Talent For Trouble (3 page)

There was so much more he wanted to say to her. Things that had been rattling around in his brain since almost the first moment he’d touched her. She’d been so badly injured and near death after that last battle. Uncomfortable things surfaced in his mind that had him questioning his own sanity, his feelings, his future.

He was starting to think that she
was
his future. And that scared him spitless. But he tried to follow the same advice he’d just given her. He was letting things happen and leaving a lot up to fate. He didn’t know where these startling new feelings were coming from, and he didn’t know where they’d lead, but he wanted to find out. No, he
needed
to find out.

He had to feel her body against his again, just for a moment. Darak pulled her as gently as he could into his arms. She didn’t protest; though, at first, she was a bit stiff as he rubbed comforting circles on her back.

“Just relax, Jana. Let it all go. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” He nestled his head next to hers, breathing in the fresh spring fragrance of her hair. She made him feel good in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. “Your only job now is to finish healing. Then, I’ll take you to the Council.”

She tensed at his words. “I’m not looking forward to that.”

He stroked her softly, sending out a tendril of his healing energy into the scars that caused her small hurts, wishing he could heal her mind as easily.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way, Jana.”

She pulled back, her face scrunched up in confusion as she watched him.

“Why, Darak? Why are you being so kind to me?”

“Because I have to. I don’t know why, but I know you need me, and I need to be there for you.”

“This is more than a healer looking after his patient, isn’t it?” She sounded suspicious.

“Yes, that’s true. Though, in some remote areas of this galaxy, people still believe that if you save a life, you are responsible for that person for the rest of their lives.”

“You have no responsibility toward me.”

“Ah, but there you’re wrong. Not only because you’re now a cousin-in-law. There’s more to it than that. Some connection formed when I healed you, I guess. It’s more…” He found it hard to describe what he felt. “It’s something I can’t explain.”

She shocked him by placing her warm little palm against his heart, pressing close.

“I was empathic, even as a child, Darak. Even without focusing my Talent, I can feel a little of what you’re feeling.” She closed her eyes, concentrating without drawing on her Talent. That would have been too dangerous. But the energy currents lived in the air around all beings, they both knew, and that might be enough for her to learn entirely too much about what drove him now.

He pulled back, and her eyes opened in confusion.

“Don’t do it, Jana. You don’t want to know what I’m feeling.”

She tilted her head to the side, studying him.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not ready for it.” His voice dropped low, and his gaze held hers as the tension between them grew thick.

“Not ready for what? The truth?”

“The truth…” he tugged her a little roughly back into his arms, “…and this.” His lips met hers with a passion he hadn’t yet shown her. He devoured her mouth, licking, sucking and even nipping his way past all her defenses. She moaned as he started a rhythm with his tongue that was echoed in her suddenly aching pussy.

CHAPTER TWO

Darak came to visit her again, several weeks later. It was the longest he’d gone between visits, and Jana was sure his neglect had to do with the rather strong emotions he had revealed during his last visit. She didn’t bring it up and neither did he, each very circumspect in their conversation while Healer Barath checked her a final time.

Barath was a Specitar who excelled only in healing, and that to a very great degree. He had overseen her treatment, and he took a moment to explain what had been done with her injuries to Darak, though he had never done so before to her knowledge. Yet, Darak seemed to know too much about her specific injuries as she listened to him talk with the older man—more than he should have known from just his initial treatment of her to save her life.

She eyed him suspiciously until the old healer left the room.

“What?” The smirk was back, and it served as a warning to her. Darak was in his typical devilish mood.

“You’ve been checking up on me.”

He nodded, not embarrassed in the least to be caught. “The Council asked me to keep tabs on your progress since I have some healing ability and was already familiar with your injuries.”

She sat back against her pillows, deflated for a moment, but she still didn’t trust him.

“I don’t understand how your rankings work. Why are you a Master Mage and Barath a Specitar? What makes you any different from him and vice versa?”

