Chapter 23
The first rays of sunlight, usually missed by most the morning after the festival opening, shown brightly upon Michael and Tera as they ran smoothly up the ancient lane making their way out of town.
Michael had risen early, the gray hued light of dawn just becoming visible and filtering into the room.
Lying on his back he stared up at the ornate 17th century ceiling. It's latticed woodwork and deep rich colors reflected its age as well as the craftsmanship which wrought it.
Valerie was curled around him on his right. Her hair splayed out like an auburn blanket on his chest, her leg over his, it's weight noticed for the sensual interplay between skin and muscle more than its weight. Her soft even breaths settled warmly on his skin, providing a unique contrast to the cool air of the stone walled room.
Tera stretched on his left, her body tensing, muscles shifting and pulling taught. She lay on her back, her leg covering his calf to shin, arm intertwined with his.
Tera's body was a few degree's warmer than Valerie's, he felt the soothing effects of it wherever there bodies touched.
Michael lay still between them. It was oddly comforting to be surrounded by them, to be able to feel the subtle differences in their bodies, to simply let the sensations and energies that they provided wash over him.
"Good morning," Tera whispered.
She had shifted to her side, her hand lying gently on his abdomen. He could feel her eyes on him even thought the soft light of dawn precluded his looking into them.
"Good morning," he said with a smile.
Shifting he moved through the spare inches that separated them and found her lips. Warm and moist they joined with his in a soft intimate coupling that lasted only a second.
"I feel like a run, care to join me?" Michael asked as he smoothly began disentangling himself from Valerie.
"Yes, a run sounds just right," Tera responded, as she slid lithely out of bed.
Michael followed her, standing and stretching his arms over his head, he wondered at how good he felt.
Yesterday had been a chaotic day, hell the last two days had both held more than their share of strange bits. But now, in this instant he felt...good, better than he perhaps ever had. Just another strange part of a trip filled with odd feelings.
Tera stood before him, stretching out her own muscles, reveling in the simple act of feeling her body move. She watched as Michael's dark silhouette moved before her. The faint light obscured the details, but she watched with rapt attention as he moved his body, sloughing off the last kinks of sleep.
A hungry energy passed between them there in the darkness. It connected them, urging both to move towards the other, to loose themselves within its embrace.
Michael felt himself begin to stir, a low growl issuing from his throat as he rolled his neck, a smile once again on his lips.
Tera felt the familiar flush of moisture between her legs that always happened when she was close to Michael. She heard and felt the need coming from him.
'Soon,' she thought as her hand bridged the gap between them, lying lightly on his chest for a moment. She felt his heartbeat quicken at the touch. Smiled knowing that it was she who made it so.
Pulling back her hand she moved away from him, a shadow, one moment solid the next simply an after image of movement and empty space.
The light in the bathroom came on and the water began to softly run in the background as she got ready for the run.
Michael turned to the window. The light coming up quicker now, he could see the first pale pink streaks beating back the gray of dawn. He glanced to his side. Valerie slept curled in the spot he and Tera had just vacated. Snuggled into the warmth from their bodies that lingered after their departure.
"Your turn," Tera said breaking him from his reverie.
"I'll just be a sec," he said, turning and sliding by her, looking forward to meeting the dawn on the hoof.
............
Sims watched the sleeping girl on the monitors. It had been a long night.
She had not given them any trouble when he and the nurse went in to get the blood samples.
"Elise," he said softly under his breath.
The initial work up's had been sent out to London, he had also sent a complete set to his contacts up at Credenhill. It had meant calling in a favor or two but finding out as much as they could about this woman and who she worked for could be vitally important to heading off anything else they had planned.
"She is quite an enigma," Nigel's sleepy voice said from behind him.
Without turning Sims answered, "yes, there does seem to be something...unique about her. Hopefully we will get the intel back on her early, maybe having some knowledge about her will convince her to open up."
Nigel had slept fitfully in the security room, but at least sleep had come.
"Why don't you go get some coffee, it is probably going to be another long day." Nigel said as he walked towards the barracks to take a quick shower.
Sims looked at Elise one more time, noting how her breath came in quick shallow gulps.
