Page 67 of Only Cold Depths
“I’ve never seen the point in flattering people I don’t know.”
“And people you don’t trust?” Aldrich asked in a chiding voice. “Like me and Verona?”
I shrugged, not even bothering to deny his accusation. “I don’t trust many people—although your stepdaughter is one of them.”
Aldrich smiled again. “Asterin speaks just as highly of you, Vesper. She doesn’t trust people lightly either. I put a great deal of stock in my stepdaughter’s opinion. Verona and I wouldn’t have offered you and Kyrion our protection if Asterin hadn’t vouched for you.”
“I appreciate that more than you know.” I sighed. “I’m just sorry Kyrion and I have added to your troubles. If we had known Esmina and Pollux were targeting House Collier, we would have gone elsewhere. Maybe the mercenaries wouldn’t have attacked the mineral exchange if Kyrion and I hadn’t come to Sygnustern.”
Aldrich waved his hand, dismissing my concerns. “Someone is always after something that doesn’t belong to them. The Erzton has its share of greedy villains, just as the Imperium does.”
The two of us rounded a row of blue-moon peonies and moved deeper into the garden. Several guards patrolled the paths in the distance, keeping an eye on Aldrich, but they didn’t approach him.
“But talking about societal vipers isn’t the reason you followed me out here,” Aldrich continued.
“No. I wanted to ask you about truebonds—and how Kyrion and I can stabilize and solidify ours.”
He nodded. “Yes, Verona told me she had a similar conversation with Kyrion this morning. I will tell you the same thing she told him. A truebond is about trust and balance, and right now, you and Kyrion are both out of balance with each other—and especially with yourselves.”
“Out of balance? What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean?”
I huffed in annoyance. “I really hate it when people answer a question with another question.”
He laughed. “We must be building some trust for you to say something so blunt.”
I pinched my fingers close together, not quite touching them. “Just a bit.”
Aldrich laughed again, and I found myself smiling back at him. “How am I out of balance?”
“I think you already know,” he replied.
I hesitated, wondering if I should tell him what was bothering me. But I’d come out here in search of answers, and I wasn’t going to get them by keeping secrets. “When I first met her, Esmina said I was the weak link in the truebond between me and Kyrion.” I sighed again. “And I’m worried she’s right.”
“Why is that?”
I made a face at his question, then blew out a breath. “Because no matter what I do or how hard I try, I can’t get a grip on my new abilities. Ever since I met Kyrion, my seer magic has been growing, expanding. Sometimes it works when and how I need it to.”
“And other times?” Aldrich asked.
“And other times, my magic has a mind of its own. I also can’t use Kyrion’s telepathy or telekinesis with any consistency.” I blew out another breath. “It’s like my magic is a galactic lottery, and I never know which ability will pop up next—or if my magic will pop up at all.”
“And you think it’s because you’re weak, like Esmina said?” Aldrich challenged.
“Isn’t that the reason?” I said, a peevish note creeping into my voice.
“Needing some time to figure things out isn’t being weak, Vesper. It’s natural. It takes time to adjust to a truebond, especially one as strong as what you and Kyrion share.” Aldrich paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was pitched much lower than before. “It also takes time to adjust to the other person, no matter how much you care about them. I imagine that is especially true in your case.”
“My case?”
“Asterin told me about your childhood. About how your mother . . . treated you.”
He was trying to be kind, but his gentle words sliced into my heart like a dagger. My fingers curled around the peony still in my hand, crushing the stem and making the sticky sap spurt onto my skin. The blossom’s spearmint scent intensified, reminding me of the similar peonies in my mindscape. The familiar aroma comforted me, although several more seconds ticked by before I was able to swallow my simmering emotions.
“Nerezza Blackwell is one of the main reasons I don’t trust people. Hard to trust anyone when your own mother abandons you because you don’t have enough psion power for her liking.” Bitterness flooded my voice. I could never be completely calm when talking about Nerezza.
Aldrich gave my arm a reassuring pat. “I’m truly sorry. No child should have to go through that.”
