HeartbeatofSilence Read online

  When her mind broke open, she had to stop performing. The thoughts of the people in the audience were distracting to say the least. As her mental net expanded, she was unable to function even to the point of maintaining her own body.

  She vaguely remembered years of life support and the agony of thoughts not her own ripping through her mind. While travelling in space, the effect was muted, but when she first landed on Farellen, she had been completely helpless for weeks.

  Now, she was back in space, and she wanted to find a way to fend off that feeling of dependence and helplessness so that she would never be vulnerable again. If that meant shackling her mind to that of another, she would do it, just to be able to see her family in concert once more.

  The shuttle pulsed and shivered, jolting her as it jumped from one point in space to another. She was slightly disoriented, but it was a relief to have no minds other than those of the three men with her.

  They shifted and another jump took them closer to their destination.

  Veera looked around her and smiled at Stanik’s protective posture. He was almost bristling with hostility toward the other two men on the shuttle.

  “What is a Lyran anyway?”

  He smiled. “We are shape-shifters, a designed race. We are predators that enjoy hunting on wild worlds.”

  “It sounds like fun.”

  “Not as dramatic as being a performer, but I suppose we all have our place. Do you really dance in public?” He raised one eyebrow.

  “Not recently. I need to be able to block out the crowd and just feel the music. Since I can’t block, I can’t dance.” She shrugged and gasped as they jumped again.

  When the world settled around her, she was clinging to Stanik’s hand. She tried to let him go, but he wasn’t cooperating.

  He tapped the back of her hand to get her attention and smiled as he pointed at the view screen. “Your new training site. Welcome to Balen.”

  * * * *

  Stanik watched her expression as her mind took in the lack of population on the world below. It was a childlike glee and a hope that should not have had to burn so bright.

  “The entire population of Balen is currently at less than one hundred souls, the Citadel is shielded and you will only be exposed to the people you are in the same room with. It should provide you with a good starting point or a blank slate if you wish.” Stanik wanted to take her in his arms. He had wanted it since the moment he first saw her in a digital image with her siblings watching his reactions.

  Teesha and Reynal had been performing on his home world of Savvil and looking for a match. The local minder brought him to their attention, and before he knew it, he was watching images of Veera before she had opened her mind.

  She had laughed, joked and performed with a zest for life that had taken his breath away. The next images had been her lying in a medical bay, life support attached everywhere and her eyes wide and unseeing.

  The image of her joyful countenance contrasted with the later image of her overloaded mind colouring her expression. Her innocence had been lost in one small genetic shift, and Stanik’s mind screamed that it wasn’t fair.

  When they offered him the chance to help her, he agreed without hesitation.

  Stanik sighed as he watched Veera press her hands to the thick viewing window. Part of his Wyoran training had involved him being keyed to her through her own blood. She would learn that soon enough. For now, it was one confidence too far.

  Her enthusiasm for the world around her was impressive considering her condition. Her expression warmed his heart, and the soft curves of her body kept the promise that her images had extended to him. Over his entire lifespan, he had looked for the woman who sent his senses into a spin, and he had found her in a woman cursed with an open mind.

  He wondered how well she would accept his other form. Would her open mind extend to accepting his inner beast?

  * * * *

  Veera watched as the Citadel grew closer and closer. She could sense minds on the planet, but as Stanik said, there were less than one hundred souls on the surface.

  When they set down on the plateau, she shivered. There were two beings nearby, and they were engaged in a heated courtship.

  Priina and Rhanos were playing games in the woods. Veera could feel their energy and the static of hormones rippling through their thoughts.

  Stanik exited the shuttle first, greeting someone on the exterior.

  Veera sensed a vast power and was amazed that she hadn’t felt it before.

  A woman was waiting for them, glowing with power on the psychic plane. “Welcome to Balen, Veera. I am Zenina-Balen, Avatar of this world. I greet you on behalf of every living thing and everything coming alive on my surface.”

  Veera inclined her head, noting that instead of an open mind, Zenina-Balen had a column of fire where her thoughts should be. “Thank you for your welcome. How far may my mind range?”

  “As far as it needs to go, child.” The Avatar smiled.

  She sighed and opened her thoughts, taking down the small restrictions she had been able to build over the years.

  Two minds were coming in fast, but they were peculiar. They were more animal than sentient at the time, and Veera was still figuring it out when they ran onto the plateau and came straight for the shuttle at a loping pace.

  Veera stared. They had long muzzles, pointed ears, huge eyes, monstrous fangs, barrel chests and long silky fur that covered their entire bodies. The one in the lead was carrying a robe.

  Stanik moved to stand between her and the incoming beasts, but Veera peered around him.

  “Hello, Priina.” Veera smiled slowly.

  Priina nodded and inclined her head, carefully draping the robe around her shoulders as she shifted from beast to woman.

  Her still-furry companion put himself between their party and his female while she tied her robe. She ran her hand down his fur when she was done.

  Priina walked toward her, and Veera met her halfway. “Hello.”

