Soul(s) (3 page)

“
I didn’t mind,” I told
her honestly.

“
I want you to know you
can trust me. I’ll talk to you but I won’t just dip into your
thoughts.”

I nodded in agreement.

Turning away from Sariah, I began scanning
the area around us through the dark. There was a large old tree
just a few yards ahead. Just passed it was a small cave. I led us
towards it, and we reached it in a matter of minutes. I stuck my
head in. Empty.

Do you sense
anything?
I asked Sariah.

No, for now we’re alone.

“
We can stay here tonight.
Nothing can come up behind us only in front.”

Leaning against the walls of the cave, we
settled in. The cave was shallow and we were only a few feet from
the opening. Eventually we both slumped down. I knew one of us
should stay awake, but logic faded away as we fell asleep.

I felt her stir beside me. My eyes fluttered
open, fearful that something was wrong, but Sariah had just turned
over. While we were sleeping we had become cradled together and
when she rolled, her face became just inches from mine. Her body
was relaxed against me and her breathing was steady.

I tried not to move, relishing in her being
so close, but a blaze started to spread through me. Even through
the suits, her body felt like bare skin against mine. I believe I
would have been able to control myself if her body hadn’t begun
responding to my own.

Her leg hooked over my thigh. Anchoring
herself to me, she pulled closer and nuzzled her cheek against
mine.

That small piece of affection awoke every
fiber of my being. I put my hand on the curve of her thigh,
trailing it up her along the rim of her bottom to the small of her
back. She arched into me under the light pressure of my touch.

Her eyes fluttered open as her head pulled
back, and I could tell she was feeling this heat between us. I
watched her face closely, entranced with arousal. Her lips parted
and the faintest moan escaped her mouth. I bent my head down
to—

Her eyes flickered to the entrance of the
cave.

They’ve found us.
Sariah thought.
Don’t
move.

“
Don’t be afraid. We know
you can sense us. We’ve come to offer you safe passage to
Paramount. We tracked you to the cave and we know you’re sentient
beings, not Banguri. You belong with us.”

Keegan, I can feel that they’re different
from those beasts. I want to talk with them.

Are you sure?

Yes.

I released my arms from around her waist and
we untangled ourselves from each other. I stood up first, offering
her my hand to help her up and she took it without flinching.

05: SARIAH

Keegan stepped out first but I moved past
him putting myself between him and the two people waiting for us
outside of the cave. He tried to move in front of me, like a
shield, but I put my hand up and he stopped.

Let me talk to them.

Keegan didn’t think anything back to me, but
the muscle below his jaw flexed. He wasn’t happy but he was willing
to trust me. I turned towards the group.

“
Are you the people the
message said would come?” I asked.

A slender straight haired brunette woman
moved forward, separating herself from the man she was with.

“
Yes, and normally we’re
already present or close to where the newlies are going to awaken.
But the atlas hasn’t been working properly,” she
explained.

“
What are we? Where are
we? I know this is Second-Plane but that means nothing to
us.”

“
My name is Bem.” Turning
at the waist, she pointed behind her. “His name is Ajani. We’re
from the Aura city. This,” she said waving her hand in the air, “is
Second-Plane, all souls come here after they die on Earth. Do you
know your names yet?”

“
I’m Sariah and this is
Keegan.”

“
What were those beasts
that attacked us?” Keegan asked from beside me.

“
If you were attacked it
was probably by low-banguri,” Bem explained.

“
We’d better get back to
the platform. Iris will want a report and there might be more
awakenings. We’ll need to be ready to move out again.” Ajani
reminded Bem.

It was the first he’d spoken and his voice
was deadpan. I didn’t sense anything from him. I knew he was there
but his energy was blank. I couldn’t feel any type of emotion.
Without getting into someone’s thoughts I could still almost
analyze their body language and I got a feel for what their
intentions were. With Ajani I could read nothing and that intrigued
me. I hadn’t tried to do again what I had done with the beasts
until now. I was just so curious about him.

DON’T.

The voice was so loud and so aggressive.
Ajani’s eyes flashed to mine. His awareness of me and his reaction
to jarred me. I wasn’t expecting it. I must have moved closer to
Keegan out of reflex because I heard him think to me:

Did you try to get in his head?

Yes, but he didn’t let me.

Well, now we know there are others like
you.

Bem was watching me. She glanced at Ajani
and then back to me. “If you have telekinesis, so does Ajani. He is
a very private man and it’s also a rule amongst our kind not to use
your powers on others unless we’re training. I’m sure Ajani won’t
take it personally, but he’s right, we should get back. Iris will
want to talk to you.”

“
Let’s go then,” Keegan
said stepping assertively forward towards Ajani.

Ajani stared directly at him silently. He
and Keegan were like two lions sizing each other up. Apparently
male aggression transcends planes of existence.

Ajani broke his gaze first and began leading
us away to the platform. As we traveled, Keegan was never more than
a few paces behind me. His energy felt guarded and defensive. So
different from how we were both feeling just minutes ago in the
cave.

Even with my hesitation,
being against him like that had felt more than just right. It had
felt like we both
needed
it. Just touching him like that had done
something to me physically my felt less tired, stronger,
fiercer—and hungry. I was still so unsure of the energy between us.
At least now I knew it was because we were partners but exactly how
deep did that partnership go? I hope the city holds answers for
us.

Some part of me knew that allowing whatever
naturally happened between Keegan would satiate us both. It was a
powerful arousing and frightening idea. I wasn’t comfortable
needing someone that much. I felt like whoever I was before this
life I’d been an independent loner. Then again, that independence
had resulted in no one being there to save me the night I died. The
images started to flash again but I pushed them out of my mind. I
needed to remain in the present.

