“Shielded?” Faron asked.
“Yes, Lord Faron. Shielded. I would gladly explain how she managed such a feat when she was no more than an embryo, but I do not have the answer.” The Matriarch shook Bean’s head from side to side. “Never have I witnessed the strength of mind and will your daughters possess in any mortal form. If I could, I would take them all under my wings, but alas, Bean is the only one allotted to me by those who govern such things.
“Bean’s deepest instinct is to protect, which I could not help being drawn to as it is my nature, as well. Unfortunately, that trait, and others, have brought her too much attention from Chaos. Therefore, as your eldest daughter is guided by the Eternal Pack, your youngest has been watched over and protected by the Raptor’s Nest.”
“Iffon,” Saige said.
“Indeed,” the Matriarch said. “I must warn you though, do not speak of this visit to him. He knows many things, but I have locked some of his knowledge away until the time is right for it. He would be too tempted to remove obstacles that Bean must navigate herself. Otherwise, she will not be prepared for what she must face. Iffon will have enough to do with countering the increased attempts on her life anyway.”
“Who or what threatens her life, Matriarch?” Garen asked.
“Chaos itself, I’m afraid, High Prince.”
“How is such a thing possible?”
“I wish that I knew, but again I am forced to admit that I do not. I know only that it has always followed her closely, and that it’s been actively attempting to remove her from the plane of the living since she reached her seventh summer.
“Iffon has managed to guide her away from danger most of the time. For those incidents that sneaked beneath his senses, he’s been able to protect her from the worst injuries, and heal all others. I must add that she is not aware of her close calls, nor do I believe that she is ready to be made aware of them. When she asks, she will be told the truth.
“Which brings me to my main purpose in revealing myself to all of you. The power of choice must be given to Bean before the rescue ship leaves the Thousand Worlds. She must have the authority to turn the ship away from a course or action that Chaos will influence others to follow. She must also have the authority to act against those who she learns are influenced by Chaos.”
“How will she know what Chaos is doing?” Saige asked.
“The messengers will tell her,” the Matriarch replied. “The more information Bean has on the ship’s route, position, and internal systems, the more clearly the messengers will see the touch of Chaos.
“I assume that granting her the authority she needs will not be easily explained. But if authority and information are denied her, the ship will absolutely be led to its doom long before it reaches its destination.”
“Do you know who, or what, the messengers are, Matriarch?” Garen asked.
“I have my suspicions, High Prince.”
Garen understood that was all the answer he was going to get, and moved on. “Does everyone on the Askara need to know that Bean will be the true authority?”
“No, Prince Garen. As long as she knows, and those in the highest office of command know, it will be enough.”
“I am not at all concerned with what others might say about an action such as this,” Garen said. “They will follow orders or they will not be aboard the Askara when she leaves Jasan. My concern is for Bean, who is not one to seek out or enjoy attention. We will choose several people we trust and tell them the truth. They can watch over her from a distance, and see to it that her commands are followed.”
The Matriarch sat silently for a long moment, thinking. Then she dipped her head in a nod to Garen. “That will suffice, High Prince.” She looked at the faces around the table. “I thank you, all of you, for allowing me this time, and for granting my request. I cannot remain longer without overtiring Bean, and she has a message or two to share with you.”
“Thank you, Matriarch, for protecting our daughter,” Saige said. “Though we know nothing of you, please know that we will never forget you, and that you will hold a place of honor in our hearts for all time.”
“You are very gracious, Lady Saige. It is easy to see why the Eternal Pack chose you. Farewell.”
***
Bean gasped, her fingers at her temples as she fought the pain shooting through her head. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pain vanished. She lowered her hands cautiously and opened eyes she hadn’t even realized she’d closed. Garen knelt on the floor in front of her chair, watching her carefully, concern in his golden eyes.
“Better?”
“Yes, thank you Uncle Garen.”
He glanced quickly at Iffon who stood on her shoulder, watched him shake his head, then looked back to Bean before smiling. “I’m glad.”
He got to his feet when Saige offered Bean a glass of water which she accepted gratefully. After taking a long drink, she accepted the tissue her mother offered and used it to dry her cheeks.
“I apologize,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “That was…difficult.”
“Yes, we can see that,” Prince Trey said, watching her with worry in his eyes.
“If you’d like to rest and do this later, we have no objection,” Val said. “It’s up to you, Bean.”
“Thank you, Uncle Val,” she said. “I think I’d rather get this over with.”
“Just keep in mind that the choice is yours.” She nodded.
“Ata, is this room security shielded?”
“Yes, it is,” Faron replied, eyeing her carefully, as they all were.
“Thanks,” she said, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. “I’m all right everyone. I promise.” They all smiled, she noted, but they still looked worried.
“You suffered a great deal of pain, Bean. They’re concerned. That’s all.”
“Okay, Iffon. Thanks.” She drank more of the water, surprised by how thirsty she was.
“I don’t understand a lot of the message I just got,” she began. “I’m supposed to ask you to tell me all about the Doftles. The things I don’t know, which is almost everything, apparently. But later. Not right now.” She took another drink. “There’s a Doftle named Weeble.” From the reactions of the Princes and her parents, they knew that name.
