Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Almost Healed

She was awake. But she kept her eyes closed. Grace wanted to figure out where she was. And how she felt.

The first clue was the dead weight laying on her left leg. She recognized that pressure. It was a very heavy, persistent cat. Baby. That had to mean she was back on Raptor's ship. She took a deep breath and pulled the man's unique spicy scent into her lungs.

He was in the room.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The tiny chamber was dim with just a few glowing devices. It only took her a few moments to realize she was in a small medical room, laying on a thin bed with a large, metal arm stretched over her body.

Raptor was sitting in a chair beside the bed, holding her hand. He leaned a bit closer when he realized her eyes were open. "How do you feel?"

Grace frowned. "I'm not sure yet." She closed her eyes and tried to determine if anything hurt. "My head doesn't hurt at all." She opened and closed her mouth, and with her free hand, touched her face. "Neither does my cheek or jaw. I don't feel sick. So, I think, good?" It was more a question than an answer. "What do all these machines tell you?" she asked and opened her eyes again.

He smiled down at her. "The machines tell me that the swelling in your brain is almost gone and that the bleeding has stopped."

She moved her head a bit. "Bleeding in my brain? Garret truly did a number on me, didn't he?"

"He did. I should have stopped him sooner." Raptor rubbed his eyes with his other hand. "I'm sorry, Grace. That I didn't get to him before he did so much damage. Besides the swelling and brain bleed, Garret broke your left cheek and your orbital socket. Those are the bones around your eye. He also dislocated your jaw."

Grace realized Raptor was blaming himself for her injuries. "You got to me as soon as you could. With both Garret and the guard in the office, and more men waiting in the reception area... I'm not sure we'd have made it out." She squeezed his hand and changed the focus. "My memory of what happened is a little blurry. How did we get out of there?"

"Our backup Guardian arrived. You told me about the helipad on the roof, and Dahvid found the camouflaged trapdoor that led directly to Garret's office. It was so well hidden, Grace. We would never have found the secret panel between the closet and the bathroom if Dahvid hadn't discovered that trapdoor. Just as we started up the stairs to leave, Garret's bodyguard was back, knocking on the door and demanding to be let in. We went out to the roof, and you'll never guess what Garret did."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "What? Don't leave me guessing!"

He laughed. "I had tied his hands behind his back. Dahvid guided him up to the roof while I carried you. We had all just come through the trapdoor when Garret made a run for the edge of the roof."

Grace gasped. "Did he jump? It would be just like him to take the easy way out and try to commit suicide. Is he dead?" She didn't know how she felt about that. God, she hated the man. But if he killed himself, he wouldn't be around to see all his plans crumble. To have everyone who thought he was so great, figure out he was using them. The fandom would quickly turn to loathing.

Raptor continued the story. "No, he didn't jump, although I do think that was his first idea. He saw me give the data device you took from the desk to Dahvid. I asked the Guardian to skim through the information on both the device and what you downloaded from the lab's mainframe. He'll just check everything and give you a cataloged report so that when you heal, it won't take you long to find what you need. Garret freaked out when he saw what I had. When he heard me talking to Dahvid about what to do with it all… he started screaming that we'd ruin him and that the others would kill him. So, yes, I truly believe he planned to jump off that building and kill himself. But about halfway to the edge, he looked over his shoulder and realized Dahvid and I hadn't moved. We weren't chasing him. So, he changed direction and started running to a small building that had one door. It was the entrance to the stairs. Now he was trying to escape."

"Oh, shit!" she exclaimed. "Did you catch him? Or I guess did Dahvid catch him because you were holding me, right?"

"Yes, I was still holding you. But no, we didn't move. Garret was running full-out. Or as fast as anyone can run with their hands tied behind them. With his face leading the way, he hit the side of the hidden spaceship so hard he bounced back and sprawled on the roof, unconscious."

Grace blinked. It took her a minute to put it all together. "Oh, my god. I'd pay money to see that!" She started laughing.

