“His name is Benko Jarlyn and he left this world with your mother some twenty-two years ago.”
Shirl quickly did the math. She was a year old when her mother left this world. That would mean she was actually born in the Troyk universe. No wonder when she thought of home in the portal the crystal took her here, rather than back to Sedona.
“I am sorry, sir. I never met a Benko Jarlyn. I grew up in an orphanage. My parents died when I was two years old. I barely remember them, let alone any of their friends.” Shirl could feel a pull on her brain. It must have been Jeryl Jarlyn trying to determine if she was lying. She was glad that Solfa had warned her about the mind control power the Prime Ruler possessed. There was no pain, but the added pressure would have concerned her had she not been made aware of what was causing it.
“Do you know what killed your parents?” Jarlyn seemed to be satisfied with her answer. She wondered what other skills a mind control telepath had beyond knowing if someone was lying.
“I understand they both died of brain embolisms. It always struck me as strange they died of the same cause. Now that I know they were not originally from Earth and they had telepathic abilities, I guess it makes sense. There must have been something about Earth that adversely impacted their brains. I am sorry, sir. It is possible your son met the same fate.”
Before Jeryl Jarlyn was able to respond to her, another thought came to her. “Oh my God! That must be the reason I had been getting so many severe migraines. I was dying like they did!” She started to panic again. What happens if the effect caused by living on Earth could not be reversed? Shirl felt blood rushing from her nose, which added to her now frenzied panic.
Solfa grabbed tissues and sat next to Shirl. “Jeryl, you need to stop the mind control focus on her brain. She has not fully recovered from the portal sickness she experienced coming here.” The woman put an arm around her. “Shirl, you need to relax. The pressure on your brain will cease.”
Shirl could feel the pull reduce and finally end. She was still shaking and could not stop. Alex was the only one who could calm her when she had one of her panic attacks. The fact she was also bleeding from her ears only added to her panic. Solfa continued to address her with a calming voice.
The Prime Ruler sprang up from his chair when she started bleeding. He paced as Solfa tried to get Shirl under control. “You need to care for this girl, Solfa,” Jeryl said. Shirl did not know how she felt about this woman caring for her. She had been very nice to her so far, but she did not seem the nurturing type. “Better yet, we can turn her over to her brother.”
“Absolutely not!” was Solfa’s reaction to Jarlyn’s suggestion. Shirl had not missed that Jarlyn said she had a brother. “Cianan Thork is an embittered son of a bitch. He is a powerful crystal telepath, but I do not feel comfortable giving Shirlyn over to his care. She still needs to heal from her first ordeal within the portal.”
“Fine, he can teach her to navigate the portal. Who do you suggest we board her with?” Obviously the Prime Ruler no longer wanted her staying with him. He seemed distressed by all the blood. His whole demeanor changed once she started bleeding.
“I recommend we have her stay with the Childers,” Solfa said. “They took wonderful care of my cousin after her fall. We also know they are as loyal as they come. Tarsea’s intelligence was instrumental in tracking down who was responsible for your attempted assassination. I would also like Starc Lours to be assigned as her Crystal Telepath Guard. She is new to all of this and I would feel better if she had someone with her to protect her as she enters new worlds.”
“Agreed,” the Prime Ruler concurred. “I want you to interview Darden Lours about what he may know about Benko. He has been the only gatherer going to Ginkgo Terra for some time. I cannot accept that my son is dead.” There was a determination in the Prime Ruler’s voice that Shirl could not miss. With attention no longer focused on her, Shirl began to relax.
“I will take care of it,” Solfa responded. “In addition, I will set up a meeting between Shirlyn and her brother. He can teach her what she needs to know. However, I want her situated at the Childers’s household immediately.”
Shirlyn must have been the name she been born with, Shirl imagined. She was going to be turned over to a couple she did not know. Her nerves once again got the best of her. Even the magnificent gems in this room could not comfort her. As always, she reached for the crystals around her neck to give her strength.
