Read Soulwalker for Free Online

this group.” Tarris felt a tingle along her skin; Rya was also feeling anger at the slur. Corman took a step back and lowered his gaze to the floor. Tarris could make him feel her power when he stood so close to her. He couldn’t defeat her fair and square, so he attacked her psychological weakness.
    “Corman,” the Monitor said, “please stay behind after the meeting.” Tarris knew Corman hadn’t expected to be overheard, but it seemed that he had. Now he would have to grovel.
    “Take your seats, soldiers.” After several moments, the meeting began. “Tarris, report.”
    “Four hits accomplished, Monitor.” It took all her strength to keep her composure. It was foreign to her to tell a lie, and yet here she was doing just that. This was one time where Rule Four didn’t apply.
     
    Rule Four in her Survival Handbook: Lie as little as possible so you won’t get caught later on.
     
    “The Administrator has already released a statement. It seems he has arranged a private disposal of the bodies.”
    Bodies. That sounded so… cold, coming from Derille. Not even “dearly departed” or “his family.” Bodies. Nothing more than immobile flesh and bone. She only hoped when her time came that she was more than just a body to those left behind. Tarris looked around those seated at the table. Maybe not.
    She tried to appear unconcerned about the turn of events, because she knew very well that she was being scrutinized for her reaction. To overcome her anxiety, she glared at her fellow soldiers, turning her passive stance to one of aggression. “What are you looking at?” she growled.
    “Iddy biddy kids, eh, Tarris?” Corman said.
    “Yeah, not even a real quarry.”
    “Silence! It was a special assignment from the Council itself.” Corman was suitably shamed. A special assignment was only for the elite, a class he had not yet reached. Tarris had been blessed by the Council with a rare honor.
    “Sorry, Monitor,” Corman mumbled.
    “She had four targets, and you had but one. You have a lot to learn yet, soldier.” The disembodied voice expressed some anger, something it had not had to do in a long, long time. “Everyone dismissed. Tarris, you will be contacted when the next meeting is.”
    “What about us?” Corman asked
    “What?” The Monitor sounded displeased.
    “What about us… errr, sir,” Corman said.
    “Better. Assignments will be given out tomorrow. Tarris, because of the four kills, will have a while longer to recover. Dismissed.”
    Corman still grumbled as the troopers exited the room. “Who did you have to sleep with to get that job? Must have been someone who didn’t have any expectations, huh?” He chuckled to himself.
    Tarris snapped. She grabbed his shirt and shoved him up against the wall. “You son of a whore! Enough of this, or I’ll let someone else do the talking. You understand me?”
    “I’m not afraid of her.” He sounded unconcerned, but Tarris knew better.
    “Well, you should be.” Tarris let Rya seep to the surface and allowed her menace to ripple along her skin. “Feel that?” she whispered. “This is her nice mood. You don’t want to see her pissed.”
    “Enough!” the Monitor announced forcefully. “Corman, return now. Waite, go home.”
    Tarris left the room, donned her disguise, and exited the building into the light rain. The weather perfectly matched her emotions: angry and depressed. She didn’t take cover as she walked home, and the body suit stiffened. The damp cloth stuck to her, wrapped around the mechanical legs, and slowed her momentum. When would the day end?
     
    *   *   *
     
    To her surprise, the next morning Administrator Derille managed to convince everyone that his family members were indeed dead. It must have been his political experience in bald-face lying that helped him.
    A day later, Tarris received a mysterious package and inside was a small electronic device. That night, she took a call from the Administrator who explained