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else ... lies, all lies. He bought it. It was wrong and he finally saw that...” her words petered out as he poured the last of his strength into her. She was running out of time.
    “This is going to hurt and I haven’t got enough left to help you out.”
    “Enough what?” she whispered, aware she’d been zoning out.
    “Power. It took all I had to make the jump. Bite on this.” He slipped a narrow branch between her teeth.
    The woman struggled, shaking her head violently.
    “You have to. Kathleen. Listen to me. I can knock you out, okay?”
    The woman bucked and thrashed until Trey took pity and removed the branch.
    She spit out, “No!”
    “Have it your way. Now be still. I can’t exactly see what I’m doing here.”
    “No! Stop. I don’t want you to.”
    “Kathleen, if I don’t, you will die. You might anyway.”
    “I want to.”
    “You want ... what?”
    “I’m dead no matter what. I’ll never see my home again, my children, my husband. You. Them. It makes no difference. Whoever has me, has them. Do you understand? I don’t want that.”
    Trey did understand, all too well. His life had been one of choices, choices that had shaped not just his future but his people’s too. She was right. His mission was to get her to their labs where she would spend what amounted to eternity in an alien space-time dimension being dissected and rebuilt until nothing remained of her humanity or sanity. He’d seen it too often over the centuries. Although he barely knew her, somehow this seemed wrong. His gut instinct told him there was another way. He didn’t like it and he would have to live with it. There would be consequences.
    Reluctantly he said, “All right.”
    “Thank you,” she said simply. She smiled softly as he tenderly wiped the blood away from the corner of her mouth. “I never got to tell you...”
    “Don’t. The less I know the better.”
    “This you need to know. The man my husband trained?” Swallowing with difficulty, she fought against the pain and rasped, “My son, it’s my son, Kieran.”
    Trey stared at her intently. “Does he have powers?”
    “Yesss,” she hissed and wretched, thrashing in agony. “Not mine. Not sure how to explain. Dangerous.”
    Trey growled, “So am I.”
    “They say you are...”
    “I’m what?”
    Kathleen gurgled, “A demon, the devil. A being without a soul.” She bit her lip, drawing more blood to add to the steady stream.
    “Shh, lay back.”
    “You have to protect her.”
    “Who?” Trey recognized the glaze forming over her eyes. He gripped her hands, willing energy into her but knowing it was far too late. All he could offer now was comfort.
    On her last breath she sighed, “You will know her as your own...”
    Trey sat back on his heels pondering the enigmatic words. He gently closed the woman’s eyes and said a silent prayer of benediction. She had laid a debt on him, one he wasn’t sure he was prepared to carry.
    He reached inside the hollows of his soul and felt unfamiliar stirrings. With his stiletto, he worked at the soft earth, stabbing and scooping, lost to all but his aching heart. He wished he could give this brave woman a proper tribute—a pyre and a song of triumph as befitting her sacrifice. All he could do was offer his pledge.
    As he laid the last stones atop the shallow grave he intoned, “I so avow.”
    ****
    T rey felt in his jeans pocket for his cell phone and quickly scanned the text message. He’d been on the road for over a week, riding shotgun with long-haulers willing to take on a hitcher. He’d developed a real fondness for TA truck stops with their showers and mini-rec rooms where he could relax, watch TV and catch up on the news; however, he grew weary of fast food and slugging back energy drinks to stay awake.
    Avoiding the Portals, he decided to mask his return to headquarters, at least for a time. The memory of Kathleen O’Brien and her bravery lingered; and he could not shake the feeling that he could