“Alexandra,” Tarsea said, “this is my mother, Leenea. Beside her is my father, Zane Childers.”
All right, these were his parents, she could handle this. She nodded to them and tried to smile.
The nausea was passing, but the static in her ears was getting worse.
Zane extended his hand to her. “Welcome,” he said, as he took her hand. “You are an honored guest in our home, Alexandra. We hope to make your transition to our world as comfortable as possible.”
She looked up into the same greenish brown eyes, he had passed on to his son. Alex was too overwhelmed to say anything. They were yet again, talking about her being in another world.
“Welcome to the Troyk Universe,” his mother said. “This is where your parents were from. We are a telepathic people, conversing through many pathways or channels. In time you will learn to use these pathways. However, in the meantime, we will speak out loud.”
Alex remembered Darden had mentioned her parents on the mountain. “My parents?” She had no memories of either her mother or father.
“There is good, as well as bad, in our world,” Leenea continued. “As I am sure was true of your adopted home. Before you were born, a group took power that wished to control the people of this universe with their ability to practice mind control. Many people opposed this, including your parents. They left through the portal to escape the consequences of their actions.”
Alex stared at Leenea. If she had not experienced the black void portal and the violet sky, she would have thought these people were crazy. Her parents were from a parallel dimension and now she was there?
“How?” Alex asked. That was all she was able to communicate at this point.
“I am a crystal telepath, like Shirl’s mother,” Darden said. “Through my mind, I control the gateways between worlds, using crystals. I have visited your home on many occasions and learned of your existence, as well as your friends. Your planet’s atmosphere is toxic to our brain chemistry and caused the aneurysms that killed your parents.”
“I don’t understand, how did you know about me and Shirl?”
“I came across Benko Jarlyn several years ago and have been working with him to bring you and your friends here. Shirl is in worse shape, so I planned to bring her over first. You have an aunt in the next province and we planned to unite you with your family.”
“If what you are saying is true, why did they stay on Earth?” Alex was trying to shoot holes in their story. It all seemed so unreal, like something you’d read in a science fiction novel. Plus, they dangled a relative before her, as you would dangle a carrot in front of a horse.
“We call Earth, Ginkgo Terra. Shirl’s mother died before they realized it was the air that was toxic. She was their only crystal telepath, so they were stranded. Benko believes he survived because he was the only mind control telepath in the group and had an immunity to what was killing his friends.”
The static in Alex’s head was getting worse and Darden was talking nonsense.
“What you are saying is crazy!” Alex shouted. She needed to get a grip on things, think logically. The static kept getting louder and louder and it was more difficult to think.
“Why are things so different, yet so similar? Plus, you are speaking English, how is that even possible?”
There was a momentary silence. She really got them with that one. Let’s see how they explained that away.
“Imagine the existence of infinite universes,” Zane said. “Each having fractured off one another. A world can result from multiple fractures, with the people and places slightly modified as each division occurs. Our world must have fractured off yours, with at least one of the languages carrying over. Through one or more fractures, our world lost a lot of the land masses that Darden tells us your adopted home has. We have also been able to tap into parts of our brains that the people of your adopted universe have not, our telepathic abilities.”
This was all too much! Alex could feel panic building, as the static got louder and louder. She felt as if her brain was going to explode.
Tarsea watched Alexandra’s reactions as more information was being shared. He did not think she could take much more before she broke.
“Please, stop!” Alexandra cried. “I can’t handle any more of this.” She placed her head in her hands and brought her head to her knees.
Tarsea had to forget about holding back physical contact, he could not stand back any more and watch her suffer. He needed to hold and comfort her. Before he took his first step, his father sat next to the girl.
His dad placed his hands on her wrists. “Alexandra,” he gently asked, “can you describe how you are feeling?”
Alexandra lifted her head and took a deep breath. “I can hear you all talking to me. But it’s almost as if you are coming in with all sorts of static. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Just as she said those words, her nose started bleeding. Alexandra wiped her nose and then looked in horror at the blood that covered her hand.
“Oh my God! What is happening to me?” Alexandra cried.
He saw his father look at his mother, she then nodded and left the room.
“Alexandra,” his father said, “you may have been born in another world, but your parents were telepathic. They would have passed on to you the same brain chemistry they had, but not the knowledge of how to use it. What you call static are the communal pathways trying to connect with your brain. Leenea is preparing a beverage full of herbs that will reduce the impact of the random chatter that is coming your way. We give the same herbs to our children, as they learn to manage the familial and communal pathways. The blood is a common side effect.”
His mother came into the room carrying a steaming mug and a wet cloth. Tarsea saw Alex take the beverage from her and breathe in the scent of the herbs. Even without taking a first sip, he noticed her color was coming back. She wiped the lower portion of her face and her hand with the cloth.
