Spectral Vibrations

by Mercy DeSimone

  Hearing the chime of the entry call, I swiftly cross the room and open the door for Rubis to enter. It’s obvious he’s wondering why I’m in Jasper’s suite, and eyes me warily until he sees Jasper passed out on the platform.

  “Zirc!” he says rushing to Jasper’s prone form. “What happened?” His eyes roam Jasper’s body, widening in horror as he sees the bandage I’ve secured over the hole in Jasper’s silica, before searching wildly for the source of the injury.

  Grabbing his upper arm tightly, which I admit is difficult because these damn Marzzian warriors have arms like tree trunks, I try to capture his attention.

  “We had an intruder snooping around the Violet’s wing,” I say as his eyes widen. Good, Jasper must have shared at least some of what’s going on with him. “We chased him through the back corridors but he unexpectedly shot Jasper. I was going to continue to chase him, but once I realized how serious Jasper’s injury was, I brought him back here instead.” I continue, “I need you to go check out the situation while I get Jasper to the Healer. Check the back gardens and the kitchens. Figure out the entry point and see if you can find any trail or energy signatures.”

  Rubis continues to gaze worriedly at Jasper and I grit my teeth; I need him to follow my instructions, and start the ball rolling if I’m ever going to pull off this distraction.

  “Go! I’ll take care of Jasper,” I promise his second in command.

  With one last concerned look, Rubis finally straightens and strides from the room, vowing, “I’ll get the little Shard, don’t you worry!”

  I smile ruefully at the thought of sending a good man on such a frustrating errand, knowing it’s a fruitless exercise, then shrug it off. It can’t be helped.

  Finally, I call down to Marin with my important news. “Marin, get the Violet ready. We’re going to see how she is hands-on with real wounds. Better have a few other healers standing by in case she’s not as strong as we believe.”

  Marin’s face looks confused on the display until I step back to give him a view of Jasper’s prone body. I cut the link as I see him quickly sprint to action to start prepping, then I call for a mini transport to help me get him down to the bay without too many prying eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Tanzy

  I’m surprised to find a stranger at my door. Lunch was a solitary affair, and I have to admit I wasn’t particularly hungry as Jasper’s words bounced around my brain. I’m not certain what it is he’s trying to tell me but every time I see him, I swear he becomes even more cryptic.

  I wish he would just tell me what it is he wants me to know. I know I’m an empath, but I read emotions, not minds, for Vishna’s sake!

  I pick at the vegetal elements on my plate and sip my herbal elixir, leaning back in the chair and focusing inward. There really is something to the energy of this room that relaxes me. Blinking my eyes open again, I spy another singing bowl that I hadn’t noticed on an upper shelf; this one appears to be amber. Clambering onto my chair, I reach above my head to grab the delicate piece and pull it down to eye level. Something about the energy reminds me of Titan, and my face flushes as I think about the trip here, and the sense of his energy tasting mine. I’m mortified that I use that word but that’s what it feels like - he was tasting, not testing.

  When people test your energy the feeling is distinctly different, like a sound wave bouncing off your silica trying to strike the right note. When someone ‘tastes’ your energy, it’s almost like what I imagine a gentle bite would feel like. Almost as if they are trying to burrow down into your energy and pull a blanket up around you like a cocoon. That’s how Laz’s frequency feels when we connect emotionally, except with Laz, it’s like I feel him viscerally throughout my being, caressing my silica from the inside.

  When someone tastes your energy, it’s like they sit on the surface and try to hover there, hoping that if they lie very still, they’ll find a way through, or be absorbed into your energy.

  It’s very hard to explain and I’ve never really talked about it with anyone before. I mean at the end of the day, Laz has always been my best friend, and yet that’s not something we ever really discussed. From things I experienced pre-bond, I assume that’s what the rest of the world feels when they have a sexual encounter with another being with whom they haven’t bonded. At least that’s what I always experienced.

