The True Ruler, page 13
part #5 of Worlds Apart Series
Darden could only hope his cousin would be able to accomplish the task. He was not making much progress in moving forward. If anything, they were being pushed back.
“I’ve had enough of this,” Candy said. “Follow me, I’ve got an idea.”
The next time he picked up a conversation from Candy, it was through one of the communal pathways. She utilized multiple channels to communicate her message. “We need to properly welcome our future leader. She belongs to the people of the Aster Province. Let us go and meet her now. When are we going to have a better opportunity to shake her hand?”
As if by magic, the current of the crowd changed and they were now moving forward toward Cassie. More communication entered the communal pathways to stay Cassie’s exit along with demands for her to address the crowd. Candy’s plan was working perfectly.
“We should hear from all the girls who grew up in Gingko Terra,” Shirl added to the noise within the pathways. “We have heard so many stories about them being the embodiment of women from our folk tales. There may be a mated crystal telepath and the Warrior Woman among the girls. They have been hidden from us for too long.”
If Candy had been stoking a flame, Shirl had just thrown alcohol on it. The crowd got louder and pushier. Conversations called for the exits to be blocked so no one could escape with their future ruler. Darden could only hope they got to Cassie before the crowd got out of hand.
“Our girl is being held against her will,” someone communicated through one of the communal links. Darden was surveying every telepathic conversation within the chamber.
“Liberate the girl,” Darden ordered through the channels, “but make sure not to harm her. She is our future. We want to hear her address the crowd with the other girls from Gingko Terra.”
Various shouts of encouragement echoed through the chamber. An impromptu army had been built with one single purpose—rescue Cassie. Darden felt love for Jeryl’s granddaughter flow through the communal channels. She represented a new start in their eyes. The daughter of Benko Jarlyn, raised by the man himself had come home to rule them with her father’s ideals.
Darden finally got within sight of Cassie. The crowd was pulling her from Barash’s clutches. He did not need to excite the crowd anymore. From what he could see, they were doing their best to incapacitate Barash and rescue Cassie without injury. The bastard holding his soul mate finally succumbed to the crowd and placed Cassie on her feet. Cassie ran toward Darden, the crowd making way for her as she escaped her captor.
A tremendous sense of relief came over him when Cassie launched herself into his arms. She covered his face with kisses as the crowd watched, wondering what was going on. They had witnessed some type of union take place between her and Barash Kleyman, yet here she was showing outward affection for another. The crowd chanted for Cassie to address them.
“It is time you meet your people, baby,” Darden said. “Tell them what is in your heart. You have their support.”
He walked Cassie to the podium where Prime Representatives addressed the chamber. Today they were going to hear a very different type of speech and speaker. Darden was not sure what she was going to share, but he would support her in whatever she decided. She looked so young standing before the crowd. A scared eighteen-year-old girl stood before a mob of excited people. They waited for her to share whatever she was going to say.
“I’m Cassie Jarlyn, daughter of Benko Jarlyn, and granddaughter of Jeryl Jarlyn,” Cassie said. She looked at him and extended her hand, inviting him to join her. Darden had no choice but to stand beside the girl he fell in love with somewhere along the way.
“My father told me stories of soul mates when I was a little girl on Gingko Terra. I used to think the stories were wonderful fairytales, like the ones told in the world where I grew up. They are not merely tales of legend. I met mine when I was ten years old - a crystal telepath traveling to my world collecting herbs. The minute we touched it felt like static electricity zapped me and a telepathic channel opened allowing us to communicate privately. Soul mates exist, and mine is Darden Lours.”
The crystal drug was wearing off. Portions of what she was saying were coming through the communal pathways. People in attendance were actively filling in the gaps caused by the crystals still in her system. Regardless of what Jeryl Jarlyn’s next move was, the people knew he was her soul mate and he was not so easily gotten rid of. She also laid the foundation for other soul mates to come forward, no longer afraid to hide their true relationships.
Shirl came to stand by Cassie. His brother’s soul mate was about to share the true nature of their relationship as well. With Jeryl Jarlyn already aware of what they were to each other, Shirl must not have seen the harm in telling the truth. She pretty much admitted who she was when she entered the communal pathway earlier.
“I am Shirl Thork,” Shirl shouted. “My mother was Benko Jarlyn’s crystal telepath. The one who helped him escape after their failed attempt to unseat Jeryl Jarlyn. I am a crystal telepath and, unlike my mother, I have a soul mate. Starc Lours is mine, and I am a mated female crystal telepath. Another legend proves true and we stand beside Cassie to bring the Troyk universe a new beginning.”
It was finally Candy’s time to admit to the crowd who she was. Candy had become a favorite in the Aster Province after she was rescued from the Troyk penal colony, but few knew the real story behind what happened there.
“My name is Candy Phillips,” Candy said. “Benko Jarlyn led my parents and other dissidents against Jeryl Jarlyn and fled this dimension. Their lives were cut short in the Gingko Terra universe and I grew up in an orphanage with Shirl. I, too, met my soul mate Tolfer Childers in this dimension. They say I am the Warrior Woman of legend. It is time for soul mates to stop hiding in the shadows and come forward to celebrate what they have together. No one should hide when they meet the one created specifically for them.”
