“None of this makes any sense.” He shook his head. But he scooped her up, until she was standing again, then grabbed her on either side of her face and kissed her. Not a simple kiss, but something that caught him by an unseen force and took him into depths that he had no idea existed.

  When he lifted his head, he saw a glazed look in her eyes. He nodded. “And that’s how I feel too. I don’t know what magic you’re working here, my dear, but I am truly caught. And maybe that’s part of the anger, the frustration, that I’m feeling. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I’ve never felt anything like this before, and what really tears me apart the most is worrying that it’s not real.”

  And, with that, he turned and walked out of her room.

  Chapter 9

  Cara sagged down back onto the bed, not sure what had just happened, but, knowing from the energy surge between them, all of her attempts to break contact had failed. And now that it had been reinforced by his actions, she had no idea what to do about it. The only thing she could really do at the moment was try to collect her thoughts and focus on Brody.

  The thought of somebody lost out in the ethers was heartbreaking, but she had no idea that’s what had happened to him. Castigating herself for not having checked into it earlier, she dropped her head and opened herself back up again. She knew it would hurt.

  She knew that the onslaught of souls seeking her help would be beyond painful, but she also knew that, in order to save Brody, she would have to do this. So, if she suffered a little, it would be minor compared to what he was currently enduring, though nobody ever cared about that part, and they shouldn’t, she tried to tell herself firmly. It’s enough to be of service to Brody. Even if Cara didn’t always have a happy ending.

  At the moment, based on what Rick had just done, she had no way of knowing if there would be a happy ending for her and Rick. All she could do was carry on as usual and wait for Rick to see what he wanted out of their connection.

  As soon as she opened up the energy highway, she checked on all the threads that she had kept in the loop. There was one to Terk, which was just basically common sense, considering that they both had the ability to communicate that way. She kept that connection on Pause all the time, as did he. And then there was the one to Rick. She quickly dashed past that one, so she didn’t have to deal with the heartache and the questions clamoring through her brain.

  Instead she headed out onto the open road, looking to see who was crying out, who was calling out, and who was in need of help. She knew when she put out such a call that she would get inundated in ways that could be catastrophic, but, with everybody wanting her to do this, she felt bound and determined to follow through.

  She sagged deeper and deeper, as she separated more from the physical plane, letting herself flow into the ethers freely. She sent out a strong message, directed completely toward Brody. As soon as she heard a half cry in the distance, she refocused and called out to him.

  “Here. I’m here,” Brody said.

  And she realized, not only was he lost but he’d been lost for some time. As soon as he realized that she was here and that she was here to help, he latched on with a ferocity that she’d expected but, at the same time, was still almost impossible to deal with. Gasping for control, she tried hard to get him to calm down, so she could do what she needed to do. However, Brody reacted almost in a panic, worried that she would disappear. So Cara took over and was left with no option. She not only disconnected but she knocked out Brody at the same time. When she slowly came to, Terk was in her bedroom, staring at her, and he wasn’t alone. Rick was at her side. They both had concerned expressions on their faces.

  Rick immediately bent down. “I’m so sorry. We didn’t think about the cost to you.”

  She didn’t say anything. She blinked, trying to refocus on where she was.

  Terk murmured, “And having paid that cost, did you find him?”

  “He’s there,” she replied. “I had to knock him out.”

  Terk nodded in understanding, but Rick didn’t seem to have the same ability to detach.

  “May I ask why?” he asked, with great difficulty. “And when you said you knocked him out …”

  “Hopefully his spirit is not running around going crazy at the moment,” she explained slowly.

  “I’ll take that as a good thing,” Rick noted quietly, “but why?”

  But Terk answered for her. “Because he would have latched on to her like a drowning man,” he replied, “particularly if he was panicked.”

  Rick looked over at her for confirmation, and she nodded.

  “Yes, he was definitely frantic, and it was building. He’s calm at the moment. I’ve connected, and I still have that connection.”

  Terk nodded and smiled. “And, for that, I thank you.”

  “It would have been good if you’d told me that he was out there like this,” she directed to Terk.

  He nodded. “It would have been. I see that now. It never occurred to me that you could connect with more than just Rick at the same time. You need to know other team members are still out there too.”

  She opened her eyes wide. “You’re kidding.”

  “That’s part of the reason why I needed help.”

  Terk had said it so simply that she knew it was true. “Right, you’re connected to all of them. I don’t know how you’re even doing that and still standing, breathing.”

  “I was connected to Brody, but he got free somehow,” Terk murmured. “And I don’t really understand how that happened.”

  She stared at him for a long moment. “Well, that might explain the level of panic in his voice. He feels like he’s completely lost out there.”

  “And he is, to a certain extent,” Terk agreed.

  “When he comes to again, I’ll funnel that energy in gently,” she explained, “and I’ll let him know he’s not alone.”

  “Thank you, Cara,” Rick said gently.

  She nodded. “Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll just rest a while.” She looked around to find she was lying on the floor. “I gather I collapsed.”

  Rick shrugged. “I don’t know. I just found you like this. I wanted to pick you up and put you on the bed, but Terk wouldn’t let me.”

