Hidden Talent: StarLords, Book 1 Read online

  Still a little fuzzy from the long telepathic communication, Agnor nodded. “Good thinking.” He hit a few buttons and repeated his first statement so that everyone could hear it no matter where they were on the ship. “At our captain’s request, I’ve been in contact with the Grand Vizier and apprised him of our situation. He sends his compliments and congratulations, and he’s ordered all of us to report directly to him for retesting as soon as we get back home. He’s also authorizing reimbursement for the horses we gave to the Liatans, so our profits from this trip will not be lost.”

  “Good man,” Seta murmured from her seat next to Jeri, smiling happily as Agnor continued.

  “We’ve also been recommended for commendations and special recognition for rendering humanitarian assistance to the people of Liata in their hour of need and getting the word out to the Council. The tacticians want copies of our engagement records, so please gather whatever you have from each station on the ship and forward them to me at comm. We’ve been ordered to set course for home, but not right away. We are to leave only after the reinforcements arrive, so we’ll have a few days here before we head home.”

  Agnor cut off the shipcomm and turned to address Micah directly. “Your uncle also had a few words to say about your bonding.” Micah grew uneasy, and Agnor decided not to tease him. “He congratulates both you and Jeri and is eager to meet the new addition to the family.” The broad grin that lit Micah’s face warmed his heart.

  “On a more serious note, he warns that the remnants of the enemy fleet might regroup. He was interested in the wave that hit us when you shattered that stone and wants us to stay alert until help arrives.” He turned his attention to Darak. “If you have any splinters of the stone, he wants you to keep them in a psi-shielded vessel and preserve them for him.”

  “I have a few, but most of them are still welded into Jana’s skin. I don’t know what to do for her. It’s beyond my healing ability.”

  Agnor nodded calmly. “I described it to him and he’s most interested. He’s having the highest level healers meet us when we dock to see if they can help her.” Jeri breathed an audible sigh of relief as Agnor turned his reassuring gaze on her. “The Grand Vizier wanted me to tell you, Jeri, that every attention will be paid to healing your sister. On her own account and for your sake as well. You are, after all, part of the family now.”

  “That was a lot of communication over a very long distance, Ag. Are you feeling all right?” Micah was, as ever, conscious of the needs of his friends and crewmembers.

  “I’m fine, actually. No strain at all. Which surprised your uncle as well. He’s going to talk to the Specitar Council about me and the huge leap in power this psi wave seems to have given us. He warned that it might be a temporary effect, but odds are in favor of it being permanent. He tried to follow the energy pathways in my communication but we’re too far away to do a good job of it, he said. Still, what little he did see gave him pause. My pathways were blown open in a way he’s never seen, even in another high-level Specitar.” Agnor felt a little lost for a moment, but Micah stood, putting his hand on his shoulder in a reassuring move that really did put him at ease.

  “Whatever the changes, Ag, we’re in this together. We’ll get through this. Okay, my friend?”

  Agnor nodded, glad once again to count this special man among his closest friends. A Specitar’s life wasn’t often filled with such camaraderie, mostly because most Specitars were solitary, insular people by the very nature of their power. They were specialists—their Talent lying in only one or perhaps two areas while the majority of people with Talent had it in broad-ranging fields. It was often hard for them to relate to Specitars and their special needs and vice versa.

  But Micah and then Darak had bridged the gap with Agnor and the rest of the crew slowly followed. These people were closer to him than he had ever been with another Talent who was not a fellow Specitar. They were closer even than his own family, who did not quite understand their oddball son. And he loved them.

  “I’m okay, Micah. It’s just going to be an adjustment getting used to this.”

  Micah looked sheepish as he glanced at Jeri, heat flaring noticeably in his eyes. “You’re telling me.”

