The Soul Mate Read online

  “Why do you think the boys are here?” her mother whispered, not wanting to use their familial pathway. Her father had been silent for the last several minutes, but there was no guarantee he would not continue his pleas if they entered the channel.

  “I have no idea,” Leenea confessed. She did not have a clue why anyone would come to visit the day of her father’s unexpected arrest.

  They walked down the staircase hand-in-hand, drawing courage from each other. Her father’s arrest helped to narrow the gap that existed between them. She realized they now only had each other until she married Zane.

  Three young men were in the common room when they entered. The housekeeper placed their guests in the least elaborate room in the house. Leenea would have to thank her later.

  She immediately recognized one of the young men. The man with the thick, curly red hair had been one of the people who spoke at the anti-government rally. Did Zane’s actions this morning communicate to the dissidents they were kindred spirits?

  The familiar man took a step forward and extended his hand. “I am Noel Howard. We came to offer our support in the days to come. It was very courageous of you and Zane Childers to take down your father. The Prime Council has one less mind control telepath.”

  Various thoughts flew through her mind with Noel’s statement. She chose not to correct what he believed was her motivation. At this point, she was just going to respond to his comment. “That is very generous of you.”

  The taller of the three men moved to stand before her. It was rare for her to have to tilt her head to look into a man’s face. “It is dangerous for us to be here. My name is Willem Abel and this is Larrey Forrest.”

  Her eyes traveled to the good looking blonde beside him. He was the shortest of the group, but the most attractive. She noted he wore a crystal on a rawhide cord around his neck. The existence of the piece of quartz indicated he was a crystal telepath.

  Larrey was the one who grabbed her attention. Not because of how he looked, but what he was capable of doing. It was his ability to navigate inter-dimensional portals that had her captivated.

  Noel Howard placed his hand on Larrey’s shoulder. “If popular opinion heads in the wrong direction over the next critical days, we have the ability to take you to another realm for your protection.”

  “We are part of a group who protects those that are challenging the government,” Willem Abel shared. “If it appears the government is about to arrest someone for their political views, we attempt to save them before the palace guards make them disappear.”

  “In all likelihood, you will never see your father again,” Noel shared with her. “There will be no trial or the ability to visit your father in prison. Jeryl Jarlyn by this time has made him disappear.”

  Willem nodded. “Try and reach your father through your familial link. The odds are, you will not be able to. Although we fight against mind control manipulation of the government and our population in principle, Jeryl Jarlyn is the most dangerous of the lot.”

  Leenea had been grateful her father had stopped his pleas. Now she was concerned by his silence. She reached out through their familial channel. “Daddy?”

  She glanced at her mother, who shook her head. Neither of them heard her father in their heads.

  “Maybe he is unconscious,” Leenea said. She doubted that was the case, even as she spoke the words.

  “Jeryl Jarlyn and his followers are working behind official protocols with a number of crystal telepaths,” Larrey reported. “There are rumors and whispers at our headquarters. No one knows for sure what is going on.”

  Noel took Leenea’s hand and walked her to the sofa, she was beginning to feel a little light headed. There was still a part of her who loved her father and could not fathom never seeing him again.

  Larrey knelt beside her. “We need to be seen as dating so it will not appear strange if we are seen together near the trail that leads to the inter-dimensional portal. Tonight, we should attend the second seating of dinner together.”

  Her mother clapped her hands. “What a wonderful idea.”

  “Excuse me, but Leenea is engaged to me.” Zane entered the room. His irises had darkened with anger.

  When Zane left The Palace and headed out to see Leenea, he had not expected her to be surrounded by suitors. One was on his knees in front of his fiancée. He wanted to wring the dandy’s neck.

  The redhead extended his hand. “I am Noel and it is a pleasure to meet the man who brought down Prime Rickard.”

  As soon as the man opened his mouth, Zane recognized him. He had been one of the uninspiring orators at the rally. Zane was more interested in who was the man romancing Leenea.

  “Everything I did today was to save an innocent boy.” Zane briefly shook Noel’s hand and towered over the blonde still on his knees. “As I said, Leenea is my fiancée.”

  “The engagement was null and void when my husband was arrested,” Jaynee Rickard declared. “She has plans with this young man tonight. He is a crystal telepath.”

  He was not in the mood for being degraded because he was neither a mind control or crystal telepath. When he started to romance Leenea, his focus was on winning her father, not her mother. It would take time to change Jaynee’s opinion of him.

  “Play along for now,” his soul mate communicated through their channel. “All eyes will be on us and I do not want there to be any reason to incite further discussions in the communal pathways. These are still dangerous times.”

  Noel lent a hand to help the blonde up from his knees and then patted Zane on the back. “You delivered a tremendous blow to the mind control faction in the council. Now is our time to strike.”

  Zane shook his head. “Prime Adholm has already garnered Rickard’s chairmanship of several committees. Jarlyn has filled Leenea’s father’s seat with his Chief of Staff, another mind control telepath. If anything, the situation is worse. Rickard provided opposition to Jarlyn, now he has free rein.”

