Games Empaths Play Read online

  The woman nodded silently as she quickly checked over Astra. When she seemed satisfied, she went to a nearby green chair and sat. “Yes, I did.”

  “How did you manage to sabotage the equipment?” Noah lifted Astra’s head and sat on the couch, placing her head on his lap. “I mean, we’re all told that the psi equipment is sabotage- proof.”

  “Oh, it is. I didn’t sabotage it at all.” Verona chuckled. “I don’t have to. I’m the creator of the damn thing, and there are fail-safes that allow me into any one of those machines. I wasn’t going to let high talents be taken away from families that love them.”

  “That didn’t stop Giles from abusing his daughter,” Timeon pointed out, taking a seat next to the couch. “Did it?”

  The older woman sighed. “No, it didn’t. But I was here to counteract as much as I could. Unfortunately, there was much Allista never told me in regards to Giles and her true relationship with him.”

  The room seemed to darken with the woman’s presence, as if it reacted to her emotions. She nodded. “This room tunes in to the emotions of the people in it. As the highest-level empath, since Astra is sleeping, it attunes to my needs. Where to start on all of this?”

  “Don’t you think Astra should be hearing this?”

  “No, not yet. She must face her father’s death, and then she can handle the truth. Otherwise, to learn the truth before severing herself from her father’s wishes and thoughts, she’ll blame herself for what was his choice alone.”

  “Was it his choice?” Noah asked, concentrating on finding out whether Verona spoke the truth to him and his brother.

  “Noah!” Timeon growled. “Do you realize who Verona is? Forgive my brother, Trifecta Leader Valinora Crysomark. He didn’t recognize your true self.”

  “Ah, so my disguise is shot to hell. You are much more talented than I imagined, Timeon. How much did you read from my mind?”

  “Not much, just that you were also thinking of the latest policies put into play by your opposites. It gave much away. If you were at full strength, I don’t think that I’d have snagged that thought.”

  Noah looked at his brother, then to the woman, who seemed to shed ten years and her hair lighten to a dirty blonde. “You’re part of the Trifecta rulership? That makes my question doubly important, then. Astra is at risk, and it means you can read my heart, Leader Valinora.”

  “Yes, I can, Noah Helspawn. Sheathe your claws, tiger. I did not kill that idiot. I wish I had, but no, I didn’t.”

  “Was it suicide?”

  “Yes and no. It was suicide, but it wasn’t totally by his choice. Not that he was given much choice unless he wanted to publicly announce that he wasn’t Astra’s full genetic father and that he had paid to keep some of her abilities secret.”

  No one said anything as Astra moaned and turned on her side, her face towards Noah’s hip. Valinora grinned mischievously and said nothing.

  Brother, do you believe her? Noah questioned, watching the woman intently.

  What’s there to doubt? Mom and Dad have the connections, and we’ve met this woman -- well, in her true form -- at least half a dozen times.

  I know, but this is Astra, and I won’t see her harmed by stuff that is none of her doing.

  “Which is why you’re being told this now. You both and she are well suited, and if you both are determined to declare a PGMC with her, you’ll have mine and Sedonia’s blessings.”

  “You would allow the head of House Crysomark to enter into a permanent group marriage contract with us?” Timeon asked, shock colouring his tone.

  “She can marry anyone she wishes. It’s not up to me, but the blessing of the matriarch and that of her blood mother would be good.” She laughed as both men’s mouths gaped open. “I take it you hadn’t realized who her parents truly are yet.”

  Noah shut his jaw, his mind working overtime. It’s not possible! There’s no way that it can be!

  Are you sure, Noah, twin but not twin to Timeon?

  Get out of my mind, Valinora. Trifecta leader or not, this is against the empathic laws that we empaths live by!

  But I’m not just any empath, child. Look at your thoughts again.

  “She’s got two mothers and two fathers,” Noah whispered.

