Tarsea applied a little pressure to his hold on her shoulder. It was his way to offer support. He was one of the few people who knew what she had suffered in the Nightshade universe, and then been subjected to once she entered the penal colony world.
“There is no disgrace in doing whatever is required to survive, Chartail,” Tarsea finally said. “I never realized what an incredibly strong woman you are. If only I had been a better boyfriend, rather than just using you as a cover for my anti-government activities.”
Chartail knew Tarsea felt guilty about their former relationship. Ironically, they had both worked to overthrow the government that ruled their world. Where Tarsea took the non-violent approach, Chartail had gone for quick, violent change. It was through Tarsea she had been able to get close to Prime Hosp, certainly not her father. Although her father was one of the most powerful men in the Prime Council, he would never have offered her the opportunity to talk to one of his associates. Prime Hosp represented the change she wanted so desperately to exact.
“Did you ever consider, Tarsea,” Chartail said, “I used you, as much as you used me? We both needed to present a certain face to the general public and together we managed it.”
“But if I had known,” Tarsea reasoned, “I would have stopped you from the assassination plot you concocted with Prime Hosp. Everything that had transpired after you were caught would never have happened. If I had only been a true boyfriend.”
“And you would have dumped me as soon as you laid eyes on Alex.” Chartail had never believed that soul mates existed until Alexandra Mann had entered their universe. “Speaking of Alex, how is she?”
“Actually, she is with your cousin,” Tarsea answered.
Chartail had remembered her father’s sister had a baby girl she had taken through the portal when she left the Troyk universe with Benko Jarlyn. For some reason, Chartail had not thought about her cousin, even when Alex, Shirl, and Candy arrived in their dimension. It was not surprising, if you considered the upheaval her life had gone through recently.
“Good Lord, another daughter of a dissident has returned home!” Chartail could not believe it. Mind control telepathic powers ran in her family, although Chartail had not inherited the gift. “What telepathic powers does she possess?”
Tarsea took a hard, long look at Chartail. She figured Tarsea was trying to determine if he should tell her the truth or not bother to answer the question. “We are not sure. Candy had a premonition that your cousin meant trouble, so I imagine she has the power. The only question is, how will she use it? Plus, we have an additional problem.”
Chartail laughed. Her life had become one problem after another. “What now?”
“Koel is her soul mate,” Tarsea responded. “Darden and I have fought over who is going to tell him he cannot have sex with her until we know she can be trusted.”
“That could be a problem,” Chartail commented. “Based on everything I have heard about Candy’s power, it is not something you want to dismiss. I assume my cousin is staying at your parents’. Does this unseen cousin of mine still go by the name Jolyn?”
“JoAnna,” Tarsea answered. “She spent several years in the orphanage with Alex and the girls. They called her Jo Jo. It seems she used her mind control abilities to get herself adopted by a rich couple.”
She could not fault her cousin. Chartail had spent her family’s money with little restraint. Since she was treated as an ornament, thought to have little brains or telepathic abilities, Chartail milked her father for everything she could. No item was too lavish, once upon a time. Finally, she took more drastic steps to address an injury inflicted by her father and the Prime Ruler.
“We should head back to the settlement,” Chartail finally said. “I assume you were here to see Benko.”
Benko had entered her life during the battle between the Utopia settlement and portal guardians. They had fought side by side. Although Benko lived in Ginkgo Terra, he decided to stay in the penal colony universe. He was finally ready to start preparations to challenge his father for the right to rule the Troyk universe. The penal colony was the best place to launch such an effort. He already had the support of every man, woman, and child in the village, as well as allies he cultivated from the Terra Nova and the Nightshade universes.
Chartail discovered Benko Jarlyn was her soul mate after they defeated the portal guardians. Everyone around them was aware of their relationship as soon as they touched. However, Chartail was too embarrassed to tell Tarsea she had not developed any new telepathic powers. Her soul mate needed to make love to her for that to happen.
Benko Jarlyn stood at the perimeter of the settlement and waited for Chartail to return. He knew there were numerous issues plaguing his soul mate. After they concluded their meeting, Tarsea had gone to look for her. Hopefully, Chartail took the opportunity to talk to him about whatever was bothering her. If she was not comfortable talking to Tarsea, Benko would ask him to bring Alex or Shirl with him on his next trip.
Tarsea and Chartail finally entered the outskirts of the village. She walked right past him and entered the shelter they shared. Things were supposed to become easier when one found their soul mate. He had never believed in the legends. Benko had been surprised to find out the girls he had looked after on Earth had found their other halves in the Troyk universe. However, things were not simple when it came to Chartail.
Darden walked over to Benko after Tarsea joined him. He was pleased with the men who aligned their allegiance to him. On top of everything else, Darden was his daughter’s soul mate. For eight long years, Darden waited for Cassie to grow up. As far as Benko knew, his daughter and Darden had not had sexual relations. Cassie shared everything with him, much to his horror from time to time.
