––––––––
"Lie still. The healing stones are doing their job well."
Olivia blinked twice. Fuzzy splashes of color filled her vision. The voice didn't sound familiar, but she did as she was instructed. A pleasant, relaxing warmth penetrated her head and shoulders, taking the throbbing pain away. She sighed.
"Do you think she'll be able to travel soon?"
The second voice did sound familiar. Olivia lifted her head an inch. "Valori? Are you here?"
"Don't move," the first voice commanded. "You'll be able to travel in a little while if you allow the healing stones to do their work."
Olivia could make out who was speaking to her now. The thin woman with a beaky nose and perpetual frown on her face had to be the medic. She occupied herself with removing small pebbles from a glass container and placing them on various points along Olivia's arms and legs.
The pain ebbed away from her entire body as the medic positioned the stones. Olivia drifted back to sleep, secure in the knowledge she wasn’t alone. She could wait to speak to Valori when she felt better. Valori would help her get in touch with Annara. It would all work out fine.
"Olivia, wake up now. It's time for dinner."
"Kate?" Groggy, but feeling better, Olivia sat up and yawned. "I feel like I've been sleeping for ages."
"You have been. Hungry?" Kate rolled a trolley containing two place settings toward the bed. "Look, they made us both a plate. How thoughtful."
Olivia scooted to the edge of the bed and put on her robe and slippers. Her stomach growled, protesting its emptiness. She picked up an eating utensil and dove into the casserole dish. "Hmm... Have they been treating you well, Kate?"
Olivia studied the middle-aged woman's composed face. Kate kept a stiff upper lip, but Olivia spotted the slight downward twinge around the corners of the quick smile Kate flashed in response. Olivia could tell it hadn't been easy.
"Well enough. They've allowed me to be your nurse and remain in the dormitory, but I'm not welcomed elsewhere." Kate lowered her eyes to her plate. "No doubt they'll make certain I'm sent back to Earth on the next scheduled Portal trip."
"Have you seen your professor?"
Kate shook her head. "No, I thought about slipping into the back of the room during the daily tutoring session, but I just couldn't." Her shoulders slumped. "It's best to make a clean break and not draw things out."
"You miss him, though. Don't you?"
"Is it obvious?" Kate forced a laugh, then dropped her fork. "One thing I won't miss is this food. Even the purple mash is off today."
Olivia had been shoveling her dinner so fast into her mouth she hadn't realized the taste did seem different—even for BloodDark cuisine. She put down her utensil. "You're right. It's a bit more bitter than usual. Oh, no..."
"What is it?"
"Maybe they put something in it like drugs. How would we know?"
Kate's eyes widened. She shook her head. "No, they wouldn't do such a thing. Why would they? They want me to go home, and they act anxious for you to recover."
"Really?" Olivia looked askance at her friend. "Have you talked with Moreau or any of the other Pure Bloods in charge?"
"Only the one time when I told them you'd fainted. They acted concerned about your health."
"You didn't tell them about Annara, did you?"
Kate frowned. "Who's Annara?"
Did it mean Kate had forgotten what she'd said to her, or she was playing stupid on purpose? Olivia decided to go with the first one and feel her out. "Nobody important." She swallowed some water and did her best to act casual. "I didn't happen to mention any other names in my delirium, did I?"
"None I recall. You were mumbling a bit, so the medic might have heard something, but I can't say for certain."
Olivia clenched her fists in her lap. Something was horribly amiss—But what?
"When will the medic and her assistant come back?" Olivia ventured. "I thought I heard them talking earlier today about how I'd be ready to travel before long."
Kate frowned. "That wasn’t today, Lauren. They were here last week."
"Did you call me Lauren?" A cold shiver of dread tingled down Olivia's spine. Not was all as it appeared. "Kate, I think you're forgetting things."
"Forgetting things? How so?" Kate shook her head and tutted. "I pride myself on my excellent recall of facts as a researcher. Surely I can remember the medic last calling upon you a week ago, and I definitely know your name.”
Olivia's voice rose as panic took hold. "A week ago? Then why haven't you transported back to Earth yet?" The blank stare on the older woman's face rattled Olivia to the core. "Kate, are you and Mahvet still engaged?"
"Of course we are. Why would I come all this way to BloodDark just to..." Frowning, Kate rubbed her temples. "Something isn't right here. Why am I so confused?"
"We've been drugged—or at least you have," Olivia explained.
"It doesn't affect me like it's affecting you, Kate. It could be because my blood chemistry is different now and it won't, but I think someone wants us to lose our recall of what's happened here at the Clan Alpha house."
Olivia attempted to stand, but found her legs weak and uncooperative. She sat down again. "Crud. Maybe the drug is working on me. We've got to leave this place fast, as in right now."
