As Luke sped out of town and toward the Hall place, he feared he'd made a mistake by allowing Vanessa to come with him. The situation with Celeste had reached a crisis point, now rapidly spiraling out of control. He was willing to accept the potential risk to himself, but he had no idea how much danger Vanessa might face simply because she was at his side.

Yet when he'd told her she should stay at the clinic, she wouldn't hear of it. Now, he looked over at her and said, "Try calling Liam again."

"I doubt I'll reach him. Remember, he said cell reception's bad out that way." Still, Vanessa made another attempt to contact the young man. 

Luke kept his stare fixed on the road, taking the curves as fast as he dared. His grip was tight on the wheel, and beads of anxious sweat had formed on his brow. 

"No luck," Vanessa said. "Now, please tell me what the hell is going on, Luke!"

How could he possibly explain that Celeste's story—her talk of otherworldly visitors, and her claim that her mother had become pregnant by a man who wasn't human—was apparently true? How could he convince Vanessa when he struggled to fully believe it himself? Even after Geoff had called him with concrete evidence to support the veracity of Celeste's account, Luke balked at accepting it as fact.

In the quiet of his car, and with the darkness pressing in on them from all sides, he related to Vanessa everything Celeste had told him. Holding nothing back, he described the "helpers" who arrived at the community only to seduce all the women and eventually abscond with them to parts (or worlds) unknown. He spoke of Orion, the latest visitor, and the one whom Celeste fell in love with. The one she believed would take her to her "true" home.

Finally, he mentioned the fact that Celeste's birth was the only one which occurred in that community. "I now realize why Celeste's grandmother called the event a miracle," Luke murmured, more to himself than Vanessa. "It was because Celeste was supposedly born to a human mother and a nonhuman father."

"Oh, come on!" Vanessa scoffed. "You yourself said that woman was delusional. And, of course, Celeste believed the same thing; those stories were all she knew. But none of this explains why we're rushing out to find her tonight."

Luke glanced at Vanessa, his eyes pleading for understanding. This had begun to feel like a bizarre dream. "You drew Celeste's blood yourself," he pointed out quietly. 

"And?" She turned in the seat to face him. "What did Geoff say about the results of her bloodwork?"

Luke shook his head as if to clear the lingering haze of bewilderment from his mind. "He said her blood isn't human."

"What?" Vanessa shrieked. "That's impossible. We followed all proper procedures in collecting and transporting those samples."

"I know that; potential contamination isn't an issue here. Geoff couldn't make any sense of it, so he sent the specimens to another lab for further testing. Somehow, the results got passed along to some very important people, and those people are coming to the clinic tomorrow morning."

"Why?" Vanessa demanded.

Luke drew in a shaky breath. "They want to transport Celeste to some high-security facility. If they succeed in doing so, I assume she'll undergo more testing, and far more extensive examination." His tone reflected his grim mood as he imagined what the young woman might be forced to endure. "She was telling me the truth, Vanessa. About everything. And I won't let her be taken to some secret facility and treated as a lab experiment. At the very least, I have to warn her." 

"Wait!" Vanessa uttered that single word as a curt order. "Luke, there has to be a logical explanation. You can't honestly believe she's not human!"

"And what if I do? I'm clearly not the only one," Luke said. "Geoff sounded scared shitless during that call. He's terrified of being dragged even deeper into this."

Vanessa fell silent for a long moment as she considered his words. "How do you think you can help Celeste?" she finally asked. 

He gave a helpless shrug. "I didn't tell Geoff where she's originally from; he has only her first name. If she leaves tonight, she can head back into the mountains. She'll have a fighting chance at escaping these people."

"And what about Liam?" Vanessa sounded both indignant and gravely concerned. "If your suspicions about these people are right, they'll assume he helped her get away. What repercussions will he face?"

Luke started to admit he hadn't worked out every detail. How the hell could he have managed that, when he'd just gotten the news from Geoff? But what he saw in the night sky made his jaw drop.

"Do you see that light on the horizon?" he asked Vanessa. "Just above the mountains?"

She gasped, clearly startled. "What is that? Do you think there's a fire out that way?"

