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—Master Barley?—
Startled, Colin looked up from his data pad and around his kitchen. He was alone.
From the living room, he could hear Darios' voice gently explaining something about psionics to Myriam. She was still shy, but she was also intensely curious about everything so she was asking more and more questions.
Yaden had left right after breakfast so he could listen to the now-completed reports by the Ruby Guard on the 'Lachlain incident' with Commander Hamilton. He had left Ivan, who was currently in their small garden doing his katas, to guard them. Carefully and slowly, not to aggravate his healing manaburn again. With each passing day, he was getting increasingly fidgety and Colin would be very grateful when Yaden's squire could go back to his regular training schedule. Tired Ivan was so much more easily managed than bored, restless Ivan.
So who had called his name?
There was a polite knock, like someone rapping their knuckles against a wooden door. Only, there wasn't a sound, only the memory of having heard it.
—Master Barley? I'm Vertex Ciel of Lagoona. I am contacting you telepathically. Do you have a moment to talk or should I call again another time...?—
The voice was in his head. Or more precisely, it felt like it was just outside his head, politely talking to him without intruding.
Until now, Colin had only had one telepathic conversation. That had been with Yaden's father to very politely enquire about marrying Yaden. It had been vastly different from this. The telepath who had held the connection had not been noticeable to Colin, but the thoughts and feelings of Yaden's father had felt much more intrusive and blunt than what he felt now. This was a crystal-clear voice, appearing to him as if he were talking to another person in the same room, with no unintended additional information attached.
And he should probably reply something since he had been addressed twice now already.
—Uhm ... hello?—he tried to think back as clearly as possible.
—My apologies for calling unannounced like this.—
Now the words were accompanied by an expression of polite concern so genuine Colin instantly tried to send back his reassurance. This was a situation where normally he would have offered tea and cookies to make the other feel welcome, but that wasn't possible when the person wasn't physically present.
—You spoke to my husband yesterday about moving to Sooraj Island.—
Oh, that. Why else would a Vertex, particularly one as powerful and busy as Lagoona’s be calling him personally? His first impulse should have been caution and the urge to protect Myriam, but this obviously wasn't about her.
—I'm sorry we jumped him like that,—he tried to apologise.
—No, not at all necessary. He was quite taken with you.—There was an almost wistful note to the mental voice, tinted with a great love for her husband that Colin could easily relate to.—Initially, he didn't mention it, but we are deeply attuned, and so, I picked up on him thinking about it. You see, it is a bit lonely out here for him with just the two of us. He also wants nothing more than to see me well and protected, so he would never complain. But it is as important to me that he is happy, and I do notice when he thinks about barbecues with neighbours we will never have.—Her words had become a stream Colin was nodding along to, so when it stopped abruptly, it was jarring.—I'm sorry, I was rambling. It isn't often that I have a chance to ... chat.—The sensation of a self-conscious little laugh accompanied her words.
Colin wasn't sure how to say that he had found her gentle train of thoughts and words pleasant, but she was already continuing.
—I understand my husband explained to you that my unique mental condition requires me to have a certain amount of space around me, so I do not get overwhelmed by all the minds in my vicinity.—
Colin tried to send back something like a nod, which seemed to work as fine as if she was actually seeing it.
—This necessitates our secluded home. However, your husband happens to have a very special set of powers himself, which does something very unique. I have been aware of him ever since he moved to Lagoona and I have to admit that I have occasionally already used his training sessions. When he uses his powers, it is extremely ... loud/massive/solid/impenetrable.—The last part didn't come through as spoken words but as an entire block of overlapping impressions.—It blots out everything else around him to the point of my being able to use it as a shield to block out the constant noise of all the people on this planet. Like a white-noise screen? So when my husband told me about your request, I couldn't dismiss it outright because it might prove very pleasant to have him closer by and training regularly. However, that would mean having you and the rest of your family also living close by. So I wanted to contact you to get to know you and find out whether that would be bearable to me.—
There was so much genuine vulnerability in her thoughts that Colin found himself dismissing all his earlier misgivings about her being an all-powerful telepath who might manipulate him. She felt like a shy but kind person, someone he instinctively would want to protect from harm – even if that harm came from himself and meant they had to find another home somehow. Considering that they hadn't come up with any other remotely viable options, that would prove hard, but he would try to.
He hadn't planned to tell her any of that, but apparently his thoughts had been too loud for her to ignore.
