Golden Box Book Publishing GBBP Magazine, June, 2017 | Page 8

they were standing on lush grass. Ilona felt a little light-headed
and flushed. She grabbed Zoltan’s arm for support.
LK
“Are we there yet?” she asked teasingly, trying to conceal her
anxiety. She knew the answer because the air smelled clean and
fresh. Even the stars were brighter. It was dark, but enough light
shone from the full moon. She looked around and saw a group of
round, tent looking buildings covered with leather, small fires
burning between them. Ilona remembered seeing pictures like that
in a history book; they called those tents “jurtas.” The river must
have been very close as a light breeze carried the smell of fresh
water.
“Yes, we are there. Actually, we are here in the year four
hundred and five,” he explained, smiling at Ilona.
The lightheadedness was gone, and Ilona’s mind was clear.
“Was it any different when you transported Ema?” she asked,
feeling better.
“Well, it was as if we fused together for a second, and then we
separated,” he answered. “With you it seemed a little different,
though.”
“How was it different?” Ilona asked, feeling the heat rise to
her face.
“I had an experience that you might call… kind of...
arousing.” He hesitated.
“Oh… I see.” Ilona searched her mind for the right reply. She
felt embarrassed and blushed deeply. “For a second, the dizziness
was the only sensation, and then it seemed as if we moved through
something thick and sticky.” She had to tell a fib; she was too shy
to mention that her experience traveling with him was something
more personal.
He looked aside and reached for Ilona’s hand as he led her
toward a jurta standing apart from the others. “That’s because
you’re not a Traveler, but a passenger, so to speak.” He laughed
softly.
The jurtas were lined up in a semicircle, leaving a wide plaza
in the middle. Luckily, no one was in sight. They walked up to a
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