The Chameleon Soul Mate Read online

  Solfa looked at Alexandra with an odd expression. “It is up to Tarsea whether he wishes you here.”

  “She stays,” Tarsea answered. “Now, what is this about?” Tarsea knew he was bordering on being rude. He had not expected to have to deal with Solfa. His plans were to make love with Alexandra when she got home from her interview.

  Before Solfa responded, there was the second major disturbance in the communal channels in the past two days. News that Prime Hosp had died was being communicated, both through official channels and informal chatter.

  “Well, things just got more complicated,” Solfa commented, referring to the news through the communal links.

  Tarsea looked at Alexandra to see how she was handling the telepathic traffic across the various channels. She was rubbing her temple, but appeared to be managing the flow of communication. It would be best to get more herbs into his soul mate to help her manage the volume of activity in the pathways.

  Before he used the familial channel to contact his brother, Tolfer came in with several mugs of tea. He handed Alexandra the herbal mix, while everyone else was served a basic herbal tea. Rather than leaving, his brother propped himself on the end of their father’s desk. Alexandra started to sip the herbal beverage and Tarsea could already see the tension in her body reduce. Her shoulders were more relaxed, rather than almost touching her ears.

  “Solfa, why did you want to meet with me?” Tarsea still had not received an answer to his previous question.

  “Yesterday evening we communicated via a channel I had never experienced before. Your parting words to me piqued my interest. It also influenced what I reported to Jeryl and my recommendation to him.” Solfa took another sip of tea, as if she had not dropped a loaded devise into Tarsea’s lap. He tried to keep a stoic expression in response to what she said.

  “What exactly did you report back to Jarlyn?” Tarsea inquired, while at the same time communicated to his soul mate not to panic.

  Solfa looked at him with her piercing eyes. He did not doubt she could get anyone to confess to a crime. “There is no evidence whatsoever that you had anything to do with the assassination plot. I voiced my opinion that you were a valuable resource that could be better leveraged by the government. I also mentioned I was concerned that Prime Adholm was going to paint a very different picture. His judgment was possibly clouded because you had messed around with his daughter and then dumped her.”

  “Did Prime Adholm report as you suspected?” Tarsea was almost afraid to hear the answer. He had never trusted Prime Adholm.

  Solfa laughed. “No, he reported that you had too much invested in the current government to do anything as stupid as supporting Prime Hosp. He did use colorful language about your morals and not being able to keep a certain part of your anatomy under control.” The woman once again glanced at Alex. Tarsea did not like how she was looking at his soul mate.

  “Solfa,” Alex joined the conversation, “you mentioned that you had an offer to present to Tarsea. What is the opportunity?” It appeared she was as frustrated as he was, wanting to know what the woman wanted.

  Solfa gave his little minx yet another odd look and then turned back to Tarsea. “You and your family wield a lot of power in this government and in the business community. I also know that you have been using this influence to help certain targeted individuals leave the Troyk universe.”

  Tarsea immediately replied, “I do not have a clue what you are talking about.” This discussion was taking a dangerous turn. He glanced at his brother, who was still as a statue.

  Solfa shook her head and grinned. “Your network is not as good as you think it is. Do you actually believe you were able to save all those people without some intervention outside your group?”

  All Tarsea could do was stare at her. He was not sure how to respond. His blood pressure increased and he could almost hear it rushing through his body.

  He did not have to wait long for Solfa to continue. “Two weeks ago your group was able to rescue someone who had been printing pamphlets calling for the end of mind control. Fortunately, one of my men had been observing the man until we had undisputed evidence against him. Let us say for the sake of argument, that this intelligence officer has reservations against the practice of mind control. He looked the other way when Starc and Darden collected the man to send him through the portal to another world.”

  Tarsea swore under his breath. “What is your proposal?”

  “There are many factions that want change. Some work within the system, others work outside it. Peaceful change is easier if it comes from the inside. I want you to join the intelligence community. Jarlyn believes you are loyal and you will be able to continue to appear that way. However, now you have more internal resources you can leverage.” Solfa was giving him an opportunity that was too good to be true. The question still remained whether she could be trusted.

  “How many voices did you hear in the link you connected through last night?” Tarsea asked her through the closed channel.

  “As I walked here with Alexia, I believe I heard Darden, Starc, and Koel. Earlier this morning, I also heard that intelligence officer, I had mentioned earlier linking in. Naturally, I did not share with him anything about the channel. I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Holy shit!” exclaimed Tolfer. Obviously his brother heard Solfa through the link. He was impressed how composed his brother had been throughout the discussion to this point.

  “What?” Alexandra demanded. “What is going on?”

  “I just told Tarsea through whatever channel we communicated through last night, that I heard Darden, Starc, and Koel talking through that link as we were walking here. In addition, one of my young officers also linked in.” Solfa looked at Tolfer, “I assume you can access the link as well from your reaction.”

