Rystani Warrior 04 - The Quest by Susan Kearney Read Free Book Online Page A

“It’s in another galaxy.”
    “Another galaxy? Stars, are you insane?”
    “I saw it.”
    “Really? How did you see it?”
    “That’s a long story—and even with hyperdrive it’s a very long trip.” Before she could tell him that he was out of his mind again, he quickly added, “However, with the portal, we can get there in a … timely fashion.”
    Her eyes widened. “A portal that sends ships to another galaxy? That’s how you got there?”
    “No,” he admitted, his hope rising that she really might come with him. Kirek had never planned to complete this mission alone. After he arrived on Dakmar, he’d always intended to purchase a ship and find a crew. While he didn’t know if the portal would send an entire ship or just him alone into the Andromeda Galaxy, his plan required human backup. His approach had to be done by stealth, so he couldn’t accept any help from those at home on Mystique, who would be watched closely by Zin spies.
    “And how would we get back with an entire planet?”
    He liked her use of the word “we.” As if she was already thinking of them as a team, she’d moved right to the practical aspects of the journey. “Once I sneak in and defeat the Zin, you can slice up the planet and return through the portal.” He hoped. He didn’t know for certain exactly how the portal worked.
    She heaved a sigh of aggravation. “This is crazy. You have no idea if there’s even a portal in this galaxy, never mind one in the next. Or if it’s big enough to send through an entire planet.”
    “I’m not guessing. My mathematics are accurate.”
    “I suppose you have a math degree from MIT?”
    He grinned. His credentials weren’t from the best college on Earth, but the most elite university in the Federation. “Actually I possess dual degrees in physics and math from the Zenon Institute.”
    Her eyes widened in surprise, but his extraordinary education didn’t throw her. “You said you saw this Zin world?”
    “Yes.”
    “If you didn’t use the portal, how did you get there to see it?”
    “When the Zin opened the wormhole on Earth to send through a virus, I astral extended.”
    “You went inside a wormhole?”
    “Not physically. Only with my mind.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “My presence and that of others were necessary to stabilize the structure while we initiated an explosion.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    “I was caught in the blast, which swept my mind into the Zin galaxy. My friends kept my body alive with machines. It took over eight years for me to get back.”
    “And now you plan to return?”
    “I need my body to destroy the Zin. In the astral state, I could only scout for weakness.”
    “Let me get this straight. You astral extended into another galaxy?”
    “I was caught by mistake in the blast.”
    She eyed him with skepticism. “If you can astral extend … Go down to engineering with your mind, leave your body here, and come back and tell me what color the main thruster is.”
    “I can no longer astral project.” He tried to keep the sorrow from his tone. Daily, he automatically reached to use his psi only to find it wasn’t there anymore. Since birth, his psi had set him apart, but to him, using his psi came as naturally as most humans used their eyes. Without his psi, he often felt … unbalanced. Vulnerable. Uncertain if he could rely on his judgment. “The doctors say the total reintegration of my body and mind will take time.”
    “You expect me to believe your wild story without one shred of proof?”
    Showing off a bit was one thing, bragging went against his moral upbringing. His father Etru had taught him that any man who used his skill to support his family should be proud—even if he did something simple, like digging ditches.
    Yet, Angel didn’t know him. He couldn’t expect a reasonable person to take his admittedly far-fetched tale on faith. “I can still do some things … ”
    “Like?” She cocked her head to one side and folded her arms across