Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) Kathryn Jayne (best sci fi novels of all time txt) 📖

it in time to tell her before her magic awakens. I was worried it was going to be a phone conversation.’

‘You’re going to talk to her about joining us, right after she’s finished studying? Our unit would be unstoppable. Not to mention I heard tell they have rejuvenating abilities. Imagine what linking with a replenisher could do.’ He could feel her excitement in her thoughts. Two medics approached, their reassuring smiles and soft tones instantly putting the two children at ease. They watched in silence as the medics escorted the children into the waiting ambulance, noticing another two vehicles pulling away, no doubt containing the adults who had been discreetly escorted to safety before the attack began. There had been no way to approach the children without being seen.

‘Dad told me her species used to be known for their ability to replenish, purify and empower. Although he also told me he believed they had been hunted into extinction. Ashley could very well be the last of her kind, or there could be more, hiding.’

‘I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep her a secret.’

‘Her mother took care of that. My father was lucky enough to recognise the sealing charm. But when she reaches her birthday, her nature will start to filter through, and being segregated from that part of herself all her life is going to cause complications.’ Alex groaned internally. His father had already secured the Mython base C.O’s blessing to take his sister in when she came of age. They had one of the only training areas that could withstand if she went berserk, which was a very real possibility given how such a large part of who she was had been repressed for so long. His father had ensured the measures were in place, and had even left instructions in case he was on a mission when the time came. As it turned out, his father’s obsessive planning had been a blessing.

‘You’ve got until May, right?”

‘Yeah.’

‘Good, that’s a month or so to figure out how to break the news she’s not only preternatural, but could sell her services to the highest bidder. Did they ever find her mother?’

‘Yeah.’ Alex gave what translated as a mental sigh. ‘Dad’s team found her discarded on some abandoned tracks a few stops away, drained. She was an Elder Witch. Apparently, there are still a few with that bloodline this side of the barrier.’

Elder witches were few in number as the blood coursing through their veins traded fertility for power, leaving them barren. The only reason their line continued at all was because the witch, male or female, was given one opportunity when they turned twenty-eight to create a child. But in doing so, the child took all that made their parent Elder into themselves, leaving its mother or father powerless. The blood for this line was literally passed from parent to child, except, it seemed, in Ashley’s case.

‘Father?’

‘Murdered. That’s why they were fleeing. Her mother had reached out to my father through P.T.F., that’s why he was on site and able to retrieve Ashley so quickly. If whoever got her mother had discovered there was a child, it would have been unthinkable for her. We had no idea what her father was until Dad saw the charm, and the only reason he knew it was because of what we are. In a way, she was already family, albeit very distant.’

‘Well, try and have her come to our side. We could use a power boost.’

‘At the moment, I’m just worried about getting her through this transition. Imagine if your abilities had been suppressed, then all of a sudden you found yourself with a limitless supply of power and no idea how to channel it. I’ve already made arrangements for her to stay with me at the base. We can arrange getting her registered, too.’

‘Why hasn’t she already been?’

‘Because until she knows how to protect herself, registering her will be like painting a target on her back, especially since the Blue Coats are no closer to discovering how the abduction victims’ chips are being disabled. Until that’s resolved, she’ll be in danger, and she’s too young to sign up to P.T.F. until her birthday.’

‘You think she will? What if you tell her what our logo really used to stand for?’ The P.T.F. had been dubbed the Preternatural Task force, but when first their agency began, the initials had actually stood for Pathway To Freedom, because their objective was to ensure everyone could live in safety and freedom. But this secondary name had been the one to stick.

‘I don’t think she has even given it any thought. I know she wants to use what she has, but I don’t think she has any thoughts on how. Besides, this gift she has now, it’s a drop in the pond. I’m hoping if I talk to her about us, she may conclude she can do more good as part of our service. But first, I have to help her come to terms with a secret we’ve kept about her all her life. I don’t think she’ll thank me for that.’

Bindu placed a hand on his shoulder gently and he gave her a smile, opening the passenger’s door to their vehicle.

“Oh no, it’s my turn to drive,” she scolded, plucking the keys from his grasp.

With a slight chuckle, Alex got in the car, prepared to clutch the seat for dear life. Combat and raids he could handle, but he was the worst passenger in the world.

Reuben sat with the crime scene data displayed upon the surface of his office desk, scowling as he rechecked all the information. He swiped a report away, replacing it with another before glancing towards the open fireplace. He watched the flames dance for a moment, bringing with them the cries of the wronged as they begged him to bring them justice.

These voices were one of the reasons they’d had to move to Overton. While they begged an ifrit to bring