Shield of Innocence (Alternate Places Book 4) by P.S. Power Read Free Book Online Page B

done anyway. Of course he
wasn't going for himself, but to help the others, so they'd know it wasn't that
bad, and would be willing to try.
    Looking at the man, Zack felt
really proud for a moment. He was a human too, but willing to face his greatest
fears to help others. A thing that he had been doing for a long time now. Going
off with the strange pale, tall vampire that came, and helping the being find
lost and abused children. Fighting, and even killing, to either get them back
or avenge them.
    It was both brave, and needed.
Someone had to speak for the innocent after all.
    Zack smiled.
    "You can do this. When it
feels like you can't, keep moving back to a single point. I won't lie, this
will be hard at times, but you're the strongest person I've ever met, Troy. I
think that Eve was right about that. You can do this. I have great faith in
you, too. Also, I'll be there the whole time, so, you know, other than it being
dark, you won't have anything to worry about." Then, without saying
anything more, and knowing that Charli was watching them closely, her eyes
wide, Zack stepped through, dragging an unsuspecting Troy Lopez with him.
    Wrapping his best friend up in
his own being, ready to move out of the line if he couldn't handle it. Keeping
that part of his thoughts away from him.
    The sense of the nothingness
around them was vast, and small at the same time. Comforting to him. Troy on
the other hand had to fight back raw panic over the idea. It was so great that
Zack nearly pulled him from the line, even as time slowed around them. Inside a
few hours however, that was gone, and his pal was making it. Focusing like he'd
told him to.
    Not giving up, like Eve had said.
    At about five years, earlier than
anyone else had ever managed, Zack spoke to him, and then, carefully, set him
adrift in the void, on his own. Waiting, in that timeless single moment that
stretched out for decades, then over a hundred years. Finally, Troy moved back to
him, butting into him gently with the dense and tight ball of intent that he'd
become.
    What time is it? Outside?
    It was a first. Most of the
others had barely remembered the outer world at that point in their training,
but Troy had come to help others, so it seemed right that he'd worry about
them.
    Let's go see? My best guess is
that it will be an hour or two. Maybe less. I'll show you how to find the node
points and open them? You can do that now. Then I'll abandon you here, and you
can either become millions of years old, or work out how to escape. That sounds
fun, right?
    There was a hint of a snort, a
thing that came across more as intent than anything else, but was clear. Then a
single word came at him. It had friendly overtone, at least.
    Asshole.
    That, in a way was true, Zack
realized. He'd been taking people into the void, risking their lives, for
hundreds, and at times thousands of years. True, he pulled those that failed,
far more than those that could handle it, instantly, but it was still a danger
to them.
    Worse, he expected Troy to fail
at opening the rifts. Not because he hadn't done well, but due to the fact that
nearly everyone that had even gotten that far, all twenty of them, had.
    Troy however moved away from him,
waiting, and when Zack focused on the weak point in space that was a node that
entered a different world, he felt the right kind of intention coming from the
smaller impression that was his best friend.
    It did take a few tries for Troy
to get it, but he went out first, into the back of Candles and More.
    Zack felt a smile that couldn't
exist, and went after him. It was the right one, after all, and the place was
still open. In fact, Lisa was in her office speaking on the phone. Half
yelling.
    "Look, we have a schedule
for a reason! I really doubt that Zack will view you needing to make an
appointment as an emergency, dad." She looked up as he tucked his head
around the corner, Troy having frozen in place, watching the world around
himself, outside the line. The