 
### Table of Contents

Description

Title Page

Dedication

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Author Biography

End Credits
OUR HEARTS

THE SEER TRILOGY - BOOK ONE

L.J. Fleming

Owen Melonach, a respected Seer, has been injured in a severe accident. When he recovers, his memory from the last ten years has gone. How will he survive without the ability to remember?

Enter Viera Ethesreld, a member of a waning Representative Corps and former queen of her planet. She has known Owen since he valiantly helped to rescue her and save her home world from the ravages of civil war. Now she has been tasked with the assignment of rekindling her friendship with the Seer and watching over him as he recovers.

As the galaxy crumbles around them, Viera and Owen secret themselves away on her home world, but Andor, Owen's former student, comes to claim Viera as his prize and threatens to tear everyone's lives apart.
OUR HEARTS

THE SEER TRILOGY - BOOK ONE

L.J. FLEMING

WWW.LUMINOSITYPUBLISHING.COM
Dedication

To the love of my life, Duane, who has been with me on this extraordinary journey we call life. Without you, I would never know the passion of true love and the friendship of last loving.
**LUMINOSITY PUBLISHING LLP**

OUR HEARTS

THE SEER TRILOGY - BOOK ONE

Copyright © October 2015 L.J. Fleming

ISBN: 978-1-910899-30-4

Cover Art by Poppy Designs

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this literary work may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Chapter One

"Another Seer." Mentor Michael sighed as he put down the report he was reading. He pushed it across the desk in disgust. The civil war was taking a huge toll on the Seers. Both students and mentors fought on campaign after campaign in support of the Established Representative Corps army. Many of them were permanently separated by death now, ripped from each other's sides. It was a tragic time for Seers as their numbers dwindled and new ones were not found and trained.

Being a Seer was a terrible title now, Michael knew. Now one of the most respected of the Seers lay injured. Owen Melonach was in the medical wing of the Seer's complex. If _he_ came back injured; then other less skilled Seers were in trouble. The whole race of Seers could be in the last spasms of death.

"Get me Mentor Perin's private channel," Michael said pressing the button for the internal intercom system. The channel buzzed and then Perin's calm voice was on the other end.

"You've seen the report?" Perin asked without preamble. He was always frank and to the point.

"Yes."

"I think we should see what kind of condition he is in."

"I'll meet you in the medical wing."

* * * *

Andor had never liked the medical wing of the Seer complex. It was too sterile and brought back memories of all the times he had hurt himself in the past. The walls were too white and the air smelled of antiseptic. The situation was urgent because Andor's former Mentor lay inside one of the rooms. From what little information they gave Andor, his condition was severe,

Somehow, Andor knew this was already his fault. He was always at fault when it came to Owen. There was never a gray area in the eyes of the Seer leaders. He was always the one who got blamed and that was final.

"Andor," a tall woman said from the door to the room where Owen laid just out of sight. She was pale, blonde and willowy, just as many of the healers in the complex. Her long fingers gestured toward Andor beckoning him to follow her. With measured steps, he followed her into the darkened room.

The sight was shocking. Owen didn't have on his military uniform and a crisp white sheet covered him to the waist. There were patches of dried blood, which had formed on his forehead and his hair stuck to them.

"It's a medical coma," the healer said. Her voice was gentle and ethereal. She put her slim arm around Andor's waist and urged him to move closer to the bed. Her strength was unnatural for the slightness of her frame.

"Why?" Andor choked out. His eyes darted over the body of Owen lying lifelessly in the bed.

"Healing occurs much more quickly if he doesn't fight us. When he arrived, Mentor Melonach was combative and unable to find his calm," she explained moving to the other side of the bed to check several monitors which were beeping and flashing in a strange dance of 'life suspended.'

"He didn't know where he was," Andor confirmed quietly.

The healer turned her large blue eyes toward Andor as though she could see through to his soul. Healers were perceptive by nature, it was what gave them the ability to see what was wrong inside of the body without ever picking up a scalpel. It helped them heal patients easily.

"Head trauma is rather unusual. The brain can't comprehend what is happening with this type of injury," she said wisely. She turned back to the monitors and made several notes on the screen with a stylus.

Andor stood in the same spot she had left him, unable to move any closer to where Owen could be dying. Yes, this was all _his_ fault. He wasn't there to protect Owen.

"Not dying," the healer said in that irritating gentle tone. She had read his mind and Andor felt it was an unnecessary intrusion. Seers were private with their thoughts until the need to use them for tactical advantage.

Andor's eyes shot to her and then back to Owen in the bed. If he was not dying, this was as close as he had ever been. Owen had never been so severely injured. This worried Andor.

"Then what do you call it?" he asked, his voice tight with frustration. Now he knew they weren't telling him everything.

"We are very skilled healers, Andor," she said in a rather aloof tone. "I call it recoverable."

The healer pulled a chair closer to the bed. She wedged it between a group of monitors standing vigil over Owen's vital signs. She motioned for Andor to sit. His legs felt like lead as he moved toward the chair. When he was finally seated, she regarded him with her large blue eyes. Somehow those eyes pierced through Andor. He felt as though she was reading every single strand of his genetic code.

"Mentor Melonach can still hear you," she said and stopped near the door, turning to look at Andor over her shoulder. "Perhaps you should comfort him."

* * * *

"The prognosis, healer?" Perin asked leaning heavily against the desk where the healer sat going over her records.

"He will recover," the healer stated confidently. "We don't know how damaged his brain is yet."

Perin looked past the healer, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. It was hard to discern the future of another Seer, even for someone as gifted in the arts as Perin. The art wasn't the same for everyone, and Perin's skills lay in other aspects of vision. He would need to consult someone trained in prediction for the answers to these questions, but there wasn't time for that now.

"Michael and I wish to see him," Perin said finally.

"Yes, Mentors."

The Seers both followed the healer as she seemed to float down the hall. They both carried the burden of what this injury implied for one of the most respected Seers in the corps.

Owen Melonach may never be an active in the civil war again and that was a terrible reality. It was also a terrible loss.

"Andor is already inside," the healer stated stopping at the door. He noticed Michael's body tightened at the mention of the younger Seer's name. They had always had a volatile relationship. Some whispered it was because they were too similar in personality, but Michael just found Andor too much of a rebel. Others said that Michael was jealous of Andor being such a gifted Seer. No one really knew the answer, except Michael.

As the door swished open, Andor turned to see who was coming into the room. Perin noted the sickened look on Andor's face and was sure he was displeased with seeing them. The relationship between Michael and Andor had always been a love/hate one, but Perin knew they would have to put that aside now, for Owen's sake.

"The sedation is only for medical purposes," the healer explained to the new arrivals.

"Andor," Perin greeted, "It's good to see you well."

Andor stood and bowed in the proper greeting for one so highly esteemed as Perin. "Thank you."

"Can you tell us about how Mentor Melonach sustained these injuries?" Michael asked, wasting no time on pleasantries. There was a war to wage and few people to spare.

"I wasn't in the ship, but one of the members of the air corps conveyed the information to me," Andor explained.

"Very well," Michael said, gesturing for him to go ahead.

"As the ship began to invert due to lack of thrust," Andor explained using a hand to portray the ship. "They got hit by a cannon on the starboard side, which sent the ship into a spin."

Andor looked to Perin, who nodded thoughtfully as he spoke. There were many factors to consider. This was Owen's future they were deciding.

"When they went to eject," Andor continued, "Owen hit against the canopy, which didn't clear before the seat rockets engaged."

The room fell silent except for the beeping of monitors and Andor's breathing.

"Thank you, Andor," Michael said. "You may return to your quarters until you receive a new assignment."

Andor's mouth gaped at the Mentor. "Won't I be staying here until Owen recovers?"

"There are few Seers to go around," Perin chimed into the conversation to diffuse a fight. "We are all needed on the frontlines to do our duty."

"Yes, Perin," Andor said tightly and bowed again before leaving the room.

"He will be dangerous on missions alone," Michael said thoughtfully looking at the closed-door as though he could see past them and into the future. Owen was always the one who could stabilize Andor's passions. Now even that was lost to his injuries.

"Hmm," Perin agreed.
Chapter Two

"How long has he been awake?" Michael asked into his communicator as his feet moved quickly toward the nearest elevator. The healer removed Owen from the medical coma at the beginning of the week, and now he was finally awake.

"Almost an hour," the healer replied from the other end. "We have given him inhibitors for his protection. He won't be able to use his Seer abilities until we remove them."

Owen had been in a coma for almost a month. No one was sure what the accident had done to his cognitive abilities. The inhibitors would keep everyone safe, including Owen. There was no reason to risk injury to anyone.

Being careful was important, Michael knew, as they confronted Owen during these first few weeks. Otherwise, it might fracture his Seer abilities removing them permanently. That was something they couldn't afford. Stability was important for Seers. One with a mental deficiency would be very dangerous, until they could be stabilized or they destroyed themselves.

* * * *

"Don't struggle to remember names," the healer said laying a knowing hand on Owen's arm. She could see the desperation in the man's eyes as he tried to form the words to name the Mentor standing at the end of his bed.

"M..." Owen looked thoughtful and then his eyes lit up as the name came to him. "Michael."

"Owen," Michael greeted warmly and sat in the chair pulled up to the bed. "You look well."

"Thank you," Owen said and smiled at the other man.

Owen was thankful for being rescued, but he wasn't sure from what exactly. They told him he was the survivor of an accident, but he didn't remember anything that led up to the accident. His mind had a huge gap in it where he thought memories belonged, but they weren't there.

"How is Andor?" Owen asked as he looked at Michael. Why did he feel as though he was getting evaluated? Like they were trying to discover how stable he was?

"He is on a mission near the main line," Michael explained.

Owen nodded his head as he thought. A boy of Andor's age would get a temporary mentor until he recovered. Young Seers could not be left alone to their own devices while they waited for someone to heal. He pitied whoever received the assignment. Owen noted that he must personally thank them. He knew what a handful Andor could be at times.

"Which mentor is he with?"

Michael's features contorted in a look of sadness. Something had happened. Owen sighed. What had Andor done now?

"The mission is alone," the older man said. The words were carefully chosen. It seemed odd to Owen. What weren't they telling him?

"At his age?" Owen choked the words out. "You all must have gone crazy while I've been out of it."

"How old do you think he is?" Michael asked his face a mask.

"We just celebrated his twelfth birthday," Owen said in disbelief. "You came to the dinner at our apartment."

* * * *

"Almost ten years," Michael said as he regarded Perin. "He believes Andor is twelve years old."

Perin shook his head thoughtfully. Owen was suffering from short-term amnesia. The healers had no explanation for the lapse. They were busy waiting for him to get better and nothing more. Perin wasn't sure waiting was the answer the Seers needed now.

"Recall Andor," Perin said. "Seeing him might shake his memory loose."

"Communications are patchy at best to the front line," Michael stated. The last thing he wanted was Andor here fretting over Owen's care. He was a big enough pain in the ass being light years away on the line.

"You have someone else in mind, don't you?" Perin asked reading Michael's features.

"Representative Ethesreld," Michael confessed. "They have been rather good friends for years. Maybe she can help him remember."

"I'll call her," Perin said.

* * * *

Representative Viera Ethesreld inclined her head in greeting to the leader of the Seers. The call she had received from him earlier in the day had left a chill in her bones. Owen Melonach lay here injured and that was all the public knew. Now she knew about his injury and memory loss and it frightened her. He could be dangerous in this state.

"I will help in any way I can," Viera said trying to keep up the charade of being okay, although she wasn't. This news had shaken her. She was a very close friend of Owen. Would he remember her?

"Owen will be happy to see you," Perin said as they walked down the corridor toward Owen's room in the medical wing.

"I hope so," Viera said. So much had happened between them over the past couple of years. She hoped he wasn't still as upset at her over Andor. The last time she saw Owen he had threatened to have her removed from the Representative Corps for treason.

"He doesn't remember anything about your fights," Perin said knowingly.

"Perin," she started, "we were not on the best of terms. Should I be the person doing this?"

"Strong emotion could trigger his memory," Perin stated. "I know all about your disagreement with him. I'm sure he would have forgiven you by now if he could remember."

Viera shook her head in confirmation. She had an affair with Owen's student. When all the information was in the open, Owen told her that she should have known better. Viera did know better and that was why she refused to marry Andor. Shortly afterward she made the anonymous call to the Seer leaders. Owen never knew she was the one who turned Andor in, but he was still upset at her when they spoke last. Romantic entanglements were not allowed for Seers who were active and she had broken that rule. She had broken Owen's trust. That hurt the most.

"Contact me later, if you need to," Perin said outside the door, his hand hovering over the button to admit her.

"Thank you," Viera said. As the door swished aside, the sterile room greeted her. Owen was standing, shirt removed, by the small window in the room. His blue eyes darted to her standing in the doorway.

"Your Highness," Owen said bowing, acknowledging her presence. He reached for the pajama shirt on the bed and slipped it over his head. A smile spread across his face as his cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.

"Please," she said shocked at the use of her royal title. "Let's dispense with formalities. How are you feeling, Owen?"

"I'm well," he said. "Some people seem to think I've lost it, though."

Viera tried to keep her face a mask of compassion. She wasn't sure how much they told Owen and whether a slip on her part would be dangerous to the fragile state of his psyche. It was all such new territory for her, but she had to help him. He deserved that much from her. She owed it to him for her transgressions.

She felt no ill will toward the man who stood before her. What he said to her during the rough time with Andor, was a feeble attempt for his mind to make sense of something that seemed so shocking. Andor was the apple of Owen's eye and the lie hurt him deeply. Viera knew, because it hurt her deeply to turn him in for what he planned.

"Well, I've come to visit. I think you look well," Viera said, moving to sit in the chair by the bed.

"I don't understand why you are here at the Capital," Owen said, sitting on the edge of the bed facing her. He nervously smoothed the pants he wore. Knowing Owen as well as she did, she was sure he guessed that they weren't being truthful about his condition.

"Owen," she said reaching across the short distance to grasp his hand with hers. "I'm not the Queen of Ethesreld anymore. I haven't been for almost ten years."

The shock in Owen's eyes told the story. He seemed confused and held her hand like it was a lifeline to the world he needed to remember, but couldn't. She saw he was struggling to put all the information together, but there was nothing connecting. His eyes were frantic. Owen looked unhinged.

"What happened to me?" he asked his voice catching in his throat. This was a mistake. Viera was wrong to correct him. She could feel his desperation ready to lash out at her.

"I want to see Andor, _now_!"

