‘Who in heaven’s name is Fari Doon?’ Yasper asked, having never heard of him before, or seen either of these women so emotional. ‘Is he someone from that other time line you changed?’
Jazmay sniffled back her shock and smiled. ‘He was a little boy I saved from the MSS, who was very dear to me.’
‘In that case,’ Yasper said. ‘I’ll welcome him with open arms.’
‘The MSS code name for him was “the thrice strong”,’ Jazmay informed him with a laugh.
‘So he’s going to be a strong little tike, hey?’ Yasper shrugged off the challenge. ‘It’s a good thing I levitate then.’
Taren and Jazmay both laughed.
‘Considering that this could be Fari,’ Jazmay held a hand to her flat, muscular belly, ‘I feel more … honoured.’
‘Well, that’s the way you should feel,’ Taren advised with a smile. ‘You’ll both make wonderful parents.’
‘Speaking of which.’ Yasper brought them back to more pressing matters. ‘What are we going to do about my father?’
‘Nothing,’ she replied, and Yasper looked at her in alarm, ‘until we find out why he’s being detained.’
‘How do you expect to do that,’ Yasper queried, ‘when we don’t have anyone on the inside of the MSS anymore?’
He may have been Taren’s lover at one time, but Yasper had no idea of the extent of her connections these days; Jazmay knew, but had obviously not disclosed anything, not even to her new husband.
‘Trust me, I’ll find out.’
‘And what are we to do in the meantime?’ Yasper asked.
‘Stay here on Frujia,’ Taren suggested. ‘I have a feeling Lucian might be well disposed toward putting some security people on the project soon. You’re both more than qualified and I do all the hiring.’
Yasper could think of worse ways to earn a living, and Frujia held a special place in his heart and Jazmay’s, as they had fallen in love on this planet. Staying near Taren also meant Yasper was close at hand if she got any word about his father.
‘I’ll find you some accommodation in town,’ Taren offered. ‘And once you’re hired, you can move into one of the project units.’
Yasper and Jazmay had been living in the chief’s house since the head of the MSS had his heart attack and then began a crusade to free psychics from oppression, to make up for years of doing exactly the opposite. Yasper had wanted to watch out for his father’s health and see to his protection on the home front, but the chief was the only thing that had bound Jazmay and Yasper to Maladaan.
‘Sounds good.’ Yasper grinned.
‘It sure does,’ Jazmay agreed. ‘I hate Maladaan, almost as much as I hate Sermetica and Phemoria!’
Taren found this amusing, as that didn’t leave many planets within the United Systems. ‘Frujia it is then.’
By the time Jazmay and Yasper left, it was near on dinner time, and Taren knew Lucian would be arriving any second for their dinner date. With a moment to ponder a menu, Taren conjured a three-course meal — all cold dishes — ready to be served when required. She then thought herself into a cool evening dress, swirled her hair into a messy bun and lit the candles on the table — without lifting a finger.
The door chimed.
‘Perfect timing.’ She moved to the control panel.
When the door slid open and she found Lucian, all spruced up with a bottle of wine in hand, she smiled in quiet approval — and so did he.
The ring tone of her communicator shattered the lovely moment.
‘I swear I’m going to shut that thing off … come in.’ She waved him forth as she moved to act on her promise. However, the call was a text message from her father that simply said: Have you seen the news?
‘Curious.’
‘What is?’ Lucian closed the door.
‘It’s a message from our favourite benefactor, asking if I’ve seen the news?’ she informed, heading toward her work station to find a news site.
‘Well, the big news from Sermetica today was that the man you love to hate resigned as Viceroy of Sermetica,’ Lucian hazarded a guess.
‘Khalid resigned!’ Taren was even more eager to read up on the story. ‘Why?’ By the time she asked the question she found the answer on her screen. ‘To pursue personal business interests on Maladaan.’ He’s the one taking charge of the MSS! The thought was horrifying!
Chief Ronan was the only one on Maladaan who knew who Taren really was and what she was capable of, and if Khalid had the chief in custody … ‘This is very, very bad.’
