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Land
is only a few hundred yards off, but I have to assume the Ray-pacs can see me
and are following my movements from shore. They are probably waiting for me to
tire out and swim back to solid ground. At least I’ve been careful, swimming
mostly underwater, but now exhaustion and the bitter cold are slowing me down.

Leaving
my hiding spot, I paddle forward and after a bit I’m more than relieved to see
Squalicum Harbor not too far away. Unfortunately, I don’t remember where
Jason’s yacht is moored, and I don’t have time to search through hundreds of
boats either. My arms and legs feel useless – stiff and pointed like icicles.
My body is shutting down, and I fear my brain isn’t far behind. Distant voices
break my reverie, and I glance around in a panic. A couple figures are wading
in the shallow waters just off the shoreline; the one stocky figure is
undoubtedly my original captor. Fear propels me into a rapid free-style, and I
realize too late that my wild strokes are making my location obvious. In fact,
I might as well have lit a flare and waved it at them.

Flustered,
I stop moving and look back at the beach where four figures have now gathered.
A tremor of fear flutters through my chest when three of them dive into the
water. The Ray-pacs might lose their special abilities in water, but they
obviously don’t lose their ability to swim. Then it hit me; the guys in the
water are probably hired thugs or something. If that burly guy had been a
Ray-pac, he wouldn’t have been able to touch me at all; he would have been
burned.

Regardless,
I’m screwed, because now they have plenty of man power. Hope sinks to the pit
of my stomach, and I consider allowing my frozen body to sink to the bottom of
the ocean; drowning might be the only option. Desperate to escape, but
bordering on insanity and hypothermia, I make another go for it and swim for my
life. But the oppressive cold has muddled my brain, and I end up spinning
around in circles. Feeling directionally challenged, I finally spot the boat
harbor again but can’t seem to force myself onward. My breath comes in ragged
gasps, and my waterlogged clothes suddenly feel anchor-weight heavy. A shrill
ringing in my ears makes it difficult to form a coherent thought, and I struggle
to stay afloat.

At
first I think I’m imagining the hum of a boat motor. But soon the engine is
rumbling louder…until it’s almost upon me. I stop struggling and float. Frigid,
yet strangely still, I know I’ve lost. The Ray-pacs are coming at me from all
directions, and I can’t out swim their boat. My mind runs wild with images of
all the torture I will endure during their attempts to steal my Essence.

Even
though I’m out of options, the will to survive sparks a flame inside of me – a
flame of need – the need to see Jason again and the need to destroy the
Ray-pacs so they cannot hurt my friends. That spark is what it takes to finally
ignite my Essence. I focus mentally and internally, grabbing hold of its power
as it funnels through my body, sending shockwaves of warmth into my hands and
feet.

Suddenly,
the boat roars alongside me. I grit my teeth and look up; I may not be prepared
to fight off the Ray-pacs, but maybe I’ll be able to inflict some damage before
they get the best of me. Except when I look up, it’s not a Ray-pac staring back
at me; it’s Jason. His aqua-marine are practically glowing…but not with warmth.

“Damn
Alex, what were you thinking? You could have drowned out here.”

“Happy
to see you too,” I mumble between chattering teeth.

Once
on board, Jessica and Laci smother me in towels and Jason powers the boat to
full throttle, whipping us far into the bay and away from shore. We might be
safe, but as we speed away, I worry about Max and Madison. I also know Kieran
will want revenge against Jason and my friends I escape.

Luckily,
Laci soon receives a telepathic message from Max that they are okay. He and
Madison have received some much needed help and have driven off the Ray-pacs
from the last ditch effort to find me. Apparently, Jessica’s cousin Shelby, and
Shelby’s boyfriend Trevon, were first to arrive. Not long after, Max and
Madison’s parents along with Jason’s parents joined the action. At that point
the Ray-pacs were outmatched by Guardians and had no alternative but to flee,
especially since they’d already lost some of their cohorts earlier in the day.
Most of the assailants this time had been ordinary men, just like I’d
suspected, all of whom held no chance against the Guardians, and also whom the
Ray-pacs obviously considered expendable. I was just thankful it was all over
for now and none of my friends had lost their lives.

