Chapter Four - word count 2090 - Download PDF
  4.
      “That’s strange.” Selphie turned her head and peered at Sorcha as if she saw something unusual.
      “Beg your pardon?”  Sorcha asked the nymph.  They had be introduced only moments before.  Gabriel asked the compound manager to assign both women a room when Sorcha had insisted they must stay so they could keep up with the investigation’s progress.  
      “I think I’m going to put you in Kyle’s old room.” Selphie told the Psy.  “This really is unusual, my l-dar is never wrong, but I don’t see how this could be.”  Selphie muttered as she led the way up-stairs.  
      She stopped at a door.  “Raven this is your room.”  She smiled.  “This is the guest section of the compound, please make yourself comfortable.”  
      “Thank you.” Raven was still sulking so the words were muffled as she marched into her room.  
      She’s probably going to contact her father as soon as the door is closed.  The thought made Sorcha lips curve in a small smile.  At least the Mythos of this compound weren’t falling for Raven’s bull.
      “Follow me Sorcha, I’ll show you your room.”  
      “Am I not staying in the guest section?” Sorcha asked when Selphie moved into a different part of the compound.  
      “No, I think you’ll be happier in this room.”  Selphie opened the door and led the way through the doorway.
      Sorcha felt the warmth immediately.  It felt like she’d stepped into her own apartment in Haven.  Like coming home.  She frowned, she’d never been here before, why should it feel so comfortable?  
      “This is Kyle’s old room, so you’ll find his stuff scattered around it, I don’t think anyone ever packed his thing away.  My staff does clean in here regularly so it’s clean.  Just move whatever you need to move.  No one will mind.” Selphie explained.  
      “Um, wait, why would you put me in someone else’s room?”
      “Kyle’s room – he doesn’t need it Sorcha.” Selphie looked sad. “He died fifty years ago, it was a horrible tragedy, as to why – I’m not sure, it’s just a feeling I have.  This has to be your room.”  
      “Oh-Kay…” Sorcha drew the word out, confused by Selphie’s weirdness, but she wasn’t going to argue, she liked the room and she wanted to stay in it.  
      “Come, I’ll show you where we all relax.  Maybe you can discuss some more case ideas with the Omega, they can usually be found in that room.”  
      Sorcha dropped her bag on the bed and followed Selphie out the door.  
      Selphie led her down the corridor and up another flight of stairs.  They reached the door of a large room that looked like a comfortable living room.  
      “This is the rec-room.  Make yourself comfortable, there’s the stereo, and the plasma with the spare Playstation, Gabriel is always hogging the one downstairs.  It’s empty right now but it won’t stay that way long.”  Selphie smiled.  “If you need anything at all, please feel free to ask.  I can usually be found in the compound’s main kitchen, but I must rush now I’ve got a cake in the oven.”  
      “Thank you Selphie.”  Sorcha smiled as the other woman left.  
      She walked over to the picture windows that looked out over the back-grounds of the compound and admired the scenery.  It really was a very beautiful place.  
      Haven was lovely in its own way, but it was built inside a mountain, not exactly the most beautiful scenery.  A lot of Psy tended to be agoraphobic because they were raised inside the Psy made caves, Sorcha had never been one of them, if there was anything about Haven she didn’t like, it was the closed in nature of the place.  She wanted open air and a breeze; she wanted to feel the sun on her skin and the grass under her feet.  She didn’t want to be inside all the time.  As a child, Sorcha would often get into trouble with her parents for sneaking out of the mountain to go and play in the valley, but no mater how many ingenious punishments or lock systems they worked out, Sorcha always found her way out again.  
      Sorcha felt something brush against her upper thigh, she looked down and froze.  There was a huge leopard rubbing against her.  She felt the first stirrings of panic then laughed at herself.
      “You’re someone’s sentin aren’t you big boy?”  She spoke softly to the leopard and rubbed his head gently.  A loud answering purr told Sorcha that the sentin appreciated the attention.  
      “It’s a pity my telepathy won’t work, else we could have a chat.  If I remember right only your Du’call can speak to you, but that’s ok I’ll just talk and you can listen.”  She carried on rubbing the cat’s ears as she spoke softly.  
      “I’ve never met a sentin before, but I bet you are a gorgeous one.”  She smiled as the sentin’s purr deepened.  Sorcha had always loved animals; she’d often wished the Psy could also have an animal sentinel like the Du’call Lycos did.  
      The cat wove around her legs as her hand trailed down his back.  
      “Khaish?” A deep voice sounded behind Sorcha and she jumped taking her hand off the sentin.  It was Marcus, one of the Omegas she’d met earlier, the one with long black hair and amazing yellow gold eyes, like a cats eyes.  
      “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I could have sworn I just saw a sentin.”  
      “You did, there is a sentin right near me.”
      “You mean Khaish is still here?”  He asked he sounded amazed.  
      “I don’t know his name, but there is a sentin.”  She reached down and touched the cat on the head again.  
      Marcus’s eyes widened as he moved across the room in four long strides to stand right by the cat.  
      “It is Khaish!”  
      “You sound shocked?”  Sorcha carried on rubbing the cat’s head.  
      Marcus dropped to his haunches and reached out to touch the sentin.  “Khaish is Kyle’s sentin.”  Marcus touched the sentin and smiled.  “Hello Khaish, long time no see, why are you hanging around?”
      “Kyle - as in - the guy that died fifty years ago?”
      Marcus’s eyes snapped up.  “Someone told you about that?”  
      “Yeah, Selphie put me in his old room, so she explained it to me.”  
      “Selph put you in Kyle’s room?”  
      “Is there an echo in here?” Sorcha asked laughing.  Marcus couldn’t help but join her.  