‘Why?’
Taren was distracted; she had to get the chief away from the MSS immediately! What she needed was a remote viewer — someone who would be able to physically perceive the situation the chief was currently in. Taren knew of two women who fit the bill, but neither of them knew or trusted her yet. Someone who could see through physical matter would be the next best thing and this was one of the talents that Lucian was destined to develop. He was not ready to be taken into confidence, however, or to be introduced to his repressed psychic talents. Taren was going to have to take a huge risk, and soon!
‘Never mind.’ Taren switched off the work station and communicator. ‘It will all keep,’ she lied through her teeth. ‘Let’s eat.’
Once they were seated before their entrée and the wine was poured, Taren drew a deep relaxed breath to cover how her heart was pounding in distress.
‘You’re unusually quiet,’ Lucian noted.
‘To tell you the truth, I’m a bit exhausted. A lot has transpired today.’ She smiled, ahead of picking up her glass and raising it to him. ‘But this is certainly a nice way to wind it up.’
‘You’ve gone to a lot of effort,’ Lucian said, impressed by her culinary skills at such short notice. ‘I am very impressed.’
‘Oh gosh.’ Taren grabbed her stomach and her head at once. ‘I feel a little odd, would you excuse me a second.’
‘Of course.’ Lucian appeared concerned and yet perturbed at once.
Taren rose and headed to her bedroom and bathroom beyond. ‘I’m so sorry.’ She closed the bedroom door behind her and did not even pause to curse. In her mind, Taren conjured an image of Jazmay and teleported to her side.
Taren found Jazmay and Yasper in front of their hotel room entertainment unit, watching the news, and they were both very relieved to see her.
Jazmay stood. ‘Have you heard about Khalid?’
‘That’s why I’m here, we have to get the chief away from the MSS now!’
‘Agreed.’ Yasper was all for it.
Taren imagined herself dressed as a Valourean, with a full face mask, and it was so.
Jazmay did not have to be asked to follow suit. ‘I like your thinking, boss.’
‘What about me?’ Yasper objected, for he had no transformational or teleportation skills.
‘Wait here,’ Taren instructed. ‘We’ll be back in five.’
Jazmay and Taren gripped hands, and with the thought of Zelimir Ronan, teleported themselves to him.
They were in luck, as their target was alone in an isolation cell.
‘What now?’ was Zelimir’s reaction to witnessing two Valoureans materialise in his cell.
‘It’s Abi,’ Jazmay hissed as she got close to him.
‘Abi?’ He frowned, until he remembered that Abi was his daughter-in-law’s code name, and was even more distressed. ‘No. Why did you come? You silly girl.’
‘Let’s go.’ Taren grabbed his arm, and as Ronan recognised her voice, he went even paler.
‘Oh no, not you too.’
‘I know you love me really,’ Taren teased, but his distress did not ebb.
‘It’s not that I’m not grateful.’ He was teary, which was so unlike him. ‘But this is a psychic containment unit —’
‘He’s right.’ Jazmay took a moment to check out the cell and was immediately pissed off. ‘I’ve been held in one before.’
‘You can’t get me, or you, out of here,’ Ron
an concluded, bitterly.
‘Want to bet?’ Taren challenged their pessimism. ‘Have you seen Khalid yet?’
‘No.’ The chief put her mind to rest on that count, and Taren nodded, reassured.
‘It won’t be long before he sends for you.’ Hands on hips, she had to wonder. ‘Why are you being contained in here anyway?’
‘The MSS technology labs have developed a new weapon in the war against psychics,’ he informed her. ‘A device that can identify those with the Powers by viewing the light field of their body … I’m not too sure how it works, I was kept in the dark on the development.’
‘Considering your latest crusade, I’m not surprised,’ Taren admitted.
‘But it does work, as it identified me and they put me here.’ The old man shrugged.
‘So, what are we going to do?’ Jazmay asked and then looked to the door at the sound of it unbolting.
‘Disappear,’ Taren advised, and Jazmay nodded — she got the drift.
The guards entered to find Ronan alone.