JoAnna remained quiet. She probably felt her mind control abilities would scare people, especially when they learned she was mated. Besides, JoAnna had already received more attention than her friend desired. Two attempts on her life was more than anyone could handle.
The communal channels were active with soul mates across the province admitting who they were, their soul mate, and they would no longer hide what they were to each other. Cassie was praised for coming out and telling others who shared a special bond to no longer fear being hunted down for the special abilities coupling with their soul mates brought them. They were immune to mind control.
Cassie did not start a revolution against her grandfather, but she activated a hidden force of advanced telepaths who, when the time came for Benko Jarlyn to return, would stand beside Cassie. Darden did not know when he ever was more proud of the woman his soul mate had become.
The Palace Guard entered the chamber and started to break up the crowd. Cassie and her friends were corralled and once again called before the Prime Ruler. This time Darden would not be separated from his soul mate, regardless of Jeryl Jarlyn’s wishes.
Chapter 14
Cassie’s stomach fell with each step she took toward her grandfather’s greeting room. The beautiful dress she wore was tight and cut off her circulation, making her lightheaded. If she had a choice, she’d crawl into bed and disappear for at least a day. If Darden wanted to join her, even better.
She had managed to manipulate the link between her and Darden temporarily, and used the power of the soul mate link to enter the communal pathways. Although her connection was weak, she had managed to get some broken sentences out. Cassie was able to hear others share through the pathways what she could not.
When they arrived in the room where they were to await her grandfather, Cassie collapsed onto one of the couches. The cushions molded to her bottom and she was glad for the back support. Now, she just needed to build her defenses and prepare to confront her grandfather. She was not sure what he would do next.
In the short time since they left the greeting room, the chamber was filled with the rose-colored crystal that would prevent telepathic communication. Her grandfather had intentionally cut off the telepathic channel between soul mates and all the other pathways they used.
Darden sat beside her. They did not have the intimacy of the soul mate channel to share private thoughts. Emotions flowed through their link and he passed her feelings of reassurance that everything would be all right. It was not until he took her hand that she had any inkling it could be true. Hope was all they had now.
She was overcome with a wave of nausea when her grandfather entered the room. From the expression on his face, she had a reason to be wary. Cassie held her breath, awaiting a tidal wave of condemnation to come her way.
“It will take weeks for my government to undo the damage you did this afternoon,” her grandfather said. “What you all are and the abilities you possess are strictly for the use of the ruling party.”
“Why?” Cassie managed to squeak out. “We have God-given gifts that can help everyone. There could be more special people out there who have gone through the evolutionary change. They should celebrate what they are, not hide their abilities.”
“You are young and naive, Cassandra,” Jeryl Jarlyn said. He looked around the room and added, “You all are. Abilities such as yours need to be nurtured and properly directed. None of you have a clue what you are capable of.”
Cassie could not comprehend her grandfather’s bias. She struggled to see the world through his eyes. Jeryl Jarlyn wanted to stifle the population unless he could gain power from an individual’s gifts.
“Jeryl,” JoAnna said, “mind control can only go so far. With the revelations communicated this afternoon, more and more people are going to doubt what is right before them. Whatever thoughts implanted in their minds will be reevaluated and another decision will be made. Their decision.”
“Power needs to be centralized and controlled,” her grandfather argued. “Decentralized control with no clear common direction leads to chaos. That is the mess we inherited and it took years to correct the disharmony and dissension among the population.”
“But that was why my father betrayed you,” Cassie cried. “How are new ideas going to be eventually adopted unless there is a discussion, regardless of how dysfunctional the rhetoric is in the beginning?”
“Cassandra,” her grandfather tried to contain his anger, “pretend it is your time to rule with JoAnna and the rest of your friends by your side. If you wanted to build a children’s hospital which scenario would you choose? Building the hospital and opening it within a year or arguing with the different viewpoints and still not get it approved after ten years of debate.”
If she were being strictly practical, she would want the hospital functioning within the year. Did she have to give up her principles to get things accomplished? Would she swallow her pride and use her power for the good of the Troyk children? Cassie could see herself becoming her grandfather and it scared her. How could one person dictate what was right for a whole population?
“I’d want the hospital built as quickly as possible,” Cassie admitted, “but there has to be a way to work with everyone and bring people together for the common good without manipulation.”
“Yes, my dear,” Jeryl Jarlyn said, “and you can give up a senior center to get one group on board. Then, to get the majority to agree, you would have to compromise delaying the construction of a pollution-free light rail system to allow people to move across Aster Province faster. People can always continue walking everywhere they need to go in order to get the hospital built.”
Cassie’s heart sank. She could not argue against the examples her grandfather brought up. They could be fictional extremes or what Jeryl Jarlyn actually encountered daily as he decided when to use his telepathic abilities.
If she had access to her telepathic links, perhaps she could have worked with Darden and her friends to create constructive counterpoints. Her ignorance of the Troyk political system and culture would be demonstrated if she continued her argument. Cassie had so much to learn.
