Shamara

by Catherine Spangler

  He unhooked his harness, rose, and offered his hand to Eirene. "Ready?"

  She looked into the dark eyes that seemed able to read her every thought. She had discovered the ultimate sensual pleasure in his arms; he had killed her father.

  The old fears and doubts snaked through her. It wasn't her intent to punish an entire race of people because of the conflict between her and Jarek. But she feared she couldn't help anyone.

  "No," she whispered. "I'm not ready."

  He leaned over and unsnapped her harness. Taking her arm, he pulled her to her feet. His touch was light yet unyielding. He stared down at her as his hand slid up to rest against her cheek. "There is very little chance for my people. But I refuse to give up even the tiniest atom of hope. It's all I have. I must move forward with my plans. I pray to Spirit that your heart will guide you to do the right thing."

  So much sincerity in his voice, so much doubt in her soul. Her feelings toward him were too ambivalent, her grief over her father too recent. She shook her head, unable to answer him. He brought up his other hand, framing her face.

  "About my personal feelings for you—I care for you, very deeply," he said. "I don't know if you can ever forgive me for your father's death. And even if you could, I can't give you what you deserve: commitment and stability. But I want you to know I will always cherish the memories of our time together."

  She would never forget what had passed between them, either. Yet it upset her that she couldn't ignore her feelings for Jarek, or at least keep them repressed, in light of all that had transpired. She turned her face away before he could sense how she felt about him. There was a long moment of silence, and then he took her hand, his touch gentle. "Come on. Eark is expecting us."

  He ushered her to the hatch. Four Shens stood waiting to greet them. Varying sizes and heights, they ranged from shorter than Eirene to taller than Jarek. All wore full-length robes with the deep hoods shielding their faces. As with the heights, the robes varied in color, although they were all rich jewel tones.

  When Eirene stepped off the ramp, a potent energy enveloped her, tingling along her skin. It rolled through her, overwhelming in its intensity. She tried to block the energy, but it was invasive and disorienting.

  Jarek slipped his arm around her. "I feel it, too," he said quietly. "Don't let it get to you."

  "Yes, Lady Eirene," came a soft voice. "Be calm, and accept the energy. It is very good." The tallest figure, cloaked in royal blue, bowed to her. "I am Phylos, the leader of this colony." He waved a graceful hand toward the other three. "This is Eark, Neron, and Zailm. You have already spoken with Eark."

  Eark, the shortest Shen, stepped forward. "Greetings," he rasped. "Welcome to Aldon, friends of Moriah and Celie."

  "I return the greetings," Jarek answered. "I thank you for allowing us admittance to Aldon. I'm not familiar with your customs, so I apologize if I offend you in any fashion. But I'd like to get down to business as soon as your ways will permit."

  "Very direct, just like the Cameron ladies," Eark said.

  "Yes. I'm afraid the seriousness of our situation necessitates that we be direct and transact our business quickly."

  "We are well aware of your situation, Captain," Phylos replied.

  "Then you can understand why we need to get down to business immediately. Especially on the matter of price—"

  "And we sympathize with the plight of your people," Phylos continued, as if Jarek had not spoken. "However, you must understand that the universe works in ways that are mysterious to those of us who are merely the One's lowly servants. We cannot give you what you seek or discuss terms until all who are involved are ready."

  The dark ovals of all four Shens turned toward Eirene. Battling to remain unaffected by the intense energy generated by the crystal and to follow the conversation at the same time, she stood there stiffly. Phylos was talking about her, she realized. She was the one who wasn't ready. Therefore, she was apparently the one who would keep the deal from moving forward.

  Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by a tremendous burden. They didn't understand; they couldn't possibly. She had grappled with the issues involved, cycle after cycle. She felt deeply for the Shielders, and knew she couldn't wish destruction upon them simply because of her tumultuous relationship with Jarek.

  But she couldn't help them. Everyone seemed to think she could channel her powers to perform miraculous and amazing deeds. They seemed to think a mere, insignificant woman could save an entire race. They didn't know how little control she truly wielded, how ineffective she was.