She flinched at how demanding his voice had become. Blue-gray eyes flashed as he stood abruptly and went to the small window. Placing a hand on either side, Owen hung his head. His body shook as he sobbed. Viera quickly went to comfort him, but he shrugged away her arms, trying to encircle his strong shoulders.

"Let me help you," she said softly folding her hands in front of her, pleading with him to calm down.

Slowly, she reached to touch his back again as it trembled with his sobs. Owen turned to face her and threw his arms around her slight frame. Slowly she lowered them to the ground, stroking his hair as the emotions poured from him.

The loss of emotional control in a Seer of Owen's caliber, who was everything an exemplary Seer, was unnerving to her soul.
Chapter Three

Pacing was something he had become good at during the past few days. The small hospital room felt like a prison to Owen. His head was still spinning from what Viera told him. Did he really not remember the past ten years?

Owen nervously ran his hand through his hair. No. It couldn't be true. This was a dream and somehow he was still stuck in a coma. It was the only explanation. That was why everything didn't seem right, why the pieces didn't fit together.

The door to his room opened and he felt like he wanted to run. The healer was hovering, or so Owen thought. She seemed to visit too often for his liking. Maybe she worried about him.

"I need to take your vital signs," she said in that terribly soothing voice. Owen sighed and sat on the edge of the bed ready for the hourly ritual to begin. This was getting annoying. He put out his arm and waited for her to attach the monitoring device to his wrist.

"You are refusing visitors," the healer said as she calibrated the device. "Why?"

Owen looked at her with an anger soaked stare. He knew he shouldn't feel anger toward her, but he did. This wasn't her fault, but he needed someone to blame.

"I don't want to see anybody," Owen finally said after a short silence.

"Representative Ethesreld has been here every day asking to see you," the healer said. She removed the cuff, satisfied by the readings; she had gotten everything she needed.

His cheeks flushed red. Owen was too embarrassed to see her again. Things had gone wrong when she visited before. Somehow, he knew he couldn't face her now. No. It wasn't right to see her. He should have never shared his raw emotions with her like he did when she came before. It wasn't the proper thing for someone of his status to do.

"You should go out to the gardens," the healer suggested and looked Owen over.

"Sure," Owen conceded. He didn't want the healer hovering over him every minute. Her eyes were so unnerving to him. They were large pools of blue which reminded him of his lost memories, locked somewhere deep in his mind. What he would give to remember something. Anything.

* * * *

The gardens of the complex were bright and sunny. Owen laid on a patch of grass letting the sun warm his skin. The healer was right about getting out of his room. The fresh air brought back memories of when he was a young student.

How many times had Mentor Xavier found him in the garden sunning himself? A smile spread across Owen's face. He was thankful he still had those memories, but his heart sank because he still couldn't remember so many things, which seemed more important.

"These gardens always remind me of home," a female voice said from above him. Owen opened his eyes to see Viera smiling down at him. Her golden hair hung in curls around her shoulders and she was wearing an off-the-shoulder gown of lightest pink. The fabric looked too fragile to even be sewn by a 'tailor's hands and hugged her figure. He smiled back at her and sat up to greet her.

"I should have known this was a set-up." He laughed and gestured for her to join him on the grass.

"Not so much a set-up as a suggestion." She laughed and sat down next to him, the skirt of her gown pooling around her in a circle. "How are you feeling today?"

Owen sighed heavily. How would anyone feel if their life didn't exist in their memory? He felt lost. He felt abandoned by everyone, including himself. Self-pity took hold of his heart as he longed for those lost memories.

"I don't know how I feel," he said honestly and laid back on the grass, tucking his hands behind his head. The blue sky was cloudless and Owen felt himself lost in the sea of blue like his memories lost to his injury.

"Well, that is what they expect," she said softly, her hands brushing over the green grass, lightly feeling the blades against his palms.

"Tell me what I've missed. I mean, last I remember you were still Queen Ethesreld."

She chuckled. A man who can't remember the last ten years of his life and _he_ asked about _her_? Owen had always been a gentleman and even now he was acting like one. His ability to think of others amazed her. She wished others shared his compassion. If they did the civil war would not be raging through the universe. There wouldn't be so much destruction.

"Well, after my term, I wanted to retire from public life. The notoriety of the troubles on Ethesreld and ensuing battles were oppressive sometimes.

"Unfortunately, they needed me as a representative for my home world. No one else had as much experience, especially with the coming storm of the civil war, so I agreed."

The silence between them lasted for a bit of time. The only sound was that of birds singing in the trees nearby. Finally Owen stirred, coming to a sitting position and looking at Viera.

"The war," he started, voice thin and tight, "I don't remember anything about it. I don't remember a campaign or where I was even stationed. I don't remember the ships I served on or the leaders I helped during fights. I can't remember anything about it."

Viera felt full of compassion as she looked him over. What would she tell him and how would she explain all that he'd done for the Established Representative Corps? What would she tell him about the countless lives he had saved just with his abilities? There weren't words for what he had done for the people and there never would be enough gratitude for him.

"Maybe it's a good thing you don't remember," Viera said softly. The war was brutal on all fronts and somehow she envied Owen's inability to remember. His head just bobbed in confirmation, but he said nothing.

"I hear ... Andor will be returning soon," Viera said, the other man's name catching in her throat as she changed the subject.

"That is what Perin says," he said, his hand picking absently at the grass. His blue eyes studied her face. "I sense some tension about him coming from you."

The Senator's cheeks flushed and she used the palms of her hands to smooth her skirt nervously. Even though avoiding saying anything, she knew Owen would figure it out.

"Forgive me," he said sighing. "I shouldn't be prying into your life."

Viera reached for his hand and grasped it in understanding, but said nothing. They sat enjoying the sun and sounds of the garden together.

* * * *

Andor knew from the reports, but it didn't prepare him for the look of shock which now graced his former mentor's face. It made him want to shake the man until he recognized who was standing in front of him, but he couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on the older man.

"I'm sorry stud--" Owen started, then stopped and corrected himself, "--Andor."

Heartbreak was clear in Owen's voice. The man who stood before him now clad in the armor of war was not the gangly pre-teen Owen remembered. Gone was the casual dress of a Seer, replaced with all the armaments of war. Andor's demeanor had darkened and was shadowy and hard to read for Owen. A product of his wartime service, Owen believed, but couldn't prove.

"Say something," Andor prodded.

"I don't remember this being you," Owen said and collapsed heavily into the one chair in the room. What did this person want from him anyway? What kind of answers was he looking for? There were no answers Owen could offer. He only had the emptiness of his heart left.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Andor narrowed his eyes at Owen, studying him.

"We were just on the battlefield together two months ago." Andor tried to shake some memories from Owen. Something had to make him remember; he was desperate for him to remember. Andor didn't want to admit it, but he needed Owen.

Owen merely shrugged.

"I need some time alone," Owen finally said.

Andor stormed from the room seething at his dismissal, like a student from class.

* * * *

"It's time for Owen's release," Perin said as he sat in his office sipping a cup of tea.

"We can't just let him wander around the planet," Michael said. "There is still some question about his stability as a Seer."

Perin clanked his cup down on the saucer sitting on his desk and eyed Michael. They didn't always agree, but Owen didn't need coddling anymore. It was time for his release from medical care because there wasn't anything medically wrong with him. There were more pressing matters for Perin to deal with now as the war raged around them. Owen was an adult and needed their respect.

Michael might have to accept the fact that Owen would never be an active Seer again. Perin knew it was difficult for him, but he knew it might be the inevitable truth.

"I have a plan," Perin said, digging for his communication device in his shirt pocket and flicking it on.

* * * *

Viera's Apartment

Owen pulled at his shirt nervously and waited for someone to answer the door buzzer. It seemed like an eternity before anyone arrived.

The door finally opened to reveal one of Viera's many servants. She was a well-respected member of the Representative Corps and that gave her some luxuries that others didn't have. She also came from a very wealthy planet and the opulence of her home told that story.

"Mistress Ethesreld is waiting for you. She is on the balcony," the servant said, bowing to Owen.

Following the gesture of the servant's hand, Owen stepped inside and dropped his small duffel next to the front door. He walked out towards the balcony and found Viera reading on one of the large sitting areas' couches. She wore a casual purple cloak and dress, very different from her public persona and formal attire.

"Owen," she said pleased to see him. She rose fluidly from her seat and greeted him gesturing for him to join her on the large couch.

"Thank you for having me, Representative," he said taking the seat she offered.

"Well, having a Seer as my personal bodyguard seemed like such a great offer," she smiled and then winked at him playfully.

"I'll do my best to do my duty," he said light-heartedly. With her, he didn't feel as though time were missing. Viera eased the constant pressure for him to remember. She didn't ask anything of him. He was thankful she had agreed for him to stay with her. He was thankful for her patience and compassion. Owen was thankful for her companionship in this dark time.

"I'll have Ardina show you to your quarters," Viera said rising from her seat to send for one of her many servants.
Chapter Four

Viera tapped lightly on the door to Owen's room. She balanced in one hand a pile of clean towels and in the other, her digital tablet.

"Come in," he said in a muffled voice from the other side of the door. She tucked the tablet under her arm and used her free hand to push the button to open the door.

As the door swished aside, what she saw surprised her. Owen stood, stripped down to his pants, boots kicked off on the floor. He was sorting through something spread all over his bed. Owen's broad back had scars made up of small white dots which contrasted greatly against his tan skin. What had caused those scars? She didn't remember Andor ever telling her about an incident that would've left him scarred in such a way. Maybe he was attacked on a mission she didn't know about; it was almost a year since they were last on speaking terms.

"Self-inflicted," Owen said in a quiet voice, not looking up from what was in his hands as he continued to try and fit the pieces together.

"I didn't mean to pry," she said ashamed that she was staring. "I brought you some clean towels and thought you might want to catch up on what is going on with the war."

Viera placed the towels on the small wooden bench at the end of the bed. She placed the tablet on top of the towels. Then she saw all the components laid out on top of the lush bedspread. Owen's fingers working to fit the pieces together mesmerized her.

"Your staff?" she asked tentatively not wanting to intrude. Owen was a private man and she respected that about him. It gave him an air of danger.

"What's left of it," he said, his eyes finally turning fully on her.

She was breathtaking, even when she didn't wear the trappings of formal gowns.

Seers' staffs were a sign of their position and rank in the culture. It set them apart from the gun-toting thugs of the galaxy. It was important to them, but not essential to their power. How fitting that Owen's now lay in pieces on his bed. His life seemed to be in the same shambles.

"Do you want to know?" he asked, his eyes returning to the pieces laying on the bed as his fingers fitted them together. He couldn't look at her and consider the shame he was about to reveal to her.

"About what?"

"The scars on my back."

"Do you want to tell me?"

Owen shook his head, yes. He had never told anyone and it had been such a source of shame for a long time. It was something he carried as a burden. She made it easy for him to let go of the hurt and trust her with his secrets. They caused him so much anguish and sharing with her would hopefully ease some of that emotion.

"I punished myself after Xavier died," he said the ache of loss feeling fresh in his heart. "It was a small piece of rope with a metal barb on the end and I would strike myself until I bled. I did it every night because I missed him so much. I was so empty."

Viera inhaled sharply at the thought of the agony which that would bring. Her eyes moistened at how terrible he must have felt day after day to inflict such punishment on himself. Maybe it was the only way he could relieve the internal torment of such a loss. Viera knew the connection between mentor and student was strong, but she didn't realize just how strong.

"It was the only thing that felt worse than him not being with me," Owen finished quietly, ashamed of himself.

"How long did you do it?" she asked tentatively afraid she would pry too far into a tender place in his soul. She needed to respect his privacy even though they were sharing the same living space. She owed him that much.

"I don't remember stopping," Owen said truthfully. At the time he could remember, the self-torture was still happening and he found it difficult not to resume the same habit, but refused to pursue it in Viera's home, out of respect for her.

"Did Andor know?" Viera asked. Her blue eyes regarded his profile as he worked, distracting himself from what he was really feeling. He looked deep in thought as he worked through the charred pieces.

"He knew," Owen admitted heavily. "Andor didn't ask though and I didn't offer excuses. It was better that way."

"We've had more years to deal with the loss of Xavier then you can remember," Viera sighed heavily. "It's so unfair that the one person who loved him most has to deal with that pain like it's fresh."

Owen said nothing feeling his eyes welling at her sentiments. He was a Seer and he should be much stronger than he was being. He was letting the emotion of the moment taint his control. Owen would have to work on controlling himself better.

"Can you fix it?" she asked deftly changing the subject back to his staff.

"I made it," he laughed. "I hope I remember how all this fits together."

* * * *

The tension in Representative Ethesreld's apartment that evening was thick. Owen had disconnected from his abilities to stop the pain and displeasure of Viera from soaking into him through his psychic connection.

Standing next to the door of her office, which she kept in her home, he could hear the sound of heated discussion behind the closed door. Other representatives had shown up rather late in the evening demanding to speak to Viera. They had all been inside the office ever since. The hour was getting late, but he refused to leave this spot in case she needed him. He knew she was capable, but a friendly face might be what she needed after the heated meeting.

Finally, sometime after two in the morning, the door opened. All three representatives emerged looking tired and unhappy. Owen said nothing as they passed by on their way to exit from Viera's apartment, merely bowing to acknowledge them.

After their departure, Viera threw herself down on the couch with an exasperated groan. Owen sat down facing her and said nothing, hoping the fact she had someone there to listen would be enough. That he would be enough.

"I don't know why we even have representatives," she said, a hard edge to her voice. "They just keep giving our power to the Prime Minster without question."

Owen still said nothing. Frustration was clear on her face and she needed to get it out. It was a good thing he learned to be attentive as a Seer. She needed a good listener.

"Nobody knows what they are doing giving him more power," she said rising from her seat and pacing across the floor with her hands clenched at her sides. "I know him and he'll never give it back. He's drunk with power."

Viera stopped and admired the gentle look which always graced Owen's face. How could he be so calm? Damn his Seer abilities and the mildness they taught him at that school. It was irritating and she groaned again.

"Relax," he said gently.

Viera rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. He was so infuriating with his peaceful demeanor.

"Good try," she laughed sarcastically. He shrugged showing that he knew she had won. There was no use fighting with her in her aggravated state. It would get him nowhere fast.

"Would you prefer a stiff drink instead?" Owen asked rising from the couch to access the hidden bar near the sitting area. A good hostess always had liquor on hand and Viera was no exception.

"It wouldn't hurt," she said and flopped down again restless. Owen poured two glasses and joined her back in the sitting area.

Taking the glass from Owen, she gulped the liquid, quickly placing the glass on the side table. Owen gave her a shocked glance and then took a sip from his own glass.

"They're gonna wish they thought twice," she finally sighed referring back to the meeting again.

