by Viola Grace
The Minder smiled. “I guess you don’t need that Yaluthu. Too bad, it is already on the way.”
Huros rubbed the blood between his fingers and his thumb. He raised it to his nose and inhaled. He looked up in shock. “She isn’t Ypran.”
The healer inhaled. “That is correct, but if she is getting your frustration, I believe that she is now in need of therapy.”
The Minder caught on and straightened. “I believe that I should do an assessment immediately.”
Huros smiled. “I think that would be a good idea. I would like to meet the woman who is keeping me sane.”
Chapter Four
Jimra was busy sweeping up the chunks of rock; she was humming a song her mother used to hum while she was administering stitches.
She shook her head now and then, the frustration and fear kept surfacing, but she blasted them away with her logic. She had no reason to be frustrated and no reason to be afraid. Heck, she didn’t even need to breathe half the time. When she used her talent, her body manufactured the oxygen she needed.
Viika continued to help her sweep up, and they had shovelled everything into a bin when a strange parade came out. The healer that had treated Jimra, the Minder who had worked on the other patient and the other man himself.
All three men were staring at Jimra, and her mind took it as a threat.
She burst into flame and stared at them; Viika moved to intercede.
“Gentlemen. What are you doing here?”
Jimra was fighting with control. She didn’t produce flame; she redirected it. This was exceptionally strange.
“Instructor Viika, my patient has found that your trainee is sympathetic to him. He is coming to her for a formal introduction as their minds are already meshing.”
Viika stared at the man in question then turned to Jimra. “Did you mix blood with this man?”
Jimra scowled. “No. There might have been some blood on my hands from the cut, but I burned it off after I left the healers’ offices.”
“And you touched his skin?”
“Yes. I had to knock him out, so contact was required. If I got some blood on him, I am sorry. My suit covered the colour of blood.”
Viika sighed and rubbed a hand along her black-red hair. “It isn’t that simple. If you two are sympathetic, you have compatible brain rhythms. The blood acted as a keying mechanism. His mind dumps into yours, and your mind locks to his.”
Jimra’s flames flared white. “There was nothing in the documentation about this. I read all I could about Ypra physiology, and there wasn’t anything about that.”
Viika groaned and rubbed the back of her neck. “It isn’t something we talk about. We like to think we have moved beyond our more base reflexes.”
“So you pretend they don’t happen?”
Viika shrugged. “Something like that.”
The three men were staring at Jimra in shock as the two ladies carried on their conversation.
Jimra sighed and dissipated her fire. “So, how does this get undone? I am tired of being irritated and scared.”
The man she was linked to jerked his chin in surprise. “It can’t be undone.”
“Why not?” She scowled at him. Jimra walked to him with long strides and poked him in the centre of his chest.
“My mind is linked to yours. It cannot be undone without damaging one or both of us.”
“Aha! So it can be undone.” She smirked.
To her surprise, he threaded his hand through her hair and he kissed her. Jimra froze in place and felt the surge of lust and pleasure from his mind into hers.
She paused for a moment before she returned the kiss, touching the side of his neck with her hand. Her gloves covered her fingers, but she stroked his neck with her fingertips while she learned the taste of him.
They stood in that moment for minutes, minds linked and lips touching. When he finally released her, she blinked at him. “What is your name?”
“Huros. Master Huros, analyst. What is your name?”
“Specialist Jimra Artu.”
“That isn’t an Ypran name.” He said it as if he already knew it.
“It is not. Well done.” She smiled and backed out of his reach. “Now that we have introduced ourselves, I think I need to go and fly off some of this tension.”
She took two steps back and flew up and away, burning off some of the fire that was roiling inside her. She got up beyond the cloud layer and let her fire go.
Oh, that’s better. She began a slow descent in a spiral, and she saw Yoris approaching her on a matching trajectory.
He flew next to her, and they slowly came down. His body language was protective as he escorted her back to the practice yard.
They landed twenty metres from the yard, and he turned to her, “What is happening, Jimra?”
“What do you know about sympathy?”
He leaned back. “Who mentioned that to you?”
“The Minder next to the man I just bonded to. I got a little clumsy with my blood.”
Her father flared white hot. “You bonded to a man without him coming to me first?”
“Hey, I just learned about this. It isn’t in any of the literature I have been reading on the Ypra.”
His flames dropped into a manageable flicker. “We are not proud of it, and it is very rare. Only certain families have the genes to manage it.”
“Let me guess that your family line is one of them.”
“Our family line.”
She made a face. “Right. Our family line.”
“This makes meeting the family a little more urgent. I believe we can schedule a dinner this weekend. Of course, Huros’s family will have to attend as well.”
She made a face. “I am suddenly hoping for an assignment.”
“You have managed nine visits to other worlds during your training period. I am going to ground you until you have met your grandparents and we have met his family. He is not the man I would have chosen for you.” Yoris scowled.