“Yes, we know of him,” Garen confirmed.
“He’s planning something. Whatever it is I’m supposed to do with Vari and Ria is intended to stop him. If we don’t succeed, the Doftles will launch an attack on the Thousand Worlds before the year is out that will obliterate everything we know. If we do succeed, they won’t be able to do that.” Bean emptied her water glass and set it down.
“What is it you have to do, Bean?” Trey asked, his voice as gentle as he could make it.
“I don’t know, Uncle Trey. Whatever it is, it can’t be done by anyone else. It has to be the three of us.”
“Do you know why?” Saige asked while refilling Bean’s glass from a pitcher on the table.
“No, I don’t,” Bean replied. “All I know is that we must stand as one. I’m not sure what that means, exactly. But I know that if we don’t do it, we’ll fail.”
Saige gasped. “I get it now,” she said hoarsely. “Finally, I understand.”
“Understand what, Amada?” Faron asked.
“Chaos spent twenty-two years trying to keep our daughters apart. Making them doubt themselves and each other, while influencing the rest of us, twisting our perceptions so that we actually helped it. We all know that now, but what’s been driving me crazy is trying to understand why.
“Now we know. They must stand together to accomplish whatever task lies before them. How can they ever hope to do that if they don’t trust one another?”
“Mom,” Bean said, then paused to take another drink though her thirst was no longer as desperate. “You told me yesterday that Chaos has worked specifically to separate and demoralize me, Ria, and Vari. And you know what happened?”
“What?”
&
nbsp; “I knew you were right. Every doubt or worry I’d ever had about Vari and Ria vanished in that one single moment. Best of all, when I woke up this morning, I could feel my sisters again. I haven’t felt Vari since we were four, and I haven’t felt Ria since we were five. They’re on the other side of the galaxy now and yet I can feel them in my heart.” She tried to hold them back, but the tears still came. She didn’t let them stop her from saying what she needed to say, though.
“Chaos made a great big mess of our lives, but that doesn’t matter anymore. It doesn’t matter that it made everyone think I was an idiot, or that Ria was a thoughtless trouble maker, or that we each felt alone and separate from each other. None of it matters now because Chaos failed. Vari, Ria, and I can and will stand together. There is no doubt of that in my mind.”
“What is it that you do doubt?” Faron asked, grateful that he could see the depth of Bean’s emotion in her eyes, and hear it in her voice.
“I doubt myself, Ata. I don’t know whether or not I’ll be able to do whatever it is I’m supposed to do. I’ll work as hard as I can, though, and I’ll never give up. I promise.”
“Do you know the purpose of what you must do?” Garen asked.
Bean nodded slowly, wondering at the sense of dread that suddenly filled her. “I have an answer, Uncle Garen, but I don’t know what it means. We have to save something called the Colony.”
Chapter 6
Jasan, 2 weeks later…
Bean walked toward the Garrison with Iffon on her shoulder, her face tilted toward the sun. After a few moments, she glanced down at him. “What?”
“What what?”
“Why are you staring at me?”
“If I had to go by the expression on your face I’d say you were totally indifferent to anything and everything. But I know that’s not the case because I can feel that you’re happy.”
“I know,” Bean said with a sigh, speaking aloud since they were completely alone. “I’m trying, Iffon. It’s getting easier with Mom and the Dads, and Aunt Lari and the Uncle Dracons. People I know.
“But when I’m around people I don’t know, it’s so difficult not to revert to pretending. It’s a constant battle not to just plaster on a smile and leave it at that. Trying to figure out which emotions are appropriate at any given time, and how to display them, is just too much all at once. I’ll get there, though.”
“I know you will. I would like to make a small suggestion though.”
“All right.”
“I think you should smile more.”
“What? Is this a joke, Iffon? Because if it is, I don’t think it’s funny.”
“No, it’s not a joke, Bean. I’m not talking about the big village idiot grin. I’m talking about a small smile. A barely there kind of smile.”
“Why, Iffon?”
“I know how hard you’re working to figure out how to display emotions, and your parents know that, too, but other people don’t know that. Now that you’ve joined the crew helping to get the Askara ready for our mission, I’ve noticed that other people keep their distance from you.”
“I’ve noticed that too, but I don’t understand why. I haven’t done anything to make people angry, have I?”
“No, you haven’t. It’s because all they know is what they see, and what they see gives them the impression that you’re cold and unfeeling. They don’t know how to approach you, or if they should even try.”
“Oh,” Bean said softly.
Iffon sensed the deeply hidden hurt beneath that one little word. “It’s not too late to fix this, Bean. All you need to do is smile once in a while. Just a small one. That’ll go a long way toward changing people’s impressions, and helping them to warm up to you a little.”
“You mean like the little smile I use for the kids in my class. That smile?”
“Smaller. Like the one you use for your fellow teachers when you want to seem friendly, but no more than that.”
“Why such a small one?” she asked. “What will that do?”
“That tiny barely-there smile takes the appearance of coldness from your face, Bean. It makes you look just a little bit warmer, which makes you approachable.”
