fortuneswheel

by Lisanne Norman

  Kusac glanced at Sorli who confirmed Khafsa’s words with a nod.

  “Then keep him here, but I expect to be kept informed of his progress,” Kusac snapped angrily. “Remember, Vanna’s life depends on his survival.”

  “We’re not likely to forget that, Kusac,” said Sorli.

  Kusac turned back to Vanna, sensing that she was now beginning to throw off the effects of the drug. Her inner eyelids were receding as her mind began to come back into focus. He helped her to her feet, supporting her as she swayed unsteadily.

  Now that she was standing, her distressed condition was more evident. Her fur had become dull and lackluster and every line of her body was slumped in defeat. Kusac reached for the spare blanket on the end of the bed. Unfolding it, he wrapped it around her. It hurt him to see her indomitable spirit so badly damaged.

  “Get her clothes, Meral,” he said, swinging her up into his arms.

  *

  Despite the blanket, the fresh air made Vanna shiver. “I can walk, Kusac,” she said, her voice slurred by the remains of the drug.

  “I know you can.”

  “Please. Walking will speed up my circulation and help the antidote rid my system of the hypnotic.”

  Kusac stopped and lowered her to the ground.

  “I think I’d be better going to my own home,” she said, refusing to look at him.

  “You can’t go there, Vanna. You need to be in shielded quarters until you’ve learned to protect your mind from others. My home is shielded and we can teach you everything you need to know.”

  “Please, I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, closing her eyes.

  “You don’t need to, I’m afraid. I can feel it from you,” he said gently.

  Her eyes flew open, wide with fear. Kusac wrapped his arms round her, pulling her close and rubbing his face against hers. “Hush. You’ve nothing to fear. We’ve both known how you feel for a long time. Carrie understands. It’s not a problem for either of us. Even now Carrie and my mother are getting a room ready for you.”

  Tears began to spill out of her eyes. “Why this, Kusac? My life is complicated enough without Brynne.”

  He continued to hold her close, stroking her head gently as he felt her continue to shiver. “I don’t know why, Vanna. We’re no nearer an answer either. All any of us can do is look on it as following an unknown and exciting scent.”

  “He’s a stranger, Kusac! I don’t know him at all, yet I know everything about him from the moment he was born! He doesn’t want me as a Leska. We’ll never have what you and Carrie share.”

  “What we have grew between us before the Link, Vanna,” he said quietly as he broke the gentle rapport with her. “Not all Leskas are lovers, some are merely working partners, you know that. At least he’s attracted to you and not prejudiced because you’re Sholan.”

  “It’s not him I want, Kusac,” she said, her voice muffled against his tunic.

  “I know, and I’m sorry, Vanna. There’s nothing I can do, you know that,” he said, letting her go to lead her over to the waiting aircar. He purposely closed his mind, not wanting to sense these emotions and feelings she would normally have kept to herself.

  “Will you let me shield your thoughts for now so you can have mental privacy again? Tomorrow I can teach you how to do it for yourself.”

  *

  Having left Vanna with Carrie and Taizia in the main bathing area, Kusac headed for his father’s study, finding both his parents there.

  Kaid had left Meral and T’Chebbi guarding the three females and followed Kusac. Unremarked, he slipped into the study behind Kusac and concealed himself in one of the darker corners of the room.

  “Well?” said Kusac, crossing over to where his parents sat. “You heard?”

  “I’ve just spoken to Esken,” said his father. “He said he’d told them to only use drugs as a last resort and claimed Khafsa and Sorli had liberally interpreted his orders.”

  “He would,” said Kusac, his tone derisive. “They’ll cover for each other because guild interests come first. No one wants to admit responsibility. This can’t be allowed to happen again, Father.”

  “Both of them are complete novices, Kusac. Until today, Vanna didn’t even show any strong telepathic abilities. They were only trying to prevent another pair of deaths like Raill’s and Lynn’s. At least Vanna and Brynne will live long enough to learn what their telepathic Link entails and make a second, informed choice of their own.”

  “Are you condoning it? What would you have done if you had discovered that Carrie and I had been drugged by the Mentor on board the Khalossa?” he demanded.