Luke's pulse began a rapid pounding beneath his skin. That patch of night sky, directly beyond the ridge Celeste had so recently climbed, looked as though the aurora borealis was flickering upon it. A myriad of colors swirled and then faded out before bursting into brightness again.

"No," he whispered. "I don't think that's what it is at all." 

A minute later, they reached the long driveway which led past the Halls' main house and toward Liam's cottage. As they approached, the light in the sky grew brighter, illuminating the trees and driving back the shadows.

Luke grew weak with relief when he spotted Liam's SUV. Parking beside it, he cut the lights and the engine. It was a short distance to Liam's house, and as Luke studied the dwelling, he noticed the porch light glowing. His heart raced even faster at the sight of two figures standing at the bottom of the porch steps. 

He quickly got out of the car and rushed over to the passenger side. When Vanessa had climbed out of the vehicle as well, he reached for her hand. "Stay close," he told her.

They strode through the darkness and toward the cottage. Liam and Celeste had seen them arrive, and Liam now called out, "Dr. Luke, what's going on?" As he spoke, he pointed toward the eerie gleam in the sky. 

Instead of calling back, Luke broke into a run. Vanessa's strong legs enabled her to easily keep pace with him. Celeste must have recognized the panic in Luke's expression, for her eyes widened as he cupped her face in his hands. 

"Celeste, we have to get you out of here," Luke said. Fighting back the ache in his chest, he hurried on. "I believe you. About Orion, and about your father. And now..." Tenderly, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You have to believe me when I tell you you're not safe here."

"Of course she is," Liam quickly protested. "I've been taking good care of her, and she's been fine since she left the clinic."

"It's nothing to do with you," Luke told him while fighting back a surge of frustration. "If she doesn't leave now, she'll be taken far from this area against her will."

"Who would do that? And why?" Liam's voice rang out with growing alarm. 

Luke gave Vanessa an entreating look, as if she could possibly help him explain. She merely shook her head, her gaze both sympathetic and full of resignation. There was no way to make Liam understand. 

Again, Luke focused his attention on Celeste, for she was the one he needed to convince. But she didn't seem to be listening to either him or Liam. Instead, her stare had settled on the woods. Luke noticed that her body was taut, ready to spring. His own alarm compelled him to turn and try to detect what she'd spotted.

And then he saw it. Or him, rather. A man steadily walking through the tall grass, headed in their direction. Though the stranger's demeanor didn't convey a threat, Luke felt something akin to fear crawling up his spine. 

Celeste didn't say a word, didn't even make a sound. Before Luke could try to stop her, she bolted. Swift as a deer, she ran toward the approaching figure, with her long hair fanning out behind her.

Unlike Celeste, Vanessa was plenty shocked. "Who the hell is that?" Her grip was tight on Luke's arm.

He looked from her to Liam, who was watching Celeste with a stricken expression. Liam knew, Luke realized. He knew he was about to lose the woman he loved.

When Vanessa repeated her question, far louder this time, Luke said, "It's Orion."

The three of them turned to regard the couple, who were now embracing. From where Luke stood, he could see Celeste's huge smile. Above her, the sky faded back to darkness; it was as if her body had absorbed all that light, and she beamed from its glow.

Like a gleeful girl, she held fast to Orion's hand and drew him toward Liam's house. As they neared, Luke closely scrutinized the stranger's features. The man looked completely normal, about Liam's height and with hair just as dark. His smile bore no trace of menace. If Luke had to estimate his age, he would have guessed he was in his early thirties. 

Despite the man's friendly manner, Luke wrapped his arm around Vanessa, as if to protect her. While she huddled against him, he felt her trembling. 

When Celeste and the man stood before them, she made breathless introductions. "I told you Orion would come back!" she exclaimed to Luke. "And you were right: he found me here at Liam's."

Beside Luke, Liam made a pained sound, like a soft whimper. Luke extended a hand and placed it on the young man's shoulder. He sensed that during the time Celeste had been at this house after leaving the clinic, she'd told Liam everything. Luke recognized the shock on Liam's face; he could practically hear Liam's thoughts and his struggle to fully comprehend what was happening right before his eyes.

If Orion had been just any other man, Luke guessed that Liam might have challenged him. He might have been willing to fight to keep Celeste here. 

