the place where the five Stones
of Adeline hit the beach. Kane took a step away from the bluish-green beam.
Lena moved closer and stood wide eyed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“It’s a vision,” she said.
“I thought only you could make the stones work.”
“So did I.”
Even as she said it, an image of Lena lying on her back on a
table came into view. Her skin had a blue hue and her lips were deathly purple.
Kane could see the slight lump on the side of her head from where Wade had hit
her. The black vinyl bag around her was being zipped by someone out of view.
They could only see a man’s hand pulling the zipper closed and rolling the
table away.
Lena’s breath was ragged. She had moved next to him and he
reached down and took her hand. She didn’t resist his affection and he felt a
small sense of relief in spite of the horrifying vision.
An instant later, the vision changed. He saw himself running
on grass. He didn’t look as if he was chasing a mark. No. He was chasing a
child, a little girl of two or three, with dark hair in pigtails. He lifted her
up and tossed her in the air. They both laughed. He landed in the grass with
the child clinging to him, laughing. A third person entered the vision. Lena’s
smiling face came into focus. She rubbed her distended belly and her mouth
moved as if she was saying something. They couldn’t hear what was being said.
The vision had no sound. Kane responded. Lena shook her head and back away. A
moment later, he leaped up and pulled her onto the grass and hugged her. They
both looked happy as they played. The little girl jumped in and cuddled Lena’s
round belly.
The vision ended. The light was gone. The stones lay still
in the sand.
Chapter Four
It just was not possible. Lena stared at the spot where the
vision had been and she knew her mouth was hanging open. Neither one of the
visions was all that surprising. She had seen crazier things when she read
other people’s futures. The crazy part was, these were clearly two different
futures. They could not exist in the same universe.
“What just happened?” Kane asked.
“You triggered a vision,” she mumbled, half to herself.
“Two visions,” he corrected.
She nodded dumbly.
“What does it mean?”
“I have no idea,” she said.
She looked up at him and his mouth was drawn down in a
frown. His normal guise of being relaxed had been shattered. He clenched and
unclenched his hands. Even the one still holding hers squeezed tighter, though
not painfully. “I thought you were in charge of reading these things.”
She released his hand and knelt down in the sand, gathering
up her stones. “They have never given two different futures before. I’ve never
seen the stones triggered by someone other than my grandmother or myself. I
don’t know what to say.”
He knelt next to her. “I can’t watch you die, Lena.” His voice
was sad and angry. She knew just how he felt.
“It’s not my first choice, either.”
“The first vision had to be soon. You still had the bump on
your head.” He combed his fingers through her hair.
“I noticed.” Her mind was reeling. How can there be two
futures? “The stones don’t lie. They tell you what will happen to a point
and then you make a choice.”
“Well, what does it mean? Clearly the second scenario takes
place several years in the future.”
She touched her flat belly. “Clearly.”
She was lost in her own thoughts about being a mother.
Kane’s hand settled over hers. She looked up into his eyes. “Lena, I…”
“You what?”
“I’ve never had a family.” His hand slid up from her stomach
to her face. “I never thought of a wife or children. My life…”
“Didn’t you grow up in a family? A mother?”
He shook his head. “I grew up in an orphanage until I was
seven and then I was turned over to the Psi-Alignment and trained to do what I
do. I have no idea how to be what you need.”
He was afraid. Kane knew about escape. He
of Adeline hit the beach. Kane took a step away from the bluish-green beam.
Lena moved closer and stood wide eyed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“It’s a vision,” she said.
“I thought only you could make the stones work.”
“So did I.”
Even as she said it, an image of Lena lying on her back on a
table came into view. Her skin had a blue hue and her lips were deathly purple.
Kane could see the slight lump on the side of her head from where Wade had hit
her. The black vinyl bag around her was being zipped by someone out of view.
They could only see a man’s hand pulling the zipper closed and rolling the
table away.
Lena’s breath was ragged. She had moved next to him and he
reached down and took her hand. She didn’t resist his affection and he felt a
small sense of relief in spite of the horrifying vision.
An instant later, the vision changed. He saw himself running
on grass. He didn’t look as if he was chasing a mark. No. He was chasing a
child, a little girl of two or three, with dark hair in pigtails. He lifted her
up and tossed her in the air. They both laughed. He landed in the grass with
the child clinging to him, laughing. A third person entered the vision. Lena’s
smiling face came into focus. She rubbed her distended belly and her mouth
moved as if she was saying something. They couldn’t hear what was being said.
The vision had no sound. Kane responded. Lena shook her head and back away. A
moment later, he leaped up and pulled her onto the grass and hugged her. They
both looked happy as they played. The little girl jumped in and cuddled Lena’s
round belly.
The vision ended. The light was gone. The stones lay still
in the sand.
Chapter Four
It just was not possible. Lena stared at the spot where the
vision had been and she knew her mouth was hanging open. Neither one of the
visions was all that surprising. She had seen crazier things when she read
other people’s futures. The crazy part was, these were clearly two different
futures. They could not exist in the same universe.
“What just happened?” Kane asked.
“You triggered a vision,” she mumbled, half to herself.
“Two visions,” he corrected.
She nodded dumbly.
“What does it mean?”
“I have no idea,” she said.
She looked up at him and his mouth was drawn down in a
frown. His normal guise of being relaxed had been shattered. He clenched and
unclenched his hands. Even the one still holding hers squeezed tighter, though
not painfully. “I thought you were in charge of reading these things.”
She released his hand and knelt down in the sand, gathering
up her stones. “They have never given two different futures before. I’ve never
seen the stones triggered by someone other than my grandmother or myself. I
don’t know what to say.”
He knelt next to her. “I can’t watch you die, Lena.” His voice
was sad and angry. She knew just how he felt.
“It’s not my first choice, either.”
“The first vision had to be soon. You still had the bump on
your head.” He combed his fingers through her hair.
“I noticed.” Her mind was reeling. How can there be two
futures? “The stones don’t lie. They tell you what will happen to a point
and then you make a choice.”
“Well, what does it mean? Clearly the second scenario takes
place several years in the future.”
She touched her flat belly. “Clearly.”
She was lost in her own thoughts about being a mother.
Kane’s hand settled over hers. She looked up into his eyes. “Lena, I…”
“You what?”
“I’ve never had a family.” His hand slid up from her stomach
to her face. “I never thought of a wife or children. My life…”
“Didn’t you grow up in a family? A mother?”
He shook his head. “I grew up in an orphanage until I was
seven and then I was turned over to the Psi-Alignment and trained to do what I
do. I have no idea how to be what you need.”
He was afraid. Kane knew about escape. He
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