Alex considered all they had just discussed and shook her head. “I have yet another secret not to reveal when I meet with Jeryl Jarlyn tomorrow. It wasn’t as if I did not already have a mountain of secrets to deal with.”
Chapter 15
Alex woke with a start. She had slept like the dead after Tarsea made love to her last night and they had their enlightening discussion. She had never met Benko Jarlyn, even though he had been keeping track of Alex her whole life. Looking at the hope in Tarsea’s eyes at the prospect of Benko returning home and challenging his father for control of this world was awe inspiring. Rather than dreading her interview with Jeryl Jarlyn, she was actually looking forward to it. This was the man who drove his son and her parents to another world. She could finally put a face to the man she would become an advocate for overthrowing.
Today was not a day she had the luxury of lounging in bed. Tarsea’s side of the bed was cold. Frowning, she got up and made her way to the shower. He should have gotten her up when he rose this morning. Clothes were laid out for her in their washroom. There was a long light lilac tunic and very sheer legging the same color.
She showered quickly and then put on the clothing he had chosen for her. The tunic clung to her like a second skin. What was the man thinking? She took a couple of extra moments to apply makeup that would be appropriate with the outfit.
Alex made her way to the kitchen. Various breakfast goodies were on display. She pulled out three mugs and three plates. She poured coffee into two of the mugs and the herbal beverage in the third. On the plates she selected a number of the pastries and muffins that were available. Placing the two mugs of coffee and two of the plates on a small tray, she made her way to the front door. Maneuvering the tray, she opened the door and walked out to greet the two men still guarding the residence.
“Here you go, gentlemen,” she said, as she provided them coffee and breakfast. “Would you mind if I had some breakfast before we headed on out?”
The two men’s expressions changed from surprised to appreciative in a matter of seconds. They took the tray she had brought for them. “Thank you, miss. We can leave in thirty minutes if that would be acceptable to you.”
She did not miss the head to toe perusal the man who spoke gave her body. Men usually did that to Shirl or Candy, never to Alex. It was a new experience, one she was not sure she liked.
“That would be perfect. Enjoy your breakfast and I will be back shortly.” She turned to go back into the house, only to see Tarsea standing in the doorway watching her.
She walked past him. Alex decided to put an extra wiggle in her walk, as Tarsea followed her. The heat of his stare was scorching. A little punishment for not waking her up this morning was called for. Grabbing the mug and dish she had prepared for herself, Alex walked in the dining room and sat to eat. Zane and Leenea were already at the table, finishing their coffee.
“What was that about?” Tarsea growled. She knew he was jealous and acted like a wounded animal.
Alex took a sip of her herbal beverage, then took a bite of the pastry she had selected. She was careful not to get crumbs on her clothing.
“You picked out this outfit, what did you expect? Besides, there is an old adage from where I come from: ‘you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.’ It does no harm being kind to those men. If I appear nervous and anxious, whoever interviews me will think I have something to hide.” She popped the remainder of the danish into her mouth.
“Smart girl,” Zane said with a smile, “you can learn from your soul mate, son.” He leaned forward and grabbed the carafe on the table, and poured himself more coffee.
“Where is Norri this morning?” She noticed her aunt was not present.
“Tolfer took her out to breakfast and then house hunting this morning,” Leenea shared with her.
“I was just telling my parents about the interview from last night,” Tarsea said.
“Did you include Solfa linking into your closed channel and what you think it really was?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” Tarsea replied, “we were putting a lot of subtext around what this could all mean.” She really wished that Tarsea had gotten her up, so she could have listened and participated in the discussion.
Alex polished off her second danish and wiped her mouth with her napkin. She got up from the table, adjusting her tunic. “I better get going and get this over with.”
She could see worry written all over Tarsea’s face. “Relax! Leenea, Norri, and Tarah drilled me last night. I’ve got my cover story down pat. That story is actually easier for me to tell, than what really happened. The less I know and have to say about that portal, the happier I am.” Kissing him on the cheek, she proceeded to the front door. She needed to really believe in what she told Tarsea. Alex knew she presented a brave facade.
Her two guards were waiting for her as she left the house, ready to escort her to the capital. She was just three steps into that journey when Tarsea communicated, “You will do a great job. They will be too busy looking at your hot body.”
Hot body or not, she knew this interview was critical for her safety. Not only did her life depend on it, but her friends back on Ginkgo Terra as well. She took a deep breath and started walking to the Aster Province Palace with her assigned guards.
Chapter 16
Alex was mesmerized as she walked through the streets of the Aster Province. She had been carried unconscious through the streets when she arrived. The city streets were lined with all shades of purple plants and trees. No wonder the sky was violet, with all the purple foliage pollinating. There were plants she recognized and others that were new to her. In a world full of telepathic people, she wondered if there were books on plants she could look through.
The buildings were made of stone, but the artistry of their construction was amazing. Another contradiction of this new world she found herself in. They must have been built prior to the world fracturing again. It could have been a time when working with your hands was a valued skill. She could not imagine stone masonry being something these people aspired to. She wondered if Tarsea appreciated the beauty of his city or would merely walk through listening and responding to the different channels of communication that flowed into his head.