“There are a variety of herbs I collected in your world,” Darden shared with her, as Alexandra sipped the beverage. “They are contained in that drink.”
She glanced at him and Tarsea continued to stare back at her. Alexandra sipped from the mug, not saying a word. From time to time she would inhale deeply and exhale slowly. More and more color was coming back into her cheeks.
His mother came back into the room carrying a small saucer. She said something to Alexandra that was so quiet, he could not hear. The girl placed the bloody cloth onto the saucer. Then her stomach let out a loud growl. She looked up, embarrassed.
Alex could feel her face redden in embarrassment after her stomach growled. Falling through a portal to another universe had interrupted her dinner plans. With everything happening, she finally realized she was hungry.
“I do not know about anybody else, but I am starving,” a young man with curly black hair commented. “My name is Tolfer. I am Tarsea’s younger and better looking brother.”
Alex could not help but laugh. He looked to be about her age. She saw a definite family resemblance between the two brothers. Although Tolfer seemed more at ease, where Tarsea had to be one of the most uptight men she had ever encountered. Regardless, she was extremely attracted to Tarsea.
“I have prepared one of my world famous keen dishes,” Tolfer continued. “It is about ready to be pulled out of the oven. Give me a couple of minutes, then we can eat dinner.”
Tolfer left the room, as another man came up to her. “Hello, my name is Starc. I am Darden’s twin brother. This is my cousin Koel.” Starc nodded to the man standing next to him. Both men were almost as tall as Darden and as good looking.
Alex now knew everyone in the room. She took another sip of the herbal concoction. It smelled wonderful and tasted delicious, but she needed something more substantial in her empty stomach. The he
rbs did reduce the static in her head.
“Keen is a grain that grows in this world,” Leenea shared with her.
“Is it purple?” was Alex’s reply. She always used humor to defuse a stressful situation. She felt some of the tension in her stomach lessen. There was no question in her heart these people were doing everything they could to ease her into this new world.
“Yes,” Koel answered, flashing her a silly grin. “You catch on fast.”
She saw the family resemblance between Darden, his twin brother Starc, and their cousin Koel. All three had blond hair, the same nose, shades of blue eyes, and were tall. Darden’s hair looked almost bleached, like a California surfer. His twin had more of a strawberry blond tint, while Koel had dark blond hair.
However, it was short black hair that kept catching her eye. She noticed that Tarsea kept staring at her throughout the whole discussion. Her eyes kept returning to his. He was making her uncomfortable. She needed to redirect her mind to something other than her fixation on the man.
“Darden,” Alex inquired, “I still don’t understand how you found me and Shirl.”
“Eight years ago I was in Sedona,” Darden replied. “I literally ran into Benko Jarlyn and his daughter. He had been keeping an eye on the four of you. Eventually he trusted me enough to share his secret about you girls.”
“The four of us?” Alex frowned. “I thought it was just me and Shirl.”
“No,” Darden answered. “There are also Candace Phillips and JoAnna Carlson. If you include his daughter Cassie, that makes a total of five female offspring that Benko and his followers had. Shirl and JoAnna were actually born here in the Troyk Universe. They were carried as babies through the portal as your parents and their friends left this world for what they hoped was a new beginning.”
“Oh my God! Candy is one of us too?”
It was actually starting to make sense to Alex. The games the girls played to freak out the care workers in the orphanage had to be related to their telepathic abilities they did not know they had.
“Wait,” Alex continued. “JoAnna Carlson, do you mean Jo Jo?” It would explain how close the four girls had been and how difficult it was when Jo Jo was taken away. That event further solidified the girls’ resolve to stay together.
“Frankly,” Darden responded, “I do not know, Alexandra. She had been with you at the orphanage and was adopted before Benko could stop it. She is in Florida now, living with her adopted father.”
Alex was thrilled that one day she would be reunited with her childhood friend. She worried that Jo Jo was experiencing the same headaches that were crippling Shirl.
“It would appear,” Zane shared with the group, “we have a lot of work to do to bring the other four girls home and not draw unwanted attention. In the meantime, I agree with my son, I am hungry. Let us eat and then we can talk more on this matter.” Zane got up from his perch near Alex and walked to a large table that had somehow been miraculously set.
Alex joined the group as they made their way to dinner. She had never really felt comfortable with others besides Shirl and Candy. For some reason, she could not explain, she felt a part of this close knit group of family and friends. There was a comfort level that made her ask questions and not feel self-conscious. For once she felt visible and a part of the whole.
Yet again, she turned and there he stood. It was almost as if he was a phantom, a shadow that could not be touched. As they settled around the table, she hoped Tarsea would sit next to her and they could talk. She was disappointed when he went to the opposite side of the table. Did she do something to repel him? He certainly stared at her enough.
