Chapter 18

Elara woke with a start. She listened closely, trying to fathom what had brought her awake. The silence that filled her bedroom was deafening, a stark reminder of the isolation that had come over her since being cut off from her world and her goddess. She breathed in deeply, realizing her heart was racing. What had woken her?

The days blurred together in a seemingly endless cycle, each one filled with the same emptiness and longing that had come to define her existence under the geas. She hid her feelings, but Elara missed the connection she had once shared with her goddess and the world beyond, the sense of purpose and belonging that had given meaning to her life. Now she was searching for someone she could barely comprehend; power over magical technology that threatened this world as well as her own.

With a heavy heart, Elara slipped out of bed, her thoughts consumed by the lingering sense of loss and loneliness that seemed to haunt her every waking moment. She knew that she could not give up — the geas would not allow it, so she would continue to search, no matter how long it took. But as she stared into the darkness, she was unable to shake the feeling that she was already lost, adrift in a sea of despair and uncertainty.

Her sisters in the priesthood were beyond her reach. The regular counsel of her goddess was absent. Family had been stripped away from her years before. Her world was gone from her, the peace of the Enchanted Forest and the comfort of the Ethereal Plains with their rich fabric of life and magic were missing.

She stepped lightly into the hallway, her footsteps silent on the wooden floorboards. The night seemed to hold its breath as she made her way past Finn’s room.

Finn’s door was open, and she could see him asleep on the bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically in the dim light of the lamp next to him. Elara watched him for a moment, her thoughts swirling as she tried to make sense of the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.

Despite everything that had happened, Finn had become a calming presence in her life — a rock against the overwhelming hopelessness that seemed to consume her. She had come to rely on him in ways she never thought possible as she learned the strange ways of this world. She would not understand who the powerful were in this strange place without him. Without his introducing her to Amy, she would have remained bound to an evil man. Without his desperate desire to understand her needs from the geas, she would have been lost.

She owed him much, she thought.

Her silent steps took her closer to him.

Desperate to feel a reassuring touch, she carefully lay down beside him, draping an arm across his strong shoulders. The warmth of his body comforted her. She closed her eyes, feeling a sense of satisfaction, she had lost on the twisted path of her journey across realms. Finn would protect her, and she would help him. Together, they would face this challenge.

For the first time since arriving in his world, Elara did not feel alone.

Amy sipped her coffee, no notepad or computer nearby, just thinking of her story. She knew the overall shape of the crime at the heart of the story but could not yet put a face or personality to the central character; at least not one of the victims. As her editor said, without a sympathetic reason to care, she would never get the public on her side of the criminal acts Finn had uncovered.

The woman she had approached wanted no publicity. Even an appeal to her to help stop the trafficking did nothing. Offers to help with protection and getting her documents to live here legally had fallen on deaf ears.

She considered finding another victim she may be able to entice from the shadows but shook her head at the thought. It had taken weeks to ferret out one survivor. For all she knew, no one else had managed to escape the bondage they put their subjects in.

It did not say much about mankind’s moral character, she decided.

Should I give up?

If she was faced with an insurmountable obstacle, that would be a logical outcome, but she refused to give into those dark thoughts. People were being harmed by the actions of these traffickers, and the rest of the country was paying for the malfeasance of the politicians. How to make those other people care?

The money had originated with three large defense contractors. The politicians had used it for their evil purposes, but the funding was from corporations. Could she use that information to create interest? Shareholders might care, but only if it was costing them for no return. The companies had gotten significant contracts from their closet bribes.

Wouldn’t the shareholders care that their corporate officers were facilitating the trafficking of minors? She sipped some more of her bitter brew and nodded to herself. It would be difficult to paint the right picture to enrage shareholders, but it was better than giving up.

Finn stirred in his sleep, the gentle caress of the morning sun on his face bringing him slowly back to consciousness. He opened his eyes to find Elara lying against him, her head resting on his chest and her hand wrapped across his abdomen.

For a moment, Finn simply basked in the warmth of her presence, feeling a deep sense of contentment. As he ran his fingers through Elara’s soft, silken hair, Finn couldn’t help but marvel at the feeling of rightness welling up in him. He loved this strange woman from a different world.

Elara stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at Finn with a soft smile. “Good morning,” she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Finn returned the smile, his heart swelling with affection and gratitude. “Morning,” he replied, nuzzling her head against his chest. “I’m surprised to be holding you in my arms,” he said.

Elara snuggled closer to him, her eyes closing once more as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Something woke me. I needed a hug, but didn’t want to wake you.”

Finn wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as the warmth of their bodies melded together. He couldn’t help but feel grateful for this moment — this quiet moment where they could simply be together, away from the world and its challenges.

Unfortunately, the interlude must end.

“What shift do you have today?” He asked softly.

“Noon to eight,” she replied softly, making no move to get up.

“I want to trigger the hop while you’re at work,” he said, focusing on the next step in their plan to get a bead on the leaders running the investigation against them. “I need you to alert me if their behavior changes.”