While
our friends and their parents remained ashore to clean up the mess (and bodies,
no doubt), we were to remain anchored in the bay overnight. In the early
morning, Jason would drop Jessica and Laci off at the harbor so they could
return home, and then he and I would set sail for Towhead Island. We’d stay all
week, but on Friday evening Laci, Shelby, Trevon and the three Nelson siblings
would join us. Then Saturday, the Nelson’s and Walker’s would arrive, and we’d
make retaliation plans against the Ray-pacs.

“Lexi?”
Jessica said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Lexi.” I
glanced up at her. “We need to get you out of those sopping wet clothes, and
you need a hot shower followed by some sleep. You look exhausted,” she said.

“I
am,” I said, teeth still chattering. “Sorry about this soggy mess.” I pointed
at the puddled floor.

She
put her arm around my shoulder. “No worries. There’s a shower in the guest head
just down the stairs on the right. The first stateroom on the left will be
yours.”

Gasping,
I clapped one hand over my mouth. “Oh crap! I don’t have any clothes,” I said
with despair, “they’re still in the Jeep.”

Jessica
touched my shoulder. “That’s okay. I keep extra clothes on the boat, so you can
borrow some of mine. There’s also new toothbrushes in the cabinet.” I sighed
and smiled gratefully as she continued on, “I also texted Ally and let her know
you’d be staying the night with me and you’d call her in the morning.”

“Thanks.
You’ve thought of everything,” I said with a weak smile.

“We’re
just glad you’re safe,” Laci chimed in. “Max is seriously pissed with himself
for not protecting you better.”

“Please
tell him not to be,” I said. “None of us could have predicted they would try
again in the same day.”

“We
should have considered the possibility,” Laci said gravely.

“I’m
fine, and this is no one’s fault. Make sure Max knows that I said that.” I gave
Jessica a quick hug and then reached out for Laci but instantly thought better
of it and pulled away.

Relief
washed over Laci’s face. “Thanks. And remember, you can hug us and share your
Essence anytime, because it’s always an energy burst for us. It’s only when we
reach out and touch you that it burns. You’ll find yourself in high demand, but
you’ll have to remember not to take it personal when we don’t return the
affection. Just know we’d give you a hug if we could.”

“Got
it,” I said shaking my head. As if Ray-pacs, telekinesis, and Dentelles weren’t
enough to deal with.

“There
is one exception though,” Jessica interjected. I raised my eyebrows. “You never
want to grasp or hold hands with a Guardian. Not even when you’re the one
reaching out to them, and not even when they’re unlinked.”

“Why?”

“For
some reason hand to hand contact burns immensely.”

Laci
nodded emphatically, and I tried to stifle a yawn but she caught me. “Forget
all this stuff for now,” Laci ordered, “And go get your hot shower. If you need
anything in the middle of the night, Jessica and I are in the stateroom just
past your room – also on the left. Jason is in the master stateroom at the bow
of the ship; although, I doubt he’ll be doing much sleeping.”

“Thanks
you guys.” With a final smile I headed to my room. After grabbing a nightgown
and a few other things, I proceeded to the head and took a quick shower. After
towel drying my hair, and brushing my teeth, I snuck back into my room and
closed the door.

The
room was small but luxurious. A velvet red comforter and silver throw pillows
adorned the bed, and an array of seashells decorated the cherry nightstand.
Once I drew the gold curtains over the oval portholes, I crawled into bed and
sighed as I slipped between the smooth, silky sheets. Marveling at the
expensive décor, I yawned and reached up to turn off the lights. Very quickly,
the engine’s soft hum and the boat’s gentle swaying put me to sleep.

In the
morning, I rummaged through the cherry cabinets above the bed and found some of
Jessica’s clothes – a bit tight in the hips, but not too bad. I washed my face,
brushed and flossed, and tried to run a comb through my unruly hair. Luckily, I
found eyeliner, mascara, and a tube of cherry Chap Stick; at least I wouldn’t
look completely zombie-like. Ready for some company, I peered up and down the
hallway but didn’t see anyone or hear any voices in the salon. The droning of
the engines was constant, and even though the side to side swaying was minimal,
I had the distinct feeling the yacht was moving swiftly through the water.

