Star Rider and the Golden Threads by Heidi Skarie (best ereader for pdf and epub .TXT) 📗

Onolyn frowned in confusion. “Idon’t remember you saying that.”

Erling thought it odd that shedidn’t remember. Something about her didn’t seem quite right.“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Zac drew a blaster and aimed itat Erling. “Put your hands up. You too, Hendora. Onolyn, get theirweapons.”

“What’s going on?” Erlingasked, raising his arms.

Onolyn pulled Erling’s gun fromits holster, then reached for Hendora’s.

Hendora pulled away. “What areyou doing? We’re here to help you escape.”

“Do as they say, Hendora,”Erling said. “Look at their eyes. Seetva’s controlling them.”

“Soon you’ll be one of us,”Zac said.

“Never!” Hendora drew herblaster and fired at Zac.

“No!” Erling yelled as Zacfired back.

Hendora was slammed backwards,her shot went wild and she crumpled to the ground.

Erling squatted beside her andpressed his hand against her chest to stop the flow of blood.“Hendora, hang in there.” She mumbled something unintelligibleand he leaned closer. “What did you say?”

“Save Borko,” she gasped. Hereyes focused on something beside him and her mouth curved into asmile. “Master Bakka’s come for me. I’m not afraid.” Her headrolled to the side and he sensed her Spirit leaving her body. Hishand shook as he reached forward and closed her eyes. Everything feltunreal. He couldn’t seem to make sense of what had happened. Hisbreath came in short gasps. “She’s dead!” He stared at Zac indisbelief.

“You’ll die as well if youdon’t cooperate,” Zac said.

“How could you kill her? Shewas your friend.” He looked from Zac’s expressionless face toOnolyn’s. Both had their blasters aimed at him. The shock wasstarting to recede and his mind started to function again. Seetva orguards were likely to arrive shortly, but if he tried to escape Zacor Onolyn would shoot him. Then he heard Michio’s inner voice, Youhave the inner strength to fight Seetva.

Erling doubted it. He tastedSeetva’s power on his last encounter with her. Yet he had to try.“Seetva!”he yelled, sending out an inner message. “Inthe name of Master Bakka Utella I demand you release the Souls ofOnolyn and Zachary.”He rose slowly to his feet keeping his hands in the air. Operating induel consciousness, he slid out of his physical body. He focused onSeetva until he made a connection, then let the link between themguide him as he flew toward her across the lower regions of theAstral world. He landed in front of her.

Her normally refined featureswere twisted and grotesque, and her dark dreadlocks moved as if itwere black snakes. Her eyes were like windows into a fiery hell andbored into him like daggers, spearing into his heart. He felt hertrying to capture his mind and bring him under her control, and putup an inner barrier to block her, focusing his attention on theHigher Force.

Seetva hurled fiery energy at himand it slammed against his barrier. He focused on the inner peacehe’d found at Kumba until he was immersed in it, no longer affectedby Seetva’s psychic attack. The powers of darkness began to sparklike electricity as it continued to try and break through hisbarrier.

Erling let himself be a purevehicle through which the divine power poured so Seetva couldn’ttouch him. From this higher state of being, he said, “Inthe name of Master Bakka, your power over Zachary and Onolyn isbroken.”

Light shot out from Erling’shand and blasted Seetva. She threw back more psychic energy, but itrebounded on her. Seetva screamed a hideous, ear-piercing wail as shewas consumed by reddish-orange flames.

Erling slammed back into hisphysical body where Zac and Onolyn still held him at gunpoint.Released from Seetva’s hold, Zac began shaking and Onolyn cried outin pain, then both collapsed on the floor. Erling feared they weredead, but then noticed Zac’s chest was still rising and fallingwith his breath. Squatting down, he checked Onolyn’s pulse. Reliefflooded though him when he felt a steady pulse under his fingertips.Yet he sensed her essence hadn’t returned to her body.

Erling soared back out of hisphysical body and searched for her distinctive vibration. It led himthrough a vast realm of clouds to a luminous region filled withstars. A golden staircase appeared and he climbed upward until hereached an archway. A wall of energy prevented him from entering.Beyond it, he could feel Onolyn’s life force. He filled himselfwith light and love and the barrier began to break apart until he wasable to walked through the archway.

He found her standing in a smalltemple-like room encircled by columns. Beautiful music filled theair. Light glowed around her tall, slender form, which was clothed ina flowing white gown. Her green eyes sparkled when she saw him andher strawberry-blond hair shone like spun gold as she rushed towardhim.

Onolynsaid telepathically, “Erling, I knew you would come! I waited foryou in this place of safety I created for myself. I’m not strongenough to fight Seetva and could only withdraw”.

“I’mglad you’re safe, but now it’s time to return to your body”.

Her eyes widened in fear. “It’stoo dangerous!”

“I’mphysically with you in Haklute and will help you escape Seetva.”

She backed away from him and heheld out his hand, palm up. She hesitantly reached out and claspedit. Erling led her down the stairway and through a starry world. Theyflew into the realm of billowing clouds until they reached thephysical world.

In Haklute, Onolyn stirred andopened her eyes. Upon seeing Erling, she embraced him. “Thank youfor coming. I was so scared.” Then her eyes lit on Hendora andZac’s bodies and she gasped. “Are they both dead?”

Erling’s heart stabbed in painat Onolyn’s distress. He looked down at the dried blood on hishand, reliving the moment Hendora died. “Hendora’s gone. We can’tdo anything for her, but Zac’s alive and we have to save him fromSeetva.”

“Who shot her?”

He hesitated, not wanting to tellher the truth. “Hendora drew her gun and Zac returned fire.”

“Then he deserves to die!”Her shoulders shook and she pressed her face into her hands and beganto weep.

“No, Onolyn, he was underSeetva’s control.”

“That doesn’t excuse him fromkilling her!” she screamed at him. “He shouldn’t have gone toSeetva! This is all his fault!”

Erling grasped her shoulders andgave her a sharp shake. “Stop it! You don’t mean that! Seetvaknows I’m here and knows you’re free. I wounded her psychically,but she’ll recover quickly and come after