"Where would we go?" Kate's voice went up an octave with fear. "How can we get back to Earth without the clan's help?"
"I have friends who can help us." Olivia tried standing again and made it to her feet this time. She wobbled, then balanced herself with a hand on the cart. "I need to get dressed, and then we both can get out of here."
With Kate's assistance, she found her jeans, a comfortable t-shirt and a denim jacket. No sense pretending to be Lauren dressed in the argyle socks and short skirt. She needed something she could move in.
"Thank goodness I have flats to wear." She scrunched up her nose, considering Kate's proper English librarian-styled attire. "Can you walk fast in those low heels? You sure you didn't bring some jeans or slacks and a pair of sneakers?"
"I do have some walking shoes and trousers in my suitcase." Kate pursed her lips. "Can we take all our things when we leave?"
"No, we'd better not. We can send for them later." Olivia slipped on her jeans under her nightgown and zipped them up. "Right now, it's important we get far away from the negative influences of our hosts."
"Negative influences?"
"Yes, the drugged food and the..." Olivia paused in mid-thought. Why had she been bedridden in the first place? Because I remembered why I'd come to the Clan Alpha house to begin with...and the punishing headaches Moreau caused me to shut down.
"Weird." Olivia touched her temples. "I don't have a headache."
Kate helped her out of her gown and into her t-shirt. "The healer's hot pebble treatment worked well. You're feeling much better, aren't you?"
"I am. Miraculously so. This means something."
"Good. Then you won't get lost on your way to find your friend Annara."
Olivia took a step backward from Kate. "What do you know about Annara?"
Kate blinked and stared back. "I...I don't know anything. You just mentioned she was a friend of yours on BloodDark."
"I mentioned Valori was a friend as well. Why the sudden interest in Annara?" Suspicious, Olivia went to the door and cracked it open. She peeped out into the corridor. "Awfully quiet for meal time at Clan Alpha."
"It is quiet. It's mid-way through the rest period." Kate's manner appeared distant and stiff. She acted like a marionette under the control of an expert puppet-master, but she was resisting as best she could. "We should be leaving now, so the night watch can follow us and not cause any alarm to the new brides."
Olivia gulped. Kate has been drugged, and I've been rewarded with no headaches so I could think clearly enough to lead Moreau and accomplices to my friends on the council.
"Kate, I think you're going to have to sit this one out." She guided her friend over to a chair and sat her down. "You're not feeling well."
"I'm not feeling well," Kate repeated in small voice.
"You ate something which didn't agree with you, so you're going to take a nice long snooze on my comfortable bed after I leave the room. You won't remember this conversation when you awake. Understand?"
"I understand."
Whoa... I've gained some mind-influencing powers along the way here. Or is it the drugs. Mine? Hers? Who knows?
It's partially my powers, came the voice of Valori in her mind, but you are strong, Olivia. Leave now.
Valori! I knew you were nearby. Thank you.
Olivia slipped on her jacket and shoes and crept out the door, making her way down the corridor without a sound or a backward glance.
*****
"I can’t believe you got past those brutish Overseer guards the Alphans have at their front doors." Annara flashed her a big smile. "You sure you didn't have any help, Olivia?"
"I may have had a little," she admitted, "but I don't want to get this person into trouble, so I'd rather not say anything out loud."
Even with the sour expressions some of the council members gave her as they glided in and out of the library chamber, Olivia was still glad to be back in the council hall and away from Moreau. Relaxing in the big overstuffed chair, she curled her legs up under her seat and sighed.
Annara sat down in the chair opposite. Even though she was now working for the council, the dark-eyed former Resistance fighter still wore a brown leather jacket, jean-like pants, boots...and carried a weapons pouch. Olivia had always appreciated that.
Annara glanced about the room and lowered her voice. "Yes, it's better if you don't say too much on the topic. You never know who's listening—or reading your mind—on this planet. Dradix might be able to help us solve the problem."
Dradix? The Deltan reminded her of Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings”, with his long, silver hair. He worked in the Portal control room. Olivia didn't know whether to feel safer knowing the Pure Blood scientist was a loyal and willing employee of the new majority human ruling council, or suspicious because this had never been mentioned before.
Suspicion won out. Olivia leaned forward and leveled a hard stare on her companion.
"Annara, why didn't you tell me before I volunteered for this mission about the mind control possibilities between a pair-bonded human and a Pure Blood?"
Annara pursed her lips. She ran a hand through her short, thick black hair and cleared her throat, looking around the chair to make sure her crossbow and other weapons weren't stowed far from her grasp.
You can take the girl out of the wilderness but you can't take the wilderness out of the girl. Olivia tapped her fingernail against the armrest, her impatience growing by the second. She's definitely hiding something from me.