  Laz certainly wasn’t my first lover, but the ones that I spent time with gave me that feeling in the beginning, until I opened up my senses and allowed them to burrow deeper. Then you get light energy exchange and sensation through the core of your being. It’s certainly a pleasant way to exchange energy, but I can’t say it ever rocked my universe, especially once I learned what total energy exchange felt like with Laz. It saddens me to think about how many beings have to settle for so much less.

  If the rumors of the Obsidian black market are true, I guess I can understand why beings would covet it, to feel the depth of power I feel every time Laz brings me to orgasm; because without that total exchange, I certainly never got there. And if I can believe what Laz says—and why wouldn’t I—while pleasant and primal, it wasn’t particularly overwhelming for him either.

  The elders must have been mortally depressed to have lost all of that from their lives when the last of the Krystalin forms evolved. It certainly changed our mating customs, as well as our society. Now, we are encouraged to take more than one bond if our body can sustain it, where before beings mated only to one other. Once the Krystalin body formed, beings were encouraged to put aside mates who no longer matched their frequency if they were able to match with someone else.

  It became a matter of survival to be able to keep any residual power, and if that meant bonding to someone else, that’s what beings did. Only the strongest were able to support themselves, and what was left of their families, by continuing their work. And work faltered for many when they lost their power and ability to boost through a partner. Look at the healers alone; so many of them lost their abilities that the Spectrum actually segregated groups of them, and sponsored bonding retreats, to attempt matching pairs. It was essential for our society when we had so few healers left to sustain the entire population.

  Sighing to myself again, I realize that I have been running my finger around and around the rim of the singing bowl meditatively, as if trying to read its silent energy. Smiling faintly, I dip my finger into my cup of tea and gently run it lightly in circles around the rim again until a sweet hum starts to fill the room. The sound soothes something deep down in my soul, and like a flower unfolding in my chest, I feel some of the anxiety ease and a sense of peace begin to radiate from my heart.

  Interesting. Yellow is usually a more garrulous energy; although friendly it’s not usually so contemplative. I smile when I realize that Titan doesn’t necessarily fit the title of garrulous either. Perhaps he’s only so tight-lipped with me. There’s definitely more than meets the eye there, and I need to focus on what isn’t being said.

  Putting the bowl aside, I rise from the chair and stretch my being, rotating my shoulders and neck, trying to release the additional tension in my muscles now that my soul is more relaxed.

  A knock at the door has me gathering myself, ready to take on the next task. Let’s get this over with and quickly, I coach myself, reaching for the door release.

  Huh. I have no clue who the porter is standing before me. I wonder what happened to Jasper? Maybe he finally took my advice and found something more important to guard. Wincing slightly at my peevish thoughts, I’m disconcerted to recognize that I was actually looking forward to seeing him again.

  Squaring my shoulders, I decide not to examine that thought too closely as I follow the porter back down the corridors, which are finally beginning to look more familiar now. Another sunphase here and I probably won’t even need a guide anymore. The fact that I find that thought depressing proves more than anything why I need to get out of here, and soon.

  Our pace picks up as the porter p
resses the button on his comlink, responding to some type of internal message he must be receiving from somewhere. Suddenly, he picks up his pace, and I find myself chasing him down hallways just as I did Jasper earlier. I’m about to dig in my feet and pull back when he quickly turns to me.

  “We must hurry, you’re needed immediately!”

  Surprised, I try to ask more questions, but he grabs my arm, pulling me along, until I’m forced to pick up my pace. What the Zirc!

  The final hall looms before me as we get to Amet’s workroom and I’m surprised to see Senator Titan standing outside the door pacing impatiently, a look of relief crossing his face when he sees me.

  Dismissing the porter, he grabs my arm, (why is everyone so grabby today?), dragging me into the main room, through the lab space, and into a back treatment room. I stop abruptly when I recognize Jasper lying unconscious on a table, a piece of fabric bound around his massive thigh, and energy obviously leaking from a hole in his silica.

