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Kris opened her eyes and looked at the clock. It showed after seven o’clock. Hearing someone behind her breathe, she looked over her shoulder and saw Roman asleep. She scratched her forehead and wondered what would happen next.
Are you going to tell him? El whispered in her head.
Tell him what? Kris thought back at her.
About seeing your mom and dad in the Between realms? El's whisper rose in volume.
Kris thought about it and wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Roman anything about that meeting. She rolled off the bed, went into the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.
Kris, you're having some weird issues. Get over it, El snarled.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and dark, half-moons smudged underneath. El, you've been around for a long time and are familiar with all this demon stuff. I drank a glass of wine. I'm seeing and hearing things I don't understand.
Boo hoo, get over yourself and straighten up. Whatever you don't understand, ask Roman or your witch friend. Admit you need help. That's what they're here for, use them.
Kris frowned. Use them?
That isn't what I meant, but they have the information you need. Let them help you.
Kris sat down on the floor, pulled her knees up and rested her back against the tub.
Kris, I've watched you for a long time. You're a strong woman. There are times when you're too nice and you don't deal with change real well. I think I know why.
Shut up. You're making my head hurt. Kris thought and felt exhaustion come back.
Stop whining. When your mom and dad died, you were young and being pulled from the only home you'd ever known. No matter how nice Aunt Betty and Uncle Louie were, it still messed with your head.
El, don't try to psychoanalyze me, please. I know my weaknesses and strengths. Kris put her forehead on her knees.
See, you tell me to shut up and then say please. Sometimes you don't do so well with the new. Somewhere along the line, you lost your ability to enjoy curiosity and... El went silent, as though she were a radio that shut off mid-song.
Thank you for being quiet, El, Kris thought. Her head popped up when she felt a warm hand on her neck. She looked up. Roman squatted in front of her. “I could swear I locked that door,” she said.
“You did.”
“What? You've never heard of knocking?”
“I did.” He took her hand and helped her stand. “When you didn't answer, I got worried. How are you feeling?”
“I suppose you broke in?” She looked at the doorjamb.
“No, locks aren't much of a problem for me.” He smiled.
“Are you a master burglar, too?” She stepped away from him.
“No, just a Lake Guardian, who knows how to use an ice pick. I noticed one in the drawer with the candles. Your aura is still a bit muddy.”
Kris shook her head and walked past him into the bedroom. She glanced at the bed, then turned and went into the kitchen. She looked at the stove and turned back to him.
“I feel all right, but I’m a little out of sorts. Are you hungry? Do you drink coffee?” She looked at him. He stood by the refrigerator and still wore her sweatpants.
“I could eat and, yes, I drink coffee. Do you want some help?”
“No. Just sit down and try not to stare at me. It's making me nervous,” she said.
Roman nodded and moved to the kitchen table.
“Eggs are the choice of the day. Fried or scrambled?” she asked and pulled things from the refrigerator.
“Either's fine.”
Kris got the coffee started first, and then spent the next few minutes preparing breakfast. “Where did everyone go?” she asked.
“Omar and Marcus are out in the lake doing their duties. The witch went home, I suppose,” he answered.
“Why do you have issues with witches?”
“They’re prime targets for demons and if they don't have themselves well-grounded, they can be turned easily. I don't trust them much.”
Shaking her head, she glanced at Roman, and felt ready to take him on, but saw he stared at the back door. She stirred the eggs and turned to him. “What's so interesting about the door? Or are you meditating?”
“No, I'm not watching you. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”
Pouring him a cup of coffee, she took it to him. “Thank you for doing as I asked. You don't have to watch the evil back door anymore.”
“Good. It is rather dull.” He looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you for the coffee. It smells wonderful. I'll try not to stare at you, but it will be difficult.”
They sat and ate a quiet breakfast. El started back up in her brain with a tirade. Kris pushed her plate away and put her head in her hands.
“What's the matter, Kris?” Roman asked, and set his fork down.
“El's giving me a headache. She won't shut up.”
Just tell him. He needs to know this. Oh, for the love of all that's holy, El squawked and pushed forward moving Kris out of her way. She looked at Roman. “Hi there.”
“El?” he said.