It was best to change the subject and redirect her grandfather’s attention.
“What was the business with the white dress and kneeling next to Barash Kleyman?” Cassie asked. “You know perfectly well that Darden is my soul mate.”
Jeryl Jarlyn let out a long, pained sigh. “Cassandra, you are my flesh and blood, but I have my limits. There are things I am willing to live with, such as you throwing the ignorant viewpoints my son held in my face. However, I will not tolerate treason. For eight years, Darden Lours knew the whereabouts of the most wanted man in this universe and kept silent. You are the only reason the man you call your soul mate is still breathing.”
Tears welled up in Cassie’s eyes. Feelings of terror rocked her body, as chills ran up and down her spine. She had inadvertently stepped into quicksand and had no clue how to pull herself and Darden out of the fix she had unintentionally put them in.
“As for Barash Kleyman,” her grandfather continued, “and as far as the Prime Council is concerned, the two of you are engaged.”
“Over my dead body,” Darden blurted out.
Cassie gasped aloud at her soul mate’s unguarded words. Candy shifted slightly in Darden’s direction, preparing to come to his aid if necessary.
“I can certainly see to that, young man,” Jeryl Jarlyn responded venomously. “From this moment on, Cassandra will continue to reside at The Palace. JoAnna, and only JoAnna, may visit her. Your other friends may request an audience with you, but only I can authorize such visitations. You will obey me like a good little girl, or, your soul mate will meet the fate he so richly deserves.”
Anger, unlike anything she ever experienced, consumed her. Cassie lashed out with the only weapon she had…telepathy. Focusing on her grandfather’s brain, she began using the deadly technique that killed a man when she was younger.
JoAnna grabbed her hand. “Don’t,” her friend said as she entered her mind. “You are not powerful enough yet. The only thing you will accomplish is assuring Darden’s death.”
JoAnna had somehow managed to negate the power of the crystals surrounding them. It was a testament to how powerful she was. JoAnna had entered the mind melded passage created earlier through some other means than telepathy.
Cassie released the hold she had on Jeryl Jarlyn’s mind. It was such a weak attack, she doubted he even felt her presence. There had to be a way of freeing herself from her grandfather’s control without causing Darden’s execution.
Darden was helpless as he watched the color drain from Cassie’s beautiful face. His courageous soul mate tried to stand up to her grandfather and failed. It angered Darden that he was the weapon Jeryl Jarlyn wielded against his granddaughter.
Even more frustrating was his inability to communicate through their channel. There was no guarantee Cassie would not inadvertently consume more of the crystals that blocked her access to every telepathic link. The last thing he wanted was Cassie going on a hunger strike or refusing to drink anything.
He knew Jeryl Jarlyn would give them no time to say their temporary goodbyes. There was so much he wanted to say to Cassie. He never verbally expressed the love he bore her, except the last time they made love. Darden should have continually told her what she meant to him.
Once their channel opened again, he would flood it with sentiments of love. She would never again be unsure of his feelings. He would now dedicate every waking hour to getting Benko Jarlyn back to the Troyk universe. Jeryl Jarlyn was too powerful to fight alone.
He was surrounded by powerful women and could not use them. JoAnna was a mind control telepath of unknown strength. However, she would be the first to admit she was a novice where Jeryl Jarlyn’s power was concerned.
The Warrior Woman continued to hone her skills. However, they were defensive in nature. Candy was never an aggressor. He was not sure she had it in her to launch an offensive attack.
Shirl was the most powerful of all the women. All she had to do was open a portal and blast Jeryl Jarlyn to nothingness. He knew he would never ask that of her because, even though Jeryl was dangerously insane, Shirl would feel immense guilt for the rest of her life.
Although he could not send words through the link he shared with Cassie, he pushed the love that scorched his heart to his soul mate. He left the room knowing Cassie had received his feelings. Her face was covered with a light blush that tinted her lovely cheeks.
“I am heading to Crystal Telepathic Headquarters,” Darden shared with the others through the warrior channel as soon as he left The Palace. “Barash Kleyman and I have a few things to get straight.”
He did not share his destination through the communal channels. The last thing Darden wished was for Barash to know he was coming. Darden wanted the man Jeryl Jarlyn had chosen for Cassie to be unprepared for his visit.
Darden did not know if he was facing an ally or an adversary. Barash’s association with Cassie’s grandmother did not sway his opinion in either direction. It was unclear what Elyn’s true motivations were.
Solfa had been aware of Tarsea’s little band of dissidents, but looked the other way. She had never picked up any clues about Elyn and her followers.
It was important for Darden to explain to Barash how things stood between him and Cassie. Barash was never to manhandle Cassie again. Their true relationship had been communicated through the communal pathways, so Barash knew he and Cassie were soul mates.
If Darden had the slightest hint Barash would refuse to cooperate with him, Darden would find some way of separating him from Cassie and warn Tarsea not to use Barash or Cassie’s grandmother in any of their operations. His life revolved around those two goals now that he could no longer travel between dimensions.
