Chapter 19 A Psionic Storm
A Psionic Storm
While Molan spoke with Idan, Rina steered Sheba toward the velvet cushions of the circular divan, her gaze fixed on her husband and the newcomer.
‘Mo mentioned Simi’Ren before, but I never thought this day would come,’ Rina whispered in awe.
The other women, Illanna, Issa, Harlow, and Selene, closed ranks, forming a tight perimeter around the two friends.
Selene leaned in to her sister, her eyes gleaming.
‘Spill,’ she demanded. ‘Last I knew, you’d ended things with that freakin’ self-important douchebag, Leon. Now, you march in with a literal legend of an immortal warrior, according to Issa. We demand details.’
Sheba took a deep breath and shot her curious-as-all-hell companions a shaky smile.
‘Leon and I sucked; our long-distance relationship felt doomed from the get-go, plus he was a narcissistic, self-obsessed loser. The final betrayal came when we took a holiday I paid for, where he kissed a random woman and got handsy as a ‘joke’ right in front of me. I broke up with him when he dismissed my feelings as drama. I took the gig in Tansinia to get away and reflect on my lack of boundaries.’
She paused, the memory of the crash flashing in her mind.
‘Except on Day One, my skiff fell out of the sky, and Idan was my knight in burnished leather.’
The women around her gasped as she outlined her descent from the stars, smashing into a beach, her rescue, and the ongoing simmering attraction to Idan.
She also dove into the subsequent strike at the clinic by Ty Si’Rhix. Also, how Idan took her into his sanctuary, their first kiss, and sleeping in a single bed in a hut nestled among the mountain peaks.
Her sister and friends oohed and aahed at each dramatic juncture, in between peals of laughter at Sheba’s accounts of life on a farm.
‘You, with your devotion to perfect nails, heels, and hair, must have been losing your damn mind in the rugged outdoors.’
Sheba’s face softened. ‘For a hot minute until I didn’t. With Idan, I feel so desired that I never miss my beauty regimen. I went au naturale, ladies, and I loved it.’
‘Bet you did. Oh my heart be still,’ Selene sighed. ‘I freakin’ adore a wild romance.’
‘It happened so fast, though,’ Sheba mused. ‘It’s accelerated in such a short time and gone way beyond my control. Is it a mistake to be moving on this quickly? I need your advice.’
Harlow laughed. ‘Nada, it’s never ‘too fast’ if you have a passionate tether to a good man, and zero romantic feelings for your ex. You’re good, have fun!’
Illanna nodded in agreement. ‘Go for it. You didn’t invest years with Leon, so you’re fine to live the rest of your life happy.’
Issa shrugged, her expression a study in pragmatism. ‘Rules are cages. You do you.’
Rina added a wink, as her eyes flicked to Idan’s massive frame on the other end of the terrace.
‘Get your groove on, woman. But remember, you are exploring if this relationship works for you and the other person. That takes time, either to get to know a soul or to decide to move on. What’s he like, though?
He comes across as the most terrifying Sacran I have met, apart from my man, of course. ’
‘He commanded a secret squad of mercenaries, the Nihil-Stalkers,’ Sheba shared, her chest tightening with fierce, possessive pride.
‘But he’s also just so unbelievably kind and understanding.
He always gets where I’m coming from, and he spent a hella lot of time calming me down after the assault on the clinic.
I know I’m not always perfect, but he forgives me when I mess up and gives me a chance to improve into a better person and partner every single day.
Regardless, this man is a dream come true, and I cannot believe he’s mine. ’
‘How’s the sex, little sis?’ Selene asked with a laugh and a cheeky arched brow.
Heat flooded Sheba’s cheeks, her teeth catching her lower lip.
‘He is a masterpiece of sensuality,’ she admitted.
‘It’s not just a physical act; he worships my heart, not just my body.
He whispers Sacran prose and poetry in my ear when we make love.
Our bodies are so aligned, it’s as if we’re made for each other, and,’ she whispered, dipping to a whisper, ‘his cock, kill me now.’
Her friends convulsed in laughter as she went on.
‘We’re having the most transcendent sex of my life. I walk around with a goofy expression just thinking about him. He carries his own insecurities, but I view those flaws as a beautiful part of him. I adore every cell, each atom of his existence.’
‘Is that all?’ Harlow offered with a cheeky wink.
‘Naam, in the interests of not boring you. Just know, we’re on some ‘soulmate-level’ frequency I didn’t think existed outside of books. He’s my biggest support and my safest harbor. I cannot want for anything more.’
Sheba leaned back, the confession leaving her breathless.
Rina chuckled at her best friend’s blushing face.