But Orion wasn't any other man. He wasn't a man at all.

"Thank you for taking good care of Celeste," Orion said. Though his voice was low and gentle, Vanessa started at the sound of it. Turning to Celeste, Orion's smile reflected the blatant joy in hers. "Now, it's time for me to take you home."

"Wait a fucking minute!" Vanessa shouted. When Luke tried to take hold of her arm, she easily pulled free of his grasp, then stepped toward Orion. "How do we know you're not some asshole who's filled this woman's head with lies? All we have is a weird test result and a freaky light in the sky to back up your story."

Luke held his breath, preparing to defend Vanessa against Orion's rage. But the man merely tilted his head, his smile fading to something more thoughtful.

With his gaze fixed on Vanessa's face, Orion said, "On the day your divorce was finalized, a friend drove you to a bar for drinks. You were celebrating your new freedom."

Though Vanessa didn't respond, Luke saw the jolt that went through her upon hearing Orion's words.

"You drank so many mojitos," the man went on, "that you ended up getting sick during the ride home. To this day, the taste of mint makes you a little queasy."

Vanessa stared at Orion, dumbfounded. "How the hell do you know that?" she managed to ask. "You can't possibly know that!"

Orion locked eyes with Luke. "I sense you have some lingering doubt as well," he continued in that same pleasant tone. "When you were pre-med, you feared you weren't cut out to be a doctor, after all. You stayed awake many nights, overwhelmed with anxiety. It reached the point that you threatened to give up on your dream altogether. But your then-girlfriend played that song, 'Doctor! Doctor!' over and over until she wore you down and made you promise to stick with it."

Luke's knees threatened to buckle, but there was nothing he could grab onto for support. Vanessa looked as stunned as he felt. 

Finally, Orion turned to Liam. "And what about you? Do you need proof that I'm who I claim to be?"

Liam swallowed hard and shook his head. His face was so ashen that Luke worried he might topple over. Luke wondered if Orion could sense the young man's distress, for he leaned forward and rested a hand on Liam's arm.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Orion said. Looking over at Luke, he added, "And yours. I want to assure you that things won't always be this dire. In fact, a vaccine will soon be developed which will protect you from the illness currently circulating through the human population."

Luke echoed Vanessa's disbelief by asking, "How can you know that?" It was then that he realized he couldn't keep the image of Orion's face fixed in his memory. If he so much as glanced away for a second, the stranger's features grew hazy in his mind. Already, he doubted he'd be able to recall what the man looked like later. 

"Time as you know it is an illusion," Orion explained. "It doesn't proceed in a linear fashion. What you consider the future is already known from my perspective."

At his side, Celeste listened, utterly fascinated. Orion placed a hand against the small of her back as he said, "Luke was correct to warn you; the situation here has become perilous. And your family is eagerly waiting for you to arrive. Your mother and father, especially."

"Conditions are right for me to leave," Celeste stated this as a fact she wholeheartedly accepted.

Her words made Orion smile. "They are. And you need to say goodbye to your friends now."

Celeste's happiness waned when she looked at Liam and saw his distress. He lowered his head, his shoulders curving inward. She moved to wrap her arms around his neck, and he hugged her fiercely in return. Witnessing the scene, Luke felt a lump rise in his throat. 

Though Liam buried his face in Celeste's hair, the question that fell from his lips was perfectly clear: "Can't I go with you?"

Vanessa took a step forward. "Liam," she said, her voice soft and soothing. "Sweetheart, no."

Luke waited for Celeste to explain that what Liam wanted was impossible. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at Orion, her eyes imploring.

Orion held Celeste's stare, and Luke sensed the unspoken conversation occurring between them. A seemingly eternal moment passed before the stranger addressed Liam. "In our world, you won't have the same form."

Despite this startling revelation, Liam instantly appeared hopeful. "As long as Celeste and I are together, I'm okay with that."

"Liam, think of what you're saying!" Vanessa cried. "You can't just leave with them!"

The firm set of Liam's jaw conveyed his resolve. "I know you're worried about me, Vanessa, but I'll be fine. There's nothing for me here; my family's gone, and all I have is this job. Probably not for long, either. I'm guessing the Halls will get rid of me once they return."

