by Regine Abel
Shereen followed my gaze and immediately understood my dilemma. “Let’s go out through the back. We can use one of the hoverbikes to get to the Residence.”
It was a sound idea. The train would have been faster, but the bikes were a lot of fun and, above all, they were far from the media.
“How freaking long are those dignitaries going to stick around?” I muttered. “Every time a couple of them finally leave, five more show up with their own swarm of reporters. I hate having to hide like this.”
“Then don’t,” Shereen said, matter-of-fact. “Tell them to fuck off; you have no comment.”
I gave her ‘the look’ at that typical ‘I-don’t-give-a-shit’ Shereen response.
“It’s not that simple. Right now, the press is still cutting me some slack but the speculations are starting to turn nasty,” I said, a cold shiver running down my spine. “The Vanguard usually announce their Soulcatchers within the first days of the new Aspirants’ arrival. We’ve been here two weeks.”
“Then let them wait some more, and let them speculate all they want.” For the first time, Shereen’s voice revealed her annoyance, but not with the media this time; with me. “You can self-flagellate all you want, that’s not going to make you a Soulcatcher. You are what you are. If you can’t accept it, no one else will. Stop making their expectations your problem. If your anomaly proves to be something awesome that will placate those fools, wonderful. If it’s a dud, then, oh well.” She shrugged. “You are still the most powerful psychic to have ever set foot on Khepri. Raven all but has orgasms testing your range and accuracy.”
That made me giggle because the faces he made could seriously qualify as him having an orgasm. Although he didn’t attract me in that sense, it was sexy as hell.
“Look, I don’t mean to be harsh with you, but you seriously need to let it go. They can’t reach you here anyway. With your power, you are going to do amazing things for the Vanguard. Focus on that.”
I gave her a sad smile.
“I hear what you’re saying, and I know you’re right on many fronts, but you’re wrong about me being out of reach here.”
Her brows shot up, as we exited the building through the back door. Beyond the lavish terrace, a wide paved walkway, bordered by neatly trimmed grassy areas, led to a bike stand. We headed for it.
“Our first day here, after that spark incident in the interior garden, all the black and brown people thought I had screwed them over when Chaos sent out a request for all of them to get retested. I could see the fear, confusion, and resentment in their eyes.”
I ran shaky fingers through my hair, reminiscing.
“Even I didn’t know what that meant. And now that those women got confirmation from the Warriors that they all have it, they’re waiting with bated breath to see what I will do with mine. They’re looking at me like I hold the key to their salvation. If nothing comes of that spark, I won’t have to worry about how the media and the people back home are going to spin it because I will have all that disappointment right here, staring me straight in the eyes.”
Shereen stared at me for a moment with an unreadable expression. “Did it ever cross your mind that you are setting higher expectations for yourself than any of them actually are? Okay, they might have been afraid of losing their position here, but that didn’t happen. They probably hope something badass will come out of your spark. But if it doesn’t, they won’t throw stones at you for not being able to do something they can’t do either. They’re all great ladies, and you’re all in the same boat. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself.”
I scrunched my face at her, unable to argue with her logic. Being an incorrigible worrywart, I’d be right back at beating myself up sooner rather than later.
“Fine,” I conceded, hopping on a hoverbike.
She grinned, sat on her own bike, then tossed her scarf in my face. “Last one home is a booger eater!”
Wait, what? What are we? Twelve?
Before I could recover from the shock, she was already far ahead, the echo of her laughter fading. I chased after her and, while a decent hoverbike rider, I was no racer. She left me eating her dust. By the time I caught up, she’d already parked her bike and stood tapping her foot as if she’d been waiting for hours. I couldn’t decide between kicking her and hugging her. Shereen was trying to knock me out of my funk and doing a fine job of it.
“Let’s go shopping,” she said, hooking her arm under mine. “You need something sexy to bedazzle Legion when he comes traipsing around your mind.”
