Grady's Awakening

Chapter Twelve

Gina took watch on the next leg of their journey while Jim slept. She watched the rails carefully, taking notes for Wally in short bursts. Her handwriting suffered because she wasn’t looking down most of the time as she wrote, but she figured Wally would just have to deal with it. There was too much at stake. One moment of inattention could cause them to crash into something obstructing their path. And although the maps looked as if the rail system extended all the way to the Canadian base, no one had been able to explore this far yet, so no one was really one hundred percent sure.

This section of track was a little different than the straight lines they’d encountered on the previous sections. This one curved slightly in a westerly direction, but the curve wasn’t steep. It was just enough to make watching the track ahead interesting. Gina was glad of the need to pay strict attention to her task. It kept her from thinking too deeply about the new relationship between herself and Jim.

She would try her best to protect her heart, but at this point she knew she wouldn’t escape completely unscathed when their interlude was over. She’d carry a piece of him in her heart forever. He was a considerate and adventurous lover. And her small empathic gift told her he felt much the same.

It was an emotional disaster waiting to happen, about which they could do nothing. Their course had been set long before either of them had embarked on this journey. This journey alone was the only time they could count on. More than likely, it would be the only opportunity they ever had. The only course of action that made any sense was to make the most of it while she could.

Hell, she had more of a chance of seeing Grady Prime again than she did of making a relationship with Jim work. Why the Alvian warrior should come to mind now, when she’d done her best to stop thinking about him, she didn’t know. Their one encounter had changed her fundamentally. It had opened her up to new possibilities and probably even made this time with Jim possible.

Before she’d met Grady Prime, Gina had been much more protective of her heart, but Grady had blown all that away. He’d stormed her senses and freed her soul, unknowingly readying her for what came next. Too bad she didn’t see a happy ending in her future with either man. No, Grady had opened her to the possibilities of emotional entanglement without any promise, or even hope, of a happily ever after.

It was depressing really, but by the same token, she wouldn’t trade her time spent with Jim for anything in the world.

They traveled in relative safety for another day or so, switching off every few hours to change drivers. At every station along the way they took the opportunity to walk around, stretch their legs and make love. Jim was nearly insatiable. She wanted his kisses, his gentle touches, the small movements that said she was special to him. And she wanted his cock.

He was a talented and inventive lover. He made love to her like he wanted to fit everything into the few days they had together. Like he had just this one chance to show her everything she meant to him.

It wasn’t that far from the truth and the thought of it—of never being with him again—was unbearable. So she tried not to think about it and focused on the here and now and the amazing things he made her feel.

They christened every platform along their path as they made their way slowly toward Canada and the possibility of another human colony waiting for them there. The trip became less about their goal and more about their relationship, but Gina didn’t mind in the least. It had been years since she’d concentrated on herself and this enforced intimacy was special.

She was free to indulge her senses for this short period, knowing that at the end of their journey, duty awaited them both. She lost track of time as they traveled but she figured that was a good thing. The lack of day or night in the tunnels gave her a false sense of timelessness—an illusion that they could be together forever—as long as they remained in the tunnels.

But every journey must eventually come to an end.

As the pod rounded a long, sweeping curve, Gina slowed the vehicle. It looked like something blocked the way in the distance, and she didn’t want to take a chance. The big pod took time to decelerate.

The slowing motion awakened Jim. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he joined her in the front of the cabin.

“Problem?”

“Possibly.” She pointed into the distance where they could just make out something blocking the rails.

“We packed some shovels in case of rubble. Could be that’s all it is. If we’re lucky.”

“But the rails are still powered up. How do we clear the tracks if they’re electrified?”

“There should be a kill switch every once in awhile along the tunnel wall. Don’t you remember Wally mentioning it? Look.” He pointed out the window at a small box on the tunnel wall as they glided past slowly. “There’s one. I’ll hop out once we come to a stop and jog back here.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She didn’t want to admit she’d been distracted during some of Wally’s briefing. Her head had been filled with questions about the journey ahead and the man she’d be sharing it with.

