The colors, sounds, and oh stars, the smells surrounded her. Mehanna still clung to Grinnell as she looked around in awe. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Not even in your newsfeeds?” he asked.
“It didn’t hold a candle to this.” She gestured around her. “What should we do first?”
“How about a treat?” He led her to a booth that had all kinds of sweets. He picked one of his favorites and paid for it. They walked away from the booth as Grinnell handed the pastry to her. “This might look small, but it packs a lot of flavor.”
She popped it in her mouth. The sweetness filled her mouth, followed by an explosion of flavor. Joy filled her. “I could eat a dozen of these.”
“That’s why I love these things. You’ll notice the flavor lingers for several horas.” He smiled. “And I picked up a few more for later.”
“Does everyone have the chip you have to pay for things?”
“This planet uses a barter system. Most of the off-worlders normally only have the chips to pay with, but you’ll see people trade animals, labor, items they have made, food, and plants.”
“If I want to buy something, would they be willing to buy the fruit I make?”
“Yes, but you would have to make them ahead of time. If you make them in front of any of these merchants, you run the risk of one of them wanting you for your talent.”
“Hadn’t thought about that. I don’t want you to pay for everything.”
“I get that. You’re helping me go through all those files so we can find your planet. Consider it payment for your help.”
“You’re helping me, Grinnell. Not the other way around.”
“Still, other people wouldn’t be willing to go through all those files. They’d make me do it by myself.”
“That’s not very fair.”
He shrugged.
They walked around, stopping whenever something caught their eye. Grinnell stopped in front of one that had some beautifully patterned material. He nodded to the woman there.
“I have bolts if you wish to make garments.”
“Have any ready-made garments?” asked Grinnell. When the woman frowned, he added. “For the lady.”
“Oh, of course.” She looked at Mehanna. “I have several outfits about your size that I can adjust to fit you perfectly.”
“What’s wrong with my clothes?”
“Nothing,” said Grinnell. “But I thought you might want to try the clothing of this planet. I normally wear what is popular on the planet I’m visiting.”
“Are you now?”
He nodded. “Do you see anything you like?”
“Um.” She touched several cloths. “This one feels nice.”
“Does a color jump out at you?”
“This one.” She touched a dark blue pattern with shots of pink throughout it.
“Very pretty,” the merchant said. “That will look good on you.” She took a few measurements and went back into her tent, then came out with a small bundle. “Would you like to try it on? I can wrap your clothes up to carry with you.”
She looked at Grinnell.
“Go. I can’t wait to see you in it.”
She smiled at him, then followed the woman into the tent.
Grinnell knew this could take a few microns, and if he stood there waiting he’d be a mark for one of the many thieves looking to find someone easy to manipulate. He decided to check out a few of the neighboring booths. Nothing caught his attention at the first two. Great, he was going to find himself right back at the tent Mehanna was in, staring like a fool.
The third booth had wines from a local vineyard, and he picked up several for dinner later. The fourth one had crystals of every size and color. One was the exact color of Mehanna’s eyes. It was several carats in size.
“Ah, you have a good eye.”
“Are these created or mined?”
“Mined, of course.”
“Uh-huh, that’s why they look perfect. Just like created ones do.” He picked up the one he was eyeing. “How much?”
“Sixty credits.”
Grinnell started laughing and handed the stone back.
“For you, I’ll give a twenty-five percent discount.”
“Not enough.” He moved toward the next booth. The price wasn’t a problem. He just knew how and where they were made, and if he wanted to, he could get one for a fourth of the price. This one, though, was beautiful and right in front of him.
“What do you want to pay for it?”
“Fifteen credits.”
“I would make no money off that.”
“I know what they’re worth.”
“You also know that you might never find this exact color.”
Grinnell shrugged. “I know.”
“Fifty-five credits.”
“Twenty.”
“Fifty.”
“Twenty-five.”
They looked at each other.
“Forty,” offered the merchant.
“Forty if you throw in this small crystal as well.” Grinnell pointed to one of the small crystals the man had displayed on a black silk cloth.
The merchant looked at the piece in question and smiled. “Done.” He slipped the stones into a small cloth bag. “I have mounts you can choose from as well.”
“Thanks, but no. I don’t have the time.”
The flap of the tent Mehanna was in opened and she stepped out. She was a vision. The woman even had her hair swept up and a piece of the cloth was braided into it. She came to his side, her expression showing her curiosity. “Are you buying something?”
“I found some wine for our dinner with Leabo.”
