Bliss Of Reentry: Part VI

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Whenever she could get a hold of her, Aeryn would inspect the strength of Roux’s psychic capacities by using her own ability as a channler to adopt attributes from Roux’s psyche. However powerful Roux was at that given moment, Aeryn would become, and could subsequently examine Roux through the examination of herself and her borrowed capabilities.

 Each time she did it, Aeryn was always shocked to find how extremely powerful Roux’s aura was, but also how unstable. Roux’s aura seemed to be in near constant turmoil, cannibalizing its own energy streams, fracturing its protective borders as if trying to escape from itself.

 

 Aeryn was in awe at how well Roux seemed to be able to contain it, but she knew through experience that if left untamed, unstable auras would always looked for means to calm themselves, usually through the acquisition of more psychic energy.  Unfortunately, the easiest way to get more psychic energy was to sap it from another aura, the purest source. This action, however, could result in devastating psychological injury to the victim, or in the worse case, death. 

 Serums had been developed to aid in auroric rehabilitation and moderation and helped in most instances, but many individuals developed a tolerance to them, and eventually had to find other means to ease their restless psyches.

  

Aeryn approached Roux’s door and knocked, already sensing slithers of energy seeping from the teenager’s aura. “Hey babe, it’s Aeryn. Can I come in?”

“Whatever,” a voice behind the door answered. 

 

Aeryn checked the heavy duty mental block she borrowed from Salem, not wanting to give Roux any temptations, and then opened the door. Roux was sitting at her desk, hunch over a pile of difficult looking books.  “Hey hon,” Aeryn said, cautiously stepping into the room. “How’ve you been?”

 

Roux sat back in her chair a little, but didn’t look up from her books. “How do you think I’ve been?” There was a bit of spite in her voice.  “You here to gauge the state of my defects?”

 

“I’m here to say hello to you first and foremost. I haven’t seen you while! And second, nothing about you is defective, so quit it.”  

 

“Whatever,” Roux repeated, turning a page.

 

Aeryn glanced around the poorly furnished room.  Like the rest of the apartment, the room looked barely lived in. With a few posters scattered on the walls and not many personal belongings, it did not seem that a 15 year old lived there. “How do you like the new place?” Aeryn asked.

 

“It’s alright,” Roux replied, and with a huff, leaned further over her desk. “We’ll have moved by the time I get used to it, so whatever.”

 

“Roux, don’t be hostile towards me. I’m checking you out for your own benefit. Making sure things are still under control.” Aeryn said, trying to ignore Roux’s attitude.  

 

“You could always just ask,” Roux mumbled.  

 

“Roux, you know it’s not that simple.” Aeryn frowned and went to glance at a stack of books Roux had sitting on her dresser. ”Jonathan Frazen! Oh, I love this author.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

“For someone who reads so much, you really have a small vocabulary.”

 

 

Since she had walked in the door, Aeryn had been slowly easing her way around the edges of Roux’s aura, mentally poking and prodding her own as she went.  She was about to make her actions known when she felt a sudden shift in Roux’s energy. An unwelcoming shift. 

 

“Want to see a new trick I learned?” Roux asked sharply, sitting back in her chair a second time.  Aeryn immediately realized that she was losing her sense of Roux’s aura as it began sealing off its permeability.  Aeryn narrowed her eyes, and turned from the dresser, realizing that Roux had developed the ability to shield off her psyche.

 

“Roux, that’s an excellent skill to have,” Aeryn said, attempting to hide her surprise. “It shows a great deal control to be able to do that. And it’s a very protective mechanism.  I still cannot make a sufficient shield for myself without outside help, and I’ve been practicing for much longer than you have. So kudos to you.” 

 

“I studied Salem’s block one day and figured it out.” Roux answered.  

 

“Um, well, good job,” Aeryn said, awkwardly.  She was now completely sealed out of Roux’s aura and was unsure of what to do.  Although she could still sense its presence, she could not enter it. She began to wonder if she could break through it since it didn’t seem plausible that a teenager could have developed a strong enough shielding mechanism to keep her at bay in only a few months.