"And what will your vote be when the time comes?" Owen asked.

Thoughtfully, Viera let her finger trace the rim of her empty glass as she weighed her options. What would she do and how could she stop something which would be inevitable?

"How do you stop the sea from touching the shore?" she asked quietly. Things seemed so inevitable. Prime Minister Terrin would rule as a dictator and the Representative Corps would be impotent. They would be nothing but yes men to a government corrupted by the lust for power. The representatives would regret the day they voted yes to this measure.

Viera would need another plan and she would need it soon.

* * * *

"Here is your security detail uniform," Captain Sinta, Viera's Chief of Security said. He handed Owen the gold and black uniform.

"You'll need a gun and set of cuffs," Sinta continued, handing them to Owen.

"I don't need a gun," Owen said looking over the uniform and gun. It was Viera's idea for him to put on the disguise while they traveled from the Capital. He humored her because she had done so much for him, but now he was having doubts about their plan. It wouldn't fool anyone if he came under close scrutiny.

"I'm sorry, Owen, but Representative Ethesreld insisted that you blend into the security detail," Sinta said. "That means you have to carry a gun."

Owen sighed. He would only have to endure the uniform and gun until they got to Ethesreld. Once they arrived on the planet, he could wear what he wanted.

"You need to shave too. This is a branch of the military and no facial hair is allowed," Sinta said. He signed several items on his tablet, finalizing Owen's integration into the detail. Owen initialed the page stating he received the uniform.

Going back to Ethesreld was Viera's idea because she felt the things happening with the Representative Corps were spiraling out of control. Quietly she resigned from service under the guise of a family emergency and began packing her household for the trip. That was a week ago.

Perin asked Owen to stay with her and keep her from harm. He knew she vowed to the Seer leaders to care for Owen until he could return to service. She never spoke to him about it, but he was thankful for her compassion and taking him in when there was nowhere else for him to go. 'Seers didn't have a protocol for a situation like Owen's and were just doing their best to muddle through.

"Yes, Captain," Owen said dutifully trying out Sinta's title. He would have to get used to calling someone his superior.

"When Representative Ethesreld returns," Sinta said. "We will be leaving for home."

* * * *

Viera looked around the room she had called her own for so many years. All the knick-knacks and reminders of home were removed from the apartment and sent back to Ethesreld earlier in the week. The room was stark, just as her heart felt. She was walking away from a life she had always known. For once, Viera felt uncertain and wary.

"Your ship is ready, Representative Ethesreld," a voice said from behind her. She turned to see Owen standing in the door. He wore the uniform of her security detail and his face was clean-shaven. Viera smiled as she saw the man from her youth who rescued her planet all those years ago.

"Thank you," she said a smile gracing her face.

"What?" Owen asked stepping fully into the room; the hat from his uniform held in his hand waiting to complete his disguise. He looked so different and so at ease dressed as part of her security. It was easy for him to fit in with her security detail.

"Finally, I see the Owen of so many years ago," she said approaching him. Her hand reached out to touch his smooth cheek and his face turned red with a blush. Viera giggled at his innocent nature.

"Y-your ship i-is waiting," Owen said stumbling over his words.

"I have the perfect escort," she said looping her arm through his. Owen blushed as he placed his hat on his head and they stepped toward their unclear future together.
Chapter Five

The trip to Ethesreld was quiet. Owen busied himself with monitoring the ship's guidance system and status; his mind wandering back to the touch of her hand on his cheek.

No! He was a Seer, albeit only in name at the moment. These feelings needed a release. She was just a friend and there was room for nothing more. When they arrived on Ethesreld, he would have to let it all go. Crossing to the other side would help him get the perspective he needed when it came to Viera.

"Report," the pilot asked looking over at Owen. The pilot staff were none the wiser that he was a Seer and treated him as any other member of the security detail.

"We will be arriving in approximately thirty minutes," Owen said. "I'll inform Representative Ethesreld."

* * * *

He knocked quietly on her stateroom door. She had not been out of her room for the entire trip. Owen suspected she felt like she was running away from her duty and was ashamed, locking herself away to think.

"Come in," she said from the other side of the door. Owen opened the door to see Viera looking out a small viewport at the stars. She wore a blue gown of velvet fabric. It hung on her frame, clinging to her curves before it touched the floor.

"We will be arriving shortly," he said trying not to let his eyes linger on her form for too long. It was difficult because she was an attractive woman.

"It's the rainy season," Viera said. He watched as she gazed out the small viewing portal, staring at the space around them, silent as he let her think. She seemed distant and lost in a memory he couldn't share with her.

"We'll have to find something to do with our time," she said and a smile spread across her face. Owen felt somehow uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him, but he was sure it was just his mind playing tricks. He was sure there was no ill intent in her words.

"I'll let you know when we arrive," Owen said turning to leave, his business there finished.

"Stay," Viera said softly. He could feel her anxiety at the return to home through the small amount of vision he allowed himself on a daily basis. "I don't want to be alone."

Owen turned back to face her. She looked so small in the massive room. Maybe she was bothered by the fact that she was running, or at least in her mind she felt like she was running. Owen knew she was doing what she thought best.

"Would you like some tea?" Viera asked waking him from his thoughts.

"Yes," Owen said taking a seat in the small sitting area. Viera poured him a cup and he sipped.

"Do you know where we are going?" Viera asked sitting down.

"No," Owen said truthfully. His briefing was about what would happen when they arrived, but the location was secret. Captain Sinta thought it was the best policy to keep Viera secure during her travels.

"Vatino is the name of the retreat," she said. "It's located high in the mountains where we will be safe. It's been in my family for generations."

"What do you fear?"

"I fear what the universe is becoming."

"Fear is dangerous, Viera. It makes us do things which we wouldn't normally do. It consumes us. Don't fall for its allure too easily."

"Spoken like a Seer," Viera said. Owen blinked at the venom in her voice. What had he done?

"I'm sorry, Viera," he said setting the cup down. Confusion plagued him. It was happening more and more these days. He rose from his seat and bowed to her. "I'll let you know when we've arrived."

He felt it was better to retreat than anger her more. Turning he went quickly to the door. Being a Seer never made him feel as small as she just had. Perhaps he should steer clear of her until they landed at the retreat.

"You don't remember how angry you were with me that day," Viera said before he pushed the door release. "I do though, and it's something I can't forget. I can't forget your words."

"What are you talking about?" Owen asked not turning away from the door. He didn't want her to see his hurt and confusion.

"I loved him more than I should have," she said with a note of remembrance in her voice. The memories were there, just under the surface of her words, waiting to be shared.

"Who?" he asked turning to face her, confusion clouding his face. She rose to stand in front of him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Andor," it was almost a whisper as the name escaped her lips. The room seemed to tilt under his feet and he reached out to hold himself steady. Viera reached out to help him keep his balance, but he retreated from her touch.

"How?" Owen said trying to keep his voice down, but he wanted to shriek at her and demand answers.

"The details don't mean anything," she said. "It's been over for more than a year."

"They matter to me."

Viera sighed and beckoned him back to the sitting area urging him with her grip on his arm. Owen followed and sat down. Where did she start to tell him how she ripped his life apart? How she had broken his heart?

"It was nothing more than childish infatuation," she said looking at him with anxiety settling in her eyes. "I entertained the affair for many months."

Owen's mouth was dry. A time he couldn't remember and she recalled it easily. His stomach knotted. What had they done? What had Andor done?

"Andor demanded we marry, but he was a dedicated Seer and..." her voice trailed off as the pain of her decisions resurfaced causing her voice to catch.

" _And what_?" Owen asked harshly. "I caught you?"

"It wasn't like that. I told him I couldn't, that I didn't love him enough."

"So you refused?"

"Yes, and I turned him in."

Owen shook his head. It was so foreign. Andor had been intimate with Viera. Had Owen been none the wiser? What had he done?

"Tell me what happened," Owen finally demanded.

"Punishment for Andor was severe," she said quietly. "You told me that we were to never have contact again."

Viera sniffled.

Owen rose from his seat and wandered to the viewport to look outside at the space surrounding the ship. He felt lost. All the things he should know, he didn't and he had to rely on Viera, or someone else, to tell him. He was like an infant needing nurturing.

"How do you stand it?" he finally asked.

"Stand what?"

"Knowing that I was so disappointed in you and now I carry on like I never was?"

Viera rose from her seat, moving behind him and placing a hand gently on his shoulder to reassure him that she was still there and she still cared. She cared for him deeply and hated for him to be in this kind of pain.

"You had a broken heart and I know you didn't mean the things you said," she said quietly. "Those things were not you. I've known you a long time, Owen, and you are not malicious."

"Please tell me this will all be okay," Owen said doubt surging through his body and bleeding into his voice.

"I can't promise it will be easy, but I know your strength," Viera said gently. "And I know you will always be strong enough. No matter what comes our way, I have faith in you, Owen, and that's all I need."

* * * *

Ethesreld was rainy this time of year. Owen got soaked through as he helped to unload the supplies from the ship. After he had changed from his wet security uniform, he joined Viera in the large sitting room.

Vatino's layout was in a circle around the main living area. There was a kitchen to one side, a dining area to the other side and stairs leading down to the sleeping quarters in the rear. A circular hallway skirted the living area making access to all the rooms easier. The design was beautiful and could be a military advantage against intruders.

"You like your room?" Viera asked as she warmed herself next to the fireplace in the middle of the main living area.

"Yes, thank you," Owen said approaching the fire. He felt the warmth penetrate his skin and put his palms out to soak it in.

"When I used to come here," she said, eyes looking into the fire as though she were once again living her memory, "I always loved the view from that room."

He looked at her eyes reflecting the amber and red colors of the flames. Owen gravitated to her in a way he never thought possible. Now, she was his only companion, a voice of reason in his murky world. An anchor for a ship which was ready to go adrift.

Would he be able to resist her pull or risk his whole life and he knew to let himself go?
Chapter Six

The days stretched on as the clouded sky of Ethesreld continued to pour down rain. Owen grew restless and stood outside often under the overhang of the front entrance. He watched the droplets of water fall from the gray sky above only to end in the puddle near his feet. A puddle that grew exponentially as the day went on and he lingered.

He reached out his hand letting a few drops of rain coat his fingers. The cold water trickling down towards his elbow making the sleeves of his shirt damp.

The rain felt familiar. Then the feeling was gone like the drops on his fingers and Owen grimaced at his lack of memory. He still couldn't remember a lot of things and it was hard to come to terms with the facts.

The door behind him opened and he felt a rush of warm air buffer against his back. Viera said nothing merely sharing his silence. Owen liked that about her. She knew when he needed to talk and when words were just too much. She knew how to comfort without saying a word. The silence spoke more between them than words ever could.

Her hand gently gripped his as if to reassure him she was there and then the door clicked closed again and he was alone with the sound of the rain hitting stone and the memories he couldn't find inside of his mind.

* * * *

Viera dealt yet another round of cards to Owen. To make time pass they found games to play and today it was Viera's choice of games. She loved playing cards, which Owen was not well versed in. He knew a few games he learned in military service, but they weren't appropriate.

"No reading my mind, Seer," she warned peering over her hand of cards at him. A smile shined in her blue eyes.

"How will I win?" Owen laughed looking at his hand of cards.

"Strategy, like the rest of us." She laughed and slapped one of her cards down on the table. Owen eyed it carefully and then checked his hand. Nothing. She was slaughtering him in a rather gleeful way. She enjoyed putting him in his place sometimes.

He pulled the top card from the deck and placed it with his other cards. Owen winked at her and then studied his newly acquired card. He placed his card on the table and examined her reaction.

"You were too busy training as a Seer." She laughed putting both cards in her keep pile. How he hated losing to her. She was insufferable.

"Someone needed to train to keep you safe while you were playing card games." He laughed and placed another card down on the table. He was giving her the winning hand now, he knew.

"Lucky for us they didn't ask you to play cards."

They both erupted into laughter.

* * * *

"No!" Owen yelled jerking awake. He was sweating and his chest heaved as his breath came in small short bursts. Leaning over the side of the bed, he felt his stomach convulse as he vomited on the floor. He groaned loudly, retching again.

"Owen," a breathless Viera said as she burst through the door. She was on the bed next to him before he could blink. Her arms helping him to lay back down. His skin was on fire under her touch. Her lips pursed in a tight line as she considered what this meant.

"You're sick," she said softly touching his head with her hand.

"Something is coming, Viera," Owen said, his words a short moan through his fevered dreams. He was lost in the world of the psychic realm and it scared Viera.

"What?" Viera asked her eyes widening in fear.

"Something terrible."

* * * *

Viera jerked awake, the room was dark and the rain beat against the window pane in a dull rhythm. She looked over to see Owen sleeping in the bed next to her. He was peaceful now, but the night was full of fevered dreams and ramblings of a Seer, who was living in the psychic world and the real world at the same time. The line between them blurred by his fever and the ramblings of his lips, sometimes frightening Viera.

She didn't want to leave him during the night in case he needed her. He was very sick and there was only one solution to their dilemma.

Viera gently rose from the bed and Owen's eyes flew open, his hand reaching for her. He was begging her not to leave, the pain and fear showing in his eyes.

"It's okay." She soothed him, gripping his cold and clammy hand tightly in hers. She rubbed his arm gently to soothe him further, hoping he would go back to sleep.

"Don't leave," he said hoarsely pulling her back toward the bed. She knelt next to him on the bed, stroking the sweat-soaked hair from his forehead as her fingers stayed laced with his.

"I'll be right back," Viera said reassuring him with a gentle smile. Owen licked his lips and nodded in agreement, his eyes fluttering closed. He released her hand and she rushed to the main living area.

Quickly she dialed the palace complex on her computer terminal.

* * * *

"Well?" Viera asked as the physician gathered his tablet and instruments shoving them into his bag. He had been in the room with Owen for over an hour. The doctor asked that she stay outside if there were things Owen didn't feel comfortable talking about in front of her. She couldn't imagine what those would be, but agreed to wait outside.

"It's Quin Fever," the doctor said sighing. "A rather advanced case too. It's been a long time since I've seen one this severe."

Viera covered her mouth with her hand to hide her surprise. Quin was dangerous and often fatal. Her heart dropped to her feet and tears began to pool in her eyes. He was going to die under her care. How would she explain it to the Seer leaders?

"Viera, he is very sick and needs to go to the palace complex for treatment," the doctor said looking at her shocked reaction.

"Then yes..." she said her voice choked by the tears forming.

"He refuses," the doctor put plainly crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why?"

"Because he's a stubborn Seer and doesn't want to leave you, out of some blasted notion of duty."

