Shangri-la
Chapter 13
Ice, ice, ice!
There was no doubt in Lotus’s mind that she needed to be wary of Alder. She could sense her spirit guide–Lune–pacing around anxiously, growling warnings at the strange man asleep in her car. And yet . . .
Lotus was curious about him. She wanted, needed, to know how he was connected to Shangri-la, and how he could see their spirit guides. The spirits were supposed to be personal – so personal that only the human they were guarding could sense them. Alder unsettled her.
Iris didn’t like him at all either.
Ultimately, Lotus knew that there was only one action for her to take, and it saddened and relieved her at the same time. That night while Alder slept, she and Iris would leave him to continue their quest to free Shangri-la.
It’s the best thing to do, right Shangri-la? He is the one you warned me about.
A feeling of affirmation washed over Lotus. Her curiosity about Alder was going to have to be pushed aside and ignored.
“Is something bothering you?” Iris asked quietly, surprising Lotus.
Turning to look at Iris, Lotus frowned, studying the girl’s green eyes. They were pretty, bright, and achingly similar to windows into Shangri-la. “I made a mistake,” Lotus whispered.
“How so?” Iris whispered back, sensing that the moment was too private for a normal voice.
“Alder. I should have never brought him here. I should have never followed his aura.”
“Why do you say that?” Iris asked.
“Can’t you sense it?” Lotus sighed and looked away. “He’s bad luck.”
Iris nodded, opening her mouth to speak but stopping herself at the last moment. “Why did you help him then?” she asked instead of her original words.
“He’s connected to Shangri-la somehow.” Lotus desperately wanted to know how.
“Not because he’s . . . gorgeous?” Iris said timidly.
Lotus was sure her startled reaction was obvious on her face as she looked at Iris. “Gorgeous?” she repeated.
“He almost looks like a doll.”
“No!” Lotus frowned, struggling to reign in her strange reaction. “Why would I help some man just because he had a pretty face? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Sorry, it was just a stray thought.” Iris’s attempted to back away was clear. She was embarrassed.
“He has an unusually strong aura. Compared to that, I couldn’t care less what his face looked like,” Lotus persisted, unable to understand why she kept talking.
“What are we going to do about him?” Iris said, diverting the conversation.
“We’re leaving tonight, without him.” Lotus was still staring at Iris, searching her face for some sort of understanding. She didn’t like how she was acting.
“Leaving?” Alder’s thick voice drifted over to them, and Lotus spun around to look at him standing in between the trees several feet away. “I can’t let you leave.”
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