Return of the Ascendant (The Ascendant Series)

  “No,” she snapped, shoving his hand away.

  She avoided looking at him to see his reaction. The last thing she wanted was him touching her again. If it took her the rest of the damn day, she would get herself free.

  Apparently, she decided a few minutes later, it really might take that long. She couldn’t figure out how to release the unusual latches. Her frustration mounted as she realized she might have to ask for Ty’s help, after all. Everyone else had left the room.

  Come on! she fumed.

  Her nail bent backwards, making her hiss in pain. Son of a—

  …hear me, Kyr?

  She stilled. Her gaze shifted to Ty’s. Had that been his voice in her head, interrupting her mental tirade?

  Can…me?

  It was him, she realized. The connection was spotty. She recalled him mentioning that he usually couldn’t share thoughts with someone who wasn’t a Mynder. He must be trying something to get through to her.

  Yes, she warily returned.

  Can’t…here. Trust…

  Her eyes narrowed as she tried to interpret the broken words. Can’t hear what? she thought.

  Talk…monitored.

  Tilting her head, she pieced together the words he’d managed to get through and tried to fill in the holes. Hesitantly, she guessed, You can’t talk to me here because the ship is being monitored?

  His posture stiffened. Yes!

  And…you want me to trust you?

  This time, he gave her the slightest nod. She couldn’t read anything in his expression. Her gaze moved around the room, seeking cameras or any other kind of device she knew was used for monitoring. She didn’t see anything.

  But she did trust Ty.

  “Would you please help me, Dem-Shyr?” she asked, trying to sound regal and detached.

  His nostrils flared slightly in relief. She knew her subtle message had gotten through.

  “Of course, Ma’jah. Allow me to show you how these work in the event you need to use them again.”

  This time, when his hands brushed against her several times, his eyes touched hers. She realized then that he was doing it deliberately, but because it was under the guise of aiding her, his forearms weren’t glowing. Her breath froze in her chest and she forced herself to let it out.

  Act natural, she told herself.

  She watched how he released the latches and didn’t argue when he slipped the harness off her shoulders. He took her arm and helped her to her feet.

  “Thank you, Dem-Shyr.”

  He nodded without expression. “The others are waiting for us to disembark. The Guardians will be outside to greet you.”

  Her parents. Battling a surge of anxiety, she returned his nod and allowed him to lead her through the ship’s corridors. People were moving in different directions, some of them pushing metal containers that appeared to float.

  “Magnets,” Ty explained when her eyes bugged.

  “Ah.” She supposed the floor was somehow magnetized and the containers were, as well, but with the opposite polarity. “Glad I’m not wearing anything metal.”

  Ty didn’t respond. His hard-to-read expression grew more and more grave as they continued towards the door leading outside. She thought maybe he was worried about the number of people they’d be encountering, since there were at least thirty people lining the corridor they had just entered. She knew the sight of them alarmed the hell out of her.

  At the end of the corridor was a rectangle that looked like a door. It hadn’t been opened yet. Ty prompted her forward, making her realize she had stopped walking when she saw all of the people. Squaring her shoulders and praying for confidence, she started walking.

  All of the people she passed bowed deeply and murmured some form of greeting she couldn’t make out. She spotted Sem and Avana, but they both bowed and avoided her eyes. Her paren—Kyndred—did the same thing. That sliced at her. She wanted to throw herself in their arms and beg for their guidance and love. She wasn’t going to be able to bear treating them like anything other than her parents.

  Ty led her past them. She struggled to keep tears at bay. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Were the people she cared about going to avoid looking at her, avoid being friendly with her because of some title she didn’t want?

  Calm.

  The word entered her mind as though Ty had spoken it. She realized that he had done whatever he could to push his thought into her head. She also realized that he hadn’t forced the feeling on her…just sent her the thought.

  He was respecting her wish to control her own reactions. Warmth flooded through her, as did renewed strength.

  She could do this.