She looked up and saw The Palace in front of her, stopping in her tracks. Her guards stopped as well, keeping pace with their query. “It is really quite beautiful.” She was referring to the four story magnificent building before her. She was careful to elongate her speech as Darden recommended.
“People come from around the Troyk world to witness the Aster Province Palace’s beauty,” the taller of her guards proudly stated. He stood a little straighter as he said it, bringing a smile to Alex’s face. The Palace was a mauve color like the rest of the buildings, but it had marble inlays placed into its pillars. It sparkled as the sun’s rays reflected off the shiny stone. The Palace seemed to shimmer.
Her two escorts skirted the crowd and she entered through doors that were obviously not for the general public. They were greeted as they entered by two men guarding the entrance. These men waved them on without any screening. Alex felt that was odd, after the failed assassination plot yesterday.
“Are you good to climb four flights of stairs?” the guard asked Alex as they reached the stairs. He was the talkative one, she did not recall the other escort saying a word to her.
“Yes,” Alex responded, “that will be fine.”
If the outside of the palace was magnificent, she was not sure how to describe the inside. The artwork was amazing, a kind of abstract art she had never seen. It seemed a perfect color complement to the stairs and fixtures in the grand hall. She continued to gaze at the work as she walked up more marble stairs. Alex would have to come back under better circumstances, so she could spend more time appreciating the treasures contained in this place.
She s
hould be nervous, but the palace was truly overwhelming her senses. The communal channels she picked up were still speculating about yesterday’s activities, business being conducted, and miscellaneous other conversations. No one seemed to notice her. It appeared that if she did not have face to face contact with someone, she faded in the background here as well.
They reached the top of the staircase and came upon a guard station. The talkative guard walked through first, followed by Alex and then the other guard. Once through security, they turned right, down a hallway full of opulence the likes she had never seen. She followed her guards and entered a room not far down that hallway. As they entered, an older gentleman and a striking woman stood.
The older man walked toward her, his hand extended. He was a good looking man, powerfully built, a full head of gray hair. The man looked damn good for his age. She reached out and he took her hand. “Welcome to my home, I am Jeryl Jarlyn.”
Alex hoped she concealed her surprise that this attractive man was the mind controlling ruler of this province. She guessed she was expecting Ming the Magnificent from the ‘Flash Gordon’ movie.
She saw a momentary sadness spread across the man’s face, quickly replaced with the welcoming grin she had noted earlier.
Alex addressed the Prime Ruler as he released her hand. “I am honored that you would take the time to meet me. Being new in town, I was surprised to have a personal audience with you. The Palace is everything people claim and so much more.” Alex continued to be overwhelmed by the beauty she saw before her. Her thoughts shifted to Shirl and how much she would love to check out this place.
“Alexia,” Jeryl Jarlyn smiled and turned to his left. “May I introduce you to Solfa Theffar? She runs our intelligence division. I like to have one of my staff attend my interviews with the young ladies that are brought before me. We are always looking for women to join our government.”
Alex took a step toward the woman. She had rich chestnut hair, was a good six inches taller than her and had piercing blue eyes. “Solfa, it is nice to meet you as well.”
She was surprised to see the woman who just linked with Tarsea through the newly identified warrior link at her interview with the Prime Ruler. She concentrated on not changing the expression on her face or giving her thoughts away. There was no such thing as coincidence.
“Welcome to the Aster Province,” was all Solfa said. Tarsea had mentioned that she had told him not to worry about today’s meeting. She was growing more and more nervous as her focus was on only one of these two individuals. Alex needed to remember that Solfa had linked into the warrior channel and that meant she was trustworthy.
Jarlyn led Alex to the chair next to where he had been sitting with Solfa. He motioned to the tea set and she shook her head.
“I meet all my young female subjects as they come of age. It is my way of welcoming them into Troyk society. We certainly did not want a lot of time to pass without meeting you. I hope you have recovered from any injuries you obtained from your fall. We will continue to speak out loud. We naturally do not want to tax your brain as it continues to heal.”
Tarsea had mentioned last night that he did indeed meet with all the young women of the province, looking for his soul mate. That would explain the momentary change in Jarlyn’s expression, when he knew she was not his soul mate.
“I am fine,” Alex responded, “thank you. My aunt is considering relocating to the Aster Province. I wanted to see what it was like before I agreed to move with her. I love hiking and the mountain trails looked so inviting. It was embarrassing to be so clumsy and falling where I did. Thank goodness that Darden and Tarsea were there.”
Alex could feel the pull on her brain. It was the result of Jarlyn trying to scan it with his mind control powers. She was glad Tarsea had described the sensation to her. Tarah’s attempt to use mind control on her did not have this intensity.
“We are all thankful you have recovered so quickly. It was very generous of Zane Childers opening his home to you.” Jeryl Jarlyn continued to scan her as he talked to her verbally.