The merchant came out and called Mehanna over to get her old clothing. Grinnell took that moment to purchase the stones and slip the bag into a pocket.
“She is very pretty, and I know why you went to that stone. Good luck, my friend.”
“Thank you.” He slipped his chip back into a front pocket as he turned his attention back to Mehanna. “You look beautiful.”
She clasped her hands behind her back. A slight blush filled her cheeks.
“This feels so different.” She looked around, then stepped close. “I feel free, like—like I’m naked.” The blush deepened.
He slipped an arm around her. “There is no need to be embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed.” She put her arm around his waist. “It’s just very strange.”
“You never thought to make yourself a dress in your cave?”
“It wasn’t practical. I’d see them on the feeds and knew I’d tear one up too fast.”
“And now?”
“I’m still worried about that, but I’m not doing the same things that I would do at home.”
“Would you prefer pants? We could get you some new ones and a few tunics if you’d like.”
Mehanna remained quiet.
“You can still keep the dress.”
She brushed her hands down the material. “I do like the dress.”
“And we can get a few more dresses.”
“I don’t want you to spend all your credits on me.”
“Don’t worry about how much it costs. Clothing is something we need. We need it to fit in. I always have an allowance for that.”
“I will pay you back.”
“If that will make you feel better.” He looked down at her. “So, which is it? Dresses or pants?”
“Dresses.” She said it softly.
“Let’s go pick out a few more.”
That evening they met Leabo at the main doors of the port. He smiled when he saw them.
“Mehanna, you look lovely.”
“Thank you.” She brushed her hand against the material of her new dress.
“Did you have fun at the bazaar?” Leabo asked her as he led them back out of the port doors.
“Oh, yes.” She smiled and nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. It was a lot of fun.”
“Glad you had fun.” He led them past the bazaar. “My home is also my business. I live above where I work.”
“Do you regret not accepting Orla’s offer?” asked Mehanna.
“Honestly?” He pointed to a road to the right of the main road. “No. I enjoy what I do. I get to travel to some exotic places and meet a lot of different people. Don’t get me wrong: There is a lot of boring paperwork and research on many cases. Every once in a while, though, I get that gem that makes it all worthwhile.”
“Like the one you want me to help you with?” They followed the road until they came to a two-story building.
“Yes—well, sort of.” He led them up the stairs to his quarters. “It’s an intriguing story that I hope you like.”
Wonderful aromas wafted past them when the door opened.
“When did you learn to cook?” asked Grinnell.
“Oh, I didn’t. I hired my secretary to cook for us. If you want something I cooked, I have some bread and jelled fruit to serve you.”
“That’s not cooking.” Grinnell laughed. “And I bet you bought both items.”
“Of course, I did.” Leabo laughed as well. “You know I can’t cook, so I had two choices. Either order from a local restaurant or blackmail someone I knew could cook to make a meal for us. I did promise her that she could join us.”
“Someone you’re sweet on?”
“Maybe? I don’t know. It’s my secretary. She helps me with the business. Has a good head for finances. We get along great.”
“Pretty?”
“Every time I look at her, my heart stops.”
Grinnell laughed again.
There was a quick knock and the door opened.
“Am I late?” A pretty young woman came in with a large basket. Behind her came three other women carrying more food.
“Are we feeding an army?” asked Leabo.
“I’d rather have too much instead of too little.” She directed the other women to set up everything, then she thanked them and allowed them to go home. “Besides, you’re not the cook, and I always end up bringing you my leftovers. This time, you’ll have enough for a few duras.”
“She knows you well, Leabo,” said Grinnell.
“A little too well at times.”
“You couldn’t do without me, and you know it.” She moved a large bowl to a side table and then lifted the lid.
“I see how toduro is going to go.” Leabo shook his head. “If you two are going to be against me, you should at least know each other’s names.”
“Oh, I know this has to be Grinnell. You’ve been talking about him all dura.” She gave him a bow. “My name is Sarha. I am the one who keeps Leabo’s business afloat.”
“Hey! I work just as hard as you do.” Leabo’s tone showed he felt he needed to defend himself.
“I’m sure you do,” replied Grinnell. He bowed as well. “This is my companion Mehanna.”
“It’s a pleasure, Mehanna.” Sarha bowed to her.
Mehanna bowed back. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll have everything ready quickly.” Sarha pulled out plates from the cabinets, then she grabbed the silverware. She crossed to a small pile of linens and finished dressing the table. Each plate was filled, then she gestured for everyone to take a seat.
