The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 7.2

Sabrina was deeply asleep when Ford entered her room, exhausted from the rush of terror Vertorix had provoked. Her shoes were still on, he noted with a fond sadness, and her face was pressed into the pillow as if she could block out her fears with it. Careful not to wake her, he sat beside her on the mattress and gently stroked her soft blonde hair.

"She is pretty, this person you've created," he murmured. The fact that Kesta could maintain this image despite her limited crystal sensitivity was proof enough of how strong the delusion was, he knew. She must be drawing on their bond somehow, using his own knowledge and ability to keep the disguise in place. "And strong and courageous. I see why she beguiles you. But all these things are in you—the true self you are struggling against." He let out a long sigh. "I break my promise to you only for your welfare, my Kesta. When I have erased this Sabrina from your mind, you will be at ease again. And we will begin our new life."

With a deep breath, he slipped into her sleeping mind, sinking deeply inside, suppressing her natural urge to awaken at the intrusion.

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Sabrina looked around the suite of rooms she'd been assigned in Lthos' capitol, a vast metroplex that somehow managed not to be claustrophobic. She couldn't help wondering if there was some ulterior motive for assigning her to this mission, if Mara and Rassir had something cooking back home and wanted her out of the way. In this new Praxatillus, she was no longer a vital force, but merely a useful tool, she thought in her darker moments. Still, it was true that her welcome here had justified Mara's observation that she had many admirers on Lthos, and she was glad to have the chance to visit. Haaron and Ellina had lived here a good part of their married life, fulfilling an assignment she had given them.

But she was out of practice, a century out of touch, and her diplomatic skills had only ever been used on Praxatillus, mostly in its defense. There was nothing desperate here, nothing that needed saving. It was simply a friendly courtesy call for a planetary festival that Mara, heavily pregnant, could not attend. Still, maybe it was a mercy they'd given her something simple to ease back into things. She had to do something with her life, right? The diplomatic service was a logical choice. Yet, as much as she felt hemmed in on Praxatillus, homesickness was already setting in. The feeling of freedom she'd anticipated had not come.

She glanced at the timepiece on the wall, took a moment to remember Lthosyenne time units, and realized that it was time she got dressed for the first of many appearances. She had a whole new wardrobe for this assignment, and it made her feel like she was playing dress-up. That was a feeling she associated with the Regency, so it didn't bolster her spirits.

The door chime startled her, and she got to her feet before calling, "Come in."

Ford breezed in, already in full princely costume, grinning madly at her. "Look at you! You're going to be late. Is that any way for the Queen's representative to act? Come on, hurry! You'll make them think I've been a bad influence on you. And even though it's true, there's no need to advertise it!"

Her shocked gaping turned into a burst of laughter. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be—"

"I'm supposed to be dancing attendance on a series of boring diplomats at home like a good little princeling, yes, I know. Then I thought, 'Poor little Sabrina, she must be bored out of her mind on Lthos, no trouble to get into for parsecs.' So I thought we might as well be bored together. Come on, get dressed! And don't clash with me, or they won't let us sit together!"

She grinned back at him. "I left my polka dots at home."

"Where someone promptly burned them, I hope. Don't just stand there, Sabrina!"