by Raine Thomas
“There’s an issue I don’t think we’ve mentioned,” Ty said. “Vycor has some kind of mental blocks in place. They’re unlike anything we’ve encountered before. Not even Kyr was able to get around them.”
“They’re unlike anything you’ve encountered before here on Alametria,” Elly mused as she stirred her tea. “But there are certainly planets with stronger and more complex mental abilities than our Mynders have.”
Kyr glanced at Ty. He didn’t seem surprised by his mother’s perception, and she supposed that she shouldn’t be, either. The parents of the fated Dem-Shyr would have to be powerful. Elly’s candid statement did help everything click into place for both of them, though.
It all came back to what they had known for some time now, but hadn’t quite figured out how it tied into Vycor’s plans.
“Vycor is in league with the V’larians,” she said.
Once more, conversation chaos ensued.
“The V’larians are our allies.”
“They’re so much weaker than we are.”
“Their numbers come nowhere near ours.”
The comments tumbled over each other along with surprised and disbelieving thoughts. Kyr sipped her tea and let it all ride out. Ty rubbed her back in gentle circles. They both drew comfort from the contact. Eventually, the outbursts subsided.
“We’ve known for a while that something has been going on with the V’larians,” Ty said. “Ever since they intervened to save Kyr on Earth.”
Kyr listened and finished her tea as Ty explained everything they’d learned. He now suspected that it had been a V’larian who had left behind a footprint at the safe house they’d used on Earth. He believed the V’larian who left it had been conducting reconnaissance and reporting back to the V’larian ship waiting outside the Earth’s atmosphere. They still didn’t know whether it had been the Shelvaks or the V’larians who first learned of Kyr’s presence on Earth, but Ty suspected it had been the V’larians. Vycor had likely informed the V’larians, who had leaked the information to the Shelvaks. By stepping in to save Kyr’s life, the V’larians secured their appearance as loyal allies to the Alametrians.
They also gave themselves an excuse to remain on Alametria for a while after Kyr returned. Ty believed Vycor had made use of this time to further develop his plans with the V’larians. Kyr further believed that it was shortly after arriving on Alametria that the V’larians did whatever they did to enhance Vycor’s mental abilities. Ty had been able to read most of Vycor’s thoughts just after they returned home, but then the odd barrier was implemented.
“There are all kinds of V’larian weapons being stored on our planet,” Ty finished. “We have to think that Vycor intends to use them against us when he enacts his plans.”
“Since Sem informed us that the V’larian ambassadors are still on-planet, we’ve concluded that they’re here to serve as the point of communication with their planet in order to call Vycor’s allies into action,” Kyr added.
Elly shook her head. She leaned heavily into J’ael’s side as she said, “So it isn’t just some people on our planet against us...it’s an entire other planet, too?”
“It probably isn’t all of V’laria,” Owyn rationalized. “I don’t care how mentally evolved you are, no planet is that united.”
They all nodded in agreement. Still, Kyr understood Elly’s overwhelmed feeling. It was something she and Ty had dealt with since her return to Alametria.
“Be level with us,” Elly said, looking from Kyr to Ty. “What do you think our chances are if Vycor has influenced most of the Mynders here on Alametria and has also recruited a number of the mentally gifted V’larians to work with them?”
Kyr knew Ty was reluctant to respond, but she felt they had to be honest. “They’re not very good. But we don’t know that the majority of the Mynders are under Vycor’s influence. We also don’t know how many V’larians are allied with him.” She paused for a moment, then proposed, “Maybe I could find a way to visit V’laria to reason with them or try to get the remaining V’larians on our side.”
Ty’s astonishment over her impromptu suggestion flowed into her. She caught his gaze.
“Unfortunately, even if we did manage to sneak off-planet to travel to V’laria, there’s no way to know who would be sympathetic to our cause,” he pointed out. “If the V’larians can protect Vycor’s mind from our intrusions, they can certainly protect their own. I doubt we’d be able to read anyone.”
