The little redhead looked fine, as far as JoAnna was concerned. Candy and Alex were natural beauties. Makeup on them was just not part of their personalities. For some reason, she and Shirl seemed to need to impress those around them with their looks. Perhaps Candy and Alex had been more comfortable in their skins.
“I need to run to headquarters before I get ready,” Shirl said. “Warn me if Pattrice is with Norri, I’ll delay my return until the last minute.” Shirl hugged both women and then headed out.
The fact Norri and possibly Pattrice were coming over, was proof JoAnna had passed with flying colors. Norri was Alex’s aunt, her late mother’s twin sister. While Pattrice was their cousin and Solfa’s mother. JoAnna wondered if the head of Troyk intelligence had kept both women away from the household because of JoAnna’s presence. Norri had adopted Shirl and Candy, as a member of their family, but had not met JoAnna. JoAnna would not have minded all the crying Pattrice did in response to having her cousin’s daughter and friends in her life. It would have been a sign she was accepted, which she finally was now.
“I would have liked to have grown up as Alexandra Carlson,” Alex confessed. “Although, I do not know if I could have left Shirl and Candy behind. After you left, we dedicated ourselves to not being adopted. I faded into the shadows, Shirl came across as a self-absorbed beauty, and Candy was always filthy. Well, with Candy that was not an act, she was a real tomboy.”
“You got all those thoughts?” JoAnna was embarrassed Alex had picked up her memories and dreams from when she was in the orphanage. It had been a fleeting thought she wanted Alex adopted alongside her. JoAnna was afraid Alex had discovered why she really used her gift to get adopted.
Alex sighed, obviously still being able to pick up some of JoAnna’s thoughts. “The past is irrelevant now, Jo Jo. What is important is the here and now, and the future we build together. We are in a parallel dimension, with telepathic beings we had never encountered before. Some of us have developed abilities that are quite frightening. The one certainty is we need to be able to depend on each other.”
“How did you get so smart?” JoAnna knew Alex indirectly had told her she would keep her secrets.
“It’s amazing what you learn hanging in the background,” Alex said. “There are benefits to being a chameleon.”
“I envy little Star,” JoAnna admitted.
“Why for goodness sake?”
“You, Shirl, Candy, and I will make sure her childhood is one full of laughter and family.”
Alex paled for a moment, but quickly recovered. There was something she hid from JoAnna about the baby. There had been such an intimacy shared between them; JoAnna was exhausted. If Alex wanted to share what troubled her, JoAnna would listen. However, she was not going to pry to get the information from Alex, not now anyway.
“Let’s check out your closet and select something for you to wear tonight. Shirl also brought a couple of additional outfits you can wear.” Alex was obviously done with the serious discussion, which relieved JoAnna. There had been enough emotions exposed and secrets revealed for one day. She imagined they barely touched the surface related to the dangers they were exposed to in this universe.
Koel made his way to the Childers’s residence. He and his friends were taking their soul mates to dinner. It was the first time he participated in a soul mate couple activity. In the past when the others went out with their women, he and Darden would get drunk. Koel had been alone, while Darden’s soul mate was still on Ginkgo Terra.
He had been relieved when he heard Shirl and Alexandra cleared JoAnna as being trustworthy. The news had been communicated through the warrior channel by Shirl. Unfortunately, until JoAnna could link into that particular telepathic stream, there were aspects of his life with JoAnna he still had to guard against. The premonition Candy had related to JoAnna still troubled Koel. He had the ability to unleash an indeterminable amount of telepathic power in his soul mate once he took her to his bed.
Leenea Childers opened the front door as he approached. Tarsea’s parents had become his surrogate parents when his mother and father moved to the Starling Province. As the mind control telepathic government grew in strength, his parents decided to relocate to a smaller city where governmental influences on the general populace was less powerful. His cousin Darden’s close friendship with the Childers guaranteed he had a home.
