re going?”
Gemma spun around with a gasp and placed her hand on her chest. “Oh my gosh, Dom, you scared the crap out of me.”
He stood tall and intimidating on the other side of the kitchen counter. His hair was tousled, his T-shirt a crumpled mess from sleeping.
“Where are you sneaking off to?” He folded his arms.
“Just…” She shrugged. “Going for a drive.”
His eyes narrowed. “And would you be going for this drive if Mom and Dad were home this weekend?”
She blushed and bit back her grin. “I’d be trying to, but probably failing.”
He picked at the grapes in the fruit bowl and popped three into his mouth. His expression was a little dry when he sniffed, making Gemma’s nerves do a quick disco number in her stomach.
“Guess you better make the most of it then.”
Gemma released a grateful sigh.
“It’s the Granger kid, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“He seems okay.”
“He is.” She spun to leave, then turned back. “Can you not tell anyone…”
“I won’t, but just be warned that Ruby figured it out when you floated in the door on Thursday afternoon. Luckily Mom and Dad were too busy preparing for this weekend to notice you. Be careful. They may not miss it next time.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Her eyebrows wrinkled together.
“Just remember, light and…”
“Casual. Yeah, I got it.”
Dom took his handful of grapes and left the kitchen with a grin. Gemma watched him throw them in the air and catch them in his mouth as he went.
She felt like he’d just hosed her down with cold water. The excited giddiness of spending the day with Harrison had fled, only to be replaced with the reminder that she was walking into a scalding hot fire that would burn and destroy.
She jiggled the keys in her hand, thinking of Harrison and if she should bail. But one image of his smiling eyes and soft lips was enough to get her legs moving out the door.
There’s no way she was strong enough to walk away from him. She couldn’t help a grin as she strapped on her helmet and started up her bike.
*****
The sun was warm on their faces as they leaned against the pier at Flagler Beach. Harrison stood behind her, his chin resting on her left shoulder. He played with her fingers as they watched the water rise and swell below them.
Harrison’s lips brushed the nape of her neck and Gemma felt her insides jump with giddiness. She wanted to giggle, but she’d already done that an embarrassing amount throughout the day, so suppressed the urge.
Avoiding the whole “let’s keep this a secret” topic had been easier than Gemma thought. She expected to have to get it out of the way in the morning, but when Harrison had greeted her with a long-stemmed rose and whispered “Happy Valentine’s Day” in her ear, she hadn’t wanted to ruin the tone. So they got chatting about other things and the trip down the coast had been filled with laughter and meaningless conversation.
Being totally unknown at Flagler Beach gave Gemma the freedom to hold Harrison’s hand and pretend like they were a normal teenage couple. They had walked along the beach, eaten at a small diner, popped in and out of shops laughing at merchandise and trying things on. Not once had the conversation turned serious, but Gemma knew they were running out of time.
She opened her mouth to talk, but clamped her lips closed again. This moment was too perfect to ruin with a discussion that would most likely end in a disagreement.
“So I was thinking last night,” Harrison whispered in her ear. “I never asked you…are there more time spirits?”
She looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, but the only people nearby were two old men fishing and three raucous boys dropping rocks off the pier. She turned and spoke softly. “According to my parents there are, but I’ve never met any of them. At least, I don’t think I have. We do meet up with old friends of my parents when we travel each year, but they never talk about ‘travel’ when we’re around, so I’m never sure.”
“When do I get to meet them?”
“Who?”
“Your parents.”
Her stomach constricted into a tight knot. “Never.”
“Why not? I want you to meet mine.”
This was just proof that he didn’t get it. She held in her sigh and kept her voice neutral. “I told you I’m not allowed to date.”
“I know, but you can’t stay single for the rest of your life. I just figured eventually it would come out.”
“It can’t. Ever!” Her desperate fear was starting to show. “Harrison, I can’t stress this enough. They will never, ever, ever be okay with you.”
“Why?”
“Well, aside from the fact I’ve broken an ancient oath…” She winced. “I’m not allowed to be with normal people. I have to…end up with my own kind.”
“But you’ve never met any of your own kind.”
“I may have. I’m guessing,” she swallowed convulsively, “it’ll be arranged.”
“What?!”
“I know. It makes my stomach curdle.”
“It’s totally archaic!”
Gemma nodded and gave him a glum smile.
Turning her in his arms, Harrison forced her gaze to his. “I’m not going to let that happen to you. The only guy you’re ending up with is me.”
Her expression turned to marshmallow. “Well, that suits me fine, but my parents will probably disagree with you. Can we just leave it for now?” She placed her hand on his chest. “I don’t want to mess this up. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the year and we can face this problem later. Please.”
“We can’t hide forever, Gemma.”
