Crystal Warrior: Through All Eternity (Atlantean Crystal Saga Book 1) by Jen YatesNZ Page A

coffee. What are we doing today then?’
    ‘The weather's perfect for a sail on the harbor,’ Gould commented from the stove where he was already laying strips of bacon in a pan. ‘Today and tomorrow are the only two days I've really got free this week. Does sailing take your fancy?’
    ‘Oh, I love sailing!’ Fran cried. ‘I haven't been sailing since—Lord, forever! Oh, yes please.’
    Silence followed this delighted outburst, and as Georgina turned reluctantly back to watch the toast, Gould said, ‘Torr? Fancy a blast round the Waitemata?’
    The silence became a tangible thing, drawing Georgina's attention to the man standing motionless at the entrance to the conservatory and looking out onto the tiny jewel of a lake over which already sailboarders were skimming.
    He turned slowly, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. It was hard to see his face with his back to the light, but there was no mistaking the care with which he enunciated each word.
    ‘I'm sorry, Frannie. But you know I can't do that.’
    Almost at the speed of light, Fran was across the kitchen and draped round his rigid body.
    ‘But we'd be on the water, not in it,’ she cajoled.
    ‘Makes no difference. I need a lot of boat between me and the water. Otherwise—’
    He shrugged then gently, almost absently ruffled one hand through her hair. Turning to Gould, he said, ‘I have a phobia about the sea. I'm beyond terrified of being in it so the only time I'll venture on it is if I have to in the course of my job and then I prefer it to be on something as big as an aircraft carrier. But thanks for the offer.’
    Georgina felt something inside her contract. The man had to be at least six feet four inches tall, body rippling with the muscle of a quarry worker, and there was something in his eyes that promised fearless retribution if anyone should dare cross him and yet—he was scared of water? She closed her eyes and was immediately transported back to that moment in the strange vision beneath the pyramid when she'd suddenly been floating above the warrior, watching his body, his face, distort and vanish beneath a roiling mass of water. What did it all mean?
    The toast popped and brought her back to the present.
    ‘While you go sailing with Gould it'd be a good opportunity for me to catch up with those contacts at the university,’ Torr said to Fran, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.
    Fran pouted.
    ‘But that's work!’
    ‘Yes, sweetheart. You know I promised Hugh I'd deliver those papers on sub-aqua mining. They're doing a similar study here and want to compare notes. I talk to these guys regularly on the internet. It'd be damned rude not to make a point of contacting them while I’m here. You know there's no way in hell you'll get me on that yacht but I see no reason why that should stop you when you'll enjoy it so much.’
    Sighing, Fran said, ‘You're always so reasonable about it and I can never understand how you can be so afraid when you don't even know why. It's not as if you've ever had any traumatic experience in the sea or anything.’
    ‘I've learnt to live with it, Frannie. I don't see why it should be so hard for you.’
    And don't be fooled into thinking it was easy, Frannie, Georgina thought, as she kept her head down and her hands busy with her morning ritual of buttering her two pieces of toast and spreading peanut butter on one and honey on the other. There were layers over layers of feeling and meaning in Torr's words. On the surface he appeared matter of fact, almost nonchalant, about his phobia. But Georgina knew that was the impression he'd taught himself to project. Beneath it she recognized the mind battles he'd fought, the ridicule he'd suffered. Beneath that again she heard the baffled male fury that still railed against the illogicality of it. He'd dealt with his problem the only way a macho male could, head-on and with all the finesse of a battering ram.
    Georgina looked up just as her sister slipped