The Warrior Woman

by Evelyn Lederman

  His mother and father were there to welcome them when they arrived. Hugs and kisses were exchanged. His parents did not shy away from the condition Candy was in both mentally and physically. “I need to get her into the shower and clean her up.” He spoke rather than using their familial channel so Candy could hear what was being said.

  “You do that, son,” his father replied. “Norri will be coming over to prepare our evening meal. Tarsea is in his room taking care of Alex. Go and take care of your soul mate.”

  He nodded to his father and steered Candy to the washroom. Tolfer carefully removed her shoes and clothing. He helped her into the warm shower. Most of the blood had seeped through her tunic. He took a small cloth, rubbed soap on to it, and then carefully washed the dried blood off her body. Tolfer released her long hair from the piece of elastic that had held it tightly at the back of her head. He poured shampoo into his hand and washed her long locks. Candy leaned her head back, clearly enjoying his massaging techniques. After the shampoo and soap had been washed from her body, he exited the shower with her and wrapped Candy in a large cushy towel. He sat her on the side of the bathtub and rubbed conditioner into her scalp and then worked it through her hair.

  After wrapping her hair in another towel, Tolfer carried Candy to their bed. “How are you feeling, Canny?”

  “Drained,” Candy responded in barely a whisper. “I don’t understand why that bastard’s death has hit me so hard. He would have killed Alex if I hadn’t acted. God only knows how many women he had manipulated into having sex with him and his brother.”

  “I do not know.” Tolfer lay next to Candy and took her into his arms. “Maybe because Alex has been your family for so long or it has been one battle after another since you entered this universe. You have barely had time to come up for air. You had all these emotions stored up inside you that needed to be released.”

  Tolfer was taken by surprise when Candy leaned into him and kissed him as if her life depended on it. “Take me,” she ordered through their pathway.

  He did not know what stopped him from making love to her. Was he concerned she was once again trying to distract herself from coming to terms with her mental state by exhausting herself physically? She wanted him to be strong for her, but he did not know what that truly meant.

  He broke the kiss. “What do you think finally caused you to fall apart?” He tightened his hold on his soul mate. Tolfer knew he needed to get her to come to terms with her emotions. They had a difficult road ahead in preparing for Benko Jarlyn to liberate their world. He needed Candy to be able to release pent-up feelings and energy before it brought her down again. Tolfer knew the future of the Troyk universe was dependent on that. How does a warrior woman balance her strength with her vulnerability?

  Candy gazed into his eyes. She appeared to be considering what he said. He was relieved she was not angry that he did not comply with her earlier request. “I guess I take too much on myself. If Utopia had fallen, I would have taken the blame. Had Alex been killed, it would have been my fault for not being strong enough to save her.”

  “That is a lot to carry on your shoulders, Canny.” He pushed back the towel she was wrapped in to give him better access to those beautiful shoulders. Tolfer rubbed them gently. “You are the superior fighter, even though I am probably stronger. Let me and the others carry some of that burden. Every now and then you are going to have to tell me what you are feeling. Do not assume all the responsibility of those around you. The warrior channel is growing every day. Not because a single man will win the day, but a legion of men and women.”

  Candy gave him a smile that warmed his heart. “I am going to take a short nap. Why don’t you help Norri in the kitchen? If you stay here any longer I am going to jump your bones and won’t get any rest. Besides, I am starving. I barely ate any lunch. Norri is a wonderful cook, but you are better.”

  Tolfer laughed. “All right, you can jump my bones tonight. Get some rest.”

  “Thank you, Tolfer,” Candy said. “Part of me knows you are here for me to lean on. I am just in the habit of being on my own. I have always loved Alex and Shirl, but I did not want to rely on them. In the future, I promise to share with you what is bothering me or what is causing me anxiety. The whole premonition thing is driving me insane. A feeling of doom comes over me and I don’t know what to do.”

  “You had that feeling today?” Tolfer asked.

