Jeanne G'Fellers - No Sister of Mine

Cance disappeared down the stairs.
“You have no intention of helping the Cause, do you?” whispered Bane from his pallet. “Why are you really here?”
“Don’t worry your feeble head over it, old man. You’ll be dead by then. We don’t leave witnesses alive. Ever.” Brandoff opened one of the decoders and began tinkering with the internal settings.
“I”—Bane winced as a seizure began to flame its way through his skeletal frame—“have children, grandchildren . . .”
Brandoff watched in demented fascination as palsy caused Bane’s wasting body to jerk spasmodically. Prock overdosers did the very same thing and Brandoff had done it more than once. The Taelach called it aelandac, the death dance. No one had helped her. Cance had only seen that she hadn’t choked. Why should she help now? Bane wasn’t overdosing, just dying an old man’s death and besides, he was Aut. “You wrinkled fool, you just don’t understand, do you? Old, young, all of you are worthless imbeciles in desperate need of an end to your pitiful lives.” Brandoff walked away, taking his pillow for a quieter knife target and his dinner simply because. “You’ll all die and the world will be a better place for it.”

Chapter Sixteen
You are my heart, my spirit, the reason for my being . . .
—from Guardian’s Song
Two days passed quickly, Krell and LaRenna’s stressful, addicting bond intensifying with every teaching phase. LaRenna’s abilities were unlike anything Krell had ever imagined. Already, she phased at or above the level Krell had practiced over sixteen passes to obtain, and Krell was highly regarded in the Kimshee calling.
The sun had long set and they had returned to their shared quarters following a session at the weapons range in which LaRenna had thoroughly smashed Krell’s previously untouched accuracy ratio with the plasma bow. Krell seemed angered by the defeat, but was beginning to take such events in stride. Training LaRenna was proving exciting indeed.
“Again.” Krell motioned to LaRenna. They were sitting in the sleeping corner, Krell reclining against the stacked bedrolls, LaRenna kneeling before her instructor. Between them the room’s only light, a meditation candle, cast a low blue ripple. The mental concentration needed to light and extinguish a flame was intense. Krell had only recently mastered it, which was sooner than most Kimshees. The majority of other Taelachs found it an impossible task, far above the standard levels of control. LaRenna, much to Krell’s embarrassment and vexation, took to it with ease.
“Center more into the core of the flame.” Krell watched as the candle’s glow increased in response to LaRenna’s phase. “That’s enough. Now snuff it out.”
LaRenna pushed a smothering phase pulse over the luminary and it died with a puff of smoke to make her smile. The grin faded when she noticed Krell’s eyes on her. “First Kimshee?”
“You still lack control,” she mumbled for lack of any other complaint. “But all in all you have improved.”
Another grin fluttered briefly across LaRenna’s face in response to a rare compliment.
Don’t be smug. Krell’s sudden presence doused LaRenna’s rising ego. You are anything but prepared for the worst.
“Ouch!” Krell rewarded her student’s vocal cry with a second then a third mental pinch.
Use your mind.
My phase conversing is getting better, too.
Overconfidence will be the end of you. Krell’s inner being reached again but this time LaRenna was ready, successfully pushing her mentor’s presence a comfortable distance from her own. Merely pushing your opponent away will only delay your death. Krell moved in again, shoving against her apprentice’s mental barrier until LaRenna’s resistance began to weaken. Come on. Give me a challenge.
Back off. The energy within LaRenna’s body faded then rapidly rose again, wavering with anticipation of her teacher’s next move. I know I puzzle you. I know you’ve never met another mind like mine.
Quit your babbling. An annoyed grunt rose from Krell. Scared of me, aren’t you, girl? So scared that you can’t sit still! A quick roll in response to LaRenna’s angry, concentrated energy thrust and Krell expanded her energy, circling it, embracing LaRenna until she moaned with sweet agony.
No fair! LaRenna gasped.
Nothing is fair in a fight. Krell’s presence now pulled hard at her apprentice, tearing pleasure into a thousand bits of pain that washed through LaRenna’s body. Fight me or feel the heat of your too easy compliance. LaRenna’s physical being convulsed in time with the energy exchange. Despite the agony, she reached out, striking Krell on the chin. Don’t use your body to fight me, girl. I am much too big for that. Your physical size will work against you in a phase battle. Use that mind you have such confidence in. Krell sent pulse after pulse into LaRenna’s flailing being. Fight me as I know you can. FOCUS! The responding blast of energy brought tears to Krell’s eyes. Is . . . is that the best you can do? I told you to hurt me, dammit, so do it!
“That did hurt you, First Kimshee.” LaRenna’s fist ricocheted off Krell’s shoulder. “I could feel it.”
Krell phased a cutting slap to her insolent apprentice. Who’re you to decide what hurts me? I’m experienced, girl. I’ve earned my rank through survival. Your best is nothing to me. I can take ten times that on my worst day. Krell readily deflected LaRenna’s next blow then responded mentally, launching an energy pulse that should have brought the strongest apprentice to her knees.
Mother’s mercy! LaRenna did indeed crumple, but not in the way her mentor expected. She collapsed against Krell and they fell to the floor LaRenna had polished only that morning, chest-tochest, mouth-to-mouth. LaRenna looked up to find Krell studying her intensely, with a reckless possession that refused further starvation. A simple nod was exchanged then apprentice and master were reformed as lovers: tangled, panting and groping, caressing and tasting in a frenzy of denied desires. The mental experience fulfilled, the physical, which Krell took ravenously, defied description and they reveled in the insensibility of both until