The Crystal Telepath

by Evelyn Lederman

  Starc did not respond to his brother. After Darden discovered he was a crystal telepath, family life revolved around Darden and his training. His brother was the first crystal telepath his family had produced in generations. Their fortunes changed with the prestige of having one in the family again.

  Starc was never given a choice about what he wanted to do with his life. As soon as Darden started his training, his parents put him in Crystal Telepath Guard training. Starc had never resented his twin. He loved him more than life itself. From time to time though, he looked at his life and realized it still revolved around Darden.

  His closest friends were Darden’s. He even roomed with Darden as an adult. The one thing he had that was his own was his relationship with Elzbeth Southam. Unfortunately, his involvement with Elzbeth had become a disaster he never wanted to experience again. It fueled his non-existent social life and his passion for overthrowing the mind control telepathic government.

  Darden and Shirl were both looking at him. They were expecting some kind of response to what his twin said. He thought how bitter Cianan had been and was blessed that had not happened to him.

  “We should be heading back. I figure Alex has been pacing for the past hour and is driving Tarsea mad. Although I have been sharing information with her telepathically, she will not relax until Shirl is back in her sight.” Starc knew this would change the subject and he would not have to answer his brother.

  Shirl laughed. “Alex would wait up whenever I was on a date. My apartment was just down the hallway from hers. I stopped dating, fearing she would get a bleeding ulcer. Besides, I have some thinking to do regarding Cianan.”

  The idea of Shirl spending any time with her brother scared Starc to death. He did not know how they were going to prevent that from happening. If he was sent to some hellhole of a world, at least Starc would be there to protect her. He would rather not deal with the unknown that Cianan represented.

  Chapter 6

  “He did what?” Alex shouted, as she looked at the angry red mark that marred her best friend’s face. Although the left cheek was a little sore, Shirl felt she ended up with the upper hand in her first encounter with her brother. She had stood up to him and prevailed. Shirl just had to determine what type of relationship she wanted with him going forward.

  “Calm down, Alex,” Shirl said. Her friend was so angry, Shirl would not have been surprised if Alex started exhaling fire. “I am fine. I scared the shit of him, telling him that Solfa was going to Jeryl Jarlyn and ask him to change my tutor to Darden.”

  “It is still not right. I have met my extended family here and they are wonderful. You have a blood brother and the first thing he does is slug you! My cousin will make sure that Cianan does not darken your door again. I will not rest until that bastard of a brother is no longer part of your life.”

  There was Alex again, fixing what was wrong with Shirl’s life. One of these days, she needed to take control and fix her own messes. She actually thought she had done a good job today of doing exactly that.

  No sooner than Alex finished those words, there was a knock at the front door. Within moments the subject of their conversation was standing before them. Starc and Darden immediately buffered themselves between Shirl and her brother. She felt Alex back off. It was imperative that Cianan remain ignorant of their relationship prior to entering the Troyk universe. Her best friend also seemed surprised by her brother’s appearance. Shirl had not mentioned to Alex how similar they appeared.

  “We have an assignment for tomorrow,” Cianan said without any preamble. He did not seem to care the looks the people around him were giving him. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife.

  “A simple ‘hello’ would have been nice,” Shirl growled at her brother. Where did he learn his manners?

  “She is not ready,” Darden replied. “We have not even sat in the simulator and listened to the frequencies of the different worlds she can explore.”

  “This frequency is not in the simulator,” her brother responded. “Besides, the best way to learn how to navigate the portal is by being next to someone who is actually doing it. I will walk her through the particulars before we leave.” Shirl could live with that. She was excited about learning to navigate the portal. Spending hours in a simulator would not satisfy the need she had to travel to parallel universes.

  Darden looked concerned, “What world are you going to that does not have a frequency programmed into the simulator?” Shirl had an idea he already knew the answer to that question. She could see the color slowly draining from Darden’s face. That did not bode well.

  “Nightshade” was all Cianan said.

  “Alex, go to our room and I will join you later,” Tarsea instructed her best friend. Those words scared the shit out of Shirl. Where was the Prime Ruler sending her that would cause Tarsea to shelter Alex from the discussion?

  Alex looked between her soul mate and her best friend. “I am not going anywhere. What is going on? What is the significance of the Nightshade universe?”

  “It is where we take prisoners who are going to be executed. They are taking Chartail and Stephano there for their involvement in the attempt on Jeryl Jarlyn’s life. Alex, I did not want you finding out this way. I certainly do not want Shirl involved in this operation.” Tarsea put his arms around his soul mate. Shirl had never seen Alex look so content, regardless of how angry she currently claimed to be. She longed for that type of relationship.

  Starc made his way to Cianan. “What kind of sick bastard are you to take your sister on such a mission?” He said as he jabbed Cianan’s chest with his finger. The fervor that consumed Starc after Cianan attacked her yesterday had returned. Starc looked like he could do her brother serious injury. Had Starc made the first move, she doubted anyone in the room would stop him.