“Oh, wait.” Grinnell swung the bag he had slung over his shoulder around. “I bought some wine for us to enjoy.”
“Thank you for that.” She took the containers and went to get wine glasses. As she poured the wine, she smiled. “You got some of our best wine.”
“Leabo told me he wanted my help, so I needed something good to choke on when he tells me what he wants.”
That made everyone laugh.
The meal went well, with Leabo and Grinnell telling stories about each other and themselves. Mehanna hadn’t said much, but she did seem to enjoy the stories.
“And you, Mehanna?” asked Sarha. “How did you meet Grinnell?”
“Um, he came to my cave.”
“Cave?”
“Mehanna lived a solitary life before I showed up.” Grinnell placed an arm over Mehanna’s shoulders. “She did live in a cave. That was home for her.”
“I come from a large family,” said Sarha. “I don’t think I could handle a lot of time on my own. I’m too used to having someone interrupting me at every turn.”
“And she proves it every dura,” Leabo said. “If you think she is loud, you should see her with her family. They start talking all at once, but her voice can cut through the din.”
“It must be lovely to come from a large loving family,” murmured Mehanna.
“What do you need my help with?” asked Grinnell, wanting to steer the conversation away from talk of family.
“Oh, right,” Leabo said. “We received a missive from a woman on a planet just inside the forsaken zone. She is looking for two sisters. Twins, really. They were left on a planet, and she wants to find them quickly.”
“Any reason why?” He felt Mehanna’s hand slip around his waist and give him a squeeze.
“She said the girls were in trouble.” He gave him an odd look. “Why?”
He looked at Mehanna who nodded her head. “Because I think you’re talking about Mehanna and her sister.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mehanna and her twin sister were left on a small out-of-the-way planet just inside nomad’s land.”
“You think they could be the sisters?” Leabo sat forward.
“They do fit the bill.”
“She said they had a mark.” He pulled out one of the missives.
“Mark?” asked Mehanna.
“Yeah. That’s how I’ll know I have the right girls.” He gestured for Sarha to turn her back. He lifted her hair and pointed to the nape of her neck. “There is supposed to be a mark that looks like a crescent moon there.”
Grinnell lifted Mehanna’s hair. There on the nape of her neck was a crescent moon.
“And this woman?” asked Grinnell. “Did you ever meet her in person?”
“No. She did everything the old way. Her missives are on paper like this. She had it hand-delivered to me. That’s what caught my attention. She knew to contact me. It was addressed to me personally. When I suggested we meet in person, she refused. She is afraid of something or someone. All she has promised is that no harm will come to the girls and that time is of the essence.”
“I’ll need all the information you have.”
“I have it right here.” He handed over a small pile of paper.
“Did you tell her that you were going to ask for my help?”
“Had to. She’s a bit paranoid and demanded pictures of all involved. I sent yours just in case you said yes.”
“Good thing you did.”
Grinnell was happy to get clearance to leave the planet. He read every bit of correspondence between Leabo and the woman who hired them. She only signed with a single initial.
“I have no idea how to find this woman,” he said. “She never mentioned what world she lives on. The only thing we know is she lives in the forsaken zone.” He handed the notes he had been going through to Mehanna. “This could take lunas, if not yepas. If you don’t want to waste time chasing this down, we could do it after we find your planet.”
“True, but she might know where I come from.” She took the notes. “If she is just inside this forsaken zone, then we could find her in duras. She could save us lunas in our search.”
“That is true, but what if this is just a ruse, and she wants you for your power? We do have to think of that.”
“Wow, you sure are a pessimist.” She set the papers down.
“I am pragmatic and look at the stark reality.” Grinnell checked a few readings. “I know better than to trust people and always try to figure out what they really want.”
“And if she is exactly as she seems?” She touched his back so he would turn to look at her. “All she wants to do is to protect me and my sister?”
“Then I’ll be very happy for you.” He placed his hands on her shoulders.
“And will still question everything won’t you?”
“Of course.” He smiled as he pulled her close.
Grinnell activated the cloaking device the moment they entered the forsaken zone. He constantly checked the monitors for anything out of the ordinary. He was amazed at how quickly Mehanna found little clues in the missives Leabo received. They now knew where they were going. The planet they were headed to would be the first one just inside.
They had coordinates to find the woman who sent the missives without having to land at the public port. He had turned off their transponders so no one should detect their presence. He landed their ship in a clear area of the woods that supposedly surrounded the woman’s house.