  When they reached the end of the corridor, Ty nodded at Gren, who stood behind a console. Gren pressed something and the door slid open. Bright light hit Kyra’s eyes, making her blink several times so she could see the world beyond. She waited for Ty to exit ahead of her and then followed him out the narrow door. They were on ground level, she realized. She had expected to have to descend down some stairs.

  Her curiosity over this vanished as Ty took her arm and led her towards the small group awaiting them. She concentrated on keeping her emotions in check and her expression contained, mirroring her behavior off Ty’s.

  Please help me out if I do or say something stupid, Ty, she thought.

  He gave her elbow a squeeze, so she knew he’d heard her. That gave her more confidence. Her gaze flitted around, trying to take in more of their surroundings as they walked. Judging by the vastness of the space, she guessed it was a hanger. The ceiling contained rows of skylights. Outside, the sky was dusky pink. Was it dawn, she wondered, or sunset?

  There wasn’t much else to see aside from the ship itself and what was obviously a control console manned by three different people. Her brief glimpse of the ship over her shoulder showed her a large, round hull that stretched back farther than she could see. Only two windows broke up the ship’s smooth, pink surface.

  Pink?

  Before she could think any more about it, Ty stopped walking. She hurriedly turned her gaze forward. She caught the eye of the male and female standing in front of the others.

  Her parents.

  Her father stood nearly as tall as Ty, though he was much more slender. The colorful tunic and pants he wore displayed a form more suited to studies than physical labor. Jewels decorated his bright clothing and the tops of his knee-high boots. He wore his brown hair long, pulled back and held in place by a gold coronet glittering with even more jewels. His eyes were what she thought of as hazel, the lightest shade of brown she’d ever seen.

  A few inches to his left stood her mother. Kyra’s breath caught over her beauty. Her dark red hair was piled high in a sophisticated style that revealed her long and graceful neck. Jeweled hairpins winked in the light, as did the tiara, drop earrings, and necklace she wore. Her eyes were a shade of blue that made Kyra think of Earth’s sky on a crisp winter day. Her creamy skin was flawless, her features mesmerizing.

  “Ma’jah Kyr,” she murmured, stepping forward. Her gaze swept along Kyra’s unbrushed hair and simple gown before she smiled and took both of Kyra’s hands in hers. “Welcome home, daughter.”

  Kyra struggled to produce some element of warmth or familiarity from the contact, but felt nothing. It made her anxiety rise several levels.

  “Thank you, Guardian Shaya,” she responded as her mother stepped back.

  Her father met her gaze and gave her a small smile. “I trust you are well, Ma’jah?”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  She shifted uncomfortably as they once again scrutinized her appearance. This all felt so formal and stiff. That feeling struck her even more keenly as the ship’s occupants filed past and she spotted her Kyndred watching her with sorrow etched in their features. It took all of her willpower not to run over to them.

  She made herself return her attention to the group in front of her. Her gaze fell on a tall, dark-haired male standing just behind h
er mother. Although a short beard covered the bottom half of his face, she saw enough of his features to note that he was quite handsome. His depthless brown eyes met hers. She couldn’t read the look in them. An unpleasant shiver went through her, though.

  Moving slightly in front of her and blocking her from the male’s view, Ty said, “Guardians, I have a few important developments to discuss with you.”

  “Of course, Dem-Shyr,” her mother said. “Why don’t we all return to the palace and allow Ma’jah Kyr to get…refreshed before the welcome ceremony? You can brief us then.”

  Kyra frowned. She got the sense that her mother found her appearance displeasing, though her expression reflected only serenity.

  “As you wish,” Ty agreed with a slight bow.

  “Transport awaits in Bay Two, Dem-Shyr,” a female called from the console.

  Ty nodded and turned to the left, pulling Kyra after him. She saw the small crowd move closer to her parents as they walked away. Murmurs reached her, but she only heard her name and not what was said.

  “Who’s the guy?” she asked, knowing Ty would understand who she was talking about.

  “VycorDane, Advisor to the Guardians.”

