Winning Souls Read online

  “Very well. What room am I in?”

  “Twelve fourteen. Enjoy your stay, Madam Enher-Dahl. Thank you for choosing the Fire Arms.”

  A scan of her palm later, she was on her way up to her room. The strange silence between her and the folk around her didn’t seem unusual until she realised that she couldn’t hear anything on her normal psychic frequency. As she got out of the lift, a smile crept over her features. She did love a challenge.

  Now, she just needed to weed her new partner out of the people around her while she engaged in what she would normally do on a vacation. Surf gliding was not a popular occupation, but she was really quite good at it. Her imaginary companion would have to keep up.

  Enher did a quick personal assessment when she got to her room. She was awake, alert and in the mood to see the sights. She went to the entertainment centre and keyed in options for the day.

  She flicked through the more adult tours that involved sex or nudity and opted for a tour of the local coastline complete with animal observation and a light dinner. That seemed to be right about her speed, and since the whole idea was that she behave normally, she made her selection and got the directions to the door where a vehicle would be waiting. A swipe of her hotel code would deliver her to the tour site, and from there, she would be off on her adventure.

  Enher wore a loose tunic and trousers, both sashed tightly at the waist. With comfortable shoes and a container of water, she headed down to the lobby to meet her transport.

  Hopefully, her partner would make contact soon, but in the meantime, she was going to have some fun.

  There were eight other aliens on her tour, and each one was from a different world, including an Enjel. She had never seen one of his kind in person before, and he was just as intriguing as she had been taught.

  They each got a seat at the edge of their skimmer, and the views were spectacular. Enher-Dahl watched the world beneath her, itching to put her feet on the soil.

  “You look restless, miss.”

  She was startled out of her absorption with the landscape by the voice next to her. She turned her head, and the Enjel had taken the empty seat across from her.

  The Nyal woman who had initially been sitting there had moved up to the front with a dazed expression on her face.

  “I am not used to so much time away from the ground. I am better when I am on my feet.” She sighed and extended her hand to him. “Enher-Dahl.”

  “Ulises Argato.” He took her hand in his and bowed over it, his wings flexing and shifting restlessly.

  She chuckled. “It seems you are as eager to be out of here as I am.”

  He grinned. “I do better with specifically designed seats, it is true. You are on vacation?”

  Enher nodded. “I am. It was either run away and release some stress or explode in front of my students.”

  “You are a teacher?”

  “I am.” She smiled. “And do you have an occupation, or do women just throw themselves in front of you to support you?”

  He gave her a startled look. “Um, no. I mean I do security work for traders. This is a chance to run loose without having to take orders.”

  She nodded. “I can definitely understand that. I am looking forward to not having to micro manage everyone around me.”

  Their skimmer settled and the tour guide smiled. “Welcome to the Akuran coast. The wide variety of wildlife is used to the incursion of visitors, but I suggest that you allow them to come to you. They can bite if pursued.”

  The tourists left the skimmer in an orderly manner and gathered around the guide as she explained the wildlife and its part in the ecosystem of Nurmegar.

  “Centuries ago, we were struck by a meteor shower that broke huge gaps into the crust of our planet. The plants and animals settled into their new roles in the changed system and became much friendlier to the locals and visitors. We now have a thriving tourist community that numbers in the millions at any given time, all over the globe.

  “The animals enjoy the tourists, but again, be sure that you don’t pursue the creatures of Nurmegar. They tolerate a lot but do not like being threatened.”

  The tourists seemed eager, but Ulises cleared his throat. “Am I cleared to fly here?”

  The guide nodded. “It is perfectly safe.”

  He didn’t need any prompting. He stepped away from the crowd and launched himself skyward.

  The huge black wings propelled him up and toward the puffy clouds. Enher smiled and turned toward the walk that would lead her down to the water’s edge.

  “We have two hours here before we are on to the aerie, so enjoy the sights, the shops and meet me back at the skimmer in two hours.”

  The crowd parted, but Enher was already halfway down the steps. The boardwalks extended out into the sea, and the beasts that swam in the water came up to the edge of the walkways and frolicked for the watchers.

  She followed the pull to one of the less-occupied walkways, and she knelt at the edge. A whiskered face with huge black eyes stared out of the water and eased up toward her.

  Enher felt the pull of the beast and extended her hand toward it, stopping a few inches from the surface.

  The creature rose out of the water and pressed its head against her palm. She smiled and stroked the cool, soft, wet fur. “Good afternoon, darling.”

  The beast let out a small huffing sound, and soon, other silvery heads were rising from the water, each jostling for position to have her touch them. When fights broke out, she pulled her hand back and stood up.

  A crowd was gathered behind her, and they restricted her ability to move, but she pushed through them and made her way to the shore.

  Each beast had a hunger in it, and her touch had fulfilled that hunger for a moment. The moment she stopped touching them, the hunger roared back.

  Enher rubbed her hands together and washed them in the fountain set aside for sea-bathers.

