The Draykon Series (1-3)

Orlind: Chapter Three

'I wish I could persuade you that you're wasting your time.'

Eva looked up, chagrined, at the sound of Limbane's voice. He'd found her in one of the smallest laboratories, where she was at work on a small cut in her own finger. Indeed, he was so adept at tracking her down she sometimes feared he'd tracered her somehow without her knowledge.

She looked down at the sluggishly bleeding little wound in her left index finger and sighed. He was right, though she refused to admit it. No amount of work or study could improve her skill at healing; even the smallest abrasions refused to respond easily to her will. She could mend a small injury in her own flesh, but it cost her enormous effort and left her with a headache. It wasn't worth it.

Her theory that she would improve with practice only seemed to be resulting in a lot of headaches.

'It isn't a waste of time to attempt self-improvement,' she replied.

'It is if you're putting all of your time into a skill you are no good at,' he said placidly. 'If you wish to improve yourself, I'd suggest working on those skills for which you do have an aptitude. You will need your PsiTravel soon, and better camouflage would not hurt either.'

Eva frowned, annoyed. She despised being lectured, and Limbane did a lot of that. It was even worse when he was right.

'I just don't understand why I cannot master it,' she admitted. 'I've never been so completely stymied by anything before.'

Limbane sat beside her and set about bandaging her finger. He was gentle about it, even though she sensed he was irritated with her.

'It is to do with the way the mind works,' he explained. 'Different minds work in different ways. Yours is a particularly unique specimen, for you have strong Lokant heritage and strong draykon heritage, as well as being of human extraction. The results of that cannot be all advantageous, however nice that would be.'

'Wouldn't it though,' she sighed.

He smiled briefly. 'You are remarkably good at domination of the will, as we have seen. You are also adept at PsiTravel and your camouflaging is good. You can be still better at all of these, with suitable practice and study. In addition, you are a powerful summoner, as you call it, and you possess a high degree of human intelligence. Against all this, is your lack of ability to heal so grave a torment?'

'It seemed that way, when I couldn't help Tren.'

He patted her hand. 'But I could, and you had the means to bring him swiftly to me. The purpose was accomplished after all, even if you couldn't do all of it yourself. Stop torturing yourself over it, my lady, please. More important matters are at stake than your self-image.'

She was about to make a waspish retort to that sally, but he interrupted her with: 'On which topic, how is that young man of yours? I haven't had a moment to look in on him in a little while.'

'Mending well, it appears,' Eva replied. 'He insists that he will be getting up soon, and defies me to prevent him.' She chuckled at that thought, remembering the stubborn expression Tren adopted when she tried to persuade him to rest a little more. She knew she wouldn't win this particular battle for much longer.

'Good! As soon as he is fully restored to himself, we must be off. And the sooner the better, I think.'

Eva nodded. Time passed very slowly in Limbane's Library, compared to Eva's world, but it did pass, and matters were now urgent. What might Krays be doing while Limbane's forces recuperated and regrouped beyond the confines of Eva's world?

'What is the plan?' she asked.

'I want you to take me to that warehouse you discovered. I must examine it for myself. Further, we will visit the warehouse in Draetre that Mr Kant explored. Then we must consider the problem of locating Krays's other endeavours.'