you only have two decades to make up your mind. After that, I am going to do it for you.”
“I stand warned. Now, can we get a shower and a meal, not necessarily in that order? I think I missed dinner again.”
The wall slid back to show the hallway once again, and they made their way to the dining room. They were indeed too late for dinner, but they were right on time for breakfast.
Chapter Nine
Cera was looking at her monitors and making notes.
Pulse wandered in with a tension that showed he was trying to keep himself under control. “Cera, can we talk?”
She got to her feet and left the control room, closing the shielded room so that it was protected against Pulse’s talent for technological havoc.
“Come with me.” She took his hand and led him to her private office. She sat on the couch, and he sat next to her.
“Can I stay? I mean really stay?” Pulse’s normally cheerful gaze was serious and intense.
“Of course. Why do you think I asked you to come here? I need you here. There is nowhere else I think you would fit in as well as on Haloth.” She cupped his cheek, and he rested his head in her palm for a moment.
“Good, because I was just called.”
He said it like she was supposed to know what he meant.
“Called where?”
“Called to be a member of the brotherhood. Orvi says that I am a perfect match, but since you and I are friends, I wanted to make sure it was okay with you before I join the minds of the brotherhood.”
“It is fine with me. Join the song, embrace the frequency.” She chuckled. “See, I knew there was a reason that you were the perfect person to join us on Haloth.”
He lunged forward and hugged her. “Thank you so much.”
She tried not to tear up, but it was hard. Since his activation, Rhassoul had found himself persona non grata on every world with tech. In between assignments, he had spent his life in various forms of stasis. His home had been gone for decades, and he hadn’t aged a day.
She sat back and grinned, “Now, are you prepared to have that many guys running through your mind all day every day?”
“Hmm. Having an endless amount of men inside me. Be still my beating heart.” He laughed.
“Tramp.” She grinned and all was suddenly right with the world.
The ceremony was touching, but Cera and Renn were outsiders. They were conduits, not participants.
Rhassoul stood in the centre of a spiral, stripped to the waist. The brothers walked up to him and pressed forehead to forehead over and over until each one had had contact with him. Rhassoul swayed dramatically, but his eyes remained open wide.
His brightly coloured orbs drained of pigment while Cera watched. She made to get to her feet, but Renn held her back with a light touch on her hand.
Rhassoul was smiling, the colour change did not seem to indicate blindness. Four brothers on either side gripped his arms while Cera felt the hum of another voice added to her frequency.
When the brothers let Rhassoul go, he was marked with the ancient glyphs for harmony and service. The brotherhood dressed him, completing his clothing with the cowl.
A brother took Rhassoul’s arm and led him to Cera. “Lady, your newest servant. We will guide him and train him until the frequency alone guides his moves.”
“What do you mean, Brother Ysu?” How their names kept coming to her mind was something she had ceased to question. She did know that they all felt a small thrill when she spoke to them.
“The frequency has taken his sight. He knew it would. Now comes the time for him to learn to see the world around him with the harmony Lord Renn provides.”
She gripped Renn’s hand as she finally came to grips with why the brotherhood wore the hoods. Their eyes would be alarming to any number of races, and since they did not need their eyes to see the environment, they were the ideal operatives.
“Brother Rhassoul, you surrendered your love of fashion for this? You must have
“I stand warned. Now, can we get a shower and a meal, not necessarily in that order? I think I missed dinner again.”
The wall slid back to show the hallway once again, and they made their way to the dining room. They were indeed too late for dinner, but they were right on time for breakfast.
Chapter Nine
Cera was looking at her monitors and making notes.
Pulse wandered in with a tension that showed he was trying to keep himself under control. “Cera, can we talk?”
She got to her feet and left the control room, closing the shielded room so that it was protected against Pulse’s talent for technological havoc.
“Come with me.” She took his hand and led him to her private office. She sat on the couch, and he sat next to her.
“Can I stay? I mean really stay?” Pulse’s normally cheerful gaze was serious and intense.
“Of course. Why do you think I asked you to come here? I need you here. There is nowhere else I think you would fit in as well as on Haloth.” She cupped his cheek, and he rested his head in her palm for a moment.
“Good, because I was just called.”
He said it like she was supposed to know what he meant.
“Called where?”
“Called to be a member of the brotherhood. Orvi says that I am a perfect match, but since you and I are friends, I wanted to make sure it was okay with you before I join the minds of the brotherhood.”
“It is fine with me. Join the song, embrace the frequency.” She chuckled. “See, I knew there was a reason that you were the perfect person to join us on Haloth.”
He lunged forward and hugged her. “Thank you so much.”
She tried not to tear up, but it was hard. Since his activation, Rhassoul had found himself persona non grata on every world with tech. In between assignments, he had spent his life in various forms of stasis. His home had been gone for decades, and he hadn’t aged a day.
She sat back and grinned, “Now, are you prepared to have that many guys running through your mind all day every day?”
“Hmm. Having an endless amount of men inside me. Be still my beating heart.” He laughed.
“Tramp.” She grinned and all was suddenly right with the world.
The ceremony was touching, but Cera and Renn were outsiders. They were conduits, not participants.
Rhassoul stood in the centre of a spiral, stripped to the waist. The brothers walked up to him and pressed forehead to forehead over and over until each one had had contact with him. Rhassoul swayed dramatically, but his eyes remained open wide.
His brightly coloured orbs drained of pigment while Cera watched. She made to get to her feet, but Renn held her back with a light touch on her hand.
Rhassoul was smiling, the colour change did not seem to indicate blindness. Four brothers on either side gripped his arms while Cera felt the hum of another voice added to her frequency.
When the brothers let Rhassoul go, he was marked with the ancient glyphs for harmony and service. The brotherhood dressed him, completing his clothing with the cowl.
A brother took Rhassoul’s arm and led him to Cera. “Lady, your newest servant. We will guide him and train him until the frequency alone guides his moves.”
“What do you mean, Brother Ysu?” How their names kept coming to her mind was something she had ceased to question. She did know that they all felt a small thrill when she spoke to them.
“The frequency has taken his sight. He knew it would. Now comes the time for him to learn to see the world around him with the harmony Lord Renn provides.”
She gripped Renn’s hand as she finally came to grips with why the brotherhood wore the hoods. Their eyes would be alarming to any number of races, and since they did not need their eyes to see the environment, they were the ideal operatives.
“Brother Rhassoul, you surrendered your love of fashion for this? You must have
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