She stared directly into the man’s eyes. “Cayn sent them to the past. Where in the past, or how far back into the past, I cannot say. But once they get there, Goen can return here, exactly where he was before he was sent there. And when he does return, he will come looking for me and Cayn. He will never stop looking for us!”
“Why? Why is Goen looking for you?”
“Because he intends to kill us. Especially Cayn, since Cayn has the ability to send him back.”
“Can you send people back?” Conroy pressed.
Juda shook her head. “No.”
“So why is this Goen fella after you?”
“Because…because…” Her voice grew softer as the truth slowly coalesced in her mind. “Because he believes he can get to Cayn if he holds me hostage.”
“Which brings me right around to my original question. How are you and Cayn related? How do you know each other? Are you brother and sister?”
“No.” That much she knew for certain.
“No what?” the man persisted.
“We are not related by blood.”
“How can you be so sure? You’ve obviously suffered memory loss.”
“I know that much,” she answered. “We are not blood kin.”
“Then what is he? A boyfriend?”
His arms. His warmth. His love.
She dropped her gaze to the table. “Yes. I think he is my boyfriend.”
“But you’re not certain.”
She laid a hand against her temple. “No,” she admitted.
Letting out a breath, the sheriff sat back in his seat. “There’s a major question hovering above us that I just gotta ask. How is Cayn able to send Goen back…in time, did you say?”
She nodded.
“God’s truth? He can manipulate time with a wave of his hands?”
Another nod, and she lifted her face to him.
“What in God’s name… Who are you? What are you that you can do such a thing?” Conroy gently demanded.
“We are… We are called Nomads.”
“Nomads? You mean, like gypsies?”
Juda gave him a perplexed look. “No. We are not gypsies, although we have met a few during our…trips. We are Nomads. We have no true home. No place where we can stay for more than a short while.”
“Why? Because Goen might catch up with you?” the sheriff surmised.
“Yes.”
The man rubbed his chin. “Why does Goen want to kill you? Is he also a Nomad? Does he have the power to, uhh, send you back in time?” Conroy gritted his teeth. “Listen to me, I sound like some damn idiot spouting fairytale hogwash.”
Juda straightened in her chair. “We do not think Goen has any ability to send anyone through time. If he could, he would have done so before now. We believe he wants to kill Cayn because Cayn does have that ability, and he will not hesitate to use it to protect us. That makes Goen fear him. He wants Cayn dead so Cayn will never be able to manipulate time again.”