  “Yes. Astra was genetically engineered using Allista’s, Giles’s, Elijah’s, and my genetic codes. We used the best of the best we had. Since you and your brother were already in your mother’s womb, we had to make sure she would come along soon after. Of all of my handiwork, you three are the ones who truly are the reflection of what Peruthians will become one day.”

  “You’re fucking mad,” Noah retorted. “We were conceived the old-fashioned way!”

  Timeon leaned over and put his hand on Noah’s arm. “Actually, we were helped a bit. Remember Dad’s faulty gene in the twenty-second chromosomal sequence?”

  Noah gritted his teeth. “I don’t trust you, Valinora. I know Astra trusts you, but you’re part of the Trifecta that has allowed the House prefects to create some of the most close-minded laws -- supposedly for the benefit of empaths -- in the past twenty years. As an empath, why haven’t you fixed that?”

  A soft voiced answered Noah. “Because she’s one woman, one empath with her counterparts -- one of whom is a mild empath, class-two, and one who is a null.” Astra sat up and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. “I should’ve known you were more than just Mom’s best friend. You always knew of the changes happening before anyone else. Also, Noah, how many empaths get to be head of House and get a say in the prefects?”

  They all stared at her. As she stood up, Noah put an arm protectively around her waist. “I’m here for you,” he whispered with concern.

  “I know. Verona -- or do you prefer Valinora?” Astra asked.

  “Either, Astra. Verona is my family name. Valinora is for the Trifecta.”

  Astra kissed the woman’s cheek. “I knew that you were among the prefects, but hadn’t realized your true status beyond the fact that Mom always told me that you’re important to Peruth.”

  “I hadn’t realized your mom told you anything in regards to me.”

  Astra’s laugh filled Noah’s soul with light. Somehow, she was taking this well, and he was curious as to why. But not yet. It wasn’t time to ask. He slid his hand into hers and squeezed it reassuringly.

  “She told me a lot, actually. Some of it was put under a hypnotic keyword, but I knew about your position because I can put together the puzzle pieces,” Astra teased.

  Timeon stepped and took her other hand. “Can you explain, Astra? I think you’ve lost me and Noah.”

  “Oh. See, I knew Verona had something to do with the government when she helped me develop some of the best devices for empaths -- for relaxation and for focusing their talents. She seemed to always have a hand in what was wanted, what the major issues were for empaths, and Mom always deferred to Verona’s thoughts. In fact, I realize now that Mom was her second in handling the House and business, as well as being an occasional lover.”

  Verona nodded. “Yes, to all of it. I was not in the marriage contract with your father, however.”

  “No, you wouldn’t be. But Mom was in another marriage contract, wasn’t she? It’s one reason she and Father fought.”

  Verona turned away and nodded. “Yes. I wish -- I wish she hadn’t married your father, but I found out too late. I’d been on the other side of the planet, busy with some political business. I came home and went through the roof about it.”

  “The argument that happened before Mom died -- she was to renew her group marriage contract with you and others, wasn’t she? Against the laws that say we can only be in one valid contract and that if there is a child to another contract, that is the one that takes precedence,” Astra said quietly.

  Noah tightened his grip. “We need to get going, Astra.”

  “Wait one moment, Helspawn child.” Valinora stood and took Astra’s hand. “Look at me, Astra. I want you to know this. It’s s
omething you must understand.”

  “What?”

  Their eyes met and held. Valinora smiled. “The child portion of the contract guaranteed that she had to sign the group contract, my dearest child. Go to our business. Go get the note your father left you. I think, then, all will be clear.”

  “As you wish, Trifecta Leader,” Astra whispered.

  “No, I am still and will always be Verona to you. My position in the leadership comes second to my first duty -- to you, Astra.”

  Astra let go of the brothers’ hands and ran into Verona’s arms, hugging her tightly. She cried against Verona’s shoulder as the woman comforted her. Both women wept for the misunderstandings, the rush of information that would cause upheavals, and for something more -- a relationship bound by blood and love.

  When Astra stepped back, she wiped the tears from her face with the palms of her hands. “I’m ready. We need to get to the office before Uncle Stavros has a fit.”

