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A dark man at Helen’s side lifted his blade and shifted his body so that it shielded Helen’s "Stay back," he warned, his race," he begged "I have no intent to frighten any of you"

"Letto hurt row, and hushed voices repeated for the newcomers what had passed

Helen reached out her hand and Lucien saw that it trembled "Where did you come from?" she asked

"Athanasia"

Gilda hissed and pulled Helen’s hand back "Liar The gate is closed"

"Not to h to this world"

Gilda didn’t believe hi on her face "Why do you coainst the Synestryn My father’s anger barred the gate shut, but a few of us know the folly in that We know that if you Sentinels fall, there will be nothing left to stand between us and the Synestryn We have groeak in our decadence They would destroy us"

Gilda’s voice tre us for help? To build our ht harder? Do you really think that we care whether or not your people are wiped fro to sacrifice more for you who shun us?"

Lucien’s heart ached hearing the bitterness spewing froer such as hers A loss Lucien knew all too well "How many of your children have died?" he asked in a tender voice

Gilda’s jaw hardened, but he saw the sheen of tears brighten her black eyes for a er burned them away "Go back to where you came from We have no need of you here"

"But you do," said Lucien, looking out to the desperate , andtiht on first "You’ve come here and bedded human women, haven’t you?"

Lucien nodded "We’ve sired daughters It’s hard to kno many since we can’t travel here often, and time passes much more swiftly here on Earth"

"My ht stand?"

Lucien frowned at the ter "I lay with your rooo Had you been born in my world, you’d yet be a babe"

Helen looked at her husband, then back at Lucien "I thought you’d abandoned us"

"Never If I’d been able, I would have been with you every day But it isimpossible"

Helen stepped forward and took Lucien into her arms He stood there, stiff in her embrace, unsure of what to do He didn’t know her, hadn’t seen her grow, and yet he loved her still How could that be? How could so much love pour out of him and he still remain intact?

Lucien didn’t know, but now, in this moment, he didn’t care Helen was here and safe She’d found her place a back tears "You said there were others I have sisters?"

Lucien nodded "Two Jackie and Alexandra Are they here?"

Gilda shook her head "No But wethey are still alive"

"Wait," said Helen’s husband "Alexandra ht be Lexi"

Helen’s eyes widened and she scra in her pocket She toyed with it a mohter s he’d ever seen in his long, long life

"You should coot a surprise for you"

C

hapter 27

Lexi and Zach rushed outside toward the co yard Lexi’s body was still a little weak and Zach was right at her side, his strong ar of people had gathered around the engraved boulder on the training field, and at the center of that commotion was a man Lexi had never seen before

He had odd liquid gold eyes and rich, dark hair He was beautiful in the sauinar were--as if he’d been sculpted to sit on a shelf and be adaunt features He looked healthy Robust, like the Theronai

Helen stood at the edge of the crowd, anxiously shifting her weight from foot to foot as she waited for Lexi to co with a childlike glee

Just seeing her friend look so happy made Lexi’s heart warm

"What is it?" she asked

"You’re never going to believe it," said Helen She cla in a secret, then blurted out, "Our father is here He came from this other world where the Sentinels all came from He wants to meet us"

Meet us? Us?

The irab Zach’s arround "We’re sisters?"

Helen nodded, ht around the neck "No wonder I spilled uess we had a connection even then"

Lexi was too stunned to speak It was too much to believe Her father was some kind of alien from another world And he was here

"Easy," whispered Zach His grip on her arhtened and he slid his arm around her body to steady her She hadn’t realized until then that she’d nearly fallen on her ass

"I want to see him," said Lexi