Cloud Riders (Lord of the Planets) by Debbie Behan Page A

break it off with his lover or whatever. He told me he loved me . She had to believe that she was worthy of love and trusting him was part of it. Jeez, I am so insecure, she thought, feeling silly. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt!
    Kayden could feel the tension in Cassie. Throwing his arm around her shoulders he led her over to the seat on the porch. ‘We need to talk, sweetie.’
    She almost preferred not to know his secret in case it spoilt the night they had just had together. She didn’t want to know about his mysterious behaviour in case it was another woman. There was no other explanation for what he’d been doing all this time while she was conveniently made to sleep.
    ‘Cassie, this has been a very confusing time for me. I’ve wanted to tell you so many things and to ask you something so important but I had terrible trust issues. I thank my lucky stars you have stood by me through it all. When you find out what we do you will understand why.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I’m not making much sense, am I?’
    Cassie kicked at the stone near her foot. ‘I know you’re gifted because when we kiss your power tingles,’ she smiled. ‘In a good way though. And I’ve seen and felt the power within you. I also know when the fog comes you use your powers to make me sleep while you go to your lover or whoever. I often hear horses or a car leave when I’m in the sleepy haze. I figure they drop you off or your friend is leaving. When I saw the fog this morning it crossed my mind you would be leaving me again tonight and maybe last night was—’ Tears of torment ran from her eyes and she wasn’t able to finish.
    Kayden smiled and kissed her tears. ‘There is definitely no other woman so get that out of that beautiful mind of yours now. I love you, Cassandra Wyatt.’
    He hugged her and after a while she pulled away. ‘Then if it is not another woman, what have you been doing?’
    Kayden sat back in the seat and had a faraway look in his eyes. ‘There is so much more, Cass. Please don’t freak out.’ He went quiet and reached for her hand. She could feel how nervous he was by his hot and sweaty palms.
    ‘What about if I ask the questions and then I will only take in what I need,’ she said, feeling that might break the ice.
    He nodded.
    ‘Okay, so you have this big farm but you don’t seem to be growing any produce on it. You have friends living nearby that Jason refers to as a group and sometimes team. So my first question is, what do you all do and why do others want to infiltrate your group when you never seem to get together and do anything?’
    Kayden listened. ‘We—me and the guys—don’t need to work as we are more than provided for and want for nothing. We have two farms side by side. Cassie, like you we all have powers and have been chosen for our abilities to do very special work. You could say we are an elite band of soldiers, a select group. I am their leader—the commander—and the horses we watch over are precious to us. They are our magical rides that take us to our missions.’
    ‘That’s why I hear horses? Is that what speaks to you, the fog, like in the scary movies?’
    He shook his head, amused. ‘The fog lets me know that Zoren, my boss needs us. The fog is actually a low-lying cloud called an Altostratus Praecipitatio storm cloud. It gives us access to a portal.’
    ‘A portal? Like a gateway to other planets like in Stargate ?’
    ‘Well, sort of. Only we go by horse and use the clouds. But we only travel as far as the stars.’
    ‘Wow! This is much cooler than any movie! Even Zoltan your horse is special. Like the tattoo of Pegasus on your arm?’
    He smiled and showed her the tat. It was a horse with wings and under it in very small print was the word ‘Zoltan’.
    Cassie giggled. ‘Boy, and you thought my story was out there! This I will have to see to believe. Yet I know you and know you would not bullshit about this sort of thing. Still, I have the right to think