Taking Celeste's hand, Liam brought it to his lips. "The only thing I'm sure of," he told her, "is that I belong by your side. With you, I'm happier than I've ever been."

Celeste drew him close, and as they shared a tender kiss, Luke glanced at Orion. The man observed this affectionate exchange with the same equanimity he'd displayed since arriving here tonight.  

Finally breaking the kiss, Celeste stroked Liam's cheek. "I love you," she said, "and I promise we'll never be apart."

Luke felt Orion's stare on him then. When their eyes met, Orion lifted an eyebrow, his smile almost playful. "And how about you, Luke? Do you wish to accompany us?"

"No," Luke immediately replied. Reaching for Vanessa's hand, he added, "I belong right here."

Vanessa blinked back tears as she gave his hand a squeeze. 

"The distance between our worlds is not nearly as vast as you might think," Orion told Luke. "Don't forget, Celeste wanted a part of you. And while I realize she was quite insistent..." The man flashed a knowing smile. "You did fulfill her desire. Because of you, she's undergone a transformation of sorts. As have you, Luke. While you two will continue your lives in different realms, a connection has been forged between you. A connection that won't be severed."

Luke felt helpless, unable to fathom the meaning of Orion's words. He could only hope that understanding would come to him in time.

Celeste slipped from Liam's arms, her smile warm as she reached for Luke. While they embraced, he felt a pang of sorrow, for despite Orion's assurances, this seemed far too much like a final goodbye.  

Again, Luke cradled her face in his hands. "Take good care of yourself," he whispered. "And take good care of Liam."

"I promise I will." Pressing a palm against his chest, she added, "And I promise you're going to be fine, Luke."

He planted a kiss on her forehead, then let her go.

Finally, Celeste turned to Vanessa. "Thank you for helping me," she whispered. "And thank you for being so kind." 

To Luke's surprise, Vanessa allowed the woman to hug her. Whatever jealousy and resentment Vanessa might have felt seemed to evaporate during that fleeting embrace.

When Celeste returned to Orion's side, she beckoned for Liam to join them. He readily did so, his own smile unwavering. "What now?" the young man asked. His voice held an unmistakable note of excitement.

"Now," Orion said, "we walk to those woods, and toward the mountains."

Without question, Liam wrapped an arm around Celeste's waist. The two followed Orion, their steps effortless even in heavy shadow. Luke held Vanessa to him as they watched the retreating figures.

"My God," Vanessa suddenly spoke. "Luke, do you see that?"

He did see it, even when he repeatedly blinked in a futile attempt to correct his vision. As the trio neared the woods, it appeared that they drew their surroundings closer around them: the tall grass, the narrow footpath, even the night itself. All of it constricted to a mere pinpoint before vanishing entirely.

In fear, Vanessa pressed her face to Luke's chest. Struggling to control his shaking, he held her tighter and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the night was as it should be, instantly recognizable. But there was no trace of Celeste and Liam. Or of the being who had escorted them home.

Epilogue

Luke and Vanessa lay on the bed, relishing the breeze which drifted through the open window and caressed their naked skin. While the early fall Saturday had started out crisp and cool, the afternoon had grown plenty warm. Before long, they'd rise and get started on dinner, but right now, lust captured their attention. 

With a lube-slick hand, Vanessa stroked Luke's cock. Her fingers were languid, almost tantalizing while fondling his tip, yet she effortlessly coaxed forth a bead of precum. Releasing a pleasured sigh, Luke drew her even closer. She lay on her side, the front of her body pressed against him as he rested on his back. When she struck up a sensual rhythm, he moaned and lowered his mouth to hers.

"I love you," he whispered against Vanessa's lips. The pureness of those words provided a delicious contrast to the obscene sound of her skin gliding over his. 

"I love you, too," she whispered back. The smile she bestowed on him was angelic even as her hand pumped away at his cock. 

Luke's eyelids fluttered closed, for the exquisite sensation quickly intensified. They shared another kiss, and the feel of Vanessa's tongue exploring his mouth made his erection pulse.  

Easily, she discerned his heightening arousal. And just as easily, she moved to straddle him, then took his cock inside her. With her dark red hair tumbling past her shoulders, she appeared wild, utterly carefree. Breathing fast, Luke swept his gaze over her body. He cupped her breasts in his hands, gently kneading those firm mounds. 