Starc, Tarsea, and Tolfer waited for their soul mates in the common room. He heard laughter in the back of the house and he was tempted to continue on his way to see what had amused his soul mate and her friends. But there were traditions to maintain, so Koel joined the rest of the men and awaited JoAnna’s entrance.
Tarsea was at the bar and pulled out another glass when he saw Koel. Spending as much time as they did with the women from Ginkgo Terra, they tended to communicate more orally than telepathically. In the past, Tarsea would have already been alerted to Koel’s presence through the pathways. After he took the drink from Tarsea, Koel wandered to the couch and joined his cousin.
“If the girls are not here in the next five minutes, we are going to be late for our reservations again,” Starc complained. “What are they doing back there anyway? It has been over an hour.”
Starc’s soul mate had him wrapped around her little finger. Although Starc complained, he was totally besotted with Shirl. Koel imagined he would be in the same state in the very near future, if his current feelings for JoAnna were any indication. Rather than dreading the prospect of being so dependent on another for his happiness, Koel was looking forward to it. The others had fallen across their women, Koel actively sought her out.
“Do not question,” Tolfer recommended, “just be grateful for the final result. If you are smart, you will compliment all the girls on how beautiful they are.” Although Tolfer had hid the true nature of their relationship from Candy, theirs was the least complicated pairing. Tarsea’s brother was a nurturer and it turned out that was exactly what Candy needed. Once again, Koel wondered about the dynamics of his own relationship with JoAnna.
The sound of heels tapping against the tiled floor caused Koel to look up from his drink. The women they had waited for stood before them. However, Koel only had eyes for his soul mate. He barely registered her elaborately coiffed hair or the dramatic makeup job, it was her nearly exposed body that caused havoc to rage rampant in his mind. Now he understood Tarsea’s reaction whenever Alex wanted to leave the house wearing such a revealing outfit.
JoAnna must have noticed his reaction, since she started to leave the common room. Her friends stopped her, while throwing lethal looks in his direction. Koel’s throat became dry, as his soul mate came to stand before him. Koel tried to adjust the expression on his face that had caused her initial reaction.
An awkward silence continued, as Koel and JoAnna stared at each other. There had been too many occasions when his soul mate left him mute, where he struggled for the right thing to say. He needed to get control of himself and take steps to make JoAnna feel comfortable.
“You look beautiful,” he finally said. “There is a chill in the air tonight, you may wish to grab a sweater.” The weather outside was quite temperate, he just wanted JoAnna to cover herself.
A sly grin crossed her face. He was not as clever as he thought. Obviously, JoAnna saw right through his ruse. She walked over to Norri and took a black wrap, which she placed around her shoulders and pulled across her chest. The sheer black material with the small black beading, which barely covered her breasts, was no longer visible. Tarsea grabbed another shawl and assisted Alexandra in the same fashion, which shielded her from prying eyes. Koel needed to talk with Tarsea concerning all the strategies he had in place to shroud his soul mate from the gaze of other men.
“We are going to be late again,” Starc informed the group. His cousin grabbed his soul mate’s hand and headed out of the house. Shirl turned her
head and winked at his soul mate. Koel glanced at JoAnna, who laughed to herself, shaking her head. What had those girls discussed?
They walked through the crowded streets of Aster Province. Couples made their way to second seatings, while families headed home from their early evening activities. Women wore outfits that exposed their bodies to the gaze of anyone who chose to look in their direction. Koel’s eyes were glued to JoAnna’s face.
“It’s a beautiful night,” JoAnna returned his gaze. Koel saw a small drop of perspiration roll down the side of her hairline, as JoAnna tightened the shawl across her chest. He was not sure if she did it for his benefit or due to her own modesty.
“Get down!” Candy yelled.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, as Candy tackled his soul mate to the ground. Koel was about to ask what was going on, when a laser blast fired and laid a path crossing where JoAnna would have been standing.
