Wisdom of the Ages? What is that?
It is the primary purpose of the Symposium to protect and manage the Wisdom of the Ages. We collect information from all over the galaxy. We study and store it so it may be accessed by anyone needing information.
Charlotte laughed softly. You’re the intergalactic Internet!
Vee smiled. “It is a fair assessment. But our search engines are far more intuitive.”
“That’s a major upgrade, believe me.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and her thoughts returned to Tal. “How long will it take him to cool off?”
“It is hard to say. His responses to you have been rather unpredictable.”
Charlotte had no idea if that was good or bad. Vee stared at her as if he meant to say something. This was not the first time she’d seen that conflicted expression in his emerald eyes.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.” He stared out over the exercise yard. “It is a Mystic’s responsibility to use their powers for the greater good, Shar Lott. Tal Aune would have you believe you owe allegiance to the Traditionalist Sect, but this is one of the few things upon which he and I disagree. You owe allegiance to no one and to everyone. You are first and foremost an Ontarian, secondly a Mystic—beyond that, you must decide for yourself.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her cheek and walked back into the cool recesses of the training hall.
With a heavy sigh, Charlotte turned back to the peaceful scene. A temperate breeze brushed her face, bringing with it the faint scent of some alien flower.
So, what do you want to do with your life? She chuckled. At least she had more options on Ontariese. She intended to dedicate herself to her training but she wasn’t willing to give up on the code manager idea just yet.
Charlotte Layton was stubborn on any planet.
The breeze suddenly stilled. Not a voice, not a bird, not the echo of a footstep disturbed the silence. She didn’t breathe. The stillness trapped her, paralyzed her. This felt wrong.
A twig snapped in the distance, releasing the spell. She pressed a hand to her chest, laughing at the ridiculous pounding of her heart. Singing erupted from somewhere inside the building and she shook away the odd foreboding.
What to do about Tal? Their argument doubtlessly compounded his reluctance to trust her. He had lost so much to the Reformation Sect and her initial reaction to his society’s structure was to agree with the enemy. What a tangle!
“Greetings, Mistress Charlotte.”
Lor’s mentor approached her, a friendly smile on his face. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle and took a step backward. Though she had worked with the boy several times in the past week, she had never spoken directly with his mentor.
“I am Mage Rin,” he said pleasantly.
She inclined her head. “What can I do for you?”
“I have a few questions about young Lor’s training. You see, I have never worked with a pyrokin before and I thought you might—”
“Master Vee would be a much better person to ask. I’m still in training myself.” Restlessness coursed through her, demanding a reaction. “Why don’t we see if we can find him?” She started toward the archway.
His hand closed around her upper arm and Charlotte bit back a scream. What was the matter with her? This was sacred ground. She was safe within the Mystic shields.
Rin’s gaze darted away, his fingers moving subtly against her arm. “I must confess my deception. I’m using Lor as an excuse to speak with you.”
The caressing quality in his voice released fear’s chokehold and Charlotte felt laughter bubble up within her. He was flirting with her! She cleared her throat. “I’ll save us both an awkward conversation. I have a social alliance with Master Tal.”
His eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening against her arm. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
She tugged against his grasp. What a jerk.
“Let go,” she ordered.
Rin extended his other hand and a brilliant, spinning vortex opened beside him. The low rumble of distant thunder rapidly built to a deafening roar. Charlotte screamed, frantically yanking against his hold.
He didn’t bother to shapeshift but Charlotte knew who held her. “Help! He’s here! Help me!” she shouted both verbally and telepathically.
Joon dragged her toward the vortex and Charlotte went wild. Kicking and screaming, she lashed out with her free arm. He sent an incapacitating pulse toward her mind but she raised a shield and deflected the burst of energy.
“They’ve taught you a trick or two,” Joon muttered.
He grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder—with unbelievable ease. Charlotte’s second scream died as his shoulder slammed into her belly.
The vortex groaned and then blinked out. Charlotte laughed. “They found you, dirtbag.”
He dumped her on the floor, not releasing his hold on her arm. She kicked up at him but he deflected each strike with his foot as his shape transitioned. Holding an artificial form apparently taxed his energy.
In one fluid movement, he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his hair around her neck. The coil tightened until she could hardly breathe then maintained a constant pressure. Stars danced before her eyes. She tugged against the coil, fighting for air. Joon grabbed her arm and headed across the exercise yard. Charlotte stumbled along beside him.
She heard shouts from the gallery while pulses of energy exploded around them. Oxygen deprivation blurred the edges of her vision and muddled her thinking. She had to do something! She couldn’t let him take her beyond the shields.
Digging her fingers into his hair didn’t even slow him down. Tugging against the coil only increased the pressure on her throat.
He stopped running and she sank to her knees. His hair remained firmly around her throat. He spread his arms and began chanting. The cadence of his voice changed, became more urgent, more aggressive.
The pressure of his hair increased in time to his frustration. Did he realize he was choking her? The question followed her into unconsciousness.