Tarsea felt like a coward. He could sense that Alexandra wanted him to sit next to her, but he was terrified they would accidentally touch. She shifted in her chair, obviously feeling anxious again. He could not imagine what she was going through. His little pixie was handling her new situation extremely well. The fear and apprehension he had seen earlier in her emerald eyes was gone. It was replaced with an adventurous gleam.
Tolfer came out with several dishes. His younger brother had turned out to be an excellent cook. His mother and father both conceded the preparation of meals to him when he was home. He loved both his parents, but neither could prepare food. Tarsea had always mooched off Darden’s family for meals. Tolfer did not have a close friend and ended up learning out of desperation. Although Tolfer had his own apartment, he often came by and cooked for his parents. If Tolfer did not come over, his parents would go out to eat. Even they could not subject themselves to their own cooking.
As the dishes were passed, he noticed Alexandra take in the aroma of each dish and serve herself. She would take a cautious first bite and then had a look of pleasure on her face. After she tasted each dish, she dug in like she had not eaten in weeks. Tarsea was enchanted watching her and had not touched anything on his own plate, until his brother asked him what was wrong with the food.
“This deep purple dish is delicious,” Alex said. “What is it?”
“That is the keen,” Darden responded. “Many vegetables, grains, and proteins in your universe are also found here. Keen is unique to this world.”
Darden had answered her, since he was the most familiar with the foods and beverages of her universe. Tarsea tried to figure out how he could join the conversation. He had never been lost for words before and started to get frustrated. Not only was Alexandra peering at him from time to time, but his parents were giving him questionable looks. He was surprised they were not cross examining him about his behavior using the familial link.
“You mentioned I had an aunt who lived in the next province. Is it safe to see her?”
Tarsea felt this was his opportunity to jump into the conversation. He also wanted to eliminate any concerns she may have regarding her safety. Earlier, he had telepathically asked Darden the same question.
“Your aunt had been a secret follower of Benko Jarlyn,” Tarsea responded. “She attended many meetings with your father and mother before they left. We can eventually place you in her custody. However, we would like you to stay here for the time being. After the display of carrying you through the streets, we want to make sure you draw no one’s interest before you travel outside this house. We also have to get you comfortable using the communal pathways. In the meantime, we can contact her and have her visit.”
Alex smiled at Tarsea and it took his breath away, at just how gorgeous she was. A warm feeling spread through his body, as he basked in that smile of hers.
His mother and Tolfer got up to clear the table. Alexandra rose as well. “Please, let me help. That meal was wonderful.” His mother smiled at her and she grabbed a couple of plates and followed her into the kitchen.
Tarsea had just gotten up as Alexandra was making her way back to the table to pick up more dirty dishes. She tripped on part of the rug that had curled over and started to fall. He reached out and caught her. As his skin made contact with her, he felt as if he had been electrocuted.
Chapter 6
Alex felt like every nerve ending in her body was on fire as Tarsea held her. He seemed to be as strongly impacted as she was, judging by the startled look in his eyes.
Tarsea righted Alex. “Are you all right?”
She took a deep breath, took an inventory of her burning nerve endings. “I think so,” she responded. “Just embarrassed that I haven’t learned to walk yet.” She backed away from Tarsea, stepping away from the heat that he emitted.
“My pixie is so adorable when she is flustered.”
Alex thought she heard Tarsea say something, but his lips were not moving. At this point her eyes were transfixed on his lips, his very kissable lips. She was losing her mind, which could explain why she was hearing voices.
“You can kiss my lips whenever your little heart desires, sweetheart.”
Now that was not her imagination. Although his lips were not moving, his eyes gave away that he had somehow said those words to her. Was she having her first telepathic communication? No one else seemed to be reacting to what he was saying.
“Are you communicating through one of the communal pathways to me?” She continued to survey the room. No one seemed to hear what Tarsea telepathically shared with her.
“You really are a spitfire! The angrier you get, the cuter you are.”
She had enough!
“This is not funny, Tarsea,” Alex said. “Why are you saying all those personal things to me through a communal channel?” She liked what he was saying, but was embarrassed that everyone else in the community was privy to it.
Alex noticed the others were looking at her with a variety of expressions. Darden looked at first surprised and then intrigued. Tarsea’s parents looked between Alex and their son with pure wonder. The others just looked confused.
“Leenea and I need to talk to our son and Alexandra in my study,” Zane finally broke the silence. “If you boys will excuse us.”
Alex followed them into the study. She needed to calm down so she could have a somewhat coherent discussion with Tarsea and his parents. Taking several deep breaths, she let each out slowly. She did a quick visualization exercise Shirl had showed her to clear and relax her mind. To her amazement, it actually worked.
“Well,” Zane asked his son, “is she your soul mate?”
“Yes,” Tarsea responded. “We had our first physical contact when I caught her, I felt the soul mate link open. I had suspected up on the mountain. I was afraid to touch her and find out I was mistaken.”
The Chameleon Soul Mate Page 3