They cruised to a stop and as promised, Jim jumped out and headed for the emergency kill switch. A few minutes later, the pod dropped slowly to the ground, no longer hovering on the electromagnetic field generated by the electrified track.

Gina jumped down from the hatch, a shovel in one hand and a broom in the other. Jim met her, stealing a kiss as he reached for the shovel.

“It looks safe, but keep your eyes peeled.” His words came telepathically into her mind. She was glad of the warning since all her experience and training seemed to fly right out the window whenever Jim distracted her with one of those devastating kisses. “I’ll shovel the debris out of the way while you stand watch, then we’ll switch and you can sweep off the rails while I stand guard.”

“Do you think we’re getting close?”

“I’d bet we were almost there, but it’s hard to judge distances down here. According to the schematics, we should be on the last set of tracks leading to the facility. Frankly I’m amazed we haven’t run into obstructions before this. With all the upheaval of the cataclysm, these tunnels have remained mostly intact.”

“Well, they were built by the military. Chances are, the old Army Corps of Engineers had a hand in the design. Those guys built things to last.”

“Good point.” Jim shoveled the larger rocks away from the tracks. “I think someone put these here deliberately.”

“What makes you say that?”

“See the way these rocks lay? They form almost a straight line across the tracks. That’s not natural. Someone put these here to stop any vehicles that came this way. This could be an ambush.”

Gina let her telekinetic senses stretch out in the way she perfected over many years of study. She could sense movement—even the tiniest twitch of an opponent’s muscles. This skill was her early warning system, her personal radar, and it had made her an invaluable part of many missions for the Zxerah.

“No movement yet besides you and me,” she reported to Jim.

He stopped shoveling for a moment to look at her. “So Larry was right. You really can use your gifts to detect movement.”

“It’s the only really good skill I have.” She shrugged her shoulders. She’d never been comfortable with having such a paltry ability compared with the rest of her family. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart. We all deserve to keep a secret or two.”

She didn’t like the sound of that but was prevented from commenting by movement in the tunnel ahead.

“Heads up. My spidey-senses are tingling.”

He was instantly alert, she could tell by the tension in his shoulders, but he kept working as if unaware of the approaching danger. Gina shifted her weight subtly into a ready stance. The broom in her hands became a weapon, a bo staff that could be used to fend off an attack.

“What can you tell me?”

“They’re approaching cautiously, and there’s more than one. Two. Men, I think, judging by the displacement of air.”

“Jeez, baby, you can sense air displacement? That’s some sharp skill you have.”

For just a moment, Gina basked in his praise. Her father and brothers had always been complementary and kind about her gifts, but back then she hadn’t been this skilled. She’d always felt second best in the psychic department because the rest of her family was incredibly talented in demonstrable ways. Her meager skills had been weak compared to theirs and mostly untrained. To have Jim’s admiration meant more than she could say.

“They’re getting closer, and they’re good at stealth. There are definitely two of them. Men. Big men. About your size, I’d say. And…” she reached for the information floating in the air currents, “…they’re armed. Long sticks. Could be rifles, could be brooms. I can’t tell you more than the size and shape.”

“That’s more than enough. We’ll let them dictate how this encounter starts out, but if they mean us harm, you and I will finish it.”

She liked the way he included her in his plans. Jim never underestimated her. He had never asked her to take a back seat while he did all the work. She liked having his respect as an equal partner. Hell, she just plain liked him. Perhaps even loved him.

She was in big trouble when the notion of loving him didn’t even faze her. She understood it then, in that moment, with possible enemies stalking them. She was in love with Jim.

A tall man stepped out into the middle of the track a few yards from their position. He held a rifle at the ready.

Jim stopped shoveling and turned to face the newcomer, keeping his hands in sight, leaning on the shovel handle casually.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” the man wanted to know.

“I’m Jim. This is Gina. We just came up in the pod from the Colorado facility to see if anybody lived here. I assume I’m talking to someone who lives in the old NORAD site?”

