The Mind Control Telepath Page 8

  As she entered the establishment, JoAnna was bowled over by the sight of good-looking men who populated the main hall. It did not take long to establish none of them seemed to attract her the way Koel did. There certainly was no harm in enjoying the amazing sight before her. The room was initially quiet as she entered, but the hum of conversations between the men increased as they noticed her.

  A tall blond man approached. He looked so much like Shirl, he could only be the brother JoAnna had heard so much about. Although Shirl had not mentioned him, Candy had clued her into the problems that existed between the two siblings. Over time, Cianan had gotten over blaming his sister for his parents’ abandonment of him when they left for Earth.

  “You must be JoAnna,” Shirl’s brother said. “My name is Cianan, although I suspect you already know that.”

  “Yes, Candy’s stories have been very amusing,” JoAnna responded. “I understand you will lead the party going to Terra Flora tomorrow to gather more crystals.”

  “Yes,” Cianan grunted. The last time Cianan had been to Terra Flora, one of the native animals almost took off his leg. They barely got him back to the Troyk universe before he bled to death. “It is a miserable place, so you will need to get a lot of rest tonight. Also make sure you are properly hydrated as well. Let me take you to Shirl. She will tell you more about tomorrow’s trip.”

  JoAnna followed Cianan through the hall and into an area where a number of gymnasiums were located. They entered one on the far end, where Candy was giving Shirl self-defense lessons. When they entered, Shirl’s attention was diverted and Candy took advantage of the distraction and brought down her lifelong friend.

  “No fair, Candy,” Shirl cried. “Get off me, we need to brief Jo Jo on tomorrow’s trip to Terra Flora.” Candy immediately complied with Shirl’s request and sprang to her feet. It took longer for Shirl to get up from the mat after she had been nailed by Candy. As she rose, Jo Jo could not help but catch the dirty look Shirl gave Candy.

  “Anyone who takes it easy on you during training is not doing you any favors,” Candy informed Shirl. “Anytime you want some pointers, Jo Jo, I will be happy to work with you.” The grown Candy was just as fierce as the little girl she remembered. JoAnna imagined she would be black and blue after working with her, but she would be better prepared if anyone attacked her.

  “I will take you up on the offer,” JoAnna replied. “Perhaps after we get back from Terra Flora. I have never taken self-defense lessons, but I think it is a good idea considering what Jeryl Jarlyn has in store for me.”

  Candy and Shirl looked at each other and then at JoAnna. They both had questioning looks on their faces. “What exactly does he have planned for you?” Shirl asked.

  “Nothing specific, it’s just a feeling I have,” JoAnna responded.

  “Listen to your intuition, it will save your life,” Candy said in a deadly serious tone. “You never know what is on the other side of a portal, let alone around the corner in this universe. Your gut should tell you who you can trust and who you need to be leery of.”

  This conversation had gotten too serious and contained too much innuendo for her taste. JoAnna already knew she could not trust Jeryl Jarlyn, but not who she could count on. Her gut told her nothing, other than giving her indigestion.

  “Enough of talking in circles,” Shirl said. “We have a mission to plan for. Koel will be here in about ten minutes, so let’s head to a conference room and get comfortable.”

  “Koel is going with us?” JoAnna inquired. She hoped that would be the case. JoAnna had seen so little of Koel, it would be nice to spend more time with him.

  “Solfa requires Koel to be involved in the planning stages of each mission we go on. We had an incident on Terra Nova which caused Solfa to go ballistic. From that point on, Koel has reviewed the tactical aspect of each trip, although he normally does not accompany us through the portal.”

  JoAnna was equally intrigued to find out what had occurred on Terra Nova and disappointed Koel would not be going with them to Terra Flora. It sounded like such a lovely universe and it would only help to bring them closer romantically.