I rolled my eyes at her suggestive wink. Shereen knew all about my relationship with Legion—or lack thereof. She had an opinion and advice on everything. Despite her apparent immaturity, she was genius smart, with a good head on her shoulders, and well-worth listening to. Even my introverted personality enjoyed her company.
Stepping into any of the stores here never failed to take my breath away. It would take years to explore the ridiculously large selection available. Except they replaced the stock with new arrivals every two months. Initially, I’d wondered why since Aspirant training only lasted a month after which we would relocate to wherever we would work. Turns out a number of unmated Soulcatchers had elected to live in the Aspirants Residence for the convenience of the spa and mall, not to mention proximity to both the Vanguard HQ and Training Center where they performed most of their work. They occupied the upper levels of the Residence. Myriam and Tabitha both did.
I still felt a little awkward grabbing for free designer clothes I’d never even think of buying back on Earth. While the veteran Soulcatchers encouraged us to indulge, Shereen and I both kept ourselves in check, only taking what we knew we would wear or need. I’d been edging more and more towards the alien fashion, also available.
The intelligent fabrics, though, messed with my head. It didn’t sit well with me that my outfit tried to wrap itself around me of its own volition. Although smart fabrics always hugged my body in just the right way, I couldn’t help feeling like some sentient being was wrapped around me, groping me. Some actually were living creatures. Resembling a sarong, the Ashvie was an alien parasite that fed off the dead skin and sweat of the wearer. They weren’t like pets, having only the most basic of cerebral functions, but they would shape themselves based on mental images projected by the wearer, and switch colors like a chameleon.
So not for me.
Sadly, we didn’t get to interact much with aliens. As the Warriors had a stronger psychic connection with humans, all the Soulcatchers and Operators at the Vanguard HQ came from Earth. Most of the personnel running the city and shops were also humans. Some aliens lurked about but not in roles that allowed me to speak with them. The only visible aliens were the dignitaries whom we’d been specifically asked to steer clear of, not only to avoid diplomatic incidents, but also for our protection. Rumor had it that banging a Soulcatcher or Operator gave the male—or female—some major bragging rights.
I turned around to show Shereen a sexy spaghetti-strap dress which had fabric that adjusted its color based on the wearer’s hair and eye color, but found her staring off in the distance, a happily scandalized look on her face. I rolled my eyes again wondering who she was eavesdropping on this time. Since leaving ESP class, I’d shut down at least twelve randoms, the last one only seconds ago. Granted, everyone liked a good gossip, but she took it to another level. At least, she didn’t run her mouth about it to anyone, not even me… well, except for the feuding lesbians.
Leaving her to it, I headed towards the shoe section, looking for the right pair to match the dress. As I approached, a head of neatly coiffed auburn hair drew my attention. Standing a couple of rows down, Myriam browsed through the sandals sections.
Although she always acted friendly and courteous towards me, I always felt bad around her for coveting her man. Granted, they weren’t mated. After four years as his Soulcatcher, if Legion hadn’t bond-mated her by now, then he likely never would. That didn’t make me feel any better. I wa
nted to just straight up ask her what the deal was between them, but it would be too presumptuous, especially now that Legion no longer made any flirtatious moves towards me.
Thinking it wiser to leave well-enough alone for now, I moved in the opposite direction, towards the high heel pumps. Looking around the store, I noticed a few more Aspirants and Veterans had also decided to do some shopping before dinner.
Three steps from reaching the first display, another random hit me. I barely managed to stop myself from dismissing it, disturbed by the words I’d overheard.
“…all die tonight. Their corpses will be found in the morning when none of them show up for training.”
The androgynous voice of the person I assumed to be an assassin didn’t sound familiar, but the stretchy sensation accompanying the message told me his interlocutor wasn’t on Khepri, not even in orbit, but on some other planet or ship very far from here.
“How can you be certain?”
