by Abel, Regine
Mother gasped and gaped at me, eliminating any chance of keeping secret the fact that we’d been having a telepathic conversation in front of Liena. Her eyes flicked between us, a suspicious look on her face.
“What’s going on?” Liena asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “It’s time to take you back to your place. After I’ve gotten some food into you, you can tell me how in the world you pulled that off.”
“Right,” Liena said, casting a questioning glance at my Mother.
“Yes,” Mother said, regaining her bearings. “Go home, eat, and no straining for you tonight. Call me at any time of night or day if you feel ill at all. Raven, you take good care of her, you hear?”
“Yes, Mother,” I said with an affectionate smile.
“You couldn’t have made a better choice, my son. I wholeheartedly approve.”
Words hadn’t been necessary. After the initial shock, Mother’s aura had exploded in a rainbow of joy and hope. Still, it warmed my heart to have her support.
“Come on, Beauty,” I said, helping Liena up. “Time to take you home.”
Chapter 5
Liena
When we reached my apartment, we found Peter, one of the kitchen employees, already standing outside the door, with a cart loaded with covered plates. My stomach grumbled in anticipation at the titillating aroma.
“Efficient,” I said, casting an impressed glance at Raven.
“That’s my middle-name,” Raven said, puffing his chest.
“I come bearing gifts,” Peter said, as we closed the distance from him.
“So I see!” I said with a chuckle. Unlocking the door, I pushed it open and gestured with my hand for both men to come in.
I’d been given a suite in the Aspirants Residence. This was where all new girls, after successfully passing the qualification test on Earth, and hoping to join the Vanguard, resided for their final training—which didn’t guaranty acceptance. The Residence looked like three flame-shaped towers had been plopped on top of a giant turtle-shell. In the lower level of the first tower, a dining hall and common rooms allowed Aspirants and Veterans women to mingle and share meals. After having dinner with Victoria on the night of my arrival, I had eaten a couple of my evening meals with the girls. But as I enjoyed my traditional Chinese food, I often cooked at home instead.
My quarters—the standard accommodations for the women on Khepri—had blown me away. I had expected the bed-and-breakfast type of room, not this luxury condo. The muted-white and light-grey colors made it look immense.
Making himself at home, Raven removed his boots and walked confidently into the spacious living area, with its comfortable, white, leather couch set. Looking at Peter, he pointed questioningly at the circular, dark wood table next to the gourmet kitchen. With a nod, Peter proceeded to lay down the meal for two—although there seemed to be enough for four.
I couldn’t help clapping my hands in delight as he lifted the domes from the plates, revealing some of my favorite Chinese dishes.
“Thank you,” I said as Peter finished his task and prepared to leave.
“Pleasure,” Peter said, with a wink.
I smiled fondly as he made his exit, wondering if he also played Santa when Christmas came rolling in. Although he wasn’t plump—no one really was anymore with obesity being cured along with countless other health conditions since our first alien contact—his bushy brows, shaggy head of salt-and-pepper hair and beard, made the older man a perfect candidate for the role.
“I guess I have no choice but to invite you to join me?” I asked teasingly, waving at the debauchery of food.
“Not at all. You have two choices really. You can invite me to share your meal, or I can sit across the table from you and watch you eat with a really creepy look on my face. I might even make weird noises from time to time,” Raven deadpanned.
“Silly man,” I said. “That does sound creepy.”
“According to my mother, it is,” Raven said, utterly unrepentant.
“You’ve actually done this?” I asked, disbelieving.
“I am the first naturally-born Xian Warrior,” Raven said with undisguised pride—and a healthy dose of mischief. “Growing up on Khepri, I got away with murder. There honestly isn’t much I haven’t done.”
I burst out laughing, imagining a miniature version of Raven running around HQ, pulling pranks on the fearsome Warriors.
“Fine, then,” I said with pretend reluctance. “You can share my meal, but only because I don’t believe in waste, and there’s way more than I can eat.”