“V’larians can communicate with each other through thought,” J’ael said. “Their abilities surpass ours. They can even communicate across great distances.”
In other words, Kyr thought with a dismayed frown, if she went to V’laria and encountered any of the V’larians allied with Vycor, those V’larians could communicate with the ambassadors here on Alametria. Although Kyr had no idea where the ambassadors were hiding, she figured they could get word to Vycor easily enough. The Advisor would know of her attempts to recruit help before any alliances were even made.
Frustrated, Kyr said, “Well, I refuse to give up. People are going to die whenever Vycor implements whatever coup he has planned. We can only pray he hasn’t done so already. We have to do something.”
Owyn sighed. “I appreciate your conviction, Ma’jah. But after everything you’ve told us, it sounds like we’re sorely outnumbered. It’s going to be more than a minor skirmish. That’s hard to combat.”
“Then we have to get numbers on our side,” Kyr insisted.
Ty laid a hand on her shoulder. “Outside of V’laria, our closest allies are too far away to connect with quickly,” he said. “You’ve said yourself that we have to act soon. Vycor knows you’re alive. He has to be getting ready to act soon, if he hasn’t already.”
Kyr processed his thoughts along with everything they had already discussed. Her resolve hadn’t diminished. If anything, it had grown stronger.
She would save her people, no matter what it took.
“You’re right,” she said with a nod. “We can’t look to our allies for support. So we’ll have to look to our enemies.”
Ty’s hand stilled on her shoulder as he intuited her thoughts. She caught the confused gazes of everyone else and knew she had to explain.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m going to approach the Shelvaks.”
The reactions around the room were almost funny. If Kyr hadn’t doubted her words as much as everyone else, she probably would have laughed. Instead, she fought back the bubble of self-doubt that wanted to surface.
“I know it sounds crazy,” she said when no one spoke. “But consider this: Shelvak is the closest planet to ours other than V’laria. They also have strong mental abilities, but I can communicate with them. They have every reason to dislike the V’larians and Vycor, and shouldn’t take much convincing to work against them. And on top of all of that, their numbers are legion.”
Kyr... Ty thought.
She perceived much from that single syllable. Like her, he was worried she was building a house of cards. Yes, she had rescued three Shelvaks from suffering Vycor’s wrath, but that didn’t mean that the Shelvaks who made such decisions would listen to her plea for help. Their animosity towards both V’laria and Alametria stretched back longer than most Alametrians could remember.
On top of that, they believed a prophecy that said she would bring death to their planet...which this request ultimately would.
“There’s no way to know how the Shelvaks will react,” Ty said after a moment. “But I imagine a significant bribe would help tip the scales in our favor. After all, that’s what Vycor is likely doing with the V’larians...bribing them with the tajeria he’s harvesting from the mine.”
Kyr pulled from his thoughts that he was thinking of the Gift of the Yen-Ki. He was remembering when a Dane dropped off the canister and their satchels the day before, having intercepted them from Avana near the Dane border. Kyr only had a moment to worry about her friend’s welfare when Ty once again drew h
er attention.
“We could bring some of the Gift with us,” he said after explaining what it was to everyone else. “That way, they can determine its potency and value.”
“The problem as I see it will be getting close enough to Shelvak without getting blasted out of the sky or slain the moment you step off whatever vessel you manage to steal,” Owyn said. He shrugged when everyone looked at him. “What? You’re all thinking the same thing.”
“He’s right,” Kyr agreed. “I suppose the most difficult part of this plan isn’t even getting safely onto Shelvak’s surface. It’s finding a vessel that can get us there. The only off-planet ships are kept at the palace.”
“Might as well just kill Vycor and be done with it, if you’re going that far,” Owyn said philosophically.
“If he’s there and we can reach him, that’s definitely Plan A,” Kyr affirmed. “I’m worried that even his death won’t stop whatever plan he’s concocting, though. He’s got a number of Mynders under his control...Mynders we once trusted. And there’s the possibility that he’ll run when we get to the palace rather than confront us. I imagine he doesn’t have to be there for his plan to unfold. For all we know, it’s started already.”