Chapter 4
Shirl walked beside Solfa as they headed to the Childers’s household. She had no idea who these people were, but she was glad to be outside and breathing fresh air. There were no cars. Everyone walked. Her shoes were covered with purple petals from remnants of blooms from trees and flowers carried by the slight breeze. She took a deep breath, the air was sweet with the scent of lilacs. There was a tranquility about this place. She never really noticed the noise automobiles made and the stress associated with getting around by foot when vehicles were present.
“You called me Shirlyn,” Shirl broke the silence that existed between the women since leaving The Palace. “Was that the name I was born with? I know from what Jeryl Jarlyn said that I must have been born in this world.” Having been an orphan most of her life, she always felt her sense of identity was incomplete. Who had she been named after? Was she like her mother or more like her father? Shirl was finally going to get some answers.
“From what we have been able to determine, you and another child were carried through the portal when your parents left this world. Jarlyn has been looking for his son ever since. The gatherers he spoke of do more than just pick items up in different worlds. They look for people who escaped from this world and return them home. There is quite a reward out on Benko, his followers, and any children they may have had.” It may have been Shirl’s imagination, but Solfa’s tone had changed now they were no longer in the Prime Ruler’s presence. She made gatherers sound more like bounty hunters than explorers. Shirl’s thoughts were interrupted by Solfa saying, “We are here.”
A middle aged woman opened the door to a house as they approached. “Please, come in. My name is Leenea Childers.” Shirl immediately liked the woman. There was something about her that brought about calm and a feeling of home. She did not shy away from the older woman putting her arm around her waist and walking her across the threshold of her home.
As Leenea closed the door, Shirl caught the movement of a figure from the corner of her eye. She turned toward the person and was momentarily shocked to see Alex. Her friend ran into her arms. By some miracle, Alex had found her.
“Thank God! You are safe. When Darden communicated yesterday that you had somehow come through the portal and were a captive at The Palace, I did not know what to do. Solfa said you slept for twenty hours before gaining consciousness. I’ve been frantic!” She had no idea who Darden was, although Jeryl Jarlyn had mentioned him before they left The Palace. Shirl needed to escape the daze she was still in and address her friend.
“Alex, I went to Sedona to look for you. You worried me half to death.” She took a look at her friend and was amazed how radiant Alex looked. Her friend was in an emerald green tunic that looked great with her light auburn hair and coloring. “Who is clothes shopping for you?” She could not help herself. It had always been a joke between them that Alex could not shop for herself. Things were so topsy-turvy, it was the first thing that came into her brain. All other questions related to Alex and the Troyk universe seemed too heavy to get into now.
“My aunt and Solfa’s mother,” Alex replied. “I have so much to tell you. But I want you to meet my soul mate, Tarsea.”
Alex dragged her into the living room where a number of men sat conversing. They turned when Shirl and Alex entered the room and a black haired man stood and approached. He was probably five-foot-ten inches tall and built like a linebacker. There was an old bruise on his cheek. What caught her attention we
re his incredible greenish brown eyes. She’d never seen hazel eyes quiet that color before. They brought a softness to a man well chiseled and otherwise intimidating.
“It is nice to finally meet you, Shirl,” the man who must be Tarsea said. “Alex has done nothing but talk about you the short time I have known her. Let me introduce everyone to you. This is my father, Zane Childers. Darden is next to him. My brother Tolfer is in the kitchen preparing dinner. My parents are dreadful cooks, so we were relieved when Tolfer showed up this afternoon.” He had a mischievous smile when he made the last statement. Alex had never fit with any of the men she had dated before. Even though she just met Tarsea, Shirl knew he fit perfectly with her best friend.
Shirl nodded to the men, but was reluctant to leave the security of Alex’s arm around her waist. Although Alex was a little woman, she had an inner strength Shirl always envied. Tarsea must have sensed Shirl’s need to stay beside her friend. He returned to the couch, sitting next to his father.
“We have trouble,” Solfa said as she entered the room and sat next to Darden. “Jarlyn wants me to interview you regarding the whereabouts of his son.”