Viera sighed and pushed past the doctor toward Owen's room. She stormed through the door without knocking. She was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"You have to go," Viera said using her most authoritative voice and putting her hands on her hips to punctuate her point.

"Please, I'm too exhausted to fight," Owen said not opening his eyes. He was pale and sweaty, lying in the bed. Viera feared for his life. He could die.

"I won't watch you die." She sniffled moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "Don't make me."

Owen reached his hand out shakily and touched his fingertips to her cheek, grazing against her jaw. She nuzzled her face to his hand. Touching him she felt sure and strong.

"I will be fine," Owen said and opened his eyes to look into hers. "You can help me get better."

Viera reached a hand up and wiped the tears from under her eyes. He had faith in her and that was all she needed to double her resolve to make him better. She knew he didn't want to return to a medical facility after spending so much time in one after his accident. Viera didn't blame him.

* * * *

Owen rolled over to face her. Viera slept in his bed since he had contracted Quin Fever. He watched her sleep contentedly in the early breaking morning. The pale light washed over her pale skin casting shadows across her features.

He reached his hand up and placed it against her cheek. She had done everything for him these past weeks. Owen was feeling better but was still too weak to get up on his own. She even had to take him to the restroom and it was embarrassing for him. The fever took everything from his body. Once, he had been a strong warrior and now his muscles were wasting away with sickness and continued fevers.

"Do you need something?" she murmured in a sleepy voice, not opening her eyes.

"No," he whispered back to her.

"I should get up," she said her eyes never opening.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just rest."

Viera snuggled closer to him, her arm flinging over his chest. Her familiar touch made Owen frightened. Don't get attached, he repeated in his mind. Seers obliged to serve their government first and not think about families and love. Owen knew he had to resist these feelings or he would find himself in a mess.

What happened to him? Owen would never sleep in a bed with a woman before his accident. He should not let this happen, but he was and what did that mean about who he was becoming?

* * * *

"Just a few more steps," Viera encouraged him as he leaned heavily against her.

Owen was considerably thinner, having lost about twenty-five pounds in the weeks he suffered from the fever. Luckily, his strength had started to rebound in the past few days. He spent some time doing exercise in bed to get his strength to return but was far from what he was before.

"Let me rest," Owen said reaching to steady himself against the wall in the hallway. He was breathing heavily from the small amount of exertion getting to the hallway should take. His body was failing him.

"I made you some lunch in the dining room," Viera said. He smiled his thank you to her and put his arm around her again. They moved slowly toward the dining room, each step a huge effort for his weakened muscles.

The setting for two was cozy, considering the size of the table. Owen was sure the table could easily hold twenty people during a luxurious dinner party. The windows in this room were large and looked out over the mountains, mirroring the other rooms in the house.

"Thank you," Owen said once Viera helped him to his chair. She merely smiled and sat down next to him. She poured him some water and then put some rice on his plate.

"The doctor said you should start with easy to digest food because you haven't eaten much these past few weeks," Viera explained as she put the plate in front of him.

"You have been so good to me," Owen remarked picking up the fork which felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. "Why didn't you get sick too?"

Viera lifted the short sleeve of her dress to show a small pock mark scar on her upper arm.

"Children on Ethesreld get vaccines for the diseases native to our planet," Viera said and smiled. "I guess we should have checked on your shots before bringing you here. I just assumed with the war you were given many of the vaccinations you would need to travel the universe."

"I don't know what I'm up to date on," Owen said pushing the rice on his plate around with a fork. He still wasn't very hungry and wasn't sure he ever would be again.

"Well, you are recovering well," she said serving herself some food and pouring a small amount of meat with gravy over the rice. Owen looked at her food and tried to avoid the smell, afraid he would be sick again. His stomach was still a little off.

"When we finish here," Owen said taking a small bite, "would you help me enter the other side?"

Viera stopped eating and put her fork down. Entering the other side was a very private thing for Seers. It was where their power was the greatest and where it flowed from. Andor always locked himself away and told her to never bother him during his sessions. Owen's request shocked her.

"If you don't want to, I understand," he said noting her hesitation about his request. Maybe he was being too familiar with her and she wanted more distance between them.

"It's not that," she said. "I just ... well, I know how private that is for Seers and I'm deeply honored that you would ask me."

"I'll need your strength to draw on," Owen said simply, although he really wanted to show her what the other side was like. He was being selfish, but he didn't care.
Chapter Seven

Owen inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He sat still, legs crossed and hands loosely at his side--the true posture for entering the other side. From here he could feel what beckoned to him from across the celestial divide of reality and psychic. The whispers were clear in his mind and easy to understand.

As he crossed to the other side, he could feel her, mere inches from him. Viera's presence was strong and vibrant. On the other side, it shone like beautiful pure blue light which beckoned him closer. Closing his eyes, he could still see the light as though it were the sun shining on a cloudless day. Owen could almost feel it warming his skin like he was laying in the sunshine in the Seer gardens. Her light drew him nearer to her.

Breathing steadily, Owen reached his hand to touch Viera's. He felt the surge of power course through him at her touch.

For two days, they had gone through this ritual with Viera bolstering his sick body as he reached out to the other side for its healing power. She had been very patient as she sat as still as a statue. He knew it didn't come naturally to her, but he knew he could teach her, just as Seers learned. Viera was a very good student and Owen missed teaching when he saw how easily she caught on.

A sound twittered from the living area and he felt Viera's mind wishing to go and answer the communication. Owen opened his eyes and turned to her with a smile.

"Sorry," she said squeezing his hand then rising from the floor. Owen just smiled and nodded to her. She rushed off and he turned to look out the large windows in the dining room. Ethesreld was beautiful but paled in comparison to Viera

Viera was getting several calls lately and Owen wondered what could be so important.

* * * *

Viera clicked off the terminal and sat looking at the dead screen. The news she had received from the palace unnerved her. The Prime Minister was threatening to disband the Representative Corps. They denied him what he wanted and now he was showing what power meant to him.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked leaning against the door frame. He looked so tired, but Viera knew he worried more about her than himself. Viera knew Seers learned selflessness so they would use their abilities for others and not personal gain.

"I'm fine," Viera said waving a hand at the terminal to dismiss it. "Just business as usual."

Owen's hate for the politics was notorious. Viera knew he mistrusted most of those who served as part of the Representative Corps. Owen's ability to look past her political career was a surprise to Viera. On several occasions, he received the label of a hostile towards representatives. It was a title he never deserved, in her opinion. He only spoke the truth. The truth was something politicians never liked to hear.

"Any messages for me?" he asked changing the subject. It seemed ages since he had heard from the Seer leaders. It felt as though he was a forgotten member of the Seers. He felt abandoned here, out of their sight.

"No," she sighed and stood. She went to where he stood and placed her hand on his shoulder. She knew it pained him to not be involved with the other Seers. They were his peers and friends. They were his only family.

"I'm sure they have more important things to worry about with the war," Owen said a weak smile crossing his lips. He was trying to have strength.

"Don't you think you are still important?"

"I'm a Seer who can't remember ten years of my life, and everyone fears I might become unstable and hurt someone."

His admission surprised Viera. She knew he wasn't stupid, but he perceived everyone's fears so well. What did he fear? Or was it fear of memories lost forever to the blackness of his mind?

"Tell me something," she said and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you fear, Owen?"

What did he fear? Was it not ever being an active Seer again? Was it the fear of things he felt for her?

"I don't fear," Owen said.

Viera sighed. Seers didn't admit fear, but she thought he had changed in their time together away from the Seers. Maybe she was wrong.

* * * *

"What are you doing?" Viera asked pulling her robe around her as she entered the kitchen. She had heard him clanking around in there all the way into her room.

"Making breakfast," Owen said as he pushed some eggs around in a frying pan. As a student, Owen often received cooking duty assignments while living among the Seers. He was no stranger to making meals. Why was she so surprised? Did she think Seers had as many servants as she did and didn't need to work?

"So you're feeling better?" she asked taking a seat at the small breakfast nook table and smiling up at him as he continued working at the stove.

"Yes," Owen said and put some eggs on a plate. He placed it in front of her. "Juice?"

"Thank you," she said and he filled her glass then took a seat across from her at the table.

The sound of the rain from outside had stopped, but the sky was still overcast. They ate in silence, just enjoying each other's company. She liked that they didn't have to fill every minute with chit-chat. There had been too many wasted words to last Viera a lifetime.

"I'm stuffed," Viera finally said as she pushed her plate away from her. Owen quickly cleared the table and put the dishes into the small dishwasher.

"I'm going to enter the other side," Owen said once after cleaning the kitchen to his satisfaction.

"Can I come?" Viera asked.

"Yes," Owen said mildly surprised at her willingness to take part again. He thought by now she would be tired of the ritual and the time it took.

"I know one of the most serene places here at Vatino." She smiled. Taking his hand, Viera led him to her bedroom door.

"Your bedroom?" Owen asked slightly nervous.

"Just c'mon," she said and pulled him inside. Her room was larger than his with a whole wall of floor to ceiling windows. The view was more spectacular than his, seeming to just look into the air as though one was floating.

Owen gasped and Viera laughed. There was something so innocent about his face. The room got better though and Viera went to the middle windows and pushed them apart. She walked out onto the balcony. There was no railing, merely a rock ledge which blended into the rocky side of the mountain to keep onlookers from falling.

"Perfect, right?" Viera asked turning to face him with a smile. Owen nodded and stepped out to join her. The wind whipped at his face and pulled his clothes tight against his body. It was cold but bearable.

"Let's try standing for the opening," Owen suggested. He was much stronger now and could show her the many ways Seers used to enter the other side. He liked showing her things about his life and sharing with her. She never judged and accepted with no questions. Sometimes he thought she was even curious about the life of a Seer, but held those questions in reserve, afraid to pressure him for answers.

"We'll look out over the mountains." She smiled and turned back to face the grand mountain range.

Owen moved behind her, his arm catching her around her waist and pulling her close against him.

"Okay, legs apart," he said taking her hand in his right hand, he placed both over her heart, pulling her closer to his body. This was how young students learned. Owen remembered the first time Xavier had shown him the opening like this. He also remembered the first time he had shown Andor. A tradition passed from one Mentor to their student until the end of time, if the Seers survived that long.

"Breathe in," Owen whispered against her hair as it whipped around his face. "Breathe out."

They regulated their breathing and it became synchronized. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest under his hand. She trembled against him. Maybe she was colder than he was out on the balcony.

"Are you cold?" he asked not breaking their breathing cadence. She shook her head 'no.' They continued breathing as one.

"Close your eyes," he whispered close to her ear. She did as he instructed. She was a very good student.

"Want to see the other side?" he asked. Viera shook her head 'yes.' A smile parted his lips as he manipulated the other side to surround her. The bright blue that marked her, he turned inside out in his mind, letting the other side pour into her. There was a little part of everyone that sensed the other side, but not many knew how to use it. Owen manipulated this little part inside Viera, using it so she could perceive the other side.

Viera squirmed under his touch as she sensed the awakening. She felt a heat in her body which she had never experienced before. Viera's whole body tingled making the hair on her arms and scalp stand on end. It was an amazing and frightening feeling wrapped together.

"Can you open your eyes?" Owen asked because he knew for those not trained as Seers, this feeling could be too overwhelming. Hopefully, she would not be too overpowered to enjoy the experience.

"Yes," she murmured back to him feeling like she was in the world between dream and sleep.

"Then see what I see," he said a smile crossing his lips as he held the manipulation constant so she could experience it with him.

Viera opened her eyes and gasped at the sight. The world was crisp and sharp with a golden hue. She could see further than normal eyes. Edges were bright and clear. She wanted to turn to see what another human would look like with her new perception. The world was amazing in this light.

"I wanna see you," she whispered. Owen released her waist and shifted enough for her to turn, but did not disconnect their hands which linked her to the other side through Owen's connection. The other side was only available to her through him and she had to keep up contact.

Viera turned and saw Owen as she had never seen another. A deep blue light surrounded him and created a halo around his body. His features were sharp and younger than she remembered. As the wind whipped his hair, she thought it seemed more golden. He was always handsome, but this went past the normal vision he presented.

Carefully, she reached her free hand up and touched his hair, the smile never leaving her face. It was strange that this was what he saw all the time. How would you not stop to look in wonder at everything? How would you not be awed by every sight?

It was beautiful. He was beautiful.

Standing on her tiptoes, Viera gently pressed her lips to his in a kiss. His lips were soft and welcoming at first, but she felt him stiffen as she tried to deepen the kiss between them. Owen released her hand, breaking the connection and took a step away from her, confusion plaguing his features.

Viera had made a grave mistake.
Chapter Eight

"Message for you," Viera said tapping lightly on Owen's bedroom door. He had spent most of his time locked away by himself, trying to avoid her, she suspected.

Viera apologized profusely for kissing him. He accepted her apology but made himself very scarce thereafter. Maybe, he didn't like her or was feeling guilty. She wished he would just tell her instead of hiding behind his locked door.

The door cracked open and Owen emerged from his room for the first time in almost two days. He was unshaven and looked as though he hadn't slept. Viera wanted to reach out and comfort him but feared that any pity she gave him would be misinterpreted. This was a fragile situation, to say the least.

Owen merely nodded to her and headed off down the hall to the living area. Viera leaned against the wall and sighed. She crossed her arms across her chest. There was nothing she could do to ever make him trust her again. It was the same pain as when he forbid her to see Andor ever again. He didn't trust her then either.

* * * *

The message from Andor was short and to the point. It was completely different from the unruly child Owen knew. He was stopping over on Ethesreld for some rest and respite from the war and he wanted to see Owen.

Fear pulsed through Owen as he realized his memory was still the same as it was the last time they were together at the medical complex. There was no improvement. Owen needed to ease Andor's mind somehow and he would need Viera's help.

He wasn't pleased with his actions after the kissing incident. Owen knew it was his fault but punished her anyway. She deserved an apology.

* * * *

"This"--Viera said flipping to the next picture on the computer terminal--"is Gace."

Owen studied the figure which flickered on the computer screen in front of him. How would he be able to remember all these things? It seemed like more than his brain could understand. Every picture was starting to look like the one before and Owen's eyes felt tired. He rubbed them trying to focus.

"He was in command of the ship you served on," she explained further. "He's a member of the Arsenal."

The Arsenal were members of an élite army for hire. Ethesreld employed their services at the beginning of the civil war, but the Seers were responsible for the mercenary army now. Viera always voiced her distrust of the Arsenal, but they were a means to an end.

"And you know all this, how?" Owen asked a smile on his face. She was a resourceful woman when the need arose. It was an appealing part of her personality. Viera got things done and didn't rely on others to do things for her.