  As Solfa was explaining orally to Alexandra, Tarsea was also communicating through the soul mate link. “I am sorry, baby. I can transmit to you what I say through the link, but what comes back I will have to transmit after I receive it. There will always be a delay to bring you into the conversation.”

  Solfa again looked at Alexandra with an intense stare. He really wished he understood why she continued to look at his soul mate in such a manner. Having his father’s large desk between them no longer seemed like a great idea.

  “You need to understand my motivation,” Solfa informed them. “My mother had a cousin who spoke out against mind control many years ago. She left this world when it got too dangerous. My mother was deeply affected by the loss of her cousin. I was raised with a hatred of the practice. Early on I knew I had to be cautious related to what I did about that hatred. That is why I got involved in the government. It was my way of trying to change things where I saw opportunities. I also had to make some tough decisions over the years regarding who would live and who would die in order to maintain my cover. It has not been easy.”

  “You don’t think she’s talking about one of the people who went through the portal with my parents, do you?” Alexandra asked him through the soul mate channel.

  Before he had a chance to respond, Alexandra asked Solfa the question that must have been plaguing her. “What was your mother’s cousin’s name?”

  Solfa gave Alexandra a poignant glance before she responded. “Starta, Starta Montiff Gerrit. I believe she was the sister of the woman you claim to be your aunt. When Starta went through the portal I was about ten years old.”

  “Alexandra, you need to control your emotions. I will get Norri back here as fast as possible.” Alex took a deep breath and did as Tarsea suggested. Her aunt would be here soon and she did have her soul mate here in the meantime.

  “Solfa,” Alex asked, “is your mother still alive? Norri said she has some distant relatives somewhere in the province.” She was quite proud of herself, she was able to ask the question calml
y.

  “Yes. I have put off mentioning to her that Norri is in town. They had lost touch after Starta left. I believe it was just too painful to keep the relationship going. Norri and Starta were twins, but there was a special relationship between my mom and Starta.”

  Alex took a sip of the herbal beverage and then concentrated on Solfa. Her desire to tell this woman who she really was, was too much to bear. Solfa had linked into the warrior channel, so she had to be trustworthy. She must have given away her intent because her soul mate almost immediately gave her a warning through their closed link. “Hold off on trying to link with her, Alexandra. We still do not know if we can trust her.”

  She disregarded Tarsea’s warning. “My mother’s name was Starta.” Not knowing if the familial link would work between second cousins, or whatever their relationship was. If Solfa was lying about their relationship, she would not be able to receive the communication anyway. What did she have to lose?

  Solfa’s eyes grew larger and started to water with tears that were about to fall. Both women got up and hugged. This was the second family member she had found in the last three days. She imagined she’d soon meet a third, when she met Solfa’s mother.

  “I knew you had to be her daughter. As soon as I saw you, it took me back to when I was a little girl. You look so much like your mother.” Solfa talked to Alex through the familial link. Hearing another member of her family connecting with her in such a manner warmed Alex’s heart.

  As she held her cousin, Alex finally realized what her life’s calling was. “I want to be an intelligence officer and help in the cause that resulted in my parents having to leave this universe.”

  “Absolutely not!” Tarsea growled.

  “You are not the boss of me! I am going into the family business.” She knew she sounded like a child. Alex wanted this more than she ever wanted anything. It was important to make a mark on the world and this would be her way of doing it. She had finally found her life’s work.

  “Alexandra, I thought we were going to make decisions together. You are too new to this world, you need a period of adjustment.” There was a desperation in Tarsea’s voice through their link. She needed to let her soul mate know how important this was to her.

  “Tarsea, I am your soul mate, but I am not an invalid. The sooner I get involved and immersed in this world, the faster I will adjust.” She hoped she sounded more mature this time around and Tarsea would listen. Alex was also careful not to give away she was from another world.

  “Wait a minute!” Solfa broke into the argument between her and Tarsea. “Did you say you are soul mates?”

  “Alex, you have to be more careful who you blurt out we are soul mates to!” Tarsea chastised her. As he was raking her over the coals, he was also addressing Solfa. “Solfa, we are newly found soul mates.”

  Solfa looked between her and Tarsea. Alex knew she was debating whether to ask the big question or not. “You know I have to ask,” Solfa confessed. “Has your relationship hit a certain point where you have gone through the evolutionary change?”

  Alex could tell how uncomfortable her cousin was with the question. For the first time since she met her, her cheeks were tinged with a red blush. She was also impressed at how discretely Solfa was able to phrase her inquiry. There was a lot she could learn from this woman, her cousin.

  “Yes,” Alex responded, “we have taken the next evolutionary developmental leap. Solfa, I should be able to read people’s thoughts, as well as protect myself from mind control.”

  “So, you were able to negate Jarlyn’s mind control pull this morning?” Solfa asked.

  “I could feel the pull,” Alex answered, “but could naturally block anything he wanted to pick-up. Because of the evolutionary change, I will be that much more of an asset to your organization.

