Once seated, Cass and I endured another bout of instrument waving with Sil making intermittent exclamations under his breath.
Kal crossed his arms over his chest. “Will you share your memory with me of the attack?”
His manner was stiff and I had a feeling he was trying to communicate with body language that we not betray something. Cass was puzzled but she felt my consent so she answered for us.
“Right now?”
Sil paused in the reading of his data to say, “It will not interrupt the collection of information. Monitoring their brain activity while you converse in the Web would be interesting. Will one stay and the other go?”
“Generally that’s how we do it,” I answered.
Kal widened his stance and closed his eyes.
As always the transition from ‘real’ world to Web was smooth and refreshing for me. My essence stretched out from where it was linked with my twin and I reveled in the luxurious sensation of limitlessness around me. I hadn’t been able to find Kal when I searched for him back on Earth but now he hovered close by. His light reminded me of a piece of hard candy; a vibrant yellow ring encircling a rich green core. I reached inside my own thoughts and streamed a copy of the attack in my guardian’s direction like an asteroid on a collision course. He caught it easily then sent a reproving thought our way.
Stillness emanated from Kal before he said, “So now we both know their faces. I cannot say I recognize them, but I would caution you against revealing this fact to anyone other than me. You are new to our ways and honesty is not always the best course.”
Since Cass and I had already made that decision it wasn’t hard to agree. I pushed forward acceptance and then ventured a question. “What did Fid Tal mean when she said you would be confined to the lowest levels where you belong?” Kal’s brilliant inner core began to spin and churn. Instantly I wished I hadn’t asked but Cass and I needed to know.
His words had richness to them like sap oozing out of a maple tree. “Axsian’s have a desire for hierarchy and order—perhaps because our gifts can cause so much havoc in the day to day. Much of an individual’s social standing relies upon their ancestry. Even the way we live and where are determined by our genetics. The lowest classes live on the bottom, farthest from the light.”
The weight of the emotion behind that simple explanation let me know there was more but I decided not to ask. We would know soon enough. I had one more question though. “How did you hide yourself from me in the Web?” Relief hit me from Kal’s direction at the change in subject.
“Think invisible thoughts, Grasshopper,” he said, amusement riddling his tone.
Without warning our guardian’s yellow-green ball of light vanished. Somebody liked to watch old TV shows on Earth a little too much.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vaun Murphrey lives in Lubbock, Texas with her husband, two sons and a shaggy black and white four-legged friend. Her life is composed of one ordinary day after another, at least from the outside – on the inside she travels to different worlds. If Vaun ever seems distracted, now you know why… be patient, she returns on a regular basis to visit Earth.
www.VaunMurphrey.com
Chimera (The Weaver Series Book 1) Page 31
