Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [156]
She tried to accompany him on his mental journey. Rod’h was the closest to her in abilities, and she hoped he might also be a kindred spirit. But if Osira’h herself was too young to understand all the implications in a spreading web of schemes, Rod’h suspected nothing at all.
She flung her mind outward, breaking down mental walls and defying physical limitations. When she was finally called upon to do her duty, she would be physically close to the hydrogues, but for now she sought to contact from a distance the alien presences with whom she’d been bred to communicate. The girl knew theoretically that she would become a conduit for negotiations, a bridge between two vastly different species. These skills were all untested, though, since no hydrogue had ever allowed her mind to approach. Osira’h would have only one chance, and only when it was time.
And if she failed, then Rod’h would bear the responsibility—the young boy who never thought to question the instructions that Udru’h, his corrupt father, gave him.
Her mind wandered through the void, exploring mysteries. Suddenly, she felt an odd calling, a thrilling yet unfamiliar echo that she remembered from…her mother? But that was impossible! Nira was dead. Osira’h herself had felt the pain and empty blackness that separated her from her mother. Could there be someone else? It faded before she could investigate further. She stretched her thoughts, searching, adding more energy.
Oddly, Osira’h could sense a strange entanglement and unexpected blankness in the thism around the Horizon Cluster…centered near Hyrillka. Her own part in the tapestry of connected Ildiran thought was unique, given her unusual heritage, and although her mental powers were devoted to other skills, she could still see along the same paths of the Lightsource that the Mage-Imperator controlled. When she tried to investigate or touch the unexpected tangles around Hyrillka, her thoughts slipped away, as if she were a climber trying to gain purchase on melting oiled crystal. It was very strange.
Her thoughts spiraled onward, reaching out like a blind signal into the angry emptiness of space, but she heard only cold silence. Her abilities were not potent enough to discern whether the oppressive quiet was an intentional refusal or simply a weakness in her sending.
When Osira’h finally returned her consciousness to the training room, her body felt weak, as if she’d been sitting there intensely for hours, barely remembering to breathe.
Rod’h‘s mind had followed her all the way back, occasionally touching hers to draw strength and reassurance. She felt sorry for him. After all this time, her other half brothers and half sisters were amusing themselves with instructive games. Clearly, they had lost interest in the exercise long ago, but Osira’h and Rod’h had not been distracted.
The lens kithmen and the mentalist soon noticed that she and Rod’h had returned from the mental journey. “Excellent! You both made great progress today.”
Osira’h looked at the teachers and her siblings, knowing they were all pawns. Most Ildirans had no idea precisely what was happening here on Dobro, but she knew. Her mother had sacrificed her life in order to tell her.
One of the lens kithmen smiled. “Rod’h, you are approaching the abilities of your sister. Designate Udru’h will be pleased to report this to the Mage-Imperator. Your strength gives us an important second chance.”
The mentalist hastened to add, “And Osira’h grows stronger than we had ever hoped. The Ildiran Empire now has a bright future against our enemies.”
“Yes,” she said. “Rod’h is very strong.”
In reality, he might even be a better candidate, she thought. Though she’d been raised to be a hero, Osira’h now had a weakness that Rod’h did not suffer: He was not troubled by questions or doubts.
Chapter 79 — NIRA
Under sun-washed skies