Something was scaring her, something other than the obvious. In spite of her attempt at careless chitchat, she was still wound tight. One wrong move on his part and she’d be off at a sprint, never looking back. Did she fear extradition? The Dark Lands, where many of their people had fled, was a wondrous place, but dangerous as well. It demanded strength from its people, and gave richly to those with the heart to rule it. A spirited girl like her would do well there, but perhaps she didn’t know that. The few of them left here were increasingly ignorant of Dark Land lore. Fallon was a guardian. Together with the Council of Elders, he protected the gate from criminals intent on escaping human justice and regulated the flow of emigrants fleeing the increasing power of the Cult. Only a few families still lingered on Earth. Almost all that remained of their young men had chosen to receive special combat training, protecting their people and the gate until the stragglers could make up their mind to cross over.