  “She’d have lived to regret it,” Rhyasha said, her tone a deep growl of menace. “Kusac’s right. This must never be allowed to happen again, Konis. Sholan Leskas have never had the right to choose taken from them before. The guild has overstepped itself. This is a matter for Alien Relations.”

  Konis moved uncomfortably on his chair, the flicking of his tail tip betraying his mood. “Sholans know what’s involved: there’s never been an incident of a Sholan refusing a Link within living memory. The guild has naturally assumed responsibility for the mixed pairs and made their plans accordingly.”

  “Considering there are aliens involved, the matter must include us,” said Rhyasha. “We need to intensify our Terran orientation program to deal with the matter of our differing sexual customs once and for all.”

  “How?” Kusac demanded. “This time, as far as I can gather, it was Vanna who refused to have anything to do with the Terran. Each case needs to be dealt with individually, not seen automatically as a Terran problem. Even I’ve been guilty of that. The guild can’t be allowed to misuse its power like this. What will happen to our cub? Will the guild demand that we raise her there, or worse, demand that she be raised by a team of their specialists so they can study her?”

  “Our granddaughter will be raised on the estate.” Now Konis’ voice was a growl. “The guild wouldn’t dare interfere in that.”

  “How can you be so sure?” countered Kusac. “They’ve dared to drug Vanna and her Leska, something that up until now would have been unthinkable. I’ve no wish to belong to the guild if it can rule people’s lives like that! The Terrans don’t belong in the Telepath Guild anyway, and neither do I now. I was within a heartbeat of killing Khafsa for what he’d done to Vanna.”

  Stunned silence greeted his statement. “I think you’re overreacting,” said his father. “You’d never kill anyone, it’s not in your nature.”

  “I’ve killed several times already on Keiss, Father. I’ll do it again to protect Carrie and our child, or our friends.” His voice was as hard as ice.

  *

  Kaid knew the tone, and could almost feel the threat behind the words. He nodded to himself. Events were moving as he’d predicted. He ought to get in touch with his own guild. His sub-guild, he corrected himself. They didn’t merit full guild status in the eyes of the guild council. Now he had to decide what to do. His responsibility was clear— inform Ghezu— and let the Brotherhood use them instead of the Telepath Guild. He heard Kusac’s next words with a shock of premonition.

  *

  “If I have to, I’ll declare our cub En’Shalla,” Kusac continued. “Outside the guilds, a child of the Gods.”

  “No!” exclaimed his mother. “That’s too drastic, Kusac!”

  “And too late,” added his father. “The rules governing En’Shalla are specific and rigid. Your daughter wasn’t conceived in accordance with the old customs, so she’s not entitled to the protection of the Gods. At the moment we have more pressing worries than the guild, namely this Challenge. It may even be that the guild can find a way to stop the fight. If you alienate yourself any further from them, they may be unwilling to intercede for you.”

  “Esken wouldn’t be so stupid,” said Rhyasha. “It’s in his interests to see our granddaughter brought safely into this world.”

  “Is it?” asked Kusac. “I’ve told you, th
e guild sees us as a danger to the Sholan power structure, a new force they can’t control. It won’t be long before the other guilds are seeing us in the same light.”

  “You’re being overly pessimistic, Kusac,” said Konis.

  “Am I?” Kusac turned round to point at Kaid. “Then tell me why his Brotherhood have issued an edict banning any contracts involving Terrans or mixed Leska pairs, unless they’re protective contracts.”

  Kaid blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realized that Kusac had been aware of his presence.

  “A brake must be put on the Telepath Guild now, before it’s too late. I know more about our Leska Links than they do,” said Kusac. “Our daughter isn’t going to spend her life having her mind dissected and analyzed to please them, any more than we are. It’s over, Father. You can tell them. We’ll no longer cooperate with them.” With that, Kusac turned and strode out of the room, Kaid following hastily after him.

