QSFer Carol Holland March has a new MM Sci Fi book out:
The saga of the dreamwalkers of Larreta continues.
Leo, who can look backward in time, joins forces with Jesse who sees the future, even when it endangers his life.
The two must combine their skills to stop time rifts from destroying Larreta, and then Earth. But Jesse hasn’t learned to control his abilities. And Leo doesn’t dare succumb to his passion for the beautiful newcomer.
The fate of two worlds depends on the bond of trust developing between them but the dark puppet master behind the rifts has other plans. And patience is her greatest virtue.
The Dreamwalkers of Larreta Book Two
Excerpt
“Hey,” Leo said. “You’re a dreamwalker, not a robot. You can’t run for hours without stopping.”
“I did stop. I saw something.”
“What?”
“Only a glimpse. A black hole and a flash of green. Pointed teeth. Huge ones.” He shivered. “Then the picture changed. You went with the horses.”
“Horses? What are you talking about?”
Jesse’s eyes looked haunted. “I stopped to rest by the big rocks. I was trying to calm down, and while I sat there, I saw an image of you and me walking on a path, rough, full of stones, in the dark. It might have been a desert. There were hoof beats. Horses. A whole herd galloped by. Dust was everywhere, and I started to choke. You pushed me against a rock and covered me with your body. I couldn’t see much, but the hooves sounded like thunder. I smelled their sweat. Then they were gone.”
“Okay. It was a vision and now it’s over. It could mean almost anything.”
“That’s not all. After the horses went by, you followed them. You disappeared into the herd. When they had gone, one huge white horse stood there. It looked right at me with these big, sad eyes, and said, ‘I will watch over him.’ Then it trotted away and left me alone.”
The now-familiar sensation of being in over his head washed through Leo. “Nobody’s going anywhere, Jesse. I’m right here. Everyone else is inside, and we don’t have horses on Larreta.”
“No?”
“Not a one. Don’t know why. What you saw was a vision. It had to be symbolic of something. Okay?”
“Okay.” Jesse’s breathing had slowed. “I guess if there aren’t any horses, it couldn’t have been the future.”
“You’re a fucking visionary, my friend.”
Jesse smiled and ducked his head.
“I want to show you something.” Leo rose and pulled Jesse up. “Everything’s moved so fast, I never took you to the cove. It’s on a little beach with a waterfall that creates a warm pond. It’s the perfect place to relax.”
Jesse looked interested. “Where is it?”
“On the other side of the jetty.” Leo pointed north. “Can you make it?”
“Sure.”
They didn’t talk as they walked along the water’s edge. At the rocks, Leo said, “Climb over or swim around?”
“Swim.”
Leo undressed and piled his clothes on a dry rock. Jesse followed his lead. In the water, Jesse stayed beside him, and they walked onto the little beach of the cove together. Leo went to the pool and stepped in. He stood under the waterfall to wash away the salt, but Jesse stayed at the water’s edge, taking in the cliff, the waterfall, and the rainbow glittering where sunlight met the falling water.
“This is amazing.” He ran the few steps to the cave, disappeared inside and came out grinning, holding a bottle of water in one hand. “This is your hideaway. Don’t deny it.”
Leo reclined in the undulating water and waved him into the pool. “An open secret. Brian keeps it stocked with towels and water. I come here to get away from the crowd of people at the house.”
Jesse grinned at his small joke. Valerie often complained about how empty the house was.
Jesse stepped into the pool. “Warm,” he murmured. He placed the bottle on the sand and stood under the waterfall, eyes closed. He turned in a circle and slicked back his hair with both hands. “I used to do this on Earth when I went hiking. I’d walk miles to stand under a waterfall. It’s so primal.”
Leo watched him shake himself like a dog. It was one way he let go of his fear. Leo said, “Come, sit.”
Jesse flashed him a smile as he lowered himself beside Leo. “Convenient,” he said as he fitted his neck into the second open space in the rocks that lined the edge of the pool. He stretched out and closed his eyes. “This is perfect.” Jesse’s arms and legs floated in the water. “Thank you.”
Leo closed his eyes and focused on controlling his reaction to Jesse’s body floating beside him. He had almost succeeded when Jesse’s hand drifted over and glanced off his thigh. Jesse didn’t open his eyes, but the hand stayed there, resting against him. His foot found Leo’s foot.
“Are you better?” Leo asked, to distract himself.
“Yeah. This is . . . exactly what I needed.” Jesse’s mouth curved. “So you don’t think the horses meant anything?”
“They mean something to you, but I’m damned sure you won’t meet any on Larreta. If you’re seeing the future, it isn’t this timeline.”
“Okay.” Jesse’s hand moved an inch, up and down Leo’s thigh. “It’s tricky, isn’t it? The future?”
“Probabilities,” Leo said. “Hard to know which one is likely to materialize. Mostly I see the past, so I don’t have much experience figuring it out.”
Jesse’s hand pressed harder. It crept toward the underside of his leg. Leo tried to focus on his breath, but it didn’t help. “Jesse, we oughta . . .”
“What?” Jesse lips were close to his ear. He moved against Leo, water sloshed, pressure against his side, warm flesh.
“Oh, lordy.” Leo turned and pulled Jesse toward him. “You are hard to resist.”
“Good,” Jesse said just before their lips met.
Author Bio
Carol Holland March lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of the last places in the U.S. where the veil between the worlds is sometimes visible. She writes about the intersection of dreams, reality, and time, and of course, love. Her books are published by Ellysian Press and Fireborn Publishing.