AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you all right?” Kendra asked as she sat up too.
“Neloff is in trouble, serious trouble.”
“I don’t understand. You said they are ordinary dreams.”
Eden rushed to the access terminal in the corner of the room and sent an emergency page to Ansley. Eden’s heart thudded so hard she could hear it in her ears as she waited for her friend to respond. “Come on. Come on.”
A blurry-eyed Ansley finally accepted the comm. “Do you realize how late it is? What’s wrong?”
“I need to speak with Tandor. Neloff sent me a vision. He’s in trouble, serious trouble.”
“Are you sure it was a vision?” Ansley asked. “Your powers aren’t activated yet.”
Eden rolled her eyes, too frazzled to be patient even with her best friend. “We formed a mind link back on theMadelle. It was avision. Now wake up your mate.”
Ansley blanked the display for a moment without disconnecting the comm. When she returned, compassion had replaced her doubt and she offered Eden an encouraging smile. “You might want to get dressed. We’re coming to you.”
Eden and Kendra followed Ansley’s advice and quickly donned their uniforms. “Worst date ever?” Kendra teased with a hesitant smile.
Eden knew Kendra was trying to ease the tension, but it didn’t help. She was being buffeted by a nauseating combination of worry and guilt. “Why did I wait so long to confront him? I should have known something was wrong long before now.”
“Oh, my God, this is not your fault.” Kendra rushed over and gave her a hug. “No one sensed the danger Neloff is in and their powers are activated.”
Ansley arrived with her mates a few minutes later. Tandor looked so much like Neloff that it brought tears to Eden’s eyes. Ansley and Tandor sat down on Kendra’s bed, while Jobek straddled one of the dining chairs. He was so big it was a wonder the tiny chair supported his weight. They all looked disheveled but concerned.
“Start at the beginning and tell me everything,” Tandor directed.
Kendra and Eden sat on her bed, Kendra lightly rubbing her back. Eden knew that none of this would make sense unless she told them about the affair. She wasn’t ashamed of her actions. It just felt too personal to share. “Neloff and I spent the night together on theMadelle.”
“This was while we were searching for Ansley?” Tandor wanted to know.
Eden nodded, anxious to move on. “He formed a mind link and we’ve been dream sharing ever since.”
“What made you think something was wrong?” Tandor persisted. “I have sensed no danger. I still sense nothing out of the ordinary from him.”
They would never take her seriously until she made the nature of her connection to Neloff obvious. She took a deep breath and stated clearly, “Neloff is my mate.” She was still struggling with the concept, but it served her purpose better if there was no doubt. “He promised to return for me as soon as he recruited a controller.”
“Which controller?” Jobek finally spoke, his gaze narrowed and assessing. “Did he mention someone by name?”
Eden shook her head. “He only said the controller needed to be exceptional or the leaders at the Citadel would never allow them to claim me.”
“Kyrex,” Tandor and Jobek said in unison.
“Who is Kyrex?” Ansley beat Eden to the question by a millisecond.
“Our cousin,” Tandor told her. “Even by Houkdi standards his abilities are extraordinary.”
“This is all important, but it isn’t helping Neloff,” Eden reminded urgently. “His life is in danger right now.”
“You’re right. Tell me exactly what you saw tonight.” Tandor’s tone was calm and nonjudgmental, but his gaze bored into hers. “Every detail could be important.”
“He was bound and being whipped. The man whipping him accused him of passing on secrets. Neloff kept saying that he wasn’t a spy, but the inquisitor didn’t believe him.”
Tandor and Jobek exchanged looks filled with dread. “Could you see his surroundings or sense which planet he is on?”
She shook her head as a fresh rush of tears filled her eyes. “The room looked like a medieval dungeon.” Realizing he wouldn’t understand the reference, she elaborated, “Gray brick walls, high ceilings, racks of things to beat people with. I don’t know the names of the equipment, but all of it was meant to hold people down or hurt them. Does any of that help?”
“It sounds like the ancient fortresses on Altor, but Torret makes more sense. There is a room like you described in Mercelon Palace and Jevara thinks everyone is a spy.”