“No one chose him. I had a cut on my face, I touched it, and then, I had to help them restrain him. The blood was on my suit and no one could see it.”
“So, you touched him and the link was made.”
“Yes, I know Wyorans do it, but I never realised that it was something that happened to the Ypran.”
“Blood is necessary for the link with our people, but as I said, it is rare. Less than one in fifty thousand matches use sympathy. It used to be the matchmaking means of last resort, but we use computers to test the blood for compatibility.”
“Do you know Huros?”
“Yes. He has had an issue adjusting to his return to the waking world. He has funds enough from his service to Ypra to last him the rest of his life. He is from a good family with solid connections. You could do worse, but I would have chosen a man for you who has a stable mind.”
She grimaced. “His mind is plenty stable now. Mine is the one in danger.”
“I noticed you were burning hot. You don’t normally produce that kind of power.”
Jimra shrugged. “I do when I am angry; I just have a nice, normal mental balance on most days.”
“His Yaluthu should arrive tomorrow. That will take some of the heat off, so to speak.”
“Does he know you are my father?” She asked it blandly.
“I doubt it. It is not a matter for public consumption.”
“How do you think he will react?”
Yoris offered her his arm. “Let’s find out.”
She put her hand on his forearm, and they walked to the gathering that was watching them.
Yoris walked up to Huros, and he nodded. “Master Analyst Huros.”
“Citadel Master Yoris, I have to tell you of a recent development.”
Yoris smiled grimly, “My daughter has already given me the rough details of the situation.”
Huros looked confused. “Daughter? You are not old enough to h
ave an adult daughter.”
“I am and I do. Her mother was an off-worlder with a penchant for helping those around her and an amazing smile.” His expression was wistful.
She filled in the obvious. “And my people mature faster than the Ypran.”
Huros suddenly came to a realisation. “So, there is a family to deal with.”
Yoris nodded. “Oh, yes. I may have shed my last name for duty, but I am still my parent’s child, and as she is my child, our families will now have to meet.”
Jimra pinched the bridge of her nose. “I am a full citizen of my own people. I do not need to be under the protection of your family.”
“Our family. I have just been working to introduce you. It is a delicate matter.”
“Is it because I am alien?”
“It is that, and also because, by and large, I prefer men. No one ever imagined that I would have a child, so the family structure must be altered with your arrival in it.”
She blinked slowly. “Oh. Well, that explains a bit.” It did explain why he had never thought of having a child. It simply had not occurred to him.
Yoris shrugged. “Does this disappoint you?”
“No, it just explains why you didn’t follow up with my mother. My people are not as hung up on sex as the Ypra seem to be.” She shrugged.
Huros blinked and laughed. “You have an open mind.”
“That is what has gotten me into this situation to begin with.”
Yoris sighed. “It isn’t that I prefer men, it is that we are allowed to choose only one. I was still inside my selection time when I met your mother, but after she was gone, I chose males as my companions.”
Jimra looked at Huros, “What did you pick?”
“I prefer females.”
She nodded. “Good. I don’t know how I would have dealt with being kissed by a man who didn’t have any physical interest in me.”
Yoris stiffened. “You kissed her?”
Huros’s golden skin darkened. “It seemed the fastest way to reinforce the link.”
Jimra looked from one of them to the other. “This is stupid. I am going in to get some food.”
Viika came with her and kept her company while she loaded her tray. “They mean well.”
Jimra looked at her trainer. “I know. I just hate it when men posture like that. It irritates me. It probably has something to do with being raised by a woman.”
“Do you prefer women?” Viika sounded a little hopeful.
Jimra walked to a table, chatting away. “No. I have always enjoyed looking at men. Touching as well, when the occasion called for it.”
The host brought tea over, and they sat in silence while Jimra anger-ate her way through a tower of pastry.
“You prefer women, don’t you, Viika?” Jimra sipped at her tea and brushed crumbs and sugar from fingers.
“I declared that way. Yes.”
“You look uncomfortable. Do the Ypran not talk about this?”
Viika looked surprised. “Oh, no. We discuss this frequently. I just have affection for you that goes beyond my position as your trainer. I fondly imagined that you might be inclined the same way.”
Jimra shook her head. “While I am flattered, I am sadly interested in the opposite sex. I sometimes think it would be easier to be with women, but the mind and body want what they want.”
“Tell me about it. I declared with my family when I was thirty. The day I turned forty, my mother held a party with all the wealthiest ladies in our city who had accepted the invitation with my image on it. I applied to the Citadel the next day.”
“How long has the Citadel been open?”
“Six years.”
“So, does your mom still try and set you up with eligible young ladies with money?”
Viika wrinkled her nose. “Now and then I am invited to a very formal brunch. I am considered a catch in our community. Talents are always popular partners.”
Jimra finished her cup and refilled it. “How about aliens?”
