Star Minds Interregnum

by Barbara G. Tarn

  He freed his hand and put his arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. "We'll be all right, Lyssa," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

  "The Invisible Boy as bodyguard," she said, feeling elated. "That's unheard of!"

  He grinned. "Do you want me to take on ten of those big Ulba'wissian guys and show you how good I am?"

  "Oh, please no, enough violence, thank you! Hey, look, you could open your tattoo parlor here, and the building we're looking for is just over there..."

  ***

  "If you want to get rid of me, I think I can immigrate here too without being considered your boyfriend," Yoshio announced, frowning at his tablet, as they ate at a small restaurant across from the apartment building.

  "What do you mean?" Lyssa asked, puzzled. She kind of liked the idea of sharing the small apartment with him. She had called Vorus and told him why she had to leave in a hurry. He apologized on behalf of Nathan and begged her to come back, that he'd find a way to keep her safe, but she replied that she had a job at the Vaurabi Labs where she could continue her father's work, so he'd relented with a sigh.

  She hadn't told him about Yoshio who had been checking his own tablet when he'd come up with something. Yoshio showed his screen – a picture of a young man with brown hair and sky-blue eyes with a young woman with slanted eyes. The title of the article was "The late Emperor's grandson gets married with a private ceremony."

  "That's Shan-leo Shermac-Vaurabi," Lyssa said, recognizing the former Imperial prince.

  "And that's my cousin, Mayumi Ikagoru," Yoshio replied, pointing at the young woman. "Apparently she married a Sire. I haven't seen her in years..."

  He turned the tablet and stared at the screen, thoughtful. "She hasn't changed much, though..."

  "How old was she last time you saw her?"

  "Ten or eleven... I wonder what happened to Akira."

  "Who?"

  "Her twin."

  "She had a twin?"

  Yoshio nodded, serious. "And I think they both had some kind of psionic power..."

  "My mother and aunt were twins and both had telepathy! They passed it to me and my cousin Wanda... Call Mayumi, I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you again!"

  The next morning they went together to the former Imperial palace, where Mayumi lived with her husband. The late Emperor's grandson had a bionic arm from an accident when he was seventeen, but his genetically reinforced skin meant he'd come out of it much better off than Alex had.

  Mayumi was delighted to see Yoshio. She'd been told her cousin was dead at the dreadful School for Gifted Children, where she'd gone soon after Yoshio had managed to run away. She also told him that her twin brother had died in the school-lab that had stretched him until he'd snapped.

  "You did well in finding a telepathic girlfriend," she said, smiling at Lyssa, who blushed. "I have discovered with Shan-leo that another telepath can bring so much to the table... when you're both ready, we'll teach you how to mind link. It's mind-blowing!"

  "Not literally," Shan-leo assured.

  Lyssa had noticed that they seemed to be two bodies and one mind, and had wondered about it. Obviously there was more to telepathy than what she knew. She was glad she'd found a place where she could explore her power without being feared or abused. And Yoshio seemed to be even more gifted than her.

  As they went back to their apartment, Yoshio took her hand.

  "Even if we don't say anything, people seem to naturally assume that we're a couple," he said with an impish smile. "So, what do you think?"

  She giggled. "I think they might be right – when they say we look good together."

  He laughed and hugged her.

  It felt good to make plans for the future. Lyssa was alive again as she explored the new town with Yoshio. The past month had been crazy, but now she was finally in a place she hoped to call home. The Sire were all telepaths, they wouldn't fear her. And the foreigners working for them were used to telepaths and sometimes even had artificial mind shields.

  "When my girlfriend was killed by the gangsters, I was completely powerless," he said as they settled in the sparsely furnished apartment. "There were too many of them to control them all. I swore it would never happen again, but then I understood violence permeated Xi-kong... so I decided to leave."

  "Your girlfriend... who was she? How long were you together?" she asked, feeling his sadness weighing on her heart.

