Clark was exactly where Chartail knew she would find him. Their armory was depleted after the battle with the portal guardians. Both sides had exhausted the weapons they possessed. New spears had to be made for both hunting and defensive purposes.
Chartail sat across from him, she positioned herself so they were eye level with each other. She would give him no other option, but to look her in the face. Chartail was determined to get through his thick skull.
“There are several women who have requested to be placed on defensive watches and you have ignored their requests.” Chartail worked to control the anger in her voice. She was not letting emotions overwhelm her and lose any leverage she had with Clarke. “These same women fought bravely beside the men when the portal guardians attacked. With our diminished army, it only makes sense to have women share in protecting the children.”
Clarke continued to stare at her, not breaking eye contact once. He finally blinked and said, “With our diminished army, it only makes sense to have women share in protecting the children. I will add them to the shifts starting tonight.”
Initially, Chartail had thought Clark was mimicking her. However, that was not part of his personality. Something was wrong, Clarke agreed too easily. In the past, if Chartail said the sun rose in the east, he would argue with her. His expression reflected his commitment to what he just said.
“I have work to do,” Clarke growled. “Is there anything else you want?”
“No,” Chartail replied in a tone that sounded more like a question, than a statement. A bit dazed Chartail rose to leave, glancing at Clarke once more. He had returned to creating new spears. Deciding to declare victory, Chartail continued to make her late afternoon rounds.
Her next stop was to check on the preparation of dinner. The women of the village had decreed Chartail would have final approval over the daily menus. How her involvement in the short battle brought about this responsibility was beyond her understanding. It seemed irrelevant to these women she could not cook.
The village hunters had a successful day since there were a variety of meats being roasted. They rarely went hungry, but there were days when their diet consisted mostly of vegetables and fruits. It looked like they would eat well tonight. Tolfer must have talked to Troyk officials on his return, since the last portal shipment of supplies included goods that would allow them to cure meat. They would now be able to store protein when they had excess.
“Chartail,” a small dark haired woman approached. “These women will not listen to reason. We should not waste the cherries by putting them in the sauce, which will be served with the pork. The children love those cherries as snacks.”
Beverlee was one of the first women who had been sentenced to the penal colony. She had known periods of extreme hunger and still pushed for them to be frugal, regardless of the abundance around them. Chartail knew they had so many cherries they started to rot.
“The children love the recipe Tolfer created,” Chartail addressed the older woman. “It only requires a small amount of the cherries. Why do we not discuss ways we can use the fruit we will lose if they are not consumed in the next day or two?”
“Chartail,” Beverlee said, “why do we not discuss ways we can use the cherries we will lose if they are not consumed in the next day or two?”
Hearing her words uttered back to her for the second time deeply disturbed Chartail. She had seen mind control telepathic people manipulate those around her in the same fashion her whole life. Had the hormone that was created after she made love to Benko brought about latent mind control powers? She needed to find her soul mate immediately.
The communal pathways were unusually busy with tales about his soul mate. It was odd using the telepathic power he had barely used for decades. The villagers rarely used this talent, so something must have occurred to force them to communicate in this manner. He needed to finish his meeting with the architecture committee on the improvements needed to defensively reinforce the portal guardians’ village. They needed to rename their new home, leaving behind the horror of what brought them here.
Chartail stormed into the center hut, her eyes filled with tears. The men and women he had met with saw the state she was in and quickly evacuated the premises. He imagined they had listened to all the ridiculous tales being communicated through the pathways. She was probably here because of what she heard.
“I think I have developed mind control capabilities,” Chartail cried. He brought her into his arms, he held her as her body shook. “It is a power that should not exist. People should have their free will.”
“Chartail, relax,” Benko tried to calm his soul mate. “We do not know that is the case. I am not an expert about the legend of soul mates, but based on my understanding, the hormone enhances abilities you already possess.”
“Manipulating others is a talent that runs in my family,” Chartail replied. “It may have been so weak in me that I had not been able to use it until the hormone intensified the ability. Please, I do not want this power!”
Chartail broke down as she sobbed in his arms. He had never seen her like this before. She was the strongest woman he had ever known. The mind control ability in her opinion was an illness. Everyone knew he was a mind control telepath, they just did not know the extent of the power he possessed. It was a secret he would continue to keep, including from his soul mate.
“My daughter and I both have the power, Chartail. Just because you possess an ability, does not mean you have to use it in a way to take away another’s freedom. It can be used to stop a criminal from hurting another human being, help someone who struggled over something they have not been able to come to terms with, or assist a child who cannot remember a crucial fact. I taught Cassie to use it for self-defense purposes, in case one of my father’s gatherers caught up with us. A power is not evil, it is how you use it or choose not to.”
The tremors stopped, as Chartail considered what he shared with her. She stepped out of his arms and started to pace. From the expressions on her face, he knew she debated the pros and cons of a telepathic power she might or might not have. Based on the chatter, something had happened.
