This time when Candy entered Crystal Telepath Headquarters, the room was almost deafening with the number of oral conversations taking place. The crackdown on escaped dissidents generated conversations too sensitive for communal pathway usage. The tide of gossip had steered away from her. To say she was relieved would be a gross understatement. Living your life under a microscope was not easy.
“Let’s see if we can find Starc or Darden,” Shirl said through their closed channel. With the roar of conversations taking place, it was easier to hear each other through their own pathway. “I was able to connect with them both through the warrior channel. They are getting a conference room where we can meet privately.”
Walking through the crowd of men, this time Candy did not try to make a connection with any specific man. She knew Tolfer was not among the crystal telepathic men and the CT Guards that populated the hall. Candy was still struggling over why he had not revealed the true nature of their relationship when the soul mate channel opened. It frustrated her that she was stuck at headquarters, preparing to go after people not unlike her parents. She was not offered the position of CT Guard. It was inflicted on her. Protecting Shirl was one thing, but going after people who tried to remove the mind control telepathic government from power was quite another. Was she even going to be paid? For someone who planned for every possibility, she was lost.
When they got to the conference room Starc was pacing like a caged tiger. Shirl immediately went into his arms and received a passionate kiss. Alex had mentioned that Shirl and Starc’s relationship was strained almost from the beginning. As far as Candy could see, whatever their problem was, it had been worked out.
Darden sat at the table. “Candy,” he finally greeted her. A serious look crossed his face. “What happened on Terra Nova? The communal pathways are communicating various tales about the first female CT Guard’s maiden voyage through the portal.” Originally he was supposed to accompany them to Terra Nova but was pulled off the duty to accompany another crystal telepath to Terra Flora.
“Everyone is making a mountain out of a molehill,” Candy replied. She had to laugh at the expression on Darden’s face. Obviously, he had not heard that expression before. “Nothing of any consequence happened.”
“I would not consider being sexually assaulted as nothing of any consequence,” Darden growled, quoting her own words. “Neither does Solfa. Not only has she ordered pre-mission consultations with Koel, I will be joining you for the foreseeable future as you enter the portal.”
Candy knew those orders would reduce the amount of time Darden would be able to spend on Earth with his soul mate Cassie. It would look suspicious if he continued making the number of trips to Earth while accompanying Shirl and her on their missions. She felt guilty, although she knew she did not do anything wrong.
“Why wouldn’t they just add CT Guards to accompany us?” Candy asked. “It seems a terrible waste of a crystal telepath’s time.”
“It is a matter of trust,” Darden replied. “Shirl has a tremendous amount of power. She needs to learn to regulate the energy blasts she produces, while not alerting others of her true capabilities.” It was all about Shirl and Candy was caught in the crossfire. She once again wondered how she could resign from being a CT Guard.
Her thoughts on that subject were cut short when an alarm sounded. What in the world is happening now, Candy thought.
“CT Guards Narmouth, Potts, and Phillips, report for portal duty” came across one of the communal pathways. A public broadcast of orders seemed a strange way for a quasi-government department to operate.
“What am I supposed to do?” Candy wondered out loud. She knew CT Guards were responsible for guarding the portal. They investigated when an object entered their universe from another dimension. Sensors were set around the portal to sound an alarm. She just did not know the mechanics of what she was supposed to do.
“I will accompany you,” Starc said. As a CT Guard, Starc knew all the protocols related to responding to such orders. “I will see you at the apartment later,” he informed Shirl.
Starc and Candy left the conference room and made their way to the weapon storage area. This time she was less overwhelmed by all the futuristic pistols and rifles that graced the walls of the armory. The small lightweight crystal guns she had used earlier were to her right. They seemed the appropriate weapon to use. She had actually done a very good job of hitting the targets when she fired the weapons after Nance had shown her the mechanics of using the weapon.
Starc attached a holster around her waist. Grabbing the weapons in her hands, he placed each into the holster. “We do not have a lot of time. Each crystal weapon has a two shot capacity. The safety is off. They are ready to fire as soon as you release them.”
Firing at a target was one thing, but firing at a live target was quite another. “Is there a stun setting?” Candy asked. It was a question she should have asked earlier when she was getting her initial lesson. Candy had no desire to do anyone or anything harm. Back on Earth she had never considered becoming a police officer for this very reason. Self-defense was a different story. She did not mind getting physical if she was protecting herself or someone else.
Starc looked at her as if she was crazy. “We do not know what we are up against. The weapons are set on the highest setting. Once we assess the situation we can reduce the intensity of the blast.” Starc must have picked up on her hesitation. “You did great at the range. If there is such a thing as a natural at this type of thing, it is you.” He did not seem to understand her reluctance in accompanying them.
It was too late to do anything about her role as a CT Guard. Candy took a deep breath to calm her nerves and followed Starc to one of the side exits. Raine Narmouth and Kelog Potts were already there. They did not seem surprised at Starc’s presence. The men were probably relieved they were not going to have to play nursemaid.
“Let us head out,” Raine Narmouth ordered. His rank of captain placed him in charge of this mission. For the sake of their safety, Starc and Candy would not let their personal feelings toward Raine Narmouth impact their behavior. He would be dealt with another day.