“Yes, Zane and Leenea have been very welcoming. The experience has left a very favorable impression of your city. My aunt has joined me in the Childers household and we have decided to relocate here together.”
The mind control pull on her brain had not weakened. Alex could also feel the static of the communal pathways increase. She knew she was losing her control over all the channels.
“Oh, no!” Alex cried as her nose started bleeding. “I am so sorry.” She brought her palm up to her nose trying to stop the blood from ruining the rug or the furniture.
Solfa grabbed tissues and handed them to Alex. “I guess you are not as recovered as we had all wished.”
“Thank you,” Alex responded as she took the tissues. The pull on her brain had stopped. With the mind control pressure gone, Alex was able to grab control of the communal pathways once again.
“It has been a pleasure meeting you, Alexia. You will make a very nice addition to our community. You should go back to The Childers and rest. I am so sorry if we forced you out before you were truly healed.” Obviously Jeryl Jarlyn was ending their audience. The interview had gone well. Fortunately, the nose bleed actually helped to reinforce the story she told.
“May I walk you out, Alexia?” Solfa Theffar asked her as the interview drew to a close.
“Please,” Alex rose from her chair and walked with the woman as they left the room. They entered the hallway and Solfa gestured toward the stairs. Raine Narmouth was at the bottom. How very strange and disturbing.
“Alexia,” Raine said, “what a wonderful surprise! I have a meeting with my commanding officer and looked up and there you were.”
“Raine,” Alexia said, “it is nice to see you again. This is Solfa Theffar. Solfa, this is Raine Narmouth. We both had accidents on the mountain trail the same day.”
“Yes,” Solfa responded, “we have met. You should not keep your commanding officer waiting, soldier.”
Raine looked temporarily out of sorts, but recovered quickly. He did a funny little bow and continued on his way.
Solfa turned to Alex. “Would you mind if I accompany you back to the Childers’ residence? After that nose bleed, I want to make sure you get back in one piece. Besides, I have a proposal to present to Tarsea.”
Alex noticed that Solfa kept her eye on Raine, making sure he was on his way to his meeting as he said. It was odd that Solfa would track him as she did. Since she had a date with the man tomorrow and Solfa was the head of intelligence, maybe it was prudent to ask her about Raine.
“Solfa?” Alex asked. “Should I be concerned about Raine’s attentions?”
“Honestly,” Solfa responded, “I am not sure. He has never done anything off handed or illegal. I just for some reason have never trusted him. Humor me, let me walk you home.”
“I would enjoy the company,” Alex said as they left The Palace and started to Tarsea’s parents’ house. She still decided to guard what they talked about as they made their way through the city. Solfa informed her about the city and different sites as they walked. There was nothing about their discussion that raised any red flags as far as Alex was concerned.
“Tarsea, I am close to the house and I have Solfa Theffar with me. She asked to walk me back and has some type of proposal to discuss with you. Everything seemed to go well this morning with Jeryl Jarlyn.” Alex leveraged the soul mate pathway to give Tarsea warning about Solfa joining her. She purposely did not mention the bloody nose or the presence of Raine Narmouth. Her mind was on what Solfa Theffar wanted of Tarsea.
Chapter 17
Tarsea opened the door as Alexandra and Solfa Theffar approached. He wrapped his arm around his soul mate, nuzzling her neck. “I am never going to let you out of my sight again! I was so worried.”
“It’s so good to
be home. I didn’t know what to do when Solfa asked to accompany me home.” Alex responded using the soul mate channel.
Those words brought Tarsea back to the latest possible crises at hand, the presence of Solfa Theffar. He had no idea what the head of intelligence for Jeryl Jarlyn wanted to talk with him about. The fact that they connected through what could possibly be the warrior link troubled him.
“Welcome to our home, Solfa,” Tarsea graciously said, “please come in.” He extended his arm, motioning for her to follow him and Alexandra.
He walked her and his little pixie to his father’s study. The small confines of the room would make it appear he was in control of the discussion. This woman held a tremendous amount of power in the city. Tarsea wanted to create the impression he had dominance here, as they entered into any discussion she wanted to initiate.
“Where is everyone?” Alexandra inquired.
“Darden, Koel, and Starc were in strategic locations around The Palace to catch you exiting. They held back when they saw you were with Solfa. You were followed home at a discrete distance. Mom and Dad took Norri sightseeing. Tolfer is in the kitchen preparing lunch. I wanted him nearby to see if he could hear Solfa through the closed link or if I am the only one who can hear her. The link started similarly with Tolfer.”
“Please, have a seat,” Tarsea addressed Solfa as he pointed to one of the chairs that stood before his father’s desk. He had Alexandra sit in the second chair. Tarsea sat behind the desk, the symbolic place of power. He folded his hands and placed them on the table. “What can I do for you?”
Alexandra looked at Tarsea and then at Solfa, looking very uncomfortable. “Should I be here?” Alexandra asked Solfa. He was not pleased she had asked the woman, not him through their channel.
The Chameleon Soul Mate Page 10