“If I have the power, what had occurred this afternoon was not intentional on my part. How can I control something I do not even know I am doing?” He could hear the frustration laced in her voice. Her pace increased as Chartail continued to struggle with what she had done. Benko realized she looked for him to explain what had occurred and teach her to control her latent talent.
“We do not even know you used mind control against Clarke or Beverlee,” Benko reasoned. “It is possible they both just acquiesced to your way of thinking.” Chartail’s grunt communicated she was not going to fall for that explanation. Although he had not been in this parallel dimension long, he knew both Clarke and Beverlee well enough not to swallow this particular scenario either. “Come here and let me try to connect with your mind.”
Chartail came back into his arms, without a moment’s hesitation. It humbled him how much his soul mate trusted him. He pulled out a gold crystal he had in his pocket and clasped it in his hand. Benko opened his mind and projected his consciousness to Chartail. The last time he had attempted to enter another’s mind was when he lived in the Troyk universe.
He grasped the crystal tighter and concentrated on the woman in his arms. Although it would not have made any difference, he leaned his head against his soul mate’s forehead. Images of his own persona started to assault his mind, she thought about him. Benko needed to move past his desire to learn how Chartail felt about him, to the items that caused her distress. Although it had been decades since he attempted this procedure, something redirected his focus.
When Benko realized what her body communicated to him, he held Chartail tighter. He let out a sigh of relief, “It is not your ability you have leveraged, but that of the unborn child your body is
preparing for.”
Chartail leaned her head back and looked at him with such shock depicted on her face, he almost laughed. Her intelligent eyes finally got a little larger, as what he told her sunk in. Benko had never heard of a situation where an expectant mother’s telepathic abilities changed to mimic the talents the unborn child would possess. He figured it was related to the soul mate link that had opened.
“Alex had mentioned she first knew she was pregnant when she lost all but the familial channels. She said nothing about inheriting temporary powers from her child.”
“I would imagine each pregnancy is unique based on the abilities each child will possess. As your body prepares to carry the embryo, I imagine your telepathic talents will become erratic, until the link between you and our baby stabilizes.”
Chartail once again left his arms and walked to a nearby chair and sat. He watched as she placed her hands on her abdomen and closed her eyes. Tension appeared to leave her body, as Benko watched Chartail commune with her changing body and the child she would one day deliver.
Benko’s feelings of joy were slowly replaced with concern regarding how powerful his new son or daughter would be. His father had often commented how very powerful Benko was, so he imagined that the child Chartail carried could have talents that eclipsed his own. Such talent could possibly place Chartail in danger and ultimately the baby, as his or her powers grew. How would his followers deal with another powerful mind control telepath among them?
Chapter 11
The Troyk Universe
JoAnna punched her pillow in frustration. After the physically challenging day, she had thought she would sleep like the dead. Rather than falling into a deep coma-like sleep, she found herself staring at the ceiling. How she wished Koel was beside her.
Her mind kept racing, imagining the energy blast Shirl had generated. They had not communicated orally or telepathically on the journey back to the portal. All their strength was used to forage through the jungle, weighed down by the crystals they had collected. Although her body had been overburdened, her mind dealt with what she had seen, with no avenue to ask questions. Shirl had temporarily shut down any means to talk to her.
Frustrated by her inability to sleep, JoAnna rolled out of bed and headed for the kitchen. Even after all the rain that pelted them on their way back to the portal, JoAnna was parched. A glass of ice cold water would quench her thirst.
As she entered the kitchen, she noted someone sat in the dark. Not wanting to disturb the woman shrouded in the shadows, JoAnna went to the sink and filled a glass from the tap, without turning on the light. JoAnna sat next to Shirl and maintained the silence between them.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” Shirl asked. Her voice was weighed down by exhaustion. JoAnna could not imagine the amount of energy Shirl had to generate to create the blast. It had surprised her Shirl had been able to walk back to the portal on her own steam.
“No,” JoAnna answered. She had so many questions to ask Shirl, but did not know where to begin. Things between them had been awkward from the moment she had entered the Troyk universe. JoAnna knew Shirl had to direct any topic they talked about, as well as what would continue to linger between them in silence.
“Koel said you had the ability to enter someone’s mind. I want you to enter mine.”
JoAnna was surprised by Shirl’s request. She had assumed the other woman would consider such an act a violation. However, JoAnna had been invited to do so. Perhaps Shirl felt it was the quickest way to get to what she needed to share, without struggling to put things into words.
JoAnna closed her eyes and concentrated on the blonde in front of her. The other woman’s mind offered no resistance to her entry. She was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, struggling with a power that terrified her. JoAnna did not know if her concern about her own telepathic gifts intensified Shirl’s feelings in JoAnna’s mind. No wonder they both sat in the dark.
