Infinity's Embrace

by Anna Carven

  Apparently, that was one of the effects of this so-called mindbond.

  Noa shook her head, trying to come to grips with the fact that yesterday she’d been a quiet nobody. She’d been overwhelmed just trying to cope with the unwanted thoughts of others as they flooded her mind. Now, the Kordolians wanted to use her power to break a freaking mindbond.

  And Noa had nowhere to go. Her past had been stolen from her, and her future had been erased. Everyone she knew thought she was dead, and she couldn’t return to her old life like this. She was a mere shell of the person she’d been, and only the Kordolians had been able to give her refuge in the aftermath of the disaster that was SynCorp.

  Strangely, this part of the desert continued to be steeped in psychic silence. Out here, she wasn’t bombarded with telepathic interference. The sensation of hundreds of thoughts and memories trying to crash through her flimsy barriers all at once was blissfully absent.

  All that was left was a weird thrumming sensation at the back of her mind. It had been there ever since she’d repelled the Silent One. It was oddly familiar and unexpectedly reassuring.

  A gentle swoosh drew her attention as Rykal stepped forward. Recognizing his presence, the black wall unravelled, revealing a mysterious dark corridor. It didn’t help that it was a pitch-black night. The usually clear night sky had been hidden behind rare low-lying clouds that concealed the brilliant stars.

  The air was humid and thick, adding to Noa’s sense of anticipation. She’d been dreading this moment, but her curiosity had also gotten the better of her, because she was unable to forget the dark, magnetic presence that had tried so hard to infiltrate her mind.

  He’d demanded her submission, and she’d denied him, but it could have so easily gone the other way.

  She could have fallen under his control so easily. There was something about his power that called to her. It appealed to her tempestuous side, the part of her she thought had died after the crazies had scrambled her brains.

  There was a side of her that craved the darkness. In the past, she’d been prone to dark moods. She’d had a temper. She’d been arrogant and vulnerable and utterly brilliant.

  The old her was drawn to the darkness. The old her would probably be consumed by it.

  Noa shuddered.

  The old man called Elgon murmured something to Zyara in Kordolian as they passed into the dark corridor. It seemed to swallow them up, plunging Noa into darkness. She was thankful for the small guide-light Abbey had lent her. The General’s wife had grumbled comically about Kordolians and their preternatural night-vision, rolling her eyes as she handed the small device to Noa. Abbey always spoke of her fierce husband with gentle, loving acceptance, the occasional note of amusement finding its way into her voice. Her attitude baffled Noa, because the General was downright scary.

  She clutched the light tightly now, keeping close to Zyara as they walked single-file down the narrow corridor. They passed through another set of unravelling doors, and then another, until they reached a small anteroom type area.

  A guard emerged from the shadows, startling Noa. Like the warriors in her entourage, he was clad from neck to toe in dark armor, but his face was bare, revealing intricate swirling patterns across his cheeks. As she studied him more closely, she realized they were made up of tiny scars.

  He paid her no attention as he spoke with the others in the melodic tones she’d come to recognize as Kordolian. Although his voice was soft, his words had a hard, sarcastic edge to them. His gaze flicked to the left and Noa followed it. To one side she saw a small room fitted out with gently glowing holo-monitors.

  It was eerily quiet in here; the pitch-black sloping walls seemed to absorb the sound and suck away the light. Noa felt cocooned and slightly claustrophobic as she listened to the Kordolian warriors talking amongst themselves. Comfortable in their shadowy surroundings, their silver faces and pale hair burnished by the cold glow of her guide-light, they were truly creatures of darkness.

  There was a stillness about them; they moved with silent grace and spoke in low tones, their deep voices rising and dipping with the exotic cadences of their native tongue.

  So alien. So unknown. They radiated effortless power, and if they truly wanted to, they could probably colonize Earth in a heartbeat. So why hadn’t they? And what had made them leave their distant galaxy for this remote part of the Universe?