“You are too kind,” Raven said, settling across the table from me.
To my surprise—and delight—Raven picked up his chopsticks and started by serving me some of the appetizers: pot stickers and sticky rice pork balls. I filled a bowl with wonton soup and extended it to him. He accepted it with a kind smile and proceeded to pour some soy sauce in my small sauce dish, before filling his own. After serving myself some soup, I filled our cups with green tea.
There was something oddly domestic about this whole thing that touched me. I couldn’t quite put it into words, but the act of feeding and caring for another before oneself always struck me as something special. That it came from a man—and one I had such a huge crush on—touched me even more. There was something protective, caring, and respectful about it.
Raven raised his cup of tea and held it before him. I imitated him.
“To great discoveries and what they could mean for the future. And to getting to know the freshly awakened Beauty,” Raven said.
“Hear, hear,” I said, biting back the words I wanted to speak instead.
We started eating. I all but moaned at the perfection with which the meal had been prepared. To my delight, I’d had no problem finding the ingredients and spices I needed to make traditional Chinese recipes. The second tower of the Aspirants Residence contained, among other things, a massive supermarket set to cater to all the needs of the various ethnicity and cultures within the Vanguard. While some rare produce had to be brought from Earth, most of the rest was grown directly on Khepri, or variations of them that yielded a similar result. While it didn’t surprise me that the cooks had the right ingredients to prepare the dishes, I hadn’t expected them to pull it off so perfectly.
“What happened after I passed out?” I asked before taking a spoonful of soup.
“You mean aside from the general panic that you might be severely hurt?” Raven asked with a taunting expression.
I made a face at him, and he smiled. I loved his smile. It possessed an extremely naughty edge that made me want to throw myself at Raven and devour those plump lips of his.
“You created a shield around Chaos right before you lost consciousness,” Raven said, sobering. “It collapsed within seconds, but for the short time it had fully formed, Chaos said it had felt exactly like being in the shelter of his Soulcatcher’s vessel. His soul had stopped unraveling.”
My jaw dropped as I stared at him in shock. I hadn’t fully formed an opinion as to what my ability might have done. It should have been obvious but…
“The Operators weren’t able to reproduce it,” Raven said. “They never saw the stars either.”
I quickly explained to him the reasoning which led to the approach I used. Shock, quickly replaced by genuine admiration on his face, gave me warm fuzzies. He explained their concern that, with the other women not being rank five psychics like me, they might not be able to see and do what I did. Call it a gut feeling, but I had no doubt the others would succeed eventually. Although he gave me the third degree about everything I had felt or seen, it didn’t make me uncomfortable at all, quite the opposite. I was beyond excited about diving into this further and seeing how, we too, could help turn the tide in the war.
Raven then explained the training plan he intended to put forth to get the Asian women to master our power and test its limits, like he had done with Ayana. Although he didn’t come flat out and say it, Raven hinted at
a big battle looming on the horizon, and that our Shield power might be required. Based on how urgently Legion wanted Victoria to find an antidote to the neural disruptor drugs—which we wouldn’t solve for a while—I could see how they might consider our Shield ability as a viable alternative.
Swallowing a final bite of Char Siu—the BBQ pork perfectly grilled—I leaned back against my seat, my belly slightly swollen from overindulging, and washed down the sweetness of the marinade with a sip of tea.
Raven wolfed down an impressive amount of meat, sticky rice and steamed vegetables before also calling it quits.
“I could get used to this,” he said, rubbing his own stomach with a satisfied look on his face.
“You handle chopsticks like a champ,” I said, delaying the conversation I knew he wanted to dive into.
He smiled, the endless sea of his dark eyes drawing me in. “I’m pretty skillful at handling pretty much anything I’m passionate about.”
“You’re passionate about chopsticks?” I asked, raising a teasing eyebrow.
“I’m passionate about you, and everything that relates to you,” Raven deadpanned.