“How will you get into the palace to steal a ship without raising an alarm?” Elly asked.
“There are ways to get into the palace undetected if a person is creative and stealthy enough,” Ty replied. “Trust me, that reality kept me up many a night. But aside from that issue, Alametrian ships are all tracked. Vycor could just follow us or send someone after us.”
“Tracking systems can be disabled,” J’ael said. “Don’t suppose you learned how to do that during your years of training?”
“Regretfully, no.” Ty looked at Kyr. “We’ll have to recruit help from inside the palace.”
Her mind went immediately to ZashaWrym and LeoVawn. They had helped her before, and she had protected their minds against Vycor. It gave her a spark of optimism.
In the end, they decided that they had to give their nebulous plan a try. Elly declared an end to the discussion after that, wanting time to prepare for the Proce-Amanti. She sent Owyn back home to fetch Faria so they could both witness the Rite.
When Ty and Kyr were alone for a few minutes, they connected with Gren for an update. His thoughts were frazzled. Kyr realized that he was in the middle of a fight. She debated leaving him to it, not wanting to distract him, but she and Ty both wanted to know how much danger he was in.
Scarlyt was caught by Malak and his group, Gren conveyed while dodging a punch. Going to get her back.
Keep us posted, Kyr thought just before Ty severed the connection to avoid distracting Gren.
Her heart pounded in reaction to the brief interaction. How had Scarlyt gotten captured? What would Malak do to her? Would Gren be able to fulfill his promise to get her back?
Ty put his arms around her and drew her against him. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but it was a wasted effort. She could feel his worry, too. They had put Sem at risk and now they couldn’t reach him.
Would Gren be their next friend to fall?
Chapter 28
Ty looked up as his mom walked back into the family room a short while later. He knew she sensed something was wrong, but she didn’t ask for an explanation. She had always been one to understand when to press and when to let things surface at their own pace.
“All right, you two,” she said with deliberate cheer. “It’s time for Kyr to come with me.”
Kyr’s head lifted from where it had been resting against Ty’s chest. “It is?” she asked.
Elly walked over and offered Kyr one of her hands. “It is,” she repeated, helping Kyr to her feet. “You won’t see each other again until the ritual begins.”
“Oh.”
Ty felt Kyr’s concern, but he sent her reassuring thoughts as she was led out of the room. He heard his mother tell Kyr to close her connection to Ty for a while. Kyr’s thoughts immediately quieted in his mind.
Deciding to leave everything in his mother’s hands, he rose from the couch and walked down the hall to the cooking area in search of something to eat. He was just sandwiching meat and cheese between two pieces of bread when his father walked in and spotted him.
“It’s like you never left,” he said, pointing at the sandwich. “Seemed you were always hungry, even as a babe.”
Ty just took another pointed bite of his sandwich. J’ael chuckled and reached for the bread to make himself a sandwich.
“If you can’t beat ‘em…” he said, “eat with ‘em.”
“Mmhmm.”
Ty swallowed the last of his sandwich and downed half a glass of water as his father started in on his sandwich. He figured his father had something more than food on his mind, and he was right.
“So,” J’ael said between bites, “I’m supposed to have a conversation with you before this ritual.”
“Is that right?”
J’ael shrugged. “Your mother says so, and she’s the expert on such things. Guess it’s tradition. Seems my father did the same thing with me before I paired with your mother. Of course, since I’m apparently going to be a grandfather, I don’t suppose I need to have that particular talk with you.”
Ty sputtered on the sip of water he’d just taken. When he heard his father’s snort of laughter, Ty figured the timing of that part of this “talk” had been deliberate. His face was flushed when he finished coughing on the water, and not only because he’d been deprived of air.
“Geez, Dad,” he choked out, clearing his throat several times.