* * *
Trapped within a containment field, Charlotte watched Dez dar Joon pace in front of her. His energy levels were depleted. That was all she’d been able to determine before he raised an impenetrable shield around his mind.
His long white hair swung rhythmically as he walked, his dove-gray robe rippled with fluid grace. Unless his gaze was on her, it was impossible to distinguish him from Vee. She shivered and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
The barren room consisted of four stone walls and a door. No furniture of any kind. He couldn’t mean to keep her for long, at least not in this cell. But if he meant to kill her, she’d be dead.
“What is this about?” she asked. “Why am I here?”
She felt his mental probe before he turned to face her. Quickly reinforcing her shields, she struggled against his aggression. His gaze glowed bright turquoise, his features tense and determined. Charlotte held firm, finding strength in her accomplishments.
He broke off suddenly, grunting and shaking his head. “I’m weaker than I thought.”
Or I’m more powerful.
His gaze snapped back to hers and Charlotte smiled.
“You’ve worked with Vee for less than a cycle of the moons. I’m not intimidated.”
Well, she sure as hell was, but her enemy couldn’t know that. “Why am I here?” she asked again, doing her best to sound bored.
His eyes narrowed but he didn’t respond.
“What do you want with me?” It was more a demand than a question. Charlotte was through playing games. If this was her day to die, so be it. She would not entertain this beast one instant longer.
“You really don’t know, do you?” He sounded genuinely confused. “How is it possible that Vee released your gifts without realizing who you are?”
His convoluted reply made her falter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Joon laughed. “Not as
powerful as you thought?”
He stepped closer and the containment field closed in. Her skin prickled and the air around her sizzled. She held perfectly still.
He studied her, examined her, but her shields kept him out of her mind. “Every Mystic can erect a shield and your telepathy is barely audible. What is your gift? What are your abilities?”
Charlotte felt her eyes widen but she quickly hid her surprise. Didn’t he know what she was? Tal and Vee believed her gift was the reason Joon pursued her. If he didn’t know she was a catalyst, then why—
“You’re a catalyst?” Joon took a step back, shock clear in his expression. “How is that possible? Catalysts have been extinct since…” He started laughing.
The sound grated against her nerves. Would she ever stop broadcasting?
None of this made sense.
The containment field dropped and she took a deep breath. He no longer perceived her as a threat. Catalysts could only intensify the abilities of others. They generally had no significant powers of their own.
“Oh, this is better than I ever imagined. My powers magnified by a catalyst! I will be—”
“You will be dead or I will. Tal will come for me and I will never use my abilities to help you.”
Suddenly he grabbed her. Charlotte didn’t have time to retreat. His arms banded her, forcing her to acknowledge the strength evident in his form. “We are taught that energy transfers cannot be forced.”
His eyes gleamed with ambition and lust. The blood drained from her face. It took no imagination to see where this led.
“It’s a lie,” he whispered, his mouth a hairsbreadth from hers. “Not only can I take what I want but the pleasure is unbelievable—at least for me.”
The subtle ringing in her ears built in time to her terror. He meant to rape her and drain energy from her body.
“Oh, I mean to do much more than that. While I’m inside you, I’ll form a bond, a connection that will allow me to access your gift without your cooperation. It may take more than once, but I don’t mind.”
Fear opened her mind to him but his lust offered her an opening as well. Ignoring his words, she scanned his mind. Charlotte recoiled in horror then forced herself to maintain the link, searching for any weakness.
Evil crawled across her skin like a blanket of insects. The putrid scent of rotting flesh filled her nose. She gagged and shuddered then pressed on. Her feet sank ankle-deep in mud and oozing gore.
Energy was tainted when it was taken by force. Tal had told her that. Now she witnessed the result. Years of tainted energy had corrupted and twisted Dez dar Joon.
With a groan, Joon broke away, panting harshly.
She sank to her knees, her ragged breath echoing his. Why had he stopped? She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly.
“I suppose our joining must wait a bit longer,” he whispered, his voice thin and shaky.
He shifted through the door, leaving her alone in the barren cell.
* * *
A faint, bleak presence reached out to Charlotte from the darkness surrounding her cell. The female voice sounded tentative and hopeless.
Why has he brought you here?
Why was she still alive? was probably a better question, but Charlotte kept that thought to herself. Who are you? Where are you?
Pushing against the cold stone floor, Charlotte managed to sit up. Her throat burned. The muscles and tendons in her neck protested at the smallest movement. She carefully swallowed and groaned at the pain. The filth of Joon’s mind had left its taint within her own. Still she was alive and unmolested. For now.
How badly are you injured? the unseen woman asked.
I’ll survive. There is nothing in this room but me so I don’t think he intends to keep me here for long.
Cutting through the Mystic shields and then transporting with you here drastically depleted his energy. He’s rejuvenating. We have a little while. Once he’s conscious again, he won’t allow us to communicate.
Where are you? Charlotte identified the link within her mind and traced it back to the source. The woman was in a cell similar to hers, farther down the stone corridor. For that matter, where am I?
The detention level of Fortress Joon.
