Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [69]
A flood of memories and emotions came to him. He had first met Cesca here on business for clan Tamblyn. He had attended meetings and helped the families make major decisions regarding commerce, expansion, and their future. He wanted to melt with relief as it once again sank in where he was. Home.
Then the wentals spoke in his head, delivering a warning that dumped an icy cold avalanche onto his hopes. Do not allow yourself to come into physical contact with any other person. You must remain separate. There is a danger.
“Why?” All he could think of was the chance to see Cesca again, even if she was already married. They had been so close—
You hold too much uncontrolled power. Your body can barely contain the wental water inside your cells, and the surge from a touch of your skin could flood another person, like the cascade from a bursting dam.
“You mean I can’t…touch anybody? Not even a handshake?” Or a kiss.
It would be fatal to the other person. The power would overflow from you and burn out a fragile human form. We could not prevent harm.
Jess felt the blow of the news. Not even a touch! “You could have warned me about that before.”
It should not be difficult to keep yourself separated from other humans. We will assist you. Your mission is important.
He focused his thoughts, remembered his calling, the great ally he brought to the clans and, by extension, to the human race. “All right, we’ll make it work.” Even seeing Cesca again would be enough, until they could decide what to do. He hoped she was here.
Now Jess heard running feet, dozens of Roamer men, women, and curious children bounding like gazelles in the asteroid’s low gravity. They were afraid and intrigued, but still rushing to meet him. Nikko must already have transmitted what he had seen. The return of Jess Tamblyn, especially in such an amazing ship, would cause an uproar.
Jess looked at the wide eyes and smiled. Some Roamers carried weapons ranging from energy blasters to projectile guns. Though none of those devices could cause him harm, he did not make any move they might interpret as threatening. Instead, he spread his hands. The strange pearl-fabric garment he wore shimmered in the artificial light. “I know my arrival is somewhat unexpected and…unorthodox, but there’s nothing to fear. I promise.”
More and more Roamers came into the rock-walled bay, and they stayed away instinctively from his obviously supercharged body. “I’m back…truly, I’m back. And I have such a strange story to tell that even the Ildiran rememberers wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
Then finally he saw Cesca Peroni.
She pushed her way forward, hurrying with an urgency that the others could see. Like a man dying of thirst, he drank in her appearance, her full lips, her lush figure, just remembering…Many of the Roamers had either known or suspected their secret romance, but at the moment gossip was the least of their concerns.
Jess longed to embrace her, but the wentals prevented him. “No closer, Cesca. Please. Much as I want to, you’d better not come near me.” He held up his luminous hand, showed the play of faint lightning inside his fingers.
Cesca stopped. Her expressive brown eyes seemed to swallow him, and her face radiated sheer joy. Her almost black hair had grown longer; her olive skin was still smooth and perfect, though she appeared tired. The burden of being Speaker showed on her high-cheekboned face.
Why wasn’t she with Reynald?
“Well, you took your time coming back, Jess Tamblyn. We’ve been looking for you for months. So much—” Her words cut off and she forced herself to continue. “So much has changed.”
He couldn’t keep himself from chuckling. “You don’t know the half of