of mildew. She knelt on the ground beside the uncomfortable prison bed.
Ted laughed, which sent a sharp pain through his ribs. He figured he must have landed right on them when he collapsed. "I flew here from Florida in half an hour."
Erica pursed her lips and nodded. "I'd be more impressed if you hadn't passed out right after."
Ted lifted his hand to Erica's face. Her skin was smooth and warm. He watched her close her eyes and take a deep breath. She moved her face toward his.
"I missed you, Ted Finley."
Ted felt the warmth from her touch radiate down his arm and spread through his chest.
"The feeling is mutual."
Erica leaned down and placed her lips on his. Ted kissed back and let the magic of her taste bring him back to all the time they'd spent together. Holding each other, training and saving the world. It was all in that kiss. Erica leaned against him and Ted put his arms around her. He couldn't resist the impulse to smile as he kissed her. His heart was filled with pure joy. From the relaxed look on Erica's face, Ted imagined she felt the same way.
Erica laughed and wiped one of her eyes. "I know the light souls didn't choose you because you were a good kisser. But they really could have."
Erica lay down on the prison bed beside him and intertwined their legs. They shared another short kiss before she touched her nose to his.
"I heard you fought a hurricane."
Ted tried not to think about the portal and Sophie Kent.
He scrunched his nose. "I heard you rode a dinosaur."
Erica laughed. "We have a lot to catch up on. With business–" she locked her fingers in his, "–and pleasure."
The sound of a throat clearing outside the cell startled both of them. Erica sat up and scooted away from Ted as if her parents had caught them making out in the basement. Ted looked up at the Japanese man he hadn't recognized earlier. The man wore tight-fitting athletic clothes. He might be as old as 40, though he appeared to be in the shape of a 20-year-old. The veins popping out of his muscles made Ted jealous.
"Ted. My name is Yoshi, and it's an honor to meet the living soul."
Ted looked over at Erica before accepting the man's hand. Even the media didn't know him by that term. From his experience, the only ones who knew what "living soul" meant were his closest friends or his greatest enemies.
"Good to meet you, Yoshi." Ted took the man's hand and felt the squeeze of immense wrist strength. "Nice, firm grip."
Yoshi nodded. "Grip is very helpful in battle. That's one of the many things the elders taught us in the Academy."
Ted nodded.
Elders? Academy? Who is this guy?
While Ted was the one with the ability to read thoughts, Erica seemed to pull all the questions from his mind.
"Yoshi is one of the grand masters from the Academy, a school in Japan that trains warriors to fight against the dark souls."
Ted recalled Erica mentioning the facility as a place where they train potential living souls. Ted could see why the light souls might consider Yoshi a strong candidate.
He got off the bed. Yoshi was taller and his eye contact was as firm as his handshake had been.
Ted tried to step out of the samurai's gaze. "That's cool. I'll have to go there sometime. What brings you here?"
Yoshi's mouth nearly formed a smile. "The elders sent me here to help you and the protector."
Erica put her hand on Yoshi's shoulder. "Just in the nick of time, too. He saved us from the gatekeeper."
A pang of nervousness went through Ted's chest when Erica touched Yoshi's shoulder. He shook it off and looked at Erica. "Gatekeeper?"
Erica took her hand off Yoshi and locked arms with Ted. "There's a lot to explain. Yoshi, if you'll excuse us."
Yoshi bowed and moved away.
Ted and Erica walked down the hallway of cells together, the mildew stench now overpowering any other scent.
Ted pulled his arm around Erica's more tightly. "You know that guy. From before. Don't you?"
Erica kept her eyes straight ahead. "In another life, we were good
Ted laughed, which sent a sharp pain through his ribs. He figured he must have landed right on them when he collapsed. "I flew here from Florida in half an hour."
Erica pursed her lips and nodded. "I'd be more impressed if you hadn't passed out right after."
Ted lifted his hand to Erica's face. Her skin was smooth and warm. He watched her close her eyes and take a deep breath. She moved her face toward his.
"I missed you, Ted Finley."
Ted felt the warmth from her touch radiate down his arm and spread through his chest.
"The feeling is mutual."
Erica leaned down and placed her lips on his. Ted kissed back and let the magic of her taste bring him back to all the time they'd spent together. Holding each other, training and saving the world. It was all in that kiss. Erica leaned against him and Ted put his arms around her. He couldn't resist the impulse to smile as he kissed her. His heart was filled with pure joy. From the relaxed look on Erica's face, Ted imagined she felt the same way.
Erica laughed and wiped one of her eyes. "I know the light souls didn't choose you because you were a good kisser. But they really could have."
Erica lay down on the prison bed beside him and intertwined their legs. They shared another short kiss before she touched her nose to his.
"I heard you fought a hurricane."
Ted tried not to think about the portal and Sophie Kent.
He scrunched his nose. "I heard you rode a dinosaur."
Erica laughed. "We have a lot to catch up on. With business–" she locked her fingers in his, "–and pleasure."
The sound of a throat clearing outside the cell startled both of them. Erica sat up and scooted away from Ted as if her parents had caught them making out in the basement. Ted looked up at the Japanese man he hadn't recognized earlier. The man wore tight-fitting athletic clothes. He might be as old as 40, though he appeared to be in the shape of a 20-year-old. The veins popping out of his muscles made Ted jealous.
"Ted. My name is Yoshi, and it's an honor to meet the living soul."
Ted looked over at Erica before accepting the man's hand. Even the media didn't know him by that term. From his experience, the only ones who knew what "living soul" meant were his closest friends or his greatest enemies.
"Good to meet you, Yoshi." Ted took the man's hand and felt the squeeze of immense wrist strength. "Nice, firm grip."
Yoshi nodded. "Grip is very helpful in battle. That's one of the many things the elders taught us in the Academy."
Ted nodded.
Elders? Academy? Who is this guy?
While Ted was the one with the ability to read thoughts, Erica seemed to pull all the questions from his mind.
"Yoshi is one of the grand masters from the Academy, a school in Japan that trains warriors to fight against the dark souls."
Ted recalled Erica mentioning the facility as a place where they train potential living souls. Ted could see why the light souls might consider Yoshi a strong candidate.
He got off the bed. Yoshi was taller and his eye contact was as firm as his handshake had been.
Ted tried to step out of the samurai's gaze. "That's cool. I'll have to go there sometime. What brings you here?"
Yoshi's mouth nearly formed a smile. "The elders sent me here to help you and the protector."
Erica put her hand on Yoshi's shoulder. "Just in the nick of time, too. He saved us from the gatekeeper."
A pang of nervousness went through Ted's chest when Erica touched Yoshi's shoulder. He shook it off and looked at Erica. "Gatekeeper?"
Erica took her hand off Yoshi and locked arms with Ted. "There's a lot to explain. Yoshi, if you'll excuse us."
Yoshi bowed and moved away.
Ted and Erica walked down the hallway of cells together, the mildew stench now overpowering any other scent.
Ted pulled his arm around Erica's more tightly. "You know that guy. From before. Don't you?"
Erica kept her eyes straight ahead. "In another life, we were good
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