Mera: A Byshen Story (ch. 6) by Acton Bell

(1 rating) Rate this Story (5 best) 1 2 3 4 5

With the help of the driver Mera settled the still unresponsive G'ar into the vagn. She was growing frightened. Though she tried to reach him mentally, she could not break through the shell he'd pulled about himself. All his Psi Talent was turned inward, cutting him off from the outer world.
What had he read in L'ars Ca'dean's mind that had shocked him so and frightened the other man? A telepath risked opening himself up when he reached into another telepath's mind. Had L'ars Ca'dean been shaken to learn G'ar was a Wild?
Mera's head jerked in unconscious denial. No. Their brief meeting with the old man had given her the impression that he was a wily strategist. L'ars Ca'dean would have been eager to turn G'ar's Talents to his advantage. Instead he had been scared.
As she slid onto the seat beside G'ar another thought presented itself to her. A strong Telepath unskilled in the use of his Talent could, while probing another mind, bring subconscious thoughts to the surface. Was that what G'ar had done? Brought thoughts L'ars Ca'dean had not even known he'd had to the forefront? But what could they have been that shocked both men so much?
"Home Ladye?" The driver's question broke the chain of her thoughts.
"No!" Her denial was immediate and instinctive. The Ladye Alinora must not see G'ar like this. He would not want it. Her hand closing protectively over his, she said, "Take us to T'o'lz. Tell them Mera is bringing her husband home," she said in Direct Command.
In reality House T'o'lz was not a great distance from the El-Zora L'ars compound. All the Byshen Houses had established compounds in the same district. But to Mera it felt as though they traveled the length of the station before the vagn reached the doors of T'o'lz.
T'o'lz Inik opened the door of the vagn and helped her take the still unresponsive G'ar into the house. He asked no questions, though the maroon eyes were bright with concern and curiosity. He said only, "The drengur has had a shock I think. It would be best for him to lie down."
The hall was nothing more than a blur of light and space to Mera as the Head of House led them to a sleeping chamber. When T'o'lz Inik would have had her release G'ar's hand and leave the room, she resisted. She felt as if she was his anchor. If she let go he would disappear. "I can not," she said, looking down at the younger man on the bed. The slight rise and fall of his chest was the only sign of life about him. His face was pale and still. She gripped his still cold hand between her own as she sank on to the bed. "I can not leave him. He will need me when he wakes."
"We will take care of him Sister."
Mera started. Through blurring eyes she saw that Ixzander and K'ihn had entered the room. Or perhaps they had been there all along and she hadn't noticed them. She couldn't be sure.
She shook her head.
"Then perhaps you should tell us what this is about Daughter."
The calm matter of factness of T'o'lz Inik's words nearly undid Mera.