"Of course we are. Why would I come all this way to BloodDark just to..." Frowning, Kate rubbed her temples. "Something isn't right here. Why am I so confused?"
"We've been drugged—or at least you have," Olivia explained.
"It doesn't affect me like it's affecting you, Kate. It could be because my blood chemistry is different now and it won't, but I think someone wants us to lose our recall of what's happened here at the Clan Alpha house."
Olivia attempted to stand, but found her legs weak and uncooperative. She sat down again. "Crud. Maybe the drug is working on me. We've got to leave this place fast, as in right now."
"Where would we go?" Kate's voice went up an octave with fear. "How can we get back to Earth without the clan's help?"
"I have friends who can help us." Olivia tried standing again and made it to her feet this time. She wobbled, then balanced herself with a hand on the cart. "I need to get dressed, and then we both can get out of here."
With Kate's assistance, she found her jeans, a comfortable t-shirt and a denim jacket. No sense pretending to be Lauren dressed in the argyle socks and short skirt. She needed something she could move in.
"Thank goodness I have flats to wear." She scrunched up her nose, considering Kate's proper English librarian-styled attire. "Can you walk fast in those low heels? You sure you didn't bring some jeans or slacks and a pair of sneakers?"
"I do have some walking shoes and trousers in my suitcase." Kate pursed her lips. "Can we take all our things when we leave?"
"No, we'd better not. We can send for them later." Olivia slipped on her jeans under her nightgown and zipped them up. "Right now, it's important we get far away from the negative influences of our hosts."
"Negative influences?"
"Yes, the drugged food and the..." Olivia paused in mid-thought. Why had she been bedridden in the first place? Because I remembered why I'd come to the Clan Alpha house to begin with...and the punishing headaches Moreau caused me to shut down.
"Weird." Olivia touched her temples. "I don't have a headache."
Kate helped her out of her gown and into her t-shirt. "The healer's hot pebble treatment worked well. You're feeling much better, aren't you?"
"I am. Miraculously so. This means something."
"Good. Then you won't get lost on your way to find your friend Annara."
Olivia took a step backward from Kate. "What do you know about Annara?"
Kate blinked and stared back. "I...I don't know anything. You just mentioned she was a friend of yours on BloodDark."
"I mentioned Valori was a friend as well. Why the sudden interest in Annara?" Suspicious, Olivia went to the door and cracked it open. She peeped out into the corridor. "Awfully quiet for meal time at Clan Alpha."
"It is quiet. It's mid-way through the rest period." Kate's manner appeared distant and stiff. She acted like a marionette under the control of an expert puppet-master, but she was resisting as best she could. "We should be leaving now, so the night watch can follow us and not cause any alarm to the new brides."
Olivia gulped. Kate has been drugged, and I've been rewarded with no headaches so I could think clearly enough to lead Moreau and accomplices to my friends on the council.
"Kate, I think you're going to have to sit this one out." She guided her friend over to a chair and sat her down. "You're not feeling well."
"I'm not feeling well," Kate repeated in small voice.
"You ate something which didn't agree with you, so you're going to take a nice long snooze on my comfortable bed after I leave the room. You won't remember this conversation when you awake. Understand?"
"I understand."
Whoa... I've gained some mind-influencing powers along the way here. Or is it the drugs. Mine? Hers? Who knows?
It's partially my powers, came the voice of Valori in her mind, but you are strong, Olivia. Leave now.
Valori! I knew you were nearby. Thank you.
Olivia slipped on her jacket and shoes and crept out the door, making her way down the corridor without a sound or a backward glance.
*****
"I can’t believe you got past those brutish Overseer guards the Alphans have at their front doors." Annara flashed her a big smile. "You sure you didn't have any help, Olivia?"
"I may have had a little," she admitted, "but I don't want to get this person into trouble, so I'd rather not say anything out loud."
Even with the sour expressions some of the council members gave her as they glided in and out of the library chamber, Olivia was still glad to be back in the council hall and away from Moreau. Relaxing in the big overstuffed chair, she curled her legs up under her seat and sighed.
Annara sat down in the chair opposite. Even though she was now working for the council, the dark-eyed former Resistance fighter still wore a brown leather jacket, jean-like pants, boots...and carried a weapons pouch. Olivia had always appreciated that.
Annara glanced about the room and lowered her voice. "Yes, it's better if you don't say too much on the topic. You never know who's listening—or reading your mind—on this planet. Dradix might be able to help us solve the problem."
Dradix? The Deltan reminded her of Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings”, with his long, silver hair. He worked in the Portal control room. Olivia didn't know whether to feel safer knowing the Pure Blood scientist was a loyal and willing employee of the new majority human ruling council, or suspicious because this had never been mentioned before.
Suspicion won out. Olivia leaned forward and leveled a hard stare on her companion.
"Annara, why didn't you tell me before I volunteered for this mission about the mind control possibilities between a pair-bonded