Once they were outside, their party ran to the mountain trailhead. Candy was in excellent shape and kept up with the men with little effort. Their pace slowed once they started their ascent. There was only one way off the mountain. At this point they could catch their breath. They would be able to recharge their energy to deal with anything that came through the portal.
They continued to climb, making good time. Nothing crossed their path, which allowed Candy to relax a little bit. She was not sure what she would do if anyone challenged them from another universe. She was at the rear, several yards behind the others. She was their safety net, there to make sure nothing got past her and threatened Aster Province. It was also her responsibility to communicate their progress. Based on her reports, headquarters could dispatch additional men to provide back-up. Candy imagined this was the Troyk equivalent of televising police chasing a white Bronco through Los Angeles.
The men in front of her stopped. Something lay on the trail in front of a still-active portal. As Candy got closer she saw it was a human. Narmouth and Kelog were leaning over the body.
“Is he all right?” Candy inquired. She had been informed not to communicate through the communal pathways if a person had come through the portal. “Why is the portal still open?”
“Something is still in the portal,” Starc answered. “He is not wearing a crystal. Whoever opened the gateway is inside the void.” Starc stared at the portal a little longer. “A crystal telepath can open one portal and then work on opening a second one. Once the second portal is open, the first one closes. He is still going to come through or he ran into some kind of trouble.”
“Candy,” Raine addressed her, “get off this mountain and get a med-tech up here. I am still not convinced someone else will not come through the portal. Kelog and Starc will stay with me.”
Candy
had no issue with heading down the mountain alone. She wanted to divorce herself from this case. Without being told, she imagined the person who lay unconscious was a former Troyk freedom fighter. She wondered who he was. What was going to happen to him? Was she going to be forced to deal with the consequences of this assignment? All her questions eroded her confidence.
Chapter 8
Candy had not made it too far down the mountain when she picked up the communal channels. It was a wonder Alex did not spend time hiking the mountain, away from the telepathic traffic within the communal pathways. The static she had not felt while she was closer to the portal had returned.
Tolfer was within the channels asking her out to lunch. What a strange way to ask a girl out on a date! Using the same pathway, she asked Raine if she could get an hour off after she dispatched the med-tech.
Candy was not surprised Raine gave her the time off. He knew she was living in the same residence as Alex. Better not do anything to alienate Candy. She had the power to ban him from the Childers’s household. Considering Raine’s obsession with her friend, maybe it would be a good idea not to allow Raine into the house. It would certainly buy her brownie points with Tarsea, her soul mate’s brother. There was also the fact Alex was now pregnant.
By the time she made it to the trailhead, the med-tech was checking his equipment before he made his ascent. Living in a telepathic world certainly had its advantages. Troyk medicine was far more advanced compared to Earth’s. Alex had told her Tarsea was up and ready to go back to work within minutes of the med-tech tending to his stab wound. Candy could not believe Narmouth had not been imprisoned for his near fatal attack on Tarsea. It all had to do with taking the spotlight off of Alex and maintaining her cover story.
Shirl had shared that the Troyk universe also had a serum that replaced blood loss ten times faster than the body could do by itself. The miracle liquid came from the Nightshade universe. Shirl got a faraway look in her eye when she talked about it. Candy knew there were aspects of Shirl’s trip to that world that still haunted her friend. She did not feel comfortable asking Shirl for more details. There was a new strain in their relationship that had not existed previously. Candy had asked Alex, but her other friend told her it was Shirl’s story to tell.
Shortly after the med-tech started on his trip to aid the man who came through the portal, Tolfer showed up. She had been surrounded by hordes of good-looking men since coming through the portal, but it was Tolfer who stirred her blood. That was actually a benign way to describe her body’s reaction to him. She half expected to blow up in flames when he was near, especially after their first touch.
What she felt was what one soul mate was supposed to feel for another, she figured. Candy could not understand why Tolfer did not acknowledge the connection between them. Her one consolation was he was probably suffering worse than she was. At least that was what she hoped. It would serve him right!
He came up to her and smiled. That simple action almost brought her to her knees. Tolfer brightened her world. Who needed electricity with one’s soul mate nearby? Candy needed to get a grip. She was thinking about nonsense.
“How much time have you got for lunch?” Tolfer asked. “I thought it would be a nice change of pace to eat something someone else prepared. Figured you could use a break as well.”
Candy held back the giggle that almost escaped from her. She was not that kind of girl. “I don’t have to report back to headquarters for two hours,” Candy replied. Answering his question and adding nothing more seemed to control her exterior response to being near Tolfer. Inside she felt like a teenage girl at a rock concert.
“Leftovers is just around the corner. They have very good food and nice ambience.”
“Ambience at lunch,” Candy responded. “I did not know things between us were so serious,” Candy kidded. Once she internalized what she had just said, she wanted to die.
Candy gathered her courage and looked Tolfer in the face after her blunder. Terror was written all over it. Had they not been soul mates, she would have thought the situation was funny. There was nothing humorous about the tension between the two of them.