The man shifted his weight, and Gina read caution in his every move. His companion remained hidden in the shadows near the tunnel wall.

“The tracks are clear and functional all the way to Colorado?” The man sounded surprised to Gina. He was more curious than dangerous at the moment, if she was reading him correctly.

“Yes, though we had to take it slow past the first few sets of tracks since none of our scouts had been able to go much further. We’re an exploration party, if you will.”

“Well, you found us. So how about you tell us what you want?”

“That’s pretty easy. You’re human. We’re human. We both have secure facilities where I assume you’ve got more people living. We want to make an alliance. To share information. If the foreseers are right, the time is coming when we’ll need allies.”

“You’ve got a foreseer?” The man’s gaze turned to Gina speculatively.

She smiled. “Not me. But yes, there’s at least one among Jim’s people.”

The man quirked a brow at her phrasing.

“Are you sure about this?” Jim asked in the privacy of her mind.

“Honesty is always the best policy. Better they find out now so they can’t accuse me of hiding anything later.”

“All right.” Jim sounded reconciled to her bold move. “I’ve got your back, baby.”

She could’ve kissed him right then, for his support. God, she loved this man.

“Jim’s people,” the stranger repeated. “But not your people? Why’s that? And what are you wearing?”

Gina stepped closer to the man, her palms open in an unthreatening pose. “Noticed my duds, huh? Very good. I’m an emissary from a secret sect of Alvians called the Zxerah. The Patriarch of my clan doesn’t want humanity to fail. He wants to facilitate us getting in touch with each other so we’ll be stronger when things come to a head. My clan has a few seers in it too, and the Zxerah Patriarch listens to them closely.”

“So he can figure out how best to hoodwink the humans?” the man challenged.

“So he can figure out a way for us all to live together in peace,” she countered.

“Burt, can you hear me?” The stranger spoke seemingly into the air, confusing Gina for a moment until a computerized voice answered in the affirmative. “Could you patch this through to Bill? We need his input.”

“Right away, Michael,” the computer answered. Only then did Gina notice a small speaker placed high on the ceiling of the tunnel. She hadn’t seen those before. Apparently they were much closer to the Canadian facility than she’d thought.

“I’m here, Mike. What do you need?” A new voice came over the speaker. It was a beautiful voice…with that distinctive Alvian trill, though it was well hidden. Still, Gina heard it. She’d lived with Alvians a long time, after all. She knew them well.

“Tell him what you just told me,” Mike directed her. The rifle in his arms was in a relaxed position, but it was still there.

“Greetings, brother,” Gina said hesitantly.

“What are you doing?” Jim asked, shifting toward her protectively.

“Trust me. That voice is Alvian, and there’s only one explanation I can think of.”

“Am I speaking with Prime Past?” Gina continued. She noticed Mike’s rifle move up to cover her once more, and the man in the shadows tensed.

“Who are you?” the disembodied voice came over the speaker, suspicion in his tone.

“Gina Hanson, adopted daughter of the Zxerah clan. Ronin Prime sent me.”

“Keep her there, Mike. I’ll be down shortly.”

“Well, that got a response,” Jim groused in her mind. “Mind telling me what’s going on?”

“I told you the Alvians were experimenting on returning emotions. The man who just spoke is most likely the first of those experiments. The seers said one of the Brotherhood would encounter him at some point and that he’d be an ally in our ultimate quest, but I didn’t think I’d be the one to find him. This is really good, Jim. I promise.”

“Give us lights, Burt,” Mike ordered and lights flared in the tunnel, showing them for the first time just how close they were to the end of the line. Just a few yards ahead the track ended in an open chamber much like the one they’d departed from. She saw the second man, also armed with a rifle, standing near the chamber entrance. “I’m Mike, and this is my cousin, Dave.”

The second man nodded at her. “You’re the girl from the Olympics, aren’t you? Some kind of ultimate fighter?”