  “I have direct orders from Jeryl Jarlyn himself,” Cianan said. “Those orders include taking Shirl along with me. Fire under pressure, I suppose. I am not in a position to go against the Prime Ruler’s orders.” Her brother was not going to win any popularity contests. There was an arrogance in the way he communicated his orders to the group. The Prime Ruler’s name would get no respect, but only condemnation within this household.

  Shirl stood as her life played out before her eyes. She was just a spectator. It was as if she had walked into the middle of a play and had no idea what was going on, only that she was now the main character. This place and situation was so foreign, she was at a loss concerning how to react.

  Tempers continued to heat. Tarsea ran his palm down his face. It appeared he had lost patience. “Koel, can you take Cianan for a walk around the block?” Shirl imagined Tarsea wanted Cianan out of the house for more reasons than to calm emotions.

  Koel who had kept quiet until now, smirked at Cianan. “Come on, Mr. Congeniality. Let us get some fresh air.” She never knew what was going to come out of Koel’s mouth. Alex had filled her in about her new friends. Koel seemed the quirkiest of the bunch. He barely spoke a word in her presence. Cianan did not balk at leaving with Koel. It seemed he needed a break from the discussion as well.

  As Koel left with her brother, Shirl got everyone back on track by asking, “Who is Chartail?” There had been a silent reaction when Chartail’s name had been mentioned earlier. She noted the reaction especially where Alex was concerned.

  “Chartail,” Alex answered, “is Tarsea’s former girlfriend. Her father is a mind control telepath and a member of the Prime Council. She got tired of feeling defective for not having that ability. She went berserk and planned an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Jeryl Jarlyn.”

  Shirl knew her friend well enough to know she was not telling the whole story. She figured she would help her friend along with the Chartail explanation. “And—” She used their shared communal pathway, not wanting anyone else to be part of the conversation. She knew she had to use it sparingly until A
lex fully recovered from the concussion.

  Last night Shirl and Alex experimented with communal channels. They wanted to see if one had opened when they were children. Through trial and error, they found their closed communal channel. Over time, others would link into it, but for the time being, it was all theirs. While they were experimenting, Alex got a nose bleed. It had concerned Shirl, but Alex just waved it off. Tarsea’s mother made more of the herbal drink that helped Alex manage her telepathic abilities.

  “And I was involved in helping to uncover that she was the mastermind. Another of the evolutionary telepathic enhancements is the ability to read another’s thoughts. I can read minds, but not manipulate that person’s decisions like a mind control telepath.” Alex made sure she differentiated between what she could do and the telepathic ability they were covertly fighting in the government. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Alex’s ability to read minds. It was just another oddity about this world she had to process.

  Shirl once again spoke out loud. She still was not comfortable using telepathy, although she did not have the issues Alex had using the communal pathways. Shirl felt her friend was conveniently editing what she told her. “What I don’t understand, Alex, is why you look so guilty when you talk about it.”

  “She and I were at a luncheon together. A man who had attacked me earlier came up to the table. Chartail confronted him and protected me. After the episode, I read her mind and discovered Chartail had planned the attack on the Prime Ruler’s life. I had to betray the woman who aided me.” Shirl could see how upset Alex was on this subject. Unshed tears formed in her best friend’s eyes.

  “What is it with weak minded men striking women in this universe?” Shirl wondered out loud.

  “It is not the norm,” Darden replied, “I assure you.” Shirl could tell by Darden’s tone a man striking a woman disgusted him. It was clear the men currently surrounding her would never raise a hand against a woman.

  “What Alex did not share,” Tarsea added, “was that two innocent palace guards were killed in the failed assassination attempt. We are trying to peacefully overthrow the government, but Chartail crossed the line. Although I had been dating her, she did not know I was working against the government. I was clueless she was plotting against the government as well, taking the violent approach.”

  “Shirl,” Alex continued, “no one stood beside Chartail when she was caught. Her father did not even appear at the hearing in front of Jarlyn. She is bright and beautiful, but alone. I could not help but feel sorry for her and feel partly responsible. If I had come to Aster Province earlier, maybe I could have been the true friend she desperately needed.”

  Shirl knew Alex well enough to know that she would try to fix everyone’s problems. She and Candy had certainly gone to Alex over the years to fix their problems. Part of Alex’s self-worth was always gauged on how she helped her friends. Shirl often felt guilty that she did not reciprocate more. Taking her shopping to make sure she wore colors that flattered her hair color and complexion did not come close to what she owed her.

  “Alex, you can’t fix the world alone. It appears to me you now have people around you who will finally help carry part of the burden.” How she wished she was talking about herself. She was once again in a situation where Alex felt responsible for providing her aid.

  The brightest smile graced Alex’s face. “I know.” Alex went into Tarsea’s arms and kissed him. She turned, addressing Darden, “Back to the situation at hand. Anyway we can get Shirl out of accompanying her brother tomorrow?”

  Darden shook his head. “I do not see how. Since we do not know what to expect, I will tag along.”