  Or that she had killed a woman she greatly loved and admired.

  Because of her inability to use her powers, the Shielders would continue to be massacred. Stricken, she looked at Jarek. His expression was neutral, but the tension in his stance, his clenched hands, clearly showed his unhappiness with the situation.

  "When all is ready," Phylos repeated. "Then, and only then, we will talk further about that which you seek, Captain san Ranul. In the meantime, you may stay here with us. We offer you our hospitality."

  "Thank you, Phylos," Jarek said. "We accept your offer and hope that our negotiations will soon move forward." He looked at Eirene. She saw no censure in his eyes, no judgment or pleading, simply a quiet resignation. He knew he couldn't force her, that events were now out of his hands.

  "We will show you to quarters where you may rest and renew your spirit," Phylos said formally. "Then you may join us later and replenish your bodies with the bounty of our planet. Lady Eirene, will you allow Zailm to escort you?"

  "Of course," she answered.

  Zailm, robed in deep emerald green, moved forward and offered a formal bow. He was slightly taller than Eirene, and a little more round in girth than the others. "Come with me," he rasped.

  She followed behind, surprised to realize the landing pad was composed of some sort of pink stone, marbled with crystal. They stepped onto a pathway of purple grass that felt like a cushion beneath her feet. Still battling the energy pressing in on her senses, she tried to take in everything around her. They passed brilliant gardens alternating with pristine, crystalline buildings.

  Zailm halted and turned to face her. "Do not resist the energy, Lady Eirene. It is not separate from you, but actually one with your own life force. Only your physical body makes it seem apart from you. Accept that the energy is a part of your being, allow yourself to flow with it."

  She stared at the shadowed oval fixed on her, sensing only sincerity and peacefulness from Zailm. Could it really be that simple? Just accept the energy and allow it within herself? She knew so little about how energy really worked.

  "All energy comes from the One," Zailm explained, as if reading her thoughts. "Therefore, all energy is good."

  Janaye had said basically the same thing. Eirene forced herself to relax, dropping her mental shields and no longer resisting. Immediately the oppressive sensation eased, and she felt considerably more relaxed. Tingling warmth flowed through her body, calming and revitalizing at the same time.

  "Ah. You do well," Zailm rasped approvingly. "Are you ready to continue?"

  She nodded, and they moved forward. Zailm kept pace beside her. "You are especially sensitive to the energy," he explained, "because the One blessed you with the innate gift of channeling the energy."

  She wasn't surprised that he knew about her powers, having realized the Shens were a highly advanced and intuitive society.

  "Perhaps it is a gift," she conceded. "But I don't know how to use it. It should have been given to someone else, someone strong enough to handle it."

  "You must not think that, Lady Eirene. The One does not give us gifts without also giving us the capability to use them. You will meet with Phylos later, and perhaps he will be able to allay your concerns. He is a highly advanced soul, better qualified to offer guidance than a humble servant such as myself."

  Eirene held her silence as they moved along the path. Aldon was truly amazing, and the Shens obviously h
ighly advanced. But they couldn't possibly know everything. Phylos might be able to tell her more about the Enhancers, but he couldn't make her competent in the use of her powers.

  Nor could he take away the pain that would always be a wedge between her and Jarek.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jarek watched Zailm and Eirene moving away. He didn't like being separated from her, but didn't want to challenge the Shens over it. He knew the intense energy bombardment from the crystal was adversely affecting her. She was highly sensitive to all forms of energy, and didn't possess the natural mental shields that he did. Her own energy was fluctuating erratically, and he wanted to stay close to her, in case she needed him.

  He scoffed at that last thought. Eirene had shut him out emotionally since she'd learned he killed her father. Nothing could undo the damage that knowledge had wrought. Worse, Jarek worried nothing would overcome her reluctance to use her powers. Fear might be a more accurate description than reluctance. Eirene didn't have a selfish atom in her body, but he knew she was afraid of her powers, convinced she couldn't control them.

