“Is it anything we can help you with?” Zach asked.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “Would you want to help if you could?”
“Definitely,” Zander said and Zach nodded. She didn’t look at Zain, but she was surprised to catch him nod just once out of the corner of her eye. That tipped the scales just enough. She sat up a little straighter.
“Will you put up a shield, please?” Zander nodded and did as she asked. “Do I have to ask you to keep this to yourselves?”
“No, you don’t,” Zach said without hesitation. “But I promise, anyway.”
“As do I,” Zander agreed. They all looked at Zain who looked a bit startled at the attention for a moment.
“I promise as well.”
“All right then,” she said, refilling her cup from the carafe while she considered how to begin. “I discovered I was telekinetic shortly after I turned six. The discovery was entirely accidental, and I was determined from that moment on to never use it again. I never did, either. A few months ago, when I learned this ship had to be prepared, I also learned that my hidden ability could no longer remain hidden.
“I know that I have to do something using telekinesis. I know that it has to be me, that no one can take my place. I know that if I fail, then my sisters fail, too, and the consequences of that will be catastrophic. I can’t let that happen. Too much is at stake.” She broke off and reached for something to drink. The coffee was too hot, but half of Iffon’s water remained in the glass so she drank some of that to wash the lump from her throat.
Hera brought their food and refilled the water glass before leaving them alone again. Bean filled Iffon’s food dish for him, then started eating her own breakfast, surprised at how hungry she was.
“Your sisters are involved in this?” Zander asked, picking the conversation back up.
“They each have a role. We each have a role. For a long time, everyone thought it would all be on Vari. Then we learned Ria was involved, too. Now I know that I have to be there as well. If what we do fails…,” she trailed off, unable to say the words. She cleared her throat. “It would not be a good thing for the Thousand Worlds if we fail.”
“Merde,” Zach said softly.
She nodded. “For three months, right up until we left Jasan, my mother worked with me every day. I made progress, but it was slow. Then, a couple of weeks ago, it’s like I hit a wall. I can’t progress no matter how hard I try, and I know where I’m at right now isn’t enough. It’s not even close to being enough. And time is running out.”
“You stopped progressing when we came onboard?” Zach asked.
“Around that time,” she said, refilling Iffon’s dish. “And yes, I wondered if it was stress related, but that’s not it. It doesn’t feel like the right answer to me.”
“What is it you’re trying to do?” Zander asked.
“Everything,” she said. “I know I need to do something, but I don’t know what that something is. I’ve been working at lifting and moving weights, manipulating multiple small objects at once, and trying to make things move at speed.”
“At speed?” Zach asked.
“I’ve been trying to throw knives at a target. I can aim them, and I can move them, but not fast enough for them to do more than hit a target gently and fall to the floor.
“I’ve worked very hard to strengthen my telekinesis. Ten or twelve hours a day, longer if I can manage it. I need to get better, but I can’t and I don’t know why.
“So much is riding on this. So many lives. And yet, I’m becoming more and more certain every day that I’m going to fail. I’ve tried everything I can think of, and I honestly don’t know what else to do.”
“It sounds like this just went to the top of our list in terms of important projects,” Zander said. “Where would you like to start?”
“You don’t have to interrupt whatever else you’re doing,” Bean said quickly. “You’re Commanders of this ship. I’m sure you have a lot of important things to do. I just hoped you could help me a little. Maybe give me some advice.”
“Whatever it is you have to do with your sisters is important,” Zander said. “Life and death important. Am I right?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” she said, her shoulders slumping.
“Why do you say that?” Zain asked.
“What?”
“You sound as though you don’t want to do whatever it is you're supposed to do.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I am and always have been the weak link. Vari is smart, powerful, and gifted. Ria is too. Me, not so much. I’m a teacher for a reason.”
“What reason?” Zach asked.
“I can’t do anything else,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong. I love children and I love teaching, but I really can’t do anything else. And yet, here I am, with so much depending on me. I have to do this. Whatever it takes, I must be able to do my part.”
“And we’ll help you,” Zander said. “Are you finished?”
Bean looked down, surprised to find that she’d eaten her breakfast while talking to them. “Yes,” she replied, then looked at Iffon. He was finished too, but she remembered her promise about multiple breakfasts. “Do you want more, Iffon?”
“No, thank you, Bean. That filled me up.”
She nodded, then frowned when the Falcorans stood up.
“What’s in your training room?” Zach asked.
She collected Iffon’s dishes and finished her coffee quickly before standing up. She waited for Iffon to fly up to her shoulder, but instead he indicated that he wanted to meld. She waited for him to finish, then answered Zach’s question.
“Nothing fancy,” she said. “It’s got a padded floor, a bunch of weights and a target.”
“That’s all?” Zain asked, his tone surprised.
“That’s all I need. My Mom had it set up for me so I’d have a quiet place to practice with the weights and targets.”
“Perfect,” Zander said. “That’s where we’ll go.”
“Um…okay,” she said. She felt a little guilty for taking them from their own work, but this really was important.
