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The flying man ignored her suggestion. The truth is, Shayna, that I’ve come to talk to you, so it’s great that you’ve got so much latent power for a human. That you can communicate easily mind-to-mind is a big plus.
There it was again, for a human. What the hell did her hallucination mean by that? She wasn’t into science fiction. When she needed to chill, she watched documentaries.
She shook her head and forced her gaze to the sidewalk. “Keep one foot in front of the other, Shayna,” she whispered. “You’ll be okay. This too shall pass. You’re just stressed out. Losing your passport clearly was too much for you. At least you booked your flight. Jus
t hang in there and you’ll be fine.”
The man’s deep, resonant voice once more penetrated her mind. You’re not hallucinating. I’m real and I need your help.
She must be going crazy because now the hallucination was asking for her help.
The first raindrops struck her shoulders and she started to run. Her apartment wasn’t far, just a couple more blocks.
Maybe if she focused on the reality around her, on her life, on the fieldwork she’d planned for her yearlong stay in Malaysia, her mind would clear.
She had a meeting with her adviser in the morning, something she was not looking forward to. She often argued with Greg Michelson, and it didn’t help that she’d broken her sacred rule and had not only slept with him but actually engaged in a very intense six-month affair with the bastard. Turned out, the man with such lofty ideals was a complete narcissist, especially in bed. He’d given her self-esteem a serious blow with all his attempts to remake her in his image as well as how often he called her selfish when she insisted that her needs be treated with as much respect as his demands.
I need you to come with me.
Even her hallucination appeared to be just another man wanting something from her, needing her to set aside her own goals in favor of his.
“Like hell I’m going to do that,” she shouted. She took off on a sprint.
She tried to draw her keys from her purse, but her hands shook. If she could just get inside, she’d be okay. Bed, Advil, a shot of Ketel One if necessary.
I’m not going to hurt you. Dammit, would you please just stop and listen to me. I need your help.
She wished he didn’t seem so real, and another part of her wished the drug would kick in and she’d pass out because right now she was scared out of her mind.
She turned the corner and groaned. The street was poorly lit and there wasn’t a single person around. Even though she was only a few yards away from the front door of the complex, the man swept ahead of her, flying, his long black leather coat flapping as he moved.
He reached the door to the apartment building first, dipping beneath the overhang. He floated to land on the sidewalk, but this time he spoke aloud. “Are you Shayna Prentiss? I really need to know. It’s important.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and gave her head a shake, willing him away. “This is all in my head. It will pass.” She repeated the words several times.
But when she opened her eyes, he was still there, and closer now. The rain had started to come down, lightning flashed, thunder boomed closer still.
“Please confirm your identity.” He scanned her hair, her eyes, her face as though looking for something specific. “White-blond hair, unusual light-blue eyes, tall, pretty. Has to be you.”
“Fine, I’m Shayna Prentiss, but who are you?”
“Marius Briggs.” The hallucination had a specific name? “You’re not seeing things, Shayna. I’m real.”
She trembled now. “I don’t understand any of this. What do you want with me and how were you doing all those tricks in the air?” When she started to back away, he moved in and took hold of her arms, his grip like steel.
“I need you to know that I don’t usually do this kind of thing, but I’m desperate. My world is in trouble and we need you.”
“Your world needs me? Are you an alien?”
“Not exactly. We live here, right alongside you. We just have the ability to disguise ourselves, to keep hidden from your kind.”
“My kind.” Oh, God.
Every horror movie she’d ever seen flipped through her head, except that this man didn’t look like a monster.
But that’s when things went haywire all over again because suddenly she saw just him, the faint cleft in his chin, the sharp angle of his cheekbones, and his unusual hazel eyes, flecked with gold. He was incredibly handsome.
But there was something more, almost as though she could sense what he was feeling, the level of his determination and, as his gaze skated over her features, his sudden male interest in her.