Gina smiled. “I won gold for tae kwon do, but I’ve learned a few other things since then.”

“And got mixed up with the aliens apparently.” David’s tone invited her to say more.

“I literally ran into one of them during my flight from the coast. He took me in and protected me—even from the rest of his race. The Zxerah Patriarch has adopted many humans into his clan.”

“So how do you know our friend Bill?” Mike asked.

“If he’s who I think he is, I trained with him and his men once or twice. He’s part of the Brotherhood.”

“Not anymore.” There was real force of emotion behind the words as a tall, blond man entered the chamber and came forward to face her. “You’re looking well, Gina.”

“You too, Prime.”

“I’m not Prime any longer. Call me Bill.”

She dipped her head in agreement even as her lips curled upward. “Bill. It suits you. I’m glad to find you.”

“Dougal 17 didn’t tell you I was here? I ran into him in the skies a few days ago.”

“I’ve been out of touch with the Brotherhood for more than a week. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“So why did you come?”

“My mission started in Colorado, making contact with Jim and his people. My goal was to inform him of the other confirmed and suspected locations throughout North America where we think humans are gathering and living in sites like this.”

“To what end?”

“To put them in touch with each other. Humans have few reliable ways of communicating nowadays. But these old military sites may hold the key not only for communication, but cooperation among the various groups of humans living together and hiding out for safety.”

“Why?” Mike asked. “Why would we need to band together? As long as we stay hidden, the Alvians pretty much leave us alone.”

“If you know any seers, you should have a good long talk with them,” she advised. “More than one visionary tells of a time when everything’s going to come to a head. The outcome for humans will be much better if we can speak with one voice. If we can show the Alvians that we know how to survive and rebuild our society, even in secret. That’s something their social engineers will respect, even while they can’t understand the emotion that drives us. But they will.”

“They will what? Understand emotion?” Dave asked, moving a few steps closer.

Gina nodded. “Sinclair Prime—or Bill, as you know him—was the first of what we hope will be many. Already another group of test subjects has been treated with the same gene-altering agent with good results. Little by little, the Alvian race is embracing a change for the better. A drastic change that will restore emotion to many, if not all of them, in the fullness of time.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Mike sounded amazed.

“I’m not. That’s the goal of the Zxerah Patriarch.”

“And he hasn’t got you all brainwashed or something? How can you be sure he’s not rounding us up? Getting everyone in one place to make it easier for them to capture us all at once?” Mike insisted.

“I have enough empathy to feel even his weak echoes of emotion. The Zxerah are warriors. As such, they have more emotion than other Alvians. He’s told me the truth. I know it.”

“Will you let me touch your mind?” Dave asked suddenly. “We need to be sure.”

“You’re a mind healer?” Something inside her softened as she remembered her family and the rare gift some of them had.

“You’ve known one before?” A raised eyebrow indicated his curiosity as Dave moved closer to her.

“My brother.” She swallowed hard against the emotional memory her brother brought. “I’ll allow it, if it will help convince you.”

Dave smiled at her. He was a very handsome man, and he had kind eyes. She didn’t get to think much more about him because at that moment he touched her face, his mind seeking hers. She could feel Jim moving close behind her, but he let the situation unfold. He was the perfect partner for her. He allowed her to be who she was but was always there to back her up if necessary.

Dave stepped back, leaving her with a glowing feeling as his power left her. She remembered the feeling from when her brother touched her mind and it made her nostalgic.

“She’s telling the truth as she knows it,” he told his friends. “Her mind hasn’t been tampered with.”

“All right.” Mike lifted his weapon upward, pointing it at the ceiling. “Let’s take this upstairs where it’s more comfortable. Burt, please secure the area and continue to monitor for intruders.”

“Yes, Mike,” the computer voice said over the speaker.

“Do you have a computer like that in Colorado?” Gina asked Jim as they followed Mike out of the tunnel and into the larger chamber.

“Not that I know of. But a lot of systems were damaged in the earthquakes. I bet Wally would know. I’ll have to ask him when we get back.”