Curiosity
got the better of me, so I headed toward the bow of the boat. Just past my room
I found another small but empty stateroom. Royal satin amethyst comforters and
silver throw pillows were perfectly placed on the two bunks as if they had
never been disturbed during the night. Bewildered, I wandered further down the
narrow hallway and found myself in a large, masculine stateroom – Jason’s room.

The
royal blue comforter on the queen-sized bed was pulled up to the headboard but
not quite as meticulously placed as the two on the bunk beds had been. An
absence of decorative pillows had me smiling. Natural light seeped in through
the four oval portholes on the back wall and through the two frosted escape
hatches on the ceiling directly above the bed. Utilizing every inch of space,
cherry wood shelves lined the walls and surrounded the bed, curving naturally
with the bow of the boat, and six large storage drawers were visible underneath
the mattresses.

Taking
my time, I gazed at the items Jason had chosen to display on his shelves. There
were lots of books: classics, modern fiction, and fantasy. Scattered between
books and across the shelves, was an eclectic collection of nautical knick
knacks, like an antique sun dial, an old oil mast lantern, a small brass
porthole, and a couple shiny maritime tools. Sea-green glass floats, unique
shells, and ornate pieces of driftwood were tucked amongst the mementos on the
shelves.

A
perfectly round, solid sphere, a little bigger than a baseball, rested on a
wooden, cylinder base. The vibrant swirls of blues and white caught my eye. I
walked up and gently took it off the stand. The sphere was surprisingly heavy
and very smooth – a huge chunk of rock that had been molded into a sphere and
given a professional polish. It was beautiful. I noticed a couple more on the
other side of the room: one different shades of pink and the other an array of
rolling greens. Strolling over to investigate, I stopped short when I noticed a
familiar item on a lower shelf.

Frowning,
I reached down and picked up my black Nike hat. I’d completely forgotten about
it. In fact, the last time I’d worn it was…that first day he’d bumped into me
on the sidewalk. I’d taken it off when I’d given him CPR. How had he ended up
with it though? Better yet, why did he still have it?

Bending
down to place it on the ledge, I gasped. The hat had been sitting directly on
top of a copy of
Pride and Prejudice.
My heart danced, I didn’t bother
curbing the broad smile crossing my face. He wasn’t as immune as he pretended.
After carefully replacing my hat and examining the pink and green spheres, I
found something else unexpected.

Lying
next to the spheres was the rock I’d found at the bottom of our waterfall; the
one he’d swiped from me and put in his pocket. I picked it up. Dark gray with
sparkles on one side – covered with white crystals on the other. Not as
stunning as the spheres but magical in its own right. I was surprised that
amidst all the chaos of the previous day, he’d remembered to take it out of his
pocket, let alone place it alongside his other possessions.

Closing
my eyes, I inhaled slowly through my nose. The room smelled like him. A sweet,
yet masculine outdoorsy scent. Upon opening my eyes, I decided I’d snooped long
enough and needed to vacate his room before I got caught. After one last
reluctant glance, I hurried down the hallway and eventually found my way to the
very top deck of the boat where Jason was standing all alone at the outdoor
helm. The morning sun hovering over the mountains to the east highlighted his
blonde head. From the back he looked good in faded blue jeans and a slim
fitting black shirt with vertical, gray lines.

I
glanced behind us and saw hundreds of docked boats in a variety of shapes and
sizes at the crowded the marina, but we appeared to be heading away from
Squalicum Harbor and out towards the islands. “Hi there,” I called out,
slightly flustered.

“Hello
sleepy head,” he called over his shoulder. Turning, he gazed at me with
wide-eyes and a look of surprise. Despite the scratches on his face and his red
neck, he looked damn sexy.

“What?”
I demanded.

He
motioned with his hand and said, “Curls?”

Crinkling
my nose in disdain, I instantly reached for my hair. “Oh yeah. Well, this is
what I’m stuck with when I don’t straighten it.”

“I
wasn’t criticizing.” He grinned broadly. “I think they’re nice and feminine;
they frame your face well.” I gave him a funny look, and he shrugged. “So, how
ya feelin’ after your midnight dip in the icy waters? That was crazy; I still
can’t believe you did that.”