paused with her hand an inch away from her sister’s head.
“Is there a reason that you don’t want her to touch you?”
“She is an untested healer, and if she is a contact healer, this would be painful for her. I don’t want that.” She made a face and twisted on the bed.
N’kad nodded and went to the supply locker. He came out with some gloves and offered them to Minel. She smiled softly and pulled them on before stroking her sister’s hair.
“I am going to work on some of your pressure points. Try to relax and keep breathing.” He used his knuckles over her suit, moving with the low massaging pulses that ran along her skin.
After half an hour, N’kad was covered in sweat and Simry was asleep.
Minel frowned and removed her gloves. “She was really in rough shape.”
He waved her to whisper.
Minel grinned. “You could set off a thunderstorm next to her and she would merely snore and roll over. When she is tired, she is tired.”
“Really? She snores?”
“It is more of a wheeze.” Minel looked at him with a smile. “You look tired. I can do something about that.”
Before he could move, she snapped forward and pressed her hand to his. A rush of energy crept up his arm, and he watched the healer look exhausted for a moment before colour filled her face again.
“You are a contact healer.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what that is, but if I had touched her while she was like that, I would have been on the ground until my body healed it.”
N’kad led her to the galley and got her a cup of tea and a snack. “Sit and explain why you had to be taken away.”
Minel sighed. “The priests were coming for me. Each day, they brought in more and more of their men for me to heal. They were defying their own laws, our laws, by using my talent to heal others.”
“Did Simry know that?”
“No. She just knew that I was a healer and that I needed to leave, just as she needed to leave.”
N’kad looked toward the cargo hold where Simry slept. “Why didn’t you tell her about that?”
“She would have done something and someone might have gotten hurt, including her. I didn’t want that.”
“Very wise. Your sister tends to do things with her whole being.”
Minel smiled and stirred her tea. “When I was little, she was slow on her cane, but she still sent shivers of fear through the school when she came in to speak to my teachers. Our parents were busy with daily chores, and since she was what she was, she had time to attend to my education. I guess she is still doing it.”
He smiled and looked around. “You are adapting well to being on a spacecraft.”
“Recruiter Teemya gave me a mind burst that prepared me for travel in space and life on a new world. She said she did the same for Simry when she had to leave.”
He nodded. “Of course. Did you see how I ran the machines?”
Minel smiled and nodded. “I did. I think I can get my own tea and food.”
“I will send Teemya back to you, and I want you to both get some sleep. She has been held in chains and you have just taken my fatigue. You both need rest, and thanks to you, I am good to get us to Thoola.” He smiled.
She nodded and swallowed. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
N’kad chuckled. “It is my pleasure to return the favour that she did me.”
He returned to the controls, and Teemya headed for the back with a sigh of gratitude. Within an hour, he piloted a ship full of sleeping women through the stars, and he couldn’t be happier.
Chapter Nine
Simry woke when the ship’s engines indicated a change of direction. They were headed down to Thoola.
She rolled out of her couch, stretched and grabbed two mugs of tea. Simry headed to the controls, and she nudged N’kad with her hip, handing him the mug of tea.
Her partner smiled. “Good afternoon, Simry.”
“Good afternoon, N’kad. Are you ready for a break?”
He chuckled and sipped his tea as they approached the world spinning beneath
“Is there a reason that you don’t want her to touch you?”
“She is an untested healer, and if she is a contact healer, this would be painful for her. I don’t want that.” She made a face and twisted on the bed.
N’kad nodded and went to the supply locker. He came out with some gloves and offered them to Minel. She smiled softly and pulled them on before stroking her sister’s hair.
“I am going to work on some of your pressure points. Try to relax and keep breathing.” He used his knuckles over her suit, moving with the low massaging pulses that ran along her skin.
After half an hour, N’kad was covered in sweat and Simry was asleep.
Minel frowned and removed her gloves. “She was really in rough shape.”
He waved her to whisper.
Minel grinned. “You could set off a thunderstorm next to her and she would merely snore and roll over. When she is tired, she is tired.”
“Really? She snores?”
“It is more of a wheeze.” Minel looked at him with a smile. “You look tired. I can do something about that.”
Before he could move, she snapped forward and pressed her hand to his. A rush of energy crept up his arm, and he watched the healer look exhausted for a moment before colour filled her face again.
“You are a contact healer.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what that is, but if I had touched her while she was like that, I would have been on the ground until my body healed it.”
N’kad led her to the galley and got her a cup of tea and a snack. “Sit and explain why you had to be taken away.”
Minel sighed. “The priests were coming for me. Each day, they brought in more and more of their men for me to heal. They were defying their own laws, our laws, by using my talent to heal others.”
“Did Simry know that?”
“No. She just knew that I was a healer and that I needed to leave, just as she needed to leave.”
N’kad looked toward the cargo hold where Simry slept. “Why didn’t you tell her about that?”
“She would have done something and someone might have gotten hurt, including her. I didn’t want that.”
“Very wise. Your sister tends to do things with her whole being.”
Minel smiled and stirred her tea. “When I was little, she was slow on her cane, but she still sent shivers of fear through the school when she came in to speak to my teachers. Our parents were busy with daily chores, and since she was what she was, she had time to attend to my education. I guess she is still doing it.”
He smiled and looked around. “You are adapting well to being on a spacecraft.”
“Recruiter Teemya gave me a mind burst that prepared me for travel in space and life on a new world. She said she did the same for Simry when she had to leave.”
He nodded. “Of course. Did you see how I ran the machines?”
Minel smiled and nodded. “I did. I think I can get my own tea and food.”
“I will send Teemya back to you, and I want you to both get some sleep. She has been held in chains and you have just taken my fatigue. You both need rest, and thanks to you, I am good to get us to Thoola.” He smiled.
She nodded and swallowed. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
N’kad chuckled. “It is my pleasure to return the favour that she did me.”
He returned to the controls, and Teemya headed for the back with a sigh of gratitude. Within an hour, he piloted a ship full of sleeping women through the stars, and he couldn’t be happier.
Chapter Nine
Simry woke when the ship’s engines indicated a change of direction. They were headed down to Thoola.
She rolled out of her couch, stretched and grabbed two mugs of tea. Simry headed to the controls, and she nudged N’kad with her hip, handing him the mug of tea.
Her partner smiled. “Good afternoon, Simry.”
“Good afternoon, N’kad. Are you ready for a break?”
He chuckled and sipped his tea as they approached the world spinning beneath
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