"When you asked me to help," Viera explained, "I pulled all the military records my clearance could still get me. I also called in a few favors, but we won't talk about those."

"Still very resourceful."

"It's a must for a girl in this universe."

They both laughed. Viera breathed more easily because they were once again speaking. Maybe her indiscretion for kissing him was forgotten and their friendship was back on stable ground. Vatino was a very lonely place without him to keep her company. She missed him when he locked himself away.

"Okay, who else?" Owen asked turning back to the screen.

"Piercer will be with Andor," Viera said and flipped to the next picture. Viera didn't need to look up this particular service member's information. She knew Piercer from several visits when Andor was home from service. Piercer had also passed messages when Andor was not available to visit her apartment. Viera knew he was a very lethal member of the Arsenal.

"You know him?" Owen asked sensing her mind changing when looking at the picture. It was a quick flash, but nothing tangible for him to read.

"Yes, I've met Piercer."

Owen nodded thoughtfully. So much to try to remember and discover. He also had to tread lightly on subjects which were hurtful to Viera. Including when it concerned Andor. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Maybe Owen wanted to spare his feelings too.

"Are you coming to see Andor tomorrow at the palace?" Owen asked changing the topic before he thought too much about his feelings.

"I am going with you," she sighed and folded her hands in her lap, "but I will be spending my time with the queen during your visit."

Owen cleared his throat nervously. He could feel her trepidation over seeing Andor. Although there was no memory of the mess they all went through, Owen could understand how her heart must ache just from all the turmoil. He also knew he should feel something too, but he didn't and that was disturbing. Owen wanted to remember those feelings so he could give Viera complete forgiveness. She deserved that much.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Owen said doubtfully. "Andor was very upset the last time I saw him."

Gently Viera laid a hand on his arm. "Don't worry," she said calmly. "If I can fake my way through a greeting ritual in some language I don't know, you can do this."

* * * *

Owen paced nervously in the large room of the palace. The queen was generous to give him a private meeting area to visit with Andor. Owen still didn't know how his former student would react to him and was thankful for the privacy they received.

Viera excused herself when they arrived and he wondered what she was doing. He found himself wondering that about her more and more these days. She was always on his mind, just in the back, as a reminder.

Carefully, he reached out to the other side and searched for her mind as a form of reassurance for himself. Finding her, he let the feeling of her presence from the other side, wash over him. Now Owen felt more at ease like she was standing there squeezing his hand in reassurance.

"Owen," Andor said as he entered the large space. Two men stood behind him. It was the first time Owen saw what Viera told him were the Arsenal, in person. They had tattoos with different symbols along their necks and over their bald heads. Owen was sure he served with them but had no memory of what they looked like. They were menacing in their own way, yet he didn't fear them. They were allies and enemies rolled together, willing to give their allegiance to whoever paid the most.

"Andor," Owen said warmly beckoning them all to enter the room fully.

Andor approached with the swagger of a man who had seen many battles and clamped Owen in a hug. Although he was not the same, Owen still felt the affection he did for the twelve-year-old boy he remembered. That would never leave him. Andor was almost his child.

"Gace, Piercer," Owen acknowledged the two men. They didn't move proving they were well-disciplined and professional in their work.

"You're dismissed," Andor said to the men and they quickly were gone. Owen was sure they were as efficient as Viera described. She also made a point to remind him they were a deadly warring group that could turn on someone at any minute with no provocation. It was the only warning Owen needed.

"Where is Viera?" Andor asked getting comfortable on a large sectional couch which sat to look out the room's floor to ceiling window. Ethesreld's natural beauty shone in every building Owen visited while he was here. There were always large windows and light pouring in.

"She is visiting with the Queen," Owen said quietly a pang of jealousy in his voice. He didn't like the questions Andor posed about Viera, even though he didn't remember why and only because Viera explained everything.

The large elephant in the room was still Owen's memory. Andor exuded the need to know how his former mentor was doing. Owen knew the answers would be disappointing.

Grimly Owen sat down on the couch and looked at Andor squarely in the eyes. This was not the time to lie. Seers were known for truthfulness. Their ability to read other's minds and intentions made truth an important part of their abilities. They learned from childhood to remember truth was first and feelings were second.

"My memory is still the same," the older man said trying to apologize with his eyes.

"You knew Piercer," Andor said, a look of disbelief on his face. It was hard for him to understand how Owen's memory could not be returning.

"Viera coached me," Owen said. "I wanted you to feel comfortable coming to see me, so I did my homework."

Andor stood and walked to the window. His body was rigid as he crossed his arms. Owen could feel the sadness and disappointment of his former student as it radiated through the other side. These emotions were dangerous for someone with Andor's power. He was very gifted in the art of manipulation and projection, a dangerous set of gifts for any Seer. They required stability from their user. Andor wasn't always the most stable and Owen was the steadying voice in Andor's life. Now that steadiness was lost as Owen searched for his own memories.

"We need you," the younger man said not looking away from the window, lost in his own self-pity.

"We or you, Andor?"

"Yes, me too, but the war needs you."

"I wish I could help, but with no memory the Seers won't return me to active duty. I'm still dangerous. I haven't even started using my powers fully yet."

Andor was still that lost child Owen remembered, although in a man's body. Here the boy stood, wishing for a friendly face in the storm of war. How Owen wished he could ease the boy's pain, but they were on very different paths now. It was something they both had to respect because there was no way to change the facts. There was no way to force Owen's memories back, no matter how much they both tried.

"Are you hungry?" Owen asked changing the subject.

"Always," Andor said. "You are lucky you don't remember the food on the ships. That is something to forget. The Arsenal may know their way around a weapon, but not a kitchen."

Owen chuckled and clamped his former student on the shoulder. "I'm thankful for small favors."

* * * *

Viera watched as Owen said his goodbyes to Andor. She avoided the meeting altogether. Although she wasn't afraid of Andor or the feelings she once had for him returning, Viera wished to respect the promise she had made to Owen when he told her to stay away from Andor. Even if he didn't remember it, she did and she was a person of her word.

Standing quietly on the back of the landing platform, the wind whipped at her cloak. She pulled it tightly around her and leaned against one of the supports to watch the pair. Somehow, she found herself letting her eyes linger on Owen as he watched the boarding ramp closing behind his former student. She watched him pull his cloak tightly around himself as the shuttle took off, taking Andor back to war.

Owen turned and when he saw her, a huge smile spread across his face and he jogged toward where she stood. He was happy to see her and that seemed odd to her after Owen's behavior the past few days.

"I take it everything went well," she asked when he was close enough to hear over the sound of the ship taking off.

"Yes," he smiled, "but I'm ready to go home."

Her heart leaped as he called Vatino and Ethesreld home. Seers didn't claim homes except where they trained or served. Now Owen was calling her home world his own and it warmed her heart.

What was happening to her? Why was she acting like a giddy school girl around him?
Chapter Nine

Rain gave way to glorious sunshine and Ethesreld was alive again as the plants began to bloom. Viera was spending many afternoons in the garden tending to plants as they emerged from the rain-soaked soil. Gardening was something she always enjoyed, but she usually didn't have as much time to create a beautiful garden, settling for a small garden planter on the balcony of her apartment on the capital.

As she sat on her knees digging through the dirt and tending a large rosebush, she noticed Owen standing on the stone wall at the far end of the garden. He moved with purpose as he repeated the sequence. He was graceful to watch as his muscles moved under his tanned skin.

Wiping her hands on the ground next to her, Viera rose and wandered down to where he was. As she approached she could see he was barefoot as he exercised. He closed his eyes as he moved, deep in thought. Viera wondered if this was something he did to clear his mind.

Quietly, Viera turned to leave, trying not to disturb him. Maybe he wanted peace and quiet to finish his exercise.

"Ask whatever you want," Owen said quietly. She wheeled around to see him still moving serenely as though he hadn't spoken at all. She hated his ability to always look like it wasn't him.

"How do you do that?" she asked, her hands rising to her hips as though to scold him like a child.

"Do what?"

"Talk and then act like you didn't?"

"Practice."

"Well, it makes me feel strange."

"Why?"

"Because eye contact is an important part of communication."

"I don't need to see your eyes when I can see your intentions clearly. Your mind tells me."

Viera expelled her breath and crossed her arms in anger. "Well, I can't see yours," she said, her temper flaring. "Some of us weren't born special."

"Does that really bother you? I mean, you know I'm not playing a political game with you, so I wouldn't be misleading you and you wouldn't need to read my eyes. I'm your friend."

"Aggravating is what you are."

Owen stopped his exercise and opened his blue eyes to look at her. He held her gaze a long time. Viera felt uncomfortable as his eyes pierced into her.

"Better?" he asked.

"Thank you," Viera said and smiled at him. The intense look from his eyes made her breath catch in her throat. She cleared it quickly. "What are you doing?"

Owen jumped down from the wall with a grace only a skilled athlete possessed, smiling at her the whole time.

"It's a form of moving meditation," Owen said. "We are taught it once our Seer abilities develop fully. It helps to clear the mind of other people's thoughts and intentions. The noise of living in the universe."

"Looks difficult."

"It is, but once you memorize the pattern for your limbs, it becomes second nature."

"Could you show me?"

Owen stopped and looked at her. She was very interested in many aspects of the Seer life since they had come to Vatino. Maybe she was seeking a more peaceful life after all the turmoil of being queen and senator. The life of a Seer would seem peaceful, but sometimes Seer life was full of the same turmoil as the rest of the universe.

"Yes," he said. "I'd be glad to show you the forms."

* * * *

"Tuck your seat in," Owen said smacking Viera lightly on the bottom. He was starting to think teaching gangly pre-teens was easier or maybe Andor's ability to learn quickly had spoiled him.

"That is as far as it goes," she protested rather loudly. He laughed and then moved to the next position. The sun barely began to rise over the horizon and the amber light cast a beautiful glow on the garden.

"Like this?" Viera asked trying to imitate him as best she could. Somehow her arms and legs didn't work as well as his did. She was always good at things, but this made her feel like a complete idiot. He made it look so easy and beautiful while she was ripping it to shreds. Her lack of skill was embarrassing.

Owen moved behind her, pressing his body to hers as he guided her limbs into place. A blush rose in her cheeks at his proximity, her mind rushing back to the last time they had been so close to each other. How could she be thinking of that now? She needed more control, but she was failing that too.

"See how the wrist hitches here?" Owen said pointing with his finger at her wrist. "That's what leads to the next move."

Owen used his body to push her into the next pose. Pulling her even closer to him as though they were moving as one person. Viera wondered if this was how they trained students.

"We just show students," he said with a small laugh.

"Don't make fun of the non-Seer," Viera huffed unable to move from his grip on her limbs. Sometimes his mind reading was a real pain in her ass.

"I wouldn't dare."

"You are!"

Owen released her and moved next to her again. Viera grunted as she tried to hold the awkward position Owen held with ease. He was even more maddening as he smirked at her. She wanted to slap the smirk right off his tanned face but grunted instead trying to control her body with precision.

"Now move to the next," he said and easily twisted his body into the next position. Viera watched carefully and tried to imitate, but found her legs getting tangled and she fell face first towards the dewy grass. Using her hands to try to stop her fall, she heard a snap and then she was in terrible pain. It was blinding and she cried out loudly, tears streaming from her eyes instantly.

Owen was by her side before her mind could comprehend what had happened to her. He cradled her arm in his hands and felt where the bone fractured.

" _Shhhh_ ," he said soothing her as tears ran down her cheeks. Placing a hand on her forehead and keeping the other on her arm, he closed his eyes. Stretching out he called to the other side to ease Viera's pain. Easily he projected a soothing picture and feeling into her mind. She quieted as the soothing touch of his mind washed over her.

"I'll have to get a splint," he whispered and laid the arm down on the ground next to her. "Don't move."

Owen rushed to the house to find something that would do as a makeshift splint. He found two pieces of sturdy wood and some tape. Seers were not healers, although some tried. There was a limit to what they could manipulate with their mind. The splint would have to keep her comfortable until he could send for the physician and healer from the palace.

Kneeling next to her, he lifted her arm gently and placed the wood on either side to stabilize the broken bone. He used the tape to keep the wood in place. When he finished, he plopped down next to her.

"We have to call the palace," he said. She nodded in agreement.

Viera smiled shyly at him despite her pain. They had been close and even shared a bed when he was sick but now felt so different. His touch felt so much more intimate in the golden light of the morning.

"It feels better," she said noting how blue his eyes were. They seemed to reflect his moods.

"Maybe that was just a little too advanced," he admitted. "Next time we can take it slower."

Viera didn't want to take anything slower. For months, her mind ruled her heart. Being home lifted the weight of all the responsibilities from her shoulders, freeing her. She could see clearly and it was the first time in a very long time.

"Has there ever been a moment that is completely clear to you?" Viera asked averting her eyes to the grass beneath her.

"It's the heart speaking," Owen said nodding his head in agreement. He experienced that clarity when he destroyed the person who killed Xavier. That was his heart speaking to him clearly, telling him he was right to pursue the murderer.

Viera knew she was hearing her heart now and what it told her to do was frightening her. It begged her to step across a boundary which she once before crossed with no success and heartache that lingered even now.

She moved closer to Owen, her fingers of her good hand interlacing with his in a gesture of friendship and compassion. How did she tell him her heart knew he needed her in a way that would test his training as a Seer? That her heart knew she was the key to the memories locked inside his mind?

"I better make that call," Owen said breathlessly, breaking the spell between them.

Viera released his hand and sighed, maybe her heart was wrong.
Chapter Ten

Despite the aggravation of the small cast on her wrist, Viera spent several hours picking the perfect outfit for the evening meal she would share with Owen and her family. The gown was the softest green, long and cut in a halter shape, showing her back. The top clasped with an ornate pin and several strings of iridescent beads hung down the open part of the back to glitter against her skin. She had gotten some sun and the beads accented the tan of her bare skin.

They decided going out for dinner sounded fun for the evening. Viera was always a social person and missed outings. She felt like she wanted to spread her wings and enjoy her home world. It was a while since she enjoyed home. She was always too busy before.

"Are you almost ready, Milady?" Captain Sinta asked from outside the closed door of her room. Although Owen was capable and could protect her, Viera always felt more at ease with her security chief watching her carefully.

"Yes, Captain," Viera said as she pulled the front of her hair into a small ponytail and twisted it pinning it with a jeweled pin. She let the rest of the curls fall down around her shoulders. Viera checked herself again in her vanity mirror and then opened the door to see Captain Sinta's approving smile.

"Beautiful as always, Milady," he said.

"Thank you. Is the ship ready?" she asked gliding down the hall toward the main living area.

