to prick her pride and make her speak without thinking. Unless, of course, that was his plan. Was that why he was paying her so much attention suddenlyâbecause he suspected she was flawed?
All these frantic thoughts buzzed in a small, secret part of her. It was the same place where she hid the core of her selfâthe shining rainbow of her mind. Layered in multiple shields she continually reinforced, it couldnât be breached by anyone without using such brutal force that it would kill her.
âWould you like me to link you to my mother?â
âNo, Sascha. I wanted to ask you a favor.â
Fear spiked in that small, secret heart. âWhat, sir?â This had to be a trap. Why would a Councilor, a cardinal with off-the-scale Tk powers, be asking her for a favor?
âYouâll be coming into a lot of contact with changelings during this project. Iâd like you to pass me any new information you discover about them.â
It was the last thing sheâd expected. âIâd be happy to do so, sir, butââ
âThink carefully, Sascha. There could be . . . benefits for you. Some of us are starting to think itâs past time we utilized you properly.â
It was a bribe, pure and simple. Her hunger to finally be accepted and valued as a cardinal urged her to accept the offer and not look back. Conversely, that very hunger also made her aware that no matter how much she tried, sheâd never be normal. Getting closer to the Council would only increase her chances of being exposed.
The ashes of lost dreams floated to her feet and in the deepest, most hidden core of her soul, she cried. Only years of Psy training and a desperate desire to hide the truth of her broken mind had her answering logically. âTheyâre understandably cautious around me. Iâm not sure Iâll discover anything.â It was a lie. Already she knew so much no Psy had ever known, but she found herself unable to give up their secrets . . . Lucasâs secrets.
âTheyâre animals. Treat them well and theyâll start to trust you.â It was evident he thought trust a weakness.
Sascha saw it as a gift. âIâd be happy to cooperate but first I have toââ
âIâve already cleared this with Nikita.â Enrique neatly cut her off.
âThen Iâll get the information to you.â
âIâd like to meet you once a day for briefings.â
Sascha was beyond scared now. She didnât want Enrique evaluating her daily. âIâm sorry, sir. That could interfere with my work and Iâm sure Mother wouldnât like that. Iâll contact you as soon as I have anything worth sharing.â It was a daring statement and if sheâd allowed herself to feel, she wouldâve been trembling.
Enriqueâs presence on the PsyNet was a pure white star, so cold that she wanted to shiver. âDonât wait too long.â
âIs that all, sir?â
âFor now.â
Sascha dropped out of the PsyNet and immediately contacted the head of her household as any good Psy would do. She could telepath without problem at this range, which at least gave her relief from keeping constant vigilance over her consciousness. During telepathic communications, neither party could âseeâ the other.
As soon as Nikita answered, she outlined Enriqueâs requests, hugging her arms so tight around her body that she almost bruised her own ribs. If her mother told her to keep those daily meetings . . .
Enrique has overstepped his bounds . Nikitaâs mental voice was frigid. I gave him permission to solicit information, not tie you to a schedule .
Relief threatened to turn her limbs to jelly. Mother, I think it would be preferable if I gave you any pertinent information and you . . . shared it with Enrique . The pause was calculated. Nikita enjoyed being in a position of power. Youâre the head of the householdâI should be
C. J. Cherryh
Learning to Kill: Stories
John O'Riley
Brenda Sinclair
Christopher George
Stephen Lloyd Jones
Karl Iagnemma
Celya Bowers
Jill Gregory
Aria Cunningham