  “What the Zirc, Jasper…!” I rush toward the table, looking around me for supplies and other energy workers to help me seal the wound.

  “Where is Marin?” I snap at Titan irritably as I immediately lay my hand over the hole and try to back up the energy sluggishly draining from Jasper’s thigh. “And what the Ash happened to him?”

  “Laser blast,” Titan confirms briefly, looking at me anxiously. I can sense his distress, but also something else in his energy - regret, guilt? What is going on here? I shake the thoughts away and focus on my patient as Marin hurries into the room.

  Looking pale, Marin gestures to my hands asking, “Have you healed a laser blast before?” I’m not certain whether he is asking if he should take over, and since the only laser blasts I’ve treated have been in training holograms, I shake my head and begin to step back to make room for him.

  “No, I’ve only done the simulations; you should take over.”

  A look of horror crosses Marin’s face as he pushes me back toward the table. “Neither have I, and since you already have your hands in there, it’s best you keep on as you started.”

  Chagrinned, I look at him disbelievingly. “Are you serious? I thought for certain that working in the Counsilary you would have more experience.”

  “No, I just assisted Amet, the same way you did. We don’t get too many of these here. Just consider it part of your assessment test.”

  What a Fractal! I think sourly. Of course, let’s turn this into just another test and ignore the fact that the healer has never seen a wound of this magnitude on a real being before. What? Did they deliberately go out and injure someone for me to heal? Heading to the top of the table I gesture for Marin to go to Jasper’s feet.

  “Titan,” I snap grabbing his attention, “place yourself at the center of the table, please.” I direct with no regard for his authority. “I need you to put your hand over the hole and superficially seal the energy leak.”

  His mouth opens as if to protest and I give him no opportunity. “I don’t need your excuses, just do as I tell you!”

  I watch his eyes flare before his mouth snaps shut, and he turns his attention to Jasper who is now breathing shallowly.

  “He’s lost so much energy already. How long ago did this happen?” I ask the room at large, trying to find any information that will help me understand how to heal the injury.

  “Jasper said it hit his seminal vein,” Titan volunteers. I look at him in horror, before rushing to his side and hip checking him out of my way, to take a peek under the binding.

  “Fract!” I mutter in irritation; this is no simple fissure. I‘m going to have to fix the derma as well. Examining his scales closely, I see where several have been blown apart. Thank Vishna for Jasper’s natural anatomy, on any other type of being that would have been a death bolt for sure.

  “Marin, I need the sealpoint laser, now!” I direct as he rushes from Jasper’s feet into the next room.

  Holding my hand over the wound, I begin to envision the open sore in my mind, the edges frayed, the scales chipped, pulling energy through my hands into the open fissure. As I picture it knitting together, the fractured scales start to expand and strengthen, when Marin finally returns to place the sealpoint in my hands. Grasping it delicately, I direct the laser toward the edges of the regenerating scales, fusing them back together to seal the first leak. Examining it closely, I’m satisfied that it’s safe to move on to his silica.

  Redirecting Marin, I move back to Jasper’s head and place one hand on his chest over his hearts, and the other over the crown of his head. “Marin, I need you to listen to me very carefully.” I say in my calmest voice, waiting for him to nod in acknowledgement.

  “This may be different than what you are used to, so you’ll have to follow my lead. I can’t afford to have you counter-crossing my energy, do you understand?”

  Once I’m certain he’s going to follow, I start to envision my Violet aura emanating from my being to float like a blanket across Jasper’s body. A cord of energy twists from my palms and winds like a rope from the hand over his heart, up through his esophagus, to his third eye, finally meeting the other end grasped in my palm over his crown. Like a drawstring, I tighten the cord until the energy strengthens, pulling the blanket of violet energy over his body like a parachute, collapsing and engulfing everything in its perimeter.

