The Forbidden

by Jessie Donovan

  Chapter Seven

  Four days later, Ryven paced just outside of Kalahn's room and resisted hunting down Merctor to demand some answers.

  Most of those who went through the same procedure would sleep for maybe two days before waking up. Kalahn had been out for almost four.

  Sure, Syzel had assured him that the procedure had taken and she now had telepathic abilities. But none of that mattered if she never woke up again.

  Maybe he should've fought Kason harder. But since he couldn't change the past, he would have to focus on the present.

  There was one thing he could try, but he'd resisted because it was a violation of Kalahn's privacy.

  However, as the computer chimed the hour, he knew he had to attempt it. Because if she didn't wake up after five days, her chances of doing so again were slim to none.

  After rolling his shoulders and stretching to release some of his tension, he entered Kalahn's room and went to her bedside.

  It was unusual to see her still and motionless, except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest. From the first day he'd met her, when she'd been a child and he a teenager, she'd always been moving or talking. Everyone had suspected that Kalahn would grow out of it eventually, but everyone had thankfully been wrong.

  It was now up to him to bring her back.

  He took her cool hand in his and closed his eyes. Ryven usually had a barrier up around his mind, to keep others from invading it. He carefully dismantled one section, layer by layer, until he had a small opening.

  Without hesitation, he reached out to the invisible threads of consciousness he knew would be flowing around Kalahn. Until she learned to construct even a crude barrier, any telepath would be able to take what they wanted from her. It was why her room was reinforced to prevent anyone outside of it from reading her thoughts and dreams.

  He mentally brushed against one tendril and a video-like image flooded his brain.

  Kalahn swam at the bottom of a waterfall, wearing scraps of cloth over her breasts and groin that he'd seen the Jasvarian humans use before.

  In other words, she was as good as naked by Kelderan standards.

  Ryven tried his best not to gawk, but as she turned to float on her back, he couldn't help but linger on the slopes of her breasts, her rounded belly, and her shapely thighs. The pieces of wet material hid little, and he swore he could make out her hardened nipples.

  A male popped his head out of the water and playfully dunked Kalahn under the surface. In the second before she emerged once more, Ryven noted that the face of the male in the water with her was a blur.

  The nameless male form could be his way of reaching her.

  Ryven imagined the male form taking his head and shape. As the features became defined, he ignored the guilt that tugged at his heart. He would never willingly try to control someone else's thoughts or dreams unless it was a last resort. And in this case, it was.

  When he finished the manipulation, Kalahn opened her eyes and immediately splashed him. He waited to see if she'd notice his intrusion and flee.

  However, Kalahn merely laughed. "I was hoping you'd finally come play with me." She swam up to him and looped her arms around his neck. "Why don't you show me what else you have in store?"

  Even though it was a dream, the heat and playfulness in her eyes, combined with her soft, wet body against his, made Ryven want to kiss her and live out one of his own fantasies.

  But then he remembered the reason he was here. Removing her hands from his neck, he shook his head. "This isn't the time to play. I need you to listen to me and listen carefully."

  Confusion filled her gaze. "I don't understand. Aren't we here to have fun and relax?"

  A seasoned telepath would realize he was reaching out to her, but Kalahn was green. "We can relax later. Do you remember that you now have telepathy?"

  "I…" She closed her eyes and pushed away from him. "What's going on? There's now a thundering noise inside my head that's drowning out my thoughts."

  "That's because of me. You need to wake up, Kalahn. And now. Or you may never do so."

  She searched his gaze. "What do you mean the noise is because of you?"

  He swam a little closer. "I had no choice but to invade your mind. The longer I'm here while you're unconscious, the more it will hurt. That's why I need you to wake up."

  "Even if I wanted to do it, I don't know how."

  "Do you trust me?"

  She paused before answering, "I think so."

  That was going to have to be good enough. "Then I'm sorry for what's about to happen."

  Gathering all of his mental might, Ryven shoved against Kalahn's mind as hard as he could.

  Her instinct kicked in, pushed back, and tossed him out.

  He instantly opened his eyes. Kalahn lay in a curled ball on the bed, moaning.

  "Kalahn, I'm so sorry."

  She bit out, "What did you do to me?"

  The pain in her voice was a stab to his heart. Before he could reply, he heard her thoughts.

  Why would he hurt me? The pain is too much. I think I'm going to die.

  His first instinct was to smooth her hair from her face and whisper soothing words. If there was a way for him to absorb her pain and endure it for her, he would. But there wasn’t.

  Not even touching her was his privilege to claim. It was his duty to train her and ensure her mental health. Nothing else.

  Dismissing Kalahn felt wrong, but he pushed past it and spoke again. "You've been unconscious for four days. To date, anyone who underwent the DNA-splicing procedure and didn't regain consciousness by day five never did so. I needed to wake you up."

  She opened one eye and gave the best one-eyed glare he'd ever seen. "By bruising my brain?"

  "Merctor and his assistants tried everything else they could, and nothing worked. So this was our final option."

  She closed her eyelid. "Don't ever do it again."