  Vizier Brandon’s admonition to stay sharp came to bear not ten standards later when a small group of enemy ships regrouped to try to overtake the Circe and reclaim their lost leader. How they knew she was still on their ship, Micah didn’t care to speculate. When the enemy reappeared, Micah asked Darak to send Jana into an even deeper level of sleep and switch on a reflective field in her cabin, just in case they tried to harm her in some way.

  It turned out to be a good move because as Darak opened the door to the small room they were keeping Jana in, he felt the first wave of energy hit her small form. She started convulsing and the blue shards still embedded in her skin started to smoke as she screamed in pain.

  He threw himself against her and ordered her troubled body to sleep, taking a jolt of his own power as he switched on the reflective field. But it was worth the momentary pain to end her torment. As soon as the field came up, all connection with the psi attack was severed, the energy thrown back at those who had sent it.

  Darak dropped his own shields and sat quietly for a moment on the side of Jana’s bunk, stroking her hair. She’d reopened one of the larger wounds and was bleeding just a tiny bit, but with the field up he couldn’t use his Talent to heal her. Instead he fumbled in the bedside compartment for the med kit, using old-fashioned bandages and some healing cream to stop the trickle of her blood and kill any organisms that might infect the wound to make her sick.

  He found himself stroking her skin just a moment longer than strictly necessary, but he couldn’t help himself. She was every bit as beautiful as her sister, if not more so. He felt a little disloyal even thinking that, but Jeri was Micah’s woman. Darak had no right to feel the least bit possessive of her.

  This woman was another story entirely. Close enough in looks to be thought Jeri’s twin rather than her older sister, Jana had a lost look to her face now that touched something deep inside him that he wasn’t altogether comfortable acknowledging. Instead he focused on the obvious—the fact that she was beautiful and eminently fuckable—or would be if she weren’t so grievously injured.

  He’d heal her as best he could with his strong, but limited skills, then pass her to the experts on Geneth Mar. If he saw her again after that, perhaps he’d be able to act on the unruly desire that coursed through him each time he touched her soft skin, but he would leave that to fate.

  So deciding, he stroked her skin one last time and stood from the bed. He took another hit from the field as he raised his shields a split second before he left the room, but he didn’t want to take the chance of being unshielded even for a moment away from the protection of the field while they could be under attack. He went quickly to the bridge to rejoin the battle, if indeed it was still ongoing.

  When he arrived back on the bridge he found the reflective field had done the trick. That initial jolt, plus the wave of angry energy Jeri sent out, almost uncontrolled except through her connection with Micah, ended the short attack and left the enemy ships dead in space.

  Darak could hardly believe it.

  “What did you do?” He turned his questioning gaze to Jeri and Micah, sitting together on the command chair.

  “Don’t look at me,” Micah replied with a tired smile. “My lady got a little angry and she fried them. Dammit, girl,” he addressed his woman with a fond smile. “Warn me next time you do that.”

  She mumbled something against his chest, clearly drained. Darak shuddered to think of the power they must have emitted to drain two such Talented people. He looked at Agnor for clarification.

  “What exactly happened?”

  Agnor shrugged. “As the captain said, his lady got a little upset when she felt the attack against her sister. The power buildup was like nothing I’ve ever felt before, but luckily it was directed outward. It di
dn’t hit any of us, except maybe peripherally. But it didn’t harm us.”

  “Of course not, Ag,” Micah waved a tired arm. “It wasn’t directed at you guys. You weren’t fool enough to piss her off.” He closed his eyes and snuggled closer to his woman. Something big had definitely happened here to drain them both and disable no less than eleven enemy ships.

  “Holy shit.”

  “Aptly put,” Agnor agreed with him. “She’s mostly untrained, but she does have power. And when she’s angry it seems to grow. This went beyond anything I would have anticipated from either of them, Dar. This was something I’ve never seen before. Something I’ve never even heard of before.”

  “It was amazing,” Seta agreed with wide eyes. “The way she directed the bolt. It bounced from ship to ship, decimating them in less than a minute. They didn’t even have time to retaliate—or to run. They were stung when you put up the field, but that was probably limited to the Talents who were attacking her sister. But this…this…lightning that came from Micah and Jeri disabled the ships themselves!”

