Shards of Hope (Psy-Changeling 14)

“So you’re going to be the Loooooove Guru?” His dark eyes sparkled.

Narrowing her own eyes, she sat up and pointed at him. “Just for that, you’re coming with me next time.” The first time, she’d go alone, talk to them on a level only Psy who’d been through Silence could understand.

“Hey!” A scowl. “Hawke’s your guy. Ask him.”

“They need to see functioning Psy–non-Psy friendships as well.” Sienna sank back into the sofa. “I’ll ask Evie or Kit, too, as we continue the sessions.”

Riordan shook his head and hooked his arm around her neck. “I must really like you, Sienna Lauren. You do realize that’s time I could be spending with Noelle?”

“Ask her to come along,” Sienna said, wondering if Hawke would agree to host one of the “contact” sessions in SnowDancer territory. She knew the RainFire alpha had already agreed, but, according to Hawke, RainFire had very few juveniles and teens in comparison to SnowDancer.

If the DarkRiver cats came on board as well, along with some of the nonpack human teens her packmates knew through school or other friendships, it could be a true kaleidoscope of the world. Maybe she was thinking too far ahead, but what if she could help make it happen? The teens of today would grow up into adults in a matter of a few years—and those adults would have friendships scattered across the races.

Their world might eventually become a true, functioning triumvirate.

PSYNET BEACON

Rumors are swirling in the Net about Aden Kai and his qualifications as the leader of the Arrow Squad. Sources that appear to be close to the squad have repeatedly stated that Aden is nothing but a low- to mid-level telepath and field medic. There is speculation that he is nothing but a stalking horse for the true leader of the squad.

The Beacon has reached out for confirmation from the squad, but they have maintained their silence, as per their operating protocol.

PSYNET BEACON: LIVE NETSTREAM

It may be a good covert maneuver, but I cannot respect a leader who hides behind weaker members of his group.

Anonymous

(Papeete)

Aden Kai is a skilled fighter, as witnessed by those of us at the infection outbreaks where he was part of the team that protected us. The fact that he may only be a low-Gradient Psy takes nothing away from those skills; leadership isn’t only about power.

G. Smith

(New York)

The squad has never answered to the public and never will, but surely they must understand that this makes them appear weak?

T. Tzak

(Karachi)

This new post-Silence PsyNet is nowhere near as strong as it was under the past regime.

Anonymous

(Fez)

Even if Aden Kai is a shield for the true leader, he does not appear to have the strength associated with the squad. Is it possible that the squad is no longer created of the elite and that, in fact, it is nothing more than a simple black ops team?

J. Jeram

(Grozny)

Chapter 58

ADEN WAS CONSIDERING the Beacon report Vasic had brought to his attention when he received a comm call not from Hawke Snow, but from Lucas Hunter. “Hawke’s going to touch base with you later,” the leopard alpha said. “I wanted to talk to you about this idea of yours.”

Realizing the two alphas must’ve discussed it with one another, Aden said, “What’s DarkRiver’s interest in this?”

Lucas’s green eyes were suddenly not human anymore. “I have a cub who is as much Psy as she is changeling. It’d be nice if she grew up around children of both races.”

It was a motive Aden could believe. “Would you agree to a contact session?” The RainFire pack was small, had a limited number of cubs. Enough for the test ten, but a larger group would overwhelm them. Aden had intended to rotate the Arrow children, though it wasn’t his first choice—such a tactic would interrupt friendships in progress, such as that between Pip and Jojo.

If DarkRiver or SnowDancer agreed to his plan, however, children could be put into different groups that interacted together over a long period. It would create more well-rounded Arrows as well as forging bonds that crisscrossed the country. Aden wanted those bonds for the children under his care, wanted them to witness the different lives they could choose to live.

Being an Arrow didn’t have to equal a sentence of isolation and aloneness.

“Yes, DarkRiver will do it,” Lucas said, the decision one he’d clearly already made. “I’ll speak to Remi to see how RainFire is handling things; I’ll give you a call in the next day or so.”

“Thank you,” Aden said, aware this was a big step for the insular changelings. Lucas had couched it in terms of the benefits to his own child, but Aden knew that the changelings had once again thought of all children—Arrow “cubs” included. It was their weakness and, oddly, their strength.

“Wait.” Lucas frowned as Aden went to end the communication. “You know a Psy family called Liu?”

“The Liu Group is one of the strongest in the Net.” Aden had been in contact with the matriarch a number of times since he took over leadership of the squad. “I can make the introduction if you want to talk business.”

Lucas shook his head, his shoulder-length black hair sliding forward before he tied it roughly back at his nape. “They’ve been fucking with us,” he said bluntly. “Small things, but it’s irritating.”

“An example?”

“We’re currently building new infrastructure for one of our media companies—they bought out the entire supply of a particular necessary component, putting us off schedule by two months.” The leopard alpha scowled. “I’d understand if Liu needed the component, but they have no use for it. Just like they don’t for the microbrewery they just bought out.”