  The energy settles and I realize Marin is confused, waiting for me to push energy from inside Jasper’s body to the surface. Shaking my head infinitesimally his way, I realize Titan is frowning as he watches the silent communication between us.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks, watching Jasper carefully, relaxing a bit as Jasper’s labored breathing suddenly begins to regulate and Marin frowns.

  “Nothing’s wrong.” I use my most soothing voice, suddenly realizing I’ve begun to feel Jasper’s emotions surfacing in my awareness; anger leads to wry amusement, then anxiety as he begins to recognize that he’s not quite in control of his physical structure anymore. I know it’s time for me to coax him awake, so I begin to speak in a soothing tone.

  “Just relax, Jasper… I’m here to take care of you—but I need your help.”

  He begins to struggle slightly until I put my hand on his cheek, sending soothing energy into his restless movements. His head turns toward my palm as if he’s trying to feel the physical pressure, rather than just letting my energy pour into him.

  Watching his chest rise and fall more evenly, I begin to recognize a sense of relief flowing through him as the muscles in his being begin to relax. The stress and anxiety start to recede and a more normal rhythm begins to regulate his dual hearts.

  That’s one of the oddities of the Marzzian being, the extraordinary anatomical features inherent in their DNA which set them apart from the rest of our races. In addition to their coloring and height, there’s the scales and extra digits, the forked tongue which can provide dual sensation, and finally, the dual hearts. It’s almost as if their bodies come with a secondary backup system in case one of their main features fail.

  I was particularly interested in the dual sexual organs that they have, especially in a world where sexual organs have become more an item of beauty or curiosity rather than function. It must seem odd to have a spare of something that has no apparent purpose anymore. At least the extra digits make him more formidable in battle, and the hearts provide extra oxygen in more rarified atmosphere.

  Realizing that my thoughts have been wandering, I retune my senses back to Jasper and am surprised by the warmth creeping through his awareness. A sense of longing is tempered by what appears to be… desire? My eyes fly to his only to realize that he’s awake now and staring at me intently, lust bleeding from his emotions, through our connection, to emit a slight buzz along my silica which begins increasing in pressure.

  As I pull my hand away from his face, he swiftly reaches up to grab my wrist, unwilling to break the connection. His energy is right there, curled across the surface of my silica, begging for entrance, as
I fall into the pool of black in his eyes; the red irises capture my own and flare with intensity, begging for acknowledgment. And in that moment, my defenses collapse.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Tanzy

  Sparks begin to sizzle from my fingertips, and the hand that holds my wrist slides up to entwine with my fingers until an explosion of heat seals our hands together, fusing the energy as if consuming our silica until his energy can slip inside my shield.

  I’m broken from the trance by a movement across the room, the echo of the slamming door heralding Titan’s abrupt exit, before Jasper’s emotions quickly bring me back to him. His desire demands acknowledgment and I’m captured in that moment; there is no escaping what’s happening. A bond is forming between us, just as it did with Laz, but also not the same. It’s something totally new and different and I’m breathless trying to sort through my own emotions as Jasper’s begin to transmit satisfaction and longing, and suddenly fear.

  Why fear? I wonder, searching his eyes, and suddenly realize he doesn’t believe this is real. What he’s felt the last several times we touched was so fleeting he believes this will be as well, but I can tell the difference. It’s too wonderful to be broken; our energy has solidified and I can tell that it’s working because he’s gaining energy exponentially, healing himself so rapidly that Marin is watching with a confused expression, clearly not comprehending what’s happening between us. But we do, and suddenly I’m stricken with apprehension.

  This is a complication I never anticipated. Never in my wildest thoughts did I expect to form another bond. How does this alter my current bond? Do Laz and Jasper bond as well? Can they bond? It happened so quickly between me and Jasper, although if truth be told it might not have happened at all without a traumatic event. For all of his strength, Jasper must have been blocking the energy needed to reach me. Or maybe it was Jaden’s influence that showed us the path, like a trail of stars leading us to some far away star system that looks unattainable until you find just the right wormhole to accelerate and slingshot you into the necessary orbit.