“The Aspirants regularly share their last meal with most of the Veterans. I’ve already put the poison in the meat that will be served. Legion and Chaos will also lose their Soulcatchers.”
“Can they trace it back to you?”
“No one saw me, and their cameras will detect nothing unusual. The poison will leave no trace in their systems. The Vanguard will have no clue what happened.”
“Excellent! Proceed. And if you can get Legion, give him my regards when you slit his throat.”
My heart leapt, blood rushing in my ears.
“What was that?”
I immediately disconnected from the communication, my surge of emotion having disturbed the signal, alerting them to a potential breach. Blinking, I refocused on my surroundings. Thinking I’d been indulging in a bit of spying, Shereen’s gotcha smile quickly faded as she noticed my distressed look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“They’re going to try to kill us during dinner. We need to warn Myriam. She’s one of their targets, too.”
“WHAT?! How? Who?”
“Come on,” I said, tossing the dress onto the shoe display and running towards Myriam.
My mind raced as I pondered my next course of action. Shereen hastened after me, her black sandals flapping loudly on the store’s white floor tiles.
Myriam stiffened, her pretty green eyes filling with worry as we all but barreled down on her.
“We need to talk, right now! Somewhere private, not through mind-meld. Something bad is about to happen.”
My last words squashed her instinctive resistance. Determination replaced her look of concern. She gestured for us to follow and led us to the store’s office at the back. A clerk sat at a small desk, frantically entering data on a computer. Her head jerked up at our entrance, but her fingers continued to tap away at her keyboard.
“We temporarily requisition this office for Vanguard purposes,” Myriam said in a tone that brooked no argument.
The clerk, a skinny brunette I had noticed once or twice restocking the shelves, bowed her head, grabbed a tablet, and made a swift exit. As soon as the door closed, Myriam moved close to the desk, and turned around to face us. Legs slightly parted, she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an explanation.
For the first time, I understood why Legion had chosen her as his Soulcatcher, beyond her sexy body and pretty face. She always acted so sweet, it was easy to miss the strong, commanding woman beneath the enticing package.
I gave her and Shereen a quick rundown of the conversation I’d overheard. The clicking sound of the interlocutor voice gave him away as a Kryptid. Although it made sense for them to be targeting Soulcatchers, I’d never thought one of theirs could have infiltrated the Vanguard HQ. But how? Their distinctive physiology wouldn’t let them go unnoticed, let alone prance around the kitchen. Myriam paled when she heard herself personally targeted, but otherwise showed no sign of weakness.
“Should we raise the alarm? Contact Legion?” Shereen asked.
I shook my head. “We don’t want to alert the assassin. Legion will likely dispatch every Warrior on hand, and I have no idea who the assassin is.”
“So the voice didn’t sound familiar to you?” Myriam asked.
I shook my head again. “No. I’ve never heard it before, but it wasn’t a Kryptid. I didn’t dare try to read their mental signature for fear of discovery.”
That would have allowed me to connect to them again at will, whenever, wherever. Now, I had no way of finding them again unless luck would connect us again through another random.
Myriam cast a swift glance at her watch before looking back up at me. “We still have forty minutes before dinner. I’ll go grab an analyzer and test the food for any signs of poison. I’ll meet you in your quarters when I’m done. Until then, not a word to anyone. If you do not hear back from me within the next twenty minutes, call Legion.”
“Shouldn’t we come with you?” I asked.
“No. Your presence in the kitchen would raise suspicions, not mine. Tabitha and I regularly perform routine inspections.”
She had a valid point. With a nod, she walked past us, her steps brisk, but not so fast as to draw unwanted attention.
Shereen and I exchanged a worried look. Shit had just gotten real.
* * *
As a very shaken Shereen and I entered the residential tower of the complex, we ran into a fairly annoyed Tabitha coming out of the elevator. Clad in a skin-tight leather dress I had no idea how she managed to get into, dark eye-shadow and blood-red lipstick on, she definitely had some hot date waiting for her. Her sky-high heels clicked angrily on the tiled floor of the entrance hall, the dome-shaped ceiling making their echo sound ominous.