“To be frank, we avoid them. We are trying to keep our bloodlines pure so that Ypra seek out Ypra. No one knows what the result of crossbreeding would be, so we don’t do it.”
“But Yoris did.”
“He did it before he declared, and so, you will be allowed the full inheritance of his family through is line. If he had sired you after he had declared that he would be childless, he would have to give up his own wealth and family position.”
Jimra scowled. “That is very complicated.”
Viika snorted. “Tell me about it. What ever happened to falling in love?”
“Or getting blood on a guy while restraining him and binding him to your mind for life?” Jimra saluted her trainer with the cup of tea and swallowed more of the hot liquid.
Viika shrugged and completed her side of the toast with a raised cup and a long draught at the tea. They were both stuck at the mercy of the Ypran society, and they had to get used to it.
Chapter Five
The middle of the night was Jimra’s favourite time. The silence around her was soothing and the bright lights of the city across the lake made for a lovely, twinkling view.
She finished her six hours of sleep and sat on her balcony with a cup of hot citrus tea. She could feel the connection to Huros, but he was asleep right now, so it was less of a pull than it had been.
Her mother had been aware of the old blood link, but shocked that Jimra had managed to execute it. It hadn’t been covered in her briefing because Orden didn’t believe it was possible. After their talk, Jimra felt better, but she was sure that Yoris was going to feel worse. Orden was making him her next call.
When the com chimed, Jimra headed in and answered. “Hello?”
The dispatcher on duty smiled at her. “I have a mission for you, Specialist Artu. It is urgent.”
“What is it?”
“A mining fire. The tricky portion is that you can’t set foot on the world. It is a closed colony. They asked the Citadel for help under the condition that any help offered would not need to walk on the soil. You fit that description. I believe you can go in, fly down, absorb and discharge the fire, and return to the shuttle without standing on the soil.”
“Why is it forbidden for me to walk there?”
“It is a plague world. Each continent contains and treats a different disease, but your touching their world would force them to take you on as a citizen. They don’t want it and neither do you. Will you go?”
“I will be at the spaceport in thirty minutes with my gear.”
“Excellent. Good luck.”
When the com blacked out, she was already shrugging out of her robe and pulling on her bodysuit. Her go bag was ready, and she grabbed it, walking to her balcony and simply falling toward the ground, using fire to propel her up and then out over the water in a matter of seconds.
The flight was now a matter of routine, and her identification was on file at the spaceport. She cruised through customs with her mission on their records and approached the shuttle used for intersystem transport.
She climbed into the ship and closed the hatch behind her. She stowed her gear and headed for the flight deck. “Do you know how much I hate the slingshot?”
The pilot turned and grinned at her as she settled into the navigator station.
“I have only known you two months, and yet, yes, I do know that you hate the slingshot, Specialist Artu. This mission requires some aerial manoeuvers, so it had to be this ship and it had to be me.”
“Thank you, Pilot Rorrom. I am blessed to be on this mission with you.” She buckled her harness and gave him a short nod.
With the darkness all around them, they took off, climbing straight up to clear the tarmac and then angling to pierce the sky.
“Where are we going?”
“Sixth planet in the system. Urmak. I have to bring you down, hold position and be ready to pick you up. They told you, you can’t touch
down, right?”
“They did. I will drop, pull the heat and take off. I believe the best option is for me to release the power just before I return to the shuttle, if you don’t mind. It will cause some turbulence, but it will make the short flight easier for me.”
“No problem. It should be easy to catch you.” He approached the largest of the Ypra moons, and they increased in speed.
She felt queasy as they went around the edge of the moon before straightening suddenly and proceeding in a calculated, straight line that would take them to their target.
The ship’s stabilisers were good, but they weren’t up to fighting the gravity of a large moon.
She shook off her disorientation and spoke with Rorrom about how they were going to make this mission a success. Jimra had a slight headache as they went on their four-hour blast through the stars, but she was confident that she could do what she needed to the moment that Urmak was in sight.
The mine was damaged, and a sudden spark had caused a fire in a combustible mineral that they were excavating. The veins ran through the entire area, so she had to seek out and pull all the heat she could. The locals had been evacuated, and her work zone was free and clear of all living beings. It would make things easier.
“We are here. I am entering the upper atmosphere and aiming for the site. I will send your tracker a signal when we are in position.”
“Right, and I will signal you when I am on my way back.”
“Excellent. Good luck, Specialist.” Rorrom smiled and waved her off.
She unharnessed, got to her feet and did a check on her tracker. It was working and in good condition.
Jimra put on her specialized breather, adjusting it so that it wasn’t grabbing her hair. The headache was still there, but the moment that she got the signal, she jumped out of the drop door and spurred her fire into life.
* * * *
Huros woke with his head pounding. “Damn it.”
His bonding partner had made it clear that the casual connection was to remain just that. With her father looking ready to rip him apart, it had been the more sensible decision to just keep his mouth shut for a night.