Hunting a Soul Read online

  She sobbed, and Veera simply sat next to her, waiting out the storm.

  She apologized for her lack of control.

  “No apology is necessary. If you can cry for yourself, you can feel sympathy for others. I would be more concerned if you merely sat there.” Veera smiled and got to her feet. “Rest, recover, and when you are released, come for tea.”

  “How will I know when I am to go to the counsellor?”

  “Your driver will come find you. He is very good.” Veera left the medical centre with her robes swaying as she walked.

  Leadra could hear a cry outside the door and recognized Fixit’s welcome sound. Apparently, he was up from his nap.

  Krix wiggled in her embrace and he started to snore gently. He was a definite reminder that she was no longer alone. She fought off tears when she realised that she really needed that reminder.

  Recovery with a Yaluthu at her side was rapid, and in one day, she went from incredibly exhausted to fighting fit.

  To her surprise, a young girl with brilliantly striped yellow skin came to her and offered her escort to her quarters.

  “Thank you.”

  “Zeeba. My name is Zeeba.”

  “Thank you, Zeeba. My name is Leadra; you can call me Lee.” She got to her feet and lifted Krix in her arm.

  “This way, Novice Lee.” Zeeba took her free hand and tugged her along.

  “Have you been here long?”

  “Two years. I was born here. I age at four times the normal rate for my mother’s species, but the doctors say I am stable.” She repeated her diagnosis with direct charm.

  “That is good, isn’t it?”

  “It is very good. I have hopes of being a healer myself one day.”

  They entered a common area, and Leadra was surprised by the number of children running around and out to the gardens.

  “Why are there so many children? No offense.”

  Zeeba sighed. “The Raiders were trying to breed more and more talents, so the Citadel and Sector Guard on Balen went out and brought home those who had been experimented on. That meant a lot of women who were going to have babies.”

  Leadra backed quickly away from the topic. Some of the children looked even older than Zeeba, so there must have been some tampering involved.

  Zeeba led her up the steps and to the fifth floor of the building. “You need shielded quarters so that your mind won’t open up when you sleep.”

  That was sound logic. “I guess that medical is shielded?”

  “Definitely. Can you imagine training empaths dealing with all that pain?”

  “Uh, no, I can see how that would be horrible.”

  “It would. Here is your room. You can key it to your palm print for now and your psychic print later.” Zeeba smiled and waited.

  “Are you coming in with me?”

  “Yup. You need to learn how things work. The other four talents from Resicor needed the same information yesterday, so I will wait until you can run everything from the wardrobe to the com system.”

  Bemused, Leadra let her in and the tour and tutorial began. Leadra had to admit she was glad of the instruction. All Krix wanted to do was check out his stairs to both his bed and hers.

  “Is the Yaluthu bed a standard thing?”

  “No, but they are common enough that there are always spares in the quartermaster’s office.”

  Leadra ordered a snack, made some tea and demonstrated working knowledge of all the features in her bathroom. The final item was the com unit, and just as she was getting the hang of using call codes and attaching them to people, there was a knock on her door.

  Zeeba bounced out of her chair and pressed a panel that displayed a large, grim-looking man with spots surrounding his features and running into the heavy leather of his tunic. She bounced up and down. “It’s N’ran.”

  She opened the door, and the grim features shifted into a soft smile. “Hello, Zeeba. Is Novice Leadra here?”

  Zeeba nodded. “She is, but she hasn’t changed yet. Can you wait for her?”

  N’ran smiled, his brilliant purple eyes sparkled. “Only for three minutes. You had better dress your dolly.”

  Zeeba frowned. “Then, you had better stay outside.”

  She closed the door in his face and turned to Leadra. “We need to hurry.”

  Krix bounced up and down as Zeeba pulled out a dark bodysuit and white robes.

  “Put these on as fast as you can. N’ran doesn’t like to wait, and he would leave without you if he could.”

  Leadra grabbed the clothing and headed into the bathroom to change. She peeled out of the baggy suit before removing the dome suit. It felt good to wear something else, something that fit but didn’t cut her off from the world around them.

  The suit was deep red, and it had patches on the sides that accentuated her waist. When she slipped on the robes, it covered the details on the suit, but she still knew what was under them.

  She flipped her long hair down her back and headed out into the main room. Zeeba clapped excitedly and opened the door again. “She’s ready.”

  Krix hopped over and Leadra scooped him up. She nodded at her driver. “I am ready.”

  He looked her over and smiled at Krix. “Then come with me, Novice Leadra.”

  Leadra made sure that Zeeba exited with them, and she closed the door to her quarters. N’ran lifted Zeeba on his shoulder, and they walked down the stairs as a group with Zeeba.

  He released her on the main floor, and she ran off. N’ran finally looked Leadra in the eyes. “Are you ready?”

  She held on to Krix and he chortled softly. “I suppose so.”

  “Then come this way.”

  He gestured to a path out through the gardens, and she followed along.