“I know, but we can keep things under wraps for now. The fewer people who know about this, the safer we are. I wish I could explain this better.” She felt tears forming and hated herself for it. She turned around and leaned her elbows on the railing.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He rubbed her arms. “We’ll take necessary precautions. I’ll never call you at home. I’ll only ever smile at you at school. I promise.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin back on her shoulder. “Look, I know this probably
seems like a stupid question right now, but how about my family? Do you want to meet them?”
“Um.” She giggled. “I’ve never really met anyone’s family before. I probably won’t be very good at it, so…no.”
Harrison laughed. “I think you’ll be great. How does next weekend sound?”
“Um…” She felt herself falter. He actually sounded serious. “I think I’m busy next weekend.”
“How about the weekend after that?”
She frowned at the tension she could feel creeping into his body. “Busy next weekend too.”
“The weekend after that?” His voice was getting terse.
“Okay, Harrison.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “When it comes to meeting your family, I’m probably going be busy every weekend for the rest of my life.”
“Oh come on, you chicken.”
“What? Haven’t we just agreed to keep this quiet! Why would I go and meet your family?”
“Because you’re important to me and I want you to meet the other most important person in my life.”
“Your mom.” Gemma kept her eyes on the ocean, feeling her emotions roil in the same sickening pattern.
“Besides, it’ll be a safe place for us to hang out. No one else would need to know we were there.”
“But, we’ve only just started… I mean, I don’t… What if they figured out I was weird and then they wouldn’t want you to be with me and then—”
“Gemma.” He silenced her with a quick squeeze to her fidgeting fingers. “My parents are different than yours. They’re really happy I’ve met you.”
She jabbed her elbow back and was satisfied to hear his “oof!”
“You told your mom?”
“That was before I knew we had to keep it quiet! She guessed anyway when she saw me float in the door on Thursday.”
Gemma couldn’t help a grin.
His arms encircled her again and she didn’t fight it. She loved the feel of his breath on her skin when he whispered, “I’ll protect you. You’re safe with me, always remember that.”
Her hands stilled, as did her breathing.
“To my family you are just going to be Harrison’s girlfriend. I promise, there’s nothing to worry about, and Rosie won’t say anything at school if you ask her not to. She may be a pain in the butt sometimes, but she knows how to keep a secret.”
Her eyes scanned the horizon. Harrison waited out her contemplation in agitated silence. Scratching the side of his nose, he cleared his throat and looked away, trying to appear casual. It was adorable.
She knew if she said no right now he’d accept it. He’d be angry for a while, but then he’d get over it and they’d have a great evening together. He’d kiss her goodnight. He’d look at her with those dreamy eyes and…
“Okay.” She bit down hard on her lip.
What did I just say?!
“Okay?” His grin stretched wide.
Too late to back out now. Look at his face!
She pasted on a smile and nodded again.
“You’re gonna be great, Gem.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
He turned her in his arms and gazed down at her. His eyes flickering with a mix of emotions. “This means a lot to me. Thank you for trusting me.”
She forced a smile and shrugged. “I guess you’re putting up with a lot from me.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well, that’s gonna cost ya.”
Her brow wrinkled with concern. His eyes filled with mischief as he held her tight and raspberried her neck. She yelped and let out a giggle.
“Stop.” She lightly slapped his back.
“Not a chance.” His lips nibbled her neck. “If I don’t get to maul you at school, I’m just going to have to save it all up for the weekend.”
He ran his lips up her neck, eliciting a second round of giggles.
Chapter Fourteen
St. Augustine, Florida - 2011 AD
Gemma slowed the Ducati as she turned into Harrison’s street. It was a typical suburb and she liked the simplicity of it. The neatly trimmed edges, the mown lawns, the bikes left in disarray on front yards, the basketball standing post beneath the hoop, the bark of a dog, the chant of little girls as they played jump rope in the driveway.
Her nerves grew as she approached number 176. Harrison had been prepping her all week. Helen was his mother, Bryan his stepfather. Rosie and Justin belonged to Bryan, and Sam was born three years after Helen and Bryan got together. She went over the names again as she pulled the bike to a stop. She switched off the engine and slowly undid her helmet. With shaking fingers, she ruffled out her helmet hair and sat chewing the inside of her cheek.
Just breathe, Gem. Just breathe… Oh yeah, and smile!
Her lips turned up at the corners just as Harrison was opening the front door.
“Hey.” His voice was all gooey, which kept her grin in place.
“Hi.” She cleared her throat and tried not to pull away when he leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips. She could feel her cheeks blooming with color and shot Harrison a pleading look. He just laughed, grabbed her hand and pulled her from the bike.
“Come meet everyone.”
She didn’t have to go far; three pairs of drooling eyes were standing in the doorway, staring at her bike. Harrison made the introductions while they swooned and she felt her fears ebb. She liked the boys immediately.
