For a long moment neither moved. She sprawled before him, flushed and breathless and he felt a fresh wave of desire surge within him.
She remained silent and still, withdrawn rather than replete, so he carefully separated their bodies and joined her on the bed. He lay on his side and gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly. She trembled with what he hoped were little aftershocks of pleasure and he smiled.
“Will you promise me something?” she whispered.
Her voice broke and Tal noticed a tear escape the corner of her eye. “What is it? Why are you crying?”
A ragged sob shook her and Tal cupped her cheek, brushing away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “I can’t go through it again,” she cried. “You have to promise not to leave me. I couldn’t bear it if you died.”
He sat and cradled her gently against his chest. “Relax, my love, all is well.”
Her hand tangled painfully in his hair. “I know it’s irrational but part of me really means it. I don’t want to be here without you and there’s nothing left for me on Earth. What am I supposed to do if something happens to you? I just… I can’t…”
“Charlotte,” he said, gently disentangling her fingers from his hair. He waited until she opened her eyes. “There is a way to see that we are never parted, if that is truly what you wish. It’s called The Sah Keeta Narri. The soul bonding.”
“How is it done?” she asked softly, her cheek nuzzling his chest, her hand moving hungrily across his skin.
He caught her wrist, pressing her palm over his heart. Her curiosity triggered a bone-deep ache, but she didn’t understand what she was doing to him. Every Mystic longed for the completeness, the unity of body, soul and spirit, found only with The Sah Keeta Narri.
But the Great Conflict had made such bondings almost unheard of. If only devotion rather than fear drove her longing. If only… He forced away the useless sentiment.
“It utilizes a simple chant that draws our life forces together and makes them one. I’ll teach you the chant, but once completed, it can never be undone. It’s not to be entered into without much consideration. We’ll not do this tonight.”
She released her breath in a shuddering sigh. “’Til death do us part’? You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to be this emotional.”
He kissed her brow and tilted her head until their gazes met. “There’s no need for your apology. You lost someone you loved very much. It’s natural to be afraid.”
“Do Ontarians live longer than humans?”
“We do, and Ontarians with Mystic abilities live longer still.”
Finally she smiled. “If we did this ritual, would I live forever?”
“I never claimed to be immortal,” he protested with a laugh.
“But I would live as long as you live?”
“Maybe I won’t teach you the chant after all.” He rolled her beneath him. “You seem overly interested in this aspect of the joining.”
Her mouth soothed him with a slow, tender kiss. “When and if we perform this ritual, it will be because I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you.”
Chapter Ten
“Your exercises are increasing your focus. I’m amazed at how quickly you’re progressing.” Tal motioned Charlotte toward the benches lining the training hall.
They’d just finished their morning routine and she’d only landed on the floor once. She stretched her back and shifted her uniform top. Fashion was definitely not a priority on Ontariese, at least not with the Mystics. She wouldn’t know about the rest of the planet. They hadn’t allowed her beyond the Mystic shield even once in the five weeks since she arrived.
“Yeah, well, exercising on the metaphysical plane is about as much fun as aerobics,” she said.
Tal tilted his head to one side, caressing her face with is his gaze. “You’re doing very well. I’m proud of you.”
She laughed and pushed her damp hair off her forehead. “I wasn’t fishing for compliments. When can I visit Dro Tar?”
“Dro Tar departed for Bilarri yesterday.”
Charlotte walked to the edge of the training floor and picked up her squeezable tube of water. “Where or what is Bilarri and why did she go there?”
“Bilarri is a planet about six days’ journey by conventional starship. It’s the only inhabited planet in our neighboring solar system.”
Tal was about to say more when Vee spoke from the archway at the other end of the training hall. “Let us away to the exercise yard, Shar Lott. It is my wish to continue your training.”
Charlotte fell into step beside Tal. She had corrected Vee’s pronunciation of her name numerous times but he continued to separate the syllables. “What’s on Bilarri?”
“The Symposium,” Vee said, his tone clipped and final.
She decided not to push it. She knew the Symposium was some sort of governing board, but Vee obviously had his reasons for not expounding.
They emerged into the purple twilight. For two hours as dusk faded into night, both moons were visible in the Ontarian sky. Charlotte glanced up at the alien horizon and felt a pang within her chest. Would she ever see Earth again, gaze at a bright blue sky and inhale the fresh, clean scent of pine trees?
“It is possible for you to return to Earth, Shar Lott,” Vee said without breaking his stride. “Interdimensional travel is not common but it is possible.”
Perhaps she hadn’t mastered this broadcasting business after all.
“Tal explained how it works, but everyone on Earth thinks I’m dead. It might be a little awkward if I just showed up one day.”
Vee inclined his head. “If it were your wish, you could return to Earth centuries into the future. Would it amuse you to glimpse the progress of your world?”
“Let me accustom myself to this world before I contemplate others,” she suggested.
Stepping up to the wide stone railing, Charlotte looked out over the exercise yard. Mystics, in robes similar to Vee’s, supervised a group of boys as they engaged in various activities. The purpose of some of the routines was obvious while she could only guess at others.