Almost equal to Shirl’s issues related to her powers were concerns about JoAnna and the threat she represented. JoAnna could feel Shirl’s greatest hope, the desire she could trust JoAnna. It humbled her how much Shirl craved that.
“You left me to care for Candy and Alex alone.” Shirl’s confession floored her, as well as finally admitting who Alex really was. “They were our responsibility and you abandoned me.”
The scars of the past had been just as powerful as Shirl’s concerns about the present. JoAnna was not sure how to respond to what she heard and felt within Shirl’s mind. Feelings were overwhelming her and she was not sure she could hold on to her own emotions.
Tears rolled down JoAnna’s cheeks. She was not sure how long it had been since she had cried. Even when her mother passed, JoAnna knew she had to be strong for her father and did not shed a single tear.
“I had not realized,” JoAnna shared with Shirl. “Even though we were only six, you seemed so self-contained in your protection of Alex and Candy. They followed you like chicks ran after a mother hen.” Maybe it was jealousy of Shirl’s relationship with the two younger girls that drove her to use her powers to get adopted, not that she would ever admit it to Shirl. JoAnna wanted something all her own.
“Now you know how I feel,” Shirl said. “There are no more secrets between us. You hold all our lives in your hands. Jeryl Jarlyn merely has to ask you questions and your inability to shield lies from the Prime Ruler will sink us all.”
“That won’t be a problem,” JoAnna informed Shirl. “For whatever reason, my mind is blocked to him, as well as from my uncle. They feel it was my telepathic abilities that created the barrier. It is the reason they figured I was a powerful mind control telepath.”
“The guys are unaware of any legends related to mind control telepathic soul mates, unlike a mated female crystal telepath or the Troyk Warrior Woman.”
“Candy?” JoAnna asked.
“I think enough secrets have been revealed today,” Shirl answered.
“What can I do to garner your trust?” That was the question JoAnna came back to. Shirl had risked a great deal, while JoAnna had nothing she could offer to reciprocate. She kept wracking her brain to come up with something, but came up short.
“Let Alex try to read your mind,” Shirl responded. “She is not a mind control telepath, but she can read your thoughts if she concentrates. Her abilities have become temporarily diminished because of the baby, but we can try.”
“I agree to that,” JoAnna immediately answered. It would be so nice to spend time with Alex when she was not pretending to be someone she was not.
Living in a world of telepathic beings resulted in quicker communication than JoAnna was used to. Cell phones and texting provided rapid communication, which assumed someone had their phone handy. Once Shirl contacted Alex telepathically, the fiery redhead was there in what JoAnna considered record time.
As Shirl brought Alex up to speed on JoAnna’s abilities, she watched the small woman’s facial expressions. Alex was able to control her reactions to the information. JoAnna made a mental note not to play poker with Alex.
“How do you go about reading my thoughts?” JoAnna asked. She imagined it would be similar to the process she went through when she entered another’s mind.
“I need to concentrate on the person’s brain,” Alex explained. “Then I just have to fight through the static. Between my pregnancy and the concussions, I’m not sure I will be able to pick up anything.”
“Try sipping this,” Shirl said, as she handed Alex a mug of the herbal blend.
Alex drank from the mug, while she seemed to concentrate on JoAnna. A number of thoughts were cycling through her mind, now JoAnna knew Alex was trying to read them. She wanted to focus on thoughts that would make everyone comfortable with her, but the memories of the orphanage kept invading her mind.
A tear ran down Alex’s cheek, which the re
dhead absent-mindedly brushed away. Alex did not share with JoAnna what she was picking up, as Alex did not break eye-contact with her. JoAnna finally stopped forcing thoughts and just opened herself to Alex. Since she had no idea how the whole thing worked, it seemed ridiculous to try to manufacture what Alex might or might not be picking up.
“Star likes you,” Alex finally said. She took a gulp of her drink and rubbed her forehead. “I managed that without a nose bleed!”
“Who is Star?” JoAnna asked. That remark had been so out of left-field, she was not sure what to make of it. JoAnna knew Alex read her mind and waited to find out if she passed the exam. This was worse than waiting for her chemistry grade when she was in high school.
“My unborn daughter has connected with my telepathic abilities,” Alex responded. “I was able to pick up some of your thoughts, but Star picked up your emotions. Don’t ask me how any of this works, it’s just as likely to give me a bigger headache as the one I already have.”
“What did Star pick up?” Shirl inquired. It appeared the crystal telepath was as anxious as JoAnna was to get the verdict. Would they be able to move forward or would they still be locked in place with doubt and distrust?
“Genuine feelings of love,” Alex answered. “You struggled with your thoughts, since you knew I tried to read them. However, you can’t manufacture emotions. That’s what Star picked up.”
“We are going to the second seating tonight,” Shirl said, “now we have something to celebrate. The Four Musketeers are finally back together again!”
“I will have Norri come and do Candy and my makeup,” Alex informed them. “Funny how you and Shirl are always so put together, while Candy and I are messes.”
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