"I might be able to arrange that for you. I recorded everything in the office and hadn't turned it off yet. So, I'll play it back for you."

She squealed in delight.

Raptor smiled at her reaction. "First, I want to start another healing session. You'll have to lie still." He stood and started fiddling with the machine.

"Wait!" She held out her hand. "Get this monster cat off me. I need to go to the bathroom. Then... while the machine heals me... you can explain the kiss and your magic cure!"

Raptor

His heart skipped a beat as he watched Grace slide carefully off the table. He walked over and showed her the bathroom attached to this room. Then picked up Baby. That cat couldn't be in here for the healing.

Not to mention that Grace wanted him to explain about his magic cure. Which meant he needed to tell her about everything they'd had to skip over. Baby would be a distraction. Once he deposited the cat in her closet, Raptor started pacing. Working off the nervous energy and letting his mind shuffle through all the topics. He didn't think his magic cure, or the Binding Pollen, is where he should begin explaining.

End yes. That would be the best subject for him to end with. After going over all the topics, he would ask his Keeper to accept him. And then pray to all the gods her answer was yes. If it was, yes, he would explain all the pollen properties.

If she said no... he would stick to only the healing abilities. Then he would finish his time with her. Take her to Makayla and leave. Raptor would seriously consider being put back into stasis at that point and maybe stay there. He couldn't imagine living through another rejection. This one would destroy him.

Grace walked back into the room. When they returned to his ship, she was unconscious. He'd used his powers to wave away her clothing so the machines could find and treat all her external injuries. She needed stitches under her left eye and surface treatment for her many bruises. Once those external wounds were treated, he'd covered her in one of his big tee shirts.

The green of his shirt matched the dark green in her eyes. The lighter flecks seemed to glow in this low light. She'd braided her long brown hair. The braid fell to the curve of her back. The almost copper-colored freckles on her pale skin stood out. As did the dressing for her wound and a few fading bruises. His Keeper was the most beautiful being he'd ever seen.

They made it back to the ship at five in the morning. Raptor moved them away from the town and parked where he'd been initially. In the meadow, near her house.

Grace had remained unconscious for most of the day. She'd been through two healing sessions and was doing so much better. This third rotation would be her final. In the next two hours, her healing would be complete.

He had two hours to have the most important conversation he would ever have. The time limit hadn't escaped his notice. Once she healed and felt better, Grace would want to finish dealing with Garret. Whatever that meant. Then they would head to Megoth and Makayla.

Raptor had tonight.

He smiled at her and held out his hand. "Let me help you get up on the table. Then I'll cover you with the blanket. I put Baby in his closet, so the healing wand won't bother him, and he won't block the healing rays from reaching you. That is a genuine concern, depending on where he settles."

Grace grinned up at him and arranged her body on the table. He covered her with a blanket. She looked around her. "I want to learn all about these machines and this room. What do you call it?"

Raptor shrugged. "It is our ship's medical facility. Or sometimes it is called the med bay."

"Right after Garret hurt me, you said you had a miracle cure. Then you kissed me. I felt better. Not completely healed, obviously, since I'm here. But why did you use the miracle cure first, and the machines now? Is it because you didn't want to kiss me again?"

Grace

It was hard for her to ask him if he didn't want to kiss her. When she didn't get an answer, in fact, when Raptor acted as if he hadn't heard her, Grace's emotions started going crazy. She felt as if she could cry, and yet, she was so relieved they were safe. Grace was extremely happy they had captured Garret and hopeful they found enough information to put him away forever. She kept telling herself that things could be so much worse. And yet... she wanted more.

It was harder to admit that, too. It was also a little confusing. What exactly did she want? What was the more she craved? Was she reacting to something she'd seen categorized as white knight syndrome ?

She supposed it was possible.

