Devotion

'Trust me–that was harder for me to write than for you to see. But that's all they know me as.'

I nodded silently then flashed to the plane, trying not to think about it. But I couldn't help it, especially since Owen and I had just been discussing Seth. I held an entire, silent conversation with myself, trying to convince myself that it meant nothing more than he knew the owners a long time ago. But the paranoia gnawed at me for most of the flight. He wouldn't … would he?

He looked back at me from the front seat right then, as if he'd heard me ask myself that question, but our minds weren't connected. I mentally slapped myself when I looked into his eyes. He loved me. The look in his hazel eyes, all over his face, made it perfectly clear. I smiled warmly at him, and he grinned and winked. I forgot my doubts.

When we landed at the tiny airport, I realized we weren't even in the same country Tristan had left in his note, and he immediately arranged for the plane to be flown to the location where he'd said it would be. A mental slap wasn't enough. I deserved to be physically punched. What is wrong with me? I can't doubt him! We have to stick together. I couldn't let other people's ignorance and prejudices get to me. That would only make things worse for us.

Two days later, we arrived on U.S. soil without incident, and if it weren't the L.A. airport, I might have dropped to my knees and kissed that soil. Until we'd left the Keys for Greece, I'd never been out of the United States. My publicist had wanted me to do an international signing tour when my books became popular overseas, but I refused–the U.S. tours were difficult enough. Though California was one of the few states I'd never lived, I felt as though I was home. Just hearing (mostly) English with American accents gave me a sense of normalcy. And to make it better, no one looked at me with an ounce of recognition.

'Are we almost home?' Dorian asked while we studied the departure boards, trying to decide where to go next–where to start our search.

Hmm … home? I wasn't quite sure where 'home' was yet.

'We can't go to your old home,' Tristan said. 'We talked about that, remember?'

'I know we can't live there anymore, but can we go visit? I want to show Joey and everyone else at school that you're real and not a shithead.'

I fought the urge to laugh. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

'Watch your mouth, little man,' I warned, hiding my smile.

'But that's what Joey called Dad, and it's not true!' He lifted his chin and stuck his lower lip out in a defiant pout. 'Maybe Dad can beat up their dads. They're the real shitheads.'

I couldn't help it. This time I full-out laughed, and Tristan and Owen joined me. We all had a hard spot in our hearts for the publicity and rumors about Dorian's father abandoning me when I was pregnant.

'We're going to do the right thing and leave them alone,' I finally said. 'If there's something you miss from home, though, we can get another one.'

'Naw. I got Dad now.' He took Tristan's hand and grinned. 'And I'll be getting my dog soon.'

He apparently hadn't forgotten about that birthday present.

We still didn't have a real plan, but traveling was obviously a necessity. Whether we'd establish a home base first or tow Dorian around with us on our search, we hadn't yet decided. Now that we were at least in the States and hadn't been detected by Daemoni so far, Tristan should be able to concentrate on a plan. But first, we had to get out of L.A., which held a certain attraction for Daemoni, and it was only a matter of time before someone sighted us. We decided to fly to Salt Lake City first–it was safe, convenient and one of the first flights available after we passed through customs.

Salt Lake was convenient because Tristan happened to have the key to the safety deposit box he had there, one key of only a few he picked up before we left Miami. Along with a nice stash of cash, the box held a false ID for him, so we could check into a hotel under a different name. It was also convenient because 'one of his guys,' who created false identification, lived nearby. Leave it to Tristan to know the one guy who was probably the only shady character in the whole state of Utah.

While Tristan focused on our plan, Owen and I taught Dorian the rules of the game–if anyone asked, he was to give them his pretend name and say he was Tristan's brother and I was his brother's girlfriend. Owen was their cousin. We helped him memorize everyone's fake names, and he practiced calling me 'Angela' instead of 'Mom.' I felt bad for him–just as he would grow used to this game, we'd have to create a new one, with different names and relationships. At least he was intelligent.

'How's it coming?' I asked Tristan a while later, sitting behind him on the bed and rubbing his shoulders. Owen had left to retrieve dinner, and Dorian sat in front of the television, engrossed in a cartoon.

'I've considered the options, and the best one for Dorian's safety and protection is to give him a home. Our search might be dangerous–too risky to have him with us. We should also be near a colony, for extra protection.'

'A colony? Is that what you call a village in the New World?'

He chuckled. 'No, silly. A village is only Amadis, living together, usually under a shield. A colony is where many Amadis have settled in close proximity to each other, but among Normans.'

'A Chinatown for Amadis?'

'Exactly, but not so obvious. Normans don't see anything unusual.'

'Do Daemoni?'

'Some. But colonies aren't isolated or cloaked like villages, so the Daemoni would be stupid to attack in front of so many Norman witnesses, if they even found us. And there are a lot more colonies in the U.S. than there are villages. So … where would you like to live, my love?'

I stopped kneading his shoulders in mid-motion. I hadn't expected to be able to choose where we lived. I was happy to be in the U.S. 'Anywhere?'

'Pick a place and I'll tell you if it's an option.'

'Hmm …' I moved my hands down his back as I considered. I thought about the many places Mom and I had lived over the years and the many more where we hadn't, but at this point, I sought comfort and familiarity. My first choice probably wasn't possible, so I hesitated before finally blurting it out. 'Florida?'

'We can do Florida. If the girl's been hidden under your noses, I think she's in the Southeast, so Florida works.' He paused. 'But not the Keys. Not the beach house.'

'Okay.'

'And not Miami. In fact, probably not the east coast at all.'

I smiled. 'Even better. Because I really liked Cape Heron, but I know we can't go there.'

'No, but …' He grinned.

'But?' I asked, excited by his smile and the promise in his tone.

'There's a colony near Fort Myers.'

I bounced into his lap. 'Really? We can really go that close?'

'It's not all that close to Cape Heron.' He kissed me on the forehead, his eyes sparkling brightly. 'And you will love it.'

'Close to the beach?'

'On the beach.'

I threw my arms around his neck. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

'My pleasure.' His mouth found mine, and I wouldn't let him go, at least, not until Owen returned with the perfect welcome-home meal: cheeseburgers and fries.

Our conversation with Mom later that night killed my buzz. After a series of ring signals, we called her from a pre-paid cell phone Owen picked up at the drugstore, set on speaker so we could all three participate in the conversation. She delivered good news first: we lost the Daemoni after leaving Kuckaroo, and they had no idea where we were. But the Daemoni staked out the Amadis villages worldwide–they couldn't see them, but they knew their general locations and stood guard in case we tried to seek their protection.

They'd given up watch on my Atlanta house, so Mom and Charlotte were planning a trip to retrieve a few things and convert it to a permanent safe house. Then Mom said they had Amadis business to watch over in the States, so they'd be here for a while. She was concerned about leaving Rina, though, and that was the bad news: the situation among the council had only worsened.

'I never fully understood Rina anyway, but she's acting very strange,' Mom said. 'When she's alone with Solomon and me, she's normal. Concerned about all of you, wanting to send protectors out for you, missing you.