“I think it is time you brought Cassie to this universe,” Benko instructed Darden. “My father’s gatherers must be combing every inch of the Earth in their search for me. It is unlikely they would associate Ben Clark and his daughter with Benko Jarlyn, but I do not want to take the chance. Darden, as soon as you feel it is time, you need to join us here permanently.”
Benko did not want to push his daughter and Darden into close proximity to each other, but it had been eight years and the young man had been honorable. He also feared what would happen to his mind control telepathic daughter, once she made love with her soul mate. Cassie had been sheltered most of her life and he was concerned too much power and responsibility would be thrown at his naive daughter.
Although Alex and Candy were only twenty-one when they entered the Troyk universe, they had grown up as orphans and had made their way through the world alone. Both girls had handled their transition to living in the Troyk universe and possessing soul mates with a maturity that surprised him. Although he loved his daughter, he did not feel she was ready to take on a revolution, a change in universes, and a soul mate with the same maturity.
Darden smiled at the news. “I had already come to the conclusion I needed to leave the Troyk universe and bring your daughter here. Cassie will be delighted, she has been unhappy being left behind. I could see the disappointment in her eyes when I took JoAnna to the Troyk universe and did not include her.”
“Neither of us are ready to return to my father’s realm just yet.”
Benko had delayed the inevitable during most of his time on Earth, he never bothered to call it Ginkgo Terra. When Shirl’s headaches worsened, he knew they were short on time and they had to get the girls to the Troyk Universe. Although he and Darden planned their return, he could not help but think of his own eventual homecoming. He loved his father dearly, always had. Benko just could not stomach how the mind control telepathic government took advantage of their people.
He watched as Tarsea and Darden entered the portal, returning them to the Troyk universe. Since the portal on the other side was monitored, the two men were supposedly returning
from explorations of an uncharted world for a new source of crystals. His father had become more and more frantic to possess crystals as he aged, a need Benko mirrored. He would need a wealth of crystals if his next campaign against Jeryl Jarlyn was to be successful.
The camp was quiet, since most of the citizens had retired for the evening. A small group of guards walked the borders of the village, in case any lone marauders decided to attack. He walked the short distance to the shelter he shared with Chartail. When living assignments had been determined, they were matched together since they were soul mates. His clan mates just assumed they would wish to be together.
When he entered the makeshift hut, Chartail sat in front of a small fire. Their dwelling was properly ventilated to allow for one fire in the center of the lodging. She did not look up, as he entered. Sitting there, she looked so young. Regardless of how many times he told himself age did not matter, he could not come to terms with the fact he was forty-four years old and Chartail was twenty-three. Soul mates or not, she was too young for him.
“How did your meeting with Tarsea and Darden go?” Chartail asked. He could hear Chartail’s anger under the surface of her disguised interest. “Although I spent some time with Tarsea, he did not mention what you three talked about. It is just like it was before.”
He did not have to ask her to clarify what she referred to. Benko knew Chartail wanted to be actively involved in the planning stages of the revolution that would ultimately bring him to power. There were so many reasons he did not include her, but Chartail’s lack of intelligence was not one of them. His soul mate was brilliant. The plot she spearheaded to kill his father had almost succeeded. One traitorous coward had warned the palace guard of the attempt and lives were lost on both sides when the plot was finally executed.
“Do not peg me in a category with your father or mine,” Benko said. “At no time have I questioned your ability to contribute greatly to our plans. My main concern is for you to heal mind, body, and soul. You have been through so much, you need to mend.”
“And the other people in this village have not?” Chartail cried. “A quarter of their friends and families died during the attack. Yet, somehow they managed to make this place their home, even while they mourn.”
He was impressed with the villagers’ work ethic. Had they banded together earlier, rather than working independently to overthrow his father, Benko did not doubt he would now rule the Troyk universe. They had worked hard to set up the Utopia community, but their struggles did not compare to Chartail’s.
“They were not forced to have sexual relations with a psychopath who ran the portal guardians,” Benko pointed out, “or raped and fed upon by vampires in the Nightshade universe.”
“Why does Tarsea see me as a strong woman, and you only see a broken one?” her voice cracked as she communicated how she felt to him. He could kick himself for fighting with her over this topic once again. “You cannot even bring yourself to touch me!”
If she went to make a fatal shot, she was right on target. He had longed to bury himself inside his soul mate, but knew he would be taking advantage of her. Regardless of her words to the contrary, he could not do something he felt was morally wrong.
“Stop looking at me that way.” This time Chartail had an edge to her voice. She had obviously lost patience with him. “I am not taking this any longer. For years I was made to feel I was defective because I was not a mind control telepath. There is no way I am going to have my soul mate treat me as if I am broken. I have more courage in my little finger than you have in your whole body. For twenty two years you were safe on Ginkgo Terra, unscathed from the loss of free will your people in the Troyk universe were without. I am not remaining underneath this roof for another instant.”
Chartail got up and started to collect what little she possessed. Shirl had brought a number of things for her during her last trip through the portal. He was helpless to stop her, perhaps because he knew she was right.
