Chapter Twenty-one

Caden watched the door waiting for Sage to come back outside. They moved everyone from the kitchen to the backyard. It was the perfect place since his yard, and Coles were next to each others. Together they were so large they could fit several hundred people. According to Sage, he needed furniture back here, so she didn’t have to sit on the ground.

“Sageray, where are you?”

“Sitting on the front porch thinking. Stay with everyone I will be back soon.” She withdrew from him.

“Xander, I’m taking Sage out.”

“Be careful, I’ll be on alert if you need me.”

Caden strolled through his people stopping to talk to anyone who called his name until he could get to the back door. He went and picked up his keys and wallet from the bedroom before heading for the front porch.

“It’s a beautiful day.” He sat next to her on the top step.

“It’s a perfect day. It feels like the spring days you dream about. That’s what scares me. I know the meteorologist said that they’re not worried, but I don’t believe them.”

“I agree I’ve been here long enough to know this planet has not experienced this kind of weather fluctuation before.”

“They call it global warming, and although I think global warming is a thing. I think this is due to something more sinister.”

“You may be right, but we can’t solve every problem in a day. We can solve the problem of having no place to sit in the backyard.” He held up his keys and swung them in front of her.

“You’re such a tease.” Her voice was filled with warmth as she closed the distance between them. “You think we should leave with all the company in the backyard and go shopping for furniture? Expensive furniture at that.”

“We could always retire to our bedroom.”

“Glad to know you have your priority’s in the right place. Let’s go. I could use some retail therapy although if the yard wasn’t full of Kur’iks with excetional hearing.” She grinned at him before standing and hurrying down the stairs.

“I let you get away.” His voice was lazy and filled with love.

This was what it was like to love so hard that you wanted to make the other persons every wish come true.

He caught up with her and took her hand. She looked down, and the smile on her face wouldn’t go away. “I’m driving next time.”

“Deal.” She stopped to look at his Jeep. It was the opposite of Xander’s, but it was still as sleek and attractive. The purple shined with the sunlight pouring over it.

Her hand caressed the side before she opened the door and climbed in. She turned her head in time to catch the admiring look on his face as he watched her rear.

“Beautiful.” He walked around the Jeep and climbed into the drivers side.

“Do you go pick up the furniture or have it delivered?”

“We do both it depends on where it is coming from.”

That made sense. She put on her seat belt and watched as they made a turn onto what she thought of as the main street. When they approached the barrier, she watched it closely to see if she could detect it opening and closing.

They crossed it without a problem, but there was a woman on the side of the street looking at them. She seemed to be able to see to the other side of the barrier.

“Who is she?” The woman met her eyes with a boldness making her heart beat faster. There was something about her, but what was it?

“Sage, is she one of them?” The car was slowing down.

“No, she’s not.” Whoever the woman was she didn’t want to hurt Sage. There was a roar in her head that wanted to stop and go back and talk to the woman.

You’ll understand soon. We just have to stay alive.

She ignored the alien in her head. Mostly because she knew more than she was saying.

I want to keep you alive. If the others even suspected they would kill you in fear.

Because being killed as part of a ritual sacrifice was so much better. She enjoyed the ride watching everyone go about their daily business until he pulled into a porch and patio warehouse.

“I think we can find what you are looking for here.”

“Looks perfect.” She slid out the seat allowing her body to enjoy the pleasure of the motion. Inhaling deeply, she smiled and took in every sight.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

She knew that, but there was always something you forget to calculate for. Just in case her last day on the Earth was coming, she was going to enjoy every second she had left. That included being close to Caden. She got closer than was socially polite and took his hand. When she received the first glare from a woman, who was obviously jealous. She returned her look with an up yours look and walked away feeling proud of herself. Yeah, maybe it was petty, but she was going to live in the moment for a change.

They walked into the warehouse to be greeted by incredible sets of furniture.

“Look at this.” She pulled at his hand until they were standing in front of a beautiful wicker set.

“Do you like this?” A salesman walked up to them.

“I do.”

“One of the great things about this set is that it’s all weather. So, you don’t have to worry about it in the rain and the snow.”

“Nice.”

“Look around if you find anything you’re interested in let me know. My name is John.”

“Hi John, I’m Sage, and this is Caden. When we find what we’re looking for, we will let you know.”

“He thinks we are going to buy today.”

“That’s because we are. Look around tell me what you like.”

“I like this.” He was looking at a set that was a semi-circle.

“This was made to go around a fire pit. That would be perfect on these days that don’t know whether to be cold or hot.”

“You will have to teach me what a fire pit is.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I will.”

He wanted to say something, but she just squeezed his hand and moved on. They took a seat on one set.

“I like this.” She loved it but wouldn’t tell him that.

“You like the wicker furniture.”

“We can get something else.”

“I like this as well. It's wide enough to hold us comfortably. You look right at home in that chair. I know Xander will like it.”

“Did you show it to him?”

“I did. Does that upset you?”

“Of course not, you live there together. This would just be the first step. You have so much land you need more than one set.”

“I believe we will inspire Cole to get more furniture. With you as our guide, we’ll have a great looking backyard. Do you want to look for something else today?”

“Can we look later? I’m tired; I don’t know why.”

“We will come back later.” He helped her up, but she laid her head against his chest. “Listen to me Sage, we will come back.”

“I trust you.” They found the salesman who was only too happy to process the order for them.

“Are you sure you want the brown/gray?”

“Yes.” Her voice was soft and slurred like it was too much for her to speak. “We’ll brighten it up with pillows.”

The sales man went into his speech, but she wasn’t listening.

“Caden I need to sit down.”

“Sage.”

“I’ll be sitting right over there.” She cut him off and pointed to a chair. “You will be able to see me from here.”

“John, I’ll be right back.” He walked Sage over and made sure she was comfortable before he left her alone.

“Hi, you look tired.”

The woman who approached her looked ageless. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t figure what age group she belonged in. She also couldn’t figure what ethnic group she belonged in. Every time she blinked the woman looked a little different. It didn’t really matter her age or race it was just weird that’s why she was thinking about it.

“Hi, I am tired.”

“Can I sit?”

“Please do.”

“They do this to you; in the end, it wants to make sure you can’t run or resist. It will only get worse, and there is no known cure for it. It would help if you weren’t broken in half.”

“I’m broken?”

“Yes, if you live, you’ll eventually understand. Sage, listen to me, you must live.”

“You know my name.”

“We all know your name because we are betting that you are stronger than they are.”

“Who are they?”

“They are the Jeren. They won’t be in your history books, but they have been around since the beginning. What you need to know is they need a doorway, and you are one. You will get more tired as the day goes on. Remember Sage you have to live.”

Sage nodded her head as she tried to allow it to fall on the back of the chair.

“Who was that?”

“I don’t know, but she knew my name.”

“What did she say?”

“That I had to live.”

Caden reached down to help her up, and she collapsed. He picked her up carrying her like she was a small child. She snuggled in his arms and fell asleep.

“Xander, Sage cannot keep her eyes open. I think she was drugged.”

“I’ll have Cait here waiting.”

He strolled out the store not paying the humans any attention as they stared at him.

In the corner was the woman who talked to Sage. Her eyes were filled with worry.