  Zyara appeared by her side along with the elder, Elgon. He was studying her with his strangely colored eyes; his irises were as black as night. The pupils of his eyes flashed milky-white, clouded by what she presumed were cataracts. His long braided hair was black at the temples, fading to dark grey at the ends, and his weathered face was etched with the lines of age.

  “Listen carefully, Human,” he said in Kordolian, a translator node converting his speech to Universal. “I’m going to tap into your mind and make use of your power. I need your strength to break the mindbond, because my power alone isn’t enough. You need to open yourself up and let me in, just like you did earlier when I was teaching you how to shield your mind.” Before they’d allowed Noa to come here, she’d spent hours with Elgon learning the basics of mental self-defense.

  Noa nodded. “I’m ready.”

  “If the Silent One tries to attack you again, just say so.” Zyara reminded her. “We’ll render him unconscious in a heartbeat.”

  “I want to see him,” Noa said abruptly, surprising herself. “I want to know who I’m dealing with.”

  “Very well.” Zyara said, gesturing towards the room with the holo-monitors. “See for yourself. He’s missing a limb after his fight with the General, but we’ll give him a better one if we ever decide we can trust him.”

  Noa was already walking towards the holos, entranced by the prospect of finally seeing her mysterious attacker.

  Back for more, Human?

  Shocked, she whirled as his voice rang out loud and clear in her mind. She tried frantically to assemble her mental shields, remembering what Elgon had taught her.

  Those won’t work against me, he said, his tone darkly mocking. We’re bonded now.

  Bonded?

  Why do you think all those voices in your head suddenly disappear when you come into my radius?

  I don’t know… I learned how to put up barriers. A seed of doubt entered Noa’s mind. Could he possibly be behind the blissful psychic silence she’d enjoyed since coming out to the desert?

  One does not learn to shield effectively in such a short amount of time. Your aura is compatible with mine. When you come into my presence, everything else is overridden, even the wayward thoughts of others.

  Compatible? A dark sense of anticipation welled up in her. What does that even mean?

  If I live long enough, you will see.

  If you live long enough? A chill ran through her. That sounds rather ominous.

  They have come to try and break me and reshape me for their own purposes. Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking they are doing this out of charity or kindness. Those things are not in our nature.

  “Noa, are you all right?” Zyara’s voice filtered through her consciousness, but it was all background noise to her. Her feet moved of their own volition, bringing her closer to the holo-monitors.

  Her gaze was drawn to the scene displayed on the holo. At first she saw only darkness, but as she moved closer, her guide-light illuminating the space, she began to make out lines and shapes.

  And as the radius of her light touched on the faintly glowing holoscreens, the object of her fascination came into view.

  It was dark in his cell, but the holoscreen picked up his image in perfect detail. Noa didn’t know how that worked, but she accepted it for what it was, because most Kordolian technology was beyond her comprehension anyway.

  As if sensing her scrutiny, he looked up, staring at her through the holo.

  Noa’s breath caught.

  He looked right through her, impossibly, defiantly, his black eyes burning darkly. The gentl
e tingling sensation at the back of her mind turned into a simmering, incessant pull, drawing a soft gasp from her lips.

  So this was the man the Kordolians called the Silent One. According to just about everybody, he was dangerous, and as she watched him, Noa believed every warning and every dreadful tale about him and his kind.

  She’d been told he was an assassin, highly skilled in the art of killing and capable of almost godlike stealth.

  In one fluid motion, he stood and moved forward. His attention seemed to be focused solely on her, even though Noa knew he couldn’t see her from inside his dark prison. His eyes were orbs of pure obsidian. Even the whites of his eyes were black, giving him a much more alien appearance than the Kordolians she’d encountered so far.

  His eyes were like windows to an infinite starless universe; they were both terrifying and beautiful.

  A faintly mocking smile graced his dark lips, and she wondered whether he had fangs like the other Kordolians. It was obvious that he was different in several ways. His skin was lighter - more platinum than silver - and his dark hair was arranged in intricate braids.