  The trip to the Guard base was exhilarating, and her first therapy session was a trip through hell. She definitely had had better days.

  Chapter Three

  N’ran kept throwing her concerned looks, but he didn’t ask if she was all right. On their way back to the Citadel, he took her down every crevice and canyon that he could think of.

  Every time she thought she had herself under control, she burst out in tears again. Krix had been ordered to stay in the back seat while she took some time to grieve, but he was fretting.

  Finally, her eyes were dry and her face was puffy but she felt empty.

  Krix must have felt the shift in her thoughts, because he bounded up and over the seats into her arms.

  She sighed in relief.

  “So, was that an exercise in self-torture?”

  Leadra shook her head. “I hadn’t grieved for my family yet, so he got me started.”

  “How long has it been?”

  She swallowed, “Just over three years.”

  “How did they die?”

  She rubbed Krix. “That is complicated, but they were all murdered.”

  He went silent.

  She swallowed again. “It is the reason I went into training.”

  “We all have our reasons. Some are societal, some are personal, but we all answered the call to make ourselves more and better when the time came. In the end, it isn’t why we came that is important; it is the fact that we did it. You chose to do more and to be something more. That counts for a lot.”

  Leadra looked at him, and she felt a small smile on her lips. “Thank you. That helps.”

  He grinned. “Good. Now, what kind of training are you taking?”

  “Um, they have a specialist arriving tomorrow.”

  “For the psychic side. What are they doing for your defense and battle training?”

  She tilted her head. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Mention it to Veera. She will schedule someone if she hasn’t already.”

  Leadra stroked Krix until they arrived at the Citadel. She felt better. Lighter.

  “Do you have someone to eat with?” N’ran asked her casually.


  “Just Krix. He is pretty good company.”

  “May I join you two?”

  She blinked. “Please. I am not really sure what to eat, so I am going to have to figure out what will and won’t work.”

  “Ah, culinary adventure, everyone’s favourite time at the Citadel. Allow me to help out.”

  Krix squirmed to get down, and so she placed him on the floor, watching him waddle happily to play with a rainbow of other Yaluthu.

  “He will come back when you have food or if you need him. You two are bonded now.”

  She chuckled. “I know. I was just worried about him getting run over by one of the kids.”

  “They know to keep an eye out for the little ones. Come on, after a day like today, you need some fortification.”

  He coaxed her toward the food court and helped her find the foods that were close to what she was used to and easy for her to digest. The colour coding next to the platters helped.

  Once she had her food and some seeds for Krix, she headed to a table that was out of the way and N’ran joined her.

  “Why aren’t you dressed in Citadel gear?” She asked him.

  The blush that ran through her face a moment later was hot. The dark, tight leather that he wore was fascinating to look at, but it didn’t match any of the robes that swirled around the building.

  He grinned. “I am part of an exchange program. Balen has agreed to accept some children of Repsak, which is my world. It is a cross-training program for talents.”

  “Is Zeeba one of your species?”

  He rocked a hand from side to side. “It is too early to tell. She bears the physical characteristics of one of ours, and children like her are the reason I am here. If there is a development of any additional cues, they wanted three or four of us here to keep an eye on them.”

  “Were they all fathered by someone from your world?”

  He tilted his head and made a face. “It is hard to say. The women were implanted with the altered material. They never saw the male from whom the material was taken.”

  Leadra blinked at the very sterile manner in which he had described a form of torture on the part of both the male and the female.

  “Was he recovered?”

  N’ran sighed. “His body was. He was an excellent warrior and a stellar peacekeeper.”

  “Did you know him?”

  He nodded. “I did, and for the chance that one of these children will be one one-thousandth of the talent that he was, I am here and watching over them.”

  “Is Repsak also a living world?”

  He smiled brightly. “It is.”

  “Resicor recently developed an Avatar, so I am familiar with the concept.”

  “How are your people handling it?”

  She sighed. “With talents finally willing to expose themselves without fear, the normal population is realising that there is no profit in hate and paranoia. They don’t benefit from turning in their family members anymore. There is a wave of change that Trala is dealing with, and it is good that she has folks around her who will help her hold onto the hearts and minds of Resicor through trust and good works, not brainwashing.”

  She touched the tiny drop of the pendant under her suit. It was like having the touch of a guarding parent with her at all times. That was what she felt it was anyway.

  Krix hopped up and down at her feet, chirping. She grinned and hoisted him onto the table. She cupped seeds in her hand and held it out while he nibbled.

  “He is a vocal one.” N’ran smiled.

  “He matches your eyes.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she could have kicked herself.

  “He does, doesn’t he? Too bad he didn’t pick me. I would have made an excellent partner.”

  “How do they pick their companions? I see a bunch of them running around with no particular direction or purpose but everyone can play with them.”

  “No one knows. Some folks think it is need on the part of the chosen companion, but others think it is a synchronicity between the two.”

  “Huh. Fixit knew that I would be the right one for Krix the moment that we touched. I saw Krix, but I didn’t realise that it was the same species as Fixit until Veera explained it.”

