Fallen + Marli & Lalo (Fallen Invasion, #3) by Mia Mitns Page A

they are leaving?”
    “Kallen, what do you want to say?” I said.
    His eyes remained locked on the road.
    “Kallen, you took me from my home, told me there were spies, and now,” I said and motioned to the rear, “you have something back there.  This truck also smells like flowers or a woman.  You don’t get to be silent now.  You chose to let me know what’s going on.  So what is it?”
    He exhaled and gripped a chunk of his jet black hair and slid his hand down half its length.  He released his hair, allowing it to fall back to his waist.
    “I don’t want to put you in danger by telling you, but if I don’t, you could be worse off.  I am here for a reason Marli.  One of my jobs is to protect you.  I also have to find the spies.  Failing to identify them all could put us in a horrible position.”
    “And,” I said.
    “Things are not what they seem.  Everything can tell a truth but depending on how you see it, from your viewpoint, information—people—can be misread.  Like the disappearance of the homeless people.”
    “You’re saying they have something to do with you?”
    “Us.  Actually all of us.  We think there is also a connection to the spies.  We’re not sure.  It could be something unconnected but—”
    “We?” I said.
    “Not for me to discuss.  I tell you this Marli because I don’t want you to be going out alone at night or to some secluded place.”
    “So this is what the ‘protecting me’ part was about?” I asked.
    Kallen nodded.
    “You have a gift,” Kallen said, “one that must be protected.  I will not say anymore.  I need you to behave as normal as possible.”
    Could this gift be the same as the one Lalo discussed?
    “I will,” I said.
    “And if you see something out of the ordinary,” he said.
    “I’ll tell you.”
    “Thank you Marli.”  Kallen glanced over to me and smiled.  “I know you think I’m a little bit psychotic, especially with the alien stories and interests.”
    “You know that’s what I thought this was about.  Your alien obsession.”
    “Well, parts of it may be true.  They could be coming again.”  Kallen raised his eyebrows as he peeked at me.
    “Ah huh,” I said, nodding.  Good, he didn’t know about Lalo.
    “I’ll tell you what.  When this is all over, I’ll take you out for a drink.”
    “A drink?” I said.  “That’s all I get?  What about the steak dinner?”
    The rumble of Kallen’s laughter filled the cab.  Then out of nowhere, he got serious.  “Marli, I hate to sound so glum, but you’ll be happy to have just that.”
    I bit my lip and leaned back in my seat.  He wasn’t kidding.  I wished I would have woken up and took off with the animals months ago.  Escape the impending disaster.
    “Remember to be calm.  Normal,” he said.

Chapter 6
    C alm!!  Normal!!  These words kept going through my head as Kallen and I entered the supermarket.  It was my favorite place to take a day trip, being that it was one of the places I actually saw more than ten people at a time.  That day, however, it became a source of anxiety.
    I had to tell myself to breathe a couple of times.  Kallen asked me what I wanted to buy.  My list kept rotating; I was sure that I forgot what I originally planned.  Why did Kallen have to scare me like that?  I kind of wished he would have left me to unknowingly go through the rest of my life.  I wouldn’t have been the crazy lady in the store.
    Maybe it was a test.  To prepare me to learn how to act “normal.”  A way of scattering my brain so I would tell him everything I knew about Lalo.
    I finally eased my mind by focusing on Kallen.  He was suspicious of someone.  Apparently it was me because he started making jokes about buying so much food.  It was so I wouldn’t have to “go alone,” I told him.
    “Alright.  Good enough for me,” Kallen said and backed off the issue.
    Although the situation was a bit daunting, especially since I didn’t know all