  She quickly introduced herself. “I am Veera. Zenina-Balen invited me here while I try to get a grip on my talent. It came on a little suddenly. This is my guard and companion, Stanik.”

  Stanik saluted though he was looking at Priina with a lot of curiosity.

  Priina cocked her head and assessed Veera with a nod. “You need silence, so we will be on our way to our dinner. I have exercised quite a bit today.”

  Veera smiled. “Yes, you have. You will soon be on your way to Udell Base, so Zenina offered me the space while Stanik walks me through self-control.”

  Priina laughed. “Funny thing is that I was sent here to lose my self-control. I have to say that the experience has done me good.”

  “I hope I have that luck as well.”

  Rhanos was in a glaring contest with Stanik when Priina turned around. “Come on, fuzzy face. Let’s let them get settled.”

  Rhanos lifted her in his arms and carried her into the Citadel while Veera watched them go.

  She looked at her companion. “So, that is what you look like when you let yourself go, huh?”

  Stanik’s face coloured slightly. “Not exactly like that. I have different colouration.”

  Zenina-Balen grinned. “The Citadel is at your disposal. Stanik knows where your quarters are. If you need anything from me, you need only think it. I will come running.”

  “I hope that will not be necessary.”

  Zenina-Balen simply smiled softly and levitated away.

  Stanik returned to the shuttle and emerged with a bag over one shoulder and her travelling chest in his hands. “Shall we?”

  He led the way to the Citadel, and she followed, her mind expanding to cover the entire planet in her web.

  The Guardsmen over at the base had minds under strict control. She could read them fairly easily, but they kept their surface minds bright and ready. None of the darkness that most people let go casually during their day seemed to be flicking around. They kept themselves firmly wrapped
up.

  Veera could feel the grin on her face as she entered the Citadel doors. She was able to relax here, and if she was a very good girl, she might even get to sleep a night through.

  The room was keyed to her palm in a few minutes, and as Stanik set her trunk down, she hopped from her left foot to the right.

  He gave her a peculiar look. “What is in here?”

  She palmed the lock and flipped it open. “My life before my brain broke. I have recordings of all my family’s performances starting when I was a child and up until current day. I haven’t been able to watch all of them yet, but I look forward to it.”

  He peered over her shoulder, and she could feel the heat coming off him in waves. “What else is in there?”

  “Clothing, books, a few bodysuits for workouts, the usual.” She gathered the data crystals that started just after she had been struck down, and she walked to the entertainment area of the room.

  “What are you doing?” He watched her as she lined up all the data crystals in chronological order.

  She smiled. “The pain is tolerable, so I thought I would catch up on what I missed in my family’s life.”

  He shook his head. “No, I am afraid that will have to wait. You need to link now and the pain will go.”

  Suddenly nervous, she looked up at him and saw that there was no eagerness in his gaze, only a calm certainty. Veera rose to her feet and took the hand he extended to her. Here in her quarters, there was little to no sound from the other minds on Balen, but she could hear them if she tried. No shielding could keep her safe one hundred percent.

  He walked to a panel barely visible on the wall. He pressed it, and a doorway opened to a room that was obviously his.

  She noted the large bed, the entertainment centre and the food dispenser, but what kept her attention were a large, soft blanket on the floor with two cushions and a large circle on it.

  “What is that?”

  “We will need to be comfortable and close, so it is either sitting on the floor or lying on the bed.”

  She moved, and when she beamed up at him from her perch on one of the cushions, he lost himself in laughter. She watched the amusement flow over him, and she could see it pushing at the thick bubble around his mind.

  He sat across from her and took her hands. It was time to get her a link.

  Chapter Four

  The first few minutes were careful and slow motions, tendrils of his thoughts binding to hers.

  He spoke to her at intervals, but the roaring in her mind as his melded to hers was very distracting.

  The bond between them grew over hours. For those hours, they sat with their hands together in the darkening room.

  When Stanik completed the link, Veera fell forward into his arms. “Why do I just want to sleep?”

  “Because your mind will need time to get used to synching with mine. Also, if you try, you can shut out the world now.”

  She laughed weakly. “I did. It is why I am so tired. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in six years. The silence is amazing. I can hear my own heartbeat.”

  She smiled and relaxed completely for a moment before sitting upright again. “Okay, I really need to get some sleep. What happens next?”

  He grunted and lifted her as he got to his feet. “You get some sleep and I watch over you.”

  He carried her to his bed and placed her on the covers, in her clothing. He curled up next to her, his mind and hers whirring together. The hum felt right in her thoughts, and she listened to nothing but the sound of their hearts in the silence.

  She was able to sleep without being completely exhausted for the first time in years.

  Hours before dawn, she slipped out of Stanik’s embrace. She tiptoed into her room, slipped into a bodysuit from her trunk and grabbed the music crystal that her mother sent her before she went to the island. Taking two lengths of steel with her and off she went.