  “Psi energy strong enough to affect mechanical systems?” The thought was amazing. There were stories of Shas who could do that kind of thing, but there were only one or two Shas in each generation and they weren’t seen all that often. In fact, for as long as he could remember, there’d only been one old, female Sha who was very reclusive since her mate had died.

  Seta nodded, stunned. “I saw it, but I still don’t quite believe it.”

  “They might have just jumped to a whole new level.” Agnor’s voice was calm, but filled with the awe they were all feeling.

  Help arrived the next day, soon after Jeri and Micah woke from their zombielike sleep. Agnor, Darak and the rest of the crew seemed to be tiptoeing around them, but Micah was too busy dealing with the newly arriving Council ships to question it. He’d get around to it, though. As soon as the new ships were in position, they were heading for home. He’d have time on the voyage back to Geneth Mar to get to the bottom of the weird response from his friends.

  It took a few hours of concentrated work to get the new arrivals up to speed, but the Valiant helped where she could, and within one shift they were on their way. Seta plotted the course, and they made the jump that would take them home. For Jeri, it was the first time she would see Geneth Mar, and Micah spent a few moments worrying over whether she would like it enough to call it home.

  He wanted to build a home there, if she was agreeable, but he hadn’t yet broached the subject with her. His family lived there and he had a place with them, but it was past time for him to create a separate place for himself—and his lady—to call home when they were not among the stars. They had many things to discuss, but it was enough for now to know that their love was mutual, deep and abiding. Everything else would work out…somehow.

  Jeri spent a few hours sitting with her sister while Micah did his work. Darak kept Jana sleeping for several reasons. First, she had pieces of that stone in her body and he didn’t know how it would affect her once she was awake. Second, if she was like other Wizards who’d been separated from the collective, she’d be somewhat lost and unfocused and might be a danger to herself and others with her strong, unrestrained Talent. And lastly, he couldn’t bear to cause her any more pain. Letting her sleep through the long journey meant he wouldn’t have to see her suffer. He wanted the highest-level experts on hand when she woke and though he’d love to see her pretty purple eyes focused on him, he could forego that pleasure if it meant sparing her even a moment of pain.

  “We’re almost done here, Jeri.” Darak moved into the chamber where Jana lay quietly on the bed, her sister stroking her hair as she sat by her side. “We’re on course for home.”

  Jeri’s dark eyes gazed up at him, as if seeking hope. “They’ll have help for her there, right?”

  Darak nodded and came over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder in reassurance. “The very best people we have will be ready and waiting. Uncle Brandon promised, and when you meet him, you’ll understand that he always gets his way. If he wants the High Healers at his beck and call, they come running.” His chuckle was meant to comfort and he was glad to see some of the worry leave her beautiful face.

  “She looks just like I remember her.” Jeri looked back at her sister’s peaceful face, lying so still. “Just a little older and a little lost. She was always such a definite person. Always so decisive. She knew what she wanted, and she worked hard to get it. The horses respected her firm hand and loving heart. I’m afraid the Wizards changed her. She led that attack, for heaven’s sake. I don’t know that Jana. She’s not my Jana. My Jana wouldn’t harm anyone who didn’t threaten someone she loved first.” A tear fell unheeded as her brows drew downward in concern. “She defended me a time or two, and herself when necessary, but she wasn’t a violent girl, Dar. She was a peaceful soul for the most part, not scared of anything, but not a bully by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t see how she could do what she was doing. Attacking innocent people, killing them. Killing horses.” That last part seemed to shock her most of all.

  Darak put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “That wasn’t her, Jeri. That was the Wizard collective. Somewhere inside this lost little soul is that girl you remember. You have to believe that. And if we all try hard enough—including her—she will be the sister you remember once more. You have to believe that, Jeri.”