While my stomach did the most delicious of somersaults, my ability to speak took a sudden leave of absence. His smiled broadened as his gaze flicked towards my aura. The smug look on his face annoyed me to no end. The damn tattle-tale thing had told Raven everything I felt.
“This aura business is seriously unfair,” I mumbled.
Raven burst out laughing. “For what it’s worth, we’re not constantly staring at your auras. If they displayed all the time, we’d continually be surrounded by psychedelic lights which would make functioning day to day quite challenging. We shift our vision and look at a specific target or multiple ones. So, don’t worry; we don’t always know how you feel.”
With these final words, he rose to his feet. To my surprise, he started gathering the dirty dishes and laying them neatly on the cart. I got up and helped him. Once again, that warm feeling swept over me. I wiped down the table while Raven took the cart outside the apartment after having telepathically called Peter to come retrieve it.
I stood by the table, suddenly feeling nervous, as he came back towards me. He paused, his eyes drawn by the large cameo shell on my shelf.
“Beautiful,” he said, admiring it.
I smiled. “I collect seashells. The bigger, the more exotic, the better. I took deep sea diving classes specifically to hunt the most elusive ones.”
“Well then, I’ll have to take you diving to see what unique shells Khepri might have in store for you,” Raven said.
“I would love that,” I said beaming at him.
Without another word, he extended his hand. By reflex, I took it and let him lead me to the three-cushion, white leather couch in the living-room. I sat down, and he settled next to me, our thighs touching.
My pulse picked up, knowing the moment had come to address the elephant in the room.
“We need to talk about your trauma,” Raven said in a gentle voice.
I swallowed painfully and nodded slowly.
“As it is private information, I do not know the details of what happened, nor do I demand to know,” Raven said, caressing my knuckles with his thumb. “I hope that, one day, you will grow comfortable enough to confide in me. But for now, there are two things we need to address.”
My eyes flicked between his, my back painfully stiff while waiting for the axe to fall.
“First, I would like you to allow me to look at your psychic void.”
I recoiled. “Why?” I asked, my defenses shooting up. “I’ve explained to you how the other women can reproduce it. You can look inside their minds.”
He shook his head. “You were seriously hurt this morning. The nanites from the treatment Mother gave you may have healed the physical wounds, but we can’t see the psychic wounds without entering your mind.”
I knew that and even understood the wisdom of allowing him to do so. Part of me ached for him to touch my mind, but the traumatized girl still rattled and raged at the prospect.
“Why didn’t you just check while I was unconscious?” I asked, unwittingly sounding aggressive.
“Because it would have been without your consent,” Raven said, matter-of-factly.
I flinched, his words striking a nerve. Raven’s palm rested on my cheek, his gaze boring into mine.
“On Khepri, trust and respect are the very foundation of the Vanguard. We all have the ability to invade each other’s minds on a whim,” Raven said with a very serious tone. “Can you imagine what kind of chaos would reign here if we did that? Some boundaries cannot be crossed or violated. Our lives rest in each other’s hands. No one in the Vanguard will ever do anything to you without your express consent, least of all me.”
Once again, my head knew all this, but my emotions had a will of their own and didn’t give a shit.
“I… I believe you, but… I’m scared. I want to, but…”
“And that’s why I’m here. You are still too affected by what happened in your past to engage in a proper mind-meld. I’m not asking you to let me into your soul, as much as I would love to share that experience with you,” Raven said with a fervor that made me shiver. “There will be time for that when you are ready. For now, I only need to get a glimpse to make sure all is well. In and out quickly. Ask me to leave the minute you feel it’s too much, and I will immediately comply. Okay?”
My broken half wanted to dash out of my apartment and keep running until my heart gave out. My survivor half wanted to embrace him and all that he could offer. Despite my fears, everything about Raven made me feel safe.