“What would you like to start with?” Zander asked, then stopped to speak with the Katres for a moment. They gave her a wave and left, much to her relief.
“So, what do you want to start with?” Zander asked again.
Bean thought about that as they headed for the elevators. “Targets.”
They climbed onto the elevator in silence, and she wondered if she was making a mistake in letting them help her. Maybe, she conceded after a few moments. But I need help too much to let my pride and suspicions stand in the way.
Once they reached the rec deck she led the way almost to the end of the corridor before stopping in front of an unmarked door. She pressed her hand to the panel and waited for it to open, then stepped inside.
“Why don’t you have a viewing window?” Zain asked.
“If there was a viewing window in here, I’d never use it,” she said, leading the way to the right side of the room. The padding stopped about eight feet from the wall, providing her with a long strip of bare flooring for target practice with a target at the far end. She walked over to the target, stepped behind it, and came back with a belt that held a set of twelve practice throwing knives.
“Why not?” Zain asked.
“Why not what?”
“Why wouldn’t you use the room if there was a window?”
“Because I don’t like to be watched. It makes me uncomfortable.” She buckled the belt around her waist and adjusted the sheathes hanging from it.
“This reminds me of a question I’d like to ask,” Zach said.
“Yes?”
“Someone told us you’re always armed, but that your weapons are secret.”
“Who told you that?” she asked curiously.
“Kyrus, but he wasn’t offering information. It came out during a conversation.”
“It’s okay, I’m no
t upset with him.” She reached for one of the floral hair sticks she always wore in her braid and slid it out along with its sheath, then removed the other two and handed one to each of them. She didn’t really want to give one to Zain, but leaving him out felt too insulting.
“These can’t be weapons,” Zain said derisively. “They’re not even sharp.”
Bean arched a brow at him. “You sure are quick to judge, aren’t you?” she said as she reached for and took the hair stick from his hand. Then she removed the sheath and held them both out. He took them back, his expression a little sheepish.
“Amazingly good balance,” Zach said, holding it by the end of the blade in a throwing position.
“Jed’s wife hand carved the molds for each one,” she said proudly.
“You’re not too spoiled, are you?” Zain said softly.
“You think I’m spoiled because my parents gave me a gift that they hoped would save my life?”
Zain had the grace to at least appear embarrassed.
“That woman has a flare for custom weaponry,” Zach said as though he hadn’t even heard Zain, which no longer surprised her. He and Zander usually ignored the rude things Zain said to her.
“She’s a real artist,” Zander agreed.
“Do you mind if I toss it at the target?” Zach asked.
“I think if you throw it at the target that the flower on top will prevent it from going all the way through even though it’s Kunian steel, but I don’t know for certain. Up to you.”
“You’re right,” Zach said, moving to stand in front of the target. “The top will prevent it from going through.” He flipped the incongruous weapon in the air a couple of times, then threw it so quickly Bean saw only a blur of motion.
“Well balanced indeed,” Zander said. “Is this what you used to kill the hybrid?”
“Yes, but it was all luck no matter what Kyrus says. Luck, and remembering how Rayne killed a Doftle with a plastic spoon.”
“Did you throw the weapon or use telekinesis?”
“I threw it, but I wasn’t holding it right at the time and it was a weak throw, even for me. The hybrid was racing right at me and I just acted without thinking. As soon as I threw it I grabbed it with telekinesis and aimed it at his eye, otherwise I’d never have hit it. I tried to make it go faster, but I couldn’t. If he hadn’t been so close, I doubt it would have hurt him at all.” She shrugged. “Like I said. Luck.”
“Luck is what you make of it,” Zain said softly. She looked at him in surprise. It was the first almost positive thing he’d ever said to her. “Zander, I just remembered that I promised Jenson that I’d cover for him for an hour.”
“All right,” Zander said, frowning slightly. “We’ll see you on the bridge after we’re done here.” Zain nodded, returned the sheathed hair stick to Bean, then left the room without another word. Bean watched the door for a long moment after he left.
“What are you thinking?” Zander asked.
“I’m just trying to figure out if he hates all women, or if it’s just me in particular.”
“I don’t think it’s either,” Zander said, frowning. Bean dropped her eyes and nodded, wondering what had possessed her to say such a thing.
“Let’s see what you can do,” Zach said after collecting her hair stick from the target.
“All I ask is that you don’t laugh at me too much.”
“We’re not going to laugh at you,” Zach said. She nodded nervously, then moved to stand on the bare floor about ten feet from the target. She held one practice knife across her right palm so that it pointed at the target and focused on it. It left her hand and traveled slowly to the target where it hit and fell to the floor.
Embarrassed, she turned to glance at the Falcorans. “See? I can get it there, but not with enough speed or power to mark the target, let alone penetrate it.”
“You can’t make it go any faster than that?” Zach asked.
“A little,” she admitted. She removed another knife from the belt, holding it her left palm this time. She raised her right hand, pointed at the knife, then sent it toward the target while guiding it with her forefinger. It moved faster and hit the target harder, but it still fell to the floor.