A softly scented breeze wafted across her face. She inhaled the sweet fragrance and glanced at the neat flowerbeds lining the gallery. Everything here was orderly and peaceful. Had the rest of the planet really been ravaged by civil war?
Vee joined her at the rail and Tal sat on one of the stone benches behind them. After a longing glance at Tal, she turned her attention to Vee.
“Intensifying the powers of another is only part of a catalyst’s capability.” Vee spoke softly, as if he were afraid of being overheard. “Such intensification can also be accomplished when two people with the same gift meld. You are able to amplify any gift, which is unusual, but the part of your nature that is truly unique is what makes a catalyst so valuable.”
“And that is?”
“Many female Ontarians can sense latent abilities in others, but a catalyst can activate those abilities. Some abilities remain latent indefinitely without the assistance of a catalyst. Others develop far more rapidly after a catalyst has triggered them.”
“And how does a catalyst accomplish all this?”
She swallowed awkwardly and grasped the railing to hide the way her hands shook. All her life she’d battled feelings of mediocrity. She never felt good enough, smart enough or rich enough. Now the potential Vee described held her paralyzed.
“There is no reason for your fear,” Vee said.
She couldn’t suppress a little snort. “Can I give this to someone else? Can the power be exchanged like energy?”
“No. Fate entrusted this gift to you and someone troubled themselves greatly to disguise your true nature.”
Tal’s arms came around her, resting lightly on the railing on either side of her. Relaxing back against his warmth, she looked out across the exercise yard.
“So why am I here?” she asked.
“The Choosing took place not long ago. Many abilities have ye
t to develop in boys this young. I want you to scan each child and tell me what is revealed to you.”
Indulging a long, ragged sigh, Charlotte turned her gaze on the boy nearest the gallery. “The boy in red is telepathic, telekinetic and…” She blinked several times and leaned closer to the railing. “I sense a sort of receptiveness. He seems to be in tune with forces others cannot sense.”
Vee smiled. “Very good. Now scan the others.”
One by one, she identified the abilities of each of the new recruits. Vee accepted her assessments and encouraged her to intensify her scan each time she hesitated.
She came to a fair-haired boy on the far side of the yard and chuckled. “Oh, you’ve got yourself a firestarter.”
“Where?” Vee asked.
He moved closer, his robes lightly brushing her legs. Had she found her first latent ability?
“The blond boy in the turquoise tunic and black pants.” She pointed him out.
“His mentor has not yet discovered this gift. Is the talent known to the boy?” Vee asked.
“I don’t think so.”
The mentor working with the boy suddenly looked up and nodded toward Vee. Without question or hesitation, the boy started across the yard.
“Lor is a pyrokin?” Tal sounded aghast. His hands left the railing and he stalked back to the stone bench.
Vee’s emerald gaze followed his agitated movements. “Is it not better that we teach him to control such a power than to allow him to experiment with it on his own?”
“If Charlotte does not activate the ability, who is to say it will ever manifest?” Tal snapped.
As the men argued, Charlotte noticed that activity in the practice yard all but stopped. The boys tried to gain the attention of their mentors then exchanged confused expressions with each other.
She felt heat spread across her skin and realized the Mystics were staring at her—every one of them male. “Are there no female Mystics?”
Tal slipped his arm around her waist again and pulled her snugly against his side. “There are only three at the Conservatory.”
“Do they need to know that you’re mine?”
Even Vee chuckled at her wording.
“It might be wise,” Tal agreed.
Charlotte turned, wrapped her arms around Tal’s neck and kissed him thoroughly on the mouth. When she glanced back at the practice yard, the routines had resumed as if nothing had happened.
It took Charlotte a moment longer to recapture her nonchalant façade. Holding Tal, “claiming” him publicly, had thrilled and aroused her. She had never dreamed a simple kiss could be so stimulating. She wanted to drag him to her room and continue the “claiming” in far more intimate ways. Forcing away the lurid thoughts, she steered her reluctant mind back to the task at hand.
Standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the gallery, the blond boy hesitated, obviously unsure if he should join them. He looked about six or seven and his wide, guileless eyes perfectly matched his turquoise tunic. Vee motioned him forward.
The boy closed the distance between them and stopped in front of Vee, respectfully bowing his head. “How may I serve you, Head Master Vee?”
The Symposium’s lessons, combined with Tal’s mind-to-mind transfers, allowed Charlotte to understand the boy’s words.
“This is Mistress Shar Lott. She shall work with you for a short time. You need not fear her but I expect you to offer her the same respect and obedience you grant the other Mystics.”
The other Mystics? Charlotte gulped. When had she become a Mystic?
The boy turned to her and bowed his head.
Understanding a language and speaking it were two different things. Still she had to start some time. Kneeling before the boy, she raised his face until their eyes met. Thick, sooty lashes framed his eyes, an ever-changing marbling of green and blue. He smiled hesitantly, a sudden flush coloring his cheeks.
“Your name is Lor?” she asked carefully.
“Yes, mistress.”
Apparently, he was able to understand her. “Well, Lor, shall we play a game?”