"Ready when you are," Sinta said following her at his normal distance two steps behind.

As Viera entered the living area, Owen turned to greet her. She was a vision in green, shining like the jewel he knew she was. He moved to greet her, taking her hand and admiring her. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"You look beautiful," he said smiling. Not in all the years he could remember had he seen anyone who looked so comfortable with who she had become. Viera blossomed as an adult, moving from queen to representative easily. Owen remembered the first time he met her and smiled at the memory. He was lucky to have those memories when so many others were missing. He was lucky to have her.

"Thank you," Viera said blushing the slightest shade of pink at his admiration. "Ashlandia awaits us."

Owen offered her his arm and they walked toward the small landing platform outside of Vatino.

* * * *

Ashlandia was a large lakeside villa in the southern part of Ethesreld. The grounds contained three waterfalls which poured into a large lake, creating a beautiful background for the large stone home.

Viera came to Ashlandia many times in her life. The villa was her family retreat and they had spent many summers swimming in the clear water the lake offered. The memories here were happy ones for her.

She stood on the balcony looking out toward the shimmering water. How she missed her childhood innocence and all the things she didn't have to worry about.

"Viera," she heard a familiar voice behind her. Turning, Viera saw her mother approaching, a wide smile on her face. Viera embraced her mother feeling the tightness of tears building in her chest. It had been a while since they had seen each other. She knew her parents worried as the war waged on and Viera hadn't made much time to come and see them. She regretted it now.

"You look well," Malhia said holding her daughter at arm's length.

"I'm feeling good," Viera said and she actually meant it for once. Something inside her had changed since she returned home to Ethesreld. Viera was at peace, which she had not been able to feel in some time.

"I see Captain Sinta came with you," Malhia said looping her arm through Viera's as they walked back toward the villa, leaving the lake and waterfalls behind them.

"He is still a very faithful servant," Viera commented a small smile crossing her lips. She knew her mother wanted to ask about Owen but was waiting for Viera to comment first.

"And Seer Melonach?" her mother finally asked. Everyone on Ethesreld knew his name and to Viera's family he was a true hero because he had helped Viera to end a siege of the planet. Unfortunately, it resulted in the current war, but for a moment, there was a peace on Ethesreld.

"He is well," Viera said. She told her mother in a message, before accepting the dinner invitation, about his memory so they would not ask questions that Owen could not answer.

"He can't keep his eyes off you," Malahia said. "He's been standing at the window watching your every move since you came outside."

Viera giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. Had he really taken to her?

"Mother," Viera admonished the older woman. "He is just making sure I am safe."

"Safe in his heart."

* * * *

"Dinner was wonderful," Owen said pushing his plate away. The candlelight in the room cast a beautiful glow throughout the large space creating a very romantic atmosphere. Viera told him her family often held these kinds of dinners just as a way to break up the monotonous days.

"One of the best," Radya, Viera's father, agreed and leaned back in his chair. He patted his stomach and smiled.

"Valerie and I are going on one of the candle barges," Darmianda, Viera's brother-in-law, said as he rose from his seat and then helped Valerie from her seat.

Owen looked at Viera. Her mind was twitching with anticipation, but disappointment that she had no one to go with her. The smile never left her face as she watched her sister and brother-in-law go toward the door which led to a boat landing. They slipped out the door and she turned to look at Owen, giving him a weak smile.

"Would you like to go, Viera?" Owen asked her, leaning his elbows on the table and smiling.

"Are you sure?" Viera asked hesitantly. Candle barge rides were very romantic and the drivers were known to go to the more private areas of the lake to make sure those riding would not be seen. She wasn't sure he knew what he was getting into.

"Yes," he said rising from the table. He went around and pulled Viera's chair out for her and offered her his hand. Delicately, Viera rose from her chair and followed Owen toward the boat landing door, grasping his hand in anticipation. His heart was beating furiously inside his chest as they stepped out into the night air.

Candle barges were flatboats taken out on the lake at night. They had candles along the edge with a driver using a small motor to propel the barge around the lake. Viera had only been on one when she was a child and that had been a treat for her birthday. These rides were usually reserved for couples who were courting or had committed themselves to each other. They were a booming business after the rainy season because many people enjoyed a chance to get out together.

Viera and Owen stood in line behind Valerie and Darmianda for the next available boats.

"Are you excited?" Owen asked wryly. He really didn't have to ask because he could feel her excitement pouring through her. Tentatively he reached out to touch her mind and saw flashes of her as a child, riding on the glass surface of a lake at night. It was a beautiful memory.

"Yes," Viera smiled and gripped Owen's hand tightly. They watched as Valerie and her husband set off across the lake. They seemed to float on the water as they stood in the middle of the barge holding each other and looking at the stars.

The next barge arrived and Owen stepped on first. He reached out his hand and helped Viera onto the flatboat. The barges were steady and they could move around easily without the fear of tipping the boat.

As they began their cruise across the lake, Viera clung to Owen's arm. A gentle breeze made the candles flicker as they cruised, letting shadows dance across her face. Owen looked up to see the beautiful stars in the sky. The night couldn't be more perfect.

"This is fantastic," Owen said in awe as he looked around trying to take in all the sights of the night. The smell of flowers on the night air filled his senses.

"I'm so glad we are home," Viera said quietly. Until now she thought of her return home as running from everything happening in the galaxy, but she was living to fight another day and that was the most important thing she could do for her people, for the universe. Her place was here with them. Their fate would be hers. She was happy with that now.

"I'm glad I'm back too," he said and smiled at her.

"Doesn't seem that long to you, does it?" she asked.

Owen shook his head 'no.' His memories of Ethesreld were very fresh. When he had been back at the palace to see Andor, it seemed as though only days had passed. Everything was familiar.

"You are so revered here," Viera said grabbing his attention again. "You saved my planet and me. They remember you for it."

"I did what I had to do," Owen said humbly.

"I admire you for everything you've done."

Viera turned and stood in front of Owen. She took his hands in hers and placed them around her waist delicately. Owen did not resist as she placed her hands on his chest.

"Do you feel it?" she whispered, her hand stroking down a wrinkle in his shirt as she tried to fight down the nerves in her stomach. This was happening so quickly, but not fast enough. Everything was a jumble inside of her and that was frightening because she was always in control. He made her lose control in a way that was wonderful.

Slowly Owen shook his head 'yes.' He felt it. There was something growing between them. It was something he never felt before and it was confusing. The Owen he was before would push these feelings away and deny what the heart wanted.

Right now, he didn't want that Owen. He wanted her more than anything and nothing more.

He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. They were warm and perfect and all he would ever need. With her, he wasn't a Seer, he was just a man.
Chapter Eleven

Owen read through the message again carefully. What he was proposing would be shaking to the leaders. He was a respected member of the Seers, or so they told him during his recovery. How would they take the fact he was not returning? He was sure they would be upset he was giving it up for a woman, but now it didn't matter.

This felt right. This felt like where his heart always belonged.

"What are you working on?" Viera asked emerging from the kitchen wearing nothing but his shirt as her nightshirt. It was an amazing sight.

Owen clicked off the monitor and smiled at her. He hadn't told her that he decided to give up everything for her. That was too much to burden her within the short time since he kissed her. This was his decision alone. She didn't need to know what he decided until the time was right.

"Just a message to Perin," he said and rubbed his eyes. They spent the night, after returning from dinner with her family, just talking. He learned so much about the person who shared the retreat with him. They hadn't slept yet and he was feeling sleepy.

Viera approached him and climbed into his lap. She pulled apart a small piece of bread and handed him half while she popped the rest in her mouth. They hadn't eaten either.

"I hope it's nothing important," she said sighing and snaked her arms around his neck leaning heavily against his chest. "I want to go to bed."

Owen nodded but felt a strange tingling in his belly. He was sure it was nerves at what she expected of him, not that he hadn't been with women, but this, well, it was different. They were emotionally invested in each other. That made a big difference.

He didn't fear battle. He feared being out of practice with a woman. It was some time ago when he last had a fling.

"Let's go to bed," he said cradling her in his arms and standing from the chair, lifting her easily.

"But your message," Viera said still being the practical one.

"It can wait," he smiled. "This can't."

Viera quivered with the meticulous way Owen made love to her. Until now, she only knew sex as a frenzy of touching and tasting each other's flesh. But like the reserved person she knew he was, Owen took his time getting to know her body. Fingers, tongue and palms exploring every inch of her and every nerve in her body was on fire from his touch.

A caress here and heated exchange between them and Viera was lost in feelings she never experienced before. It was true he was not her first. He wasn't even her first Seer, but she wished he was. Oh, how she wished she could take back all those times and make this brand new. Not that the experience would have been more exciting, but it would've been different. It would've been special between them.

His lips where hot as they pressed against her skin, Viera felt him kissing her in places she never knew would bring such pleasure to her. Her fingers tangled in his hair as a sigh escaped her lips, floating on the air between them. She felt out of control as his fingers caressed her body. Her flesh was on fire as his fingertips danced across her heated skin, finding every spot that brought her closer to pure ecstasy. Finally, she cried out his name, as he hovered over her, her body trembling from his attention.

With a grunt of satisfaction, Owen collapsed next to her, a smile gracing his face. She rolled toward him, begging for closeness with him and fearing if she closed her eyes, this would all go away. It was too good to believe. As his arms folded around her, and he kissed her forehead and she relaxed into his arms.

"What do I fear?" Owen asked recalling the conversation they before had about life.

"Yes," Viera said snuggling closer to his body. She inhaled his musky scent trying to commit it to memory in case everything was a dream.

"Missing this," he said honestly. Now Owen knew what he was missing from his life. He needed someone to share everything he was and would ever be. Seers weren't allowed true companionship. Owen often believed it was because people feared them during their early years, but it was time to change what they believed. It was time for the universe and Seers to change.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Viera asked. She knew love was dangerous for a Seer or that was what Andor told her. Maybe Owen knew more about why Seers weren't allowed the one thing people craved--love.

"Not if you aren't a Seer anymore," Owen said and kissed her forehead again. Quickly she pulled away from him and looked into his blue eyes. He was still smiling.

"No," she said warningly, "that message..."

"You can't decide this for me." Owen sighed and rolled on his back. He ran his hand through his hair. Sometimes she was rather exasperating and stubborn. He was sure this would be one of those times. She would argue her case until she couldn't take another breath. He was too tired for that now.

"I'm not trying to decide anything for you, but you also don't remember everything to make this kind of decision."

"I know who I am, Viera."

"I never said you didn't. Please hold off sending that message."

Owen rolled to face her and used a finger to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Her features softened, but he could still feel her resolve buried deep inside of her. Once again, he was going to let her win. He would always let her win.

"I won't send it yet, but that doesn't mean I've changed my mind," Owen conceded. Viera sighed but knew she would have to take this gesture as a peace-offering. He'd made up his mind, she knew.

* * * *

Viera smiled as she watched Owen going through the moving meditation in the sun-soaked garden. Blowing on her cup of tea to cool it, she leaned against the door frame just admiring his movements. There was so much to admire as his muscles moved beneath tanned skin.

Without ever speaking a word, he knew she was there. She knew he was so connected to the other side when doing the moving meditation. Owen didn't need to see her to know she was watching him. He felt calmed by her and she felt completed by him.

How long they waited to believe what they both knew.

Viera knew her affair with Andor was just been a pathetic attempt to banish other thoughts from her mind. She didn't know what those thoughts were, but now she did. Love. The word still sounded strange to her, but it was what they had when they were together.

She loved Owen although she knew she shouldn't. It was forbidden, but that made it even more exciting. It made their time together in Vatino more exciting for her.

"Thinking?" Owen asked disturbing her thoughts. He approached her wiping the sweat from his face with a small towel, the sun casting an auburn halo about his dark hair.

"Always," she beamed and then sipped her tea. "Are you going with me to the palace today?"

"Yes," he smiled and then bent to kiss her gently on the lips. They lingered together for a few moments enjoying the closeness. "While you have your audience with the Queen, I'm going to visit the market."

Viera loved the open market which was held weekly near the palace. She remembered visiting there as a child. When she was the queen, she would dress as a servant and shop for trinkets from the vendors.

"Maybe we could spend the night in the palace," Viera suggested. She felt Owen's body tense at the suggestion and her brow furrowed. Viera read his unease. Maybe there was a boundary in their relationship she didn't know about. She was so out of practice at relationships. Mentally she kicked herself for suggesting it.

"Forget it," Viera said gently, sipping her tea again trying to act like it didn't bother her or matter either way.

"Don't be angry," Owen said placing his hand on her arm. "This," he said indicating them both, "is not something I'm willing to share with other people now."

Viera nodded. She could understand the need for selfishness about what they had together. It was so new to them both. There were terms and limits they needed to work out in private before announcing anything to an outsider.

"I'll go get ready," Owen said and kissed her again. She turned and watched him go, hating being away from him, but appreciating his retreating body as she let a smile spread across her face.

He was hers.

* * * *

Owen walked lazily through the open market taking the time to stop several times to admire items at each booth but moving along without purchasing anything. He had everything he could need.

As he came to the last booth, there was shock at what he saw. There, lined up from biggest to smallest, were Seer staffs. Some had scorch marks and others were pristine as though they had never saw battle. Owen's fists clenched at his sides and then he looked at the dealer. Obviously he was dealing in someone else's misfortune and that angered Owen.

"Where did you get these?" he asked keeping his tone as calm as he could. It was difficult to stop himself from punching the dealer in the face, but Owen needed information from the man.

"Parvel," the dealer said, interest sparking in his eyes at the idea of a sale. "Would you like to see one?" The man opened the case offering Owen a better view.

Owen shook his head 'no.' His stomach clenched tightly at the thought of the Seers who died on Parvel. It was a trap and none of the Seers could predict what was going to happen. The other side used a blocking shield to keep the Seers from reading minds or projecting into them. A slaughter from beginning to end, Viera told him. She was there, kidnaped by a rival planet trying to get a treaty with Ethesreld.

Suddenly a terrible pain shot through his mind. Crying out, he bent, holding his head. Then there was a flash and infantrymen surrounded him, firing in all directions. Seers were dying on all sides of him and all he could do was watch, like a horrible movie he couldn't stop.

Owen fell to his knees tears rolling down his face. Of all the things to remember, a battle with the slaughtering of Seers was what he received. His mind was quiet for so long and now gave him only pain and death.

Why was he being tortured with such horrible memories? He would rather be without them at all. He would rather it stay buried.

