“The power is in you to reject the guide. You are old enough to consciously make that decision. That is why she’s afraid to join completely. If you get scared, you can choose to live without her.”
“What happens to her? I mean, if say I don’t want to share my body?”
“She will die.”
Oh, that was nice. She would be a murderer. “Has anyone ever done that?”
“A few.”
A cold chill swept over her. Damn, she’d forgotten she was naked. As if he sensed her discomfiture, he walked to the window, keeping his back toward her. She started to retrieve the clothes she had on earlier, but changed her mind at the last minute, and grabbed sweats and clean underclothes out of her bag, and quickly dressed.
“You can turn around.”
Rogar looked disappointed when he faced her. Too bad. She was not going to make this a love nest when she was on a mission.
“I liked the other clothes.”
“I’m sure you did, but this is me. I like comfort.” And these clothes made her feel less sexy, less horny. No wonder DeeDee had sex on the brain.
“You look cute in those, too,” he said after taking a full minute to study her.
“Yeah, right.”
He nodded. “Because I know what lies beneath the clothes.”
Only Rogar could make her feel sexy wearing baggy sweats. “Okay, how do I make my animal guide trust me?”
“Talk to her.”
“Talk to her?” Yeah, right. Did he really expect her to go around talking to her invisible friend? That’s pretty much what she would be doing.
“We could always try the ritual.”
He sounded too eager. “Okay, I’ll talk to myself, but not in front of you.” She didn’t want to look any more like a fool than she had to.
“I’ll leave then.”
“That would be great.” Then she thought about him wandering around the camp. Not a good idea. “On second thought, I’ll leave. You stay inside.”
“It might help if you were nearer the goddess who created the animals. I saw woods behind the house. That would be a good place to connect with your guide.”
“Do you have a lot of deities on New Symtaria?”
“We have many. We pay homage to them at different festivals. Everyone in the nearby dwellings share food, and there are games. The people enjoy it very much.”
“It sounds like fun.”
“You could find out for yourself. Come back with me. We are good together.”
She shook her head. “This is my home. I worked hard to get through college. It took me longer than some because I didn’t have a lot of money, but I made it. I can’t throw that all away.”
“I understand wanting something very badly.”
She had a feeling he was talking about her, but he only needed her so he could complete his mission. Yeah, the sex was great, but it wasn’t as though he would want her all the time once he returned home.
“I won’t be gone long,” she said. She walked through the house, and out the back door.
As she left, she wondered what it would be like to have someone want her all the time. She used to imagine having loving parents, and maybe a couple of sisters or brothers. They could’ve played together, and even had a few fights, but there would’ve been a bond that held true.
But then, not all families were fairy tales. She’d come to the conclusion that most were dysfunctional. DeeDee had once told her that her aunt and mother had stopped talking years ago. So maybe families weren’t that great.
She stepped out of the clearing and past the trees. She and DeeDee had actually explored these woods. The golf course was on the other side.
Callie walked about halfway between the golf course and the house, saw a tree that had fallen, and made herself comfortable on it. Meditating didn’t really work for her so she decided to just talk, as Rogar had suggested. But what should she say?
It had been a long time since she’d actually heard the voice. Her imaginary friend, as the doctor had called her guide. If he’d only known. But the voice had seemed like a friend. Her only real one, besides Alma. Alma had been adopted so that hadn’t lasted long.
Callie thought back, trying to remember what it had felt like. Rogar was right when he said she would know when her animal guide connected. The voice inside her had been different.
“I remember you,” she finally said, closing her eyes so she could concentrate better. “You came to me when I was all alone, and had no one else. We were friends.”
Nothing. But then, Rogar had said the guide was afraid to come out.
“You talked to me mostly at night.” She would lie on her bed, one in a row of eight, and there were eight more across from her. Anyone would think with that many girls she wouldn’t have been lonely, but it was hard to make friends, especially when they would get adopted, and she knew she’d never see them again.
But she’d had her guide.
“Please don’t be afraid. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
“Hello, Callie.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “I’ve missed you.” And she knew she had. It was as though an old friend had returned.
“It has been a long time.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, because I really haven’t thought about you at all. I mean, you certainly aren’t the type to run with my crowd.”
Huh? Her eyes flew open. Oh, damn, Constance Gentry. “I was…meditating. Getting in touch with my inner self.”
Constance let her gaze drift over Callie. “I didn’t know people still wore those…things.”
“They’re called sweats.”
“Whatever.” She flipped her hair behind her with one hand.
Constance still looked the same as she had the last time Callie had the misfortune to run into her. Tall, tanned, and blond. Callie wanted to vomit.
“What are you doing in the woods, anyway?” Callie asked.
She bent and picked up a golf ball. “I shanked it.”
“I bet that’s not all you’ve shanked in your lifetime,” she muttered.
“I’d heard you were mooching off DeeDee again and staying in her parents’ cabin.” She laughed. “Mrs. Crane must’ve been hitting the bottle again. She said you were engaged to a prince.” Her laughter was high-pitched enough that it could’ve broken a champagne glass. “You’ve got to remember those frogs you’ve probably been kissing are not going to turn into princes.”
They both turned their heads when there was a rustling of underbrush. Rogar stepped out, and Constance sucked air. And for once in her life, Callie felt as though she had the upper hand.
“There you are, darling,” Rogar said. “I know you said you wanted to take a walk by yourself, but I got lonely. Oh, I see I’ve interrupted.”
“Not at all, sweetheart.” She pasted a smile on her face that was so sweet it probably dripped sugar. “Constance, I’d like to introduce you to Prince Rogar Valkyir.”
They might not be engaged, but he was a prince. So what if she was flaunting his royal status—she’d feel guilty tomorrow.
Or not.
Chapter 22
Another blueblood. Rogar briefly studied the young woman. She wore a white band of sorts across her forehead. The other blueblood, Ms. Crane, had worn a white band also.
Maybe it’s a sacred symbol, Balam’s thoughts blended with Rogar’s.
It looks stupid.
Not nearly as fine as your medallion, Balam agreed.
Rogar found her lacking in other areas as well. Other than her white top and white shorts, she also wore her haughty demeanor out in the open. He didn’t think he liked her anymore than he had the other two.
And he’d heard everything she’d said, and how she’d acted toward Callie, and Rogar didn’t like it. It made him wonder why Callie would want to stay on this planet. She longed for a job she’d apparently trained many years to get, but still didn’t have. The Earthlings he’d met wore masks. They smiled and said one thing, while meaning something entirely different.