“Mage Rin has us play games, but he says that every game must have a purpose and every player must play to win.”
“I know a better place for this game,” Tal said.
Charlotte nodded and they set off along the gallery. Tal walked beside Vee, which left Lor with Charlotte. Her heart nearly leapt from her chest when Lor slipped his hand into hers and offered a nervous little smile. She carefully closed her fingers around his hand, ignoring the aching familiarity.
It had been a year since she felt a child’s hand in hers. The trust, the promise and the potential in Lor’s innocent face tore at her heart. She refused to think about the cruel injustice of such innocence snuffed out, never to be fully realized. She couldn’t change the past but she could rise above the ashes.
Tal led them to a small chamber. Charlotte couldn’t tell if it was a pantry or some sort of pharmacy. Vee took a wide stone dish from one shelf and placed a firestone in it. Setting the dish on the floor, he stepped back.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Why had Tal become so agitated by the prospect of Lor’s abilities?
Each apprentice is closely supervised. Continue. Vee’s voice sounded within her mind.
She motioned Lor toward the dish. “Have you ever ignited a firestone?”
“No, mistress. None of us can do that.”
“Well, it is dangerous and it must only be done if you are with one of the Mystics. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, mistress.”
“The game is simple. Pretend you’re cold and you need the firestone to warm you.”
Lor glanced at Vee, his forehead creased, his eyes narrowed. “But if I’m cold, I heat my blood.”
“Pretend Mistress Shar Lott is cold,” Vee suggested.
“All right.”
He closed his eyes and Charlotte smiled. At least she wasn’t the only novice who made that mistake. She kept her eyes open while she sank into his mind, visualizing a closed door. As gently as she could, she eased the door open.
Energy burst out, shaking Lor’s entire body. The firestone exploded in blazing shards and everyone dove for cover. Flames erupted all over the room. The wooden shelves, the heavy curtains, even two thick tomes began to burn.
Lor clung to Charlotte, whispering apologies.
“It’s all right. This is not your fault,” she told the frightened boy.
Vee raised his hands and smothered the flames in one direction. Tal did the same in the other.
“See, nothing to fear,” Charlotte said.
Lor stepped back and stood up straight, his eyes enormous in his pale face. “I’m sorry, Head Master Vee. Please don’t send me home. I’ll do better. I’ll try harder. I will not…” His chin quivered and his eyes filled with tears but he stubbornly blinked them back.
“This was not your fault,” Charlotte said firmly as much for the men as for the child.
“There was no fault in your actions, Lor,” Vee said. “Ask Mage Rin to come to me. It would appear pyrokinesis must be added to your training.”
The boy darted from the room. Charlotte suspected he was losing the battle with his tears.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Apparently, it will work better if the person is not using their power when you activate it,” Tal said, his troubled gaze lingering on the spot where the boy had been.
* * *
Tal’s hair slid across Charlotte’s naked back, curling around her thighs and tickling her bottom. She giggled and started to turn over.
“Lie still.” He eased her down to her stomach and continued the teasing massage.
“On Earth, you could have made a fortune doing this. I’ve never felt anything so heavenly.” A strand sneaked between her thighs and her breath hitched. “Now you’d get arrested if you charged money for that.”
“I only care that it pleases you.”
Smiling dreamily, she
rested her chin on her folded hands and enjoyed the sensuous caress. “Tell me about Lor.” His hair hesitated against her skin.
“Why do you ask?”
“I sensed a certain animosity in your reaction to the boy. Is he a pain in the butt or—”
“His name is Lor dar Joon. I cannot think of the Earthish term. His father is brother to Dez.”
“Nephew,” she provided quietly. “Dez is Lor’s uncle.”
“Yes.”
“Has there been any sign of instability in Lor?”
“He would not be here if there were.”
His warm hands wandered up the inside of her thighs, gently moving her legs apart.
“I thought you wanted me to relax.” She glanced over her shoulder and found him kneeling between her legs.
“Are you not relaxed?”
“I was until you…adjusted our position.”
“I have been contemplating our position.”
She chuckled, more than ready to play. “Have you now? Is there a particular position you’ve been contemplating?”
His hands clasped her hips and pulled her up to her knees. The silken caress of his hair never stopped but his hands joined in. He stroked her hips and sides, cupped her breasts, then pressed his body against her back.
“I can’t touch you like this,” she protested.
“Is it not enough to be touched by me?”
She trembled. “More than enough.”
“Then revel in my caresses. Accept the pleasure I give you.”
His knees nudged her legs wide as he rubbed her rounded behind. His fingers curved inward, gently teasing her folds. “You are so soft,” he whispered. “All of you.”
He seemed fascinated by her bottom, stroking her skin and squeezing the resilient flesh. His fingers delved into the deep crease between her cheeks and Charlotte moaned. She had never thought of her backside as particularly sexy but this was downright erotic. He traced her crease, eased between her thighs and skimmed her feminine slit.
“So soft.” He teased her, carefully avoiding her sensitive clit, which focused her attention on the emptiness building between her thighs.
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