  A commotion on the beach behind her made her turn, dreading what she was going to see. The awkward and slowly moving aquatic beasts were coming toward her.

  Enher pulled her focus together and closed her mind off from the incoming beasts. They paused and shook their heads in confusion before slowly returning to the water.

  She exhaled and walked up the stairs toward the shops. Enher’s control was shaken. She had wanted to give her mind to those beasts and enjoy the affection that they took from her.

  She had suddenly gained an insight into what might have happened to all those tourists in comas all over the galaxy.

  Chapter Three

  “That was quite the sight. I could see beasts swimming in from all directions.” Ulises stood next to her on the upper deck.

  Enher rubbed her forehead. “I could feel them coming in.”

  “You are psychic?”

  She looked at her green-glowing skin. “I am. There is a strong degree of empathy in my bloodline, and my mood is displayed on my skin.”

  “I am guessing you are not feeling quite yourself right now.”

  She looked at him, the pale violet of his eyes framed by the dark, sooty lashes that she would kill for, straight brows and a rich chestnut tumble of hair that ended at his jawline. The wings were the same deep black as his lashes. It was the skin that was surprising. He was pale with a tinge of blue in his colouring. Normally, she associated the idea of the Enjel with glowing, golden beings.

  “I am not. How long have you been on Nurmegar?”

  He grinned. “About a week, but I have been sticking to the entertainments of the city until now. I was desperate for the outdoors, and this tour aligned perfectly. When did you get in?”

  “Three hours ago. I needed to get myself into a new routine on this world, and seeing its nature in action was the best idea I could come up with. Now, I am thinking that it might have been a mistake.”

  “I will be with you at the aerie if that will make you feel better. Birds have a tendency to steer clear of la
rger predators. I promise to act fierce.” He fluffed his wings up.

  She laughed, her colour changing to a pinky-orange. “Thanks for that. I might take you up on it.”

  “I will keep an eye on you and swoop in in case you are in distress.” There was an intensity to his gaze.

  “If you are trying to make a move on me, you are probably wasting your time. My people rarely breed out of season and even more rarely enter season. If you are with me, you are strictly in the friend zone.” She smiled as she used the term that she had once heard a Terran use.

  He inclined his head. “It will be a nice change, though I cannot swear to my urge to expand out of that zone.”

  “Take your cues from my skin. You are looking for lavender or hot pink. I hope you are not colour blind, because red does not mean I am in the mood.”

  He laughed and offered her his arm to return to the skimmer. They paused along the way for some refreshments and leaned against their craft while they waited for the tour guide and the rest of the guests to rejoin them.

  “Is that your natural hair colour?” He smiled as he gestured to her lavender locks.

  She chuckled. “Yes. It was my father’s colour before me, and he was not appreciative of how pretty it made him look.”

  Ulises chuckled. “What is the name of your species?”

  “I am a citizen of Yarcuth, of the genetic subset, Reedamani.” She smiled and watched a flicker of acknowledgement go through his gaze.

  “I have never been to Yarcuth, but I hear good things about the curiosity of your people.” He inclined his head.

  “Speaking of curiosity, why did you choose Nurmegar to vacation?”

  “It was recommended by the sister of a co-worker.” His look spoke volumes, and she finally clued into the fact that she had found her partner.

  “For me, it was a friend of a friend.” She nodded and relief flickered in his gaze.

  “Well, we are both here now. When we get to the aerie, would you care to go flying with me?”

  She nodded again. “I really would. The view from above must be one that never gets tiring.”

  “It is truly a sight that I wish I could share with everyone.” He winked as the rest of the tour rejoined them.

  They filed back into the skimmer and were off into the sky in a matter of moments.

  Enher was regretting her agreement to let Ulises fly with her in his arms. Her clothing wasn’t suitable for the high speeds, and she was forced to curl against him for warmth.

  The raptors followed them, diving and swooping in a dizzying pattern, but they stayed out of the wingspan that Ulises had possession of, so it didn’t get frightening. They seemed to know when he was going to turn and how hard he would do it.

  They banked and flew over the mountain ranges, the lift of the thermals in the valleys propelled them up, and Enher was glad that Ulises was not inclined to lose his grip.

  “You are here at the behest of the Guardians?” His question was quiet in the roaring of the wind.

  She nodded. “I am, well, at the behest of an associate. I am aware of what is going on here and am picking up a few clues as to what that could be.”

  “Care to share?”

  “Not with the birds so close. I have to retract the knowledge before anything else occurs or I expose myself.”

  He nodded and slowly curled around, heading back to the observation decks covered with stands for the birds to rest on.

  While they descended, she put the enjoyment of the flight into her forward mind and tucked the growing knowledge of a celestial presence into her inner core.

  He set them down on an unoccupied deck. “Did you enjoy the flight?”

  She grinned. “I did. Wait, incoming.”

  He looked up, and to her astonishment, he did not set her down but, rather, knelt and shielded her with his wings while the variety of predators landed on perches and stands around them.

  She felt the pressure of the air as the mass of birds settled near them, and she tucked herself as close to Ulises as she could.