 

For the first few months that Hadrian was hiding from her, she had made it a hobby of locating his aura and breaking through his mental blocks, which was a significantly difficult task for even the strongest of telepaths. It hadn’t been until recently, when Hadrian had managed to develop a concrete wall of a mental barrier that she had not been able to pierce his shielding. But all in all, Aeryn knew that it would take an impressive shield to keep her out of an aura she wanted access to. However, she didn’t want to upset Roux any more than she already had.

 

 It can’t possibly be strong enough. I can break through, she told herself.

 But before she could do anything Roux suddenly slammed her book shut and said with a frown. “Well go on and try.”

 

 “Try… what?” There a tone in Roux’s voice that Aeryn didn’t like.  

 

“If you think it’s not strong enough, go on and try,” Roux said, glaring. “Try to break through it.”

 

Aeryn felt her jaw drop a little. She immediately reexamined her own mental shield that she was borrowing from Salem. It was completely intact. “Roux,” she said slowly. “Did you just read my thoughts?”

 

 

Aeryn jumped in surprise as Roux seemed to almost fall out of her chair. “No!” she said. “No, no, I just… I mean I just figured you would think I couldn’t shield myself and…” her voice trailed off, it’s previous hardness having disappeared.

 

 “Roux… can you sense my aura through the shield?” Aeryn said, folding her arms self-consiously. “Can you?”

 

There was a long silence and Aeryn was left with an indescribable loss of what to do.  She had just discovered an incredibly dangerous piece of information proving that there had been a drastic underestimation of Roux’s abilities.

 

Roux could read psyches through mental shields. Most telepaths had to spend decades honing their skills in order to be able to do that, and usually it involved the destruction of said shield. But Aeryn had sensed nothing. Her shield had not been even slightly pierced.  Roux had merely read through it.  A teenager with barely any psychic experience or training had simply looked through a formidable auroric blockade.

 

A million thoughts were running through Aeryn’s head, none stopping for long enough to make much sense. How long had Roux been able to do this? What other abilities did Roux have that she didn’t know about? What about Salem?

 

“Don’t tell Salem,” Roux said suddenly. 

 

Aeryn’s eyes widened with the realization that Roux had just done it again.  “I don’t think that this is a secret that I can keep,” she said slowly. 

 

Roux looked up with wide eyes. “I would never do anything to hurt Salem.  Or anybody. I take my serums every day. I haven’t had urges in like, forever! I- I barely pay attention to Salem’s aura!” 

 

“Roux, I don’t – ” 

 

“Please,” Roux begged, barely audible. “Please don’t tell her.  If she knew that I could… Aeryn, she’s all I have.”

 

Aeryn could do nothing but stare. She was afraid to even think. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it realizing she didn’t know what to say.  

 

“Tobias is downstairs.  In the living room,” Roux said suddenly breaking the silence. “He’s looking for you. He’s – He’s nervous.” Roux’s eyes fell to the floor as she said, “There is something wrong.” She looked guilty as if she had been eavesdropping.

 

 Aeryn realized that she could also sense Tobias in close vicinity.  She wondered what could have possessed him to come upstairs after the argument they had just had.

 

The conflict Aeryn suddenly felt was almost painful.  She wanted to stay and talk to Roux, maybe try and figure out what step to take next.  But obviously something important was happening for Tobias to risk coming upstairs.

 

“Roux… I will keep this to myself for now, but Salem eventually needs to know.”

 

“I know,” Roux said, quietly.

 

 “Okay.” Aeryn placed a comforting hand on Roux’s cheek.  “We’ll talk about this, and figure it out. In the meantime, promise that you’ll stay in your own head.”

 

“I promise,” Roux said, barely audible.

 

 

“Okay,” Aeryn said.  She smiled at Roux and then rushed out of her bedroom door.

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“Salem, calm down,” Tobias said. “We don’t know anything yet, I’m just telling you what I’m hearing.”

 

 “I won’t calm down. This is bad. If what you’re hearing is real, then… well… SHIT!”

