AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His directions led to a smallish break room or lounge. All of the furniture had been shoved to one side clearing as much of the floor—or actually deck—as possible. None of the other females had been told to come here so she wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Raina asked to speak with the leader or leaders of the conduits,” Neloff told her as he stepped just inside the room. “I told her that was you and Ansley. She’s aware that Ansley ran from the evacuation, so her mates are assisting with the hunt. She would like to speak with you privately before we start transferring the others.”
“The only reason anyone considers me a leader is because I’m Ansley’s best friend. I’m not sure what she’ll gain by speaking with me privately.” And yet Eden had a million questions she’d love to ask the other female. Why not take full advantage of this opportunity?
“She is here to help you.” Neloff’s features were expressionless, his tone firm, but his gaze was warm and caressing. “I suggest you let her.”
“All right.” They’d agreed not to reveal their affair until he had official permission to court her. Even so, she wanted to feel his arms wrapped around her one last time. He’d promised that his spell would protect her. Even those actively searching for a mate wouldn’t consider her a serious candidate. A couple of the guards had looked at her lustfully when she’d first arrived. Each time they glanced at her now, they quickly averted their eyes. It could be coincidence, but she didn’t think so. Neloff was powerful. She’d sensed the energy at his disposal each time they made love.
She stood in the middle of the room and waited for the molecular teleportation engine to dematerialize her body and send her over to the other ship. Most people simply called the process streaming. She was about to stream over to Commander Cylex’s ship. She didn’t know the name of the new ship and she wasn’t anxious to meet the new commander. She’d grown rather attached to the first.
I will come for you, Neloff vowed.Never doubt that, mate. You will see me again.
She managed to produce a tentative smile as the tingling began. A shockingly intense sucking sensation followed and then utter darkness. Reality blinked out for only a moment and then faded back in. Eden gasped and braced her hands on her knees as she fought hard to keep from throwing up.
“The first trip is the hardest,” a female said. “Before long, you’ll be streaming all over without giving it a second thought.”
Eden blinked until her vision cleared. She stood perfectly still and used slow, even breaths to calm her stomach. There was nothing to the room, three blank walls and one wall that stopped before it connected with the others forming doorways at either end.
Eden quickly located the speaker. She had golden-brown hair and greenish eyes. They weren’t standing close enough for Eden to see their exact color. She wore a wraparound dress and slip-on shoes and still managed to look pretty. It was her smile. The stranger’s warmth put Eden at ease and made her feel welcome.
The woman closed the distance between them and held out her hand. “I’m Raina Hays. Thanks for agreeing to speak with me.”
Eden shook Raina’s hand as she responded, “Eden Barr.”
“Our team at the Citadel is conducting a name search, but they haven’t located any matches yet. It appears that all of you were assigned fictitious names when you arrived on Earth.” She motioned to the nearest doorway. “Let’s go somewhere so we can talk. This is guaranteed to be a lengthy conversation.”
It didn’t take long to determine that this ship was much larger than theMadelle. Some of the corridors went on forever and deck indicators inside the elevator revealed that there were nineteen levels. Raina took Eden to a small dining room and presented her with a steaming beverage that a device inset in the far wall had dispensed.
“What is this?” Eden asked before taking a sip.
Raina had an identical mug and paused to taste it before she said, “It’s calledwessinand it’s as close as Altorians come to coffee.”
The rich, nutty flavor tasted more like chicory than coffee, but Eden tried to enjoy it. “Thank you.”
“Have you been told anything about who and what we really are?”
It was such an odd question that Eden smiled. “I know that I’m a conduit. There are four planets in our star system. The other parts of a triad are the source and the controller, and none of them can assess their full potential until they are soul bonded.”
Raina smiled, wrapping both hands around her mug. “That’s a good start, but it’s barely the tip of the iceberg.”
What followed was part history lesson, part cautionary tale. Like competitive siblings, the planets in their star system had continually started wars with one another. One armed conflict would resolve and another would break out until a group of scientists and mystics created the power triads. Each planet was given command over a different element and the triads—an equal number on each planet—ensured that the distribution of power remained balanced. The entire system was supervised by the creators until they died when their designees took over. The designees started calling themselves the board of governors and that was the title used for leadership at the Citadel to this day.
“Background is important,” Eden said as Raina finished the initial info dump. “When and why did it all change? Everyone I’ve talked to said that triads are powerful weapons, not arbitrators of peace.”
“As subsequent generations were born, there were many more sources and controllers than conduits. Scientists on all four planets have been trying to figure out why the gift is so rare, but no one has solved the mystery.” She paused and inhaled deeply as if troubled by what came next. “Scarcity often results in a battle for control. In this case it led to the Controller Wars.”
Eden didn’t want Raina to become mired in the past, but she’d always been fascinated by history. “That sounds ominous. What happened?”
“A group of controllers rebelled against the authority of the Citadel. They started rounding up conduits and claiming them without permission. The documents I read stressed that the females weren’t forced. They were just kidnapped, held captive, and ruthlessly seduced, so I’m not sure that’s much better. Anyway, many of the unclaimed conduits went into hiding and their families started fighting back. The violence escalated rapidly and the war lasted for decades.”
“How did it end?” Or was it still going on? Was that why triads were considered weapons?
“The rebel controllers were apprehended and a charter was developed that solved some of the problems. All four planets agreed to the charter. It’s the set of rules that governs the Citadel today.”
“But conduits are still much rarer than sources or controllers?”
Raina nodded. “The problem has gotten worse, not better. Many have tried to outlaw the formation of power triads. Unfortunately for us, being a conduit is not what we do, it’s who we are. If a conduit does not bond, they often go insane.”