  “I should also be able to communicate with a closed link with anyone or read their thoughts eventually. Although I cannot link into the closed channel you now are part of, I can talk to you through the familial channel or to Tarsea via the soul mate channel. I can go into places, and generally not be noticed. I would rock as an intelligence officer.” She knew she sounded more and more desperate. Hopefully that desperation would be viewed as passion and Solfa would take her on.

  Her cousin looked at Alex critically. God, she loved that fact that she had a cousin. Solfa was giving her the same piercing look she gave her this morning during the interview. She could almost see the gears in her cousin’s head go around.

  “Alexandra, it takes years of training and you do not know the ins and outs of Troyk culture yet.” Tarsea was still trying to talk her out of what she knew was going to add purpose to her life.

  Alex walked over to Tarsea, sat on his lap and kissed him. “I am doing this, Tarsea. I have a strong soul mate and I want to be as strong as he is. It is important to me to make a difference, to change the world that drove my folks ultimately to their deaths.”

  Tarsea kissed her and said, “I still do not like the idea of you being put in danger. Maybe after you are more familiar with our customs, as well as better managing all the telepathic channels. Solfa, you have to admit, your people have years of training.”

  “Tarsea,” Solfa responded, “I monitored all the communal channels when I walked out of The Palace with Alexia. There was absolutely no chatter about her or to her. The same was true as we walked here. That is what I look for when considering someone to be part of our intelligence community.”

  “For once in my life, being invisible is a huge plus! I can go into a bar, gather information and no one will even know I am there.” Alex decided she would share what she could contribute to Solfa’s organization. The part of her, she once wanted to change in her old life, was going to be a benefit in her intelligence work.

  Her cousin’s expression softened. “Not quite, Alexia. However, you do not make an impression, which is a positive. You are a true chameleon, you blend into the background. Can she really read people’s thoughts?” Alex did not take offense that her cousin addressed that last question to Tarsea.

  Tarsea nodded his head. “With time and training, yes. It is yet another pathway that soul mates possess. I was actually able to hear you call me a ‘man whore’ in your thoughts last night.”

  Tolfer started laughing and Solfa face turned redder than it had before. Alex was still smarting about his relationship with Chartail. The fact that everyone in the province knew about his sexual escapades did not thrill her. When she looked at Tarsea, she could tell he wished he could have taken that comment back.

  “Alexia,” Solfa said, “thank goodness you are soul mates. I was going to warn you off Tarsea because of his track record with women. All morning I was trying to ascertain if you were my cousin. Once you confirmed you were, I was not happy that you appeared to have a relationship with this man. Now that I know the true nature of your bonding, I feel much better. I guess the next thing we need to figure out is how to leverage you and Tarsea into my organization.”

  “When do I start?” Alex asked. She felt Tarsea’s grip on her tighten.

  Their conversation got interrupted as Tarsea’s parents and her aunt Norri returned home.

  “I think we need to move this into the common room. Everyone is probably hungry anyway.” Tarsea stood, taking her with him. He took her hand as they left the study.

  “We will continue this discussion in bed later tonight.”

  Alex smiled “No, we won’t. We’ll be too busy doing other things. It’s all decided anyway.” She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  Solfa used their familial pathway. “We will talk about how we can use you in our intelligence community later.”

  Alex’s mood soared as they made their way to the common room. Solfa was going to bring her on as an intelligence operative.

  She had a real family, a sou
l mate, a new world to conquer, and a true calling to dedicate this part of her life to. Now she just had to figure out how to turn herself into James Bond.

  Who in the world was James Bond and what did he mean to Alexandra? He caught a fragment of a thought from his soul mate as they made their way to the common room to greet his parents and her aunt. Tonight when they were alone in bed, he was going to find out. He also needed to dissuade her from endangering herself by going into intelligence work.

  Things were moving too fast, Tarsea felt he was losing control. There were two more people who could communicate through the closed link. He was no longer sure how secure this channel was with Solfa and this unknown intelligence officer having access. Regardless of what Darden said, he was still concerned.

  Alexandra broke away from him and hugged her aunt. The woman looked as relieved as Tarsea was to have her back from the interview unscathed. For the first time, Tarsea wondered what would happen to Norri if she lost such a close relative again. He had come to care for the woman in the very short time he had known her. It was probably a result of his soul mate’s feelings for her aunt.

  He certainly did not like this latest development where Alexandra wanted to become an intelligence operative. Regardless, he was still considering Solfa’s offer.

  “Norri, do you remember a young cousin here in the Aster Province about the time my mother went through the portal?” Alexandra was driving to get Solfa into the fold before Tarsea was comfortable with another addition. She boldly moved forward before he could hold her back using their private channel to communicate his concerns.

  Norri glanced behind Tarsea, where Solfa was lagging behind him. She had a questioning expression on her face as she moved to approach the woman. It almost appeared that this forceful intelligence officer was afraid of not being recognized by her own family.