The Gathering of Masters (Updating/Editing)

22. A Change

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Raja was restless.

Since they bonded, he had not been away from Natalia physically or mentally for longer than a few minutes. But the mistress had asked Jiyun to shield her completely to add to the surprise. Though Diddero's barrier had shown the possibility of an outsider disrupting a bond without breaking it a reality, Raja had been somewhat alarmed that a bond could be so effectively blocked while the owners remained close. He could only detect her life force; the constant background hum of her emotions was gone.

Diddero had left him in the cottage's well-stocked library with some recommendations on reading materials. Still, he chose instead to contemplate the view from one of its large windows.

In the distance, the mountains stood protecting the Vale, but he did not see them. His thoughts moved unwillingly to their early morning encounter with Lukas. The replay in his mind of Lukas' pained expression stabbed his heart, and he instinctively reached out to his bondmates for comfort. He recoiled when he could touch neither.

Just before his agitation peaked, the library door opened, allowing The Master's entrance.

"Not ready yet?" Paulo asked. "Leena must be chatting Natalia's ears off by now. My sister can be exhausting."

Raja had not yet spent time with the Vale's mistress, so he did not respond to the flippant remark.

"I felt Lukas' presence in the Vale this morning." Paulo eyed him and continued with some hesitance.

"Yes, he escaped the Queen and came to tell us he travels to the Kingdom." Raja doubted that Diddero had not informed him of this already, but the big man looked somewhat concerned.

"Hmm, interesting choice." Paulo put his hand on Raja's shoulder. "I think more than that happened this morning. Something that exhausted your soul as much as your body." When Raja did not say anything, he continued, "He did not restrict his projection to the Mindspace, did he? It is a rare talent to project into the physical space."

"Yes. He usually does it only for those who do not receive well or find it too disconcerting." Neither had been the case this morning.

"It must be draining to appear this way. It would have been easier to have met you both in the Mindspace." Raja distracted mind refocused and pondered the question calmly. I felt like a probe, but what was Paulo trying to discover? And how had he known Lukas projected into the physical space instead of Mindspace?

"It is." Raja decided to impart some of the truth to test Paulo's knowledge. "He is angry with me."

"About Natalia?"

"Yes."

"The new bond or the old one?" With his question, Paulo revealed his knowledge. The Fire Priestess must have told him about Raja's part in the bond-breaking. Raja's shoulderblades relaxed. This information he gathered by means Raja understood. Intelligence gathering was a strength of the Tribe, but this Master often knew too much.

"Both, he is angry that I deceived him. No, more than angry. He is hurt and feels betrayed." Raja clenched his hands and continued to avoid Paulo's eyes. "But this new bond is beyond comprehension for all of us."

"Yes, it is." Raja finally turned to look at Paulo and wondered what the older man meant. The Master met his eyes firmly, and his usually jovial eyes had a serious turn. Paulo obliged Raja with an explanation without prompting. "Lukas had to lower some of his shieldings to get through our barrier. And Diddero felt flashes of confusion, jealousy, and sadness, along with more than a touch of anger."