  Black robes concealed what looked to be a tall and powerful frame, but his left arm was clearly missing, the fabric hanging loosely over the space where his limb was supposed to be.

  His features were unmistakably Kordolian; he had a noble brow and elegantly curved eyebrows, but the corners of his eyes were more angled than a typical Kordolian’s, accentuating the sharpness of his cheekbones. Full, sensuous lips completed the picture, but there was nothing gentle about his smile. His expression was cold, and Noa wondered if a being like this was even capable of warmth.

  She shivered as a mixture of fear, anticipation, and strangely, admiration coursed through her.

  Because he was beautiful. His alienness was beautiful. He was a glimpse into another world, a distant place where Humans didn’t even exist.

  “Noa.” A gentle hand on her shoulder caused her to whirl, and she came face-to-face with Zyara, who regarded her with concern. “Are you sure you’re ready to do this? I can tell General Tarak to give you more time.”

  “No.” This was part of understanding her power. This was a challenge she had to overcome. She’d often felt like this when she was about to add a new and difficult piece to her repertoire. It was both thrilling and terrifying. She’d felt this way when she’d started learning Rachmaninoff’s notorious third concerto.

  She had to do this. She had to understand what this freakish ability of hers was. She had to learn how to control it.

  If Elgon and the Silent One held the keys to that knowledge, then so be it.

  You may call me by my birthname, he said suddenly, startling her again. It’s Ashrael.

  Ha. He was locked up in a dark room with one arm severed from his body, and somehow he still managed to be haughty and arrogant.

  Oh. So I have permission to call you by your name now, do I? She couldn’t help but respond with a little bit of snark.

  Yes. His response was nothing but serious.

  Noa hesitated to offer her own name in return. Revealing her name to him seemed akin to giving him some sort of mystical power over her. It was silly and irrational, but she wasn’t ready to hand her identity over to him. Not yet.

  She turned to Zyara, steeling herself. “I’m ready when your people are.”

  Zyara nodded and said something to Elgon in Kordolian. The elder raised a hand, the dark blue sleeve of his robes falling away to reveal a weathered, tattooed arm. He murmured something that sounded like an incantation, his odd-colored sightless eyes seeming to glow in the dim light.

  “Human, I need you to open your mind to me now,” he said softly, the translator node echoing his Kordolian speech. “I’m going to form a link and borrow your power to try and crack the mindbond. I don’t really know how to explain it better than that. Just try and relax, but if the Silent One tries anything strange, put your barriers up right away, just like I taught you. Don’t worry so much. I will protect you from any interference.”

  As she nodded, signifying her understanding, Noa quietly questioned the rationale behind breaking this so-called mindbond, especially if Ashrael was as dangerous as everyone made him out to be.

  She didn’t understand Kordolian logic at all. She’d just become another cog in General Tarak’s machine.

  “Are you ready, Noa?”

  “Yeah.” She closed her eyes and flexed her abnormally long fingers as if she were preparing for a performance. Nothing could scare her now. After all, she’d already been to hell and back.

  A weird sensation ran over her scalp, snaking down the back of her neck as Elgon began to delve into her mind, tapping into her power. It felt like thousands of velvet-footed ants were crawling over her head.

  Relax, Noali. All I’m going to do is borrow your strength, but you have to give it to me. I can’t just take it from you.

  He spoke in Kordolian, but somehow she understood. Perhaps meaning transcended language.

  She could sense the elder’s presence now. She didn’t completely understand what he was talking about, so she clumsily tried to gather the scattered threads of energy within her. At the same time, she attempted to relax and open her mind. Suddenly, the weight of her power was lifted and carried by Elgon.

  Human, what have you done? His voice rang out clearly in her mind as sudden shock radiated from him. You have accidentally formed a psychic bond with him. Were you aware of that? You were, weren’t you? The elder sighed as Noa was swept into a world of strange energies and darkness. If he survives, that is going to be a problem.