  She surprised him, reaching up to turn his head toward her so she could kiss his lips softly, in thanks. She was more comfortable with him, but still much more reticent than the rest of his people. It touched him that she would bestow a kiss on him when he knew she wasn’t in the habit of giving them. It made it special.

  “Thank you, Dar. You saved her life and now you’re saving my sanity.” She chuckled as she rose from the bedside, and he followed suit. “You’re a true friend.”

  He was speechless for a moment, his eyes holding hers. “I’m honored that you feel that way, dama.” He bowed low, surprising her, he knew. The moment was special. It deserved honor, as did she. He captured and kissed her hand with the utmost respect, his movements solemn and laden with ceremony. “I will value the honor you give me all the days of my life and protect your life with my own.”

  “Dammit, Dar.” Micah’s voice came from the doorway as he smiled at the picture they made. “Did you just swear fealty to my woman?”

  Darak straightened and grinned foolishly. “Why yes, I believe I did.”

  “Fealty?” Jeri was endearingly confused. He couldn’t resist tugging her close and kissing her on the crown of her head. He let her go just as quickly, laughing at the look on her beautiful face.

  “In days of old on Geneth Mar…” Micah clarified as he strode farther into the room, “…warriors would swear fealty to certain people—men and women in positions of power. Basically it meant that the warrior would protect that person with their very lives in return for that person’s patronage.”

  “Patronage?”

  Micah smiled at her. “Back then it would mean room and board, provisions, a horse and such. Today?” He shrugged. “Maybe we can fob him off with a letter of reference or something.”

  Darak sighed theatrically. “I pledge my life and you want to fob me off?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Jeri said, turning in Micah’s arms to look at him. “If we were on Pantur I could at least manage the horse.”

  “Ah, the fair Jeri has a bigger heart than her chosen mate. I knew you wouldn’t leave me in the lurch, dama.”

  His eyes were serious even though his expression was teasing. She could feel his discomfort, and she wanted to put him at ease. She moved out of Micah’s loose embrace and faced him squarely.

  “I never desert my friends, Darak.” Her dark eyes held his. “The service you’ve done me in saving my sister’s life can never be repaid.”

  He shrugged, but she knew her words touched him. “You owe me nothing, dama.”

  “And why
are you calling me that? I’m still the same girl Micah dragged off Pantur, much to your dismay.” She tried to tease the truth out of him, but it backfired.

  “No, you’re not.” Darak took a deep breath, his whole expression changing. “You’ve evolved into something that is downright amazing, Jeri. As have you, cousin.” His gaze sought Micah’s, moving between the two with great seriousness. “The rest of us have been talking. Agnor and Seta are half convinced you’re both Shas after what you did to disable those enemy ships.”

  “What?” Micah was clearly flabbergasted.

  “Think about it, cuz. That lightning bolt you two sent out was pure psi energy. It shouldn’t have been able to disable mechanical systems.”

  “Holy shit.” Micah was eloquent as he thought through the occurrence he hadn’t had time to really dwell on just yet.

  “No kidding.” Darak looked at Jeri. “The amount of energy you two put out disabled eleven ships—some of them bigger than the Valiant. No way could Uncle Brandon have done that, and he’s the strongest Talent we know.”

  “Maybe two Viziers together?” Micah offered, clearly at a loss.

  Darak shook his head. “Ag and I searched the records. He’s made a study of Talent levels because of his role in testing and training. Only Shas have ever manifested psi energy sufficient enough to affect mechanical systems in such a radical way. Ag ’pathed Uncle Brandon again while you two were asleep. They’re sending the enemy ships under seal to him for study. They want to know exactly what you two did to them.”

  “Oh man.” Micah rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “So this is why everyone’s acting so strangely.”

  “Got it in one, cuz.”

  “Well you can all just stop it.” Jeri didn’t like the uneasiness between the two men who had always been the best of friends. “No matter what we can or can’t do, Micah and I are still the same people. Dammit, Darak, you will not make him feel like some kind of freak.”