  “He’s right,” said Rhyasha as the door closed behind them. “You weren’t on the Khalossa. Mnya was terrified that Carrie would be uncontrollable. I don’t say Esken is equally worried, but he’ll certainly protect the guild’s interests first, and controlling the Leskas like our son and his mate will be high on his list of priorities. For their own protection, we need to place them under the jurisdiction of Alien Relations. One of our people, a telepath naturally, should be in charge of their training at the guild. Someone forceful, who will make sure their rights are respected.”

  “Perhaps you’re right,” said Konis, thoughtfully rubbing one ear. “The next All-Guilds’ Council meeting at the Governor’s palace is due to be held in a few weeks. If you’ll assist me, we could perhaps have a feasible solution to bring before the council by then.”

  Chapter 18

  Kaid’s room was on the ground floor at the back of the house. Unable to settle, he went outside into the gardens. Coming to the large tree outside the lounge, he squatted down under it, resting his back against the bole.

  “Are you actually off duty, Kaid? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you relaxing before.”

  “Occasionally even I take a break, Liegena Taizia,” he said, pulling a stim twig out of his top pocket and putting the end in his mouth. “Waiting for Meral?”

  “Actually, yes,” she said, dropping down from the branch above him where she’d been sitting. “Carrie’s lying down and Kusac’s waiting for Vanna to finish bathing. T’Chebbi’s on night duty for them, so Meral’s free.”

  Kaid looked up at her, his mouth opening in a slight grin as he flicked an ear at her. “I’m not worried about him shirking his duties, Liegena. He’s free to do what he wants in his off-time.”

  “Don’t you have a companion, Kaid? Isn’t there a female somewhere whose heart beats faster for you?” she asked.

  “No one special, Liegena.”

  “I expect it’s difficult to find someone with the right… Talents to suit you.”

  “Meral’s coming, Liegena,” he said quietly, taking the twig out of his mouth and regarding her unblinkingly.

  “I know. We’ll have to talk again,” she said, moving away from him toward the house.

  He put the twig back in his mouth, waiting till their footfalls died away. He needed the peace to think. Now that Kusac had voiced his decision to break with the Telepath Guild, he should put forward the case for the Brotherhood. It was the sensible option for telepaths who could fight.

  Lijou ran the Priesthood of Vartra from Dzahai Stronghold as well as being co-leader of the Brotherhood with Ghezu. They had the facilities which the other two guilds lacked. It wasn’t the only option, however. Kusac had put a name to what had been troubling him for weeks. En’Shalla. It was a risky path, especially when you took the opposition into account. They’d be fighting against fifteen hundred years of tradition, not to mention the Telepath Guild and the Brotherhood.

  So far, events had followed the path he’d anticipated, the one the God had shown him only a few days before he’d heard from Garras. What did Vartra want of him now? He had no idea because since that night, the God had remained unreachable. If Carrie and Kusac could have visions here, then surely he could.

  Getting up, he walked back into the house, heading for the shrine. There, if anywhere on this estate, surely the God would be reachable.

  *

  Vanna had preferred to shower on her own. It seemed to take forever to rinse the loose hair off her body— a byproduct of the drug that Khafsa had given her. Turning the water off, she reached out for the large towel that Carrie had left for her and began to rub off the worst of the water.

  She tried to remember what had happened but from the moment Khafsa had taken her into the room with Brynne, it was all very hazy. She remembered the slight sting of the hypo against her neck and the feel of the drug surging straight to her brain, making her feel even more disoriented. What with that and the nausea caused by the Link, it hadn’t needed much strength on Khafsa’s part to pull her across to the bed where a naked and equally disoriented Brynne was sitting slumped against Sorli. They’d been literally flung together and from that moment onward, neither of them had had any control over the situation.

  Phrases she’d used to describe Kusac’s Link with Carrie came into her mind as she realized how inadequate language was to describe that initial moment of the meeting of their minds and bodies. It had been heaven and hell at the same time.

  She shook her head, trying now to rid herself of the shards of memories as she discarded the towel on the bench opposite. Gods, had it only been someone she knew, someone she cared about, not a stranger, then… She sighed and turned on the hot air. Having experienced something of what they shared, she knew Kusac would never come to her.

  As she left the bathing room, she found him waiting outside.

  “You look a lot better,” Kusac said, looking at her critically. “Your eyes are clearer.”