  Unfortunately, he didn't know if her fears were valid or not. He didn't have enough information on Enhancers to understand how their abilities worked.

  "There is a creature in distress on your ship." Phylos' calm voice broke into Jarek's thoughts.

  He forced his attention back to the Shen leader. "I beg your pardon?"

  "The other life form on your ship. It is very distraught at being left behind."

  "Oh. That's Ranie, a lanrax. She has bonded with me and doesn't like being separated from me."

  "We can wait while you retrieve her."

  Jarek didn't miss the subtle command behind Phylos' gentle words. Ranie must be broadcasting her unhappiness, and apparently the Shens disliked sensing any creature in distress.

  "I'll be right back." He strode up the ship ramp, shaking his head over the oddness of the Shens. He returned moments later with the knapsack slung over his shoulder, Ranie peering through the small opening he'd left. When she saw the Shens, she popped her head through, hissing and shrilling and snapping at them.

  Phylos raised his hand toward her. Her fussing ceased immediately, changing to the contented chattering she normally reserved for Eirene or Jarek. He wasn't surprised, not from what he'd witnessed so far. The Shens obviously had powers that went far beyond that of any other beings in the quadrant—with the possible exception of the Controllers.

  "There now," Phylos said. "Your little Ranie is no longer upset. All is well."

  Jarek felt an almost hysterical urge to point out that all was not well. His people were being systematically massacred. Their only hope lay in a crazy scheme to locate a wormhole that might not even exist, a woman who despised their leader and didn't believe in her Spirit-given abilities, and a very strange race of beings.

  Phylos turned and gestured toward the purple-robed figure. "Eark will see you to your quarters."

  "Would you mind if I view the equipment first?" Jarek asked. "I'm fully aware we can't come to any agreement on purchasing it yet, but I'd like to look it over."

  The hooded figure nodded. "I have no objection to that. But be advised that seeing the equipment might be more unsettling than you think."

  Jarek nodded, not certain how to take the cryptic comment. "My thanks, Phylos."

  He followed Eark toward a path that led away from the direction that Eirene had been taken. He observed everything around him, impressed with the gardens and the pink crystal buildings, and the calm, peaceful manner in which the numerous Shens moved through the city. From the knapsack, Ranie watched the passing scenery, her maroon eyes bright and her nose twitching at the various scents. She didn't hiss at the nearby strangers, which was unusual for her.

  "You are not so affected by the energy as Lady Eirene," Eark commented as they walked along a path of purple grass.

  "No, I'm not. She is unusually sensitive."

  "And yet, you're not acknowledging your oneness with the energy."

  "I'm not sure what you mean."

  Eark shrugged. "The shields that protect your people from the Controllers might also be a detriment when the energy of all must come together as the energy of the One."

  Jarek mused over the Shen's words. "I'm certain you speak words of wisdom, Eark, but I still don't understand."

  "Then I will trust in the One to guide you in what you need to know."

  The man spoke in riddles as Janaye often did. Jarek pushed back his frustration, knowing his anxiety and impatience would make no impression on the implacable Shens. Spirit had brought him here, and now all he could do was continue forward, pretty much on faith alone. He held his silence as they turned off the path and walked toward a tall building with five massive bays along one side.

  "The machinery you seek is in here," Eark said, leading the way to one of the bays.

  The huge panel rose silently as they approached. They entered an immaculate bay made from the same pink, crystal-laced granite composing the landing pad. The only items in the bay were seven large silver spheres that lined the three full walls.

  Jarek's heart rate increased as he approached the nearest sphere. Here—at last—was the equipment he'd been striving to find. Hopefully, equipment that could locate a wormhole entrance and open that entrance long enough for a ship to pass through. If his assumptions were correct.

  He stopped before the first sphere. It was large, approximately four meters in diameter. It would barely fit into a storage bay on a standard scouting ship, the most common craft in the Shielder fleet.