  He chuckled and reached out to stroke Krix. “Yes, they are cute at this stage and fearsome at their adult form. The baldness in the middle is rather amusing, but the little ones that appear make the awkwardness worth it.”

  “How many little ones?”

  “As few as three, as many as eight. They are now registered as an indigenous species of Balen.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Balen recently resurfaced itself. It woke from an ice age and welcomed a new Avatar and the Sector Guard and Citadel.”

  “And the Yaluthu?”

  “Veera came to Citadel Balen, and she and her partner went on one of the missions, returning with not only Fixit but others of his kind. She was offered the position as administrator here, and thus, Fixit and the Yaluthu got a new home.”

  A familiar voice laughed, “And we all lived happily ever after.”

  Veera sat with them and Fixit chirped hello.

  “When you are done, I would like to go over your schedule if that is all right?” Veera smiled politely at Leadra.

  “Of course.”

  N’ran picked up her empty tray and then his own. “I will leave you to it, and tomorrow, I will take you to your appointment again.”

  “Thank you, N’ran. You were…it was nice having someone to talk to.” She smiled briefly.

  He gave her a solemn nod. “It was my pleasure. I will see you tomorrow.” He left and took the empty plates with him.

  Veera watched him go and blinked slightly. “Wow. That is the first time I have ever seen him acting in a social capacity for anyone other than the children.”

  Leadra hunched her shoulders. “I had a bit of a breakdown in front of him. It was pity and nothing more.”

  Veera chuckled. “I don’t think so. N’ran is a Master Hunter of Repsak. Hunters can’t pity their prey.”

  “I don’t think he considers me prey.”

  “If you say so. Now, come with me and we will get your schedule sorted.”

  Leadra scooped Krix up and held him near her shoulder. He squirmed around, and using his beak and his pudgy feet, he pulled his puffball of a body up to her shoulder. He settled in and chuckled in triumph. Fixit chirped in approval and they headed for the lift to reach the administration offices.

  When the schedule was laid out, it was comprehensive and placed her therapy at the end of the physical day. N’ran had agreed to pick her up from all of her workouts and he would fly her to her appointment each and every day.

  “He knew that I was scheduled for combat training and he didn’t say a thing.”

  Veera cocked her head. “He only parts with the information that is needed to accomplish his results. I am surprised that he encouraged you.”

  Leadra thought about her day. “I think he knew I needed to think about the future, even if it was only tomorrow.”

  “Then, you had better get to bed and rest up. Tomorrow is going to be a helluva day.”

  Fixit shrieked and flapped his wings in encouragement. Krix copied the sound. It was unanimous. She was going to get her butt kicked.

  Chapter Four

  Being pummelled by a stranger should have been a new experience, but in the dome, she had been confined with one of her brother’s victims. The man had super strength in the normal world, and bound in the restrictor suit, he had still been far larger than she was. It wasn’t always possible to get away unscathed.

  “Enough, Novice. You are not defending yourself. Why don’t you go on the attack?” Her instructor sighed in frustration.

  Leadra blinked and got to her feet. “Am I supposed to?”

  “What would you do on your world if you were attacked?”

  “Scream and call for
help.”

  Timorla sighed and ran a hand through her close-cropped hair. “You need to want to defeat your opponent.”

  “But I don’t.” She slumped her shoulders.

  A woman walked in from the door to the change room and shook her head. “She doesn’t want to hit a physical being, Timorla. She is after a specter.”

  “Master Zeyan, I am honoured to have you in my session, but why are you here?”

  “Leadra can see souls, and I am here to test the limits of her talent.” Zeyan’s red hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she smiled at Leadra. “Hello, Novice.”

  “Master Zeyan.” Leadra inclined her head. “Thank you for coming to help me.”

  “Change your clothing and come with me. I have some items for you to practice with. It would be easier if we had a local graveyard or a recent death, but the folk of Balen are repulsively healthy.” Zeyan grinned.

  “I will be back in a moment.” Leadra quickly changed and flashed a solar blast to clean off the sweat. She scooped up Krix on her way out of the changing area.

  She felt prim and proper when she returned to face her new instructor, and Zeyan was chatting quietly with Timorla.

  Zeyan nodded and left her conversational partner, taking Leadra by the hand and leading her through the halls to an empty classroom that had a series of boxes lined up on the dais. With the door closed behind them, Zeyan smiled brightly. “Your Yaluthu can remain here as long as it doesn’t interfere.”

  “He is a little sleepy anyway.” Leadra tucked him into a comfortable-looking chair and followed Zeyan’s lead.

  “In each and every box, there is a soul. You have two choices, read the soul or bring the soul out to speak on its own. If you can do that, we will have something to work with.”

  “If I can’t do either?”

  “You are not trying hard enough. You have already demonstrated the first skill, so take your time and ask the boxes to reveal their secrets.”

  It seemed weird, but Leadra stepped in front of the first box and stared into it. To her surprise, there was something staring back.