  "She was the daughter of the tattoo artist. We naturally fell into each other's arms as soon as she came back from her boarding school. I was twenty-two. It lasted almost three years – then big boss wanted her for his son or something, she refused and..." He sighed and looked at her. "What about you, any boyfriend on SETH World?"

  She'd had Alex for a year or so, but it was mostly teen love. Besides, Alex was quadriplegic, so they couldn't do much. She had dated a few others, but never made it to a real relationship. As to falling in love... she didn't know about that yet.

  Yoshio shared the death of his girlfriend, which brought them even closer. He also showed her his memories of Yuki – how sweet he could be when he was in love. It was like rain on the fading little flowers of her sentimental life.

  Her heart started beating faster that night when he took her in his arms and held her tight.

  Lyssa, no matter what, I want to spend my life with you. You're too good to be true...

  His fingers caressed her hair and her back, and she almost moaned in pleasure.

  I wish I had met you earlier, Yoshio...

  He chuckled and squeezed her. "Let's get some sleep," he said, pulling back with a grin. "We have a whole life to explore our feelings together..."

  She giggled. "Will I have a good night kiss?"

  "And a good morning kiss every morning, now and forever," he promised solemnly.

  Haunted by Shadows

  1.

  Wanda was a loner, mostly because being a telepath she immediately knew what others were thinking. She couldn't understand why most people said one thing, thought another and did a third. She'd been called haughty, selfish and a number of other names, so she ended up raising her mental shields for her own peace of mind and keeping herself company with imaginary friends.

  Her mother had told her the gift went from mother to daughter and she should never talk about it. Her mind-reading ability was never discussed in the family. She had two brothers, but only her cousin Lyssa had the same gift. Their mothers had been twins, and were so connected, that they'd died at the same time.

  So even in her own inner circle she couldn't find much company, and in the years since her mother's death her life had been very lonely. Mostly because Lyssa's father had taken her away on SETH World – and then Wanda's father had died too, forcing her elder brother to be in charge of the house.

  Even if she lived on the pleasure planet, she couldn't say she was happy. Especially when she saw people pretending to enjoy themselves, in order to bury the shadows in their minds. Her insight into other people's minds meant she couldn't find someone she trusted and she hadn't fallen in love yet.

  Lately she was hanging out with a group of people about her age – fellow university students or graduates like her. When they discovered it was her birthday, they insisted that she celebrate it with them. She didn't like parties, didn't enjoy the same things most people liked, but there she was, trying to fend off ideas for a proper birthday bash.

  Her friends said she was now twenty-two and it was time she started going out a little more. She was an orphan all right, but enough mourning, life was wonderful and she must stop playing the recluse. That she was pretty and why couldn't she find a boyfriend – or girlfriend if that was her taste? Someone even said out loud that she was a lesbian but didn't know it – which stunned her speechless.

  If only people could read minds like her, they'd probably avoid relationships as much as she did!

  Her friends were only slightly more honest than the rest, and seemed to really care. They insis
ted she shouldn't be such a loner. Since she lived on Vilas Lok, she should take advantage of the environment. She surrendered, if only to make them shut up.

  They started dragging her from place to place in the colorful night of Vilas, the main town of the planet. Her family owned a couple of clubs, but her friends took her out to see if they could find something she liked best.

  They checked live shows, casinos, private clubs, strippers, but nothing was to her taste, so eventually they took her back to her night club, disappointed and bored. None of the suggestions included hiring an escort to entertain her so far. Even if she was a virgin, that didn't mean she didn't have fantasies! And Krista, who had led the whole party-going, knew that she was interested in men.

  Here she was on her own again, while the others laughed, talked and danced almost ignoring her. She cursed herself for admitting to Krista that she hadn't known men, but the few guys who had tried to get through to her were spreading ugly rumors, so at least now they'd shut up. When her mother was still alive, Wanda didn't care what others thought, but when Lyssa had stopped on Vilas Lok, was almost raped by creepy Nathan Hasencamp and ran away to find refuge on the Sire planet, Wanda had felt so lost and lonely that Krista had managed to uncover her secret – the virginity, not the telepathy.