  The sphere appeared to be perfectly round and made up of a mirror-like silver alloy that Jarek had never encountered before. He saw his reflection as he touched the alloy, finding it extremely hard. The surface was not cool as expected, however, but surprisingly warm, as if it had an active power source within it. Which it did, he realized, sensing the energy pulsing from the sphere.

  He studied the surface and ran his hands over it, looking for lines in the metal, or niches, or mechanisms of some sort for opening the sphere. He couldn't feel anything. Nor did he see any panels, controls, or pads for activating the sphere. Nothing…nothing at all, but smooth, shiny alloy, completely unblemished.

  Disappointment rode him hard. He looked at Eark, who had been standing patiently nearby. "I don't suppose you know how to get inside this or activate it?"

  Eark shook his head. "This is not of our making, Captain san Ranul. These machines were created by the Enhancers, and operated solely by them. I can share one bit of information with you: they are directed telepathically."

  Jarek was not surprised to hear this, but it wasn't good news. "You mean they are operated by mental power."

  "Yes. By Enhancer mental power."

  It was what he had expected all along. Only Eirene or another Enhancer could activate these spheres. The despair he'd been holding at bay spread across his soul like a dark stain. He didn't think things could get any worse.

  "Captain, I must tell you something else," Eark rasped. "We will not allow you to force Lady Eirene to do anything she does not choose to do of her own free will. Nor will we allow you to take her anywhere without her consent. We are offering her shamara. If she does not wish to see you again, we will honor her decision."

  No, Jarek had been wrong. He had only imagined he'd hit rock bottom a moment ago.

  Now he was facing the worst possible scenario.

  * * *

  Eirene sat in Phylos' official chamber, drinking tea with the Shen leader. The circular chamber was a surprise, as it held nothing but two plush sofas. It was encased entirely in glass and overlooked a stunning garden that bordered the outside perimeter. A soft breeze fanned through the room, sounding the chimes that hung from the pyramid point of the ceiling. It was a most unusual chamber.

  But then, everything about the Shens was astonishing. At the meal earlier, levitated platters of food had drifted up and down the tables, stopping whenever someone desired a ser
ving. Eirene had watched in amazement, unable to eat anything.

  After the meal, Phylos asked with grave courtesy if she would accompany him to his official chambers so they could visit. Now they sat facing each other, drinking a delicious, unfamiliar tea from crystal cups.

  "I sense you have many questions," Phylos began. "I will be glad to give you answers, if possible."

  "I haven't seen any women among the Shens. Why is that?" Eirene asked, having wondered about that throughout the meal.

  "Shens are androgynous. We have double souls within our bodies, containing both fully actualized male and female components. This enables us to procreate from within ourselves, while avoiding carnal desire and keeping our higher spiritual channels open."

  Having experienced carnal desire firsthand, Eirene could see how that might cloud rational thinking and spiritual growth. It had certainly blinded her where Jarek was concerned. He still continued to haunt her thoughts. Resolutely, she forced her attention back to her questions for Phylos. "And the levitation at dinner—was that some form of magic?"

  "If you wish to consider explaining creating a reality as magic, then yes. However, it is a simple matter of visualizing that which you wish to manifest, then combining the energy of the One with the will of self. Whatever the mind can conceive can be created."

  "Most beings can't do that," she protested, amazed at the concept.

  "All beings have the capability to create, Lady. We are all co-creators with the One. But many have become enmeshed in the physical and have lost touch with their spiritual birthright."

  "Are you telling me I could levitate things?"

  "You could, if you learned how to tap into the energy."

  "What about my Enhancer abilities?" Eirene asked, finally reaching the crux of the matter. "Could I learn to properly control and channel them?"

  "Absolutely. It would help if you understood more about your people. Will you allow me to enlighten you?"

  A part of her longed desperately to know more about Enhancers. Another part dreaded facing her own terrible shortcomings. Yet, she had often wondered about her ancestors. She took the plunge. "Yes, please. I know so little about my heritage, and I'm confused about many things."