Rosie was sweet and wrapped her in a friendly hug before she got through the door. “I haven’t said a word, I promise.”
Having been taken off guard by the embrace, Gemma felt her muscles relax just a little at Rosie’s whispered words.
Finally released, Gemma stepped back and was facing the last member of the household.
Harrison’s mother was beautiful. Her blonde hair waved around her face, nestling just below her ears. Her sapphire eyes were piercing and her smile was serene as she listened to Harrison’s introduction.
She held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Gemma.”
Gemma felt something twitch inside her as she reciprocated the words. There was something magnetic about this woman. She felt the same pull she had with Harrison and wondered at its meaning.
The nerves that had been hounding her all day dissipated as Gemma engrossed herself in mealtime conversation. She answered meaningless questions, laughed at Sam’s jokes and smiled at Rosie’s outrageous stories. Helen studied her quietly throughout the evening, which unnerved her slightly, but she tried not to let it show.
Gemma glanced away from her conversation with Bryan to flash her a friendly smile. Making a good impression with this woman was paramount to her survival in this family. After only a week of being Harrison’s girlfriend, she was completely hooked. She would do anything to make what they had stick. Helen’s eyes softened toward her and she felt her chest loosen.
Her elated high suddenly vanished when she felt her toes begin to tingle. She tried to keep her expression bland, her only form of outburst being a swift tap to Harrison’s ankle.
His eyes popped up and caught her message. His face fell momentarily before he pasted on an easy smile.
“Sorry to interrupt Bryan, I just realized I never showed Gem where the bathroom was. Knowing her, she’s too shy to ask.”
Gemma blushed and dropped her gaze. “Actually, if it’s okay, I might just pop there before dessert.”
Completely enamored, Bryan shone her a smile as she rose from the table.
“It’s this way.” Harrison held out his hand and she grabbed it like a lifeline.
“Excuse me,” she muttered, lifting her gaze only enough to glimpse a slight narrowing of Helen’s eyes.
Gemma felt her heart begin to thud erratically as Harrison led her down the hallway.
“Hopefully, you’ll only be gone for five minutes.” Harrison opened the door and stood aside. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Thanks.” She squeezed his hand as she brushed past him.
“Be safe.”
>
“I will.” She shone him a smile before shutting the door and bracing herself for travel.
*****
Black Forest, Germania - 84 AD
“So, how’s the date going?” Ruby pulled on a woolen tunic.
“Fine,” Gemma mumbled, struggling with the leather lacing of the boots her father had “borrowed.” She hadn’t told Ruby it was more like a family dinner than a date.
“That’s it? Fine?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Gemma whispered.
Standing tall, she took a moment to glance around. Her skin rippled with goose bumps. The dark forest smelt dank and earthy. Pine needles created a thick carpet, decorated with fallen logs and mossy rocks as furniture. The trees towered around them like faithful centurions, blocking any view of the sky. Although dusk was only settling in, Gemma could feel the oppressive darkness.
This place is creeping me out.
She tried to squash her jitters as she approached her father for instruction.
“There is currently an archaeological dig being conducted about five miles north of here. Half a mile east is a grove that I believe contains some very important artifacts that will get missed if we don’t move them.”
“A sacred grove?” Gemma hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but now that she had… She cleared her throat. “I just thought… I mean should we really be entering a…well, someone’s sacred place?”
“I know what you’re thinking, Gem, and I don’t want to disrespect their religious customs any more than you do, but these artifacts are important. They’ll teach us a lot about these northern tribes.” He placed his steady hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “You have to trust my judgment.”
Gemma nodded.
“Now, because we are entering such a delicate zone we need to be particularly careful. Dom, Pen, and Ruby will secure the perimeter. Gem, you and I are going to sneak in and re-locate the treasure.”
Everyone nodded and headed off in the right direction. Gemma followed her father on light feet, sensing his urgency. Dodging trees and jumping over roots, they soon found themselves on the edge of a small clearing.
“See the knotted tree stump?” Her father pointed. “It’ll be in there. You’re faster than I am. All we’re looking for is a necklace with a stone emblem that’s shaped like a thin arrowhead.”
Gemma swallowed and gave him a swift nod. Bounding across the clearing, she skidded to a halt by the stump. A heady scent of pungent herbs swam around her. She fought off the nausea. At the foot of a stump lay a human skull next to an urn of what looked like bones. Gemma muffled a scream with her hand and drew in quick breaths through her nostrils. Forcing her pounding heart to a regular rhythm she focused on her task. She plunged her hand into the hollow opening, praying that her image of rotting guts was incorrect. With relief she realized the moisture at her fingertips was moss. Rummaging through bugs and cobwebs she felt her fingers land on a leather pouch. She pulled it out. A shiver descended her spine as she pictured the creepy crawlies she had disturbed.