Chapter 12
JoAnna spat grass and dirt out of her mouth. She had been about to say something else to Koel, when she was pushed from behind. Her scream had been muffled as the lower part of her face made contact with the ground. Thank goodness they had just entered a park. She could have possibly broken her jaw if she had come down on concrete.
“Stay down,” Candy shouted. “The shot came from the alley next to the jewelry store. Do you see anything?” JoAnna tried to shift her position to see what was going on. Candy had her well pinned to the ground and was not letting up.
“Whoever it was, he is gone.” JoAnna heard Koel yell from a short distance away. “It is a closed alley. Tarsea, head east and see if anyone looks suspicious. Starc, head west and do the same thing. Tolfer and I will check around the park. Whoever fired the weapon could have easily blended in with the crowd created in response to the blast.”
JoAnna had not witnessed the aftermath of the attempt on her life, but she had heard the shouts and cries. Since Candy was still on top of her, it was evident she felt JoAnna had been the target. Her friend had reacted before JoAnna heard the weapon discharge.
“Candy, do you sense anymore danger?” Alex asked. Alex’s voice sounded like she was on the ground as well. JoAnna imagined Tarsea must have reacted shortly after Candy had, or in response to the weapon being fired.
Candy finally rolled off her and back onto her feet. Shirl provided JoAnna a hand, as she slowly lifted herself off the ground. The front of her body was covered with dirt and grass stains.
“I think we are all right,” Candy finally said. “We should head back home, just in case.” JoAnna couldn’t agree more, whatever appetite she had was gone. All she wanted was to clean herself up and have a drink to calm her nerves, not necessarily in that order. After what JoAnna witnessed on Terra Flora, she felt perfectly safe in Shirl’s company. It was also obvious there was more to Candy’s powers, than to communicate telepathically.
As soon as they returned to the Childers’s home, JoAnna headed for the shower. The shawl she had worn had been soiled and her sheer tunic was ripped beyond repair. She quickly redressed and joined her friends in the common room. The men had not returned as of yet.
For a change, JoAnna purposely listened to the chatter within the communal pathways. All the conversations focused on the attempt on her life. She was viewed as Jeryl Jarlyn’s successor, since Benko had not returned to the Troyk universe. The Prime Ruler also had a close relationship with the Adholm family. From this point on, it seemed she was as much of a target as Jeryl Jarlyn was. The conversations about the multiple attacks on his life replayed in her mind.
“I must have misread my initial premonition,” Candy admitted. “It should have been interpreted as JoAnna was in trouble, not JoAnna was trouble.
“What are you talking about?” JoAnna snapped. She officially had it with all the secrets which were being kept from her. Someone had tried to kill her and her friends held back information because of something Candy saw or felt. “Full exposure from this moment on!”
“I have the gift of foresight,” Candy admitted. “Before you arrived, I had felt anxious when I thought of you. When we discovered you were Prime Adholm’s niece, I didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt. For that, I am so sorry.” Although part of JoAnna wanted to rail on Candy, she knew she could not make her friend feel any worse than she already felt. Besides, Candy had saved her life today.
JoAnna needed Candy at her best and she knew she needed to forgive her. “I probably would have done the same thing. Are you picking up any vibes, or whatever you call it?”
Alex brought over three shots, one for each of them. Due to her pregnancy, she only had water. If there had been a time when a drink was called for, it was certainly now.
JoAnna swallowed the liquor in one gulp. It burned on the way down, which caused her to cough. The drink immediately caused a warm sensation to spread through her body and she relaxed a bit.
“I sense danger ahead, but nothing more specific.” Candy sounded like one of those charlatan fortune tellers who read Tarot cards at most of the fairs she attended as a girl. The big difference was Candy was the real thing. Tonight she saw firsthand proof Candy’s powers were legitimate, talents she was not questioning.