Maybe it was because of the love he felt for Viera. Maybe this was a Seers' punishment for breaking the rules. No one ever knew what love did to Seer abilities, but maybe Owen was finding out the hard way.
Chapter Twelve

Viera noted how quiet Owen was on the return to Vatino. As the small transport touched down on the landing pad of the retreat, he made his way from the ship without a word to her. Gathering her few possessions, Viera went to find him, concerned for his mental well-being.

After searching the common living area, she found him standing on the balcony in her bedroom. No, she reminded herself, their bedroom. He looked determined but sad as he stared into the distance. His face proved he was somewhere else, listening to a voice she couldn't hear.

Viera wanted to ask what happened, but she knew Owen and he would tell her when he was ready. The best thing to do was to wait and see what he wanted her to know about what was troubling him. Although they were sharing so much, he was still a very private man. His heart, reserved for those he thought worthy, was just opening to her and she didn't want to scare him away.

"The scars on your thighs," Owen began, not looking at her, "those are from Parvel?"

"They are," Viera said. She explained her kidnapping prior to the battle when he had noticed them. Andor saved her from the clutches of a splinter group who kidnapped her to force her planet to sign a treaty and surrender to them.

"I remember the fight," he said turning to look at her, pain evident in his blue eyes. "I remember Andor carrying you away from that room where you were held, your body limp and unresponsive, blood dripping from welts on your bare skin."

Viera was unsure if she should be enthusiastic or cry. If he remembered, their budding relationship could be over and he would return to his service as a Seer. How could she be so selfish when it was evident he was searching for comfort? Owen was suffering with this painful memory and all she could do was think of herself. She had to comfort Owen. This was his pain, not hers, even though she remembered it clearly.

"How?" she asked reaching her hand to touch his arm. The feeling of her hand meant only to reassure him during this difficult time. She didn't want to force him into anything. This was a delicate time for him. Things would be hard for him to process and she needed to be strong for him. If he needed to fall apart, she would need to pick up the pieces.

"In the market, there was a dealer with a large collection of staffs," he said eyes unfocused. "Something flashed and I was on Parvel again."

"That's good, though," she said tentatively trying to judge his feelings or push him toward a conclusion about how he felt.

"Good? The first thing I remember is the death of most of the Seers I know. Why am I being punished, Viera? What have I done wrong?"

"Why do you think this is punishment?"

Owen shook his head not giving her an answer. His eyes welling with tears for all those people who he knew were gone. How could one person relive such a difficult moment in life? Why did he have to relive it?

"C'mon," she said taking his hand and pulling him back toward the bedroom. "Let's get some tea and we'll talk some more."

Reluctantly he followed her toward the kitchen and sat at the small table in the nook while she put on the water for tea. Finally, after placing the cups out and retrieving the kettle, she sat down and faced him.

"The memory is painful, but Perin said strong emotion could trigger your memories," Viera said quietly sipping her tea thoughtfully. She hated seeing him suffer.

"I don't want these memories," Owen said honestly looking deeply into her blue eyes. He was searching, but she didn't have any answers to soothe him.

"Maybe these are the things you are supposed to see. Maybe your heart is leading you."

He pounded his fist on the small table making the cups shake and fall over, spilling the warm beverage onto the top. She noted the irritation in his expression and tried to plead with her eyes for him to control himself, but he was in no mood for her pleas.

"Damn my heart!"

Owen stood from the table, his chair screeched against the tile floor as he stormed from the room. Viera followed, but the door to his room was closed and locked against her intrusion. She leaned against it, sliding down to the floor, sobbing for Owen and his broken heart.

* * * *

The news from the capital was not good. Viera read through the mandate several times and yet still couldn't make her mind comprehend what it spelled out. It was a disaster. No one could believe a sane person was running the government anymore.

She held her face in her hands and wept silent tears. Trying times lay ahead, but she did not know what to do. Her mind could formulate no plan. Things were so far out of her control now and she had walked away.

Quietly she wiped the tears from her cheeks and eyes. There was a dark time coming, just as Owen predicted. The Seers were recalled to the Capital and the war was a stalemate. The Prime Minister would punish the Seers for their inability to shift the tide of the war. They were in terrible danger and that included Owen.

As if on cue, Owen entered the living area carrying a small bundle of wood to start a fire in the fireplace. He finally started to cheer after remembering Parvel, but it took time. He still was not the man he was before the memories returned. Viera feared how he would change if more memories returned and change his mind about her forever.

The past month was a romantic pleasure for them both. They made love at will and spent the rest of the time sharing each other's confidence. Owen shared many secrets with her and she told him everything she could think of about herself.

She couldn't hide her emotions from him and the demeanor of his manner changed to match hers. His eyes narrowed as he regarded her distressed expression. Although she couldn't feel him searching her mind, she knew he was checking her thoughts. She didn't need to hide from him. Viera wanted to be open with him. They needed to build trust.

"You wanna tell me?" he asked simply. It was her choice to make. That was the beauty of loving Owen. There was never the pressure other relationships often placed on her.

"The Seers have been recalled to Capital," she said sighing and rising from her seat to join him at the fireplace. She picked up a piece of wood and threw it in the pit. Owen placed a piece of wood in too and then grabbed her hand, grasping it tightly.

"I know," he said quietly and turned her to face him. He kissed the palm of her hand gently and then put her palm against his cheek.

"Were you going to tell me?" she asked, her temper flaring because he was keeping secrets.

"Tell you about an order I was not following?" Owen asked trying to soothe her.

"Yes. I think I should know."

"Okay, now you know. I'm not going because it's a trap."

She smiled at him. He confirmed what she suspected since reading the mandate. The Prime Minister feared the Seers and this was his way to get them out of the way. Oh, how he had fallen from the person Viera admired when she was a young representative.

"Then you have a plan?" she asked threading her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her, their foreheads meeting.

"Always," Owen said kissing the bridge of her nose and then moving to her lips and tenderly kissing them.

"Wherever you go," she whispered against him, "I want to be there."

"No matter what," he said, "you are my first priority."

Viera cleared her throat nervously and blushed. She never loved anyone more than she loved Owen. He was the only thing that mattered to her. He was the air she breathed. This was a moment she never wanted to end between them.

"I think we should commit to each other," Owen said leaning his forehead against hers again, a smile spreading across his lips.

Something inside Owen decided she was worth risking his whole life to love. It didn't matter what the cost. He would no longer be a Seer if they required him to stay away from her and not follow his heart. It was a line he was not going to move, the leaders would just have to contend with his feelings and accept his resignation.

"Married?" Viera asked him, her voice shaking at the thought of being his wife. Was this happening too quickly? Should she take more time and see if his memories returned?

"Why not?" he laughed.

"Okay," she said hesitantly. Owen gave up everything to be with her, but what did she sacrifice for him?

"Don't sound so convinced," he said a little bit of hurt rising in his voice.

"It's just..." she started and then gripped him for support. She felt faint. "I need to sit down."

Owen helped her to the chair near the computer terminal. His brows furrowed as he checked her over. He worried about her.

"Are you okay?" he asked kneeling in front of her and holding her hands. She was cold and clammy to the touch. This wasn't like her at all. Owen frowned showing his concern.

"Just a taken by surprise," she explained smiling at him weakly.

"I'm sorry if this is sudden," he explained. "I just don't want to be without you."

"Then we will get married," she said and bent to kiss his lips sealing their agreement.
Chapter Thirteen

"This dress was worn by the women in our family for generations," Malhia said as she helped Viear slip the delicate white garment over her head. The fit was perfect and Viera admired herself in the full-length mirror as her mother buttoned the back. This was it. This was the turning point. There was no going back from here and she knew she didn't want to. She needed to be Owen's wife.

"I remember when Valerie wore this," Viera whispered running her fingers over the delicate lace. She felt like she should revere the dress as much as the moment.

Malhia finished the buttons and looked at Viera in the mirror. Tears glistened in Viera's eyes as she finally saw herself in the gown. This day had played over and over in her head for years, but the groom she had imagined was a very different person. She was thankful it wasn't the man she dreamed of so many times. Owen was more than she could have hoped for in those early years of daydreaming.

"Sorry," Viera said and swiped at the tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't worry," Malhia said embracing her daughter. "When I put this dress on to marry your father, I cried like a baby."

* * * *

Owen could feel Radya's eyes upon him as he checked his dress uniform again to make sure it was perfect. Owen wanted to be perfect for her and perfect for their day together.

"I will take care of her," Owen assured Viera's father. He could sense the man's hesitation about the wedding, but Radya was a good man and Owen knew he would not object to someone his daughter loved.

"I respect you as a Seer, but she is still my daughter," Radya said.

"There is no way I can understand, but she means more to me than anything," Owen explained clamping Radya on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. He was sure if the roles were reversed, Owen would be worried too and thanks to his marriage, he just might get the chance to have those feelings about his own daughter. He hoped Viera wanted children as much as he did. She would make a wonderful mother.

"It's just we are in precarious times," Radya said trying to smile. "Seers aren't the most respected members of society right now. It could cause you both heartache."

Owen knew being a Seer wasn't what it had once been. The murmuring he heard wasn't flattering, but he didn't want to be a Seer anymore. He wanted the life he turned away from to follow the other side. He wanted a family. He wanted to love without being told it was wrong. Damn the rest of the universe and its politics. He only wanted Viera.

"For her," the younger man said, "I would give away everything I ever was or ever will be, without hesitation."

* * * *

She took the breath from his lungs in one fell swoop. Viera was the most beautiful sight his eyes had ever seen. She stood with a smile on her face, by the edge of the balcony of the Ashlandia villa. The dress she wore hugged her curves and accentuate her body perfectly. Owen was a lucky man.

Owen approached her, passing the smiling faces of her mother and sister, as he took her hand gently in his. He beamed.

"You are beautiful," he whispered for her alone to hear.

"Not too bad yourself," she whispered back.

They both turned their attention to the officiant who was silently waiting for them to finish their conversation. Owen found his hand was shaking slightly as he held hers. In all the time he could remember, he was never so nervous.

"On Ethesreld," the officiant began, "we celebrate the love of two people by the joining of their spirits.

"The ceremony is a simple one. There is no need for frivolity when it comes to love."

Viera grasped his hand tightly as the words were spoken. She was like a rock. So sure and so strong. He was a leaf shaking on a tree in the wind. You wouldn't know he was a battle-tested warrior by the way he was acting.

"If you would turn to face each other," the officiant said.

Owen faced her. He stared into her blue eyes. She sparkled like a gem picked straight from the night sky. Owen felt his eyes beginning to well, but he pushed the tears away. This was happy and he wanted to save the emotions for another time when they were alone.

"Do you, Viera Ethesreld, promise to love and honor Owen Melonach until your spirit leaves your terrestrial body?" the officiant asked.

"Absolutely," Viera said, a smile parting her lips as she spoke. He couldn't help but smile back at her. She was the light of his life and all he needed.

"And do you, Owen Melonach, promise to love and honor Viera Ethesreld until your spirit leaves your terrestrial body?" the officiant asked turning to Owen.

Before he could answer, the familiar sound of boots against stone made Owen snap his head around. Out of instinct, he pushed Viera behind him to protect her. This visitor screamed into his mind a darkness he only felt once before and it announced who was there with a clarity Owen hadn't experienced in some time.

Standing there staring angrily at them both was Andor. The boy looked wild and his eyes were completely foreign. This was not the young man Owen met with months ago. This was a different person tucked inside the familiar shell of the boy Owen once knew.

"You hypocrite!" Andor seethed through gritted teeth. His hands were clenched at his side, opening and closing in anticipation of action. Owen knew Andor well and this was his tell. Action was coming and it would be terrible.

Owen took up a defensive stance. It was clear Andor was here for Viera. Owen didn't remember their relationship or the way Andor was punished, but this was his retaliation for what he perceived all the Seers did to him. What he thought Owen did to him.

"The whole reason you forbid me to see her was because you wanted her," Andor said, every word dripping with anger. Viera's family was frozen where they were, unable to move in fear of what Andor might do to them.

"I don't remember any of it," Owen protested trying to calm his former student. If he could get Andor to calm down, this would be solved. Maybe he would respond to some form of reason, but Owen doubted it.

"So that makes you unaccountable for your actions? How convenient."

"It's not convenient, it's the truth. She doesn't want to be with you. She's chosen me."

Andor stalked closer to Owen with the purpose of hurting him. Viera's family scrambled away, but Owen could feel Viera standing defiantly behind him. Owen wanted her to move, but he feared what Andor would do to her if she tried to escape. He couldn't live with himself if she were hurt.

"I want her," Andor said as a storm rolled through his eyes.

"You can't have her. She is not a possession, Andor!" Owen returned. Something was different about the boy. He felt dark and ice cold inside Owen's mind. It sent a shiver up his spine. Andor never felt so disconnected from Owen and it was hard to feel the emptiness where his former students should be.

Andor lunged toward Owen, lashing out. Their arms locked in a battle of wills. Owen projected into Andor's mind, trying to soothe him, but Andor was stronger and projected a terrible vision of what his plans were for Viera upon winning her. Owen groaned at the disgusting nature of the images and tried to force Andor out of his mind. He was out of practice and finding a shield strong enough for Andor's assault proved difficult.

Owen felt Viera release his arm and run toward her family. He was thankful she was out of the line of fire, should Andor bring his focusing staff into the mix, but it didn't seem as though he had it with him. That was lucky for Owen because his was tucked away inside the ship they arrived on. He didn't think he would need it on his wedding day.

Andor was distracted by Viera, but Owen knew it was only fleeting. Andor was stronger and was close to overpowering the older Seer.

"The darkness has made you arrogant," Owen said as he tried to move his hands to clench around Andor's throat. The boy was strong.

"It's made me powerful," Andor growled pushing against Owen's face with his hands, trying to drive him so far away that he could no longer reach Andor's throat.

Then Owen felt the sinking feeling in his stomach. The child he raised now stood before him, an animal. The training was wrong. Andor should have been rejected as a Seer due to instability, yet the leaders wanted his power. Where were they now to see the end result pressure on him? Owen was the only witness to his final fracture.

Seers fractured during the history of the group and it was always a painful experience. Owen saw two other fractures after Parvel, he didn't want to watch another as their mind split into multiple pieces. Andor's final split would be very powerful and could kill them all. The wave of psychic energy would be dangerous because his power was so great.

"What will you do, Andor, hunt down all the Seers and punish them?"

There was no answer as Andor moved his hands around Owen's neck. He felt the railing of the balcony pressing against his lower back, the stone digging into his skin. Andor reached into Owen's mind, shoving past any shield he managed to erect. Owen remained as calm as he could, but he knew consciousness would be leaving him soon due to lack of air. His eyes darted toward Viera, who stood in her wedding gown crying. The last memory of her he would have until he found her again.

