Was I strong enough? I glanced over at my mother’s pale face, at the taut set of my father’s jaw. They knew exactly what was at stake.
And Taryn. She stood beside me, rigid, her body so still that I could barely tell if she was breathing. No, Taryn shouldn’t be at risk, since she was one hundred percent human, but her family had spent decades fraternizing with us aliens. I sort of doubted that an angry mob would care much about her human blood, since she was already gifted with the sorts of powers that most people couldn’t understand and probably didn’t want to.
Then I looked over at Raphael. I wanted to memorize every detail of his face, the heavy lashes, the long straight nose, the mouth that had kissed me with so much passion. Lir Shalan had been right about one thing — Raphael had spent a lifetime working for the greater good. He needed to continue that work.
As for me, well, he’d seen something in me, loved me. But what had I ever accomplished, except to amass one of Sedona’s larger shoe collections? My family would grieve, but maybe having me in his clutches would be enough to satisfy Lir Shalan, or at least make him back off a little on his threats of blackmail.
A girl could hope, anyway. All I knew then was that my entire body seemed to ache with the intensity of my love for Raphael, for what he’d suffered for hundreds of years, until he finally was able to understand that there was nothing wrong with him, that he’d only needed to be patient. My sacrifice would wound him, but at least he would be alive. I had to hope he would understand why I acted as I did.
I stepped forward. “Lir Shalan!”
His gloating blood-red gaze had been fixed on my father, but it immediately shifted toward me. “Yes, honored Callista?”
I knew he’d used the Assembly’s form of address simply to mock me, but I brushed the sarcasm aside. “Back on Penalta, you asked for me. I am offering myself now in exchange for Raphael. Let him go, and you can have the thing you truly wanted.”
His eyes flared wide, even as my mother burst out, “Callista, no!” and my father began to utter his own denial.
And Raphael’s voice in my head, saying, You cannot do this!
I can, if it means saving you.
No —
Painful as it was, I shut down our mental communication. I’d already made the offer. Now it was up to Lir Shalan to accept the exchange.
For a long moment, he was silent, watching me. No, if truth be told, it wasn’t so much watching as leering. My entire body went cold, and I was glad I’d never gotten around to eating the energy bar I’d stowed in one of my jacket’s pockets, because otherwise I was sure I would have been sick as I realized what probably lay ahead for me. But I didn’t say anything, only stood there with my heart pounding and the dim room seeming to spin around me. I’d made my move. The next one was on him.
Before he could speak, though, the green-skinned hybrid went up to him and murmured something in his ear. A long pause, and Lir Shalan shot something back in the sibilant Reptilian tongue. I had absolutely no idea what was going on — and, judging by the mystified expressions my parents and Raphael wore, neither did they.
Then the Reptilian tilted his head to one side, and his gaze moved from me to Taryn. She didn’t move, although a small shudder rippled through her before she went still again.
“Not you,” he told me. “The other one.”
Before I could react, Taryn had taken a step forward, then another one. My father moved in her direction, as if attempting to stop her, but somehow she sidestepped him and continued toward the Reptilian delegation.
I found my voice. “Taryn, you can’t!”
She turned toward me. The glassy look was gone from her eyes. They met mine, calm, unafraid. In that moment, I understood why she’d seemed so far away lately. Somehow, she must have known what was coming, had realized it was her sacrifice that would save Raphael, not mine.
My heart ached. I wanted to stop her…and yet, I didn’t. Something in her expression told me that any of my protests would be ignored, that she had decided on this fate for herself, so Raphael and I might be happy.
She even smiled faintly at me as she said, “I think it’s my turn to have an adventure.”
Then she went to the green-skinned young man and laid her hand in his. I watched as he wrapped his fingers around hers, while Lir Shalan gave a nod of satisfaction.
A flash of pale yellow light surrounded the Reptilians, and then they were gone.
* * *
The Sedona Files will conclude with Taryn’s story in Enemy Mine, due out in late spring 2016.
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IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK…
Thank you again for reading!
ALSO BY CHRISTINE POPE
THE WITCHES OF CLEOPATRA HILL
(Paranormal Romance)
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THE DJINN WARS
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Chosen
Taken
Fallen
Broken
* * *
THE SEDONA FILES
(Paranormal/Science Fiction Romance)
Bad Vibrations
Desert Hearts
Angel Fire
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Enemy Mine
The first three books of this series are also available in an omnibus edition at a special low price!
TALES OF THE LATTER KINGDOMS
(Fantasy Romance)
All Fall Down
Dragon Rose
Binding Spell
Ashes of Roses
One Thousand Nights
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* * *
THE GAIAN CONSORTIUM SERIES
(Science Fiction Romance)
Breath of Life
Blood Will Tell
The Gaia Gambit
The Mandala Maneuver
The Titan Trap
The Zhore Deception
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Her work includes paranormal romance, and fantasy and science fiction/space opera romance. She now makes her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but hasn’t had any George R.R. Martin sightings yet.
To be notified of new releases by Christine Pope, please sign up here.
Christine Pope on the Web:
@ChristineJPope
ChristinePopeAuthor
www.christinepope.com
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
If You Enjoyed This Book…
Also by Christine Pope
About the Author
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