  “I’ve taken care of everything else, Astra. Including the funeral arrangements.”

  “Father wasn’t born a Crysomark, was he?”

  “He was half Crysomark, but also half Polgarde.” Verona’s gaze bored into Astra’s. Both men stood still, not moving as the exchange continued.

  “Ah. Thanks, Verona. You’ll be here when we get home?”

  “The men will be accompanying you.” It was more of a statement than a question, but no one treated it as such.

  Astra nodded. “I need them.”

  “Yes, I’ll be here, and I’ll make sure there’s food enough for three.”

  “Thank you, Verona.”

  The older woman left the three of them alone. Astra stood there, not looking up at Noah or Timeon.

  “Did you mean that?” Timeon asked, cupping Astra’s chin and forcing her gaze to meet his.

  “Mean what?”

  “For us to come home with you?” Noah looked at her, caressing her arm with affection.

  “Yes, I need you. I can’t explain everything; I just know I need you both.”

  “We need you just as much, Astra.” Timeon kissed her.

  “Indeed, we do need you just as much, dearest. Let’s go get this over with, so we can spend more time talking and learning more about each other.” Noah tugged her toward the doorway. “We don’t want to be late.”

  “You’re right, Noah. You both will come back here with me?”

  “You don’t need to ask. The answer is always yes.”

  Chapter Five

  Astra looked around the office and cringed. Though the people in charge of the investigation had done a great job in removing the remains, the swirling emotions still lingered within the room. There were no pictures of the family, no mementos of her or her mother in her father’s office. The walls were a plain grey and the furniture deep ebony. It was a room for a man with a mission, one that Astra wondered about, not the first time, but with a clearer eye.

  Neither brother had left her side once they’d arrived, and she was grateful. The ride over to Crysocorp had truly opened her to the joys of being around them. They distracted her with talk about their childhood, their lives up until the merger, even some of their ideas about how to make both companies merge more easily as well as take things to the next step in production. Timeon showed her how they could make a larger profit in the next quarter without changing anything major, just by increasing affordability in certain areas. She was grateful for the distractions. It helped her to process all that had happened in the living room earlier.

  I don’t quite get all of it. Woke up too late to get all of the information and what it means, but somehow I’m linked to Verona. But I’m missing something. If Father wasn’t my birth father, then who is?

  Her eyes scanned the room, fear clogging her throat as she approached his desk. It had been off-limits to her for as long as she could remember. She hadn’t been able to use her abilities, either. This was one of the few rooms where she had felt her innate talent suppressed, but no longer. “Why can I sense emotions in this room now? I used to be blocked or something.”

  One of the officers answered. “We found an empathic suppressor in a hidden vault behind the Trocia painting above the desk.”

  “Oh.” What else did Father use to keep me in control and unaware of things here at work or even at home? Did I ever know him at all?

  “Even the normal dampeners are turned off until we can catalog the emotions with our police empath, class-six.”

  “That’s fine, Captain.” Astra touched Noah’s arm. “Please, Noah. The letter will be in the top right-hand drawer. I don’t think I can open it. Not without risking myself.” She swallowed harshly as she tried to explain. “Father never let me in here alone. I was never allowed to touch anything.”

  “You fear he booby-trapped his desk in case you opened anything,” he answered, his hand brushing against hers.

  “Yes. The police might’ve disengaged it, but they also might not have. It could be tuned specifically to my brainwaves.” Her thoughts turned to the various appliances that Crysocorp manufactured for protection against empaths, and she wondered if her father had suggested those ideas as a normal protection or specifically against her. Luckily, she knew the fail-safes to all the devices manufactured by the family corporation. “You’ll have to try to key in my thinking, but keep your own alpha waves. We could link, but that would put you at risk -- something I won’t do.”

  “Don’t worry. Remember, we have Timeon to help, Astra.” Noah smiled at her, melting her heart further. What would she have done without these two men? A week ago, she’d had no idea who they were; now, she couldn’t imagine being without them in her life. Something for her to think on later.