  The hurt in her voice went straight to his heart. However, there’d been no other way. Hopefully Kalahn would acknowledge that with time. "Unless your life depends on it, I vow never to harm you." Against his better judgment, Ryven laid a hand on Kalahn's bicep. "Will you allow me to help you erase the pain?"

  ~~~

  Every minuscule movement caused an explosion of hurt inside Kalahn's brain.

  To be honest, it put everything in her life into perspective. She'd thought she'd endured trying times in the past, what with her mother's death and her father's terminal illness. But nothing compared to when merely breathing made you want to scream in agony.

  The only question was whether she could find the strength to push past the stabbing sensation and focus on anything Ryven tried to teach her.

  When he spoke again, his voice was closer, almost at her ear. "I've always sensed a great strength inside you, Kalahn. You can do this. Not only to help yourself but to also help protect your family."

  At the mention of her family, an image of Kajala holding her newborn baby came to her. She hadn't known her sister long, but Kalahn took being the eldest female sibling seriously. No matter her actions, Kajala deserved a happy future.

  It was, indeed, her turn to protect those she cared about. "Tell me how to get rid of the pain."

  "You must protect your mind and shield it from outside noise. That will take away most of the discomfort as well as give you privacy. I will instruct you on the process, but before we put your shields up, I need you to reach out to me mentally and use your telepathic abilities. I wouldn't ask unless it was necessary, but Merctor needs reassurance that the final serum did its job without any serious side effects. Thoughts escaping is one thing, but controlling them is another. I need to confirm the latter."

  While the task should be simple, Kalahn's brain was muddled. The last time she'd felt this way was after having a high fever for a few days.

  Ryven murmured, "You can do this, Lahn."

  Irritation flared at the name. She imagined throwing out her words, Don't call me Lahn.


  He mentally chuckled. You're fine. Now, try this.

  She wasn't exactly sure how he did it, but Ryven sent the equivalent of an instructional video, showcasing each step necessary in order to construct a crude barrier. Once it finished playing, he asked, Can you do that?

  Leave me alone and I'll try.

  The warm, masculine presence evaporated. She wondered if she'd feel the same way if anyone brushed against her mind. With everything that had been going on, she couldn't remember how it'd felt with Syzel.

  All she knew was that having Ryven touch her mind while awake was far more pleasant than when she was unconscious.

  While she had a million questions to ask, she pushed them aside temporarily and began building her shields.

  Layer by layer, she encircled her mental space. With each addition, some of the pain and background noise lessened. By the time she reached the tenth layer, there was silence inside her head once again.

  Inspecting her wall, it was uneven in parts and bulged here and there, but no amount of prodding revealed any gaps.

  Pain and noise free, she slowly blinked her eyes open to find Ryven's face a few inches from hers. After he searched her gaze, he murmured, "You look better."

  "Excuse me for not looking my best after someone all but punched my brain."

  "I said I was sorry. Now, stop with the guilt-tripping. We have more important things to do."

  He eased back to standing, and Kalahn managed to sit up. She only wobbled a second before she regained her balance. "I guess this is instructor-mode Ryven."

  The corner of his mouth ticked up. "Oh, you haven't met him yet. Once you do, you'll know."

  "That sounds a little foreboding."

  His eyes turned fierce. "This is no joking matter, Kalahn. If I don't prepare you properly, what I did to you will seem like a stroll through the gardens compared to what the female assassin might do. She kills for a living. Remember that."

  Her confidence faltered a second. "Maybe I was too cocky about my abilities. If I can't keep you out, how do I stand a chance with her?"

  Lightly taking her chin between his fingers, his voice was steely as he said, "You have already done better at this stage than most of my students in the past. Few could construct a gap-free barrier on their first try. And yes, I had to check it to ensure you were protected. But the point is, I think your strength of character will aid greatly in your training. A meek female wouldn't stand a chance at succeeding, but you're not a meek female, Kalahn."

  At the protectiveness in Ryven's voice, some of her uneasiness faded. "So, for once, being different is a positive trait?"

  He leaned in. "It's always been a positive trait in my eyes."

  With his heat and scent so close, flashes of her dream, with Ryven holding her close in the water, came rushing back. She wondered just how much he'd seen. Because before the swimming at the foot of the waterfall, she'd asked him to kiss her.

  Since she would essentially be trusting Ryven with her life, she blurted, "Am I broadcasting now?"

  "No," he murmured as he brushed a stray hair behind her ear. "But your cheeks and markings tell me plenty."

  A quick glance showed her markings flashing red, and she quickly imagined them a dark blue.

  She rarely had trouble keeping her composure. Why Ryven had such power over her, she'd never understand.

  Liar. She knew full well why.

  However, she didn't have time to worry about a male or how much she wished she could just hold him close and claim him as her own. Shaking off his fingers, she sat up taller. "Then what do I do next, oh wise teacher?"

  "You rest." He took a few steps away from her bed, and she almost reached out to grab his hand. Somehow she refrained, and Ryven continued, "After you sleep, your first task will be to wake up and immediately check your barrier. Eventually you will be able to maintain your shields as you sleep. But until then, your greatest task will be protecting both your mind and your thoughts from others."