—Thank you for your concern. Your mind is surprisingly tidy for someone not trained in telepathic communication.—The feeling accompanying the words conveyed them as a compliment and made Colin feel appreciated in a strange way.—Would you permit me to take a peek at your family to determine whether any of them are too unpleasant for me? I will, of course, not look into their thoughts, just try to see how they feel to me.—
—Please be careful,—Colin sent back,—the child has been put through a lot lately.—
—I promise she won't notice me. Who is the person I sense just outside of where you are? The crackling one?—
Colin followed her mental directions and looked out through the kitchen window to where Ivan was doing his katas, fluidly shifting from form to form.—That would be Ivan. Yaden's squire.—
—He is very ... noisy. Troubled.—There was a brief pause and Colin tried to sort his thoughts into a defence and explanation of why Ivan was the way he was, but somehow, he was aware that Ciel's attention was preoccupied with Ivan.—How peculiar. It might be possible that his powers have the same effect as your husband’s if he fully taps into them. He feels like the pressure of a building storm to me, but it might be pleasant when it breaks. I would have to pay attention when he trains, I guess.—
—He is recovering from manaburn at the moment, so that might be a reason for him to be particularly prickly,—Colin explained.
He felt Ciel's attention drift to the living room where Darios and Myriam were sitting, and had the impression that Ciel was taking him along to share in her impressions of their little family.
—Generally, I find the minds of younger people to be less oppressive. They are more open and honest, not hiding so much. Even their negative emotions don't bother me that much, it's only the adults' constant insecurity and lingering malcontent – Oh...—
Colin sensed that this was the exact moment Ciel had found Darios. To her mind, he felt like a giant tree to find shelter under, immovable, endlessly reliable, healing.
—His mind is lovely.—The thought was accompanied by the impression of a shy smile.—The child burns very brightly, but I shall not look any closer. She is very perceptive, and I don't want to spook her.—She turned her full attention back to Colin.—And I can see why my husband likes you. You share some traits. The way you approach a task.—Her mind withdrew a little while, with the unspoken information that she needed to evaluate.
It gave Colin time to consider as well. His initial doubts about living near someone with Ciel's powers had evaporated. She was so polite and considerate in her mental contact. Yes, she was probably powerful enough to make him feel that way while she deep-scanned his mind, but she could have done so without all the theatrics. The thought that they might move to that beautiful island after all made him a little giddy. Space for all of them to flourish. Surely the mansion had a big kitchen with all the appliances one could wish for, maybe even a big oven. With the balmy weather, he would be able to set his breads outside to cool. The image made him smile as he thought back to his stuffy little bakery in Hagermarsh, and how oppressively warm Agami had first felt to him. Now, he was looking forward to moving somewhere even warmer, where he would be able to run around dressed in nothing but boardshorts most of the time. He was very sure that Yaden would approve of that.
Like a breeze coming in through an open window, he sensed Ciel's attention return to him.—I'm in a bit of a quandary, Master Barley. My rational mind tells me that it is safer to keep everything as it is, but my heart says to go for it.—There was a sweet kind of embarrassment in her feelings.—This is similar to when I asked my husband to dance with me for the first time. And that turned out well, so I am thinking I should be brave. I would like to show you the island. Maybe you won’t like it from up close. But I feel like I should at least try.—
Colin tried to send back all the warmth and assurance he could.—If it doesn't work out and you feel too crowded by us, we can look for something else.—
—Oh, no. I could never do that. I couldn't kick you out of your home because I made a mistake. That would be cruel.—Her answer was filled with dread at the suggestion.
—Should the situation arise, we will find a solution which works for all of us,—Colin offered.
--When would be a good time for you to take a look at Sooraj Island?—Now there was almost something like gentle excitement in Ciel's feelings. She was nervous but determined.
—We could do it right now?—Less time for her to get overwhelmed by doubt and change her mind. It wasn't like Colin had been doing anything important anyway, his homework for the Bakers Guild could wait. And at this point, getting his Master certificate issued was only a matter of pride. Once he married Yaden and became a noble, he wouldn't be able to open a bakery anyway. Though baking for Yaden and Ivan would keep him plenty busy. He sensed how Ciel's attention shifted away for a moment.
—That works. Traffic is slow this morning.—
Colin wouldn't have known what she meant if she hadn't accompanied the thought with a peek at how she was lending her powers to other telepaths all over the Empire to help them carry conversations as that telepath had done when he let Colin talk to Yaden's father. It took him a few heartbeats to understand that, in this one bit of compressed information, Ciel had given him a tiny glimpse of the entire telepathic network she was currently upholding – a vast, glittering tree with roots and branches that reached across the entire galaxy.
—Are you okay with being ported to Sooraj?—
The question felt so mundane to Ciel that Colin felt self-conscious about considering teleportation something outlandish. Yaden had been hauled all over the Empire yesterday, so a short hop here on Lagoona shouldn't be problematic.