“If… If I can’t handle it, don’t take it personally, okay? It’s not you, it’s—”
“Hush, Beauty,” Raven whispered, his thumb covering my lips while his hand continued to hug my cheek. “You never need to apologize to me. Whatever you need from me to help you beat this is yours. Together, we will free you of what was done to you. However long it takes, I am here for you.”
My lips quivered, and my eyes prickled. Raven leaned forward, his lips stopping less than an inch from mine. At first, I wondered why he hadn’t kissed me, denying me the comfort I could seriously use right now. And then it hit me, his words replaying in my head.
“No one in the Vanguard will ever do anything to you without your express consent, least of all me.”
Meeting him through the tiny distance between us, I pressed my lips against his. Raven’s hand on my cheek slipped through my hair, to cup my nape, taking charge. I gladly yielded control to him, my stomach fluttering. Firm yet soft, his mouth left mine far too soon. He stared into my eyes, his gaze assessing. I smiled timidly, feeling a little self-conscious but wanting more. He smiled back, a tender expression on his face as he leaned back in for seconds.
This time, his tongue teased the seam of my mouth, demanding access. I welcomed it gladly. Its slightly rough texture as it mingled with mine took me by surprise, but it wasn’t unpleasant—far from it. The taste of green tea lingered on his breath as Raven plundered my mouth. I wasn’t submissive, but I loved a dominant man during intimacy. My nipples hardened, and my skin warmed with my blossoming arousal.
The scent of cinnamon tickled my nose, a telltale sign of a Xian Warrior’s arousal. But it also acted as an aphrodisiac; one of many enhancements my great-grandfather had given the Warriors. His desire for me made me feel emboldened and increased my own. Wetness pooled between my thighs. Just as I was going to reach out to touch him, Raven ended the kiss.
“My Beauty,” he whispered against my lips before straightening.
I didn’t want him to stop, almost pulling him towards me to demand more. But I licked my lips instead, getting one last taste of him, and nervously tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. I loved the way he called me ‘Beauty’ and actually sounded like he meant it. I was a pretty girl, but not a runway model. However, he sure knew how to make me feel like one.
“Is it okay if I loo
k now?” Raven asked softly.
My stomach knotted again, the pleasant haze quickly fading.
I’m strong. I’m not a victim. I can do this.
Throat tightening, I nodded stiffly. Raven took my hands in his, and I squeezed them with bruising force.
“You are safe, Liena,” Raven said in an appeasing tone. “You only have to say one word, and I will immediately stop. You are the one in charge, the one in control. Okay?”
I loved that he was saying all the right words, the ones my bruised survival instincts needed to hear.
“I trust you, Raven.”
And I meant it. I barely knew him, and yet I did in a fundamental way that defied logic. The smile he gave me told me my words had touched him deeply.
“My Beauty,” he repeated. “Here goes…”
I braced, holding my breath while my heart tried to pound its way out of my chest. Fear and excitement warred within me. It took a moment for me to feel him at the edge of my consciousness. I inhaled sharply at the intrusion, then my breath started picking up, coming in short, rapid bursts.
“Calm, Liena,” Raven whispered, his thumbs caressing my knuckles.
I felt his mind retreat slightly, lying in wait while I calmed down. When my breathing returned to a less alarming state, Raven pushed in again. This time, he did so in a swift movement, like when someone squeezed in quickly between a closing door.
I waited for the panic attack to hit me full on as Raven’s consciousness roamed inside my psychic void, within the most intimate—and vulnerable—part of me. But it didn’t. The long-forgotten pleasure of another’s psychic presence within me reared its head timidly, growing in strength as the seconds passed. I wanted to reach out and touch Raven’s soul, feel him from the inside out. But that would fully expose me, too. Therefore, I held back.
“You are so beautiful,” Raven breathed out, his voice full of awe.
I shivered with pleasure, goosebumps erupting over my skin. And then I felt him carefully retreat from my mind. The crushing sense of loss as he exited left me reeling.