  “No. Don’t. If you ever find me like this—in an altered state—don’t touch,” she ordered. “You’d pull me back, and sometimes you might pull something back with me.”

  He stared at her, his jaw wide open.

  She smiled and nodded. “It’s not all sunshine and roses in my work. I must have a lot of safeguards, and they’re there for me and for my patient.” On that note, she slowly rolled over, got up on her knees, and made her way to the bed. She waved them off. “I just need to collapse for a while now.” And, with that, she sagged down onto the bed. She knew Rick wouldn’t leave her quite so easily but she hoped he would. She looked over at Terk. “Take him out of here, will you?”

  “No,” Rick argued. “I’m staying.”

  She groaned. “What? To watch me while I sleep?”

  “Why would something like that take so much energy out of you?”

  She didn’t answer, hoping that Terk would, and, when he did, it wasn’t something that Rick was necessarily prepared to hear.

  “She disconnected because of you,” Terk explained. “So when she reconnected just for the purpose of reaching out to Brody, she had to open everything up again, so she wasn’t ready for the energy onslaught, but it probably came with a lot more than she had been prepared for.”

  “You could say that.” She started to drift off. She murmured, “They’re hunting you.”

  Terk stepped forward and, in a low voice, asked, “Where are they?”

  “Close, within miles.”

  “Can you track them?”

  “Don’t need to. They’re tracking you. Open your senses,” she murmured. She felt a lethargy that she hadn’t expected taking over.

  “Keep your senses open,” Terk murmured, “for your own safety.”

  “I can’t,” she whispered, “too much pain.”

  “It will ease,” he murmured.

  “Not enough. Danger,” she said. “All around you is danger.”

  At that, her eyes drifted closed.

  *

  “Can we believe everything she’s getting?” Rick asked in a hushed voice.

  “Yes,” Terk said. “She’s one of the most powerful energy workers I’ve ever met.”

  “Too bad you couldn’t bring her on board,” he said.

  “Me too, but her forte has always been healing.”

  “Until now?”

  “Not until now.”

  “What about Brody?” Rick asked. “Is it safe to leave him like that?”

  “If she says he’s connected, he’ll wake up with a sense of being connected. He may not reach out to you or me, but, as long as she wakes up not too long from now, she’ll let us know if he reaches back.”

  “God. I was completely wrong about her, wasn’t I?” Rick asked.

  “On many levels,” Terk agreed, “but it’s up to you to sort through all that.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “A little bit of warning would have been nice.”

  “You weren’t ready to hear it,” Terk stated simply. “Just because something is happening doesn’t mean people are ready to deal with it.”

  “Do you know what it is that’s happening?”

  “I can guess,” he replied. “She couldn’t have made the connection she made to you without having poured her heart and soul into it.”

  “And then, when she did, I stomped on it,” Rick added in a low tone. “I feel awful about that.”

  “I know, but don’t beat yourself up over it,” Terk said, “and definitely don’t take on something that you’re not prepared to put your own heart and soul into as well because you’ll break her. She had to give you her all to keep you alive, and, in order for that to happen, she had to open herself up to so much more than she normally would. It worked. She saved you. Maybe you’re not ready for the bond that came with it,” Terk added, “and don’t even begin to make it sound like you are. It’s not a fake it till you make it thing. She’ll know your line, and she’ll withdraw well and truly in advance.”

  “I have no idea what I’m feeling,” he murmured. “It’s too bizarre. But I can tell you that we’re bonded in a way I’ve never felt before.”

  “It is bizarre, but you’re also blessed,” Terk noted, “because the connection you have right now is priceless.”

  “But is it really what it feels like?”

  “Well, I don’t know.” Terk smiled. “What does it feel like?”

  “I hate to say it because I’ve never felt it before, so maybe love?”

  “At that point, it’s love at a spirit level,” Terk said. “It’s up to you whether it becomes anything more than that.”

  “God,” he said in a rush. “Just to even think that something like that is possible blows my mind.”

  “I know. Pretty heavy stuff, isn’t it?”

  “It’s unbelievable,” Rick said. “Seriously unbelievable. It’s so addicting, and there’s something else.” He stared at Terk, wondering if he should even put this in words. “I’m not sure … that I could even let her go now. It’s like … she’s a part of me somehow.”

  “That’s because you still don’t understand. In order to keep you alive, she had to become a part of you. For better or for worse, you guys are connected on all levels now,” he murmured, then turned to leave. “And remember. That was a price she was prepared to pay to save you, so consider that when she wakes up—and every other time you think about being less than nice to her.”

  And, with that, Terk walked out, leaving Rick alone to stare down at the sleeping woman who had saved his life, without regard to what it would cost her. He felt more like an ass than ever before.

  Chapter 10

  When Cara woke up, she was groggy and, for whatever reason, sore. She got up slowly, taking her time, knowing that, having opened up the energy floodgates, even though she had tried hard to separate what she could and could not let through, it would have an effect on her. A hot shower usually helped, and, by the time she slowly made her way out to the big commercial kitchen, looking for the coffee she was in desperate need of, she was grateful to find the only person there was Mariana.