“The next time, Darden or Shirl is here, I will ask one of them to take me to Terra Nova,” Chartail informed him. “I did not miss the way their leader looked at me. He is young and strong. I am sure he knows how to treat a woman.”
What little control he managed to maintain, snapped with those words. Benko Jarlyn sprang to his feet and took his soul mate in his arms. “Over my dead body, are you giving yourself to a barbarian.”
Benko kissed his soul mate, as if his life depended on it. The kiss was rough, full of emotion and passion. Chartail deepened the kiss and grabbed his short sable hair. He laid her on the animal pelt before the fire, and tore her clothing in the process. The animal within had finally won out, he was going to claim his mate.
Chartail loved his weight on her. She was tall, but he was taller by a good four inches. Their lips were adhered to each other, with neither coming up for air. Breathing at a time like this was highly overrated. All she could think was to remove the clothing he still wore. Benko had managed to remove hers with a skill she had never encountered before.
Her lovers in the past were considerate partners, even Tarsea. When Alex spoke of her time with Tarsea, Chartail barely recognized the man she referred to. Now Benko seemed to be caught up in the same feral madness Alex described. Chartail knew she would admire every bruise she would possess in the morning.
“Get rid of the clothes you are still wearing,” Chartail communicated through their closed channel. Neither had used the pathway they opened as soon as they touched. Although they were a telepathic race, in the Troyk penal colony they rarely used their telepathic gifts. Now she was able to order her soul mate without removing her lips from the all-consuming kiss.
Benko lifted himself from Chartail and made quick work of eliminating his clothing. Although the fire did not generate much light, she could see the shadows of the contours of his muscular physique. She longed to run her fingers across each ridge that constituted his chest. Her digits literally ached to become busy exploring his body.
“Do you have protection?” Benko asked, as he once again lowered himself on top of her.
“I have a couple of knives,” she managed to say between kisses. “The sentries should call out if there is any danger.”
“No, protection against pregnancy,” Benko said, as he stopped the kiss.
Chartail looked at him, confused. People in the Troyk universe did not practice birth control. There was ample land and resources to allow couples to reproduce, if the Supreme Being was generous enough to create a child. Child care was shared by both partners and their extended family. Familial telepathic links allowed for constant communication, related to the health and welfare of each child. In the penal colony, although resources were sparse, each birth was celebrated.
“Never mind,” Benko reconsidered, as he brought his lips back on to hers.
Chartail was no blushing virgin, she had experienced her first sexual encounter when she was sixteen years old. At an early age, she figured out how to get the most out of every relationship. She enjoyed sex and the boys she dated were more generous when she had relations with them. The looks of disappointment she was given at home were replaced with puppy-dog-like gazes from the boys.
However, Benko was not a boy, but a full grown man. A soul mate who knew what he wanted. He obviously had not lived the life of a hermit when his daughter’s mother passed away. Benko played her body like it was a cherished instrument. His hands caressed every bit of flesh he could reach.
Chartail wrapped her legs around Benko’s hips, she invited him to touch her in places he had been avoiding. She was thrilled when his hands reached the inside of her thighs and then ultimately her moist folds. He entered her with two fingers, performing exploratory reconnaissance before he consummated their union. She could have told him she was ready telepathically, but she enjoyed this foreplay.
She deepened the kiss as he entered
her with one decisive thrust. The guttural moans she let out were captured by his mouth. He was devouring her mouth, as his member entered and exited her core. His pace was matched by her as they performed a mating dance as old as time. As he ejaculated, Chartail knew it was going to change her life forever. She did not know how, but she was certain they were about to conceive a child.
Chapter 6
The Troyk Universe
JoAnna waited in the Prime Ruler’s receiving room, she thought of nothing in particular. This was the third session she had with Jeryl Jarlyn and he seemed ready to give up hope she had the gift. After the first two sessions, his temper flared as she failed time and time again to be able to perform tests to prove her to be a mind control telepath. Her uncle attended each session, not participating, but threw her looks of anticipation of a breakthrough. She had the gift, but never used it in the manner they requested.
She had to determine whether someone was lying or not. Who cared, as long as she was able to get what she wanted in the long-run? The idea of spending countless hours listening to someone being interrogated, determining whether or not they were telling the truth, seemed duller than watching paint dry. Although she had not met with Koel’s sister yet, JoAnna understood that was what Tarah did.
Secondly, she had to telepathically sway someone to her way of thinking. In the past, she would make eye contact and merely suggest verbally what she wanted. That was how she managed to get the Carlson’s to adopt her. She had never used her gift through the means Jeryl Jarlyn required until this point. As far as she was concerned, her powers here were just a lot of static and headaches. Even though Tolfer tried to work with her, she had no desire to communicate telepathically. If she could control her headaches with the herbal tea, that was good enough for her. Candy and Alex seemed relieved she was not interested in expanding her telepathic abilities. Both girls were accustomed to verbal communication and it was still their preferred means of communication.
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