Owen tried to convey his love for her with his eyes. He wanted her to know, no matter what happened, he would always be with her. Somehow he was resigned to his fate at Andor's hands for the moment, but Owen didn't want her to suffer the pain of his loss. He wanted her to know she would be all right without him, no matter what.

Then the world was black and he was falling.
Chapter Fourteen

Viera awoke in pitch darkness. She had no idea where she was or what the room even looked like. All she knew was that she was on a cot and her dress was no longer on her body. Pulling her arms around herself, she tried to cover and warm her cold skin. There was no warming her cold soul, though. Andor made sure her soul would be scarred forever.

Tears began to stream down her face. Viera let herself sob loudly, unashamed of her grief. She mourned the man who was supposed to be her husband by now. Owen was all that she could think about there in the darkness. She didn't think about what this meant for her, but what was happening to him now and the sadness he must be feeling.

Was he looking for her? If he was, would he find her in time?

A door in the blackness cracked and she could see a sliver of light around the edges. Finally, it swung open and light flooded the room. Viera quickly covered her eyes from the glaring pain it caused. As her eyes adjusted, she lowered her hand and Andor stood just inside the door's threshold. He looked like someone she had never seen before. He was different. This was not Andor; it was a demon.

Fresh tears coursed down her already damp cheeks as she anticipated what was to happen to her, although her mind didn't want to try to comprehend the sickness and sadness she would have to endure.

* * * *

"Are you sure this tracing is accurate?" Owen asked checking the tablet Captain Sinta gave him. The tracing hadn't changed, but he had to make sure. There wasn't room for error here. Owen had to be right the first time and strike while he had surprise on his side.

"There is no indication he left the atmosphere," Sinta said clamping Owen on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. They were all frightened by Viera's kidnapping. Owen knew Sinta had a special place in his heart for Viera. They had been each other's sole company for many years and Owen respected the man.

"I think I'll follow the last trajectory," Owen said and sighed. He hadn't slept in almost twenty-four hours. They spent most of those hours trying to figure where Andor had taken Viera and what the best way to get her back would be. It was going to be a tough battle. Andor's Seer abilities would prove very hard for Owen to overcome, but he had to try. He could never leave her there with the sickness inside of Andor's mind.

"You should get some rest," Sinta said in a compassionate tone although he knew the other man wouldn't rest. Sinta admired him for how much he loved Viera. It was a long time since she had someone in her life that cared about her so completely and not for political gain.

"I can't rest," Owen said angrily pounding his fist against the arm of the chair where he was sitting. The anger was unbefitting a Seer. "I don't know what he is doing to her and I don't want to imagine it. He's sick and twisted."

* * * *

Viera sobbed as Andor made love to her for the second time since he entered the room. She agreed as long as Andor promised to leave Owen alone and never try to find him she would stay. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine she was somewhere, anywhere, else as he took from her what he wanted.

Finally, Andor was satisfied. He stood from the small cot and began straightening his clothes. As Viera looked into his eyes, there was nothing. The windows to the beautiful soul she once called Andor were closed and dark.

She claimed to love him once. Viera was willing to throw everything away for him and now look what he was becoming. There was nothing left of the person she shared joy and smiles with during their romance. He was now dark and twisted in a way she didn't understand.

Where was the real Andor?

Maybe this is what Owen talked about when he talked about Seers who fractured. Viera wasn't familiar with everything in their culture, but she had heard rumors of Seers going crazy and being killed to protect others.

"What happened to you?" Viera's shaking voice spoke before she could stop it. If there was one thing she learned during her time serving in the Representative Corps, it was to not engage the enemy in negotiations. Blatantly she broke the first rule and would pay.

"I've learned a lot," Andor said darkly. "I've learned to take what I want. I've learned that the Seers were never right. I've learned that Owen never wanted me to succeed and he only wanted you."

"You're sick!" she spat at him.

"He'll come for you," Andor said arrogantly. "It's the Seer thing to do. And when he does, I'll make sure you never have to worry about him and how you feel again."

Andor pulled an electronic lock sensor from his pocket and placed it against the door. The door clicked open.

"I'll never love you," Viera said in a defiant tone, crossing her arms over her bare chest. She was trying to be as defiant as possible. Even though she agreed to his demands, she didn't have to love him, she just needed to let him use her until her love could find her again.

"I can live with that."

* * * *

The door to the underground home was hidden well, but Owen found it with a little detective work. He didn't always need his eyes to see what was obvious to the mind. Andor planned thoroughly for the kidnapping. It was evident in the home he acquired to hold her after he took her. How long was he planning to take her away and had he followed them to the retreat?

Opening the door quietly, Owen didn't hear anyone inside. Perhaps his former student was alone. Owen knew Andor was strong enough to carry out the kidnapping and imprisonment alone, but thought maybe he hired locals to watch Viera when he was gone.

Owen moved down the corridor toward the lower level of the home as silently as he could manage. The bottom level was deserted and didn't feel right to him. There was a green flash in his mind, but it went too quickly for him to catch the detail. Andor was near, but trying to use projection, which Owen was immune to most of the time. Owen tightened his mind, keeping Andor at bay for as long as possible.

"I knew you would come," Andor's voice said from ahead. Owen's hand clamped tightly around his staff. He wouldn't be caught a second time without the ability to focus more power into Andor's mind. It was essential to his plan to overpower the younger man.

"Then show yourself," Owen said calmly. Seers were one of two ways during a battle. They could either get excited and wrapped up in battle or they could be calm and serene as the battle raged around them. Owen was always calm. Andor was the exact opposite, letting himself grow excited as battles intensified.

"Oh, Owen," Andor's voice said trying to taunt the older man. "You still rely on the old teachings when you could have so much more. There is more to being a Seer than we ever imagined. I can show you, just like you showed me all those years ago."

"I don't want more," Owen said feeling like he was channeling Xavier as the words spilled from his mouth. "Now is what I want."

Andor's laugh echoed in the small hallway. It was a chilling sound which rang inside of Owen's bones. It was mirthless and dry. It matched the twisted man Andor was becoming.

"You want what I have."

"She is a person, not a thing. You should get that through your head. Just release her and I will leave you alone."

The laugh echoed again and reverberated off the walls. Owen inhaled and let his breathing come steadily. He closed his eyes and focused on the staff gripped in his hand. He let his mind reach to the other side. It was a jumble of all the thoughts of the people near him, but he could pick out Viera easily. She was scared and clinging desperately to the hope of him coming to rescue her.

Owen sent calmness toward her. What he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be fine. He was here now and he would take care of her. Owen lacked time to comfort her completely.

"She doesn't want you!' Andor said venomously from his hiding spot. Owen turned his attention toward Andor's voice and sought his mind through the other side. It was a dark and stormy cloud of emotions. The mind of the Andor, the one who was happy and calm, was still there, but laid hidden in the shadows. Owen feared he would never be able to reach the fractured Andor and talk some sense into him.

He didn't respond to the taunts. It's what Andor wanted. It was playing his game and that wasn't what Owen came to do. He came to rescue his love. The person he knew he couldn't live without. He would get her and what happened to Andor afterward would be his own doing. Owen would carry no remorse for doing what was right.

The battle began in the blink of an eye, Owen's staff glowed and sent out a vibration against his hand. The green hue of the crystal at the top filled the small space with a radiating light. Owen concentrated, pushing hard against Andor's mind and the blackness raging inside, pushing further into the dark storm.

Andor's staff began to glow as well, adding its purple hue to the dance of colors in the darkness. Owen felt the pressure inside his head and closed his eyes, pushing it away as best he could. If Andor got fully inside of his mind, he would control Owen and force him to end his own life. It was the way Andor got through many battles at Owen's side. Killing was not the Seer way, but it was Andor's way.

Owen pushed harder against Andor, his staff pulsing with the extra effort of his mind. Inside Andor's mind, Owen found an edge where he could get inside. He slipped past any shield and found the blackness of the storm now raging around him. It was hard to keep focused as things flashed around him trying to frighten and distract him.

Pushing from inside of his own mind, Owen extended himself into Andor's mind. It was a tricky procedure and he felt Andor pushing back, but Owen knew he was stronger. The storm started to part before him, although it raged on the edges, allowing a bright and peaceful place in the center.

Most Seers, when they first begin their training are taught about the 'off' button inside of another being's mind. It was used in combat to put the enemy into a deep and dreamless sleep. Seers use it as protection against those who are gifted in different psychic arts, but Owen was using it as his best defense against Andor's power.

"I don't want to destroy you," Owen said honestly. He didn't want the Andor he remembered and loved to be gone. The laugh from his former student was something he would miss. Those kinds of things would just have to live inside of Owen's memories now as the true Andor and not this twisted man who stood before him.

"That's the difference between us," Andor sneered. "I live to destroy you and won't be satisfied until you are gone."

"Then stop living," Owen said simply. His mind slid easily into position and he pushed the off button. Owen never did that to Andor before, in fact, the Seer leaders asked him not to give Andor the knowledge of this power. Instead, they watched as Andor made people throw themselves out of ships and shoot themselves with their own weapons to win the battles of the war.

Owen always knew the Seers feared Andor. They knew from the time he was a child there was something different about him. Perin and Michael had sworn Owen to secrecy about their fears, but used him as part of their insurance plan should something go wrong. And it went very wrong indeed.

Andor crumpled to the floor. Owen didn't check him. He knew there was time. Viera was his main concern.

He opened the door to where he thought Viera was held. She was huddled on the bed, naked, crying, her eyes puffy and red. Owen never wanted to see her this way and his heart clenched inside of his chest. He couldn't breathe. What did Andor do to his soulmate?

"Owen!" she exclaimed and launched herself from the bed, into his arms. He enfolded her in a hug, kissing the top of her head, trying to calm her. He was thankful to be holding her close again.

"Did you kill him?" she asked clinging to his shirt with her hands as though she thought she might drown if she was away from him. She was desperate and scared.

Owen shook his head 'no.' It wasn't his way to kill another who deserved to be punished. Andor would answer for what he had done. Owen would see he returned to the Seers to pay for his actions. If only the Seers could hold together long enough to establish a new base of operations. Last Owen heard, the Seers overthrew the Prime Minister and established a new government.

"My love," he said and hugged her tightly again. "It's over."

"Owen, I let him do things to me, to save you," Viera admitted tears streaming down her cheeks. She was embarrassed for giving into Andor so easily, but Viera needed to make sure Owen was safe. Even if it meant living a lie for the rest of her life.

Owen leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He didn't need words to forgive her for what she had done and she also didn't need his forgiveness. She was alive and that was all he wished for when seeking her.
Chapter Fifteen

The leaders ask Owen to bring Andor back to them to be punished for what he had done to Viera. The former Seer obliged their request and now stood inside the Seer meeting room looking out over the Capital and waiting for an answer. It felt like he was waiting too long. In fact, Owen knew he waited too long in his life to do what he wanted.

He loved her and he wanted more than anything to spend the rest of his days wrapped inside that love with Viera. It didn't matter where it took them, he wanted to be there. He didn't want to miss anything their life could offer.

Perin didn't take Owen's wish to resign from the Seers lightly. In fact, he was the reason Owen was still in the Capital. If it wasn't for Perin, Owen would have escaped as soon as he delivered Andor to them, but he couldn't refuse the older man one last chance to try to convince him.

Unfortunately for Perin, Owen would not change his mind, no matter what the older man said.

He was not the same Seer he was before his injuries and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to be the Seer these people remembered. He just wanted to be happy and he knew exactly how to achieve it. He knew where his happiness lived and it wasn't here.

"Owen," Perin said entering the meeting room. "I have to talk to you."

Perin walked into the middle of the room and stood hands folded neatly behind his back and eyes far away as they looked out the large windows. Owen always thought Perin looked like there was so much more on his mind than the moment he was in. That was the way of the Seers, their minds heard the cries of so many others.

"I don't take your resignation lightly," Perin started off, a sharp intake of air proceeding his speech. "You will always be a Seer. You can't take that out of your genetic make-up."

"Perin--" Owen began, but the older Seer put up his hand to stop Owen from speaking further.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me," Perin said and looked down at the polished floor under his boots. "Believe it or not, I've faced this choice myself. I can tell you are where you want to be and I wouldn't take it from you."

"I'm not a capable soldier anymore, Perin," Owen said quietly. It pained him to admit his grasp on the other side was shaky at best, but it was the truth. "I just want to be Owen."

"Be who you are," Perin said and raised his head to look Owen in the eyes.

When the other side became clear to Owen again, Perin would be there to answer his call.

"Thank you, Perin," Owen said smiling and hugging the older man tightly.

"Go before I change my mind," Perin laughed.

* * * *

Owen returned to Vatino and to the waiting arms of Viera. There, they started the life which had been interrupted by Andor. They were thankful to rest in each other's arms once again. The world seemed right. His life seemed right.

Owen stood looking out at the great mountains surrounding their home. This was what he chose and he knew it was right. There was nothing that would make him change his mind about his decision. The Seers were free to build a new universe and he was free to build a new life.

A life he chose to share with Viera on her home planet.

"What are you thinking about?" Viera said from behind him as she stood just on the other side of the large glass door leading to the balcony area from the bedroom. She wore the most beautiful lilac dress and her blonde hair was swept up on top of her head. Small tendrils of it whipped against her face as she leaned out past the doors and into the air of Ethesreld.

Owen smiled as he saw her growing round form silhouetted against the light from the room. She was truly glowing as she carried his child, something she already knew before he went back to the Capital, but wished to keep from him so it wouldn't influence him in his decision to leave the Seers because of an obligation to her. Viera knew she was capable of raising a child with or without his help, but she liked having him around. She knew their child would benefit from his teaching and her heart would ache without him, but it needed to be his decision alone.

"So many things," he said and felt the breeze whipping against his body. He smiled brightly at her.

This was the life he fought for and it was the life he wanted. The life of a Seer was far behind him and his new life of raising a family with the woman he loved lay ahead. It was more than he could have hoped for as a child, huddled under the covers in the dormitory among other Seers, considering where his life would take him.

It took him right to her arms and was right.

"Come back inside," Viera finally said and smiled again, letting her hand rest on her swelling abdomen. "We have a nursery to finish."

THE END
Author Biography

Calling Indiana home, LJ is a busy mother of three and wife to the love of her life, who she met on a blind date, its own romantic tale. When not busy cheering at football games, attending band concerts or playing with her daughter, LJ finds time to enjoy comic books, reading, video games and snuggling her two cats, Zeus, and Banjo.

From the time she was a child, LJ has written about the world around her. From the first romance she wrote, she was hooked and writing has been an important part of her life ever since.

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L.J. FLEMING

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