'Odd for someone as they sleep,' he thought to himself as he left the room, hoping that his mates up north had been able to come up with some information on this strange young woman.
............
Michael and Tera set a steady pace down the lane from the castle. The morning was cool but not cold. The sun had finally banished the gray blanket of dawn and the world was now bathed in warm hues of umber and pink as they made their way through town.
Their pace slowed a bit as they passed the site of the explosion.
The antique shop was in ruins; yellow tape surrounded the ancient building, providing a grotesque boundary to the destruction which lay within its perimeter.
The truck had been removed. Deep gashes from its twisting somersault crisscrossed the ancient stone pavers, some of them being dislodged completely.
Michael's hand moved out from his side and found Tera's. He grasped it lightly as they jogged on, lending a bit of support, and taking some for himself.
In minutes they were beyond the town and picked up they're pace, following a well-traveled path off the main road that lead through a small stand of oaks towards the escarpment.
"Neither you or Valerie have mentioned moving in with me," Michael stated as they crested a small hill, coming out of the copse of trees as they ran on through an open meadow.
Tera looked at him out of the corner of her eye as they ran. She was actually surprised this hadn't come up sooner.
"We haven't been ignoring the offer Michael, we simply needed some time to work out how each of us felt about it. Valerie and I have talked about it, I am sure that sometime in the next few days the three of us will have a chance to sit down and figure something out." Tera said as she picked up the pace a bit, leaving Michael a few lengths back until he adjusted to her faster stride.
"Fair enough, as I said at dinner, I only want you to be happy, I hope you both can be...with me." He said, lengthening his own stride and pulling ahead of Tera.
Smiling she watched him for a moment, his long languid stride, the muscles in his legs stretching and compressing as he moved over the ground.
She had seen many men run, both for the simple joy of it as well as for their lives.
Tera had never seen anyone move with grace and ease Michael did. It was as if he became part of the place. Like watching an animal on its home turf, confident, secure and most importantly, connected on many levels both to himself and his surroundings.
They pulled up at the base of the high escarpment.
Both were covered in a light sheen of sweat that even the cool north wind could not get the best of. Both were breathing deeply, enjoying the exertion of the run.
The path continued up the rocky side of the limestone wall. Winding its way like a pale serpent to the jagged top and the smooth plateau above.
"Shall we?" Michael asked with a smile, as he started up setting an even pace.
Tera followed behind him as they made their way up the path. The higher they went the smaller the path became until they were forced to stop running altogether and walk the final fifty feet to the top.
Cresting the edge they were treated to a wonderful view of the plain beyond.
Rolling hills as far as the eye could see provided an interesting perspective of the places majestic size and scope.
"It's beautiful," Tera said as she slid her arm around Michaels, intertwining her fingers with his.
"It all seems so familiar," Michael said as he turned, pulling Tera along with him.
The town and castle could be seen in the distance. The morning was clear, the air crisp and bracing in a way that you only experience in the fall. Trees still held their fall colors here and there, dotting the landscape with a multitude of earth toned hues from browns and reds to mesmerizing golds and bronzes.
The castle broke the landscape. Sitting atop its defensible hill, it stood, a stalwart sentinel in the morning sun. The colorful tents of rich greens and purples laid out before it like a tapestry haphazardly thrown at its base.
The town was coming to life below them, cars and trucks moving out and through the tight lanes, bringing people from their homes, doted along the landscape, to the festival grounds.
It was a simple but powerful view. One that captured Michael for a few moments. His connection to the place deepening with each passing heartbeat.
"I love you," Michael said turning towards Tera and pulling her into a soft embrace.
He held her there, the world slowing for a moment, only the two of them and their love for each other present.
It was Michael who felt the shift first.
His grip on Tera tightened as he shifted her in his arms, his motion gently pushing her behind him as he turned.
It started as brief nudge against his consciousness, then quickly grew to a full-fledged assault, someone was trying to get into his mind.
By reflex his defenses kicked in, his mind cloaked in unseen mail. He willed it to surround Tera's consciousness as well as he completed his turn to meet whomever was the source.
"Forgive me for intruding," the man said. There was no accent noticeable, which in it's self was noticeable.
