Warrior (20 page)

“How did this happen?”

“You believe me? Us?”

“Yes.” She snapped her fingers at Silas. “My brother doesn’t lie. Tell me everything.”

“Here we are. Your meals and drinks.” The waitress set our plates before us and Silvie scowled at her.

She moved away quickly and Silas said, “I think you’ve well and truly scared her off. And I was drawn to the station because of our bond. We’ve had quite the journey, even headed to No-Man’s Land where we met Elizara. She’s Katerin Sol’s sister.”

“Wow. Don’t stop.” She picked up her fork and stabbed a wedge of chicken from her salad, her gave riveted on Silas.

“Hope has the skill of mind-merge.”

She choked on her food and Silas pushed one of the glasses of water toward her. She coughed, and drank half the glass. “Whoa. The skill that kills.”

“Yes, but unlike Faith and Davio, Hope and I have created a telepathic link. Elizara has the same skill and taught Hope how to merge through the link. We have a way to reach each other, negating the three-day effect.”

Silas answered all of Silvie’s questions as we ate. She sometimes shook her head, other times, sighed as if in understanding.

Eventually, she simply stared. “This will kill Faith if she finds out I’ve withheld this information. I can understand why you’ve asked me to, but I know Kate well, and even though she’s been through so much, she’s still a strong woman. She could handle this.”

“No speaking of it, Silvie.” Silas’s demand was firm. “I abide by Hope’s wishes and so will you.”

“Please,” I implored. “She doesn’t know about me, and right now, she can’t. Alexo’s request comes first. He has forewarning. He wouldn’t have asked this of me without good reason.”

“Hope is my mate,” Silas reiterated.

“I get that part.” She swung her hand toward me, knocking her glass. It tipped to the side and she made a grab for it. Fumbling, she missed and it toppled.

I reached to catch it, but the water didn’t spill. It stayed in the glass.

No way.

I’d just kept the liquid inside. I hadn’t wanted it to flow over the table’s smooth surface and into my lap. With my mind, I’d held the water at bay.

The glass rolled into my plate with a clunk and Silas picked it up. He peered inside then turned it toward me. “Would you care to explain why the glass is still half full?”

“I must have the Sol’s water skill.”

Silvie was half out of her chair, snatching the glass to double-check. “Holy, moly. You didn’t just do that?”

I directed my thoughts to the water within the glass and with a twirl of my fingers, sent the water flying upward. It skimmed Silvie’s nose and hit the ceiling with a tinkle then sprayed out. Beautiful crystalline drops showered all over us.

On my feet, I twirled around. “I have another skill.”

“Silvie, get the check. I’ll get this one out of here and come back for you.” Silas snagged my hand and tugged me from the cafe with lightning speed.

“Oh my goodness. Did you see that?”

“Keep moving.”

We raced out of the mall and stopped behind the closest parked car, a solid black SUV. Silas checked all was clear then ’ported us.

As we arrived in his bedroom, I jumped up and down. “The water skill. This is the best one to have.”

“Incredible.” He twirled me around, his excitement now as great as mine. “You’ll need training.”

“I can go to Elizara for that.”

“I’ll take you whenever you want. I want to see everything you can do.”

“This is amazing.” I plopped onto his bed, which bounced packages of clothing to the floor. “I need water. Lots of water.”

Leaning over me, he planted a kiss on my lips and I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him with so much energy I was ready to explode.

“Hope.” Deep breaths as he drew away, his hands sliding down my sides and over my hips.

I pulled him back, until every hot inch of him sent heat into my skin. “I’m not nearly done with you.”

“I thought you wanted water?”

“Oh yes. I’ll take you and water.” I rolled off the bed and heaved him by the hand with me. Once in his bathroom, I plugged his deep bathtub and set the water to run. It trickled through my fingers, warm, wet and gloriously wonderful. Needing to be surrounded by water, I kicked off my shoes and in I went, down onto my belly where I sloshed around.

Silas bent over the tub’s edge, scratching his head. “I should return for Silvie.”

“I want you in here with me.”

“One never ignores Silvie.”

“You shouldn’t ignore your girlfriend either. Come and play with me.”

The heated look he sent had my toes curling. Then he stepped in and rolled in beside me.

The water rose and splashed over the rim. I peered over the edge and with a flick of my hand, directed the spilt water into a bubble. It lifted and hovered an inch or two from the white-gray tiles.

“That’s amazing.” Silas planted delicious kisses all over my face, and more water gushed over the edge.

“Hold on. Let me get that too.” With a single thought, I guided it into a bubble and lifted it so it fused with the first.

His blue eyes sparkled. “Okay, let’s dump this water out. I’ve gotta see that again.”

He had a deal as his lips met mine.

Chapter 8

“Hope, catch.” Out in the station yard, Goldie raised a pail of water and tossed it right at me.

I started to duck, but stopped and lifted my hands. The flying water halted, rolled into a giant bubble that gurgled until it smoothed out.

“That is the coolest skill.” Goldie beamed.

From the moment Silas had brought me home after having spent yesterday with him, I’d practiced hard.

“I seriously cannot get enough of seeing you do that. Okay, float it back to the pail again.”

