Zorin and his pack turn to leave. Viriden holds me back. His pale gold eyes study my face for a long time. “You look so much like her. Please do not think that I am being hard on you because I am heartless. I promise you, I am not.”
“Why so much secrecy?”
He hangs his head. “It was to protect you from being found. Anything you need, tell Onidus. He will get it for you. Any new symptoms, you can talk to him about. He is my top soldier. I trust him with your life.”
“What about Zorin?”
“I trust Zorin as a soldier. I do not trust him as a Shifter because of their wild side. Mindorans must get approval to mate with humans. They are not permitted to be with Isonians because we too often hurt one another when we bond.”
Viriden takes me by the shoulders. “I’m sorry, truly.”
A horrid pang tears through my chest, but it’s more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt on my own. It pulses from my shoulders deep into my chest and back out again.
He suddenly breaks contact. “I apologize. I didn’t think my touch could… I’m sorry.”
Viriden backs up, grinds a fist into his chest, and hurries off.
The soft gold light of Onidus moves closer to me. “Come on, Tessi. Let’s go.”
“What did I do?”
“Nothing. He just needs a little space. It is not easy for him to see you because you remind him of what he lost.”
20: Tessi
In a numb fog, I let Onidus walk me to my room while Zorin hangs back. “How about youtworelax in the pool before the pool party starts tonight? There should be fewer racers in there now.”
I squint up at him. “I thought we were supposed to keep our distance?”
Onidus rolls his eyes skyward. “Oh, I don’t know. Come on, Tessi. Tell me what you sense, my Aural Discernist friend?”
He offers me his hands.
I hesitantly take them. Warmth spreads through me followed by a sense of conviction and a playful need to test limits.
Onidus tilts his head. “Dig deeper.”
“How do I do that?”
“You have to let go of your walls, open yourself to me if you wish me to open to you.”
Zorin grumbles as he tilts and rests a shoulder against the wall.
“No one should be in my head,” I tell Onidus.
“It’s not thoughts.” Onidus sighs and his light brightens. “It is our soul.”
I take a deep breath and let it out along with my doubts and fears and the urge to distrust everything around me.
Onidus’ soul is far darker than I expected. It is filled with pain and agonizing emptiness, even though he shines brighter than any other Isonian I’ve encountered.
He longs for connection. When he looks over at Zorin, his image clears more and I no longer see his joyous smirk but heartbroken jealousy.
“Now you see me for what I really am.” Onidus squeezes my hands and breaks out contact. His eyes return to their mischievous squint above his gold mask. “Go, before I change my mind.”
I enter my room, change into my swimsuit, pet Radar, and leave in my flipflops. Zorin escorts me to the pool, but hasn’t bothered changing. He gets me a towel from the rack and pulls a lounge chair up to the pool’s side for me while Onidus trades out with Marne and Kren so he can rest.
I set my towel down, kick off my flip flops, and stop at the edge of the pool. “You aren’t getting in?”
