Shamara (6 page)

He sent a silent prayer to the Spirit, asking for assistance and guidance. Asking for a miracle—and fast.

*  *  * 

Elysia was beautiful, a tropical paradise with balmy breezes and swaying palms. At first, Eirene was enthralled by its exotic beauty. The enchantment quickly gave way beneath the oppressive psychic barrage. In that respect, Elysia was far worse than Saron. The massive marketplace was ten times larger than Saron's, and packed with beings from everywhere in the quadrant.

At least Eirene had her experience from Saron to draw upon. She worked diligently at erecting a mental wall to block the bombardment of emotions, succeeding most of the time. Slavers' Square almost did her in however, the tidal waves of pain and despair from those chained, huddled beings mentally overwhelming her as she neared the vicinity. She quickly learned how to navigate around the square at a safe distance.

Since her new robe had been bloodstained and ruined, it seemed as if she were starting over, having to sell another gem and barter for new garments. This time, she bought leggings, with a slim tunic to go over them, both in a silvery blue. Feeling very daring, she had her hair trimmed to midway down her back and put a henna rinse on it. The rinse left mahogany highlights in her hair, softening its natural ebony color. Eirene was pleased with her new look.

She rented modest quarters, then located Darya and sent a transmission requesting an audience. Rayna had trained with Darya many seasons ago, and spoken often of the healer's amazing abilities. Eirene had long hoped to learn from her.

She was thrilled when the healer responded graciously to her request. Darya was willing to speak with her, but she was too busy to meet for five cycles. Eirene sold a second gem and paid for her quarters for the next seven cycles. She'd be here permanently if she could convince Darya to take her on as an apprentice.

Now there was nothing to do but wait. Eirene explored the marketplace some and practiced maintaining a mental wall. Even so, the effort exhausted her, and the crammed stalls of brilliantly colored goods and the loudly hawking vendors overwhelmed her senses. She learned to only go out for short jaunts, building her mental muscles a little at a time.

Physically, the soreness and stiffness from mating with Jarek was gone by the second cycle. Unfortunately, the memories didn't fade so readily. Her strong visual bent worked against her, inundating her with clear images of the man who had claimed her virginity. His mesmerizing caroba-brown eyes and clean-cut features, his wavy brown hair, his lean, virile build; she recalled each enticing detail of how he looked.

She discovered she had a strong tactile bent, as well. The feel of Jarek's hands sliding through her hair, over her bare skin; the warmth of his firm lips, his taste, his scent—all were details she seemed unable to exorcise from her mind.

Most alarming was the attraction she had felt toward him—a male, and a veritable stranger at that. She'd felt nothing but revulsion for the dissipated, selfish men on Travan; considered herself safe from such foolishness as yearning after a man. Rayna had warned her often enough to never yield to the other sex, or to give them any power over her. Women had very few rights as it was.

It didn't matter, Eirene told herself, resolutely pushing away the images of Jarek. She would never see the man again, and in time, the details of her encounter with him would be a distant memory. For the first time in her life, she was in control of her own destiny. She had made it to Elysia and gained a coveted audience with Darya, possibly the greatest healer in the quadrant. Eirene knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life, and how she would go about it.

No one knew she was an Enhancer, nor would anyone ever discover that fact.

She was free and safe.  No one would ever take that away from her.

*  *  * 

An Enhancer!
Jarek bolted upright in his bunk, as the realization hit him with the force of a rocket launcher. The courtesan, Eirene, was an Enhancer. There was no other explanation.

Unwilling for his mind to be clouded, he had refused Chase's offer of pain medication, despite the acute discomfort in his abdomen. He'd lain awake most of sleep shift, ransacking every thread of memory, ruthlessly probing his mind, demanding it produce every single detail.

He focused on the events after he discovered Eirene's virginity, reliving his wounding and the hazy activities following. He now remembered the shooting quite clearly: how he had sensed the intruder at the last minute, dropped and rolled, reaching for his weapon and firing.