  “Yes,” Candy admitted, “I knew something was going to happen at lunch. However, it was not clear what would occur. Just prior to Narmouth’s attack I got a clear picture of him attempting to stab Alex.”

  “Good, we can use those feelings to be better prepared in the future. Do not beat yourself up, but had we known about the feeling you had, we would have had more people guarding you girls. You have a gift. Like Shirl’s gifts, we need to learn how to leverage it to the best of our abilities.”

  Tolfer held his breath. He prayed she would not be too hard on herself for keeping her internal feelings inside. It was something Starc said Shirl struggled with. Now it was his soul mate who was hurting.

  “Now that I know these feelings actually result in something bad happening, I will share them with everyone. I understand Koel is a tactical genius. Maybe he can start coming up with contingency plans rather than assaulting every woman that comes up to him.”

  “Perfect,” Tolfer answered. “Hopefully, JoAnna is his soul mate and Koel can start focusing on something else for a change. I understand he and Shirl planned our rescue from the penal colony. They make a great team. With your input going forward we are going to be in a better position to deal with what life throws at us.”

  “In the meantime, why don’t you get going? My stomach has started to growl.”

  Tolfer kissed his soul mate and headed to the kitchen. He wondered if she would articulate when she got one of her feelings or if she would continue to hold it inside. Was the soul mate connection strong enough for Candy to change a lifetime habit of being totally self-contained?

  Chapter 25

  Candy woke alone in bed. Tolfer had awakened her earlier to tell her he was going to work with some of the Troyk children to help them manage their telepathic powers. He did not know it, but he had helped her last night by asking her to share when her gift became a harbinger that something was about to happen. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Candy concentrated on her mental state. All clear, no feeling of impending doom.

  She and Tolfer had done a masterful job of jumping each other’s bones last night. Or was it in the wee hours of the morning? They had talked for a while when they had finally gone to bed. It cleansed her soul talking to him. When no more words had to be shared they made love. The first time was a little rough, but they needed to release pent-up energy. However, the second time had been caring and deliberate. Candy actually preferred the less strenuous lovemaking.

  She got up, brushed her teeth, and threw on a robe. Candy was not ready to shower and dress just yet. A cup of coffee was calling her name. She could smell the aroma even in the back room of the house.

  Candy made her way to the kitchen where Shirl and Alex were already sipping their morning drinks. Alex continued to drink the herbal teas, regardless of the time of day. She continued to have issues managing the pathways because of all the head injuries she had sustained from Raine Narmouth. At least that chapter of her life was over. Raine was in the Nightshade universe getting what he deserved. Assuming he was still alive.

  She poured herself a mug and joined her friends. Alex still looked shaken by yesterday’s events. The color had not returned to her cheeks and she was a little green around the gills.

  “You look terrible,” Candy told her friend. They had been family too long to hold back punches. The three friends were very honest with each other. “Are you still freaked out about yesterday?”

  “I would not be feeling anything had it not been for you, Candy,” Alex replied. “However, I cannot blame what happened yesterday
for my current condition. The presence of my daughter has started to play havoc on my body. Morning sickness has reared its ugly head.”

  “You poor baby!” Candy knew this was her opportunity to do something she had not done in a long time. Start nurturing her friend during her pregnancy. “Can I make you some toast? I can’t screw that up too badly.”

  Alex smiled and nodded her head. Candy did not know if her friend wanted toast or was just agreeing because she knew Candy needed to do this. Candy pulled out two slices of Troyken bread and placed them into the Troyk version of a toaster. Within a matter of seconds perfectly browned toast was ready for Alex’s consumption.

  “I figured you don’t want anything on it,” Candy said. Alex accepted the toast and started to nibble on it. Slowly Alex’s face started to get a little color back in it. A feeling of warmth and satisfaction started to grow in Candy. She knew she did well for her friend.

  “Gee, Candy,” Shirl complained, “it would have been nice if you had asked me if I wanted some.”