  Chapter Ten

  “On your knees, katach.” The First Division warriors filed silently into his cell, their plasma guns pointed at him.

  Ashrael shrugged, regarding each of them in turn. He bit his tongue, cutting off the snide remark that threatened to escape his lips.

  It was better if they didn’t know he’d recently gained the gift of speech, although with all their monitoring equipment, they’d probably already figured it out.

  “Are you going to kneel, or am I going to have to force you?” The one who spoke was big and gruff and formidable, just like his comrades. The General’s men were all about force and intimidation. They didn’t understand stealth and subtlety, but then again, they had no need for such things.

  Ashrael raised an eyebrow and slowly dropped to his knees, a hint of a smile gracing his lips. He didn’t know what they wanted with him now, although he could guess.

  She was just beyond these impenetrable walls, along with the elder and the medic. He could feel them all, but her aura burned the brightest, and for some reason, it had a calming effect on him.

  Perhaps it was because he could feel her through their bond. Unbeknownst to the others, they’d even spoken briefly, exchanging a few words of mindspeech.

  Don’t tell me you and the old man are going to try and break my mindbond, Human, he taunted, sending his ka’qui through the impenetrable wall. He focused and honed in on her, seeking a reaction.

  Her emotions were a jumble of surprise, anticipation, fear, and steely resolve. She was a strange mixture of vulnerability and strength, a tangle of contradictions wrapped up in soft Human skin.

  Ashrael wasn’t curious by nature, but he couldn’t help but be intrigued.

  She didn’t reply to his query, but her surprise radiated through their bond.

  I’m not stupid, Human. Stupid enough to get captured, but not stupid enough to be utterly oblivious. I know what Akkadian is trying to do.

  He’d heard the rumors spreading through the Empire. They said the General had gone mad, that he was a traitor to the Empire, that he’d given up everything to protect a Human, of all creatures.

  All the rumors had proven to be true, and yet there was method to Akkadian’s madness. He had led the Kordolian rebels to Earth, eroding the Empire’s power.

  Madness.

  “Something funny, assassin?” One of the guards regarded him with a ha
lf-amused look. “I didn’t think your sort had a sense of humor.”

  There’s a lot you don’t know about us, soldier. Ashrael stared him in the eye. Even though he couldn’t see in the traditional sense, his second sight told him all he needed to know. The First Division warriors were all formidable in their own right, and this man was no exception.

  “Ah, don’t look at me like that, katach. It might not seem like it, but we’re trying to help you.” With his left hand, the warrior made the sign of the Goddess, betraying his unease. Ashrael had that effect on ordinary Kordolians. They clung to pointless superstitions, and for some reason the ka’qui freaked them out. Even this fearsome warrior, who was skilled enough to give him trouble in a fight, wasn’t immune to irrational thoughts.

  “So here’s the drill. Patra Elgon is going to have a look inside your head. If you want to get out of here eventually, don’t fight it. If you want to get rid of your mindbond, don’t fight it. If you try anything stupid, especially with the Human, I will shoot you.”

  Ashrael gritted his teeth as he nodded in assent. I doubt the old man will succeed, but he is welcome to try. A part of him wanted to throw the warrior’s challenge in his face and fight, but with opponents like these, that would be futile.

  He had little choice in the matter, anyway. There were four plasma guns pointed at his head, and the General’s men didn’t mess around. Besides, if he sensed the elder was trying anything funny, he’d just put his barriers up. The only one who could get past his barriers against his will was his Mistress.

  And maybe the Human, if she knew how.

  The alluring promise of freedom reared its insolent head, taunting him with that most futile of emotions, hope. He tried to suppress it, because hope had no place in his existence, but like his tenuous link to the Human, the feeling wouldn’t disappear, no matter how hard he tried.

  The Human, through her clumsy meddling, had already disrupted the mindbond and given him the ability to speak. How much more was she capable of?

  Such raw, unrestrained power.