She was the first to recover. “Lighten up, Tolfer,” Candy said. “I was just playing with you. Leftovers sounds really nice. Back home I did not have a lot of money, so eating out was a real luxury. I was a master at the microwave the rest of the time.”
Although Candy knew she had to confront Tolfer about being soul mates, now was not the time. She was already stressed out about the fate of the man who came through the portal. Getting to know Tolfer over a lunch date seemed like a nice idea.
They walked in silence to the restaurant. She figured both of them were listening to different conversations within the communal pathways. Neither actively participated in what they were hearing. Tolfer held the door open when they reached their destination.
Candy was immediately captivated by her surroundings. Leftovers reminded her of an English teahouse. Small tables were scattered throughout the restaurant. Each table had a bud vase with a single purple rose and was set with china place settings. The color scheme was pink and yellow, a departure from usual Troyk fashion, namely purple. The aroma of the food smelled absolutely fabulous.
They were immediately seated at a table that had a window overlooking a small garden. Candy was enchanted by the charming view and the silk-screened prints on the wall. Cheerful described the place well. The surroundings made her feel relaxed. After the day she was having, it was exactly what she needed.
“This place is lovely,” Candy shared with Tolfer. She could see a lot of the evident tension in him released. His posture had been so stiff when they arrived. He now sat back in a relaxed pose. “I still do not know a lot about Troyk cuisine. Please order for the both of us.”
That smile was back on his handsome face. She was thrilled she placed it there. Candy listened as he placed their order though the communal pathway.
“What do you like to do when you are not cooking for your parents?” Candy felt that was a safe question to ask.
“Actually,” Tolfer said, “I am pretty much a homebody. Cooking relaxes me. It started as a means of survival since my parents are horrid cooks. Eventually it became my passion.”
“Why don’t you do it professionally?”
Tolfer laughed. “I have asked myself that same question a million times. It finally came down to my fear of losing my passion if it became how I made my livelihood. Besides, I find teaching very rewarding. When I reduce the pain a child suffers before he or she can manage the communal pathways, it makes it all worthwhile.”
Candy was mesmerized by Tolfer’s voice and the topic. She felt the same way when she worked with a kid who hated sports and improved their skills enough for them to enjoy themselves. There was a sport for everyone. She just had to find it and connect like-skilled kids together.
“I know how you feel. Every year I take some kids under my wing and work with them to find their hidden talents.”
“Candy, you are only twenty-two years old. You cannot have been teaching for long.”
“Even as a kid,” Candy explained, “I took it upon myself to help others. It really bothered me when girls would make fun of the gals who weren’t good at sports. I befriended them and worked with them. They would not be getting a college scholarship, but at least they are enjoying themselves. That is the whole idea, anyway.”
Candy felt Tolfer’s gaze on her as she spoke. He seemed to absorb her words. She did not think anyone ever listened to her as Tolfer appeared to be. It was an amazing feeling. They were worlds apart, but had similar experiences and reacted the same way.
Before they could continue their discussion, the server placed three dishes on the table. One looked like tabouli, a favorite of Candy’s. A second dish appeared to be sauteed vegetables. Various herbs covered the veggies. Her mouth watered anticipating the burst of flavors she was about to enjoy. The last dish consisted of a marinated mushroom salad.
/> Tolfer looked at her expectantly. It was obvious he really wanted her to enjoy their lunch together. “Alex said you preferred vegetables rather than protein. These are my favorite vegetarian dishes Leftovers serves.”
Candy was touched Tolfer ordered with her in mind. She served herself several spoonfuls from each of the three dishes. Not surprisingly, each dish was distinctive and flavorful. She never could understand how people could boil the nutrients out of a vegetable, smoother it with fat, and then expect to enjoy it.
“These are incredible, Tolfer,” Candy shared with him. “We obviously have similar palates. Have you ever prepared a strictly vegetarian meal for your family?”
Tolfer looked at her in horror. “There would be a mutiny,” Tolfer said. “My father and Tarsea tolerate vegetables as a side dish. I think they eat them to pacify my mother. I would never hear the end of it if I tried to make a full meal out of what they refer to as garnish.”
Yet again, they both faced the same type of reactions from the people around them. Alex loved burgers and was willing to throw just about anything on them. Shirl ate salads, if she ate at all.
Candy eyed a number of incredible-looking desserts as servers passed her. Alex must not have mentioned to him her number one weakness: chocolate. All she had found in the Childers’s kitchen was cocoa. What she would not give for a nice piece of Belgian dark chocolate.
Their waitress came to their table and placed a piece of chocolate cake in front of her. She had not heard Tolfer order it for her. She gave him a questioning look.
“When we were being seated,” Tolfer said. “I whispered our dessert order to the hostess. It is hard to surprise someone if you use the communal pathways all the time.”
Candy took a fork full of the sweet, closed her eyes, and moaned loudly. It was so good, she did not care if it sounded like she was having an orgasm in the middle of the restaurant. She heard Tolfer chuckle in response to her enjoyment of his gift. Alex did a great job of letting Tolfer know what Candy liked. What a wonderful job he did executing this perfect lunch.
The Warrior Woman Page 7