  Candy gently slapped Shirl’s shoulder. “You have two hands and do not have morning sickness. Why don’t you make your own toast?”

  “Because I do not want to burn this beautiful house down,” Shirl complained. “You know I am ten times worse a cook than you are. Please, make me some toast. I, however, will have some jam on mine.”

  Candy had missed the interplay between the three of them when they got their own apartments. She got up and pulled out enough bread for both her and Shirl. All of a sudden Candy was starving. Her body was now fully awake and was craving food. She pulled out a pan and started cooking eggs to go with the toast. She had watched Tolfer cook breakfast on several occasions and it did not look too hard.

  After the eggs were done, Candy proudly placed two plates before Shirl and herself. She had done it. The eggs were delicious. Shirl dug into her breakfast as if it was the best she had ever eaten. Candy felt a sense of accomplishment she had not felt since the first time she made a base hit playing softball. She figured she was entering a new phase of her life.

  “Darden and Koel will be going to Ginkgo Terra tomorrow,” Shirl said. “It will be weird seeing Jo Jo after all these years.”

  “That is assuming she is Koel’s soul mate,” Alex commented. “Although they are going to have to bring her back because of the headaches she has probably been suffering. For Koel’s sake, I hope they are soul mates.”

  “She is Prime Adholm’s niece,” Shirl said between bites. “He is a mind control telepath. Chartail did not inherit that gift, but what if Jo Jo did?”

  Candy and her friends stared at each other. They had not seen Jo Jo since she was six years old. What if she had used her mind control gifts to get adopted when the rest of them never managed it? Suddenly Candy started to get a premonition that something was going to happen. It was not too much of a leap to figure it was related to Jo Jo.

  Should she confide in Alex and Shirl her suspicions related to Jo Jo? Last night Candy had promised Tolfer she would no longer keep her premonitions to herself. However, she did not want to prejudice her friends against Jo Jo for no good reason.

  Taking a deep breath, Candy did what had to be done. “There is something I should tell you both…”

  The End

  Enjoy the 1st Chapter of ‘The Chameleon Soul Mate’

  Worlds Apart Series: Book One

  Chapter 1

  Arizona

  Alexandra Mann, ‘Alex’ to friends and foes, disconnected from the call center system and let out a long, painful sigh. People never called to comment on how great things were, just to complain.

  But she had the ability to stay calm under pressure and deal with any situation. Didn’t matter if it was a customer yelling or her two best friends coming to her with their latest crisis. Alex took whatever life threw at her and made lemon drop cocktails.

  Finally Friday was here and Alex was going up to Sedona with three friends. They had been planning this trip for five months, and the countdown was finally over. This weekend was a double celebration: her twenty-first birthday and her best friend Shirl’s twenty-third.

  She had actually taken a half day of vacation so she and Shirl could get a jump on the traffic that headed north every Friday afternoon. Two of her coworkers were joining them, but had to work all day and would drive up later.

  She grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone. The display showed that Shirley Tomlinson called. Shirl, as she liked to be called, had grown up with Alex at a local Phoenix orphanage. Although Alex was younger than Shirl, they were best friends and as close as sisters. Shirl and Candy, who also grew up with them at the orphanage, were Alex’s only family. The three were connected, at times it felt like they could read each other’s minds.

  Alex had given up on the dream of a real family long before the orphanage stopped parading her in front of perspective parents. Years of couples talking and playing with her, only to have them walk away, had taken their toll. The disappointment she felt at the continual rejection caused her to cry herself to sleep on many occasions. She would find herself blending into the shadows in order not to being passed over again.

  To this day, she had a tendency to blend into the background. Her best friends were always in the spotlight, where Alex tended to be invisible in their presence. Shirl was tall, blond, and stop traffic gorgeous. Candy, on the other hand, had a self-confidence that made her radiant. When they were together, both men and women would flock to Candy.