Grinnell shut down the computer and turned to look at Lawaya. “I hate leaving you here alone again.”
“I’ll be fine,” she responded. “You want me to look for oddities once again?”
He nodded.
“I hope this woman has the information you two are looking for.”
“I hope we find her before anyone knows we’re here. I’ll be in touch with you from time to time to make sure everything is okay.” He picked up a satchel he had packed earlier and took Mehanna’s hand. “You ready?”
“Not sure, but that won’t stop me.”
“Then let’s go.”
They stepped off the ship and Mehanna watched as it disappeared. “I find that amazing.”
“Technology is great at times like this.” He looked at the map his computer put together. Not wanting anyone to know they were there, he left anything that could be detected inside the ship. He did bring a weapon, but he made sure it was nothing in it that could be tracked. The heavy firearm was in the satchel he carried.
The map led them through the wooded area to a small stream.
“According to this, we should follow the stream north. It should lead us to her home.” He put the map back in his bag. “We can still turn around and go home if you don’t feel comfortable.”
“No.” Mehanna shook her head. “We’ve come this far. I need to know why she’s been looking for me and my sister.”
“I sent a transmission to Orla and let him know what was going on. I wanted someone to know where we are just in case and to see if your sister wanted to join us. She deserves to hear what this woman has to say as well.”
“I wish she had come with us. Thank you for letting her know what is going on.”
“She needed to stay and learn. You would have fought with her if you thought staying was wrong.”
“I know. I would have stayed too if I didn’t need to release Lawaya from the mirror.”
“Your guilt is something you need to shake off. What happened wasn’t your fault. It was a fluke. You should look at this as a good thing. Your ability must be strong to trap anyone in a mirror.”
“A good thing?” she shook her head. “I made a mistake.”
“I don’t see it that way, and I don’t think Lawaya sees it that way either. You are powerful, just untrained.”
“You are very powerful,” said a new voice.
Grinnell spun toward it, wishing he had his weapon strapped to his side. A tall thin woman, whose build looked a lot like Mehanna’s, stood in front of them. The slight blue tint of her skin proved she was of the same race that Mehanna came from.
“I know you don’t like not being in control, Grinnell, but I must be sure we’re safe,” the woman said.
“You know my name.”
“Of course. Your friend Leabo sent your picture as well as your bio. I did a little research on top of that.” She smiled. “And this is Mehanna all grown up. You turned into quite a beauty, my dear.”
“Then you know me.”
“I do.” The woman studied her. “But you don’t know who I am, do you?”
Mehanna shook her head.
“I wondered what he did to you before he put you on that planet.”
“He?” She looked at Grinnell. “He who?”
“I guess I should start at the beginning. You and your sister lost your parents in a freak accident, and with no other relative, our leaders appointed you two a guardian.”
“You still haven’t answered the question.”
“I know. This is difficult for me. On our planet, we’re free to do as we wish, but off planet we don’t speak anyone’s name. Unless, of course, they are off-world as well. I can’t even tell you where the planet is.”
“Why not?” asked Grinnell.
“To protect our people. Too many people are looking for our planet and our power. But I’m talking in riddles, and my goal is to help you remember so you will know what you’re up against.” She turned and headed upstream. “Come. Let me ply you with food and drink and I will do my best to explain without breaking any of our laws.”
Mehanna followed, then turned to check to see if Grinnell was coming.
He couldn’t believe they were going to trust this woman. They didn’t even know her name, and after her explanation, he bet she wouldn’t tell them what it was. Grinnell picked up his gait to keep up with the two women. There was no way he would leave Mehanna’s side. Her safety was paramount to him. Not knowing what to expect had him fearing everything.
No one spoke as they followed their leader. A lovely little house came into view with an assortment of animals, some he didn’t recognize. One, feline in design, twined between their host’s legs.
She scooped it up and petted it as she welcomed them to her home.
“It’s not a mansion, but I’ve been very happy here.” She put the animal down. “Now. I want to know what you can do, Mehanna.”
“That’s easy.” She flipped her hand and brought forth the bright red piece of fruit.
“Ah, a fandel. It has several vitamins that you need to stay healthy. And you were taught that before you left our home planet.”
Grinnell had wondered what it was called. He hadn’t recognized it when she first created it.
“There was no one to teach me anything else.”
The woman looked confused. “But you should have figured out other things along the way.”
“Like what?”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything else.” She paused for a moment. “Did you know you had a special ability?”