Bean thought about that for a few minutes as she walked along the side of the gravel road. “Okay, Iffon, I’ll try that.”
“Excellent,” Iffon said. “I think this will help a lot, Bean.”
“I hope so.”
“Now, tell me, why are you happy?”
“There are a couple of reasons,” she replied. “I like helping with the ship. They even ask me what I think of things sometimes, which is both wonderful and horrifying at the same time. I know it’s only so that the messengers will have enough information to watch over things better. But, it still makes me feel included, which is also wonderful and horrifying at the same time.
“Mostly it’s just nice to feel like I can actually do something that matters. Other than teach. Not that I don’t enjoy that, because I do. I just never thought I could do anything else. Or that anyone would ever trust me to have enough sense to do anything else.”
“They realize you’re not the village idiot after all.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s it. Part of it, anyway. I also feel a little better about the telekinesis now. I know I’m not very good at it, but I’m improving little by little. More importantly, I’ve gotten frustrated and angry a few times while practicing without making anything bad happen which is an enormous relief. Overall, I think I’m happier than I’ve been in a very long time. Maybe ever.” She glanced down at Iffon. “What about you?”
“I’m happy too,” he replied. “I find that I enjoy letting people see me far more than I expected to. Especially when I change colors and sizes. The surprise on people’s faces is always amusing.”
“It is funny sometimes,” Bean agreed. “I’d prefer it if you wouldn’t get quite so upset when they treat you like a pet canary, though.”
“It’s insulting,” Iffon muttered.
“It’s not insulting, Iffon. It’s a sign of how good you are at acting like a pet canary, which is exactly what you set out to do in the first place.”
“Are you saying it’s a compliment when they treat me like a brainless collection of feathers?”
“Pretty much,” Bean said, hiding the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“I sense an insult in there somewhere.”
“I have no idea what you mean,” Bean said. “Getting back to the original subject, I’m surprised to find I enjoy being around so many people. That’s never been easy for me. Well, unless they’re under the age of ten.”
“Yes, I know,” Iffon said. “It’s immensely good for you, Bean.”
“I think it’s good for you, too, Iffon.”
“Perhaps. I do like the Bearens in charge of security, Captain Reynolds, and XO Sark.”
“I’m sure the fact that they know you’re not just a pet bird has no bearing on your feelings.”
“Of course not. But I am looking forward to expanding my acquaintances a bit once we leave Jasan.”
“That doesn’t make you nervous?”
“Not now that I’ve had a chance to get used to it. Does it make you nervous for people to know about me?”
“Not at all. I like it. A lot.”
“Really? Why?”
Bean looked at him for a moment, her forehead creased in a small frown as she considered her answer. “I think it’s mostly because you’ve been my only friend since forever, but I could never tell anyone about you. Now that people can see you and talk to you, it makes me feel a little less...pathetic.”
“Pathetic?”
“Yeah, for never having a friend. And it’s also nice to be able to see you when we talk.”
“Why does that matter?”
“When I was little I often wondered if you were an imaginary friend. If you were just someone I’d made up because I was so lonely all the time.”
“I’m sorry, Bean.”
/> “Don’t be,” Bean said. “It never really bothered me much either way. Now, the things the Dracon Princes have been telling us, those things bother me.”
“I must agree with that. I had no idea the situation with the Doftles was so dire.”
“Me neither,” Bean said as a chill raced through her. “It scares me too, hearing about all the things that happened to Rayne and Salene, and what Vari and Ria are really doing way out there. At the same time, I like that they trust me enough to tell me everything.”
“They do trust you Bean, that’s a certainty. But even if they didn’t, they don’t have much choice in the matter now. None of us do. You need to know what’s been happening in order to make the right decisions when the time comes, and so do I.”
Bean had nothing to say to that so they walked in silence until they reached the Garrison a few minutes later. “I wonder why Mom asked us to do this errand?”
“Maybe she needs whatever it is we’re to pick up.”
“I’ve never been sent to pick up weapons before and besides, my Dads are here every day. It must be something she’s in a rush to get, though I don’t know why she’d be in a rush to get weapons.”
“Have I ever mentioned that you tend to worry too much?”
“No, Iffon, I don’t believe you’ve ever said that before,” Bean said lightly.
“Sarcasm, when done immoderately, can be unattractive.”
“I thought you wanted me to develop sarcasm.”
“To a lesser extent, yes.”
“What can I tell you, Iffon. I’m an overachiever.”
“An eccentric overachiever judging by the looks you're getting for having a conversation with your pet bird.”
“Oh well,” she said with a shrug. “If anyone asks, I’ll just tell them I’m reciting poetry.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Iffon said dryly. “I’m sure no one will think that’s the least bit odd.”
***
Zander, Zachery, and Zain Falcoran stepped out of the Garrison Clinic on Dracon Ranch and turned toward the main part of the small town. Zander walked a half pace in front of his brothers, who flanked him, Zach on the right, Zain on the left. Even though Dracon Ranch was considered one of the safest places on all of Jasan, they were Clan Jasani warriors, and as such remained focused and alert to their surroundings at all times.
Bean's Heart (Hearts of ICARUS Book 7) Page 7