The True Ruler, page 14
part #5 of Worlds Apart Series
Crystal Telepathic Headquarters was the hub where both the Gatherers who navigated the inter-dimensional portals and the C.T. Guards who protected them during their missions congregated. The C.T. Guards were greater in number because of the rarity of crystal telepaths and the multitude of additional duties the guards performed.
Because of his past relationship with Cassie, Darden often traveled alone to Gingko Terra. He had been able to go unaccompanied because Troyk citizens experienced terrible headaches in that world. By the time it was known Benko Jarlyn had escaped to that realm, Darden and Cassie were safe in the Troyk penal colony world with her father. Things became complicated when Cassie entered the Troyk universe.
It did not take long for Darden to locate Barash. By the time he did, his twin brother and Shirl joined him to offer their support. Shirl was itching for a fight since Jeryl Jarlyn had not included her with the people who could visit Cassie without his permission. With her crystal telepathic abilities, it had not surprised Darden that Jeryl Jarlyn had cut off Shirl’s access to his granddaughter.
As he approached Barash Kleyman, his companions ceased their conversation. All attention focused on him. The communal pathways were flooded with speculation about what would happen next. Darden squared his shoulders, unused to being the center of attention.
“I assume you have come to confront me,” Barash Kleyman said in a neutral tone. Barash did not seem the least bit intimidated. The man had a blank expression on his face, so Darden could not read anything that would help him gain the upper hand in the conversation.
“It would be best if we spoke in private,” Darden responded. He did not like the number of people who surrounded them.
Barash eyed his twin and Shirl behind him. “If they are coming, I will bring my own witnesses.”
“Whatever makes you happy,” Darden answered. He wanted to bait some type of reaction from Barash. “I just plan to explain where things stand. If you need help remembering what has been said, by all means, bring as many people your faulty memory may require.”
“Do not lose your cool, Darden,” his twin warned through their channel. “Kleyman’s power and influence seems to have increased over the last few days. We do not want people choosing sides until Benko is ready to return.”
“It is just a little harmless gamesmanship,” Darden assured his brother.
Starc grunted instead of continuing their conversation. Officially, Darden figured his brother still got the last word. He was too focused on Barash to care.
They headed to the second floor where various meeting and training rooms could be found. This time of day, they should have their pick of locations. Training was typically in the mornings.
Barash and two of the men he had been conversing with entered the small training room Darden selected. There was enough space for Darden to pace if he desired, but it was compact enough that Barash could not hide his expressions or body language.
“You were unaware of the relationship between myself and Cassandra Jarlyn earlier this afternoon,” Darden said. “Now that you understand how things are, you will cease any physical contact with my soul mate or try to develop any kind of relationship with her.”
“Have you had sex with Cassandra?” Barash asked.
“Whether we have or have not had relations is no concern of yours,” Darden growled. “Hands off my mate or it will be the last thing you do.”
His adversary did not seem affected by their conversation one way or another. If anything, he appeared bored. At a minimum, a C.T. Guard should show deference to a crystal telepath. Darden rarely expected that type of sycophantic behavior from one of the guards, but from Barash, he demanded it.
“The Prime Ruler expects a union between myself and his granddaughter,” Barash said. “He told me the nature of your relationship this morning. Whether she has gone through the evolutionary change is irrelevant to me. A fifth-generation mind control telepath has more than enough power to control the government and its population.”
Darden was not prepared for what he heard. What kind of man would want a woman who was a soul mate to another? He was at a loss regarding how to proceed.
“Cassie will never accept you,” Shirl interceded.
“We will see,” Barash responded.
Barash and his two friends left the conference room. Darden did not bother to lift his head to acknowledge they were gone. Somehow he had managed to make the situation worse.
After several minutes of silence, Darden addressed Starc and Shirl. “The warrior channel is too crowded. Inform Tarsea to keep Barash and Elyn ignorant of his activities. I need to spend the night at my apartment and figure out my next steps.”
“We will expect you for breakfast at the Childers’s home,” Starc said. “I will let Tolfer know you are coming and to make your favorites. Things will work out, brother. Get some rest and we will examine our options tomorrow. I will make sure Koel is there.”
Darden remained in the training room for another hour, staring at a blank wall. His mind whirled, but he was unable to come up with anything constructive. Maybe a good night’s sleep would help.
His apartment was ten blocks from The Palace. It felt great breathing in fresh, cool air. He took a shortcut through an isolated alley. The last thing he wanted to see were happy couples walking hand-in-hand down the walkway.
A sharp pain in his neck startled Darden. He went to bat away whatever had bitten him and was shocked to feel a small needle protruding from his neck. Before he could send out a telepathic cry for help, he fell unconscious onto the hard, unforgiving ground.
Chapter 15
Cassie had slept like the dead. No impolite bird woke her early this morning. After everything that occurred the previous day, she probably needed a good night’s sleep. Flora had most likely been instructed to let her sleep in.
Cassie had not eaten dinner nor had she partaken of any of the beverages offered, afraid everything contained crushed crystals. Last night before bed, she used the faucet in her bathroom to quench her thirst.