“So you think there’s a good chance we’ll live to tell the tale?” She couldn’t resist teasing him.

They followed Mike as Dave and Bill brought up the rear in a guard position.

“I’d say our chances are improving all the time. But what in the world are these people doing sharing their hideout with an Alvian?”

“He’s on the run, just as much as they are—possibly even more so. He was given an assignment by the Council and not only failed in his mission, but precipitated the Chief Engineer’s ability to effectively hold the Council hostage to whatever he wanted. They didn’t like that one bit, and the man ultimately responsible for that fiasco got away. They’ve been hunting him ever since. I’m just glad we found him first.”

They all piled into a large elevator which started to climb. Gina lost track of how many levels they rose but was glad when the elevator came to a stop and they all got out. Rather than climb higher, the men led her and Jim to a small, utilitarian room. It looked like a conference room of sorts, though at one time it had probably been somebody’s office.

Their hosts indicated they should sit, and Gina took the seat next to Jim. His presence helped calm her nerves. She was surprised by just how nervous she felt now that contact had been made. Her mission was on track, and she wanted to keep it that way.

“Why don’t you tell us more about this secret sect of yours?” Mike invited once they’d all been seated.

“The Zxerah Brotherhood is hard to describe. They’re part ninja, part Tibetan monk and all focused on individual study and enlightenment. A small cadre serves in the Alvian military as a sort of ghost squad. The rest of us live in secret, serving as their support system and spending our time studying and doing reconnaissance for the Patriarch. I first met him not long after the cataclysm. Fate put him in my path, I’m sure. I mean, what are the odds that the first human this man finds is an Olympic gold medal-winning martial artist?”

“Did they try to capture you?” David asked.

“Sort of. Their form of capture would have been more like protective custody, but I didn’t know that at the time. I fought. The Patriarch had his men back off and tested my skills one on one. Each pushed my boundaries a little further. Ultimately my strength gave out but not before they’d learned a heck of a lot about human unarmed fighting techniques which were amazingly a lot like their own.”

“I can confirm this. I had reports from the men who fought her,” Bill spoke unexpectedly from his seat near the door. “Her acceptance into the clan was controversial at first. Once we saw her skills and realized how her psychic abilities enhanced her physical attributes, Ronin confided to me that he thought it was the right thing to do to adopt her into the clan and learn from her and the others he adopted after.”

“Ronin is this Patriarch she mentioned?” Mike asked.

“The same,” Bill confirmed. “Ronin Prime is the Patriarch of the Zxerah Brotherhood. I once counted him as a friend. I believe at heart, he is a good man, but he plays a deep game. Not even I know what his ultimate goal is.”

“There is no Ronin genetic line that I’m aware of.” A new, feminine voice sounded from the doorway.

“Sweetheart, I thought we asked you to stay put.” Mike was clearly exasperated by the Alvian woman’s appearance, but he pulled her into the room and sat her between himself and his cousin. The affection both men felt for her was obvious to Gina at this close distance.

“Who the hell is she?” Jim’s voice in her mind had a hard edge of suspicion. “This place is crawling with aliens.”

“Relax, Jim,” she cautioned. “I didn’t know about her but look at the way those cousins treat her. And look at the way she treats them. She’s in love with them.”

“You’re a romantic fool,” he chastised, but there was no real scorn in his voice. Rather, he seemed to be watching them carefully.

“The Ronin genetic line is top secret,” Bill carried on the conversation. “Mara Prime oversees them directly along with a few other select genetic lines that are unique to the Zxerah.”

“Zxerah?” The woman sounded truly shocked. “They’re real? And you were one of them, Bill? How come you never told us?”

“She seems really hurt,” Jim observed silently.

“She is. She has feelings.” Gina was as surprised by the observation as Jim was.

“That discussion is for later.” Bill shut down that avenue of questioning. “For now, we must decide what to make of our guests.” He effectively turned the attention back to Gina and Jim.