The men returned, defeat depicted in their posture. They all grabbed a drink, with the exception of Tolfer, who headed for the kitchen. Since they had not eaten, he had gone to whip something together. No one wanted hunger to cloud their thoughts, although the alcohol they were consuming needed to be cut off quickly. She noted Koel had only taken one shot and started to drink water from the pitcher Alex had brought in.
“We did not see anything,” Koel reported to the women. “Our team members are on alert. If anyone finds anything, they will communicate through the warrior link.” Before she had the opportunity to ask him what he was talking about, Koel turned and addressed her directly. “A number of us can communicate through a closed communal channel, reserved for only those loyal to the true ruler of the Troyk universe.”
Since she had never heard of this telepathic link before, JoAnna imagined Koel had not referred to Jeryl Jarlyn. She looked at Tarsea, who seemed to be the leader of this group. He certainly had the leadership skills this world needed desperately.
“Not me!” Tarsea exclaimed. He looked like a deer caught in someone’s headlights. “Benko Jarlyn is the true leader of the Troyk universe.”
“Oh, God,” JoAnna said. How was she going to be in the same room with Jeryl, now knowing the truth about his son? “Don’t tell me anything more about Benko Jarlyn. His father cannot enter my mind, but that does not mean he won’t be able to in the future, or I say something unconsciously. With all the herderite we provided him, he may become powerful enough to break through whatever barrier I created.”
Koel sat next to her and placed his arm across her shoulders. She figured it was his way of offering support. She placed her head back and used his shoulder as a pillow. With the attempt on her life and all the information she had been provided, JoAnna just wanted a brief second of peace. She would close her eyes for only a moment.
With all the chatter still taking place in the communal pathways, JoAnna was surprised to hear communication from The Palace ordering her and Koel’s attendance. She opened her eyes to see everyone on their feet and Koel still as a corpse.
“What else has happened?” JoAnna asked. She looked at her soul mate and waited for an answer.
“My sister Tarah was just arrested,” Koel said, his voice shook with anger.
Koel did not think it was a coincidence he and JoAnna were summoned to The Palace just as he received the news about his sister. Solfa still telepathically advised them of Tarah’s arrest, although there was little information to be shared. His sister had always been at the peripheral of their anti-government activities. She could link into the warrior channel, but was only used occasionally because of her mind c
ontrol capabilities. Whatever game Jeryl Jarlyn was playing, Koel did not like it.
“You need to calm down,” Tarsea said. “Treat this like any other mission your tactical brain has to deal with. They cannot possibly have anything on Tarah, she is being held as leverage. Unfortunately, you will not know what is going on until you meet with Jarlyn.”
He agreed with everything Tarsea said, but being objective when his sister’s life was in danger was easier said than done. They had never been close, as Tarsea and Tolfer were, but Koel loved and respected Tarah. He knew she was loyal to a fault. Koel had nothing to fear personally related to her arrest, she was the one at risk. Tarah would never give Koel or his friends up. She also knew how to manipulate another mind control telepath, should one come to interrogate her.
“I want to grab some herderite before we head to The Palace,” JoAnna said. “We need every advantage going into that meeting.” He watched his soul mate leave the room, Shirl followed close behind her.
Koel could not agree more with JoAnna’s assessment. They had directly and indirectly stifled JoAnna’s mind control telepathic abilities. Now, they needed her to be as powerful as they feared she was. If JoAnna was forced to use her powers in Jarlyn’s presence, she would be rusty from lack of practice.
“She may still be in mortal danger.” Candy’s statement pulled him out of his thoughts about his soul mate’s abilities and back to the risks before them. “I doubt the attack on her life is related to why the Prime Ruler wishes to see you both. Either way, we should accompany you to The Palace.”
Koel knew Candy’s premonitions allowed her to see a violent act before it occurred, which eased his anxiety a small amount. Unfortunately, there was nothing any of them could do to protect themselves against the Prime Ruler. It would be a waiting game until they were physically in Jarlyn’s presence.
The Mind Control Telepath Page 11