Vanessa rode him at a fluid pace, and he soon broke into a sweat while trying to last. The hand job would have been more than enough to summon his climax; now, he worried their lovemaking would quickly lead to his undoing. 

Leaning forward, she worked her flesh against him. That grinding provided ample stimulation to her clit as his cock throbbed inside her. Fuck, he was so close!

A visible tremor coursed through Vanessa's muscles, and when she began quaking, Luke knew she was almost there. Her hips moved at a frenzied speed, drawing a whimper from his throat.

Her fierce orgasm served as a release valve for the pressure that had built within him. His loud groan signaled a complete surrender, for she remained in control even while succumbing to her own ecstasy. Her hips slowed but didn't halt; instead, her body continued its glorious undulations until he was certain she'd drained him dry.

A laugh, low and delightful, escaped her lips as she brushed strands of hair back from her face. Luke stared up at her, still in mild disbelief that such an incredible woman had given her heart to him. 

When she again lay at his side, he took her in his arms. Their kiss, lingering and imbued with affection, made him wish they could stay like this forever. Even after Vanessa nestled against him and drifted off to sleep, he remained awake, reluctant to lose even a second of such profound happiness. 

In the quiet of early evening which settled over the room, Luke allowed himself to think on all that had happened in just a few months. After Celeste and Liam left with Orion, numerous "officials" who refused to identify themselves had descended upon the clinic, demanding to know the whereabouts of Luke's patient. He'd directed them to the Hall place, and from there, the clandestine search for Celeste extended beyond the property to the woods, and the mountains beyond.

It didn't take them long to locate the abandoned community where Celeste had been born and raised. Both Luke and Vanessa endured hours of interrogation, and they both unfailingly repeated their claim that Liam and Celeste must have run off together. Their story was greeted with predictable skepticism, especially since Liam's SUV had been left behind.

But no one could prove that Luke or Vanessa had knowledge of Celeste's whereabouts, so they were given a stern warning to keep their mouths shut about the woman, and about the abnormal results of her blood tests. 

"Celeste was my patient," Luke reminded the officials. "I'm obligated to keep all her information confidential."

For weeks afterward, Luke was on edge, worried he or Vanessa would be hauled in for more questioning. Even in private, they didn't speak of what they knew. Yet it was Luke who arranged for Celeste's grandmother to have a proper burial. Her gravesite was in a small cemetery which offered a view of the mountains. Helena was also buried in that cemetery. During Luke's frequent visits, he placed fresh flowers on his late wife's grave, and on the grave of the woman whom Celeste had so deeply loved and mourned.

Eventually, a sense of normalcy returned to life in their town, especially when Orion's prediction of a vaccine came to pass. Administered nasally, the vaccine provided lasting protection against the virus which had decimated the world's population. 

The pandemic was now in the past. The heartrending, devastating past. But Celeste? She still felt achingly present to Luke. While packing up his belongings in the house he and Helena once shared, and which he would list for sale before moving in with Vanessa, Luke often expected to see Celeste stroll into the room. At the clinic, he sometimes opened an exam room door in anticipation of finding her there, waiting for him. 

Frequently, he felt her as a presence beside him, so strong that he couldn't help but turn in hopes of catching a glimpse of her smile. 

Orion had said that their worlds were far closer than Luke could imagine. Finally, Luke thought he understood. And while it was true that he'd given part of himself to Celeste, he wondered if he'd taken something from her in return. At times, he was so convinced of her nearness that it seemed she lingered just beneath his skin.

His mind exhausted itself in contemplating the unfathomable. With Vanessa curled up at his side, he finally yielded to sleep. When he woke an hour later, evening shadows had permeated the room. 

Immediately, Luke inhaled deeply, waiting to feel the once-familiar tightening in his chest. Instead, he breathed easy, as he had since the night he'd discovered the truth about Celeste, and since she'd promised he would be okay.

Now, a soft smile formed on his lips as he placed a hand over his heart. His lungs, now fully healed, continued their effortless working. He hoped Celeste could somehow hear him when he whispered his thanks for that small miracle.