“We haven't time to get acquainted. You need to ask her about her parents and when she last saw them.” El stood up and moved to him. Sitting down on his lap, she grinned. “What the hell, let's get acquainted.”
Roman pulled her hands off his neck and moved her off his lap. “Why should I ask her about her parents?” he asked and realized El departed and Kris stood in front of him.
“I'm starting to hate her,” Kris said and sat in her seat. “How is it you can tell when she takes over?”
“El's aura is different from yours. It’s a dark, rainbow color,” he said. “Tell me about your parents.”
“There's nothing to tell. El's yanking your chain,” Kris said.
“Your aura is now dark pink. Why are you lying to me?” he asked.
Kris stood and stepped away from the table. “Because, what’s happened in my life is none of your business. Thank you for your help last night, but you need to leave now. Go back to Parcel and tell that Oracle person I'm difficult and you're not staying here. I don't have any more time for this.”
The whole time she spoke, Roman moved toward her, and pushed her into the corner between the broom closet and the refrigerator. “You don't trust me, say it.”
Roman's hot breath blew on her and she looked up at him. He stood inches from her and she saw anger on his face as he ground his teeth together.
“Say it!” he shouted.
Kris jumped and hit her shoulder against the closet door. His intimidating size blocked her and it started to piss her off.
“I don't know you well enough to say if I trust you or not, Roman,” she said and didn’t take her eyes off him. “But the way you're acting right now, tells me the odds are slim I'm ever going to trust you. I do a good job of taking care of myself and don’t need a too tall, overbearing Neanderthal, who I don’t know, pawing at me and expecting me to bend to his will!”
“Pawing you?” He straightened his shoulders and took a step back. “There were times last night you enjoyed being pawed.”
“You need to back off. There may come a time I'll want to tell you about my past, but I'm not ready. If you don't like that answer, then you should head back to Parcel.”
He nodded. “Kris, I apologize for being overbearing. I don't want Abednego to hurt you,” he said. “If we were to do the merge, he wouldn't be able to touch you. We can then take our time getting to know one another and learn each other's past later.”
“Merging? I need more information and time to understand what that’s all about. I don't have the first clue what that means, but it sounds like something that I need to learn about. This merging business, what is it all about?”
“We give ourselves to each other—”
“What if it's not what I want? What happens if we do it and decide we aren't compatible?” She interrupted him.
Roman's brows creased. “It's a onetime deal. There is no going back.” He reached his hand out and touched her lips. “I know I want you with me, Kris. I hope you’ll want to be with me, too.” He put his hand back down by his side. “I'll try not to paw you. I just ask one thing. Don't lie to me. It makes me angry.”
“I noticed. I'll try, but you need to remember one thing, too. I don't do well with intimidation. It will run me off quicker than anything.”
“Fine.”
“Fine,” she said and moved around him. “Do you want more coffee?”
“No.” He carried his plate to the sink.
She saw him look through the blinds and she glanced and saw Marcus walk out of the lake.
“I'll be right back,” he said.
Kris watched him walk out onto the deck. Marcus handed him a folder, which Roman flipped through. She wondered how they kept the papers dry and wanted to lock the door, but knew Roman would get it open. She finished with the dishes and then turned on her computer. She felt determined to get some work done.
She sat at her computer and started a letter to her uncle in Omaha.
Hey there Uncle. I hope this finds you and Aunt Betty well. I have a quick question...
Kris stopped, stared at the screen and then typed, Do you remember my Mom ever having any weird abilities? You used to say Aunt Betty could tell when the weather would be bad. I wondered if Mom did anything like that. I remembered something strange and it's made me curious. Let me know, Love Kris. She hit the Send button and went back to her inbox.
Thirty minutes later, the message flag popped up on the screen and she stopped the note she worked on to look. Her Uncle Louie answered her query.
Hey kiddo, call soon. Your aunt needs attention. Your mom did have abilities. I always wondered when you'd get around to asking. Jean could cast a wicked spell and knew when things would happen. When we were kids, our mom—your grandmother—told Jean that she came from a long line of seers and visionaries. In college, Jean went through a rough time, although she never did tell me what happened. She did a lot of research about our ancestors and traced the family tree back to Wales in the 1600s. When she graduated, she met your dad and she packed all the research she’d done into boxes and asked me to store them in my garage. That's where it's been since. Your aunt and I have thought about throwing those boxes out, but never have. If you'd like, I could Fed Ex them to you. I'm not sure what's in them, but you might find it interesting. Have your abilities popped up? Let me know if you want me to send them and call soon, Love, Uncle Louie.