  Being treated like a ten-year-old mascot wasn't exactly what she had in mind, though, especially since it was her birthday and supposedly her party. Moving to the music, she imagined being with her ideal man, who at the moment had the face of the King of Music, Zaphadin, who lived just outside of the town. She could easily picture him dancing with her – she'd watched his videos and performances so often, he was alive in her head as if she'd actually met him.

  A man embraced her from behind and she closed her eyes. Now Zaphadin was tridimensional in her dream! She couldn't smell him yet, so she thanked her mother for the birthday gift, deciding not to probe the man's mind and raising her mind shields to the maximum.

  "Are you the birthday girl?" a husky voice whispered in her ear. "Come with me, they tell me you don't know pleasure yet..."

  She kept her eyes closed as he took her hand and guided her to a corner. She didn't want to see him and discover he was nothing like Zaphadin. Although most male escorts were gorgeous, but what if she didn't like him? She might as well keep daydreaming, even if he didn't sound like Zaphadin. But then, the noise in the disco was so loud, who could really tell?

  "Relax," he said, pulling her into his arms and gradually holding her tighter, caressing her back. "Let me undress you."

  "Here, in front of everyone?" she protested.

  "They're too busy to look this way," he replied. They pretended to be. Probably Krista was keeping an eye on them to make sure Wanda enjoyed the birthday gift. So they had played her all night, after all, and now was the time for the real fun. Tricky friends she had! She was glad she'd kept her mind shields up and not tried to read through their cheerful jokes.

  She barely glanced at him, though. She didn't want to look at him in the dim light of the room.

  Again he caressed her back, sending shivers down her spine, whispering reassuring words in her ear. Without thinking, she put her hand on his chest, sliding her fingers under his shirt's fabric to touch his smooth, hairless skin.

  "Well done," he said, still caressing her. He sat on a corner love seat and pulled her into his lap, helping her to relax even more.

  She'd never been very outgoing and had never touched a man, but gradually curiosity won her and her hands explored him more. But she didn't want to get naked in public, so at some point she pulled away from him.

  "Let's get out of here," she said, and took him to her room.

  The light flooded her bed that had been so empty until now – except for her fantasies of having Zaphadin next to her. And she couldn't avoid looking at the man she'd taken into her kingdom now that they were alone. He wasn't handsome, but he was good – he knew exactly what to say and where to touch.

  She took down a mind shield to explore him. He was patient and controlled, but there was a hint of boredom in his eyes.

  He waited for her orders with his shirt open. He knew he wasn't the most gorgeous man in the universe, but he was young and an expert, and that was why he'd been chosen. He thought she was the weirdest virgin he'd ever met – and she wondered what he'd think if she told him she was a telepath.

  "You can go now," she said, breaking the silence.

  "I'm supposed to teach you everything," he objected. "We've barely scratched the surface..."

  "I don't want to do it with an escort," she replied. "I took you here. Nobody will know that we didn't do anything. For my friends, we spent the night together, if that's what they paid you for."

  "Do you want to marry still a virgin?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms over his chest.

  "No, but I want to do it with someone I can keep, not a prostitute."

  She's definitely weird, he thought. She refrained from transmitting a snarky reply to him. Here's that bruised male ego again. That was why he wouldn't do. He might pretend to be patient, might be an expert, but at the first "no thanks" he felt wounded in his pride.

  "Don't worry," she teased. "I survived as a virgin for twenty-two years, I can wait for a few more until I meet the right man! Thank you for coming and for what you taught me today."

  "It's nothing compared to what I still have to show you," he replied, wounded in his professional dignity.

  "I don't want anything else for today," she assured him. "You can go now."

  She turned her back on him and went to sit at her desk.