 

 “Hey, just relax for a minute. I may not have heard correctly. It nearly blew my head off.  I was focusing more on keeping my brain inside my skull than listening to anything being said,” Tobias replied. “Honestly, it could have been anything.”

 

 “What’s going on?” Aeryn said, reaching the bottom of the steps.

 

“There is an energy war going somewhere nearby.”  Salem said, over Tobias’ shoulder. “Tobias is catching some of the telepathic waves.”

 

 “Salem,” Tobias flinched and looked at Salem as if she had said the worse possible thing.

 

 “What? An outright conflict? Between who? Have they sensed us? Have they sensed Roux?” Aeryn questioned frantically.

 

 “Mercer and Nyxon,” Salem said. She turned to Tobias. “It seems to be isolated, right Toby? They’re attacking each other, no one else?”

 

“Mercer Rye and Nyxon Alexander? The sirens?”Aeryn seemed to calm down a bit. The feud between Mercer and Nyxon was practically legend in the psychic community.  It was almost a relief that it was only them fighting and aggravating the telepathic wavelengths. “We can’t get involved. That’s there own fight. We may need to consider getting Roux out of here though.  If they are close enough for Tobias to have a clear sense of them, they are more than close enough to be able to sense Roux.” Aeryn squinted thoughtfully. “Though, if the fight is as violent as it sound, I doubt they are thinking about her.”

“It’s Nyxon we need to worry about. Mercer doesn’t give a damn about Roux. She was one of the biggest defectors from The Calling.” Salem said, looking around the apartment, obviously prepacking her belongings in her head.  

 “That’s only because she and Rowanne hate each other, and once Rowanne took over, there was nothing else to do but defect. ” Aeryn responded. “But Mercer is an equal opportunity dealer, and just as much a danger as anyone else.  She can’t be trusted.”

 

Salem nodded in agreement. “She’s also much stronger than Nyxon, and if either would be able to find Roux, it’d be her.”

 

“Both of you are right, but there is something else,” Tobias said lowly. “I think – I think this has something to do with Hadrian.”

 

“What?!” Aeryn and Salem shrieked simultaneously, turning sharply to glare at Tobias.

 

 “It’s full of static, and so loud I can’t even decipher it, but I think – I mean I’m hearing his name thrown around – look I can’t guarantee…”  He looked back at the two sets of expectant eyes and sighed. “I’ll try again,” he said put his hand to his temple, trying to focus his clairaudience. “Mercer might have him, or may know where he is.  And… Nyxon is looking for him,” Tobias said, squinting.  “One of them has attacked the other, and if I’m hearing right, they aren’t alone. There is at least 1 other psychic involved. It seems that they’re all trying to kill each other,”

“Well, that last part sounds about right,” Aeryn said, staring into space. ” I have to go there.” She focues on Tobias. “Give me your car keys.”

 

 

“Chill out Aeryn, and just wait a minute,” Tobias said.  “This could be any number of things. This is not a private message that I just happened to pick up on. If I’m right, there is a fire-fight going on.  Like a head-exploding, aura-destroying fire-fight. You cannot get involved in that.”

 

 

“He’s right, Aeryn” Salem agreed. “This could be some kind of trap, or it may not even be Mercer, I mean, why the hell would she have Hadrian? She defected from the Calling.  Why get wrapped up in this? Or this could be –” Salem started

 

 

“I don’t give a fuck what it is!” Aeryn said loudly, causing both Salem and Tobias to cringe. “If either of them have my brother or even know where he is, then there is the possibility that Rowanne knows where he is, and I can’t risk that.”

 

 “Aeryn, you’re being irrational,” Salem began, but Aeryn ignored her.

 

“Where is the message coming from Tobias?”

 

 “Let’s just think about this– “but he stopped mid-sentence realizing that Aeryn had channeled his aura feed and was listening to the network herself. “Christ, Aeryn! Salem, talk some sense into her.”

 

“Aeryn…” Salem started, but that was as far as she got.

 

“They’re nearby, maybe a 40 minute drive. I’m going, and for your own good, you two should stay here.”

They both began half-hearted protests, but the look on Aeryn’s face was final. Her mind was made up.