Darak sat in the visitor chair, sprawling negligently. If he’d calculated his posture, it couldn’t be sexier, she thought. But it just came to this rogue naturally.

“Ah, I think I understand. Specitars only have one or, at most, two psi abilities. Their Talent is very directed, totally channeled to their specific abilities, and they excel in those areas. But only in those areas. It’s a relatively rare condition. Most of us have Talent in a broader range of things. For example, I can heal, but I also have telepathic and some telekinetic abilities. I can channel my power to any number of tasks, not just healing or ‘pathing or whatever. Barath can only heal. That’s it. He’s a one-trick pony. But that one trick, he does better than anyone else.”

“So, how do they rank Specitars? How do they know who’s the strongest among them?”

“There are relatively few of them. In order to become a Specitar, you have to manifest your one Talent at Mage level or above. From what I’ve seen, Specitars tend to group themselves by what they do. The telepaths gravitate toward each other, the healers to healers, and so on. Among themselves, they get to know who has the strongest ability, and they sort themselves out, I think. They have their own Council that is part of the larger Mage Council, and they handle specific tasks unique to their abilities—teaching, testing and the like.”

“It sounds very complicated.” Jana scratched her head as she thought through what he’d just told her. “The collective was so different. We were all just cogs in the wheel, and the Voice told us who would lead and what to do at all times.”

“The Voice?” Darak seemed suddenly interested and alert, though his slouching posture hadn’t changed.

“The Voice of the collective. At least, that’s what I call it. It was what, or perhaps
who,
gave all the orders. I can still hear it murmuring in the back of my mind, but I think it’s unaware of me.”

This time, he sat up. “How do you know?”

“If it knew I was within hearing, it would give me orders. It would try to control me again.” She looked at him as if he were slow. Fear shot through her at the thought, making her shiver. “It doesn’t know I can still hear it. If it ever finds out, I’m done for.”

Darak sat on the edge of her bed, reaching out one hand to stroke her hair. “I seriously doubt that, Jana.”

“Why?”

“Besides two very angry Shas and one Mage Master standing firmly between you and the collective, there’s your own very strong Talent. I doubt you would ever succumb to their dominion again. Not now that you’re fully aware of it.” He stood, letting her go. “Come, we have places to go and things to do today. I’ve come to officially spring you from this facility and escort you to the family. Jeri and Micah arrived back yesterday and your sister wants very much to see you.”

They went in a small private craft that Darak piloted expertly. The family compound was huge, richly appointed, and beautiful. The wealth and power of this family was not lost on Jana. She noted the graceful architecture and sprawling lands. She saw horses, too, roaming freely in one huge area that had been set aside for them, probably at her sister’s request. Darak had told Jana about Micah’s wedding gift to his bride—a tropical island where her horses could roam free.

Jana hadn’t realized until that moment how she had missed the herds of huge beasts that she’d been raised to train. Most of her childhood teaching was forgotten or suppressed by the collective’s training, but she felt a yearning to be as free as those majestic animals she saw galloping below the small craft as they came in for a landing.

“Jeri has had quite an effect on our family lands already. The herd came when she called, and now, they won’t leave.” Darak apparently saw the direction of her gaze.

She could feel his admiration for the beasts, though, belying his gruff words. “Do you know horses? Do you ride?”

“Not well. Though it is something I’ve always wanted to learn.”

She was amazed that he’d give such information to her so freely. This was not a man used to exposing any sort of weakness, and she doubted he failed at any endeavor he tried, but then, perhaps he had another motive in revealing so much. Perhaps he was making a sort of peace offering, letting her feel superior in some small way while she was so completely within his control.

“Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about riding. That is, if I remember how myself.” She chuckled as the horses left her line of sight and the craft descended. “It’s been too long.”

He landed the craft skillfully, reinforcing her impression of his capabilities. Darak seemed to excel at just about anything he tried. No doubt he would prove an able rider, as well, for all his protestations. But riding would have to wait. She was still pretty weak and unable to get very far on her own. Darak, in fact, had to help her stand and support her on one side.