  Kyra heard the light undercurrent to his tone. Something was off there, but she didn’t have time to pursue it. They entered another area through a sliding door and approached their transportation.

  Her jaw fell. “A horse and carriage?”

  His gaze moved to hers. One corner of his mouth lifted. “We don’t use powered vehicles within the palace proper. Keeps pollution down.”

  She didn’t know what to say. It was quite a relief to see something as familiar as a horse, though. Who would have thought that Alametria would have the same animals as Earth? Then again, she reminded herself, humans existed in both places. Why couldn’t other living things?

  “You will find many similarities between the planets that support humanoid life,” Ty said as he lifted her up into the enclosed carriage. “Evolution occurred in similar ways on each planet, as the environments share many commonalities. Over time, we’ve unintentionally introduced some of our culture to other planets, and brought some of theirs here, as well.”

  “Like what?” she asked as he followed her up into the carriage.

  “Certain technological advancements. A few cultural elements. Different languages.”

  “That explains why everyone is speaking English,” she said, smiling at him.

  “We call it Alametrian.” He leaned closer. “Kyr, we’ll be joined by the Guardians in a moment. I want to say this before they do. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to warn you about how I’d treat you on the ship. You were unconscious when we transitioned, and…”

  “It’s okay, Ty. I understand.”

  They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. She reached over and took his hand in hers. When his forearms started to glow, she tried to jerk her hand away, but he held her fast.

  “Things will be unpredictable for us once we reach the palace,” he said in a quiet voice. “I want to work on opening our mental connection. We’ll have to do it at night, when everyone is sleeping.”

  Her heart pounded in anticipation. Hopefully this would involve lots of kissing. “Okay.”

  He abruptly released her. It took her a moment to realize there were voices floating in through the carriage window. Glancing out, she saw her parents walking with several of the large, dark-haired males who had been standing with them by the ship. They all wore royal blue pants and tunics with black belts and knee-high boots. Some of them had different insignias on the left breast of their tunics, declaring their ranks.

  A memory hit her. They were Mynders, the equivalent of the Royal Guard. She remembered that the garments they wore were actually lightweight armor. Next to them, Ty looked out of place in his jeans and T-shirt.

  “Do all of the males here have dark hair?” she asked.

  “Most of us, yes.”

  “Yours is more blond than brown,” she said, turning back to him. “It’s much lighter in the sun.”

  He didn’t respond because her mother was assisted into the carriage by one of the Mynders. Kyra breathed in her perfume as she sat across from her. It stirred a vague memory of throwing herself in her mother’s arms only to be censured for showing such an inappropriate display of emotion in front of others. She couldn’t remember why she’d been upset or who had witnessed it.

  Now, her mother gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes as she gathered the skirts of her elaborate emerald green gown and settled into her seat. Kyra tried to smile back, but faltered as her father climbed in and the door closed behind him. The space suddenly felt too confined. Panic rose like bile. How could she possibly live like this?

  Calm.

  Glancing at Ty, she took a deep, steadying breath and nodded. With him by her side, she could get through this. She was sure she could get through anything.

  Chapter 23

  It was almost painful to watch Kyr interact with her parents. Ty sat quietly as the carriage started forward, his gaze moving from Kyr to Shaya and BrunyrVawn. He felt Kyr’s emotions more clearly than he’d expected to. Somehow, her time in suspension had not only healed her from the Shelvak injury, it had reduced the mental barrier between them. In fact, if he wasn’t mistaken, it was no longer there.

  The only explanation for Kyr’s remarkable self-healing was that her powers as the Ascendant were growing. He’d been trying to reason it out since she woke up. He could only assume that because she was coming of age and they were once again reunited, something within her had been triggered.

  That meant they were in for some interesting times ahead.

  “Would you care to explain your condition, Ma’jah Kyr?” Brunyr asked in a voice that reflected no emotion.

  “My condition?” Kyr echoed.

  “Yes, Ma’jah,” Shaya said. “We were quite surprised to see you disembark looking like the lowliest Wrym.”