He recalled the blast of agony in his gut, Eirene's stricken face above him, and a blue-haired woman in a swirl of blue feathers next to her. He'd kept his wits enough to demand they call Celie instead of the   authorities. Then things blurred. He wasn't certain whether the events after that point were real or distorted by pain and loss of blood.

But he did have images—insistent images—of Eirene leaning over him, her hands hovering over his abdomen. She had closed her eyes, and then a torrent of heat and energy had surged into his body. He remembered arching upward, stunned by this assault on his already-screaming nerve endings. Oddly, it seemed the energy was flowing into both his abdomen and his head; that it sedated him even as it recharged his body.

Then he’d felt as if he was flowing along a rapidly moving current, a kaleidoscope of colors and sensations, leaving him totally disoriented. He had drifted in and out of consciousness, aware Eirene still hovered over him, until a strident male voice broke the energy surge, and he sank into welcome oblivion.

At least that's what Jarek thought he remembered. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything at the Dome, so he couldn't have been drugged. Add to that the amazing fact that he had not only survived a fatal wounding for four hours without medical treatment, but
his wound had closed itself.

He thought about these things for hours, considering every angle and possibility, and returning to the same conclusion each time. Eirene had healed him. Somehow, she had channeled a special energy into his body that had healed the wound and replenished his blood supply. He was an educated and well-traveled man. He'd never heard of any race of beings that could heal with pure energy, except one. The race he'd been researching the past season. Enhancers.

But they were extinct. Or were they? In his determined quest to learn all he could about the Enhancers and their possible link to the black hole in the twelfth sector, he had uncovered some unusual tales: accounts of people being born with Enhancer abilities. The occurrences appeared random and were extremely rare, and the people supposedly possessed of such abilities disappeared from sight, probably snapped up by the Controllers or powerful private factions. There was no proof of living Enhancers, yet the tales persisted.

Jarek had listened to the continually circulating stories, and he had long ago learned to trust his instincts. Right now, his every instinct screamed that Eirene was an Enhancer. If he were right, she might be able to help him navigate that black hole. He had to find her.

He struggled off the bed, cursing his weakness, although he was much stronger than he had been yesterday. Already dressed, he scooped up his boots and headed for the entry panel. It opened before he reached it.

"What are you doing up?" Chase demanded, stepping through the entry, with Celie behind him.

"I need to return to Saron." Jarek paused, unwilling to reveal more. If Eirene were an Enhancer, she'd be in danger if that information fell into the wrong hands.

Chase frowned and started to say something, but Celie cut him off. "I'm afraid you won't want to go to Saron, Jarek. Not after you hear my news."

Something in her voice caught Jarek's full attention. "What is it?"

"First, sit down before you fall down," Chase ordered, rolling up a chair. "You're too weak to be walking around."

Jarek sank into the chair, staring at Celie. "Tell me."

Her eyes were solemn. "I've got two things to tell you. The first is good. I may have found equipment for scoping out your black hole."

Yes! Thank you, Spirit.
"Where?"

"It's a rather odd situation. The equipment is on Aldon."

"Aldon? That's a Shen colony, isn't it?"

Celie nodded. "Yes. It's their main settlement."

Jarek pondered this. The Shens, whose society had evolved around a magic-based culture, didn't deal in technology. "How would the Shens have come up with such equipment? I can't imagine them interested in exploring black holes."

"Well, no, they're not into space exploration, but they're always interested in making money," Celie pointed out. "They didn't manufacture this equipment. It was apparently left on Aldon."

The situation was getting stranger by the millisecond. Jarek rubbed his forehead, wondering if his faculties were still off balance. "I'm not understanding this. Who left it there?"

"That's what's so amazing about the whole situation. Supposedly, this is equipment Enhancers used, then stored on Aldon, before they became extinct."

Enhancers?
Jarek almost bolted from the chair. "Sweet Spirit. Are you sure about this?"

Celie leaned against the counter. "I got the information from Eark. He's a Shen we've worked with for over eight seasons, and he's always been reliable. He says the equipment was left by Enhancers, and it has been on Aldon more than two hundred seasons."