Although she was starving, Cassie was not eager to get out of bed. She did not think she could face Jeryl Jarlyn without breaking down in angry tears. From this point forward, she was not going to refer to or think of him as her grandfather. He was the tyrant her father had always warned her about. She wished learning that lesson had not been so costly.
The static in her head proved her access to the telepathic pathways was being restored. Yesterday’s proximity to all the flentium no longer altered her abilities. She immediately reached out to Darden, but was unable to make contact with him. Cassie next focused on the warrior channel, which was active with conversations about a manhunt underway. They were searching for someone who had disappeared and she instinctively knew they were looking for Darden.
Cassie flew out of bed and quickly dressed. She was uncertain what kind of resistance she might face while attempting to leave The Palace. Cassie vowed she would mow down anyone who got in her way, including Jeryl Jarlyn.
“I’m on my way to meet up with everyone at the Childers’s residence,” Cassie communicated through the warrior link.
Candy immediately responded through the same channel. “I am downstairs in the Grand Hall,” Candy informed her. “JoAnna is on the way to your rooms and planned to break the news to you about Darden.”
Opening her door, Cassie observed two guards were stationed on either side of the entrance. She had heard murmured discussions when she rose this morning. These two men were not going to stop her from leaving.
“The Prime Ruler has not sent for you, miss,” the blond guard said. “You are to stay in your rooms until you are summoned.”
Cassie did not have the time or the patience to deal with these two men. “Let me pass or you will be sorry,” she warned them. There was an edge to her voice, indicating she was serious.
When the dark haired guard approached her, Cassie dug into the recesses of her mind where she stored the deadly power she possessed. She had not been confident or determined enough to reach this far into the darkness of her powers when she attempted to attack Jeryl Jarlyn yesterday. A man died the last time she called upon the power, but today, she would hold nothing back.
Both men grabbed their heads in pain, helpless to stop her from leaving. A third guard made way for her, not wanting to meet the same fate. Cassie released her hold on the two men and left the private quarters of her prison. If the guards were smart, they would not follow. Better a headache for several hours than dying from a brain hemorrhage.
JoAnna was waiting for her and had already dealt with the guards stationed at the threshold to the public area. Unless you got too close, the guards were positioned to look like they were reading. A civilian would believe the guards were lazy, not unconscious.
“Did you have to kill anyone?” JoAnna asked through the channel she shared with the other girls.
“Not yet,” Cassie responded. “If anyone else tries to stop me, I can’t guarantee I won’t. Everyone is concerned about what I will become. Well, we may very well find out if Darden is not found quickly.”
They made their way unchallenged to the Grand Hall. Candy was surrounded by people asking her a variety of questions. Her return from the penal colony had made her a celebrity long before revealing she was a legendary soul mate.
A momentary hush fell over the crowd when Cassie and JoAnna joined the group. People quickly realized the Prime Ruler’s granddaughter was among them. Cassie did not like how the crowd changed from elated to reverent. She was one of them and had no intention of being placed on a pedestal.
“How is everyone this fine morning?” Cassie asked the crowd cheerfully. “We are going to a friend’s house for breakfast, would you like to walk with us? I can tell you all about Gingko Terra, the world I call Earth.”
Her grandfather could easily discover her intended destination, so she may as well inform the whole Aster Province and have a large civilian army accompany her. Jeryl Jarlyn would create a scene if he tried to stop her or bring her back against her will. The more minds he had to manipulate to do damage control, the better off Cassie would be.
En masse, they walked through the streets of Aster Province and Cassie told the people about Sedona, Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Casa Grande, and anything else she could think of. When they asked about her father, Cassie readily answered them. She spoke lovingly about a man who had become a folk hero to them.
Cassie could feel the energy she drew from the crowd and the harmony she spread to those around her. As they continued through the walkways, more people joined them.
“Do you feel what is happening to the crowd?” Cassie asked JoAnna through the link she shared with her friends.
“I don’t think you are using your mind control telepathic gift,” JoAnna conjectured. “You are pulling psychic energy and pushing something that is causing the brain to excrete a chemical making the people closest to you happy and content. I also think they are spreading it to the rest of the crowd. I wish I paid more attention in science class.”
“They are producing endorphins, which are neutron transmitters,” Alex communicated through the link. “Unlike the two of you, I paid attention. Tolfer is cooking up a storm and we are awaiting your arrival. Cassie, you must be starving.”
With so much else going on, Cassie had forgotten all about being hungry. She was doing something to affect the people around her and Darden still had not communicated through their pathway.
A million thoughts about what happened to her soul mate fluttered in her brain. They were all bad and involved Jeryl Jarlyn. The people around her helped Cassie concentrate on something other than worrying herself sick about her soul mate. As it was, tears welled in her eyes, ready to fall down her cheeks.
“We always go to Alex for answers,” Candy said. Somehow Candy knew her friend needed to be distracted. The more the girls rattled on, the less she obsessed over Darden’s disappearance.
