Eclipse of the Soul: The Interdimensional Saga, Book 2 (4 page)

While I was telling my story, I noticed that Lancer and
Ash both were sitting very stiffly next to me and both had clenched their fists
in their laps. They had a very upset look on their faces and Lancer kept
running his fingers through his hair. This is what he did whenever he was
stressed out. I hoped they weren’t mad at me for getting caught like that. At
least I got myself out of there without any help.

After I finished telling my story, half of the extra
troops went back home. But one of the squads were assigned to stay here with
us. I asked how long they would be with us but the General couldn’t tell me.

“I think we need a two squad presence until we can
destroy this nest of rippers. They have taken too many humans back to Sendryl
and turned them into hybrids. And now we have lost two of our best soldiers to
ripper attacks. Commander, you have whatever you need. The Council wants these
beasts brought down and for you to make sure that no more hybrids make their
way back to our home.

“There is chatter about another terrorist strike soon.
We don’t have any idea where they will strike next, so if you can capture a few
rippers and extract the information we might be able to stop the next attack.”

The General took me to the Commander’s office to finish
his questioning of me. Lancer accompanied us since he was my squad leader.

“Please, take a seat B’Lana. Do you want anything to eat
or drink?”

“Actually, I am thirsty and could use something to eat.
Maybe a bagel?” Lancer went out and asked someone to get me a coffee and a
bagel then came in and took the seat next to me. The General was sitting in the
Commander’s chair behind the desk while the Commander was sitting in a chair
next to the filing cabinet.

“Ok, tell me again how the ripper was able to taste your
blood and what his reaction to it was.” I really didn’t want to relive that
part of the night, shoot I didn’t want to relive any part of the night.

It was almost six am by the time I was done with the
questioning. Lancer walked me back to my room and told me to sleep in as long
as I wanted to. When I woke up he planned on taking me to my favorite café, as
long as it was still light out. He wasn’t going to let me near any rippers for
a while.

◊◊◊

When we
returned from our late lunch, the general was still there along with one extra
squad. Lancer told me that the squad would be looking around for the rippers
and our squad would be back-up when the time came. But I was to stay back at HQ
and monitor everything remotely. I was not too happy with that and we ended up
arguing.

“Lancer
you do know that I got myself out of the master’s lair, right? My abilities are
kicking in and I think I did a really good job of taking care of myself.”

“Yes,
you got yourself out of there, but you should not have been kidnapped to begin
with. If you had been more prepared you wouldn’t have been captured.” Lancer
gave me a very pointed look at that point. He was still quite upset that I was
captured.

Just
then the General approached me and asked me what my abilities were.

“Sir, I
noticed that my strength and stamina were increased and I had an easier time of
fighting off the rippers while I was escaping versus when I was kidnapped. I
think the adrenaline rush helped me to further develop.

“In
training when I used a sword it was heavier and I had a difficult time
commanding the sword. But those two swords I stole from the master were lighter
and easier to swing than our practice swords.” I looked at the general with
confidence and certainty in my face while telling him about my new fighting
abilities.

“I
really think that I could do well in the field next time. With two squads I
should be safe enough to go and test this theory, don’t you think?” I addressed
the general and ignored the look Lancer was giving me at that moment. He really
didn’t want me in the field. I almost took a ‘peek’ at what he was thinking,
but decided I really didn’t want to know.

“B’Lana,
we can’t take a chance that the rippers will be able to kidnap you again. Until
your squad leader tells me you are ready for the field I am ordering you to stay
back here and monitor the videos. This will be a good time for you to get in
more practice as well. With all of the warriors here you should be setting up
schedules to train with each and every one of them. They all have something
they can teach you.

“Are
there any more abilities you have noticed? Our history teaches that some of the
hybrids developed special abilities; beside strength, speed and stamina. I
wonder if you will develop anything else. Pay close attention and let me know
if you sense anything new or different about your abilities. And Lancer, I
expect you to report anything you notice as well.

“I will
be here for another week and then I must go back home. I hope to see some of
your training while I am here B’Lana. We have high hopes for your abilities.”
The general then turned around and walked back toward the surveillance room.

“Lancer,
he makes me nervous. If I were to develop any special abilities, what would
happen to me?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but I knew that I really did
need to know what would happen if the General found out. I also needed to know
if I could trust Lancer with my secret.

“I think
you would be taken back to Sendryl and they would run some tests on you and
want to see your abilities in action. It would all be safe, but I doubt you
would come back to Earth.” Lancer looked at me with sad eyes. I got the feeling
he would not have liked that outcome.

This was
all starting to make me nervous. I needed to talk to someone about this but I
knew that if I told Lancer and he didn’t report it, he would be disobeying a
direct order from the General. I couldn’t put that kind of pressure on him.

I was
actually surprised he hadn’t mentioned my mind reading abilities yet. I had
mentioned it to him a couple times already. But he either didn’t believe it, or
had just forgotten about it.

The only
other person I could talk to was Ash. So I told Lancer that I was tired and
would see him later.

I walked
away and started looking for Ash. Turns out he was looking for me as well. I
found him a couple of doors away from my room.

“Ash, I
need to talk to you in private.” I said as I pulled his arm and directed him to
my room.

“Oh, I
like private.” He looked at me with a huge smile and was about to say something
flirty but I cut him off.

“Ash,
I’m serious. I need to talk to someone and I need it to stay between us. Can I
trust you to keep a secret?” I looked into his eyes and debated if I could
really trust him or not.