“No. I lived by myself. What I could do was so natural, I never thought of it as odd until I met…”
“Who? Grinnell?”
Mehanna shrugged.
“Someone else.” She looked at Grinnell. He looked back, not adding anything. She turned her attention back to Mehanna. “And you’re embarrassed by it.”
Mehanna remained silent.
“Alright.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you want my help, you need to tell me what is going on.”
She couldn’t believe that Mehanna hadn’t unlocked her mind yet. That was the first thing she had to teach her. What had Moorac done to her?
“It doesn’t matter,” Mehanna said.
“It does. Whatever it was has taken any confidence you might have had.” She paused for a moment. “If you can’t be honest with me, then I can’t help you.”
Mehanna sighed. She looked to Grinnell, which she did a lot, then she spoke. “I met a Barou master. She decided to try to train me.”
“And that didn’t go well,” prompted the woman. “What happened?”
“I—I…”
“She’s trapped in a mirror on my ship,” Grinnell answered for her.
“Trapped?” The woman’s brow furrowed. “The Barou can create like we can, but their images are nothing more than illusions, right?”
“Yeah,” responded Grinnell. “They dissipate after the Barou stops concentrating on it.”
“How did she get trapped?”
“She created a mirror and she wanted me to do the same thing,” said Mehanna. “I was having trouble. She kept pushing me to try. It took me horas to make the mirror anywhere near as nice as the one Lawaya made.” A quiver entered her voice. “She was so proud of what I did though. She got up close to check it out but when she touched it, the damn thing sucked her in. It happened so fast, and no matter what I try I can’t get her out.”
“Have you offered her your hand?”
“Of course.” She quieted for a moment. “I tried grabbing her hand before she went into the mirror. I banged my hand against the mirror when I couldn’t get her out. There were times when I pressed my hand against the mirror, and she pressed her hand against mine from the other side. Nothing ever happened.”
“But you never tried to put your hand into the mirror.”
“I don’t know,” Mehanna said. “I’ve been so busy trying to get her out I can’t remember if I even thought to offer my hand that way.”
“Grinnell, you said you have the mirror on the ship?”
He nodded.
“Will you go get it and bring it here?”
“Of course. You’ll have to give me a couple of horas though. It’s a full-length mirror.”
“Here.” She waved her hand and handed him a small circular disc. “This is an antigrav disc. This should help move it.”
“I have these on my ship. It’s making sure I can get her through the woods without a problem.”
“Ah.” She thought for a moment then flipped her hand. A small silver box appeared. “This will allow you to shrink it down to a smaller size. Just place it on the base of the mirror and set the adjustments to the size you need.”
“And this won’t cause harm to Lawaya?”
“No,” the woman said. “She won’t realize any change in size. It only affects the mirror.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Grinnell wasn’t sure if bringing Lawaya to this woman’s house was a smart move, but he hadn’t been happy about any of the decisions so far. Mehanna did trust the woman, and he was following her lead. At least until he felt their lives were in jeopardy.
He had explained everything to Lawaya before he brought the mirror to the small home. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the recent turn of events. If Lawaya was freed, he no longer had a reason to help Mehanna. He was helping her so she could free Lawaya. If she freed her this early, she might not need him anymore, and he wasn’t sure if he could walk away.
He wasn’t quite sure why, but he would do whatever she wanted him to do.
The house came into view. Grinnell straightened his shoulders. Pulling the mirror out of his backpack, he sat it on the ground and pressed the button so it would go back to normal size. He had brought the equipment he had added so they could talk to her. It sat in his bag just in case they needed to use it.
Mehanna and their host came out when they saw him. He wished he knew the woman’s name.
“Good.” The woman came up to the mirror to check it out. “Mehanna, this is very good. The detail is amazing.”
Mehanna hung back while their host checked out the mirror. Grinnell moved to her side.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“Yes. This is just the worst. She knows so much, and I know so little.”
He put an arm around her shoulders in support. “But she’s willing to teach you.”
“So was Lawaya.”
“True, but this woman has the same power as you. She’s been through the training you’re going to get. I’m sure any mistake you make, she has made too.”
“Although I might not have made the same mistakes as Mehanna, I have made my share, Grinnell,” the woman interrupted. “It should be enough to be able to correct anything that could go wrong.” She gestured for Mehanna to come to her. “Now very simply offer your hand, palm out.”
Mehanna did as she asked. As she held out her hand their host grabbed her hand by the wrist and pushed it into the mirror.