Maslin whistled from where he perched on the top railing of the corral. “No. Bring it closer to you, Hope. Being born of the mated bond, you hold the full strength. I don’t, but I have an idea I’d like you to try. Something I can’t do.” He jumped down from the railing, and the dust rose and settled over the tips of his boots.

Above the sun’s rays blazed, the outback heat as relentless as ever, and I fixed my tan Stetson higher on my head and rubbed my hands together. “Sure. I love ideas.”

“You’ll have to insert your hands into the water.” He strode to the bubble, which I still floated, and tapped his chin as he walked around it. “I can’t levitate water like this. I can drive its natural flow further across the land, but this is beyond my reach. What kind of quantity do you believe you can float?”

“I don’t know. I did a bath-full yesterday.” Only because Silas had near emptied it. I smiled at how we’d accomplished that.

Maslin clicked his tongue. “A bath-full is nothing. Those with the full strength can lift and move a small pond-full. I don’t see why you should be any different.”

“I’d love to do that.” I jiggled about. “Oh yeah, like right now. I don’t know nearly enough about this skill.”

“We’ll visit the river to collect water, and then head to the front field’s watering hole. We’ll see what you can move.” He glanced at Goldie. “Coming?”

“Absolutely.” She dropped the metal pail and it bounced with a twang on the rock-hard ground. “I want to see everything Hope can do.”

Focusing on my bubble of levitating water, I pushed my fists into it. The water melted around my hands with a slight gurgling sound. Nice. So cool and refreshing.

Goldie edged around the bubble as she eyed my position. “Now, this really is water on the go.”

Maslin chuckled as he set his hands on my waist, taking care not to jostle my arms. “The water is connected to Hope. You follow in our ’porting airstream in case this doesn’t quite work out.” A teleporter could do that, provided they caught the scent within a second of the other’s leaving. It was a way to ensure they came out at the same spot, but without traveling together.

The dark consumed us as he ’ported, the water swishing down to my elbows, but with a thought, I kept it from sliding further. Seconds later, we returned in the sunlight, the great winding outback river before us.

Goldie arrived in our wake. “Excellent. You transported it. Now, aim for the stars.”

I lowered the water I had to the river then turned my hands palms-up and focused on taking so much more.

A wave rippled outward from the center, and with a sweeping motion of my hands and a thought to scoop all I could, a huge mass rose, bubbling around the edges. Water poured in on itself until I controlled and drew it into a circle.

Up. It had to go up. My focused directive made the new bubble rise.

Wow. Goldie gasped but I didn’t dare turn.

A rolling sphere of precious liquid, murky and holding sandy particles, continued to rise. As I plucked it free, waves rolled out to each side of the river and washed onto the bank. The river quietly settled.

“I’m loving it.” Maslin had the widest grin on his face. “Lift it above us. You’re going to have to insert your hands into it as you did before. We need the connection for ’porting.”

Whoa. That was one monster amount of water. No, I could do this.

I lifted my hands high, and energy poured through me as my decision was set on its course. The massive bubble caused a shadow as it ascended over us and bobbed into place.

Lowering it a fraction, I drove my fists into the surface.

Goldie dipped her head. “Don’t you dare drop that. That’s much bigger than the last one.”

“I won’t.” My heartbeat sped into high gear.

“I’m ready when you are.” Maslin set his hands on my waist.

“Go.” Sweat beaded along my brow and more trickled between my shoulder blades as we traveled through the dark.

Then we were there. Above me the balloon of water churned, an energy of its own forming and swirling within from the jump through space. It wobbled and liquid sloshed and spat to the ground. It hissed and steam plumed from where cool water hit hot, dry soil. “Um, guys. I’m not sure I can hold this.”

“Set it down in the watering hole. You’ve reached your skill’s limit!” Maslin yelled as the bubbling mass stewed.

I sent the water from me in a flash and covered my head with my hands. It boomed as it hit.

Goldie squealed and grabbed my hands. “You did it.”

A rush of water streamed to the outside of the watering hole. The surge of water cascaded over the bank and flowed over thirsty ground to our feet.

Wiping my damp sleeve over my face, I grinned. “I really did it.”

“Hell, yes.” Maslin strode to the water’s edge and shoved his hand into it. “It’s a touch warmer than usual, but it’ll cool.”

“I can see it, but I can’t believe it.”

“What you did is amazing. I’ll test it properly.” He kicked off his boots and walked in to hip depth then dove. He was going for a swim?

I laughed as his head broke the surface and he spat a fountain of water from his mouth. “What are you doing?”

“Celebrating.”

Goldie looked skyward as birds appeared and flew down. They skimmed the surface, flapping their wings with a gaggle. “You filled it. So quick. This changes everything.”

Maslin let out a hearty shout as he fell back, arms splayed wide as he went under again.

Where there was water, there was life.

Another bellowing shout came from Maslin as he took to swimming from one end to the other.

“I don’t think he’s coming out anytime soon.” Goldie slapped my arm.

We relied on water for the necessity of life, and now it was here, where it hadn’t been mere minutes ago. I couldn’t stand still. I grabbed my boot. “I’m going to join him.”

“
There won’t be any time.
” Dad’s voice rang clear in my mind.

I dropped my foot to the ground. “
Hey, you were watching.
” He rarely missed the big stuff, and this was pretty big.