Raptor had taken care of the men surrounding her home. Probably killed them. He'd saved her from Garret. Taken care of her cat. Changed his body for her. She pressed her lips together. Wanting to laugh, but not willing to explain why. She felt like… a besotted fool. And that was a word her grandmother wouldn't have used. Read in some of her Victorian romance novels, maybe, but never used. Grace was infatuated. Smitten. Obsessed. There were a hundred words for what she felt, and she needed to get over it.

He settled in the chair next to her bed and rubbed his hand over his strong, chiseled face before he pushed his long, brown hair away from his eyes. Those beautiful golden-brown eyes. He had on black jeans and a black tee shirt. He looked a little tired. She didn't doubt that he hadn't slept because he'd taken care of her.

"You need to remain motionless. While this runs, you can't move your head or even scratch your nose." He smiled at her.

He had a killer smile. But his eyes were shadowed, worried. Was he worried about talking to her? About explaining why she was on this table, instead of healing her with those very potent kisses?

She shifted her body. Making sure she was in a position she could keep for a bit. Grace was comfortable. Mostly on her back. Turned a little on her right side, facing the chair Raptor sat in. She could see his face while he talked. And her left side, the side Garret had mostly battered, was tilted toward the healing wand.

The healer in her wanted to jump up from the table and study... everything.

She watched Raptor push the button to start the wand that was situated about ten inches above her body. It glowed blue. The effect was something like being under a heat lamp. Grace could feel the warmth. The light bothered her eyes, but if she kept them trained on the man sitting beside her bed, she could get through it. She remained motionless—except for her lips.

If he didn't want to talk about kissing and cures, she had other things she wanted to know. "The bodyguard told Garret that they couldn't find the men. The car was there, but none of his men. What did you do with them?"

The relief on Raptor's face at her question told Grace he truly didn't want to discuss the kiss. So, she'd let that subject drop... for now. She had a list of other questions.

"I didn't think it would be a good idea, no matter what happened later, for the bodies of the men to be discovered near your home. There was nothing I could do about the car on the hill, but I disintegrated the men with another of my devices."

"Okay, that answers one question. I have about a million more." She kept her eyes on him when she asked, "Why don't you start by explaining exactly what you are?"

Raptor

"Earth is a little more complicated than those from this world understand. I was born in another realm."

When she frowned, he gently reminded her, "You can't move while the wand is over your head. Even to frown. I promise I'll explain. There are a number of other realms or dimensions that surround Earth. Think about Earth as a ball that you've enclosed in several layers of blankets. Each of those blankets is another realm. There are doorways linking your world and the others. Time passes differently in each realm. For instance, in the Second Realm, a single day equates to a year on your physical plane."

Grace exhaled softly, trying not to move while she asked, "That is amazing. Does your realm look like Earth?"

Raptor smiled at her. "All the realms are similar. They are all Earth, just in varying stages of development and sometimes with different lifeforms. They all have green grass, blue skies, and various shades of blue water. It's not always like that. I've traveled to some planets where the water is purple, the sky red, and the grass yellow. From a distance, my realm would look and feel very familiar to you. But the buildings—the technology, for lack of a better word—are more advanced. The people are more developed."

"I know you can look different and have unique abilities." She kept every bit of her body still. Only moving her lips, the smallest bit.

He met her eyes and winked. "Here and now... this is what we know as First Realm. Mine is the Third, and there are eight others. So, ten in total. A lot of those unique abilities you mention, your realm often refers to as magic. Many of the earlier visitors from other realms didn't hide their abilities. Much of your First Realm legends, like tales of wizards and witches, come from this earlier contact. Now the Interstellar gods forbid travel between the Realms unless you have permission. And to come to the First Realm, part of that permission requires passing a course where you learn to hide what you are. I'll explain about the Interstellar gods soon. Much of what I can do probably seems like magic. When really, it's simply the ability to use more of my mind and body."

"So, you come from another dimension, a dimension where the humans have developed into an advanced race?"

Raptor sat back in his chair and thought about how to answer that. He started slowly. "I'm not sure I'd call it an advanced race. It is more complicated than that. Some realms are more developed, some are less. In some of those realms, the dominant lifeform is humanoid, in one it is dragons, and in another apes. Across all the realms, something resembling the human form is more prevalent.

