The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 21: Rivers of Light

"Hunter, privacy mode, please," she said and the glass walls and door immediately frosted into translucency. Fiadh then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. But, before she could say anything:

- Mistress Fiadh, - a warm, masculine voice said into the depths of her mind. - Forgive me for anticipating your request but I thought I'd save you a little effort. -

Adjusting to the fact that she had a voice now speaking inside her head took a little effort. But the Irish lilith was resolved. She said she would do everything in her power to see Lash recover, and she meant it. And she was in no little way relieved that Lash's mysterious psionic friend was, indeed, listening.

- I understand, - she said into the depths of her mind, hoping that's how one spoke to a telepath. - You know why I am reaching out to you, yes? -

There was a slight pause then:

- I do now. What happened? I'm seeing a serious disconnect between his mind and his physical brain. Almost as if he were ... -

- Chemically lobotomized, - Fiadh interjected to say. - You know of our queens' pheromone capabilities, yes? So I don't have to explain it to you. -

- I do, - the voice replied.

- It is custom for our liliths to go into season, when they are at their most fertile, - she quickly indicated.

- Of this, I am also aware, - the voice interjected to say. - Are you trying to tell me that Lash found himself close to a lilith in season and she forcefully Compelled him into resolving her situation? -

- Not just forcefully Compelled. Oversaturated him to the point that his body began secreting the absorbed pheromone back out in a desperate attempt to get rid of the overload, - Fiadh revealed, struggling to keep her emotions in check as she related the problem.

- Burn me, - the voice growled. - You vampires always have to make things so damn complicated! Even sex and reproduction for you has layers and layers. -

- I will not apologize for how my people conduct their efforts to reproduce, - Fiadh said somewhat defensively. - But what happened to Lash wasn't right. She lost control of her own cloud and crushed his mind. We cannot help him. But you can. -

Again there was that pause, almost as if the voice was checking Lash once more.

- You have a lot of faith in a creature your people consider the worst of your many enemies, - the voice returned to dryly note.

- Lash has faith in you, - Fiadh returned. - And that's good enough for me. -

- I see. - A third pause before: - Yes, I can help him. But it's going to be complicated. He has suffered significant trauma since I last scanned him. Nearly eighty five percent of his body is less than a week old. For somebody that's so vital and important to your people going forward, you certainly aren't treating him very well. -

- No, we have not, - she conceded without hesitation. - He has suffered for his people more than any vampire has. And the greater part of that suffering has come at the hands of those that should've been his allies. But I cannot let his legacy end here. We still need him. If Ingamon Lash does not fight for the People of the Night, then we are truly lost. -

- Or, will you be the only person lost, Mistress Fiadh? - the voice retorted.

Fiadh felt a wash of anxiety at that. Was it foolish to try and hide her emotions from a being that could read her very thoughts as if they were an open book?

- I won't deny that I love him, if that's what you're looking for, - she said, again somewhat defensively. - I do. I love him dearly. So, yes, saving him would serve me considerably. But he told me once that you came to his aid two weeks ago because his well being was necessary for the future of all Humanity, her mutant children included. -

The thoughtful silence returned as the voice considered that. Then she could hear a soft chuckle.

- Well, damn, lady. You got me there, - the voice replied. - To be honest, I was about to jump to wherever you currently are to check in on him as I'm seeing probability spikes in the causality stream starting about an hour ago. And from your memories, that's when he was oversaturated. -

- We are currently in an automated Qos Viran base in Norway, - Fiadh revealed. - I'm not certain you coming to us is such a good idea. -

- Fair enough, - the voice said. - Then I'll bring you to me. Standby for a snap jump! -

Naryan frowned as the lab Fiadh had picked to make her plea with Lash's mysterious psionic friend, suddenly cleared its walls. Which revealed the Irish lilith no longer standing there.

"What ...? she began to ask. Only to hear Tanner, Truk, Ballan and Narcist make simultaneous sounds of shock and surprise.

Turning towards them, her confusion became shock and fear to find the bed the four vampires standing around now empty. No! Where had he been taken to??

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