“Pointing helps you focus,” Zach said, nodding.
“Yeah it does. But only for small objects. When I’m working with heavy things it doesn’t help and I have no idea why.”
“Interesting,” Zander said thoughtfully. “Try doing what you did when you threw a weapon at the hybrid.”
“You mean throw it?”
“Yes, but throw it hard, providing it with the necessary speed and force required to penetrate the target. Then just use the telekinesis to guide it.”
Bean frowned. “Okay, good idea.” She pulled another knife from the belt, holding it in the throwing position she’d been taught, and threw it toward the target as hard as she could. She immediately reached for it with her telekinesis, but it was a clumsy grab and she knocked it off course. It was too low when she managed to get it under control, but it still not only hit the target, it stuck there.
Bean stared in open mouthed surprise. “Can you believe that?” she asked numbly. “It actually stuck to the target. I almost missed the target altogether, of course, but it stuck.” She looked up to see Zach and Zander both smiling at her.
“Try it again,” Zander said.
She removed another knife from the belt, then paused. “It was kind of hard to grab the knife because it was going so fast. I ended up knocking it off course. I wonder if I should try throwing with less speed.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Zach said, shaking his head. “Try taking your time with grabbing onto it, instead.”
“Okay.” Bean gripped the knife properly, reared back, and let it fly. She did as Zach suggested and didn’t try to grab the knife so quickly. Instead she took her time, then used a light touch to nudge it toward the center of the target rather than grab onto it.
“Wow,” she said softly, staring at the knife that was still not in the center of the target, but much closer than the first one.
“Good job,” Zach said, grinning at her.
She returned the grin. “This is so fantastic. I probably should have figured that out on my own but I didn’t. Thanks for thinking of it, Zander.”
“It’s easy to see things when you’re standing back watching,” he said. “Now all you need to do is practice.”
“I’m actually looking forward to that now. Shall we move to the weights?”
“Sure,” Zander replied. “What is it you want to accomplish with them?”
“I don’t know,” she said, taking the knife belt off and returning it to its place along with the knives she’d used. “Mom told me that she could channel enough power to my Dads for them to destroy a ship without using weapons. I thought that would be a good goal to aim for, but I know better now. I’ll never be strong enough to do something like that.”
“You don’t have to be able to lift a ship to destroy it,” Zach said.
“I don’t?”
“No, not at all. If you can punch a hole in it, or break a viewport, or peel it open, anything like that will do the trick.”
“What about the shields?”
“Shields aren’t going to stop telekinesis unless you’re trying to throw a missile or other physical object.”
“I hadn’t thought of that, either,” she said, feeling a little stupid.
“Why would you?” Zander asked. “It’s not like you’ve spent a lot of your life trying to destroy ships.”
“You still need to build up some strength, though,” Zach said. “Ships are built to withstand a lot of pressure. How much weight can you lift?”
“Not much,” she said with an air of disappointment. “I can lift six five pound weights, put them into a circle, and make it rotate for five minutes. That’s my absolute best and it took me a long time to get there.”
“That’s not your best,” Zach argued. “We saw
you in the Garrison the day you lifted that man up. He had to weigh two hundred pounds, at the very least.”
“You saw me that day?” she asked, surprised.
“Yes, we did,” Zander admitted. “We just happened to be there. Getting back to the weights. Have you tried just lifting them without attempting to move them around?”
“Except for that man in the street, no, not really.” She thought a moment. “In the beginning, the first day I was trying to discover with my mother what I could do, she asked me to lift a rock which was quite heavy. I couldn’t budge it. Not even a little. After two weeks I was able to raise it up a few inches and move it side to side a couple of feet. When I tried lifting it higher I usually dropped it.”
“Okay,” Zander said. “How about trying to just lift weights without trying to move them around.”
“Sure,” she said. She looked at the weights stacked neatly along the wall. “How much?”
“Start slow,” Zach said, crossing the mat to the five pound weights. He picked up a few and carried them back to the center of the room and put one down, then set the others a few yards away. Bean looked at the weight, and reached for it with her mind.
An hour later she had the beginnings of a nasty headache, but she didn’t care. She’d managed to lift forty-five pounds straight up off the floor several feet. She didn’t try moving them or lining them up. She just lifted them, and it worked.
“Thank you so much for helping me with this,” she said. “It’s an enormous relief. Now I have something to practice that I really think I can improve with.”
“You’re welcome,” Zander said. “We’re always willing to help. Anytime.”
“Thanks, Zander. I’ll remember that.”
“What about small objects?” Zach asked. “You said you were working at manipulating things.”
“Yes, but I do that in my room.” She looked around. “Maybe I could use the throwing knives.” Before she was finished speaking she looked down at her forearm, then held it up just as Iffon started to emerge. A few moments later he stood on her shoulder, still in the sulfur crested cockatoo form.
Bean's Heart (Hearts of ICARUS Book 7) Page 25
