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  Linnea’s Arrangement (Divinity Healers)

  By

  Michelle M. Pillow

  Linnea’s Arrangement (Divinity Healers) © Copyright 2013, Michelle M. Pillow

  Cover art by Natalie Winters, © Copyright 2013

  First Electronic Printing November 2013, The Raven Books

  ISBN-10: 1625010648

  ISBN-13: 978-1-62501-064-3

  Edited by Suz Gower

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Published by The Raven Books at Smashwords

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author, Michelle M. Pillow.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Novel intended for adults only. Must be 18 years or older to read.

  The Raven Books

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  Raven Books and all affiliate sites and projects are © Copyrighted 2004-2013

  Linnea’s Arrangement (Divinity Healers)

  By

  Michelle M. Pillow

  Linnea’s Arrangement

  Alternate Reality Romance, Part of the Divinity Universe

  Divinity Healers Book Three

  Beautiful, highly intelligent Linnea Nel wants what most women want—a career, love, respect. But coming from a plane where order and all things anti-chaos reign, the untrackable, untraceable and highly rebellious Linnea is considered a threat—to her family, society and her world. When her numerous arrests for reading library books become a public embarrassment to her politically minded sister, Linnea is forced on a dignitary mission to an alternate reality.

  There are only two classifications of people on plane 187: Doctors and Not Doctors (Sans). Dr. Sam Swift is one of the highest ranking officials on the medical plane, answering only to the Medical Supreme. When the Medical Supreme becomes ill, it’s up to him to find a cure. Nowhere in this equation is there room—or time—to fall in love. And then he meets the exquisitely frustrating Sans Linnea Nel.

  In the midst of the worst outbreak 187’s society has faced in decades, two people who never should have met fall in love. How can Linnea stay where she may be in danger? But how can Sam let the love of his life go?

  Divinity Series

  Divinity Warriors

  Lilith Enraptured

  Fighting Lady Jayne

  Keeping Paige

  Taking Karre

  Divinity Healers

  Ariella’s Keeper

  Seducing Cecilia

  Linnea’s Arrangement

  Divinity Magic

  Divining Helena

  More Coming Soon!

  Dedication

  To the Manfriend. Yes, you, Manfriend.

  I’m kind of thinking that a book dedication should be about equal to you bringing me a giant plate of pasta for every book sold. Mmm, pasta. Oh, and dressed as—why are you shaking your head at me?

  Chapter One

  New Order Society, Dimensional Plane 303

  Linnea Nel eyed the bars of her cell. The New Order Society government wouldn’t keep her locked up long. They never did. For every second she stayed in jail, the higher her offender ranking number would go. Since all number statistics were reported to the public, they would prefer she was ranked as a misdemeanor disturbance as opposed to anything major—like thievery or, worse, public chaos.

  As one of the few people whose body’s natural magnetism didn’t allow for the anti-chaos implant, she was on every government and societal watch list. As a child, she’d managed to blend. Linnea had been a good student, a model participant in societal functions. Then came graduation. No higher learning institutes would take her. They didn’t even bother to give her a good reason why she was rejected. Without an implant, they had no way of ensuring she did her own coursework and followed institutional policies. So it didn’t matter how good she was or how smart. Unlike all other students, she would never be under their complete monitoring and control. They couldn’t risk putting her into a position of power. They couldn’t risk educating her. So she’d educated herself.

  “Come on out of there, Nel,” Orderkeeper Delkin said. The man should have instilled fear in her with his Goliath size, but Linnea had been in his cell way too many times. “And don’t let us catch you in the library again without permission.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” she answered dryly.

  “Yeah,” he muttered. “You know what to do. When you’re checked out of the system, there’s some people here waiting to talk to you.”

  People? Linnea frowned. Her own parents barely spoke to her—the uncontrollable one. Since she moved into New Order City, they hadn’t really spoken to her. Why should they when her older brother and sister both did the family proud? Her genetic fluke only caused them embarrassment. To society’s way of thinking, since she couldn’t be watched, she was destined to cause trouble. She’d stopped trying to impress her parents years ago. Some battles couldn’t be won, so there was no point in fighting them.

  “See you next time around, keeper.” Linnea typed in her identification number and made her way toward the front of the Orderkeeper Station. The tracking monitors made a familiar beep as she was scanned and found without a chip. They had tried making her wear a few around her neck, but her body’s natural energy made them glitch. Once the monitor even read her as the wrong person—a dead singer, to be precise. That little event had raised a lot of alarms. There were still rumors that Silev had faked his own death and was really alive. What could she say? Diehard fans would believe anything. The only reason the orderkeepers didn’t lock her up was because the authorities were fearful word of her condition would get out. Societal control depended on society trusting the implants implicitly.

  “Linnea.”