  Ty felt Kyr’s hurt and confusion. Unable to hold his tongue, he responded, “Guardians, if I may…Ma’jah Kyr was in suspension until right before landing. She was stabbed by a Shelvak begothia on Earth. We feared she wouldn’t survive the trip. This news was not communicated to you before now to avoid causing you undue distress.”

  Shaya’s eyes widened. “Ma’jah, you are all right?”

  A hint of a smile touched Kyr’s lips as her mother showed the concern she sought. “Yes, thanks. I’m fine now.”

  “How is that possible?” Brunyr asked, looking to Ty for a response. “No one heals from a begothia stab wound.”

  “The Ascendant did, sir.”

  His use of Kyr’s true title had the Guardians exchanging glances and looking consideringly at their daughter. Kyr’s hands twisted in her lap. Ty longed to comfort her, but he certainly couldn’t touch her, and she seemed particularly resistant to the idea of him influencing her feelings. Deciding to do what he could, he sent her mildly soothing thoughts. He supposed it worked when her shoulders relaxed.

  “Well, I am glad that you are all right, Ma’jah,” Brunyr said at last.

  “I do wish you had found time to at least style your hair,” Shaya said, though her tone held no rebuke. “We will get you to your chambers straight away. You must prepare for the welcome ceremony anyway.”

  “You wish to have the welcome ceremony today, Guardians?” Ty asked, barely keeping his dislike of the idea from his tone.

  “Yes, Dem-Shyr. This evening. The arrangements have already been made.”

  “Mo—Guardian,” Kyr ventured, “I’d really like a little time to rest and, well, get my bearings. I don’t think I’ll be ready for a formal ceremony right now.”

  Shaya waved that away. “You will have plenty of time to rest, Ma’jah. Before you left, you would not stop begging us to introduce you to the rest of Alametrian society. We promised you that we would do this for you upon your return, and we will not fail to follow through on that promise.”

  Ky
r started to speak, but didn’t seem to know how to respond. Ty knew she didn’t remember what her mother was talking about. Her gaze moved briefly to his before she leaned back in her seat and stared out the window.

  He tapped into her thoughts as she took in the sight of the approaching palace. It wasn’t unlike some of the more elaborate European castles on Earth, complete with high, protective walls, pointed turrets, and beautiful sprawling grounds. The massive size was far larger than any castle on Earth, though, and unlike Earth’s constructions, this palace was made out of illuvite, a mineral much stronger than any of Earth’s building materials. It glimmered and glowed in shades of purple and blue as the sunlight struck it. Filigreed scrollwork in different precious metals decorated the windows and doorways. Against Alametria’s naturally pink sky, the castle was a spectacular sight.

  They rode across the drawbridge, the horses’ hooves clattering on the smooth, hard surface. Ty pulled Kyr closer to his side, causing her to look at him with raised eyebrows.

  “Please stay away from the open window, Ma’jah,” he said.

  She glanced at the window as though it was a lurking Shelvak and shifted even closer to him. He knew she had picked up on his concern, though he hadn’t conveyed it through his tone or expression. Her perceptiveness impressed him.

  The carriage circled around the main courtyard and continued down a path leading to an underground loading area. It was a heavily guarded entrance reserved only for approved Vawn.

  After they parked, a footman stepped forward and opened the door. Ty exited first.

  “Dem-Shyr TaeDane,” the footman said, bowing as he held the carriage door open. “We have been eagerly anticipating your return.”

  “Thank you, YessipWrym,” Ty said, knowing Kyr would hear him. He wanted to help her remember the names of those Alametrians she used to know. “It’s good to be back.”

  There was an awkward moment when Kyr started to climb out just as her father did. She sat back down as she realized she was supposed to wait for the Guardians to exit first. He felt her embarrassment and frustration over not remembering, especially when her mother gave her a quiet look. It made him anxious to try retrieving more memories with her. Maybe, since the barrier had eased regarding him receiving her thoughts, they would make more headway now.