Last semester, Tamara’s unusual, explosive Awakening to her psi abilities had dragged all three of them into an intense psychic—and sexual—link. That tie, which forced a deep emotional and telepathic bond between them, supported his empathic sense that something was not quite right. Alarin’s avoidance of him was not a good sign—normally his friend would have reached out mentally or by phone to spend time together, or simply to talk, especially as he had no classes at the moment. Calling Alarin on his cell phone had resulted in no response, and his friend had remained tightly shielded to any mental hails as well, making Merran wonder if Alarin was suffering from an intense bout of jealousy.
Merran had no proof that he was jealous—Alarin certainly had not said anything—but Merran knew Alarin well. He did not share sexual partners easily, and never had, even during their youth on Azelle. The feelings between Tamara, Alarin, and himself were not at all casual, which was very likely exacerbating whatever Alarin was feeling. But as long as Alarin was not talking, there wasn’t much Merran could do to reassure him or mitigate Alarin’s feelings of jealousy. It didn’t help the situation that Tamara had been raised purely human, having been taken away from her Azellian mother at birth by her human father to live on Earth. She worked hard to hide it, but Merran knew she was far from comfortable about her psychic link with the two men that forced all three of them to share emotions, thoughts, and physical pleasure. He wondered if maybe she was avoiding him as well.
He rubbed his hands over his jaw, again feeling the rough scratch of facial hair against his fingertips, the sudden physical sensation reminding him that life went on, despite his inner turmoil. He lowered his hands and clicked on his email. The students were due back on campus within the next couple of days, so soon enough he’d get his answers: if Alarin and Tamara still weren’t talking to him, he’d just have to reach out to Tamara to find out what was happening with their three-way relationship.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in,” he called.
Allyn pushed open the door, carrying a file folder. “The Justern Memaxthal file,” he said as he placed the folder on Merran’s desk. Allyn stood in front of the desk, looking nervous, his hand still on the smooth cover of the file.
“What is it, Allyn?” Merran asked, as he reached across his desk to pull it out from under his assistant’s tense fingers.
“I thought this issue was resolved on Azelle, when Justern was found innocent last month.”
Merran nodded. “He was. But unfortunately, he was not found innocent here on Earth, and considering that the crime was committed here on Earth, we’ve had to fight this through human appeal channels. That hasn’t been as easy as you might think, considering our ‘proof’ is psi in nature.”
Not long ago, fellow Azellian and exchange student Justern Memaxthal had been found guilty of raping a human girl. That case is going to have far-reaching consequences, Merran thought, not just because a number of Azellian abilities were openly revealed, but also because I am still dealing with the political ripples of the case itself. The girl’s father is furious at the overturning of the verdict by the Azellian courts and wants Azelle to extradite Justern back to Earth. The Azellian Council is backing Justern, thank the aarya, but it’s tricky. Wars have started over less, even among friendly planets, and the last thing we need is a war. He didn’t mention any of that to Allyn, though. He doesn’t need to know about something that might never happen. And, if I have anything to say about it, it never will.
“Are you making some progress?” Allyn asked, concern written across his face. “I know Justern personally. He and I trained together.”
Merran shrugged. “It’s hard to tell,” he replied evasively. “Diplomacy is an art … and sometimes a damned uncertain one. Justern’s trial and subsequent exile were political hotspots, and the human authorities are trying to make a point with him. I’m doing everything I can, hoping that it will work out for the best.” As Justern’s friend, Merran had a personal stake in trying to make this come out right, but if it came to choosing between Justern and peace between Azelle and Earth, Merran knew what he’d have to do. He fought the urge to sigh and turned to the phone. “Get me a cup of tea, will you, Allyn?” he asked as he dialed his friend and fellow Azellian Greg Tenricth’s number. As a Healer and as one of the people who had been very involved with the drama last semester, Greg’s insights would be invaluable. One impossible task at a time, he thought to himself. I’ll deal with the fourteen others later.
“Certainly, Ambassador,” Allyn said, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
In Gratitude
As with any artistic endeavor, this was a long time in the making and involved large numbers of people to whom I am extremely grateful. Jill and Sue, without your early enthusiasm for the World Girls, I don’t know if I would have embarked on this journey so many years back. All my friends and relatives, who never doubted I could do it and who have been patiently waiting a very long time for it to happen, thank you for your faith. It might have been a really long time in coming, but it’s finally here! Donna, my incredible heart-centered editor, you have been an inspiration and the main reason I’ve gotten to where I find myself today. Without your skills and support, this would still be a raw attempt to convey a story. Chuck, wonderful friend and videographer: thank you for your supportive enthusiasm and belief in this story, as well as your invaluable help with the visual and audio aspects of story production. Thank you, Meghann, Lisa, Diana, Alissa, Danielle, the loving sisters of my meditation groups, for your support as I step into an entirely new world of who I am. Your love and willingness to share your own joys and fears have made my shifts so much more powerful for the sharing. Meghann, the Mistress of Marketing, for your contributions and guidance in the mysterious world of marketing and social media: I would never have dared to embark on this journey without your encouragement and support. I love you! Rikka, Zach, and Nikole, the Adventures In Oneness team, thank you for your guidance and loving presence as I follow my heart and discover magic and miracles beyond anything I could have imagined. Josh, Theta Healer extraordinaire, thank you for helping me break through the fears and limitations that occasionally sweep the rug out from under me. Without your abilities to help me discover where I’m getting in my own way, I would have found this journey so much more difficult. My group of fellow entrepreneurs at 3 to 5 Club, thank you for providing an awesome community as I stretch my wings and soar. And last, but not at all least, my wonderful husband, Troy. You helped me realize this story had something to say and encouraged me to say it.
This story would not exist without all of you and I am forever thankful for every one of you! Life really is all about love, and I’m surrounded by some of the most amazing people in the world.
About the Author
Sara L. Daigle has been creating stories since she first forayed into the world of writing at the age of eight. As an avid reader growing up in a small town without much access to a library, and before the birth of the Internet, Sara devoured her mother’s extensive stack of science fiction and romance novels to keep her literary thirst quenched. Soon afterwards, she began writing her own stories and entertaining her friends by composing plays for them to act out.
A passionate interest in astronomy, anthropology, and linguistics, coupled with this early background in science fiction and romance, led Sara to merge the two fields and create a series of interlinked stories built around a fictional planet’s culture and its interaction with ours.
Sara currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and three very loving but energetic dogs.
About the Press
Merry Dissonance Press is a book producer/indie publisher of works of transformation, inspiration, exploration, and illumination. MDP takes a holistic approach to bringing books into the world that make a little noise and create dissonance within the whole in order that ALL can be resolved to produce beautiful harmonies.
Merry Dissonance Press
works with its authors every step of the way to craft the finest books and help promote them. Dedicated to publishing award-winning books, we strive to support talented writers and assist them to discover, claim, and refine their own distinct voice. Merry Dissonance Press is the place where collaboration and facilitation of our shared human experiences join together to make a difference in our world.
For more information, visit http://merrydissonancepress.com/.
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