‘Shackle him,’ Norward, the chief’s long-time 2IC, instructed one of the four guards with him, who approached the chief carefully to clamp the psychic restraint around his ankle. ‘The new chief wishes to have a word.’
Two guards assisted to raise Ronan to his feet.
‘I know the way,’ he barked, yanking his arms away from them.
Both men let go, stood back and then took up the rear, as the party filed from the cell.
As they marched the chief down the corridor, Norward in the lead, two guards, Ronan, and two guards behind him, the ex-chief of the MSS vanished into thin air.
‘That was longer than five,’ said Jasper, whose frown turned to a smile as he spotted his father.
‘Oh shoot.’ Taren released Zelimir and removed her helmet. ‘I have to go, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.’
Yasper grabbed her arm to stall her departure. ‘Thanks, boss.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Taren laid a quick hug on him.
‘I nearly freaked out back there in the cell,’ Jazmay admitted, ‘but that escape was a lot easier than I imagined. My Juju is much stronger these days.’ She grinned.
‘It is. That reminds me.’ Taren manifested in her hand a piece of Juju stone. ‘For you, chief.’ She handed it to him, and the man appeared moved to tears.
‘You want me in your …’ He didn’t know what they called it. ‘… psychic circle?’
‘You have always been one of us,’ she said with a smile, and felt compelled to kiss his cheek. ‘We’ve had our differences in the past, and yet you never betrayed my secret to anyone.’
Her statement seemed to hit a nerve. ‘That wasn’t out of goodness.’ Ronan felt compelled to be truthful, as the stone worked its magic on him. ‘Your father hid someone for me, as I hid someone for him.’
‘Who is your father?’ Yasper was most interested to know. ‘And who did he hide for you?’
Taren refused to discuss it. ‘Better you don’t know, just yet.’
The chief looked devastated by the question, which Yasper repeated, before Zelimir confessed. ‘Your mother.’
‘My mother!’ Yasper was suddenly defensive. ‘You told me she died giving birth to my sibling.’
‘She did,’ Ronan insisted that part was true. ‘What you don’t know is that I discovered that your mother was a telepath.’
Yasper was looking horrified at this point. ‘Please tell me you didn’t have her killed.’
‘I could not,’ Zelimir confessed, happy that he’d lacked the backbone then. ‘But I could not stay married to her either. You were very young and had never shown any sign of psychic ability, so I kept you on Maladaan and sent your mother into the protection of Taren’s father on Sermetica. She did die giving birth,’ but the child she birthed lived.’ Zelimir dropped the bombshell. ‘And still does as far as I am aware, for I have not been advised otherwise.’
‘Are you telling me that I have a full-blood brother or sister somewhere on Sermetica?’ Yasper was excited and yet furious too.
‘Oh no, not Sermetica,’ Jazmay whined, having no desire to go there.
‘I have to go.’ Taren had been in the bathroom for fifteen minutes now. Lucian would be restless. But as the Ronans were deep in family drama, none of them noticed her depart the scene.
In her rush to get back to her dinner date, Taren returned to her bedroom before she’d even changed back into her dinner clothes. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she gasped and immediately transformed her warrior guise into her dinner dress. Her hair wound up into a bun and she made a move toward the door that lead back into the dining room.
‘When were you going to tell me about this double life of yours?’
Lucian’s voice from behind her made the hairs on the back of Taren’s neck stand on end. With her heart beating in her throat, she turned back to find Lucian sitting on her bed. He did not appear angry with her, more concerned and a little disappointed.
‘When I knew you well enough to trust you.’
‘It certainly explains our amazing escape this morning.’ He raised both eyebrows, and Taren flashed a grin. ‘So, who are you really … who are you working for, and what do you want with my project?’
Taren’s mind boggled at walking the fine line between what he needed to know right now, and all that she really wanted to tell him. She believed everything happened for a reason; she’d wanted Lucian to find her out because she needed a confidant, so was this a sign from the cosmos that he was ready to be brought on board? He certainly didn’t seem to be running for a communicator to call the Psychic Monitor Database, so — so far so good. ‘Where’s that wine?’ Taren returned to the dining room, grabbed her glass, and then headed out onto her balcony to get some fresh air.
