"Alex," she whispered, as she looked up at him. There weren't many men Isabel Evans looked up to-physically or intellectually-but she looked up to Alex in both senses. She was often surprised when she considered her strong feelings for him. A few months ago, no one could have convinced her that this awkward and sincere boy would win her heart, but that was before she knew what lay beneath his misleading exterior. What she had discovered was a sensitive, intelligent, and fiercely loyal friend and protector. And somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love.

She lifted her face to his and he kissed her, so gently, so longingly, she wondered how she had ever denied herself this loving haven.

"I hate to interrupt, Isabel, but it's important that I speak with you," said a voice from the edges of her consciousness, and she opened her eyes to find Alex's image dissolving right in front of her. Annoyed and bewildered, she turned to find the source of the voice. From the vague perimeter of her dream came a handsome young man.

Isabel was astonished. No one had ever invaded her dreams before. She didn't even think there was anyone capable of doing it. Pulling herself together, she stepped toward the young intruder, doing her best to look down at him, always her most effective intimidation tactic, but his tall frame and startling blue eyes gave him an equally imposing presence, and she found it difficult to gain her usual edge.

"Isabel, I'm sorry I startled you. My name is Josh, and I've only recently discovered your whereabouts. I felt it imperative to contact you and the others to deliver a warning."

Isabel stared at him, trying to establish control of the conversation, but the questions were coming too fast, and this man's very presence in her dream was extremely disconcerting.

"How did you get here . . . in my dream, I mean? And what exactly do I need to be warned about?" she asked with as much hostility as she could muster.

"Please, let me explain. Like you, I am a visitor to this planet. There are more of us than you realize, and many of us search the skies for signals from others like ourselves. When you and your friends activated the orbs, you inadvertently sent one of those signals. But your signal contained no coherent message, and I realized it was coming from someone who didn't know what they had. I needed to find out who had the orbs, knowing that if it were one of us, I would need to seek you out. Once I learned who and where you were, I could sense that you were the dreamwalker of your team, so I've come to you first."

Isabel tried to digest what this stranger had just told her, but the implications of his explanation had set off alarms in her mind. "I don't understand. How many others are there and why didn't we know about them before this? And what do you mean by 'your team'? What team?"

"You are one of several people, aren't you? Each with different abilities?"

"I suppose so. I mean, there have been three of us most of our lives. We only recently discovered a fourth. Why?"

Josh thought for a moment. "You must have been separated as a result of the crash," he mused to himself.