—I'll let Darios know where I'm going.—
Disappearing suddenly and without a trace, right out of the kitchen, wasn't an option as it would have everyone worry. Darios nodded his acknowledgement, but Myriam made a point of hugging him tightly, so maybe he was doing something right to make her feel safe and welcome after all.
He wordlessly sent his agreement to be ported to Ciel and, a moment later, he found himself standing on a sweeping terrace, in front of the mansion he had so far only seen from the top.
And it was hideous.
It looked like a giant wedding cake turned into a house, iced with ornate stonework, balconies, little turrets, canopies, porches, arches, and sweeping outdoor staircases – it lacked any sense of structure or proportion. And the choice of colour didn't help, either. There wasn't much that would look good in salmon and peach.
Colin stared at it in silent horror, unsure how someone had lived in such a place without gouging their eyes out after a few days. The longer he looked, the more absurdly over-decorated details he noticed.
—You don't like it.—Ciel's thoughts felt so disappointed, Colin automatically turned around to say something nice and found himself standing alone.
—Didn't you want to meet me here?—
—Oh. My apologies.—Now she sounded genuinely embarrassed.—I am not used to actually going places physically.—
A second later, she appeared next to him, and despite his best attempt not to, Colin's first thought was how perfectly her appearance matched the way her mind felt to him. Vertex Ciel was a petite woman, with delicate features, and long, white-blonde hair that fell on her face at the slightest motion. With a very pale complexion but lightly tanned, wearing a light, green beach dress, well-worn sandals, and a large straw hat, she looked like she had just come in from the beach. Which she probably had.
“Here I am.” Her voice and shy smile exactly matched the mental impression as well. Her eyes, large and of such a pale blue they seemed almost white, conveyed just the right mix of caution and curiosity. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Master Barley.”
“Please, call me Colin.” He shook her offered hand, noting how she had a firm grip despite looking so dainty.
She turned to look up at the mansion and scrunched her nose in a charming expression of disdain. “It is hideous, isn't it? I hadn't been to the island in person so I hadn't seen it up close before. I bought up all the islands around mine to make sure I would have space. No one has lived here for more than a decade now.”
Which was a shame, because the rest of what Colin could see of the island was lovely. The mansion sat about two thirds up the long slope. The slope below the large terrace they stood on had been sculpted into more terraces of varying sizes, planted to form a multi-levelled, tropical garden. He could spot several swimming pools, all of them empty at the moment. The pathways and stairs between the different levels were overgrown, but the landscaping looked beautiful. The mansion though...
“I don't think even Yaden could turn that thing into something we would want to live in,” Colin said sadly. “And tearing it down and building anew would be too expensive.”
“Hmm,” Ciel frowned at the building, wrinkling her tiny nose. “It's just your family, isn't it? That's not so many people. Maybe you should have a look at the servants’ quarters a little farther up the hill. They might be more to your liking.”
Servants’ quarters certainly sounded less pompous and more in the style they preferred. Colin followed her up a winding, gravel path leading uphill and away from the mansion. Like everything else it was mostly overgrown with shrubs, the plants completely out-of-control but also flowering with abandon. At least nature was happy here. After a few turns of the path, the mansion disappeared from view behind some cleverly planted trees. To make sure the servants wouldn't observe their masters from up high, Colin guessed, or to make sure the masters didn't have to see the squalor their servants lived in.
The climate here was hotter than in Agami, but not as humid. The air felt like silk, soft and fragrant with blossoms and the fresh, salty breeze from the sea, unspoiled by industry or too many people living in one place. Despite not being a psion, Colin could almost feel the wide, open space all around them. He hadn't noticed how boxed in he had felt on Emperor's Island.
They were near the top of the hill now, close to the sheer cliffs that dropped into the sea on the other side of the island. They walked around a last bend and Colin stopped in his tracks at the new sight.
The servants’ quarters were a cluster of small, low houses, set almost like a tiny little village. The houses were built from massive blocks of the local stone, the low roofs covered in slate, all offering a natural shelter from the heat of the day. Each house was big enough to hold two or three rooms. Clustered around an ancient, gnarled tree, the houses formed a large, open courtyard in the middle, looking inviting, cosy and earthy.
“Do you like it?” Ciel asked, reminding Colin of her presence and making him realise that he had been staring for a while.
“It's beautiful.” A bright smile appeared on her face, and he grinned back at her a little stupidly. “Perfect.”
“If you want to take a closer look...” She gestured invitingly at the houses.
Colin moved forward and she trailed behind, giving him space to explore while at the same time curiously looking over his shoulder.