‘Girl, if I weren’t so obsessed with my own man right now, I’d be screaming with jealousy. This is peak romance, honey. Lock him down; he’s a rare find!’
As her friends chatted among themselves, Sheba’s gaze locked onto her lover across the terrace.
He was speaking with Kainan; she assumed the Khan was giving him the once-over.
When the Rider’s leader shook hands with Idan and clapped him on his back, Sheba sighed with relief.
She had to admit she’d been nervous about those two meeting, given their shared unhinged alpha energy and scorching brand of menacing dominance.
A few minutes later, Kainan stepped away, and Idan’s gaze tracked to her.
He gave her a chin-raise, and she rose, going to him.
He intercepted her mid-stride, steering her toward the quiet sanctuary of a stone alcove on the far end of the terrace.
His hand slid to the small of her back, pulling her flush against the heat of his chest.
Under the arch, the city’s frantic energy faded into a muffled hum.
‘Got the all clear from the bosskhan?’
Idan inclined his head. ‘Seems I pass muster. We think alike, Kainan and I.’
‘I can believe that. What about the talk with Mo,’ Sheba murmured, her fingers tracing the glowing, intricate sigils along his forearm. ‘How did it go?’
‘It was productive,’ he growled. ‘He’s a soldier of honor with a warrior spirit I can respect. We’re on the same page. We’ll map out the tactical variables together, then pitch a strategy to the Riders. We need a united front if we’re going to take on Sulfiqar.’
‘What do you think of the Riders then?’ Sheba asked.
Idan’s gaze shifted to the men gathered by the grill, his internal sensors gauging their threat level.
‘They’re elite operators, soldiers who’ve seen the worst of the world and came out the other side. There’s a ruthlessness to them, but I sense a strong core of loyalty and honor. I’d trust any of them at my six in a firefight.’
A ghost of a smirk tugged at his mouth as he turned to her, arching a brow. ‘And the women? I assume the conversation revolved around me and my ‘sexy bits’?’
Sheba let out a soft laugh. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know, Commander?’
‘I’ll get it out of you later, Nurse Munene,’ Idan rasped.
He leaned down, pressing a lingering, tender kiss to her mouth.
‘Sante, salkia, for standing with me now and through the coming fire,’ he murmured into her skin.
Sheba fisted her hands in his shirt, pulling him in as her lips grazed the rough line of his jaw.
‘Always.’
When they returned to the group, the atmosphere was a symphony of chaos, food prep, and friendly grumbles as hunger took over.
The Riders moved, dragging three heavy timber tables together under the velvet sky.
They set the joined surface with plates, glassware, and cutlery, the mood light and frothy, interlaced with jokes and laughter.
Above them, Alphetraz cast a fractured radiance over the sprawling lights of Eden II.
As they sat, the feast began, glasses topped up and serveware packed with a spread of deliciousness.
Platters of lamb seared to a perfect char, with roasted garlic and sprigs of bruised rosemary, sat beside vibrant salads tossed with citrus zest and jeweled pomegranate seeds.
It was all served alongside crusty, hearth-baked bread still warm enough to melt the herb-infused butter.
In time, Idan relaxed, the food, the obvious love, and the warmth of Sheba’s menagerie grounding him and taking his edge off.
With Sheba at his side, he ate and savored the meal as he studied the Riders.
He noted the all the couples’ intimacies, their casual touches, the way they leaned into one another without thought or pretension.
The laughter, teasing, the closeness, and affinity from doing life together were all evidence of the healthy connections between all of them.
He exhaled, concluding they were exactly the sort of tribe he had long dreamed of being a part of, deep down in the depths of his heart.
Settling a muscled arm around Sheba’s shoulders, he tucked her into the hollow of his chest.
He breathed in the floral scent of her hair, his thumb stroking the soft skin of her upper arm.
For the first time in an epoch defined by blood, betrayal, and hiding in the shadows, he was home with kin and family.
The feast ended with a tray of honey-soaked pastries and dark chocolate, served with rich, creamy kahawa.
Without warning, a violent psionic tremor fractured the atmosphere.
At first, only Idan sensed the psychic plane and dimension around them shift into a new verisimilitude.
One where the sky didn’t just darken; it shattered.
High above the glittering terrace, the twin celestial bodies stalled in their orbits, their pearlescent glow curdling into a bruised, static violet.
Silence descended, absolute and suffocating.
A chilling stasis gripped the table.
Kainan froze, suspended mid-laugh, a crystal glass hovering inches from his lips, while the rest of the Riders and their partners followed suit.
However, three people appeared unaffected by the time-space rift.
Idan knifed up in his seat, as did Molan and Zane, who retained control of their limbs.