‘This is scary for me,’ she said, as Lucian joined her outdoors. ‘It’s all happening ahead of time, you see? And I think that is a good thing? That it is supposed to happen this way, this time around, but then … maybe I’ll blow everything, telling you too much too soon.’
Lucian was clearly perplexed by her rambling. ‘If you’re afraid of scaring me off, or that I might betray you,’ Lucian offered, ‘I would have done so the other night, when you and that mercenary type appeared before me in your lounge room.’
Taren was flabbergasted. ‘You were awake?’
Lucian nodded. ‘Was he your lover?’
Taren shook her head, considering all that had passed between them since that incident; what must he have been thinking about her? ‘He is my uncle,’ she was happy to advise, and Lucian’s smile told her that he was very relieved to hear it. ‘There is only one lover for me,’ Taren added bravely. ‘You asked just now who I was working for —’
Lucian nodded, getting the picture and appearing very unimpressed by it. ‘Same man,’ he concluded for her.
‘Indeed,’ Taren concurred, and he must have thought her so cruel as she approached to tell him. ‘You, Lucian … I am working for you.’
‘Are you being cute?’ He was delightedly confused. ‘Or are you avoiding the question, perhaps?’
‘No.’ Taren shook her head. ‘You know I have the Powers.’
He nodded.
‘Well, I don’t just teleport from place to place in the present, I can see into the future and I can change the past.’
The poor professor’s brain began to melt down at this point. ‘You’ve come from the future to guide this project, is that what you’re saying?’ He appeared to so want to believe her, as she nodded, but clearly it was difficult for his logical mind. ‘So where were you just now? Does it have something to do with Anselm’s missive earlier?’
Taren nodded, and finished off the wine in her glass before answering. It had been a huge day, and the stress of it all was starting to take a toll. ‘Who I am and what I do, even the highest, most secret echelons of government don’t know about.’
‘Bar Sermetica.’ Lucian assumed from her alliance with Anselm.
br /> ‘I have to trust Anselm …’ Taren choked on the words, her tears pending as one of her greatest secrets begged release. She moved in close to Lucian to whisper in his ear, ‘He’s my father.’
Lucian was shocked and looked to her in disbelief until he saw her trembling in fear.
‘No one can know,’ she whispered.
‘My lips are sealed,’ he said. ‘Is that all the secrets out of the bag?’
‘I wish I could say it was,’ Taren told him, ‘but that is just the tip of a very large iceberg, I’m afraid.’ She noted how close she was standing to him and moved to back up, but Lucian took hold of her upper arms to prevent it — his right hand coming to rest on the armband that held her Juju stone.
‘To tell you the truth, Taren, I really don’t care what you are hiding. I just want into your life, whatever that entails.’
Taren was still gaping at his words when he kissed her and the energy surge that passed between them was intense — she had to stop it, he had to know! ‘No, I can’t let you do this.’ She pushed him away from her.
‘Do what?’ Lucian appealed, wavering on his feet. ‘Love you?’
‘To love me is to expose your psyche to my power,’ she blurted out. ‘Which will in turn enhance your own dormant psychic powers.’
The news was like a lightning bolt to the heart for Lucian; she could see it on his face.
‘These Powers will not fade,’ she warned in all honesty, ‘once you are plugged into the universal field there is no disconnecting, and you, like me and many others, will become embroiled in a secret war that is being playing out behind the scenes of every government within the United Systems.’
Lucian had gone pale and quiet.
‘We were not supposed to meet for ten years yet,’ she repeated her earlier rambling, which she felt now would make much more sense. ‘I tried avoiding you and putting you off, but …’ She threw her hands up in the air at the situation in which she now found herself. ‘I so want to tell you everything,’ her words were heartfelt, ‘but trust me when I say that you do not love me enough to cope with all of truth right now.’
Lucian snapped out of his dazed state. ‘Then why do I dream about you every time I close my eyes?’