Daughter of Destiny Read Free Page A

recognize. It seems to have
familiar elements and yet the cadence is like nothing I’ve ever
heard before."
    "Great. You finally find
another telepath and you can’t even talk to him."
    "Well, I might be able to
get around the language barrier."
    “ Really?" Naia turned off
the heat and poured the cocoa into mugs. Then she handed Katarina
hers. "Let’s sit." She motioned to the living room.
    She followed Katarina out
of the kitchen. She wanted to demand all the details, but she
feared if she pushed too hard Katarina might clam up. She couldn't
recall the last time they talked like this. Sure, there were times
they chatted and Naia begged for advice or they gossiped about
professors in college, or discussed a book they both read, but at
some point an invisible wall grew between them. Katarina deflected
any questions that required sharing what went on in her head. Naia
wanted to whoop with joy at the prospect of recovering the close
bond they once shared. Granted, she didn't think Katarina meant to
hurt her with her silence, but it stabbed at the scars of Naia's
past, threatening to open each and every one.
    In the living room, she and
Katarina stretched out on the couch. Naia sipped her cocoa, closed
her eyes, and let the rich taste permeate her senses. She propped
her feet up on the beat up coffee table. Rings from countless
drinks scarred the dark wood, but even damaged the table probably
outranked in price every item in the apartment. Climate change
triggered decades of forest fires that decimated swaths of forest
to the point that all but a few countries enacted stiff regulations
for logging. Most people would refinish the piece and either sell
it or treat it like a museum piece. The only concessions Katarina
appeared to make with regards to its worth were the coasters and
candle plates which protected the wood from further scarring. The
flame from a blue pillar candle reflected in the dark wood and the
pleasant floral scent reminded Naia of forests.
    Silence lingered until Naia
gestured with her empty hand. "So, back to the whole telepathy
thing; what's the big deal? Why were you so set on not using
it?"
    "Telepathy and empathy
incite emotion. Emotion fuels the other thing inside me. It's why I
keep to myself, Naia. Remember what Mom and Dad's room looked like
when you came to the house after the funeral?"
    "You mean the shattered
glass, the black scorch marks on the walls and the fire retardant
spray stuff coating everything? I'm not likely to ever forget
that."
    "I was the one who
overloaded; not the circuitry in the house."
    "Oh." The memory of that
day floated in Naia's head and she felt stupid for buying such a
flimsy lie. She knew what Katarina could do. She quite possibly
owed her life to Katarina's strange abilities, but it never
occurred to her that Katarina might lose control.
    "Now do you
understand?"
    Naia stared at the bottom
of her empty mug, feeling like a fool for pushing Katarina. "I
think I'm beginning to. I'm sorry I didn't listen this morning when
you tried to explain. Contacting that telepath is a stupid
idea."
    Katarina set her mug on a
coaster. "You're right. It is a stupid idea, but doing the smart
thing all of the time hasn't really done much for me."
    "You're going to go through
with it? Why?"
    Katarina sighed. "I'm tired
of fumbling through this alone. Maybe he'll know something about
something that will explain why I can do the things I can do. Maybe
he won't. In either case the only way to find out is to contact
him."
    "You're sure?"
    Katarina's lips curved in a
lopsided half smile. "No. Still, I have questions and no answers.
It'd be more foolish to pass up the opportunity to find out if
there are others like me."
    "So, what now?"
    "Now? I do something I have
never done. I drop some telepathic walls and try to find
him."
    "Can I do anything to
help?" Katarina leaned over and fiddled with the candle. Naia
spotted a telltale tremble in Katarina's hand. "You don't have to
do this now. You can