  “Hey.” Mariana looked at her critically. “You look like shit.”

  Cara gave her droll look. “Yeah, that’s what happens when you go fishing out on the ethers.”

  At that, Mariana winced. “And we didn’t help you on that at all, did we?”

  “I get it. You all have a relationship with this person.”

  “Not me,” she said, “but I do know now that he’s very much a part of this team and nobody wants to consider that he’s lost out there.”

  “Well, I can’t say that he’s still not lost at the moment either.”

  “Did you contact him?” she asked hesitantly.

  “More or less, but that doesn’t mean he’s responding.”

  “Oh, shit,” she replied. “I never even thought of that. I guess it’s not that simple, is that?”

  “Nothing is that simple,” Cara noted, “and unfortunately that just makes me feel worse.”

  “And that’s not on you at all,” Mariana stated immediately. “Come on. Sit down and get some coffee. You really do look like you need energy.”

  She nodded. “It’s either that or go back to bed and see if I can sleep again, but I’ve been awake for a while, tossing and turning anyway.” She looked around. “Where is everybody?”

  “Sophia and Tasha are on the computers, doing whatever it is they do, searches on whatever happened yesterday or something. Lorelei is working on her computer in her room.” Mariana raised both palms. “The men have gone back to the same house, looking for something in particular”—she shook her head—“and hopefully they’re also picking up supplies because, since they were going out, I gave them a list.” She smiled.

  “Ah. Foodstuffs are an ongoing problem here, isn’t it?”

  “Well, problems are relative around here,” she noted. “We’re okay financially, as far as I understand. It’s a matter of not attracting attention when we shop, so nobody really understands how many people I’m trying to feed here.”

  “I’m sorry that fell to you and that I’ve added to it,” she murmured. “You really don’t have to feed me.”

  “What will I do?” she asked, looking at her in surprise. “Hold your dinner and make you work for it or something?”

  Cara laughed at that. “Well, you and I both know plenty of people out in the world would do just that.”

  “Unfortunately I do.”

  Cara looked around. “Where’s your little guy?”

  “He’s in there with the girls on a computer,” she said, with an eye roll. “Sophia got him started on a computer game the other day, but thankfully he has to navigate through some educational challenges to earn playing time. He already adores computers.”

  “Wow, he’ll be incredibly capable of that by the time he hits his teens.”

  “Yeah, he’ll be incredibly capable before he ever gets into preschool at this rate,” she noted, with a half smile. “Everybody here seems to be quite willing to teach him, and he’s like a sponge.”

  “Yeah, that goes with the age too, doesn’t it?”

  “Have you ever worked with really young kids?” Mariana asked.

  “A couple times.” Cara smiled. “Those are the most rewarding, at least when they’ve got a chance.”

  “I suppose they probably accept some of this stuff easier than adults.”

  “Sometimes.” She nodded. “They’re also closer to having one foot in the grave because they haven’t actually left.”

  At that, Mariana stared, her eyes going wide. “Oh, good Lord. I’m sorry I asked.”

  “Yeah, nothing is ever quite so simple.” Cara grabbed a coffee and sat down at the table and bowed her head over the cup, just letting the heat bathe her forehead. If nothing else, this should make her feel better. She wasn’t so sure about after that. When somebody spoke to her, she lifted her head to find Mariana asking her about food.

  “Do you have anything?” Cara frowned. “I know you said you were after supplies.”

  “Oh, sure, I’ve got a system going now, so we’re shopping ahead a bit. We’ve got too many mouths to feed to risk running out. And there’s always toast and eggs, sandwiches, and basics like that,” she explained. “Does anything sound good?”

  “Actually eggs and toast sounds good,” Cara said. “Protein will probably help a lot right about now.”

  “Okay, let me get you some.” Mariana quickly brought out a fry pan and tossed in a couple eggs. She looked over at Cara. “Do you want some sausage, bacon, or something like that too? When the men come back in, they’re always pretty worn down.”

  “Yeah, we all can be,” Cara noted. “It depends on what we’ve been doing and all.” She yawned and then nodded. “But just eggs and toast will be fine. I don’t want to put you to any more work than I already have. If you’ve got peanut butter or something along that line, that would work too.”

  “What’s everybody’s fascination with peanut butter?” Mariana shook her head.

  “For some of us, it becomes an instant rescue food, like when you come out and your blood sugar has dropped because of exertion? Blood sugar doesn’t affect energy, but energy definitely affects blood sugar.”

  Mariana blinked a couple times at that and then nodded. “That almost makes sense.”

  Cara laughed. “What you’re doing is more valuable than what I’m doing,” She reached for the plate with the eggs.

  “Oh, don’t say that,” Mariana murmured. “Believe me. If you have any way to contact Brody, they will be all over you about it.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s not necessarily so great,” she admitted. “I’m already blaming myself for not having found out more when he first reached out to me. It’s still so bizarre to think that he could even do it,” she murmured.

  “Anything these guys do is like that for me,” Mariana murmured, “but I’m learning. It’s slow going. I’m just taking in bits and pieces and trying not to get too overwhelmed.”