  "What about if I want to allow someone in?"

  He took another step back. "We'll get to that as soon as I think you're ready. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to report your status to Merctor and your brother."

  Ryven exited the room.

  Kalahn sighed. Her brain was jumping and she constantly checked her shields to ensure there weren't any holes. Not to mention she was curious about what she could do with her new abilities. Being able to have a conversation without anyone listening in would have its benefits. Of course, she didn't know exactly how many people around her had telepathy. That was something else she'd have to discover when she had the chance.

  Thoughts and questions continued to swirl and she wondered how she was supposed to fall asleep.

  But after an hour of trying to better shape and fortify her mental walls, exhaustion took over and she drifted off.

  Chapter Eight

  Ryven exited Kason's home office and all but ran into Kajala Mayven. He managed to catch himself in time and took a step back. "My apologies, your highness."

  The tall, willowy, and heavily pregnant female studied him for a few seconds before speaking. "Why do you do that? Call me 'your highness'?"

  "Because you're the daughter of King Kastor."

  After studying him a second, she asked, "May I speak to you in private for a few minutes?"

  He had no idea what the female wanted, but he motioned toward the room Taryn used as an office when home.

  Once inside, Kajala closed the door and laid her hands over her belly. "What are your intentions with Kalahn?"

  He blinked. "My intentions?"

  "It's obvious that both of you fancy each other, and yet you fight it. As someone who hesitated and put off claiming my love as I should have, I don't understand why you're doing it."

  Kajala was either overly perceptive or he hadn’t been as good at hiding his feelings as he’d thought. However, he didn’t think Kalahn had noticed, which was all that mattered. "There's a difference. Kalahn doesn't fancy me."

  The corners of her mouth ticked up. "She does. But I find it interesting that you don't deny you're interested in her."

  Ryven didn't know Kajala well, but she was definitely clever to catch his omission. He'd have to be careful around her. "Right now, I'm simply helping Kalahn with a confidential project and nothing more."

  "Liar."

  He frowned. "If you were a male, I might challenge you for calling me a liar."

  "It's the truth, though." Kajala took a step closer. "I'm also not a male, and you won't. I know hearing the truth can hurt, but I'm just trying to help you."

  Ryven should bow and walk away, but her words piqued his curiosity. "Help me how?"

  "Well, I spoke with Keltor and his future bride privately. They told me they are working to change things so that any member of the royal family can marry whomever they wish. Well, provided they aren't a traitor, enemy, or some other such extreme."

  He frowned. "Why would they do that when there are more important issues for them to focus on?"

  She tilted her head. "I have my suspicions, but does it really matter?" She turned toward the door. "Don't make the same mistake I did, Ryven, because living a life of regret is not something I wish on anyone. That's all I wanted to say."

  With that, she left him alone inside Taryn's office.

  Rubbing his hand through his hair, Ryven tried to process what had just happened. He had no idea why Kajala would pull him aside like that, but it didn't change anything. Because even if her words were true, he and Kalahn had bigger issues at hand than whether or not to give in to attraction.

  Such as working to end the threats against Kalahn and her family. Oh, and keeping them alive.

  Brushing the strange encounter aside, he left Kason's quarters and made his way to the secure, reinforced area where Kalahn was being kept. After nodding at the guards stationed in the hall and knocking a few times, he entered to find Kalahn thumbing through one of the rare notescreens the Kelderans had brought t
o Jasvar.

  She looked up. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to learn all of this so quickly."

  "You had numerous tutors growing up and you speak two languages fluently. I think you can handle a few more lessons."

  "How do you know about my tutors?" she asked.

  "You went on about them endlessly when you were young."

  She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. You're over a decade older than me. I'm surprised you remember, old man."

  He grunted. "I prefer to be called experienced."

  "Okay, experienced one, explain how something that usually takes at least six months will be accomplished in less than one?"

  He sat on the edge of her bed. "I already told you that you're more skilled than most of my former telepath trainees. I have faith that you will continue to progress quickly."

  "Why? Most people dismiss me as a frivolous, spoiled princess."

  "You can be spoiled at times…" She glared and he laughed. "Well, it's true. But I've known you a long time, Kalahn. Whenever you wanted to do something, even if it was something as stupid as sneaking aboard a ship and stowing away without being detected, you put your mind to it and accomplished it. I think if we channel that rebelliousness toward your newfound telepathy, you can achieve great things."

  He waited for another quip or look, but it never came. Kalahn murmured, "Thank you for believing in me."

  Judging from her tone, few had done so in the past. Irritation flared at all those who had dismissed her. "It's your past actions that formed my opinion. Thanking me isn't necessary."

  "It's nice to see you like this."

  "Like what?"

  "Not always changing the subject with a wink or smile. That side of you is fun, but I must admit I like the serious side too."

  The longer he was in Kalahn's company, the more at ease he felt with her. Ryven could easily see himself relaxing completely in the near future with her, which was a big deal to a seasoned warrior trainer as himself.

  One of the first rules of being a trainer was to always project strength, control, and stability. Showcasing faults wasn't an option.