Shirl examined the man Jeryl Jarlyn had mentioned. He looked like he belonged in Malibu, not the Troyk universe. Darden was tall, tan, and had sun-bleached hair. Where Tarsea was built like a tank, Darden had a slighter frame.
Darden rubbed his forehead and replied, “We knew this was going to happen as soon as they captured Shirl. There was no way he was not going to find out what world she had just left.”
Shirl felt guilty when she considered the conversation she had with Jeryl Jarlyn and described where she was from. Obviously from her description she had placed this man in danger.
“That does it,” Alex responded, as she guided them both to the couch. “You need to head to Ginkgo Terra and have sex with Cassie.”
“What?” Shirl was shocked by Alex’s response. Her friend was not quite a prude, but she certainly had not dated a lot. She also could not figure out how having sex with someone would help Darden. Shirl turned and presented Alex with a questioning look. They had always been able to communicate somehow without words.
“When soul mates make love for the first time,” Alex shared with her, “a hormone that brings about the next evolutionary stage of their telepathic powers is generated. One of those enhancements is the ability to negate mind control and telepathic powers. Mind Control Telepaths cannot determine if someone is lying to them. Darden is soul mates with Benko Jarlyn’s daughter Cassie.”
Shirl could feel the discomfort that enveloped the room with Alex’s last words. “You are giving out too much information, Alex,” Tarsea chided her. Leenea came in and handed them both a steaming mug.
“Tarsea, she’s one of us now,” Alex said to her soul mate. “Shirl, this beverage is wonderful. It will also help you manage the multiple communal pathways that will keep nagging at you. I would be happy to teach you all about it. However, Tolfer is the master teacher when it comes to managing the different telepathic channels. He has helped me so much, plus he is an outstanding cook!”
She barely recognized the effervescent Alex next to her. This world had done wonders for her friend. Alex was always uncomfortable around people. Yet she seemed so at home with the people in this room. There was a real sense of belonging that existed.
Shirl took a sip of the beverage handed to her. The aroma was the same as the one Solfa had her drink at The Palace. She took a tentative sip, then sighed with relief. It was the same mixture of herbs. As before, what static her brain was experiencing was numbed by the brew.
“Everything my new sister says is true,” a curly black haired man said, as he walked into the room. “It is nice to meet you, I am Tolfer. Dinner will be served as soon as Starc and Koel arrive. They wanted to meet you. Alex has been sharing stories about you and Candy, I feel like I know you both.” Tolfer had a warm, open manner. Shirl liked him as she had immediately felt comfortable with his mother earlier. He appeared to be a little younger than she was, closer to Alex’s age. She once again brought her attention back to her friend.
“How did you get here, Alex?” Shirl still could not believe their luck in both ending up in this universe and being able to connect so quickly.
“Darden is a crystal telepath who had been coming to Ginkgo Terra, what we call Earth. He met Benko Jarlyn several years back. Do you know Benko has been keeping tabs on us all these years? You, Candy, and I are descendants of refugees from this world. Darden and Benko were working together to get us all here. You were supposed to be the first one they brought over, due to your headaches. I accidentally got sucked into an event horizon Darden had opened when I was hiking. You can imagine my surprise to find out our parents were from this parallel dimension. I have met my mother’s twin sister and Solfa is actually my second cousin, or something like that.” Alex spoke so quickly, Shirl almost expected her to turn blue from lack of oxygen.
Shirl looked at Darden through different eyes now, knowing he was a crystal telepath. “I am a crystal telepath, too. My mother’s amethyst opened the portal, but I have no idea how I ended up here. Can you teach me how to use my crystals to navigate the portals? Solfa said I have a crystal telepathic brother, but wanted to keep him away from me for the time being.” Shirl was in no hurry to meet her brother. Especially now that she had found Alex, her true family.