  Linnea paused by the open door and slowly moved to stand in the doorway. Out of all the people who’d come to the station to get her, she never expected to see her sister. When they were little, Jinna had been her best friend. Now, looking at the woman, she couldn’t see that little girl. Instead, she saw the pristine and orderly countenance of Politician Nel, new leader of the anti-chaotic task force.

  “Jin,” Linnea answered. Like everyone else on the planet, her sister wore the one-piece suit. Material that belled around the legs led to tightly-fitted hips and a looser bodice. Her black hair had been streaked along the side with a bright, unnatural red, and tiny jewels had been adhered in a swirl pattern along the inside of it.

  Linnea preferred to keep her black hair shorter with a streak of dark purple to match the purplish grey of her eyes. Her bodice was tight, less conservative in design. A thick, black belt wrapped her ribs, dark purple over black material.

  “Leave us,” Jinna ordered her two guards. Linnea didn’t back away as they passed, even as they stared at her like she was about to attack her own sister.

  When they were alone, Linnea stepped into the room.

  “This needs to stop,” Jinna said. “I can’t have a sister who’s co
nstantly being arrested for petty chaotic crimes.”

  “I’m great, thanks for asking, Jin,” Linnea answered, moving to the long bench next to the wall. She took a seat and stretched her feet forward in easy repose. Smiling pleasantly, though she hardly felt pleasant, she inquired, “And you?”

  “Always a child.” Jinna frowned.

  “Ah, Jin, I think you’re being too hard on yourself. You’ve done well. I wouldn’t call you a child.” Linnea smirked. The look was a mask, a way of keeping the true depths of her hurt to herself. She wanted so badly to live a normal life, to have a family, find love and marry, have a career and a well-earned respect. Instead, she was arrested for daring to better herself.

  “I didn’t mean me,” Jinna answered, flustered. “You are always a child. This proves my point. Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?”

  Dropping all pretenses, Linnea drew her feet in and placed her elbows on her knees. “I was reading a book, not running naked through the streets.”

  “Not this time,” Jinna grumbled.

  “Once. I ran naked through the streets once. I was angry. You would be too if your application to medical learning was denied because of a stupid inability to take an implant. My grades were better than yours. I passed all my tests. I had recommendations and—”

  “I’m not here to debate the past,” Jinna interrupted.

  “It’s not the past,” Linnea said. “It’s my present, my future.” She leaned over, jerking off her boot to expose her bare foot. A black numbered tattoo stared back at them, her identification number. Normally, the implants would be placed underneath the visible mark. Those numbers were everything—her money access, her education and work history, her purchasing rations, her identification. Everyone living in the New Order Society had a designation. When they were children, the government trucks had visited their school. The technicians wore costumes as to not frighten them. They danced and sang as the coded implants were injected beneath every child’s number. Linnea’s body rejected the implant, and every one after that. Her scarred foot attested to it. “It’s not like I’m unwilling to be part of the system. I almost lost my foot to infection because I had the damned chip implanted too many times. I know the law. I know that this is the only way society can thrive. There must be order to chaos. You all just won’t let me be a part of your society! It’s not like I can help some natural electrical magnetism in my body—a current your doctors can’t even define. Maybe if you let me go to school I could figure it out. I could design a better implant.”

  “Funding will not be granted to cure one person, Linnea. The needs of the many will be met first.”

  “The needs of the many? Like using chemists to make better-smelling grooming products?” Linnea wanted to scream, but knew that would do no good. “I could do that too.”

  “I’m here to discuss your future.” When Jinna looked at her, Linnea didn’t feel as if her sister actually saw her.

  “You’re letting me go to school?” Hope filled her.

  “You know I can’t do that.”

  The hope died. Though she should have been used to it by now, the disappointment physically hurt. “Then what?”

  “I’ve secured a position for you with Dr. Cecilia Markos as an assistant.” Jinna smiled for the first time.

  “Assistant?”

  “Don’t look so disappointed. You clearly want to be in the medical field since you’re constantly sneaking into the library to read medical textbooks.”

  “I read fiction too,” Linnea said, just to be contrary. “Perhaps I really dream of being make-believe.”

  Even as part of her wanted to jump at the chance to be near medicine, another part knew that to be merely an assistant would eventually wear her down. To be so close and not be able to succeed. It would be torture.

  “Dr. Cecilia Markos is fast becoming one of our greatest assets. You’re lucky she’s willing to take you with her.”

  “With her?” Linnea stood. “Where? Are you banishing me? New Order City is my home.”

  “Dr. Markos has been assigned to the off-plane program. You will be joining her on a trip through what we call the Divinity portal to a medically advanced dimensional plane in a parallel universe. It’s primarily an ambassadorial journey, a basic trading of goodwill while gauging the plane’s medical knowledge and their usefulness to our world.”

