“This is what they call a bed,” he says sarcastically.
“Yes, I see that. But I didn’t know that they could have these on an airplane.”
“They can and do . . .” He runs his hand down my arm, sending shivers through my body. “We have a long flight.”
“I could sleep anywhere right now.”
“Good, then do.”
Without more prodding I crawl into the bed and sigh when I feel the softness beneath me. The moment my head hits the feather pillow, I find it hard to keep my eyes open. “Would you sit down for a moment?”
He seems hesitant, yet I don’t want him to leave; the longer he stands there, the more chance that he will say good-bye—even if only for a few hours. After a moment, Arek sits down on the bed next to me.
“I want to trust you,” I say.
“Good.” His serious eyes are tired.
“Why didn’t Elizabeth come with us?”
“Briston doesn’t want her involved. Besides, she’s not trained for this.”
“You all seem trained for everything.” When he doesn’t say anything, I continue, “Who is Briston? I can tell he is someone of importance, but you haven’t said what.”
“And I won’t. Not until it’s time.”
“Why is he here?” I ask.
This time Arek hesitates for so long I’m not sure that he is going to answer my question. He runs his hand along his jaw and looks away before turning to me.
“He’s here for the same reason I am . . . to make sure we do this right.”
Arek begins to reach toward my stomach and I feel the pounding of my heart in my throat. His hand touches my shirt gently.
“I think you might need to change.”
Suddenly I am concerned. “The flight attendants saw me looking like this with blood everywhere.”
“They’ve seen worse, believe me.” He stands up. “Just a minute.” He leaves the room only to return a couple of moments later with a white T-shirt in his hand. “It’s mine and clean.”
I climb to my knees. When I reach out and take it, his lingering touch is enough to remind me that Arek is my drug. For a moment his finger curls around mine, and it’s almost as though he might come closer. My heart falls when he seems to remember the rules he has created, and reluctantly withdraws.
Today, I don’t feel like letting him off so easy. An unexplainable confidence moves me just a bit closer, perhaps just to see what he might do, and I am pleasantly surprised when—although he looks elsewhere—he doesn’t retreat. The 747 rolls and climbs, yet he stands as though nothing can move him or his thumbs tucked in his pockets. During the silence, I take note of the small room, the clock ticking even though I have been convinced that time doesn’t exist in this new world. And in a way . . . it doesn’t. Not for them. And I guess not for me.
My skin presses against his arm just at the heartbeat of my chest. Finally, he looks at me and I can feel his breath on my cheek. His searching eyes ignite my heart like nothing ever before. It paralyzes me when he reaches down and kisses just to the left of my lips.
“Sleep,” he lightly commands. It is still several seconds more before he dims the lights and walks away. With sudden silence, it is painful to be awake.
At first my sleep is as deep as hibernation, but then I begin to dream.
I wake up at dawn staring through the glass ceiling above. Just beside me is a radiating warmth. Arek is there and rolls away, so I wrap my arm around his back. The smell of his skin fills my nose as I press my cheek to his bare shoulders.
Arek entwines his fingers through mine as I drift into sleep, but suddenly there is a large crash. The two of us are on our feet in seconds, my reflexes better than I’ve ever known.
Nearly twenty men rush into the room with their guns drawn, followed by Leigh.
“What’s going on?” Arek asks.
“Remy has to come with us,” Leigh answers.
“Why?” Arek growls.
Leigh rolls his eyes at his son’s question. “She has a date with the Powers.” Leigh nods to send his men into action. “Take her.”
“No!” Arek yells. In seconds he has stolen one of the officer’s guns and it takes three men to recover it, but only after several are hurt.
“Arek stop,” I yell.
But Arek doesn’t stop and Leigh’s soldiers come after him. There are never this many Protectors in one room, but today Leigh made sure he was prepared. The rough metal of handcuffs scrapes my skin, then sinks squarely around my bones as I struggle to keep my footing. They pull me from the room.
A small whirring sound when I wake reminds me that we are in the air on the Landolin plane. I lift the shade just slightly as my heart calms from my dream, but there is nothing but a dark sky beyond.
This time, the dream doesn’t seem so foreign. In fact, was it a memory? The white shirt I wear smells like Arek, so I press it to my nose.
Looking around the small room, it is obvious that something within me has changed. The plane seems more familiar. Quietly, my feet pad the carpeted hallway when I leave the room. The plane sways just a bit, yet my hand on the compartment keeps me stable.
In each room someone is sleeping.
But it is the door at the end of the hall, slightly different than the others, that feeds my curiosity. From where I stand, my memory sees a vintage airplane, yet still very similar. The key code in my mind looks grossly dated, and the one here is new and high-tech with fingerprint pads. “Whoa.” I study it, then find a way to press four fingertips on the pad. The pocket door swiftly opens. How or why would my fingerprints work?