Olivia sighed. "Out with it."
"Whatever do you mean?" Annara's olive complexion paled as she frowned. "I didn't withhold any information from you, Olivia. We simply don't know what all the Alphans are capable of. There are rumors and legends and—"
"And what? Evidence they're able to manipulate memories and control people through their psychic abilities?" Olivia threw up her hands in disgust. "At the very least, you should have warned me that sort of thing was possible."
Annara shrugged. "I wasn't sure, and I thought it an acceptable risk."
Olivia shook her head. She knew she should keep the disappointment out of her voice, but she couldn't help herself. "I should have been told about every eventuality before I left Earth. Who knows? I may have gone along with it anyway. At the very least, I would have been better prepared."
Annara bowed her head. "Yes, I realize now I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Too late for sorry," Olivia barked. "I've ruined any and all spying missions from now on in the Alpha clan. They have the upper hand. We're no better off knowing what they're up to with a rogue Portal than we were before."
"We are better off—you've given us the names of the Alphans most likely to be breaking the law. It narrows the field of players we need to watch, and the friend who helped you escape is still in the clan house..." Annara's smile didn't quite reach her eyes, suggesting to Olivia that her friend had her doubts. "With her aid, we could yet discover where they've stashed their Portal device."
Olivia frowned. Kate didn't want to play cloak and dagger. She just wanted to marry her egghead professor and settle down to teach history classes. It wasn't fair to put her into further danger. Besides, Kate would be leaving for Earth soon if the Alphans had their way.
"No, you're not putting my new friend at risk. She didn't ask to be a part of this... scheme. Her life shouldn't be placed on the line." Olivia slapped her legs and stood. "It's my life at stake. I said I'd go in as a bloodsucker's mail-order bride and spy, and I'm going to keep my end of the bargain."
Annara blinked and shook her head. "What? You don't mean you're going to walk back into the Clan Alpha House after you’ve just sneaked out of it. Do you?"
"Yes, that's what I mean. It's something they won't expect."
"You're not making any sense. You sure you feel okay?" Annara rose to her feet and felt Olivia's forehead. "You feel a little warm. Why not go and lie down in the council dormitory for a while until you're positive you're still not under the Alphans' control."
You're not under the Alphans' control. Your mind is clear, my dear child.
"My mind is made up—and it's my mind, not theirs, speaking." Olivia smiled, softening her tone as she leaned toward Annara. "I won't be alone. Remember Valori? I will ask her advice on how to deal with the voices in my head. She'll help me."
Annara sighed. "Oh, Olivia... Valori isn't in any condition to help you. She's been recuperating since our kidnapping by Roland Grundfest. No one's seen much of her at all. Last I heard she was still receiving regular transfusions and therapy."
"I think you'd be surprised at how much better Valori is feeling lately."
"You've seen her?"
"Not in the flesh, but I know she's been out and about."
Annara crossed her arms and leaned back. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Will you deny the evidence when it stands before you?" came a familiar voice from behind them.
Olivia and Annara both startled. Olivia laughed and ran to hug the petite, silver-haired figure in the doorway.
"It's so good to see you." Olivia and Valori hugged. "I knew you were doing well when I heard your voice stronger than any of the others."
Annara's eyes narrowed. "Are you certain this is our Valori?"
"What do you mean? I swear, you're a suspicious one, Annara." Olivia turned her focus back to the older woman in front of her. "Of course this is our Valori—the beautiful silver-gray hair pulled back in a bun, the practical black dress which never shows dirt, the comfortable sandals, a gorgeous giant ruby necklace..."
Olivia lost her train of thought. She stared at the striking crimson-red teardrop-shaped stone suspended on a thick silver chain. "Whoa, some rock you got there. Is it a family heirloom, or did you meet someone fabulously wealthy and start dating again?"
Valori smiled as she fingered the shiny pendant. "I wish I'd met someone special and had been given such a gem as a token of affection, but truth be told, it was given to me by Drucinda."
Olivia took a step backward. "Drucinda, the high priestess of Clan Alpha? That Drucinda?"
"Yes. It's to help me focus my mental energies so they can do the most good, and not harm."
"It's why I questioned her identity." Annara came forward and took the gem stone in hand, studying it with a frown. "This gemstone is an emblem of the Pure Blood priest caste of BloodDark." She dropped it with a harrumph and returned to her seat.
"Come on, give her a break. She isn't a priestess working for the Alphans. Are you, Valori?” Olivia crossed her fingers behind her back.
"I will be. As of today, I outrank even Drucinda."
Olivia took another step backward. No, this can't be happening. You can't be telling me this...
"It's already happened, my dear child, and just in time. I've come to do as you wished." Valori held out her hands. "I've come to take you home to Clan Alpha, where you belong."