  “Portal travel?” Linnea felt a shiver work over her body. “I was joking when I said I wanted to be make-believe.”

  “When have you ever known me to joke?” Jinna arched a brow.

  Good point.

  “What do you mean a portal to a parallel universe?” she asked.

  “Exactly that. You’re smart, so I know I don’t have to explain the concept of alternate realities and parallel universes to you. So take the theories you know and suppose they are real. Suppose someone found a way to move between the veils, so to speak. Looking at an alternate reality is like seeing our world if history had been altered in some way. Languages are similar, so you will not have a problem in that department. I’m told some people will look the same, but do not mistake them for being the same people. Humans will look like humans, save a few minor differences.”

  Linnea opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. Jinna was serious.

  “An entity called Divinity Corporation mastered the science of inter-dimensional travel. About two years ago they made contact with us. Since then, we’ve allowed a portal gate to be placed on our world. We’re one of four-hundred-thirty-six charted universes, with infinitely more out there. We plan on staking a big claim in Divinity’s project. Several ambassadors have been sent through and have come back successfully. Dr. Markos will lead the medical team. You will be her assistant.”

  Linnea frowned. “Team?”

  “Well, a team of two. You and her.”

  “Why haven’t I heard of this?”

  “And cause societal panic? No. The public will not be made aware of these developments. There is no need to concern them. The government knows what is best for them.”

  “What if I say no? What if I tell? Your secret would be out.”

  Jinna laughed. “Do you still believe you can make people listen to you? Lin, Lin, Lin.” Jinna shook her head in amusement. “You don’t have a choice. You’re going. It’s what is best for societal harmony. I’m sure you understand.”

  “And when it’s over? When I come back?” Linnea stiffened, a strange feeling of dread unfurling inside her. But, this was her sister. She didn’t want to believe that Jinna would do something to hurt her.

  “Why don’t you concentrate your efforts on dealing with today? My guards have the information you need.” Jinna left, leaving Linnea to stare after her. No matter how fantastic her sister’s words were, Linnea found the idea of an alternate reality easier to believe than Jinna actually teasing her with this ridiculous conversation.

  * * *

  Portal travel was very real and Linnea had no choice but to experience it.

  A pyramid roof set atop four square columns, which framed a platform. The columns were constructed of a dense material which created its own gravitational field and drew objects to it. They hid a complex configuration of liquid crystals, electrical currents, mirrors and vacuums. It was held in check by the wavelength of a specific blue light, which kept the portal inactive. Should the light change, a dimensional shift would occur, taking whoever stood on the platform to a new parallel universe.

  “In the early days, before these platforms, plane travel had been a matter of trial and error. Many testers died when they materialized inside solid objects,” Politician Shinclus said, his eyes on the Divinity portal. The man smiled, a large, almost toadlike expression. When he spoke, his great lips smacked together as if about to strike with his tongue at any moment. “Now they use microscopic probes before sending people through, so accidents are rare.”

  Linnea’s eyes grew wide as she looked at the politician. She found herself unconsciously stepping a
way from him.

  “Is my sister…?” Linnea paused. She hadn’t seen her sister since the jail. In fact, she hadn’t heard from any of her family, though she’d tried contacting them. “Is Politician Nel here?”

  “No. She does not oversee this project,” he said, and dismissed her question. Then, motioning back to the platform that was the center point of his story, he continued on as if she hadn’t spoken. “It is not too late to change your mind.” His smile widened. It wasn’t the first time a man had looked at Linnea in such a way—eyes narrowed, lips parted, chest filling with heavy breath. “Other…arrangements could be made for you.”

  “Dr. Markos is expecting me. We’ve already discussed—”

  “Other assistants can be arranged. There is no need for you to travel to another dimension.” His eyes dipped over her chest, lingering on the tighter fit of her black bodice.

  “I have reason to go.”

  “I can give your reason to stay. My home is quite large.”

  “It’s a medical plane.” Linnea lowered her eyes to the floor and lied, “I have hopes that they’ll be able to cure…my…feminine…” She glanced up briefly, forcing a blush over her features.

  Politician Shinclus cleared his throat. “Oh, yes, well, I haven’t been through the portal myself, but I’m told it’s quite an enjoyable ride.” Motioning to a nearby woman, he said, “Here is the material Dr. Markos has requested.”

  Linnea took the stack of papers, glancing at the top. They were a compilation of basic medicines and known diseases.

  “There is Dr. Markos. I must see if she requires me for anything before we leave.” All too glad to have a reason to leave the lecherous politician’s side, Linnea tried not to laugh as she hurried away. Shinclus apparently didn’t like her enough to risk contracting a social illness. Then, seeing Dr. Markos, her smile faded. She didn’t like the woman. Like everyone else, she was judgmental and a little condescending.