  When the animals settled, he slowly stood straight, but he kept her in his embrace. He folded his wings against his back and whistled softly.

  Enher looked around at all the avian faces staring at her, and she was very glad that she was being held.

  “Would you care to pet them? They seem eager and patient. They are all on their proper perches with no shoving.” He chuckled.

  She swallowed. “I suppose it won’t hurt.”

  Enher moved to the edge of the perches near the stairs and reached out to stroke the first of the birds. It held its head high and made a wonderful cooing sound as she stroked it. Enher smiled at the small trill of pleasure, and she moved on to the next beast, stroking it as well.

  They had an hour to spend observing the birds, and she was able to stroke all of the animals twice before they returned to the skimmer.

  The sun was setting as they took to the skies once again. Enher felt the irritated looks from the other tourists, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

  The tour guide spoke up. “Ladies and gentlemen, some folks resonate more profoundly with the beasts of Nurmegar than others. Enjoy that your tour mate brings them in close and have your own experiences.”

  They looked back at Enher, and she shrugged helplessly. With the matter out in the open, they headed for their final stop, the glowing night birds of Arenil and their dinner.

  Instead of being off to one side, the group gathered around Enher and Ulises while they had dinner, and one by one, the night birds came into the circle for a visit.

  The birds were small, phosphorescent and exceedingly friendly when Enher stroked them, as well as when the other tourists offered them approved food.

  It went from being a tense moment to a magical event shared by all.

  At the end of the night, Enher was exhausted and only too happy to be dropped off at her hotel. She shared her room data with Ulises if he cared to join her on the following day for an outing in the city. He smiled and wished her a night of fascinating dreams.

  Enher-Dahl entered her room and headed for the shower. Somehow, she didn’t feel that dreams were going to elude her. She had enough fodder from the day to last a lifetime.

  Her in-room com rang as she finished brushing her hair. Breakfast was a good way to meet new people, and she had just been on her way down.

  “Hello?” she didn’t flick on the video.

  “Good morning, Enher-Dahl. Would you care to join me downstairs for breakfast?”

  She chuckled. “Of course, Ulises. I was just on my way down.”

  Enher checked her reflection, made a face and headed down to breakfast.

  Ulises was waiting near the lifts. “You are a vision.”

  He offered her his arm, and instead of heading for the hotel restaurant, he led her out into the soft morning daylight.

  “We aren’t eating at the hotel?”

  “I am sure it is nutritious, but there is a lovely spot just down the street, and it will give you a solid impression of the locals.” He smiled.

  Too handsome for words. That was the best way to describe him. She might be Reedamani, but she could appreciate beauty when it was in front of her.

  The small café was indeed an excellent place to watch the locals. Enher and Ulises crammed into a small booth, and then, he went off to bring them a meal.

  The pastries he returned with were flaky and crowned with a cluster of gooey fresh fruit that she enjoyed. A small pie had a portion of meat, and a series of tiny globes were filled with fresh cream, topped with more berries.

  The caf was a rich, dark mix that she had never tasted before.

  Silence reigned at their table while they ate, and Enher listened to all the conversations around her. The locals who worked at the hotels were inside and talking about some of the tourists, but it was all light gossip. There was nothing mean-spirited about the conversations and no s
igns of resentment at being in a tourist-run economy.

  Enher finished her meal and looked to Ulises. “Is there a local museum of natural history?”

  He finished his third meat pie and licked pastry from his lips. “On the outskirts. I can fly us there if you would like to go.”

  She sipped at the last of her caf and sighed. “One more cup and then we can go. That was damned good.”

  He grinned. “I will be right back.”

  She watched him move through the crowd and admitted that he had an advantage. No one got in his way, the wings gently but firmly kept his path clear.

  When she thought about being in the air with him once again, she shivered. It was best that she kept in mind the sheer difference in location that would kick in the moment they left Nurmegar. She worked in the Alliance, he worked in the Imperium, and they were quite the distance apart. It was best that she kept it in mind. Even if she chose him to father her one child, she would never be able to make the commute before her short season was over. This was a one-time thing.

  When he returned with the caf, he paused. “What is that expression?”

  She smiled and took the cup from him. “Just filing a few things in their proper places.”

  Enher sipped at the caf and all traces of soft pink vanished from her skin.

  Chapter Four

  Going to the museum might have seemed boring, but Ulises made it fun. It wasn’t he precisely, but the expressions on the women’s faces as he moved through the museum and pointed to the different displays.

  His enthusiasm for history was contagious. She trailed after him and watched him play the enthralled tourist while she enjoyed the spectacle.

  The meteor strike was particularly interesting. The vid records were blurred, but the energy discharge in the oceans, the mountains and the plains was obvious. Power had broken, and if it was a large-enough chunk to leave ten-kilometre-wide craters, it might have been a piece of a broken sentient world or even a star.

  To her surprise, the outbreak of coma patients then began on Nurmegar. They had a record of the outbreak and a note on the memorial that the patients aged to death and their physical forms passed on.