Kris stared at the note. A picture of worms in cans ran through her brain. She sat back in her chair, and toyed with the mouse. How much do I want to know? she thought.
You want to know it all, sister. Tell him to send it pronto, El whispered in her head.
Kris hit the Reply button and typed in Send it with her Fed Ex account number.
Several hours later, Kris realized she'd sat in the same position for a time. She turned off the computer, and saw Roman alone on the back deck. Guilt stabbed her in the heart. She’d been mean to him this morning.
Walking out, she leaned against the railing. She could see the smoke from last night still hanging over the lawn. The pots of sage and lavender burned on the deck and she could smell the aroma. Roman glanced at her.
“I didn't come in. I thought you needed some space.” He looked back at the lake.
“Thank you. What are you watching?”
“I'm just keeping an eye on things, nothing major,” he answered.
“Aren't you cold? You're barefoot and those sweatpants don’t hold in the heat.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Roman, how is it when you came out of the lake the first night we met, you were dry? And when Marcus brought you those papers, they weren't wet at all. How does it work?”
“Coming from a different realm sometimes feels a bit like having a squeegee slide over your body. When the time frame settles, the moisture comes off. My eyes and nose dry out like crazy. Marcus is better with the scientific aspects of all this.”
“I didn’t do well in science in school.” Kris shivered. “You've explained enough.”
“Kris.” He turned to her and put his palms down flat on the railing. He didn't touch her. “I am sorry for my behavior this morning.” He scratched his chin. “It's been so long since I've thought about being with anyone, I guess I've forgotten my manners.”
“I'm sorry, too. My brain doesn’t know what I’m dealing with and I took it out on you,” she said. “I did lie to you, but in my own defense, I'd been given some information I didn't want to share and still don't.” She looked up at him. “Maybe we reacted that way because we drank too much coffee.”
“We were both on our first cup,” he said and frowned.
Kris sighed and started for the back door. “You were supposed to agree with me. I'd found a way of letting us both off the hook.”
“I see.” He followed her into the kitchen. “Me...Neanderthal...me still learning,” he said in a deep voice.
Kris turned and looked at him. “You're cruising, sir.” She turned into the kitchen. “We missed lunch and I'm hungry again. How do you feel about deli sandwiches and potato salad? They’re leftovers, but I'm tired and don't want to cook.”
They fixed sandwiches with chips and potato salad. While they ate, Roman reached over and felt her forehead.
“You're still warm. How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I'm just tired. Nothing stabbed my lungs today. I think I'm going to go to bed early.”
“Why don't you go and take a warm bath? You're still wearing clothes from yesterday. You might feel better.”
She stood up and started to stack the plates and silverware they’d used.
Roman put his hand around her wrist to stop her. “I don't mean to paw you, but why don't you let me clean up?”
“Normally, I'd argue, but...thank you.” She moved away from him and then stopped. “Roman?”
He stood up and looked over his shoulder at her. “Yes, Kris.”
She turned to face him. “I don't want you to think I don't appreciate your help. I do...you know?”
“Doing the dishes isn't that difficult.”
“That isn't what I meant.” She frowned.
“I know.”
Kris rolled her eyes and moved out of the kitchen. The idea of a bath sounded nice, but she found she just wanted to sleep. Maybe if I do the horizontal for a few minutes, it will give me a second wind, she thought. She crawled up to where she slept and curled up on her side.
****
Roman got the dishes into the dishwasher and figured out how to start the thing. He turned off the water when he didn’t hear the faucet turn on in the bathroom. He dried his hands and looked into the bedroom.
He found Kris wrapped around one of her pillows, sound asleep. He put a blanket over her and then finished in the kitchen. After he turned off the lights, he stretched out on the other side of her bed. He didn’t want to crowd her. In a few minutes, Kris rolled over and pulled herself next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and put her hand on his chest. He put his hand over hers and listened to her deep breaths.