She stopped right in front of me, glaring.
“What the heck is going on?” she snapped. “You’ve got Myriam all worked up over some nonsense!”
“Going somewhere?” Shereen asked, her tone arctic cold.
“Obviously,” Tabitha retorted sarcastically. “This has better be legit and not some novice prank. You guys are ruining my plans.”
“A rather convenient night to be skipping dinner with the rest of us,” I said coolly.
She narrowed her eyes at me and took a couple of steps closer, invading my personal space.
“You don’t want to fuck with me, little girl. You’re way out of your league here.”
Tabitha hadn’t so much mind-spoken the words as she had bitch slapped them on my mind. Reeling, I watched her turn on her heels, and sashay away towards the back of the Residence, likely to the kitchen.
That had been a bit of a cheap shot. It shamed me. I had no reason to suspect or accuse her of any wrongdoing. Her abrasive personality didn’t make her a villain. Plus, she was Chaos’ Soulcatcher. Their psychic bond would have revealed any duplicitous intent she may have harbored.
As soon as we reached my quarters, Shereen plopped herself on my couch while I paced the room. She tried her best to distract me with idle talk, but the assassin’s conversation kept replaying in my head. I nearly jumped out of my skin when another random hit me. Annoyed, I dismissed it after realizing it was Nora asking someone again to check if her dress made her ass look big. She had a perfect figure but loved attention. The veteran Soulcatcher had to be the most high maintenance woman on Khepri.
I checked my watch for the hundredth time. With barely a couple of minutes from the twenty-minute mark, Legion’s voice echoed in my head.
“Remain in your quarters. Do not open to anyone until I come for you.”
Before I could answer, I felt his mind disconnect from mine. Turning around, I found Shereen rising to her feet.
“You also received a message?” I asked.
She nodded. “Myriam just told me that we all needed to return to our respective quarters and remain there until further notice.”
Shereen no sooner finished speaking those words than Myriam’s voice resonated in my head, repeating the same words. It was stupid, but that Legion personally messaged me gave
me warm fuzzies. Then again, maybe it was an order to stay put until he came to give me the third degree, and not out of personal care.
I waved Shereen goodbye and noticed Moira in the hallway returning to her own quarters. Forty minutes had lapsed by the time Legion finally showed up, finding me all but climbing the walls. As usual, his presence left me breathless. I’d expected to see Myriam shadowing him, but he had come alone. Instead of entering my quarters, he extended a hand towards me which I took on instinct. Pulling me after him, he led me down the hallway and through the common room packed with Warriors.
Many eyes followed us, lingering on our joined hands, including Myriam’s and Tabitha’s. Feeling both guilty and self-conscious, I tried to pull out of Legion’s grasp but he tightened his hold. I cast a furtive glance his way only to find him peering down at me, his expression unreadable. My stomach fluttered, and I forced myself to look away for fear of getting swallowed up by the dark ink of his eyes. When we reached the entrance of the Residence, I opened my mouth to ask him where we were going but words failed me.
To my surprise, we didn’t exit through the main door but went behind the guard station where a hidden bubble transport awaited us. Savage, the Warrior on guard duty, nodded at us before giving me a strange look. We entered the bubble but remained standing as the door closed behind us.
“That’s my hand,” I said, finding my voice at last.
He glanced down at our joined hands. “And a very nice one.”
I frowned at him. “That meant I want it back.”
“Why? You don’t need it right now, and I like holding it.”
I gasped, rendered speechless by his boldness. He grinned and my stomach did a couple somersaults. Before I could come up with a snarky, clever repartee, the bubble slowed down then stopped. It took me a second to recognize the Vanguard HQ building. My eyes widened.
“I didn’t know there was a direct connection from here to the Residence!”