  “Our primary focus needs to be on Leenea and her mother the next several days and move them to another dimension if it appears Jarlyn plans retribution for what Rickard planned,” the blonde crystal telepath said. “I need to be seen with her to save her life if and when the time comes. The two of you will only draw too much attention if you are seen in public.”

  “I have to agree with Larrey,” Noel stated. “The two of you are still being commended within the communal pathways. Your growing popularity could frighten Jarlyn to action. Your best bet is to continue to support Jarlyn in public and leave Leenea alone.”

  He swore under his breath. The crystal telepath and the redhead were right. Being seen in public with Leenea would only cause excitement in the communal pathways. Although, he did not like the idea of her dating other men.

  “Stop frowning, Zane. They are right. If I date other men for the short-term, it will only work to our advantage. We will still date, but not exclusively. I do not want any attention to come our way. The last thing we want is our evolved powers to be discovered.”

  “Our only goal here is to safeguard Leenea and her mother,” Noel confessed. “The movement against the mind control telepaths needs an inside man and I would like that to be you. I noticed you at the rally the other night. A man of your stature is hard to miss.”

  All the arguments his soul mate and the other men made were spot on. He wrestled with several scenarios where he could be seen in public with Leenea without fueling excitement within the communal pathways, but he could not come up with anything. For the time being, he would step back and allow other men to date his mate.

  10

  What had possessed her to go out with a man other than Zane? Leenea sat across from Larrey and was miserable. Her eyes drifted to Zane sitting two tables away with another woman.

  “Leenea, what do you think about it?” Larrey asked.

  “What?” She blushed after being caught not paying attention for the third time since they were seated.

  He lean
ed across the table. “Attending a rally with me tomorrow night.”

  She shook her head. “In the two days since my father’s arrest and disappearance, the government has rallied behind Jarlyn and they are looking for another fight to solidify their position. It is too dangerous. Another opportunity will present itself in the future.”

  “That might take decades,” Larrey complained under his breath.

  Her eyes once again traveled to the table Zane shared with an auburn haired beauty. She was athletically built and looked wonderful by his side. The woman had no problems wearing revealing tunics.

  “Not as nice as you look beside me,” Zane shared through their closed channel. “She does not possess breasts that compare with yours.”

  Her jealous thoughts leaked through their pathway. It was reassuring the link was still active. Over the last two days, they continually chatted, although not in person. She hated this stupid charade.

  Tonight, she had on the camisole and tunic she wore at the party where she met Zane. Her modesty did not make her stand out because of the quality of the garment. How she wished her soul mate was across the table from her.

  “The communal pathways are no longer talking about me and Zane,” she said, once again, conversing with Larrey. “Maybe it is time for you to start dating someone you are interested in.”

  Larrey’s eyes widened. “Why would you think I was not interested in you?”

  Now it was Leenea’s time to be surprised. “We started dating because of the possibility you would have to send me to another dimension for my safety. The danger where I am concerned appears to be over. You can go back to dating whoever you were seeing before me.”

  “There was not anyone special,” Larrey admitted. “No one’s eyes brighten when I talk about inter-dimensional travel like yours do. Women are attracted to me because of my looks or the status my ability provides me, but show no real interest in who I am.”

  If she did not know her soul mate existed, she could have seen herself with Larrey. She still was taller than he was, but with him, it did not matter. The flat shoes she wore were more comfortable than healed footwear.

  Her date drummed his fingers on the linen covered table. Something made him anxious. Was he expecting her to have sex with him tonight? She did not believe their relationship had progressed to that point. Besides, she would never sleep with a man other than Zane.

  As soon as he finished tapping, he took possession of one of her hands. “I want to take you through the portal. It is an experience not to be missed.”

  Her heart raced. There was nothing she dreamed of more than an opportunity to go through the inter-dimensional gateway. “When?”

  “Tonight,” Larrey replied.

  Leenea frowned. “It must be dangerous traversing the mountain path at night. We should go during the day.”

  “Well, since you are breaking up with me, tonight is our only opportunity to go.” He squeezed her hand. “Besides, there is a full moon to light our way. You are not wearing silly shoes like the rest of the women. They are fine for walking up the trail.”

  She could not understand why he was pressuring her. They were not breaking up, since they were not in a relationship to begin with. Her mind told her to go home and crawl into bed. But her heart wanted nothing more than to enter the portal and experience the dynamics and harmonics of the wormhole.

  “Why not go as friends one day in the future when there is ample light?” Leenea shook her head. She just could not justify endangering herself scaling a mountain at night.

  He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. “It is a lovely night and the walk will be romantic. The trail is well traveled during the day with crystal telepaths and their guards heading or returning from parallel dimensions with supplies. Tonight is our best chance of not being caught making an unsanctioned trip through the portal.”

  Her desire overruled her good sense. “I would love to go.”

