Power Cores

“Well?” Eric stepped up to Talon as he stood watching the women walk away. “What do you think?”

“I think that this is some sort of joke. There is no way that tiny mouse of a person will ever become my partner. There have to be others out there.”

Eric smiled at Talon, noting his discomfort.

Talon was a loner by nature, but his days of being alone were about to come to an end, and he knew he could not run from it.

“Do not judge her yet. You never know what is inside a wrapped package. It could be a pie or it could be a firecracker. Give her a chance. Ciao.” Eric waved as he headed to the library to do research, leaving Talon alone with his thoughts.

Talon watched the ladies disappear.

~Firecracker?~ He let out a snort. ~Yeah, right. What a joke.~ He turned on his heel and headed for the training facility.

He did not need a partner. Did not want a partner.

He was fine on his own. Had always been fine on his own.

The only person you could trust in this world was yourself. Others betrayed your trust.

They used you for their gain and then discarded you or attempted to destroy you the moment you no longer wished to be used.

That girl, Wren, would just be another person in a long line of people that Talon would teach to stay out of his way.

So why did he have an uneasy feeling develop in the pit of his stomach?

***

“May I ask how many people have this mutation?” Wren sipped her tea, absorbing all the information being given to her.

“It seems that this is quite a rare mutation.” Lily noted that her questions were not about herself and her future.

Wren wanted more information about the core and power. ~Interesting. It seems she has accepted that her world has changed.~

“So far, only eleven people are known to have it. Therefore, we are well protected and taken care of.” Lily let out another of her tinkling laughs. “We are ~VERY~ well compensated for what we are put through.”

“May I ask another question?”

“You can ask anything you want,” Lily replied. “I may not answer, but you can ask.”

Wren smiled at that, taking another sip before asking her next question.

“You keep speaking about partners. Could you explain a bit more?”

Lily paused. “I think it would be best if I let the director explain more about your partner and the bonding process that will go with it. It would be best to learn from him as you start the process with your partner.”

“And you are sure this Talon person will be my partner?” Wren asked.

“Nothing is certain, but we all would be surprised if you are not,” Lily said, giving Wren a smile that was a bit sad.

“It is not often a person is found with a power core, and to be the most effective, a partner is needed.”

“Excuse me? What?”

“Your power core,” Lily said. She already liked Wren.

Wren’s mind was quick and sharp. She was going to be a good match for Talon.

She was going to have to be if she wanted to survive.

Lily switched gears. “Let me explain more about the core. The director is much better at explaining how partnering works.”

“Your power core is located somewhere in your body. You, and most likely your partner, will be the only ones to know where it is. As long as your power core is intact, you can be revived and repaired.”

“Revived? Repaired?” ~That sounds ominous.~

“Yes. We can do minor repairs to our bodies through our powers if the core is not destroyed. Meaning, you will survive almost anything.”

“Like immortality?” Wren was not sure that was something she wanted to have.

“Yes and no. If the damage has been inflicted by a Being, it can be repaired as long as the core stays intact. If a human attacks you…” Lily did not need to explain further.

“For you to be completely killed, your core must be destroyed, so guard it well,” Lily explained.

“Where is mine?” Wren asked, curious about it.

“I do not know.” Lily’s response was swift. “You will find that out soon enough.”

Lily turned to the next order of business. This conversation was dragging on, and she saw Wren was starting to fade. She just wanted to impart one more bit of information, and then she would let Wren rest.

“Now. The other thing you need to know is that you will have different powers when you are using your power core with your partner than when you are alone… The stronger your bond with your partner is, the stronger and more varied your powers will be. Hence, one reason why we work in pairs.”

Lily patted Wren’s hand, sensing uncertainty coming from her. The girl was scared but was handling everything that Lily threw at her with poise and grace.

She was strong and resilient.

Wren instinctively pulled her hand away from Lily’s touch. She did not care to be touched by others.

Wren absentmindedly rubbed the spot Lily had touched, rubbing the prickly stinging away. ~Lily is not a threat. Lily is not a threat.~ Wren chanted the mantra to herself a few times, her body releasing the tension created at Lily’s touch.

Lily tried not to frown at Wren’s reaction.

“Trust me, being bonded is better than being alone. No matter what kind of bond you end up with.”

“How does the bonding process work?” Wren asked. “You keep referring to it.”

She needed to know what to expect.

Wren was not one to sit in fear for long. She was starting over, and if she needed to be bonded, then she wanted to know what to expect.

She would not let anyone else control her again.

Lily smiled. Wren was a sharp one and had good questions.

“Not until you meet up with the director. Too much information, too soon, will only confuse you more.”

Wren nodded her agreement.

***

Talon stood up and wiped the bead of sweat off his forehead, a tingling sensation running up his spine.

~What the hell?~ he thought. ~What is that all about?~

Wren’s piercing gaze flashed across his mind. He shook it away.

She would not be the one to get to him. Screw that.

“You good there?” Eric’s voice interrupted his thoughts from where he stood over the quickly rotting corpse of a Level II Being.

The compound was rarely attacked, but occasionally one or two would get through the outer defenses.

“Fine,” Talon growled as he slid his blades back into the hidden sheaths, heading toward the training center.

“I could have gotten both of them,” he commented, not bothering to look Eric’s way.

“You are welcome,” Eric shot back. “Glad I am so needed.”

Eric watched Talon leave, letting out a sigh.

Things were changing for Talon, and Talon did not do “change” well.

They were all in for a bumpy ride.

He glanced at the small pile of black ash at his feet. He stared at it until the wind blew away every trace that something had perished there.

“What a world we live in,” he mused as he headed for the mansion and his wife.

***

“What is your and Eric’s bond? May I ask?” Wren changed the direction of the conversation.

Lily patted her hand like you would a small child. Wren once more pulled away from her touch.

“Not tonight. It will be fun to see where you and Talon fall.”

“We do not have a choice?”

Lily shook her head. “I am afraid not. It is all preordained, or at least that is what the director says. An ability that is unique to him. Seeing bits of the future,” she explained.

“I see.”

Lily took Wren’s hands into her own, refusing to release them when Wren tried to pull away from her touch once more.

“I am so glad that you have come,” Lily said, looking directly into Wren’s eyes as she spoke. She hoped to convey how much Wren’s coming meant to all of them. “Talon has been alone for so long and needs someone to love and be loved by.”

“How do you know that it will be that way?” Wren asked as she was finally, gently, able to withdraw her hands from Lily’s tight grasp.

It seemed that Lily was not dissuaded by her earlier withdrawals. Wren just hoped that Lily would not make this a habit.

“Because he has only known sorrow. I can only believe that he is overdue for something good in his life.”

Wren suddenly had to stifle a yawn. The past couple of days had finally caught up with her, and although she was still confused, she was no longer scared.

“Oh, silly me,” Lily exclaimed, standing. “You must be exhausted. I will let you rest. Please, take a hot shower and a nap. Do you remember where Mr. Lee told you the kitchen was?”

She continued when Wren nodded. “Dinner will be at six thirty. Rest until then. There will be plenty of time to continue our discussion after you meet everyone.”

Wren watched her go, shaking her head at the retreating figure. She did not know what to make of her, but she liked her and hoped they would get along well in the future.

As long as she did not make it a habit of touching her.

Wren headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before climbing into the big four-poster bed waiting for her.

She had not slept well for the past few days, and she was tired. She did not bother to turn on the lights before sinking onto the soft mattress.

In a matter of moments, her soft snores filled the room.