It took some time, but finally, she felt something, and the first touch of it made her smile. And somehow that made it rush into her so that she chuckled, and then cry at the truth enveloping her. God was out there, and real, and He had answered. A new reality had finally dawned here on Earth, now in Anna, and she let go of the amulet, certain she didn’t need it anymore. Not here. The power filling her felt strong enough to do what she needed, and she vowed that in the morning, she would find Raven and undo the damage she had done.
Anna would finally become the Light Bringer.
Jack turned away from Eriana to his kitchen sink to resume cutting an apple, having just explained that he’d woken to find the apartment empty of all but him. While they couldn’t be certain because he hadn’t seen it, both knew that Anna, Ryan, Matt, and Eric were not on Earth, having been summoned once more. Even Jack was feeling frustrated, and it wasn’t even happening to him. Eriana had mentioned that the rate of quests was higher than what she and the other real champions had experienced, but their prolonged absence had likely caused a backlog of them to accumulate. Maybe it would slow down after what, a few months? Every time they disappeared, there was a good chance he was never seeing them again.
“Ouch!” Jack yanked his finger away from the knife, expecting the blood that seeped from the wound. Pinching it tight, he ran water over it.
Eriana approached and put a hand on his forearm, her skin warm. “Let me see.”
The feel of her hand and motherly instinct made him glad he’d cut himself. There was something very comforting about this woman. A faint hint of perfume added to the feminine air that he sometimes felt was missing from girls his age, most of them wearing jeans or other clothes not far from that of a guy. He knew such attire was more comfortable for them, but he appreciated the way Eriana dressed—long flowing skirts and blouses that bore no resemblance to a man’s clothing. Sometimes she had leggings on, like now, but then she had a smaller skirt atop it. He liked her style and had already recognized the signs of his growing interest in her. That they had spent some time alone lately had helped, and she had even seemed receptive to some gentle flirting.
Now Jack pulled his hand from the water and let her take it, the blood flowing more as he stopped squeezing the wound shut. She looked it over a moment and then whispered.
“For a kind soul, please.”
Jack’s finger tingled and the cut stopping stinging. A soft glow lit the inside as the cut vanished. A slight feeling of bemusement came over him, from the healing touch within him, as small as it was. He wondered how strong that would be if he was more desperately wounded. What had Anna felt? He turned to Erin, their eyes meeting. She pulled her hand from his, but he closed his fingers around it.
“Your touch is wonderful,” he confessed.
She smiled. “It’s the touch of your god.”
“No.” He held her gaze. “I felt it long before you did that.”
Her smile broadened. “You’re sweet.”
He bit his lip, recognizing the sound of rejection coming, or so he thought. “I’m sorry. I know that you’re married.”
She gave his hand a small squeeze. “Where I come from, monogamy is not a thing. Not really.” Jack tried to keep a hopeful look from his eyes and opened his mouth, but she laid one finger across his lips. “I honor it here because it is custom and expected, and I have made a promise.”
He nodded and pulled his hand away. “Of course. I meant no–”
“A promise my husband made me, and which he has broken more than once.”
That surprised him. Her clear eyes showed no sign of pain about her husband’s betrayal, but it bothered him and he wanted to say he would not do such a thing. “He should not have.”
“And yet he did. And it freed me from honoring the same promise to him, whether he knows that or not.”
Startled again, he flushed at the implication, now noticing that her eyes held a smile. Unsure what to say, he murmured, “If you don’t mind my saying so, your husband is a fool.”
“I know.”
Heat rising in his cheeks, he leaned forward when the doorbell rang and she put one hand on his chest, stopping him. “Good things come to those who wait.”
Jack inwardly groaned as she turned toward the living room and front door, footsteps moving away. He turned back to the apple and bit into a piece just as he heard her open the front door. Then she gasped.
“Soliander!” Eriana said.
Jack almost choked on the fruit. Oh my God.. His eyes darted for a way out, even though he knew the wizard stood at the only exit. What is he doing here? How did he find…? If he hurts her….
“Eriana?” said a man’s voice, sounding confused.
Jack edged toward the kitchen corner, carefully peering around to the front door. Eriana had thrown her arms around