  They had reached the conference room where they were to meet with Koel. JoAnna sat in what looked to be a very comfortable armchair. She was not disappointed as her body molded into the cozy soft leather. It supported her back perfectly and was the appropriate height in order to properly plant her feet. Too many chairs she sat on in the past felt like torture devices if she was in them for any amount of time.

  “What can you tell me about Terra Flora?” JoAnna asked.

  “Think of Florida in the summer, add twenty more degrees and more humidity,” Shirl said. “You will want to wear clothes that will breathe. They have mosquitoes the size of automobiles, but we will take insect repellent with us. They also have very aggressive animal life on the planet.”

  “You are not exaggerating, are you?” JoAnna asked. She had heard about the attack on Cianan, but not all the other issues related to the parallel universe. So much for a romantic get-away with Koel.

  “I really wish I were,” Shirl responded. “Terra Flora is rich in crystals and minerals, so it makes the dangers and the miserable climate worth the trip. We just have to be diligent and not dally. It is best to be off the planet before the sun sets and the nocturnal animals run rampant.”

  JoAnna started to rethink her involvement in tomorrow’s mission, regardless of Jeryl Jarlyn’s wishes. She was no good to him if she died on the planet or developed malaria and ultimately perished in the Troyk universe. JoAnna hated the taste of tonic water, so the idea of drinking the quinine enriched beverage did not thrill her. She thought of drinking straight gin, when Koel entered the room.

  As JoAnna looked up at her soul mate, she could feel her pulse quicken. His rich blue eyes were mesmerizing. This man was created just for her and she wanted him beyond anything she had ever experienced. She grabbed on to the arm rest with both hands, controlling her need to get up and engulf Koel in her arms.

  Once Koel’s eyes came to her, he continued to stare. She could tell he was as affected by her presence, as she was to his. Unfortunately, she could also feel him try to hold back his emotions. Although she knew she shouldn’t, JoAnna concentrated on entering Koel’s mind. She could see herself through his eyes.

  JoAnna was surprised because she was surrounded by a brilliant red aura, looking through Koel’s eyes. Koel definitely had sex on his mind. She saw him shake his head, as if he knew she was playing around in his mind. JoAnna pulled herself out and diverted her glance to Shirl.

  “We will leave for Terra Flora tomorrow, let us meet at the Childers’s at seven in the morning. After breakfast, we will head to the portal. I plan to accompany the team.” JoAnna could hear the thoughts Koel was not communicating about the mission, thoughts about her involvement. When she returned her gaze to Koel, he still looked at her. In fact, glaring would have been a better term. She wondered if he felt her presence in his mind.

  “Candy,” Cianan added, “I want you along as well. Koel and I will concentrate on JoAnna’s safety and you and Starc will be responsible for Shirl’s. Get a good night’s sleep and drink a lot of water tonight. Coffee is dehydrating, so there will be no caffeine in the morning. I do not want any mishaps this time around.”

  Koel was the first one to leave the room. JoAnna figured she would not see him again until tomorrow morning. It startled her when he grabbed her arm as she exited. He pushed her against a nearby wall while everyone else hurried away.

  “Never enter my brain in that manner again,” he growled at her. “I do not know how you did it and I do not care to know the particulars. Soul mates or not, you ever do that again, we are over. Have I made myself clear on the subject?”

  All she could do was nod her understanding. JoAnna had a lump in her throat, making it difficult to swallow
. For the first time when she looked into Koel’s eyes, she had not seen lust. This time it was pure fury. He left her standing, ashamed and fearful. Had she gone too far?

  Chapter 9

  Koel had not slept the night before, his brain would not shut off. He kept thinking about what JoAnna had done to him. He had heard stories of strong mind control telepathic individuals who could enter another’s brain, he just had never met one. It had not been an unpleasant experience, just unexpected. Under different circumstances, he would not have minded, if she had bothered to ask.

  There was also the question of what other powers she possessed, which scared him beyond reason. All of it just reinforced the fact they could not have sexual relations. If she was this powerful now, what would the next stage of her telepathic powers consist of?