  Having left her cubical, Alex took the opportunity to listen to Shirl’s voice mail message. “Alex, it’s Shirl. I’ve got a killer migraine and I can’t make it to Sedona this weekend.”

  If anyone else had canceled on her, she would have been angry. However, she knew Shirl got terrible migraines that would down a small elephant. It seemed as though the headaches were growing in frequency and she was concerned about her friend. Alex recently started having migraines herself. She and Shirl were so close, she felt they were probably sympathy headaches.

  When Alex reached the call center’s lobby, she called Shirl before she walked out into the Arizona heat.

  “What?” Shirl growled as the call connected.

  “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” Alex asked.

  “Can you get me a new brain?”

  “Doubtful, but I’ll look into it. I am so sorry you won’t make it to Sedona with us.”

  “I know, Alex,” Shirl’s voice began to fade. “Candy will stop by before she takes her class on this weekend’s field trip. Don’t worry, I will be fine.”

  Shirl hung up before Alex could say anything more. Alex placed her phone in her purse and walked toward her car in the stifling Arizona heat. The car was all packed and ready to go for the trip up to Sedona. Since she was not picking up Shirl, she immediately got on I-17 and headed north.

  Alex loved Sedona and started thinking about what types of adventures she’d have this weekend. Something unusual always happened when she was there. It was odd, she was never able to put into words what she experienced. Some invisible force always seemed to draw her.

  Alex made good time. Leaving Phoenix early afternoon was the trick, beating the hordes of commuters heading home after work. She headed straight to her hotel.

  It would be some time before her call center friends would join her. In the meantime, Alex had time to hike in Boynton Canyon. She opened her suitcase, pulled out a T-shirt and shorts.

  The Boynton Canyon Vortex was one of the four vortexes that contributed to the energy felt throughout Sedona. Alex generally hike Boynton Canyon because she felt the best energy there and enjoyed the trails. A lot was written about Sedona’s vortexes, including the belief the energy was the result of inter dimensional gateways. She did not believe all that nonsense, but her friend Shirl certainly did. With that thought, Alex felt the loss of Shirl not being there. She could almost visualize her friend standing next to her, clutching her crystal necklaces.

  She walked to her car and
made the short trip between the hotel and Boynton Canyon. The parking lot closest to the trail was packed. Fortunately, she had the world’s smallest car and found a spot where someone had parked badly, leaving only three quarters of a space. She easily fit into the spot and patted the dashboard of her beloved car. It was fire engine red, with a white racing stripe down the side. She loved zipping around town.

  Alex changed from her sneakers into her hiking boots, locked the car and made her way to the trail head. She loved the sound her boots made against the gravel trail. Alex had just purchased a new pair of hiking boots as a birthday present to herself. The boots almost came up a quarter of her leg and were kind of clunky. She was not going to take any chances if she came across a snake along the trail.

  Although the lot had been full, she didn’t see anyone on the trail. A flash of light caught her eye. It was the reflection coming off a bracelet worn by someone suddenly ahead of her. Her eyes left the cuff bracelet to the man who wore it. He was tall with blond hair, and she couldn’t help but admire his body. The man was oddly dressed for hiking. It appeared he was wearing a tunic and leggings. He had broad shoulders underneath the blue tunic and the leggings were molded to his powerful legs. She could see the muscle definition of his legs even from this distance. He must have decided to take a little hike before performing in a Shakespearean play. Sedona was known for supporting all art forms.

  Alex admired his body, but unfortunately her body was not reacting to his. It never did, regardless how attractive she found the man. Oddly, Shirl and Candy had the same problem. She dated, because girls her age dated. She had not been with a man in over six months. Every relationship was disappointing when it became physical. The guys she dated didn’t want to sustain a relationship if they had to deal with an ice queen in bed.

  As she continued on the path, she kept an eye on the man, closing the gap between them. He was carrying a number of sacks that seemed to slow him down. Another oddity about the man. Who carried sacks on a day hike, rather than a backpack?