      He sobered.  “I need to call Seth.”  He didn’t say any more, but Sorcha felt the hairs on her arms stand up when a low growl came from the man.  
      He smiled up at her.  “Lycos communication.”
      He continued to rub the sentin.  Still looking amazed that he was touching the cat.  
      Seth came running into the room at one hell of a speed, startling Sorcha so she took her hand of the sentin again.  
      “What’s wrong Marcus, you said it’s an emergency.”  
      “Look its Khaish!”  Marcus turned back and the cat was gone.  
      “Where is he?” Marcus asked Sorcha, looking amazed.  
      “Khaish, what? Have you lost it Marcus?”  Seth asked, coming to stand next to the other Lycos.  
      Marcus didn’t answer Seth.  He looked up at Sorcha instead and raised a brow.
      “He’s still here.”  Sorcha reached down and touched the cat again.  
      Seth’s eyes widened as his skin palled, he went to his haunches to look at the sentin that had just appeared out of thin air in front of him.  
      “I’ll be…  My god, it is Khaish.”  He stammered.  
      “Touch him, he is real.”  Marcus suggested.
      Seth raised a trembling hand and touched the sentin, the purring immediately intensified.  
      “I don’t understand.”  He murmured.
      “Neither do I, but when Sorcha takes her hand off Khaish he just disappears.”  
      Seth raised his eyes to the Psy.  
      “Stop touching Khaish, lets see what happens.”  
      She nodded and lifted her hand off the cat’s head.  
      Marcus had been rubbing the cat and nearly fell on his face.  Khaish just vanished from sight.  
      “Has he moved?”  Marcus asked her.
      “No he is standing exactly where he was.”
      “And you can see him?”  Seth asked Sorcha.  
      “Yeah, I can see him perfectly.”  
      “Wow Sorcha, you really are a Walker.”  Marcus breathed the words.
      “What?”  It hadn’t even occurred to her that it might be her Walker powers allowing her to see the sentin.  
      “When Kyle died.” Seth started, but stopped to clear his throat before caring on. “Khaish didn’t stay, he chose to leave with his Du’call.  He just faded out and never came back.  Khaish is in spirit form.  That you can see him, let alone make him visible and physical means that you’re not just a Walker, you are the most powerful Walker I’ve ever heard of.”  
      “Probably the most powerful to ever exist.”  Marcus spoke with reverence.  
      Sorcha felt the need to sit down herself.  She’d stopped believing the stupid prediction about her abilities a long time ago.  He Walker powers should have manifest when she hit puberty, but there had been no sign of them.  The prediction about her being a powerful Walker was well known to all of Haven.  So she’d picked up a lot of mockery about her lack when the powers didn’t appear.  Now, BAM they suddenly had.  Sorcha didn’t know what to think.  
      
      Selphie walked into the room, followed by Raven.  
      “What’s going on here?”  Raven asked in a snide tone.  
      “Sorcha…”  Seth started but Sorcha quickly interrupted him.
      “Nothing, where you looking for me Raven?”
      “Yes,” the other Psy twisted her lips.  “I’ve been called back to Haven.”  
      Sorcha wanted to snort.  More like she’d decided she didn’t like it here and begged daddy to let her come home, but Sorcha would never be mean enough to say something like that in front of the others.  
      “Oh?”  
      “Yes, my father has contacted me and insisted that I return immediately.  Apparently there is counsel business they cannot complete without me.  And of course Martin misses me terribly.”  The last was said with such nasty glee that it even took Selphie, Seth and Marcus back.  
      Sorcha blushed, cursing herself for letting her cheeks heat, the others couldn’t possible know about Martin and what Sorcha had felt for him.  
      “Well thank you for telling me Raven, you can go teleport now.  I’ll be fine here.  Please tell Netta I will contact her soon.”  
      “Tell her yourself.”  Raven spun and walked out the room.  
      No sooner had she left than Mr. Hot walked in.  Sorcha almost smiled, the man still hadn’t put a shirt on but just seeing him made her feel a bit better.  
      “What’s wrong, I could feel that you are upset?”  He asked.  
      How the hell could he feel she was upset, she was about to ask when Seth stood up.  
      “Good riddance, that Raven was nothing but trouble looking for a place to happen.  I need to go see Gabriel.  He needs to know about all this.”  
      “About all what?”  Mr. Hot asked, but Seth ignored him and walked right past him.
      “Don’t tell me then doofus.  I’ll just follow and eavesdrop.”  
      That comment made Sorcha burst out laughing.  Kyle stopped and looked at her.  
      “No, you couldn’t have heard that.” He was about to say more when a weird pulse when through the room.  Sorcha cursed.  “That stupid woman.”  She ran for the door.  
      Raven had tried to teleport with out focusing properly, and Sorcha was willing to bet Raven was lying curled in a ball in excruciating pain.  She got to the room Raven had been assigned and ran in without bothering to knock.  Sure enough Raven was curled in a fetal position gritting her teeth and moaning.  
      “Get out!” she hissed through clenched teeth when she saw Sorcha.  
      “Oh shut-up.  I’m here to help you.” Sorcha answered going to kneel next to the other Psy.  
      Raven moaned again when she noticed that the others had followed Sorcha.  
      “Just hurry up okay.”  She spat at Sorcha.  
      Ungrateful bitch.   Sorcha though, but kept her mouth shut and reached out to touch Raven’s temple.  She pored energy into the Raven then helped the woman focus on where she was going.  The room breathed with a soft pulse as Raven disappeared.  Sorcha sat back on her heals taking a deep breath, that kind of energy share could be very draining.  
      She was glad her back was to the others when Mr. Hot made his comment.
      “Pretty impressive – powerful and gorgeous.”  
      That made Sorcha warm all over, as a smile played on her lips.
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