  They rose from the table and Larrey draped her shawl over her shoulders. She did not communicate to Zane where they were going. He would assume her date was taking her home. The last thing she wanted was his overprotective side to talk her out of going through the portal.

  As they passed Zane’s table, she did not make eye contact with him. She could hear he was involved in a discussion involving the raising of children. It was an odd topic to cover with a woman he was not dating, but merely being seen in public for appearance sake.

  To her relief, Zane did not comment through their closed pathway as they passed. Once they were out of view, she could communicate telepathically with him without him knowing their true destination. She did not want to lie to Zane, but she felt she had no option. Lie was too strong a word. It was more of an omission she was guilty of.

  When they entered the park, Larrey took her hand. He guided them to the east exit that would take them in the direction of the mountain pass. Leenea was so excited, she could barely contain herself.

  “How old were you when you realized you had the telepathic gift?” She had asked a number of crystal telepaths that question when she wrote her first paper on the subject.

  “The power runs in my family,” Larrey admitted. “When I was five, my parents took me to the portal and placed a crystal in my hand. The portal opened. They pulled me from school and I was placed in training conducted at Crystal Telepath Headquarters.”

  It was a common occurrence for children where the gift was inherited. For others, in their second year of primary school, the class would walk up the trail and learn about the portal. A crystal was passed from child to child to see if anyone of them could open the gateway. When she took possession of the amethyst, she held her breath and wished the portal would open. It did not, much to her disappointment.

  Her mind was so absorbed with thinking about the gateway, she was surprised when they reached the start of the mountain trail. Aster Province’s lights had faded, but the moon did an adequate job of lighting their way.

  “Are you excited?” Larrey asked.

  “Words cannot begin to explain what I am feeling,” she replied. “Thank you for making a dream come true.”

  Larrey’s smile faded for a moment, but was back on his face the next instant. If she had blinked, she would have missed it. She wondered what he was thinking. He no doubt did not understand the fascination she held for something that was a daily routine for him.

  They stepped off the pavement and entered the grasslands and brush that littered the basin before the foothills began. There was a well established path they followed. She had not made this trek since she was a child.

  When they reached the foothills, the path was wide enough for them to walk side-by-side. Rather than conversing, Leenea watched her footing.

  “Careful.” Larrey grabbed her when she slipped on loose gravel.

  “I guess the traction on these shoes is not as good as we believed,” Leenea responded.

  “You will be fine,” he said as he pulled her forward.

  They entered the more mountainous section of the trail and the moon was partially obstructed by clouds. “We should head back and do this another time. I can barely see where I am going.”

  “It is only a short walk from here.” He continued to drag her up the mountain.

  Leenea had made a terrible mistake. She attempted to pull her arm from Larrey’s grasp but was unsuccessful.

  “I changed my mind. Let go of my arm.” If she screamed, no one would hear her.

  Larrey’s response was to pull her toward him and lift her over his shoulder. The man was stronger than he looked. He had no trouble continuing up the trail with her now as cargo.

  “Leenea, did Larrey get you safely home?” Zane asked through their closed channel.

  “We are on the mountain trail leading to the inter-dimensional portal. I was stupid enough to accept Larrey’s invitation for a moonlight stroll. He will not let me go back to the city.”

  She did not outright beg him to
come and rescue her. It was her lack of common sense that got her into this position. For whatever reason, Larrey wanted her to go through the portal.

  11

  As the path grew narrower, Leenea stopped struggling. If Larrey lost his footing, they would plummet down the mountain. She was not sure what his plans were, but they had to be better than breaking bones or perhaps death that falling off the trail would involve.

  “Why are you doing this?” Leenea cried.

  “Jeryl Jarlyn believes you are a liability. Your mother is not intelligent enough to represent a threat, but Prime Rickard’s daughter certainly does.”

  It took a moment to digest what he said. He was not a dissident, but a follower of the most powerful mind control telepath in the government. Did Jeryl use his powers to change Larrey’s allegiances or had be been a plant in Noel’s group?

  “Larrey Forrest is loyal to Jeryl Jarlyn,” she communicated through the communal pathways. Noel would get the information and know he had a traitor in his group.

  She felt his body tremble with laughter. “We are too faraway from the city for the communal pathways to pickup your message. It is only a matter of time before Jeryl deals with my misguided friends. It is ironic that my spying on that group put me in your path. Your elimination was easier than we thought. I am surprised you did not call out for help.”

  Leenea was relieved the soul mate channel was powerful enough for her to converse with Zane. He would be on his way. Their progress slowed as they conversed. She needed to keep Larrey talking.

  “Where are you sending me? Will I be joining my father?” Leenea’s mind was full of questions. Her reasoning ability prevented her from panicking.

  “I actually like you, Leenea,” Larrey claimed. “Your father was sent to a horrendous world to die. I will not subject you to that dimension. There is another world you will not be able to return from. If you are smart, you can live a long life there. You will have to trade your virginity for protection, but it is a small price to pay.”