"In all the dimensions on all the planets and throughout space, earthlings in the First Realm—your realm—are the only beings who believe they are alone in the universe. As far as your realm is concerned, there is no life on other planets, and the other nine interdimensional realms on your planet don't exist. Those who inhabit Earth's First Realm also believe that a humanoid frame is the only evolved lifeform. Believing only a homo sapiens body type would indicate a creative and worthwhile brain. In your time and place, only humans can rule. All the other lifeforms are nothing but animals. The First Realm considers them to be less.

"So, you need to understand that it isn't just humans who have developed into an advanced race. In many places, humanoids are only one of the dominant life forms. But there are so many more.

"However, the humanoids in my realm and a few others have the same basic physical structure as yours. Some are taller, shorter, stronger. You get the idea. There are variations in eye and hair color, and all realms have varying levels of psychic and physical abilities. Some are a lot more developed than others."

He paused and tried to figure out what else he needed to share. Ah. "I am essentially humanoid. You've seen that in my normal state, my skin tones run to shades of silver or gray. You've seen me use my expanded senses. Many in my realm are stronger and have enhanced mental capabilities that allow us to move objects telepathically and make ourselves invisible to others. But the Interstellar gods enhanced me even more. Do you want me to explain who they are?"

He waited for her softly spoken, "Yes." And grinned when she rolled her eyes at him.

"They are gods that care for the universe, all the realms or dimensions, no matter the species. I know there are at least two who live in your time and place. They don't interfere in individual lives. In fact, they are forbidden to intervene in what you would call fate. They can get involved when something would affect a large number of beings. Such as preventing the annihilation of an entire planet."

Raptor looked at her wide eyes and elevated breathing. He realized his Keeper was enthralled with his explanations. He closed his eyes for one moment. Daring to hope that she would remain fascinated. "You've seen me shift, change my body and features. Most of those abilities come from my profession. When you first saw my spaceship, do you remember I explained about being a Galactic Guardian?"

"Yes." She watched him avidly.

He couldn't help but smile at her. "The Interstellar gods created Guardian beings from all over the universe. They choose Guardians for their inherent abilities and their willingness to spend their life traveling the universe and all the realms. We are supposed to track down beings that have moved without permission through the dimension gates and throughout all inhabited planets in space—intending to cause harm.

"One thing that the Interstellar gods enhanced on their Guardians is the ability to shift into any form, so I can work on any planet." He looked at her and noticed the smile.

"As a young man, and I was young many hundreds of years ago, they stationed us in one place. We trained together and honed our skills. I worked with other Guardians to capture creatures who had gone from one realm to another, one planet to another—causing harm. The gods extended Guardian lives much further than what our normal span would be."

When he stopped talking, she prodded him. "Tell me." Her voice had dropped to a whisper.

"You've only seen a small amount of what I can do. I've worked to keep some abilities hidden from you or used them when you were unconscious."

"More," she encouraged him.

Raptor understood what she asked for. She wanted to know what she missed. He frowned. "The only thing worth mentioning is when you were unconscious, I used my psychic power to create an impenetrable barricade to keep Garret's bodyguard out of the room until Dahvid came to help."

Raptor was glad that she wasn't talking very much. Using only one-word demands. The wand had almost completed its rotation. She'd be free to move around and leave this room soon. The next part of this discussion would become more difficult. Part of him wanted to rush right through the explanations, and then go hide somewhere. Part of him wanted to skip them altogether.

A soft chime sounded, and Raptor drew in a deep breath. He felt like he'd had a reprieve. "Your session has finished. You can sit up and if you feel okay, we can go somewhere more comfortable. Are you hungry?"

Grace moved slowly into a sitting position and frowned at him. "Yes, I'm hungry. But I know you well enough now that I can tell you're trying to avoid something. What is it? I'm not leaving this room until you tell me what makes you so uncomfortable." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.