  "Is there a man you'd like to be with?" he asked.

  "Yes, but I'll never get to him," she answered without turning to look at him.

  "Tell me his name," he said, coming closer. Then he saw her screensaver and recognized the slideshow of pictures. "If it's him that you want, you'll have him," he said before turning around and leaving.

  She could feel his sadness, but she shrugged it off. If she – the daughter of a wealthy Alahairian family living on Vilas Lok – couldn't get near Zaphadin how could an escort give her the King of Music? She watched two of his videos, then decided to go to bed and imagine having sex with the megastar.

  ***

  Wanda was startled when her computer screen showed the face of the caller. She held her breath at the sight of Zaphadin's dazzling smile.

  "Hello," he greeted. "I've been told you're always alone, and it's obviously true."

  "Yes," she answered, breathless. "How did you..."

  "We have common friends." He grinned. "No matter how much I pay him, I still owe Feliks Slickfingers, so when he calls, I answer."

  "Is he a male escort?"

  "Of course! And one of the best!"

  "So you had him?" Wanda's heart sank a little more every passing moment. She should have kept dreaming, but she never expected the escort to actually know Zaphadin. Unless it was a trick, of course... but no, it was a restricted number calling and it did sound like Zaphadin.

  "You're smart for a virgin," he replied.

  "I wasn't born yesterday, asshole," she retorted.

  "Wow, first time someone's called me asshole in years." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I thought I was your ideal man!"

  "Was." She glared at the face on the screen. "You've just made a fool of yourself. Unless it's a prank, of course."

  "No, it's really me and yes, I'm an asshole." His laugh sounded a little sick. She wondered if he was high or what. "Feliks is right, you're weird. So, do you want to meet me?"

  She desperately wanted to discover it was a prank. So she agreed and told him the name of her father's club. He said he'd be there in half an hour, so she went downstairs to wait for him in a secluded booth with a love seat.

  A little commotion announced the superstar's entrance, but he was alone when he sat next to her.

  "See, it's really me," he said, grabbing her wrist. "You can touch me, I'm real."

&n
bsp; He put her palm on his chest, and his shirt was open much like Feliks's had been.

  She touched his smooth skin and muscles, startled by such openness on the part of the reclusive star. He seemed drunk, although he didn't smell of alcohol.

  Touching him meant she immediately had access to his mind, and her curiosity had the best of her. But she gasped at the sight of the many shadows in Zaphadin's mind. The man behind the myth was haunted by pain and sorrow nobody would ever see, threatened constantly by his bullying manager and on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

  Shocked, Wanda pulled away from him and quickly rose from the love seat.

  "I'm a telepath," she said bluntly. Why was she telling him? He was a galactic megastar and she'd promised her mother she wouldn't flaunt her gift like that! But somehow it didn't feel right to be able to read his deepest secrets without telling him – he was a celebrity but also a mystery for his fans, and what she'd seen in his mind had deeply unsettled her.

  His smile vanished. "You read my mind? We shouldn't have met... Although maybe you could help me..."

  "I don't think so," she said quickly, turning her back on him and storming away.

  She wasn't sure if she was madder at the escort or at her idol who had suddenly fallen from his pedestal. Zaphadin was a junkie who preferred men and she better find herself another virtual lover. As for that escort – what was the name, Feliks? – maybe he'd done it on purpose. Maybe he had even told Zaphadin what to say.

  She called her friend Krista and asked her where she'd hired the escort. Krista told her with some snarky comment that made Wanda even angrier, but she took a deep breath to calm down before calling Feliks's workplace. They put her through without asking questions.

  "Oh, hello," he greeted, sleepy and half-naked.

  "Busy with some other virgin?" she snapped.

  "No, I was resting and this room is very hot – the AC is broken," he answered with a shrug. "Besides, I'm not doing virgins anymore."

  "How come?"

  "The latest was a tough case. Did your beloved call you?"