He hit the control that would open the ship and lower the ramp, and then, he walked her out, helping her with each careful step down the incline. She was watching her feet intently, hoping to avoid a fall. She didn’t see the undignified ball of energy that was her sister come hurtling up the steep ramp to engulf her in a hug until it was nearly too late to avoid a spill.

But Darak was there, supporting them both, his strong arms surrounding Jana from behind while Jeri gripped her from the front.

“Jana!” Jeri’s voice came to her through tears and tight squeezes. Jana was not altogether surprised to feel an answering wetness on her own cheeks.

“Little Jeri-berry. Thank the stars.” Jana couldn’t say more then, completely overcome by emotion as she hugged Jeri close.

She felt Darak leave her, secure enough on her feet now with Jeri’s tight embrace. She missed his warm presence, but she needed this time with her little sister. Goddess, how she’d missed her!

They hugged and cried, each overwhelmed by the other’s presence. It was a low male voice that finally broke through their joyful tears. A voice Jana did not recognize.

“You two should probably come inside where we can sit. There is much to discuss.” The voice was gentle, concerned, and she could tell it wasn’t just concern for Jeri, but for Jana as well. She knew her legs were trembling, and the man, whoever he was, could probably see it plainly. Suddenly, she realized who the tall man must be.

“You’re Micah?”

Jeri pulled back and reached out one hand to the man, bringing him closer. There were stars in her eyes when she looked at him. Jana almost envied the love she read in her sister’s gaze; for it was obvious these two were very much in love with each other, even to her.

“Jana, this is my husband.”

“Darak has told me much about you, Lord Micah.”

“All of it bad, I’m sure.” He winked at her, his smile disarming as he led them indoors. Instantly, Darak was at her side, his strong arm ready to support her as she took slow steps toward the nearby doorway.

“I only spoke the truth, Micah. Can I help it if you’re a troublemaker?” Darak joked easily with his cousin, a twinkle in his eye that was enchanting.

Jeri laughed. “I think you have that the other way around, Dar. Micah’s a saint compared to you.”

“Now that, I believe.” Jana spoke before she even realized she would, surprising herself as they all laughed. Darak’s arm squeezed her as he helped her inside, but she could tell he was enjoying her joke, not upset at all by her words.

They sat together for over an hour, sipping cool drinks brought by quiet and efficient servants, catching up on all that had happened. At times, Jeri and Jana were nearly overwhelmed by emotion, but Micah would pull Jeri into his arms and she would find comfort there, much as Darak’s strong presence at her side did for Jana. She realized something else after a time—her sister was shielding her, holding her safe within incredibly powerful shields that didn’t allow anything in to possibly hurt her while, at the same time, protecting her from her own unpredictable energies.

She had never heard of anything like it before, but then, she had never met anyone with her sister’s level of power before. It was truly amazing.

Jana grew silent as the full reality of what was happening hit her.

“What is it?” Darak, as usual, was the first to note the change in her.

Jana blinked at her baby sister. “Jeri, I didn’t truly appreciate before how strong you’ve grown.” Her words were hesitant as she sent out the barest of probes to test the phenomenon that was surrounding her, keeping her safe even from herself.

“Don’t, Jana.” Micah’s voice was firm as he reached forward to take her hand. “Until you’ve had time to heal more, you shouldn’t try to harness even the smallest of your abilities. It could do further damage.”

Jana stopped at once, her eyes wide with horror. “Oh, no! Did I hurt you?”

Jeri laughed, but not unkindly. “Micah meant you could damage yourself further. We’ve been holding the pain away, but without it, you might not realize if you pushed a little too far.”

“Holding the pain away? You can do that?” Jana gasped.

“We thought it was best during this first meeting,” Micah answered. “I know strong emotion can bring out unexpected spikes in Talent, and we didn’t want you hurt by this meeting, so we’ve been cushioning you, if you will.”

“Wow.”

“I told you your little sis had done well,” Darak teased. “She and my cousin are two of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, but I help make sure it doesn’t go to their heads.”