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that’s what we call them – figure they can take over anywhere they want, and armed with that idea, they travel around looking for new civilizations to conquer. The Tyon Collective was formed to deal with the problem.”
    â€œAnd you’re part of the Tyon … whatever it is.” Alec raised a skeptical eyebrow. The whole thing sounded like something from one of Peter’s sci-fi novels.
    â€œCollective. Yes. We are. And soon, with a bit of training, you will be, too.” Darius smiled.
    â€œAnd this Rhozan guy?”
    â€œIs one of the Others, yes.” Darius replied.
    If this Darius guy thought he was gullible enough to believe that crock of garbage, he had another thought coming. There had to be another explanation. Alec glanced over at Riley to assess her reaction. Her lips had thinned to a dark purple line. She wasn’t drinking her juice. Maybe it was poisoned? His stomach dropped at the thought. How much had he drunk?
    â€œThere’s nothing in the juice except juice. Don’t worry.” Anna must have noticed his expression. “Finish it and you’ll feel better. You too, Riley.”
    Darius continued. “We tried to get here first, sow the seeds of resistance, so to speak. And, unfortunately for you, we were right. He’s here.”
    â€œThe woman in the red dress,” Riley muttered almost to herself.
    â€œYes, in a manner of speaking. And this is where it gets a bit weird. The woman you met at the concert, and the other one at the drive-through, are puppets, a figment of Rhozan’s will that manifests itself in innocent bystanders and is capable of killing.”
    â€œHang on there a minute.” Riley had pushed her juice to one side and was leaning over the table, peering at Darius with frank incredulity. “What do you mean, a puppet? She blackened my eye and broke two of my ribs. And who the hell is Rhozan?”
    â€œRhozan is the one who wants you dead,” Darius said.
    The room was completely silent.
    â€œHow long have you been off your meds?” Riley leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. With her eyebrow piercing she reminded Alec of a skeptical Vulcan.
    â€œRhozan is no joke. Sorry,” said Darius.
    â€œOh, come on. This is ridiculous.” Riley’s voice rose. “I’ve never met anyone named Rhozan. There is no reason on Earth why he wants me dead.”
    â€œThe reason isn’t on Earth. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Darius sighed. He looked up at Anna. “You try.”
    Anna let go of Riley’s shoulders and walked to the side of the table so that she could look both Riley and Alec in the eye. “The Tyon Collective is a secret intergalactic agency concerned with maintaining the balance between self-direction and interference. The Others, of whom Rhozan is a member, are pan-dimensional beings that feed off negative emotions, such as anger, despair and misery. They travel from place to place and devour weaker worlds. We try to stop them within the boundaries the Celestial Council permits.
    â€œIn simple terms, Riley, we’re the good guys. Rhozan and the Others are the bad ones. And you and Alec, like the rest of the individuals here, are the rare humans with the inborn strength to fight his invasion. That’s why he wants you dead. And that’s why we need to protect and train you.”
    â€œTrain me for what?” Alec interrupted. He was almost afraid to ask.
    â€œTo fight Rhozan and save your world,” Darius said softly, “because you are the only ones who can.”

6

    A lec watched Darius rummage in the cupboard for a moment. He tossed a small glass ball from one hand to the other as he walked to Alec’s side. He pitched the crystal and Alec caught it without thinking.
    â€œYou’re going to need an orb,” Darius said.
    Alec rolled it around in the palm of his hand. The bluish glass was warm and it seemed to