  “He could be affected, too, Noah. The stuff my father had is cutting edge, the latest in technology. Granted, the three of us together could circumvent it, but at what cost? Let’s try it this way, without the linking first. He wouldn’t think of anyone besides me knowing the fail-safes for a Crysocorp product.”

  “Good point, dear.” He grasped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “So, we’re going to do the standard empathic coaching while I open the drawer, etcetera?”

  “Yup. I’ll show you how to recognize the coding in the audio emanations.” She smiled at him. “It’s fairly easy; you just have to learn to hear the tone.”

  Timeon interrupted. “There is no tone from those things. I own a couple for our business.”

  “Sure there is. But it’s masked as well. It’s my design; I should know.” She chuckled softly, before sobering. “Let’s get this done. The emotions don’t go anywhere, but they’re angry, upset, and desperate. The longer I’m in here, the worse I’m feeling.”

  “Just be careful, brother,” Timeon cautioned, taking Astra’s other hand. She felt him squeeze, and she returned the sentiment as Noah placed his hand on the handle of the drawer.

  Mentally, she sent Noah the information on how to hum at the right pitch. As he hummed, she squeezed his hand as she felt the hum reverberate back at her shielding, indicating he’d gotten past the first part of the back door. With quiet confidence, knowing exactly how this product worked, Astra empathically sang the five-tone keyword to Noah. When he sang it, a short beep sounded.

  “It should be okay now,” Astra announced.

  Noah opened the drawer and pulled out the envelope, trying to prevent Astra from seeing the blood spatter, though it was too late. She stepped back as Noah slammed the drawer shut. “Here, sweetie. Sit down in one of the chairs. We’re here with you.”

  She allowed them to escort her to a red chair, not her father’s, and sat. The envelope was a plain ivory colour, with his personal wax stamp on it, but there were no emotions on the envelope, which was unusual. Steadying herself, she broke the seal.

  She wasn’t sure who was screaming -- herself or her father, but either way, there was only pain, betrayal, and an all-consuming anger that she’d never felt before. Inhaling through her mouth, she breathed shallow
ly while trying to increase her shielding against the psychic onslaught. “Help!” she cried as she started to slide off the chair toward the floor.

  Timeon grabbed her first and sat her on his lap. His arms wrapped around her while Noah barked orders. “We need a cleanser, now! She’s a class-ten, and her father knew that! Now, dammit!”

  As a policeman rushed to grab the empathic cleanser who could handle the emotions and filter them, Noah took the paper away, scanning the words on the page. “Timeon, keep her safe. I’m going to get this out of here.”

  “Just get it away from Astra,” Timeon grunted as he stroked her hair.

  She looked at Noah. “He hated me. Always. He knew --”

  “Not one word, Astra. I know what he wrote, but I’m blocking myself from the emotions. I’m not as high a class, so my shielding is more effective. Just concentrate on Timeon.”

  She watched Noah stalk out of the room, then turned her attention to Timeon. She looked at his golden hair and thought about how it made him look like Iji incarnate, complete with the compassionate look he was giving her. He placed a finger over her open mouth in a comforting, loving gesture.

  “Shh, don’t talk. Just let me comfort you,” he whispered, his finger lightly tracing her lips as she felt warmth envelop her, separating her from her father’s last emotions. The pounding, palpable emotions were receding, letting her inhale deeply.

  “How could one man --”

  “Shh, not now, Astra. Relax. Get your shielding back up to normal.” He pulled her closer, stroking her hair and back. “Any being is capable of much emotion. You know that. That he hid it from a class-ten empath means he was carrying a suppressor often.”

  “But why? Why around me? What was he so afraid of? Me finding out that he hated me? He basically showed me that with how he treated me. I don’t understand, Timeon. Why hate me so much?”

  “Darling, it’s not just you he hated, but all of the Crysomarks, especially your mother and Verona,” Noah stated from the doorway, the letter dangling from his fingertips. “I’ve had the emotions downgraded to a manageable level, but since they’re embedded, you will feel them while reading it.”