Read Waking Dream [Tales of the Citadel 23] for Free Online Page B

her hand in the woman’s head and said, “Can you hear me now?”
    “Wow. As clearly as if you were talking in my ear, but I can see that your lips aren’t moving.” Shesali stared into her eyes, and Wiyra could see her glowing reflection in the wide silvery orbs.
    Wiyra withdrew her hand and returned to her body. Burin squeezed her hand, and she enjoyed the body heat.
    “That is most impressive. How vulnerable is your body when you are out of it?” Shesali took out a data pad and made notes.
    “I am completely vulnerable and appear dead to anyone who doesn’t know what to look for. Oh, and going through travel jumps pulls me apart.” She bit her lip.
    Shesali’s eyes widened, and Burin joined the conversation. “At the moment of active jump, Wiyra gets separated from her body. The astral form remains on one side of the jump and her body is on the other. We were fortunate that she had looked into the location we were jumping to and she had a location to start looking for herself.”
    Burin squeezed her hand. “You can imagine that I was a little distraught when I was suddenly sitting next to a dead body. I put her on a bunk and started running scans. A few moments later, she was awake and breathing again.”
    Wiyra shrugged. “I was very tired and didn’t have a good grip on my body, so I am not sure that it would happen again if I was in a similar situation, though I would be interested in finding a means to keep me from slipping out again.”
    “So, you are asking me for a restraint system?”
    “An interference field that I can trigger or turn off, based in my suit perhaps?” She crossed her legs and smiled.
    “I will have our techs look into it. Are you interested in some hand-to-hand combat training?”
    Wiyra twisted her lips. “I would like some blades. I am fairly good with them.”
    Burin nodded. “She is. She really is. Faster than hell too. I would like to see her get an assessment from Tero.”
    “I can schedule one for this afternoon. Are you going to take her to Hydel?”
    “Yes, that is our stop after this one.”
    “I will send him a note about her vulnerability based on what Healer Twen found yesterday. He is concerned about the hypothermia.”
    Wiyra nodded. “At home, I had a pod with a heating unit as well as life support. If there is no chance of something of that nature being replicated, I will need a suit that can perform some of the functions.”
    She nodded and made another note. “He will discuss it with you when you arrive. Well, thank you Specialist Wiyra. It has been delightful to speak to someone eye to eye. Hiding in the shadows gets old when you have hair this fabulous.” Shesali winked and flicked her hair over her shoulders again.
    “It was a pleasure to meet you, Coordinator Shesali. I look forward to speaking with you again.”
    “Oh, you will. I am about to set up a battery of tests to find all of your strengths and weaknesses. You will know yourself inside and out before we finish, and I will know what you are and are not willing to do.”
    There wasn’t much she wasn’t willing to do, so she nodded and smiled. “By the way, are students here allowed to try manipulating others with psychic talents outside of class?”
    Burin covered his face.
    “No, they are not. If you are referring to that incident in the dining hall, she has been dealt with. Nice shot by the way. I haven’t seen fruit weaponized in a while.” Shesali grinned. “Okay, I have kept you long enough. Go to get yourself fixed up with armoured suits. They make you feel a little less vulnerable on assignment and that can never be a bad thing.”
    Burin got to his feet, and Wiyra kept her hand locked with his, her aura bleeding into his body. She shoved him out the door and released his fingers. “There. That wasn’t too bad.”
    He shook his head. “That is the first time I have seen her face. She normally wears that hood that was hanging behind her. Thanks for that. It was nice to see