It took a few hours to reach the platform
and I took the time to ask a lot of questions. Ajani seemed less
hostile, but I didn’t try to dig into his mind again. Bem was the
opposite of her partner, she was open and didn’t mind answering all
my questions.

“
Things haven’t been
normal for a while?”

“
No, the atlas is a device
we have in Paramount that maps out all of Second-Plane. We’re able
to see the location of every newly awakened soul, but now the atlas
isn’t telling us right away. It’s information is delayed. And to
top it off, large groups of Banguri have been hunting down and
killing off newlies before we can get to them, or they can get to a
temple.”

“
How much should you be
telling her?” Ajani said, his voice snapping like a whip in the
air.

“
Is this information
supposed to be kept secret?” I asked.

“
No,” Bem told me, “but
things use to be so simple around here and now everything is
changing. We’re not sure how or why. Usually newlies have a choice,
but we can’t afford for any natural Venku not to fight.”

“
What’s a Venku?” I
asked.

“
It’s what you and Keegan
are. Technically we all start off in pairs but if your Venku dies
you absorb their power. You can fight singly or with a new partner
like Ajani and I do.”

“
You’re telling us that we
don’t have a choice?” Keegan asked skipping over the whole
definition of a Venku and focusing on the fact that we were
expected to fight.

“
When you see the way
things are shaping between the two races, you’ll want to help.
There has to be a balance kept and the Banguri are tipping the
scale. We’re here. Step on the platform with us and we’ll contact
Paramount.”

It was like a large raised plate in the
middle of the forest. We stepped on to it. Keegan linked his
fingers with mine. He trailed his thumb in circles on my palm. The
sensation resonated against my skin and sent ripples of heat
through my body.

I don’t mind feeling this
way when I’m with you at all
, Keegan
thought to me.

Oh I know you
don’t.
I teased back.

You don’t mind either.

I looked over at him unable to hold back a
small twitch of a smile.

You’ll have no problem fucking yourselves
healthy.

I knew that voice. It was Ajani. He was
standing in front of Keegan and I, next to Bem who was doing
something with a device in her hand.

What’s wrong?
Keegan questioned.

Ajani talked to me again but I don’t
understand what he means.

Did you say anything back?

No, I don’t think he knows I heard him. He
let his guard down.

Or you’re getting stronger.

“
Lanni, we’ve successfully
retrieved a pair of Venku. Bring us back.”

“
Stand by for
teleportation process to begin,” said the same recorded voice
Keegan and I had heard earlier.

I felt nothing odd, but I could see lights
swirling around each of us individually. It kept expanding until it
blurred our vision and when it dissipated we were in another place
entirely.

“
Welcome back Bem!” said a
peppy rusty brown colored woman. She looked like she was close to
all of our ages.

“
Thank you Lanni,” said
Bem. “Lanni is our transporter engineer. She runs the atlas and
temple controls, but mainly all of our transporting stations. Sort
of like an operator, except instead of answering calls she sends
people where they need to go and retracts them when they need to
return.”

“
She never gets a break?”
I asked.

“
She works in shifts and
then the system is set to alert her when there is a beacon coming
in. She has manual devices that allow her to control prep the
transport machine from her apartment as well.”

“
Don’t bore her with the
techy terms,” said Lanni, coming from behind her control station
towards us. “What’s your names?”

“
Sariah,” I told
her.

“
Keegan,” he
answered.

“
Keegan
.” His name purred out of her mouth as she said it and
linking arms with him. “Too bad I’m already someone’s Venku,” Lanni
added, “you’re gorgeous.”

06: KEEGAN

I felt Lanni squeeze my arm flirtatiously
and I looked over at Sariah smiling awkwardly. She smiled back,
clearly amused by the young girls enthusiasm for me.

“
Lanni,” Bem said scolding
her, “get back to your station. Let me know if any newlies awaken
and keep working on repairing the Atlas.”

“
I apologize,” Bem said as
she ushered us to move forward and out of the transportation dock,
“she’s always been a notorious flirt. But it’s harmless. Venku
rarely cheat. They’re too absorbed in their partner.”

“
Can you explain a little
more about that?” Sariah asked.

I was fascinated by our connection and
wanted to know more about it and the science behind it. I caught
Sariah’s eyes with mine and a blush flashed into her cheeks.

I wasn’t the only one watching her
reactions. I narrowed my eyes at Ajani. He must have felt my gaze
because his eyes flickered over to mine and he puffed out an
annoyed sigh. He ran a hand through his wavy hair ruffling it out
of place.

“
If you need anything
else, I’ll be in my quarters,” Ajani said.

“
I might,” said Bem, a coy
look glittering in her eyes.

Ajani made no response or even
acknowledgment of Bem as he left.

“
Is he always like that?”
Sariah asked.

“
Yes, but that’s what
makes him so…
endearing
.”

“
Is he your Venku?” Sariah
asked curiously.

“
No we’re each widowed. We
both lost our Venkus a long time ago. The twisted part is, when
your Venku dies you inherit their strength. Even in death you’re
stronger because of your bond. I still need to regenerate with sex.
If we are ever severely injured we have no choice. Some
widowed-Venku only commune in those situations, but there is no law
against finding another partner. It’ll just never be like it was
with your Venku. We do have other healing options, bathing or
drinking water can also regenerate our bodies but it’s slower than
sex and less—satiating. Of course nothing compares to being with
your Venku, but Ajani is a close second.”