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is better than nothing. Remind me to brew some fresh when we return.” He handed her one of the mugs and took a sip from the other.
    She paused to inhale the fragrant steam before trying the beverage. It rolled across her tongue, the taste tangy, yet sweet. “It’s pleasant, but bliss is an exaggeration.”
    He smiled. “Blish. Some argue that the name has been corrupted over time. Still, the name of the drink is blish.” He motioned her toward the bench and pushed a button on the wall. A narrow table slid out, providing a place to set their cups.
    “What is an interdimensional portal?” she prompted him.
    “Were you able to turn others off before you received your implants?”
    “You keep answering my questions with questions. What does my ability have to do with these portals?” She analyzed the input from her scanners as she waited for his response. He appeared to be humanoid, but scans could be deceiving.
    “We call people with unusual abilities Mystics. If their abilities are powerful enough, they are invited to the Conservatory to be trained. Only the strongest Mystics can Summon the Storm, and it is this ability that creates an interdimensional portal.”
    Throughout his explanation, her readings remained consistent. Either he believed what he was saying to be true or … “Are you a cyborg?”
    He laughed. “What makes you ask?”
    “You resist my mental control techniques, and the effectiveness of my weapons is greatly reduced. The pulse I sent into your hand would have dropped most men to their knees.”
    “Well, it’s nice to know you went easy on me. Wait a minute.” He set down his cup and folded his forearms on the tabletop. “You said mental control techniques . Turning people off isn’t your only trick?”
    She was still reluctant to reveal specific information about her abilities. Her training perpetuated mistrust. “Tell me more about these Mystics.”
    “You met their leader,” he said casually.
    A memory stirred, a presence within her mind, powerful, agile — ancient . “Vee.”
    “What do you remember?”
    Faces contorted with pain. Screaming. Terror and awe blasted her with equal intensity. She rubbed her temples as her head began to pound. Even the memory drained her strength and made her tremble.
    “Did I kill him?” she whispered, dreading the answer.
     
    Lyrik wasn’t sure what to tell her. D-159 wouldn’t care if she’d killed or not. Saebin may not have regained control, but she was fighting her way to the surface. “You attacked him, but he’s still alive.”
    She released her breath in a sustained sigh and lifted her gaze to his. “I also remember a creature with red-rimmed eyes. He looked humanoid, but his scans were … something else.”
    “I’m not sure Lord Drakkin would appreciate being called a creature. He’s the Director of the Symposium.”
    “I’m unfamiliar with that term.”
    “The Symposium manages the Wisdom of the Ages. In ancient times they might have been called oracles, though their primary purpose isn’t to predict the future. They collect and validate information from all over the known galaxies. Drakkin’s home world is Bilarri. That’s why his physiology is different from ours.”
    “Did I attack him also?”
    Lyrik hid his smile behind his cup. “You tried, but he was unimpressed with your abilities.”
    Her eyebrows arched, revealing her skepticism. “Lord Drakkin is like you, unaffected by my —”
    “Vee was trained by Drakkin, but even Vee isn’t in the same class as the Bilarrians. Drakkin turned you off as easily as you turn off others.”
    Her eyes focused on his face, but her expression clouded. She wasn’t looking at him so much as aiming her gaze in his direction. He’d heard she had had some sort of implant behind her eyes. Was she scanning him? Scan away, sweetheart. I’ve got nothing to hide.
    “After Drakkin rendered me unconscious, I was put in stasis?”
    “Yes.”
    “And how long was I kept in