Each house had a sturdy door, but when Colin tried the first one, it opened more or less smoothly. There were no furnishings, but he guessed he was looking at something meant to be a living room. An open doorway showed another room, which could be used as a bedroom. Venturing inside, he found another door leading from the bedroom to a small bathroom. He experimentally turned the tap, but after a first bout of funky-smelling water, it went dead.
“Where does the water come from?”
“There is a generator for electricity in the basement of the mansion, and a small desalination plant by the pier. It should all be switched off but in working condition, though you should have someone have a look at it. No one's used it for a decade.”
While there was no furniture, lamps were mounted under the ceiling so Colin flicked the light switch on the wall in the main room. The lamps flickered uncertainly for a moment, but then burned with a steady light.
“Looks good. At least the batteries are still working.” With a big smile, he turned the lamp off again.
The next two houses were set up the same as the first, so Colin assumed they were all more or less similar. All in all, there were eight of them – plenty of space for his family and they could use the mansion if they absolutely had to. Maybe for storage. Right at the edge of the central courtyard, one of the houses was larger than the rest, drawing Colin's curiosity. When he opened the door, he couldn't suppress a very undignified but delighted 'squee' from escaping. It was a kitchen. A professional, smartly designed kitchen, with miles of stainless worktop space, two large ovens at the far wall and a long array of gas stovetops – everything a baker could desire. A narrow door led to a pantry with endless rows of shelves, a large freezer, and what looked like a generous walk-in fridge. It was perfect.
If this was the servants’ kitchen, Colin strongly suspected that the kitchen down in the mansion would turn out to be a pompous affair more suitable to impressing guests than to actually preparing meals in. Not that he would have to use it when he had access to this. He could see himself easily feeding a dozen people on a regular basis from here, even if that included Yaden and Ivan.
He ran his hand along the smooth, wooden shelves. His mind was already filling them with proofing baskets, each filled with its own gently rising bread.
Turning back to Ciel he found her beaming at him. “You feel so lovely when you are happy.”
It was a strange compliment, but so obviously heartfelt that Colin had no trouble accepting it.
“I could very well see us being happy here,” he said, again looking around, “but what do you think? Would we be bearable to you?”
Ciel nodded slowly. “You and Yaden, and the other man, Darios – yes, absolutely. And that is enough for me to try this.”
The thought of moving here, of filling this place with life and happiness made his heart beat faster. Yes, living in the servants’ quarters would be painfully improper for a noble and his family, but who was there to complain? No one who cared would ever come here, and if they did, they could throw a party at the mansion.
This place was perfect.
But not theirs, yet.
“So, how much would you want for the island?” The change from daydreaming to negotiating a real estate sale dampened Colin's mood only a little. “It is pretty big and our funds aren't limitless. The Order of the Lotus will pick up some of it, but...”
“I will rent Sooraj Island to you,” Ciel cut him short, “For one heron a year.”
“What?” Colin stared at her incredulously. “You can't give it to us for free.”
“Oh, don't get me wrong. Right now, the island is sitting here, unused, doing nothing but costing me in taxes. If you move in and make it your home, your husband will be training here, creating a lovely white-noise screen for me to take cover under whenever I need to. If I can make it through this year's season finale of 'Even Nobles Cry', or one of the big arena events, without having to be sedated, the Psions Guild should be paying you as far as I am concerned.”
“I'm not sure I understand...”
Ciel's smile was pained. “My range is far wider than the entire Empire. Even when I do not actively listen, I hear at least everyone on Lagoona. And the more people think the same, or feel the same, in the same moment, the louder they become. That moment when everyone screams 'Goal!' during a hoverball match? Or when dozens of millions take in a shocked gasp when their favourite soap opera character dies? I hear them all, magnified by resonance, millions of people shouting right into my mind.” She shrugged, her faint smile now rather nonchalant. “As I said, during the season finales of 'Even Nobles Cry', I am barely functional without heavy sedation.”
“Oh.” It took a conscious effort to reconcile this tiny, shy person with those words, but if at all, Colin suspected she was downplaying the severity of the problem. “I'm sure Yaden can work that into his training schedule.”
“So you accept?”
“I have to show it to Yaden first. On the off chance that he doesn't like it, for some reason. But bar that, yes, I would love to live here. It seems pretty close to perfect.”
“Wonderful.” When she happily clasped her hands together, she looked more like a little girl than a powerful psion. “I'll make sure to clear you with the Guild so you can port to the island with your husband any time you like. And I will let them know that you are allowed to contact me directly. I want to know as soon as possible when you've made the decision.”
Her genuine glee was infectious. “I will let you know right the very moment.”