Chapter Three

Lanimer

I didn’t return Evalee’s holographic message for a couple of days, but I did book a passage for two weeks later. I finally had to admit that I was intrigued by her as well. She was exotically beautiful, and something in her amber eyes told me her beauty was more than skin deep.

I was more than flattered that she was attracted to me. It would be too tempting to act on it when we finally met, and I could see that her desire for me flustered her. She was upset by it because I’m a psion. I would know she was fantasizing about having sex with me.

It’s not like it had never happened to me before. Sometimes, it was one-sided, and often it was mutual. Occasionally, I would have a good fuck with them. I enjoyed them and felt affection for them, but it never lasted. It was partly my fault. Sensing what my parents felt for each other and then Hankura and Chelle, I wanted that for myself.

Passion that transcends the sex act and a love that wraps around your soul. Lara and Xaver and Jamerin and Parei. I just knew I couldn’t continue to live on Oltarin, knowing I wouldn’t find it there while witnessing what I couldn’t find day after day.

I think Hankura and Chelle understood that. Nalina and Orin just wanted me to be happy. It would have made them happy if I had fallen in love with their daughter Saleah, but we never had those feelings for each other. She was my sister in every way except our genes. Then she married one of the McKell brothers, and they’re having a baby in the spring.

I thought about it and knew I had to respond to Evalee, so I made a hologram message.

“Evalee, I am more than a little flattered that you find me attractive. I admit I am intrigued. You are very beautiful, and I don’t want you to feel embarrassed by your feelings. I am a disciplined telepath, and I have occasionally sensed that I was the object of someone’s sexual fantasy. I generally ignore them unless I have reason not to, which doesn’t happen often.

“Don’t worry about these feelings you have. We will work it out after I get there. Your feelings may change when we meet. Or not. Let’s just get to know each other and see what develops.” I smiled. “I’ll see you in six months.”

I sighed as I sent the holographic message to her. I was not looking forward to the long space journey. It might be fun if Jamerin and Parei were still tramping through the galaxy with their passenger freighter. Jamerin was Hankura’s and Chelle’s first-born son. I had just turned five, so he was my adopted baby brother. We had grown up together in the same house with two sets of parents.

Oltarin is a beautiful world, but aside from the family, the only other being I will miss is my horse. Taking him with me would be a logistics nightmare, and the ship’s captain taking me to Rintalis was not thrilled when he learned I am a telepath with a touch of telekinetic ability. I could not expect him to take my nineteen hands high gelding with us.

So, I am doing the next best thing: taking frozen embryos to grow in nurturing tanks. I had already ordered them, and they would be at the starport when I was ready to leave. It would take nearly a year of Earth time to grow them, but Zevian years were a month or two longer.

My mind drifted back to Evalee’s message. She will probably be over her attraction to me when I get there. I didn’t think it should bother me, but it did.

When I chose to stay on Oltarin with Orin and Nalina when Hankura and Chelle went to Velran all those years ago, I missed mingling with other species. While I knew of the Trakellisan race, I never met one or a hybrid. I wondered if she had a tail as full Trakellisans did, not that it mattered. Evalee is sexy without even trying.

I should probably use my time en route to Zevus Mar to study Trakellisan anatomy and physiology since several million of them live there. I will also get to know Evalee better by exchanging holograms with her during the trip. Maybe that will help her feel more comfortable with me so we can figure out if we want to see where our mutual attraction will take us.

Ever since the dreams started, I subscribed to daily info stream reports on Zevus Mar, but there weren’t any clues as to why I was dreaming about it. Unlike Hankura, who dreamed about Chelle and felt her presence in his mind for most of his life, it was not a specific person beckoning me to go there.

It was the memories of the Tregan attack and living on that abandoned agricomplex with Orin and Nalina. Sometimes, my father and mothers were telling me to come home. My father had two wives, which was an acceptable practice on Aledus where they grew up. So were open marriages, but my parents didn’t practice that.

I sent Evalee another hologram a couple of days later only a few days before catching the starship to Rintalis.

“Evalee, I’ve been thinking about you, and I don’t want to wait six months to get to know you better. The first part of my journey doesn’t seem like it will be that pleasant because the captain is anti-psion. So, I will probably spend most of my time alone in my cabin.

“That’s pretty ironic since my adopted brother freed the minds of Aledus. Fortunately, it’s only a two-week trip to Rintalis. Then, I’m making the rest of the journey on the Sential Trader, owned by family friends. I met them when I was still a kid. They have a telepathic navigator. I doubt they will be anti-psion.

“You have most of my history along with my credentials. I got all the pertinent information about you and the other techs. I really want to know what you like doing outside work.

“We’ve had horses since I came to Oltarin as a kid. I’m bringing embryos so I can raise them, but it will be years before they are ready to ride. I will attach a hologram. As far as I know, there are no horses on Zevus Mar yet.

“I wish there was a quicker way to get there. Even though the Tregans have been under Federation control for over thirty years, they can’t be everywhere at once. Passenger freighters are still vulnerable to hijackers. Anything can happen.

“I hope you will respond to this message. Six long months in space is not my idea of fun. I need something to look forward to. Lanimer.”

Three days later, I still hadn’t heard back from Evalee, I mused, walking to the docking bay of the Redram Trader with my luggage tram following closely behind me.

The cargo bay was open, and a crew member was studying a small AI tablet screen. The male humanoid hybrid looked up as I strolled up the ramp.

Meeting the hybrid’s gaze, I said, “Lanimer Dakov, passage to Rintalis.”

“Ah, so you’re the telepath. What are you doing way out here?”

“My guardians brought me here after my parents died in the Tregan raid on Zevus Mar. Now I’m going back. I know your captain is unhappy about taking me, but there is no danger to your crew or this ship from me. My abilities are fully developed and well-controlled. I practice the Wholaskan Psion Code of Ethics.

I met the other male’s gaze and offered a friendly smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Lanimer Dakov. I am Augram Nugah.”

I bowed my head as a sign of respect. I had never met anyone who looked quite like Augram. He appeared somewhat human with dark maroon skin and almost black horns atop his bald head. Instead of hair, he had scales on his head and down the back of his neck. The scales on the back of his hands seemed to indicate there were scales down his arms where humans usually had hair. He had five-fingered hands with thick claws instead of fingernails.

His eyes were mammalian but bulged a bit, and his nose looked vaguely reptilian, with lips that were shaped somewhat human but didn’t differ in color from his face.

“I am familiar with the Wholaskan Psion Code of Ethics. Follow me, and I will show you to your quarters.”

Following him, I said, “I know I was staring. I meant no disrespect. I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”

“I don’t mind; I saw that you are a physician. I figured your curiosity was due to that.” Augram said.

We got into an elevator that took us up two levels, and the male led me down a short corridor with three doors on each side. We stopped at the second one on the right.

“Welcome aboard, Lanimer. I hope you have a pleasant journey.”