Darden nodded his head, “Yes, I know your brother. Cianan Thork never recovered from his parents deserting him when they left with Benko Jarlyn. I am sure they had their reasons for only taking you, but Cianan is not so forgiving. You have cousins in the next province, I was originally going to place you with them. Everything changed when Alex came hurdling through the portal. She is not going to tolerate me putting you anywhere that is not in close proximity to her. Besides, Jeryl Jarlyn knows of your existence. He will no doubt want you in Aster Province.”
“In the meantime,” Solfa interjected, “we still have the issue of Jeryl Jarlyn knowing Shirl is from Ginkgo Terra. He is not going to let go of the fact that Benko may still be alive in that parallel dimension. We have also shared this information with Shirl, who he may want to talk to again.”
“He is not known as Benko Jarlyn in that world,” Darden replied. “I can honestly state I never met a Benko Jarlyn in the Ginkgo Terra universe. The fact that Jeryl released Shirl from The Palace, it is unlikely he will interview her again in regards to his son.”
“Half-truths will get you through an interview with a mind control telepath,” Solfa responded, “assuming the questions are conveniently worded. You are probably right about Jarlyn’s further interest in Shirl, outside of her crystal telepathic abilities. However, I am concerned he will send more gatherers to Ginkgo Terra and find Benko.”
“That world is known for the headaches it creates,” Darden responded. “Gatherers complained about them for years. Shirl’s severe migraines have hopefully proved to Jarlyn what an extended stay on that world produces. He knows her parents are dead and in all likelihood, so is his son. Cassie collects bags of herbs so I do not waste any time in that world doing anything but spending time with her. The sheer volume of herbs I bring back should explain the length of time I spend there before the headaches drive me home.”
For the first time, Shirl internalized that the headaches she suffered were now in her past. It appeared that Darden’s trips to Earth and the headaches he suffered were no longer issues once he returned to the Troyk universe. Darden appeared to be in his mid to late twenties, yet he survived visits to Earth on a regular basis. She had thought she only had a short time to live, but now a whole new world opened to her. Her possibilities in this new world were endless. Once she learned how to navigate the portal, she could go wherever she desired.
Two tall men entered the room, although Shirl only really noticed one. He was well over six-feet tall and had broad shoulders. She figured underneath the tunic he
wore, he had a six pack, probably a twelve pack. He had wavy strawberry blond hair and the darkest blue eyes she had ever seen. She could get lost in those eyes. Right above his left eye was a two-inch scar. Shirl generally did not notice things like that, but his scar for some reason made him appear sexy. Her body started to warm, as it had never done before. For some reason, all she wanted was to touch him.
“It is about time,” Tarsea snarled. “I am starving. Tolfer was waiting for the two of you before he served dinner. This is Alex’s best friend Shirl. Shirl, these two gentlemen are Starc and Koel. Starc is in the black tunic and is Darden’s twin. Koel is their cousin. Can we eat now?”
Shirl watched as Tarsea walked up to Alex and grabbed her upper arm, lifting her off the couch. He gave her a passionate kiss and dragged her to the large dining table that dominated the second half of the room. There was a kind of caveman sexiness about Tarsea. She was so happy for her friend. For an instant, she saw Starc doing the same thing to her in her mind. She shook off that thought. Shirl figured her brain was food deprived; she was imagining all sorts of crazy things.
“Let us eat,” Solfa said, as she waited for Shirl to rise and join her. “Starc, I have asked that you be assigned to Shirl as her Crystal Telepath Guard.” The man who grabbed her attention was to be her personal guard. Things in the Troyk universe were certainly looking up. She also liked that Starc’s look kept to her face, rather than gazing up and down her body.
Shirl saw Starc smile at Solfa’s words. A smile that would light the city of Phoenix, it was so bright. She had absolutely no issues spending time with this man. Maybe her daydream would become a reality. For the first time in her life, her panties became wet.
Starc looked at the woman he was slated to watch over. She was tall, just a few inches shorter than he was. He liked he could look into her eyes without having to lower his gaze any significant amount. The trauma she experienced entering the portal was evident all over her face. The make-up she must have put on earlier was wearing off.
The Crystal Telepath Page 3