“Yes,
you can tell me anything and I will keep it between us.” He said seriously. It
was probably the most serious he had ever been with me. I decided I needed to
trust someone and he was going to be that someone.

“Ash,
when I was with the master, I could hear his thoughts. I think I have the
ability to read minds. I need you to think something that you wouldn’t normally
say to me.” He smiled and started to walk closer to me but I stopped him.

“I’m
serious Ash. I really do think I can do this. When I was getting away, I could
sense the rippers around me by listening for their thoughts. That is how I was
able to get away.” I wasn’t about to tell him about the nosferatu.

Even
though I trusted him with this huge secret, I wasn’t sure I could tell him what
I discovered about the hybrid rippers just yet. It was just too creepy and
scary to think that they might really be brain dead.

“Ok,
seriously think something that I wouldn’t expect.”

I opened
up my mind and focused on Ash and his thoughts. At first I wasn’t sure if he
was thinking what I heard, but then realized he was. Of course he was.

I walked
closer to him and put my hands on his chest then slowly moved them down over
his pecs.
Man this guy has some serious muscles!
Then my hands moved
down to his abs and I realized he had a six pack stomach, maybe even an eight
pack. But I wasn’t going to bring my hands down low enough to check that
theory. I moved my hands around his side and that was when he stepped even
closer to me.

I heard
his breath hitch as I stopped my hands on his sides, just above his belt. I was
tempted to look into his eyes, but I was afraid of what I might see there. Or
what he might see in my eyes.

When I
moved my hands to his low back he put his hands around my waist and dug his
fingers into my shirt.
Did he just moan? I could have sworn he moaned.
Then he pulled me up close to his body.

I ran my
hands slowly up his back and he held me even tighter and leaned his face into
my neck. I was really enjoying the closeness and started to feel my cheeks heat
up as I was getting bothered by all of the touching. By the time I moved my
hands up to his shoulders he had his mouth right next to my ear.

“B’Lana,
if you don’t stop this I won’t be able to think straight.” Ash whispered into
my ear. Which caused goose bumps all down my back.

I took
that moment to kiss his cheek and then stepped back out of the warmth of his
arms.

“Ash, is
that what you were thinking just now?” I took a deep breath and then squared my
shoulders and looked up to his eyes. What I saw there excited and scared me.
For a brief minute his eyes showed how vulnerable he was to me right then and
there. But also the deep passion he was feeling for me. I was more frightened
of him in that moment than I ever was with the master.

Ash
released the breath he was holding and slumped down on my cot. He ran his
fingers through his hair while he was catching his breath.

“B’Lana,
how could you know that was what I was fantasizing about? Can you really read
my mind, anytime you want?” He looked at me with fear in his eyes. He was
probably afraid I would be able to read him anytime I wanted now. But I had no
desire to read his thoughts, romantic or otherwise.

“Ash, I
thought I could read you and Lancer before we went on the op, but I wasn’t
sure. I couldn’t always ‘hear’ what you were thinking so I figured I must be
getting to know you both well enough to read you, not psychically hear you.

“But
when I was with the master, I heard him say something that no one else reacted
to. So I figured it was something psychic. I tried to listen to his thoughts
while looking at him to make sure he wasn’t moving his lips. And I could hear
his real plans for me.

“When he
sent me to his quarters I continued to try to listen for his thoughts. I heard
them but then he moved away and I lost the connection. So I figured I had to be
close enough to the person before I could hear them.

“I
decided to try the guy outside of my door. His name was Marshall and he was the
first one I killed. He really deserved it too. That vampire was disgusting! I
knew I was hearing someone’s thoughts because no way was he saying that out
loud. So then I tried to listen to other rippers.

“I let
my senses flow and found I could hear someone else too. It was another ripper
who was thinking about me and drinking my blood. I heard his plans to try and
taste me and decided that I had to get out of there before he talked Marshall
into his plan. I knew Marshall would go for it based on what I heard from him.”
I continued to tell him what I did to get out of there and how I used my
ability to hear or sense the thoughts of others while I quietly made my way out
of the sewers. I even told him about the human I crossed paths with once I got
topside.

“So you
see I can hear humans, rippers, and fae. As long as they are close enough for
me to sense them. But I don’t know how far away they can be. This is something
I should probably test. Will you help me keep my secret and test the distance?”

Ash
stood up and put his hands on my shoulders and looked right into my eyes, “Yes,
I will help you and I will keep your secret too.”

Just
then I heard a knock on my door. I stepped away from Ash and called, “Come in.”

Lancer
walked in and looked between Ash and me, when he looked at me both his eyebrows
shot up and his eyes went wide with surprise. “I’m sorry if I interrupted
something, but B’Lana you said you were tired. I thought you were going to lie
down and get some rest. Why is Ash is here?”

“I was
just checking on her to make sure she was ok. She had quite the experience
yesterday. And I wanted to make sure she knew I would help her with hand to
hand combat when she was ready. I don’t want her getting kidnapped again.” Ash
looked at Lancer the entire time while he was fidgeting with his hands. He kept
putting them in his pockets and then taking them out, like he was nervous.

“Lancer,
thank you for checking up on me. Looks like my squad is a bit overprotective.
But I appreciate the thought. I really am tired, so if you boys will excuse me,
I would like to lay down, alone.” That last sentiment was directed towards Ash.