Adrenaline thrummed through Jarek. The Enhancers were supposedly the ones who had traversed the black hole in the twelfth quadrant. And he suspected Eirene was an Enhancer. He didn't believe in coincidences. This was divine intervention. It had to be. "How much?" he demanded hoarsely. "How much do the Shens want for that equipment?"

"Eark wouldn't give me an amount." Celie threw up her hands in frustration. "He was very vague, said it would be negotiated when the buyer got to Aldon."

"Damn." Jarek felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The Shens were going to demand a fortune for the equipment, and his own resources were severely limited. Then something Celie said registered. "Did you say the Shens would negotiate when the buyer got to Aldon?"

"Yes. I couldn't believe it when Eark told me that."

"The Shens never let anyone visit their settlements. The locations for most of them are secret. Are you sure that's what Eark said?"

Celie nodded. "Yes. He said you could come to Aldon. I asked him again, to be sure I'd heard him right."

Even more reason for Jarek to believe a divine hand was involved. He'd worry about finding enough gold on the way. "I've got to get ready to leave."

"Wait," Celie said. "There's more, Jarek, and I'm afraid it's very grim."

He sagged back in the chair, bracing himself. "Tell me."

"Eark told me that the Controllers are amassing a huge number of troops. Word is they're getting ready to search every moon and asteroid, looking for Shielder colonies. And they've doubled the reward for all Shielders captured, and for information leading to any settlements. They're determined to eradicate the Shielders once and for all."

Acute urgency, laced with bone-chilling fear, pumped through Jarek. Could things get any worse? First the bounty on his head, and now this. They were almost out of time. Hell, they were already out of time! If he didn't gain possession of that equipment and find an escape route, they faced total obliteration. "I've got to leave now."

"Whoa," Chase protested, clamping a hand on Jarek's shoulder before he could stand. "You're not going anywhere until I check you over."

Jarek shook his hand away. "I can't wait around to get better, McKnight. Every second counts. I have to get to Saron." He was even more convinced now that he had to find Eirene. If she really was an Enhancer, she could be vastly useful, both with the equipment and the black hole. He couldn't logically explain how he knew this. He just knew, deep inside, that he needed Eirene. Just as he knew only a miracle could save the Shielders now.

"But I thought you'd go straight to Aldon," Celie said.

Jarek spread his arms so Chase could run a scanner over him, though negative findings wouldn't deter him. "Oh, I'm going to Aldon, all right. But first, I have pressing business on Saron. I'm leaving now."

Chase drew back, frowning, but offered no further argument.

Jarek picked up his boots and headed toward the corridor. Spirit, he
was
weak. But time was of the essence. He stepped into the corridor, Celie and Chase right behind him.

Nessa hurried toward them. "We have company," she said. "The transport just dropped her off. She's on Sabin's ship and headed this way."

"Who?" All three of them asked simultaneously.

Just then, the airlock connecting Celie's ship with Chase's hummed open. A petite woman, swathed in blue feathers, stepped through the entry. Except for her porcelain white skin, everything about her was blue: her eyes, her long silky hair, her pouty lips, the ridiculous feathered headdress on her head, even her four-inch stiletto heels. She smiled brightly and wobbled toward them.

"Oh, helloooo!" she trilled. "Celie, you're looking wonderful."

"Hello again," Celie replied. "What brings you here?"

"I decided I needed a vacation, and I've come to visit my brother. I only got to see him for a millisecond on Saron." The woman turned toward Jarek, Chase, and Nessa, who all stared at her in utter fascination. "Hello there. I'm Lani, Radd's sister. Pleased to meet you."

A sudden memory jolted Jarek out of his amazed trance. He'd seen this woman before. She'd been the one standing by Eirene after he'd been wounded. "We've met—kind of," he said. "At the Pleasure Dome on Saron."

She studied him a moment. "Oh, yes! You were the one shot in Eirene's chamber. I didn't recognize you with your clothes on. My, but you recovered quickly. To be honest, I didn't think you'd survive." She sashayed up to him and ran a finger down his chest. "But then, you're quite a specimen."

He stepped back hastily. "Uh, thank you. And thank you for calling Celie instead of the guards."