“Sorry, son. I had to. Be grateful you’re being spared that conversation. If I could erase the one I was forced to have with my father, I would.”
That made Ty grin. His grandfather was a stoic, no-nonsense kind of male. If he lived closer, Ty imagined his grandfather would insist on having his own chat with him.
“Anyhow,” J’ael continued, “your mother and I want you to know that we think you did well in choosing Kyr. We’re happy for you both. We wish you hadn’t had to endure any of what you’ve faced, but hopefully it gives you the strength and purpose you need to get through the days to come. We want you to know that we believe in you, Ty, no matter what.”
Ty found himself at a loss for words. He couldn’t remember ever hearing his father speak so frankly and intently. The words struck his heart like they carried physical weight.
Eventually, he managed, “Thanks. That means a lot.”
J’ael smiled and clapped Ty on the back. “Good. We’ll consider this tradition carried on for one more generation. If you have a boy, you’ll have to let me know how the sex talk goes.”
This time, Ty knew for sure his father had timed it while he was drinking. His howl of laughter gave him away.
After they finished cleaning up after their small meal, they took turns in the shower, washing away the lingering grime from their earlier practice session. J’ael presented Ty with a black floor-length robe, which he explained was the traditional male garb for the Proce-Amanti. Never having witnessed a ceremony because they were considered private and sacred, Ty could only take his father’s word for it. The truth was, he had spent so much of his life thinking he’d never undergo the ritual that he hadn’t bothered to learn more about it. With his mother overseeing it, he wasn’t concerned. She’d let him know what he needed to do and say.
Still, wearing just a robe did feel a little strange, he mused as he walked with his father out into the enclosed courtyard attached to the house. The night breeze snuck under the long robe’s hem, making him double-check the security of the sash holding the robe in place.
His thoughts about his wardrobe vanished when he spotted his Uncle Owyn and Aunt Faria standing in the courtyard. His aunt’s gaze was focused on the stars until she heard them approach. Then she looked down and pinned him with her misty blue eyes. The evidence of her earlier outpouring of grief touched her pretty features, but the dimples she shared with Se
m made an appearance when she spotted him.
“Ty, it’s so good to see you,” she said, striding gracefully forward and drawing him into a warm hug. “Owyn has shared everything with me, of course. You’ve given us hope.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Aunt Faria,” he said, pulling away so he could meet her gaze. “Have faith in Sem. He’s strong, and I’m convinced he’s under the influence of the V’larian drug given to Kyr.”
His aunt’s face fell. “Oh, Ty. I’m still reeling from the news about Troi. The last we knew, he was working with the Mynders to maintain the protections. I’m so sorry to hear he’s caused you or Ma’jah Kyr pain.”
Ty couldn’t hold his personal grievance with Troi against his aunt. “You’re not to blame for any of this, Aunt Faria. We’ll find out what’s going on, I promise.”
She let out a little sniffle and nodded. Owyn put his arm around her and met Ty’s gaze.
“We wish you well, Ty,” he said gruffly. “Can’t say as I ever pictured you becoming the Faire-Amanti, but I guess it suits you.”
“Oh, Owyn,” Faria sighed with a shake of her head. “Why do I ever take you out in public?”
He snickered at that, smacking Ty’s bicep in a companionable gesture. “You’d think she’d have learned by now,” he said with a grin that so reminded Ty of Sem that it made his stomach clutch.
He smiled to avoid causing his relatives any concern. His gaze moved to J’ael, who walked over and put a hand on Ty’s shoulder.
“Time to bring the man of honor over to the ritual site,” he said with a smile. “Thanks for coming to stand as witnesses.”
“Sure, sure,” Owyn said with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry. We’ve got a clear line of sight to the closest exit.”
Ty puzzled over that as his father led him to the courtyard’s central fountain. Why were his relatives in such a hurry to leave? His father didn’t seem concerned, so Ty figured his uncle was just issuing another one of his bad jokes.