  “I feel better,” she admitted as he took her by the arm and drew her along the balcony. “Thank you for lending me the robe.”

  “Don’t mention it. Taizia’s picking out one or two things for you to wear while you’re here. How’s Brynne?”

  “He’s asleep,” she replied without thinking, then stopped dead, eyes wide with fear as she clutched his arm.

  Kusac smiled down at her and urged her on. “You’ll get used to it,” he said reassuringly. “It’s always there, that knowledge of what your Leska’s doing, but after a few days it doesn’t seem to occupy quite so much of your conscious mind.” He stopped in front of a door and hesitated. “Vanna, I’d better tell you now. Carrie and I were lifebonded last night.”

  “I’m glad,” she heard herself say as if from a great distance. “Carrie will feel a lot more secure.”

  “We both do,” he said, opening the door. “The betrothal contract was cancelled and even if Carrie should lose the Challenge, there’s no question of me marrying Rala now.”

  Stepping into the lounge, she held onto the doorway as the world jerked back into focus.

  “You’ll find everything you need in here. Do you want to join us in half an hour for something to eat before you settle down for the night?” he asked as he moved away from her.

  She shook her head. “I think I need sleep more than anything else.”

  “If you change your mind, use the comm. There’s always someone on duty in the house in case my parents are needed. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you like,” he added before turning to leave.

  “Kusac, I need to speak to Kaid,” Vanna said.

  “I’ll ask him to come up.”

  *

  She knew it was Kaid before she opened the door. “I have to see Garras,” she said, steeling herself for an argument.

  “Word has already been sent, Physician Kyjishi. He’ll be here by morning.”

  “Thank you,” she said, relief sweeping through her. Garras was the only stable factor in a life suddenly gone mad around her.

  “Is that all?” Kaid asked.

&
nbsp; She nodded.

  “Then good night, Physician. T’Chebbi will be outside Liegen Kusac’s room if you should need her.”

  *

  Once he’d left Vanna, Kaid headed downstairs to the kitchen to get a cup of c’shar. He didn’t hurry, making sure that he wouldn’t be needed again before he finally decided he could take the time he needed in the shrine.

  The light came on as he entered, but once he’d lit a candle and placed it on the altar, he turned it off. Settling himself on the bench, he relaxed, concentrating on the flame and letting his mind drift.

  The mist thinned and parted, coalescing into a room he’d never seen before. A real fire of logs burned in a corner and he could almost feel the heat. He stood at a doorway looking in. Before him, obscured by a pool of shadow, a male sat in a chair. He broke off talking to shudder and look around the room.

  *What is it, Vartra?* a voice asked.

  A shadow walked by me, he said, nothing more. The world we knew has changed, especially for us. The old ties of family have broken down and we must survive as best we can. Your loyalty can only be to each other, no one else. Those of you who survive will write the rules for the future. They found us too soon. Too many of us have been lost, too many deaths.

  The voice and the vision began to blur and he had to strain to hear the last words.

  On you few depends our survival.

  The mist writhed and twisted, parting again to show the temple he knew so well, the temple that didn’t exist in this world.

  This time there was only the voice from the flickering lights that alternately showed and hid the statue of the God.

  So many of you calling on me. I tire. Even the Gods need to rest. Don’t come to me. Look to the God within you for the answers.

  With a jolt he was awake again, his hands damp with sweat, his head aching, and his limbs trembling. He rubbed his palms against his jacket to dry them while trying to force the fur around his neck and shoulders to lie flat again.

  He’d never had a vision like that before. His hand shook as he raised it to smooth down the hair on his head. It had been so real, the room with the fire, as if he’d actually been there! Inside his mind he almost heard a faint, mocking laugh as the memory of how it had been a few months ago and how it was now came to the front of his mind. He couldn’t ignore it any longer: his sensitivity— he hesitated at calling it a Talent— had been enhanced. Why, or how, he had no idea. A thought came rushing forward. Maybe it seemed so different because the visions were stronger at Valsgarth. After all, it was really only here or at the guild that the new Leska pairs had their visions, and until Carrie, always the same one. He closed his mind. He didn’t want to hear the mocking laugh again.