Edna drew in a deep breath as she approached the golden ship. She had seen one similar to it only once before, when Zoran, Abby’s mate, had brought her up to the meadow to assure her that he would never harm her young friend. This one might be smaller, but it was made of the same material.
“Bo, come here, boy,” Edna called out in a soft voice as she walked closer to the gold creature. “You’re scaring it.”
Bo released a whine and laid down next to the shimmering ship. Edna wasn’t sure if it really qualified to be called a space ship. It looked barely large enough to hold one of the warriors, much less transport him anywhere. In fact, the closer she got to it, the more it looked like a type of coffin or one of those escape capsules from an alien movie set.
“It’s okay, darling,” Edna murmured in a soothing tone. “Bo didn’t mean to upset you. You just startled him, that’s all. I’ve seen one of you before. Zoran Reykill has a ship just like you. Do you know him?”
A smile curved Edna’s lips when the creature shimmered and swirled, as if excited to hear Zoran’s name. Pulling off her gloves, she tucked them in the pocket of her jacket before she reached out to touch the glowing surface. She hesitated just inches from it as a sudden wave of uncertainty swept through her. What if it wasn’t friendly? What if she was misunderstanding the swirls as excitement, when in reality it was trying to warn her to stay away from it?
The decision whether or not to touch the creature was taken out of her hands when Gloria came up behind her and nudged her in the back, knocking her forward. Edna gasped as her hands splayed across the smooth surface. It took a moment for her to realize that she could see through the top. Her gaze remained frozen on the breathtaking man lying peacefully inside.
“Is he… alive?” Edna asked in a barely audible voice.
At first, she had been afraid to ask her question out loud for fear of discovering that the man was dead. Warmth filled her and an image of the man sleeping washed through her. Her hands curled against the silky smooth surface as she resisted the urge to touch him.
She started when she felt her hands sink into the surface of the ship. Frighten, she pulled them out and stepped back several steps. Raising a trembling hand to her face, she stopped when she saw the dancing threads of gold moving up her arms.
Edna giggled when the head of a tiny dragon appeared at the end of one of the threads and the long length shifted into a dragon’s body and tail. It rubbed its head against her arm before winding around her wrists to form a bracelet. Shaking her head, she knew right then that it would never hurt her.
Stepping forward again, she stared down at the relaxed face of the man. He wasn’t young like Zoran, but he was still breathtakingly handsome with silver strands running through his black hair. Her eyes widened when several flakes of white landed on the clear surface. It was only then that she realized it had begun to snow.
Glancing over at Gloria, she wondered what she should do. The golden creature was resting on the ground. If she could get it to move, she could take it back down to the cabin. There was no way she could leave it or the man out in the freezing cold. Turning back to the ship, she touched it.
“Can you understand me?” She asked in a soft voice.
Warmth filled her and she could see in her mind that it did. Breathing out a relieved sigh, she focused on trying to picture the cabin. She felt the ship shudder.
“It will be alright,” Edna reassured it. “I just need to get you and your friend down to the cabin. There is a storm coming tonight and it’s supposed to dump several feet of snow. You’ll both freeze to death if you stay out here.”
The creature shimmered and swirled again. Edna rested her hand on it and tried to think of the best way to get the capsule down the path to the cabin. Her first thought was the skid, but she’d never be able to lift the man onto it. What she really needed was a type of wagon.
Edna jerked back again when the creature shivered, then began to shift. A soft, amused laugh escaped her when four small wheels suddenly appeared just as Edna envisioned the type of wagon she would need. Shaking her head, she stepped behind the capsule and pushed on it. She was amazed at how easy it rolled. Calling for Gloria and Bo, Edna turned the golden wagon toward the path and began the slow journey back to the cabin.
“I really hope I know what the hell I’m doing because I’ll be damned if he hasn’t kicked my libido back into bloody drive by just lying there!” She whispered in exasperation as she glanced down at the male’s face again.
*.*.*
It took a while, but Edna was able to get all five of them back to the cabin. She breathed a sigh of thanks that she had told Jack to hold off on removing the ramp Abby’s grandfather had installed for her grandmother. It had come in handy during the move and she hadn’t wanted to remove it until she felt confident she was through.
She had quickly tucked Gloria in for the night before closing the door to the stable and turning out all but one small heat lamp inside. Next, she opened the door to the cabin, sending another thank you to her old friend for enlarging the front door as well. Once inside, she shut the door and made sure that the pellet stove was on before she started a fire in the fireplace.
Removing her coat and hat, she blew on her numb fingers to warm them as she walked around the capsule now sitting on the rug in the living room. Stopping on the side, she gazed down at it with a frown. She reached out and touch the edge of the top, wondering how on earth she was going to open the damn thing.
“I could use a little help here,” she murmured to the golden creature. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to open it.”
As if by magic, the top melted downward. Edna was caught off guard and started to fall forward. A loud gasp escaped her when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her and pulled her down onto the man’s massive chest. Jerking her head up, she stared in fascination at the glittering gold eyes that were now wide awake.