“Just how many aliens are you hiding down here?” Jim’s voice held a challenging note.

“Only these two,” Mike promised with a grin. “I know this looks like we’re consorting with the enemy, but once you get to know them you’ll understand they’re different.”

“They both have feelings.” Gina let her statement hang in the air for a minute. “I know Bill volunteered for a genetic experiment, but what happened to you? Are you a throwback?” She looked directly at the other woman.

The elegant blonde shrugged. “I was the lab tech assigned to prepare the dosages for the next run of the experiment. I got sloppy in the lab, made a mistake and here I am.”

“Damn,” Jim swore without heat. “This Patriarch’s plans really may have some validity after all. I never thought to meet an Alvian who could understand emotion and now I find two of you in one day.”

“Ah ha!” Gina joked with him privately. “So now you’re starting to believe me.”

Jim shot her a considering look. “I’m keeping an open mind.”

“So what do you have in mind by way of cooperation between our two installations?” Michael brought the conversation back on point.

“Communication to begin with.” Jim took charge. “Information exchange. Reconnaissance of what goes on outside in our respective areas. We have very limited information about what goes on in the rest of the world. I think that works to our detriment. Knowledge is power and all that. In return, we have some of the original scientists who worked in and designed these facilities living among us. If you need information on how to repair or work some of your systems, we might be able to help you. Hell, we might even be able to trade. Our hydroponics farm unit turns out more than we can use sometimes. I hate to see food go to waste and if we can keep the tunnels open, we can use them to transport goods back and forth.”

“I like the idea, but I’d want to see your facility and meet your people before we agree to anything.” David was cautious, but it was good to see he was interested.

“That can be arranged. We have extra seats in the pod if anyone wants to travel back with us, but I noticed on our way up that you had a couple of pods yourself.” Gina hadn’t noticed any pods, but then Jim was a lot taller than she was and could see more of the area while her view had been blocked by the big men all around her.

“Bill is our head farmer.” Dave gestured toward the Alvian man. “He’s gotten the hydroponics section started and now that we have more people, he has some help, but we’ve only been living down here a few months.”

“Really? The Colorado facility has been in continuous habitation since the cataclysm. Like I said, a lot of the original staff hid out there and brought their families in when it became clear there was no going back to the old world. I arrived later, having made my way over land to get there.”

“You knew about the facility before the bombardment?” Mike asked shrewdly.

“I was CIA. I’d been in spec ops and had done some work for NORAD. I’d been to the Cheyenne Mountain facility a few times and knew the codes. It was the most likely place I could think of to regroup after I heard what the Alvian goon squads were doing.”

“Good thinking,” Dave agreed. He took the woman’s hand and brought it to his thigh, a clear and unconscious sign of affection. “We only found this place a couple of months ago when Jaci needed a place to hide out, but it was in really good condition. The base computer had been powered down in preparation for a new crew’s arrival according to BURTIN.”

“Is that the computer you were talking to before?” Gina had never heard of such a thing, but she’d seen it with her own eyes, like something out of an old science fiction book.

“Yeah, this whole place is monitored and maintained by an artificial intelligence prototype. BURTIN stands for Basic Underground Resident Type 1 Intelligence Net, but we just call him Burt. He monitors everything and lets us know if anyone or anything stumbles upon us. That’s how we knew you were in the tunnels, though nobody’s ever arrived that way before.” Mike scratched his face, which was showing the beginnings of a beard. “Now that word’s got out here and there about Bill, we get a lot of people tromping through the woods looking for us. Burt helps us find them before they hurt themselves or alert the sporadic patrols to something fishy going on down here. We mostly take them in, though a few bad seeds have been sent on their way with a warning not to return. Bill’s real helpful in that department too.”

The cousins shared a laugh, and Bill just looked uncomfortable.

“Must be good to have a shadow warrior around.” Gina was upset on Bill’s behalf. It wasn’t right for them to use him that way. Not if he’d truly given up his assassin’s ways. “I assume they come because you’ve been out flying? You should know that the Council has heard the rumors spreading among the human populace about an angel. They sent Grady Prime to investigate, and he was given full access to your former squadron.”