  He reached the Childers’s home and proceeded straight to the kitchen. Tolfer was cooking, while Shirl drank orange juice. She had taken her brother’s warning about caffeine to heart. For the first time since she had arrived in the Troyk universe, Alex was not in the kitchen.

  After what had happened with JoAnna, Koel had warned Tarsea to evacuate them from his parents’ home. Alex lived a lie and was pregnant. No one wanted to risk JoAnna purposely or accidentally entering her mind.

  “I do not like not having Alex here,” Shirl complained through the warrior channel. It was the only safe means of communication in the house, now that JoAnna’s presence had been raised to a higher threat level. “When we get back from Terra Flora, we are going to have to re-evaluate what to do about JoAnna.” It was clear she was shaken by the latest developments regarding their old friend.

  “We need you to concentrate on today’s mission, not obsess over Alex and the situation here.” Koel had not meant to reprimand Shirl, but he needed her mind to be focused on the task at hand.

  Shirl merely nodded her understanding. The girls had been so hopeful about bringing their friend to the Troyk universe. Everything that had transpired since JoAnna arrived only added fuel to Candy’s premonition concerning her. For his own sanity, Koel had to focus on his desire to somehow be able to reach and convince JoAnna the powers she was born with should not be fully utilized. What happened yesterday, only added more doubt related to him ultimately being successful.

  He met briefly with his sister, Tarah, and asked if she would spend time with his soul mate when they returned from Terra Flora. Tarah had struggled most of her life with the moral and practical usage of her gift. His sister had the support of family and friends, JoAnna had neither. Tarah had been assigned to travel off world; it was questionable when she would have the ability to meet with JoAnna.

  “How are you doing?” Shirl asked.

  Koel could not answer her. He did not want the concern embedded in his heart to adversely impact Shirl. He needed to redirect her and his thoughts. “What is for breakfast, Tolfer?” Koel asked orally.

  “A Parmesan and chive egg soufflé, with a side of fruit. I did not want to make anything too heavy. The melon will also help to hydrate you.” Tolfer proceeded to pull his masterpiece out of the oven. It was a sight to behold and smelled absolutely wonderful.

  “Wow, you could get a job in any five-star restaurant on Earth, Tolfer,” JoAnna said as she walked into the kitchen. She wore a sleeveless tunic and skin tight leggings. Immediately Koel’s hunger shifted from breakfast to his soul mate. The outfit was practical for the mission, but left very little to the imagination.

  When Cianan arrived, the group sat and made quick work of consuming Tolfer’s soufflé. The banter between Shirl and her brother helped to keep his mind off his mounting concerns related to JoAnna. Although their sibling relationship was much improved, Shirl and Cianan seemed to enjoy throwing jabs at one another. He did not have that type of relationship with Tarah. Where Koel had enjoyed practical jokes, his sister had always been painfully serious. Although he dearly loved Tarah, he just could not relate to her.

  All that was left was to head out to the portal. Although Shirl could have taken them directly to the crystal caves on Terra Flora, with JoAnna present that was impossible. They would have to enter the world through the natural portal and walk for several hours to reach their destination.

  As they readied to leave, JoAnna planted herself next to Koel. There was little he had to say to his soul mate. Between his lack of sleep, concern about the mission, and JoAnna’s incredible powers, Koel was in no mood to spend time making idle chit chat with her. In the end, Candy solved the issue, by cutting next to JoAnna as they left the house.

  Koel walked behind Candy and his soul mate. He listened to their conversation as they made their way to the mountain trail. Although JoAnna could navigate a number of the communal channels, she chose to speak aloud with Candy.

  Neither woman had been to Terra Flora. Candy told his soul mate the stories she heard about the parallel dimension. His interest piqued when Candy talked about the world’s animal life. He had seen the terrifying giant larma beast at the Aster Province zoo. They were properly armed in case they had an encounter with any of those animals. Candy’s description of a hot, humid world worked to further sour his mood.