  “I will not let her out of my sight, Alex. I promise,” Starc replied. Shirl was overwhelmed by the support her friend received from these men. She was grateful it spilled over to cover her as well. Shirl wondered what would have happened if she had opened the portal and entered this universe without Alex preceding her. “I will protect her with my life.”

  Starc said those words as he looked at Shirl. That strange heat she felt yesterday spread through her body. It warmed her heart, but also parts of her anatomy that were not accustomed to feeling anything. She recognized it for what it was. For the first time in her life, she was reacting sexually to a man. She was not sure if it was a true feeling or longing for what Alex and Tarsea had together.

  “I guess it’s settled then,” Alex concluded. “I will accompany Shirl as far as the portal. It will give me a chance to properly say goodbye to Chartail.”

  With Alex’s words, the room broke into a symphony of voices arguing back and forth. Shirl stood back and watched in fascination. Koel and Cianan returned and joined the mayhem.

  Starc observed Shirl watch the scene in front of her. She looked at Alex in wonder. He imagined that she noticed the differences in her friend since she came to the Troyk universe. Starc had noticed the changes in Alex himself. Shirl’s involvement in tomorrow’s trip was one of the items that was still being discussed, but she was not involving herself.

  “Let us go into the kitchen and talk about tomorrow,” Starc said to Shirl. “I do not believe we can hear ourselves think, let alone have a conversation where we presently are.” He took his role as a CT Guard seriously, always had. Although assigned to protect other crystal telepathic individuals before, protecting Shirl was something altogether different. There was so much more to lose if something went wrong.

  He was glad Shirl willingly left the room with him. She was so different from her friend. Shirl let things happen to her, while Alex fought to control her life. He figured as Shirl stayed in the Troyk universe, she would come into herself, as her best friend had. For some reason, Starc wanted to witness that change and be an active participant in her metamorphosis.

  “Wow! I have never seen Alex like that. She generally fades into the background. Now she’s front and center.” Starc saw Shirl was a little shell-shocked from the conversations going in the other room.

  “She is a firecracker. Alex knows her strengths and weaknesses, although I think she is still experimenting a little to see how far she can push Tarsea. She can blend into the background when it suits her. I am guessing it was the way she reacted to her environment.”

  “Yes, with other people. However, when she was with me and Candy, she had the confidence to step out of the shadows. I have always respected Alex for her calm exterior, now I am in awe. If I could have a fraction of her inner strength, I would be delighted.”

  Shirl suddenly looked uncomfortable. Starc thought she had revealed more than she intended. He also wondered if this was the first time she had internalized that thought.

  “I am not comfortable that your brother will adequately prepare you for tomorrow. Do you have any questions?”

  Shirl laughed, “Where do I start?” She poured herself a drink and rejoined him. “I do not even know how I opened the portal. One minute I am walking and the next my crystal was glowing.”

  “That is a normal reaction a crystal will have to a natural portal. I am surprised it never happened before,” Starc commented.

  “I had not been on that trail before,” Shirl answered. “Alex hiked with Candy or alone. It was the last location they could place her, so I had to explore the area for myself.”

  “Like in Sedona, tomorrow the portal will open automatically. Once your brother partially enters the event horizon, he will set the energy signature to open a gateway to the Nightshade world. At that point, we will enter. There will probably be an additional guard or two who will join us.”

  “I remember falling and twisting. Will that happen again?” She looked like she was going to break into tears.

  “No, it will feel like you are just walking through a door as a gust of wind descends. You entered the portal without setting the destination. Unfortunately, without a gateway open on the other side, you had a very rough ride. Alex experienced ju
st a fraction of what you went through. She was actually pulled into the event horizon as it was closing. It had the destination, but was in the process of finishing its cycle.”

  “How am I going to learn how to navigate the portals this way?”

  Starc took a deep breath, “Darden will teach you.” He looked into the other room. From where he sat, things seemed to have calmed. “When you enter the portal, listen for the frequency. Hopefully, it is a frequency you will never hear again or have to set the portal to yourself.”

  Shirl looked at him and frowned. “Have you been to the Nightshade world before?”

  Starc shook his head. “No. Anyone who has been to that world does not speak of it.” He did not want to scare Shirl, but she should know what she was up against.

  He figured between entering the portal again and going to a world shrouded in mystery, Shirl must be on the edge of a panic attack. She was several shades paler since they entered the kitchen.

  Alex appeared and sat next to her friend. “It’s all settled. Chartail and Stephano will be delivered to the portal at ten tomorrow morning. Your brother will come here and pick us up on his way to the mountain. Starc and Darden will be here early. We will all have breakfast and Darden will give you your first portal lesson. Solfa told us about your bleeding earlier today. Darden wants to make sure your brain is rested and you have had a healthy breakfast before entering the portal.”

  “Will Tolfer be here tomorrow morning?” Starc asked. The prospect of eating breakfast prepared by Tarsea’s mother or father was not an appetizing thought.

  He saw humor light Shirl’s face. She was stunning, it was almost painful to look at her. Tarsea’s parents’ lack of cooking skills was now legendary. She must have found it humorous that he reacted to having breakfast here, rather than the plan Alex communicated.