Bill stood violently, overturning his chair as emotion swamped him. Gina could feel the almost overwhelming confusion, despair, anger and regret mixed up in his conflicted soul. She stood and went to him, holding out her hand where he could see it before she touched him. One didn’t sneak up on a former Zxerah assassin.

“I’m sorry.” She touched him, offering what little mind healing power she could to help settle his emotions. “I didn’t say that to upset you.”

A hand settled on her shoulder. It was David. “Stop before you deplete yourself. Mind healing isn’t your true calling, is it?”

She let go, giving up her place to David. The man took Bill’s arm, and even Gina could feel the instant peace he was able to transfer to the confused Alvian male.

“No. I’m not much of a mind healer. Not like others in my family. Not like you.”

Gina felt her strength ebb and she swayed on her feet but Jim was there to catch her, holding her back to his chest as they stood together. He gave her strength, and she realized both Alvians were looking at her strangely.

“You Hum,” the woman said softly, a smile spreading over her face. “Are you true mates?”

“I don’t know what that means,” Jim answered carefully.

“But you do.” Mike’s tone was accusing as he looked at Gina. “You know what it means to Hum for an Alvian.”

“I’ve heard the term,” she admitted. “Grady Prime told me I Hummed with him, but of course I can’t hear it. If it really exists.”

“Oh, it exists all right. You Hum with both Grady Prime and Jim? This could get interesting.” The grin the other woman gave her was mischievous. “Both are warriors and leaders. I wonder if they’ll try to dominate you—and if you’ll let them?”

Gina was confounded by the woman’s knowing grin. “Look, I’ll probably never see Grady again.”

“Did you have sex with him?”

Gina gasped at the woman’s rude question, and Jim’s arms tightened around her.

“What’s this about Humming?”

“It’s an Alvian thing,” Mike explained almost offhandedly. “When mates touch, their bodies resonate on a cellular level, creating a Hum. It’s a sound audible in a range beyond our hearing, but the Alvians can pick it up. According to our two resident aliens, you Hum with Gina.”

“So then we’re mates?” Jim didn’t sound too happy about that, and it was Gina’s turn to be upset.

“It’s not that easy. The Hum just means you have the potential to be mates. The other tests are the Kiss and the Embrace. Do those with a tuned crystal nearby and watch the fireworks. If you’re true mates, each of those will generate a more intense response from the crystal, confirming your resonance. If you can make the crystal glow like a star, you’re Resonance Mates, like we are with Jaci.” Mike tugged a crystal out of his pocket and placed it on the table, then pulled Jaci into his arms, laying a kiss on her that could melt rubber.

The crystal glowed.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I never saw a crystal do that before.” Jim let Gina go as he bent to get a good look at the shining shard of quartz.

Mike let Jaci go, and the crystal dimmed until it no longer glowed. “Why don’t you two try it?”

Jim didn’t even give Gina a chance to object. He just tugged her around and laid one on her. She couldn’t see the crystal and didn’t care, frankly, what it showed. She was too wrapped up in Jim’s kiss.

But the room was definitely brighter and when he let her go, the crystal slowly dimmed as they drew apart.

“So we’re mates?” Jim asked again.

“Close, but to be really sure, you need to Embrace her. Take the crystal. Try it later, and you’ll see. If the crystal glows even brighter, you’re definitely Resonance Mates and according to ancient Alvian law, mates can never be separated for any reason. It’s a good ace to keep up your sleeve, if you’re so inclined.” Mike tipped his nonexistent hat to them both.

“Thanks.” Jim pocketed the crystal. “I’ll give this back after we’ve tried it out.”

“I guess you’ll only need one room for the night, eh?” Mike teased them, and Gina felt a blush rise up her cheeks.

They all sat again, and Jim took the conversation back a bit. “So what’s this stuff about angels and flying?”