  There had to be a gym in a facility like this, and she was going to find it.

  She listened to the music as it pitched up, and she raised her arms over her head. With slow deliberation, she stepped to the beat. Her dance was careful, measured and controlled.

  When she had worked out muscles that were far too stiff, she picked up the blades and started to move to a song that her brother had written for her, entreating her to wake.

  Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she engaged in a blade dance. She was awake now, and Reynal was going to see her dance again.

  When she finished whirling and spinning the swords, she stood and panted with sweat and tears tracking her body.

  “Well done, Veera. Time to take a shower and get back to bed. You are still tired.” Stanik was concerned, it radiated out of him.

  She straightened and enjoyed being able to touch his mind only. His emotions radiated from him but no clear thoughts, and she preferred it that way. Listening to too many minds was what sent her into the coma to begin with.

  She put her swords in their case and retrieved her crystals and player. Veera smiled at Stanik and swayed slightly as she passed him. She might have done too much too soon, but she didn’t regret it.

  He paced with her back to their adjoining rooms, and he watched as she tucked her blades back in her trunk along with the music.

  She showered and wrapped herself in a light robe. She scrubbed her hair with a towel and combed it straight. A blast with the dryer took most of the dampness out of her scalp, and she left the lav, creeping on bare feet into Stanik’s room.

  He was sitting up in bed wearing only loose, silky trousers and reading something on a data pad. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she fought to control the hormone surge that all that muscle and size spurred. As an entertainer, she had seen men with beautiful bodies before, but to her eyes, Stanik was stunning.

  He had a silky wave of black hair that was now unbound and flowing over his shoulders. His brows were straight and his features were stern as he scrolled through his pages.

  He looked up as she sat on his bed. “The robe is lovely.”

  She blushed. “Thank you. I got it for my birthday years ago, before… well, before.”

  Veera settled carefully on her side with her back to him. He curled around her as he had before, and his mind hummed along with hers as they returned to rest. She thought she would be keyed up, but he calmed her thoughts and took her down with him into sleep.

  Light streamed in through the window, bringing Veera to a gradual alertness. The arm around her shifted slightly and a voice rumbled in her ear. “If you are awake enough, we can get some food.”

  She nodded and pulled her robe together as she sat up. The sash had come undone while she slept, and casual nudity had never been her forte. “Food would be good.” She ran a shaking hand through her hair.

  He sat up and walked to the dispenser, his silky trousers riding low on his hips.

  She got out of bed and stretched from the strain of remaining in one position all night. The wide sleeves of her robe swayed as she moved, and she walked to the window to look out at the day of Balen.

  The forest was green and growing rapidly. “How old is Balen?”

  “Millions of years, but it just completed a resurfacing.”

  “Why did it resurface?”

  He brought her a cup of tea. “Balen was grieving for its lost Avatar. She died many centuries ago giving birth to her daughter, Zenina.”

  “Zenina is that old?”

  “Her development was delayed by her father. She was kept in an incubator and dropped on the surface near the mining colony three decades ago. Once she took over the position of Avatar, Balen ceased grieving and melted the ice that coated its surface. A little help from the Sector Guard and the planet is coming back to life once again.”

  She inclined her head as she sipped her tea. “How did her father survive long enough to drop her here when it was time?”

  He blinked and a small smile lit his lips. “Her father was the Avatar of the sun. He is still alive and working
at the Guard base on the other side of the valley.”

  “He was the Avatar? I didn’t know you could retire from that.”

  “You can if the star in question agrees to the move. Saru was only too happy to join Zenina’s mate, so now, there are, once again, two Avatars in love in this system.”

  The dispenser chimed, and he walked to retrieve two plates. He set them down on the small table and placed cutlery next to each plate with precision.

  She brought her cup of tea with her and took a seat. “Thank you for the meal.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. You might not enjoy my selections.”

  Veera laughed. “I have eaten things I couldn’t identify and things that tried to crawl off my plate. Life as a travelling entertainer means that you take fresh food or as close to fresh, as you can.”

  He inclined his head. “I suppose that is a valid concern when you travel.”

  “Oh yes. You always have to prepare for your next meal and your best place to bed down. If you travel with family, you all work together as a collective.” She forked up some of the noodles on her plate and started eating.

  “Did you always travel with your family?”

  “Yes, since I was five. Hundreds of worlds, hundreds of performances, crowds, laughter and hairy situations. It was fun and terrifying all at the same time.”

  His food disappeared rapidly, and she was unsurprised to hear the dispenser beep again. Stanik got up and took another plate off the dispenser, returning to the table and starting on his seconds.

  She chuckled as she finished her own meal and took her plate back to the dispenser, sliding it into the cleaning slot. Returning to her seat at the table, she sipped at her tea.

  “What is on the agenda for today?”

  He swallowed. “Nothing strenuous, a walk in the gardens, practice shielding and selectively reading the folks over at the Guard base.”

  “Sounds good. Now, I only have one problem.”

  His concern was visible. “What is that?”