Charlotte walked to the heavy wooden door. It was securely locked, as she knew it would be, but she had to try. No windows, no furniture, just a large firestone recessed in the ceiling kept Charlotte from feeling as if she’d been buried alive.
I don’t understand why you’re here. The woman went on. He promised if we cooperated, he wouldn’t involve anyone else.
Before Charlotte could question her meaning, a second voice entered the meld.
Can’t you sense her power? I’ve never felt anything like it. Who are you?
My name is Charlotte and this is getting confusing. Who spoke to me first?
Acarra spoke first. I’m E’Duri. What are you, Charlotte? The rhythm of your energy is strange.
Were these women prisoners as well? What had they promised to cooperate with? Charlotte’s head swarmed with questions. Could these women help her escape? Would they? Did they really have time for lengthy explanations?
How many of you are down here? Charlotte asked. How long will it take for Joon to rejuvenate?
There are only six of us left but he promised—
You’re a fool to believe anything he says, E’Duri interrupted Acarra. Can you help us escape?
Charlotte was hoping they could help her! Charlotte’s spirits plummeted but she carefully shielded her fear from the other women. You said detention level. Does that mean there are guards and barriers?
Plenty of both, E’Duri informed her. We can get out of the cells and frequently do when the guards aren’t paying attention, but there are both physical and Mystic safeguards to keep us in the fortress.
How long will he be unconscious? Charlotte asked. E’Duri named a measure of time that was approximately two hours. Can you come to my cell? Unlike you, I’m not able to walk through walls.
A few minutes later, the wooden door groaned as a dark-haired woman pushed it inward. “Only Cin can walk through walls, but Torul can manipulate locks.”
Charlotte recognized E’Duri’s voice and smiled at her visitor. The last woman to enter was being supported by two of her friends. Each woman was young and each was in a various stage of pregnancy. The woman hardly able to walk was closest to delivery. “Did Joon—”
A sharp gasp interrupted Charlotte’s question. “Look at her,” Acarra said in a soft, urgent voice. She was a slight, blonde woman, her pregnancy just beginning to show.
E’Duri commanded the firestone to brighten and her expression filled with shock and confusion. “I didn’t think she was real.”
“I knew she was,” Acarra stressed. “I told you she was. I know the difference between dreams and visions.”
“What are you talking about?” Charlotte asked.
“I’ve seen your face. I’ve… Oh, E’Duri, do you think I led him to her?”
Charlotte rubbed her forehead vigorously. “I don’t understand any of this and we don’t have time for details. Why is Joon keeping you down here?”
E’Duri gazed at her suspiciously. “It isn’t about carnal pleasure, I assure you. Somewhere along the way he discovered the most concentrated source of energy is found in a gestating woman.”
The casual explanation drove Charlotte back a step. She tasted bile in the back of her throat and swallowed convulsively. Heat infused her body until a violent shiver evicted the heat.
Dez dar Joon impregnated these women for an energy source! And E’Duri said they were the only ones left. How many had died? How many women? How many unborn children?
Her hand trembling, Charlotte motioned toward the girl more unconscious than not. “Is she ill?”
“No. She was weakened by the energy transfer.” E’Duri had apparently lost patience with Charlotte’s curiosity. She moved closer, her brown gaze intense. “Your
face appeared in Acarra’s vision and Dez went wild. He knew something, sensed something that Acarra didn’t understand.”
Acarra fidgeted. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“You can’t control your visions and you’ve already paid the price for having them,” E’Duri said. She turned back to Charlotte. “When he joins his body to ours, he sees what we see and knows what we know. He took Acarra over and over so he could explore the images in her vision.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Acarra insisted.
“Who are you?” E’Duri demanded. “Why has he brought you here?”
“I’m a catalyst,” Charlotte said, and E’Duri rudely pushed into her mind. Allowing the invasion, Charlotte revealed herself to the other woman. “Why would I lie?”
“It’s impossible,” E’Duri said softly. “Catalysts are extinct. The gift was lost during the Great Massacre.”
Charlotte felt other minds scanning her and knew it was the fastest way to dispel their doubts. “I can’t explain it but I am a catalyst.”
“Whatever. Can we get the hell out of here?” E’Duri muttered.
Acarra smiled at Charlotte, hope clear in her soft gray eyes. “Yes, I think we finally can,” Acarra said.
* * *
Tal Aune opened the door to his private chamber with an impatient wave of his hand, expecting Mage Gerr.
“Thank you for…” His sentence trailed away as Lor stepped through the doorway. “I told you to stay in your room.”
Lor lowered his head. Tal had to strain to hear his tentative words.
“They say I did this. They say I killed the mistress. They say…”
Lor dissolved into tears. Tal gathered his festering resentment and pushed away the need to comfort the boy. Lor was the personification of the Reformation Sect, second in line to head the House of Joon.
But he was also a frightened child.
“You did nothing wrong, Lor. I told you that.”
“But I did.”
Lor raised his head and Tal clenched his teeth. Luminous turquoise eyes stared up at him, filled with pain and regret. Tal felt a fist compress his heart and he opened his arms to the boy.
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