While they walked, Cassie talked aloud to the people around her, commenting about what she saw through the communal pathways, and conversed with her friends through their closed channel. She monitored what was communicated through the warrior pathway. No one had remarked on her earlier entry into that particular link. There was still no sign of Darden.
Cassie could no longer hold back the tears she so bravely fought. She could feel the concern of those around her as she started to cry. Love seeped through the communal pathways directed toward her. As far as Cassie understood, what was happening was impossible.
“Oh, my God!” JoAnna exclaimed. She must have sensed what Cassie picked up.
“What?” Candy inquired.
“I don’t know how it’s possible,” JoAnna said, “but emotions are coming through the communal channels, all focused on Cassie.”
“That must be why my receptors are getting that Zen-like feeling again,” Candy commented.
The small group closest to Cassie took turns kissing Cassie’s cheeks and comforting her with hugs. After each embrace, the stunned citizen made way for the next to comfort Cassie. As one turned, Cassie could have sworn she heard him refer to her as ‘The True Ruler’.
Everything around her became surreal. Although their progress to their destination was slow, she gained physical and mental strength from her well-wishers. Cassie wondered if this was real or some strange mass hallucination. The citizens around her seemed as dazed and confused as she was.
Leenea opened the door for them when they arrived at her home. For a moment, Cassie was afraid the throng would try to follow her into the home. The group disbanded, sending telepathic good wishes through the communal pathways.
As soon as she entered the house, the aroma of delectable goodies made her mouth water and her stomach grumbled loudly. She followed her nose into the kitchen where Tolfer put down his spoon and embraced Candy.
Candy had always been so self-reliant. It was nice knowing someone took such good care of her friend. Cassie could not remember a time she had seen Candy so happy. Even though Benko had stopped taking her to see her friends at the orphanage, Cassie had ways to keep track of their lives.
JoAnna grabbed a plate full of food with one hand and Cassie’s hand with another. She dragged her into the common room where Alex was setting the table.
“Where is Shirl?” Cassie asked. For some reason, she thought the female crystal telepath would be here to greet her.
“She’s out hunting for Darden with the men,” Alex answered. “A contingent of crystal telepaths and C.T. Guards who are loyal to Darden and Starc have joined the search. A warrant was never taken out against Darden, so assisting us is not considered treason.”
Since Cassie had temporarily lost access to the telepathic channels, she had no idea when Darden disappeared. Initially, she was not interested in what had happened, but focused on getting Darden back. Now she wanted all the information she could gather. Even with her minimal knowledge of the Troyk universe, she could offer a recommendation or two.
“When was the last time anyone could place him somewhere?” Cassie asked.
“Last night at the Crystal Telepathic Headquarters,” Candy answered. “Darden, Starc, and Shirl went to confront Barash Kleyman about what had occurred during the ceremony.”
Cassie was taken aback by the news. She had immediately placed the blame on her grandfather. She never once considered Barash. It made perfect sense that Barash wanted Darden to disappear. Even so, Cassie was convinced Jeryl Jarlyn was ultimately behind everything bad that happened in the Troyk universe.
“Was my grandmother questioned? Cassie asked.
“Elyn has conveniently disappeared,” Candy replied. “The apartment where Barash took you to meet her was one of the first places they looked. The place has been cleaned out.”
That piece of news did not surprise Cassie. For some reason, Cassie believed finding her grandmother would get them closer to finding Darden. She did not question Elyn was her grandmother, the resemblance she bore to the woman was unmistakable. However, Elyn’s motives were another story. If she conspired with Barash, she would at least know the places the C.T. Guard liked to hang out.
“Have Solfa put out a warrant for Elyn’s arrest, or whatever you call it in this universe,” Cassie ordered. “That woman knows more than she divulged originally.”
“What charge?” Alex asked.
“Treason,” Cassie answered. “She did ask Tarsea to help overthrow the government. Tarsea reported it to Solfa, and Jeryl Jarlyn’s Head of Intelligence tried to handle things covertly. Now, without an arrest, Solfa is making the treasonous act public. Plus, for the time being, Tarsea’s fictitious allegiance to the Prime Ruler is reinforced.”
“What if she is innocent?” Alex inquired. “She may also have been duped by Barash.”
“Somehow, I doubt it,” Cassie responded. “The communal pathways make no mention of Elyn. If Barash had betrayed her, the channels would be teeming with conversations. Can you imagine the chatter if an arrest warrant was executed for Benko Jarlyn’s mother?”
“We can always apologize to your grandmother later,” Candy commented. “Desperate times and all…”
Cassie pushed her plate away. Although her empty stomach growled, she had no appetite. All of the people around her were looking at her with a variety of expressions on their faces. She wished she could tell her friends she was all right, but that would be a lie.
All Cassie could think about was Darden. Was he hurt? Was he in the bottomless pit Jeryl Jarlyn put crystal telepaths he wanted to get rid of?
Darden woke to the worst migraine he had ever experienced. Had he somehow ended up in the Gingko Terra universe? He tried to roll over, but for some reason could not.