  They quickly made their way up the trail to the natural portal. As soon as Cianan came within several yards of the gateway, his crystal started to glow. Almost immediately the air in front of him started to shimmer. Koel could only hope Candy had been exaggerating about how miserable Terra Flora was.

  The Terra Flora Universe

  The heat was stifling. JoAnna wondered if it was possible to build a bio-dome around the part of the world that contained the crystals and the portal. If she thought about impossible tasks, she would be better able to deal with how incredibly hot it was. Well, at least they were out of the pouring rain. The thick jungle vegetation they traversed was taking the brunt of the storm.

  When they first arrived in Terra Flora, they were welcomed with an incredibly hard rain. It had been so unexpected, she had actually lost her footing when she had walked out of the portal into the typhoon. They wasted valuable time trudging through the meadow toward the jungle, as their feet sank into the saturated ground. Every minute they lost due to weather, was less time to spend in the crystal caves. JoAnna had to find the crystals Jeryl Jarlyn requested. She did not want to think about what failure would mean.

  “How are you holding up?” Koel asked her through their soul mate channel. The telepathic communication initially surprised her, since he had not used the channel since it opened on Earth. She imagined he leveraged it now because of the howling wind and the sound of the rain as it hammered the vegetation.

  After a moment’s hesitation, JoAnna answered honestly. “I’m miserable. It’s hard to determine why I am wet now, the downpour or the fact I am sweating like a pig. At least the insect repellent is doing its job. Thank goodness we sprayed it on before we left the Troyk universe.” JoAnna shuttered at the thought of dealing with the natural elements of this world, as well as its insect population.

  “Starc said we should gather as many crystals as we can, so we do not have to come back here anytime soon. This is my first trip here and hopefully my last.” JoAnna could not agree more with those words.

  It seemed like they had walked for an eternity. After Koel stopped communicating with her, each minute which passed seemed like an hour. Were they ever going to reach their destination? Candy and Shirl did not seem to be in any better shape. She hated the sensation of feeling sweat run down the small of her back. In addition, she had to keep pushing her wet hair out of her face. With all the water falling from the trees, JoAnna had problems seeing clearly.

  “Finally,” Shirl muttered, as they left the jungle and entered a small clearing. There were two caves visible on the other side of the meadow. “Welcome to crystal nirvana. I assume Jeryl Jarlyn schooled you in what you need to pick up. He generally has a specific stone he wishes to have collected, as
well as the covert mission’s stone. JoAnna, you can look for it on your own, or we can assist you.”

  She did not miss the critical look Shirl gave her brother. There must have been more to the stories related to what had occurred during the last trip. Not confiding in Shirl at this point would signal JoAnna did not trust her old friend. Plus, if she did not volunteer the information, her friends would know she kept information from them. JoAnna was at a crossroads. She could trust the people who surrounded her, or continue alone. It was time to make a leap of faith.

  “Our mission is to find herderite.” JoAnna felt a ton lifted from her shoulders after she admitted the truth to the group. She pulled out the crystal Jeryl Jarlyn had given her and displayed it. “It supposedly will intensify my mind control capabilities.”

  “Are you aware of the stone’s properties?” Starc asked Koel. Since his sister was a mind control telepath, if usage of the crystal was common, he would have noticed Tarah using it.

  Koel shook his head, as he answered Starc’s question. She watched the facial expressions of those around her for any evidence they communicated telepathically through a channel she did not have access to. If they were having a private conversation, it was not obvious.

  Shirl extended her arm, with her palm open, indicating she wanted to look at the crystal. Without hesitation, JoAnna handed the piece of herderite to the crystal telepath. Shirl closed her hand around the stone and shut her eyes. Although JoAnna knew it was her imagination, she could have sworn she heard a low intensity hum underneath the other frequencies that played in her head.