Kia's Biehshah Gift

Chapter 22 Where's Daka?

"Daka!" I sat straight up and Ir put his arms around me.

"He is not in our colony!" Ir's brown eyes met mine, and his fear rumbled on me!

Zheien poured into our house, including Eanne~! "Ir, what is?"

We searched our people. Many weren't showing on my mental display.

"Our son is gone, Ean! Many of our people are not here! What happened, while we slept?"

Eanne~ looked towards the wall and that deep pink Zheien came. Bowed. "I am Mon Pa, and I wish to assist you! Will you let me touch your mind, Lady Kia?"

I studied this Zheien, how his purple eyes went darker, like an Elshar's, and his rosy purple skin got light. "I'm scared to hurt you!"

Ir laughed. "Kia, he is S'ai, and they have powerful telepathy! Once, we had a joint mission and he offered me healing!"

I took his twin-fingered hand and heard a bell choir! That made me startle. But when I put his hand on my forehead, I got lost in my music! I sang "Ode To Joy" from Beethoven's 9th and he added harmonies! My music reached out and I found Daka. But I also found Rentappenen! We stopped.

Mon Pa wept. "O, I am sorry, Ir, Lady Kia! We cannot send help to them! They are on Tessa and I must prepare my group to go there—"

Ry'nao ported in. "I will nae send you to die, Mon! You must stay and help Kia, Sara and Becky find operatives."

He went paler. "I cannot see them as these can! No one of S'ai has abilities past our technology level! We work very hard with our Biehshah friends to improve protection, and rely on their advanced knowledge of Tessans, Wesa Fen, Dosilians, Mist Gei Kan, Uritens, Mangans, and others of higher levels!" I felt sweat on him and worried.

Molly ported in, our Molly, not a clone. How can I tell? "Mon Pa, you need to rest."

His purple eyes went pale! "Eaaae aaaa, I fear to injure you!"

"Pirad gave me telepathy of a Zbbat and a Chor! Need some healing?"

Her husband Binneas waved for his DS uniform, but what a uniform! Purple like a scientist's, but with a blue sash, complicated decorations in geometric solids, boots with colored ribbons but the twin-toed things like socks that Zheien wear. On his blond curls was a nine-sided hat with lots of Tessite. He bowed low and stayed there.

Molly saw that and bowed just as low. Murmured an apology in a very formal Zheien dialect.

Ir dressed in a similar sash over his neon green robes and a hat like that. He dressed me in a dress that was mostly purple and blue with stripes of the neon green and deep green. I didn't even have a pin to go on it. But he wouldn't let me bow.

Mon Pa gasped. Got down on the floor with Molly and Binneas. "All of you are my friends! I will ne ask such formality. Please, rise and be comfortable! Molly, you saved my life and my sanity in the other future! You are my liege, even more so than Ishmarel who reigns all Zheien!" He did complicated dance steps then bowed lower, to her.

She hugged him. Frowned. "Mon Pa, it's taking too much effort for you to be here and block our telepathy!"

He laughed. "When I meet with the Urite, I must do so." The smile faded. "What can we do to help Ir and Kia? Half their people are gone, and also people of Ry Pethe and Areon!"

I wailed. It shocked me, to hear that kind of noise coming out of me! Mama and Daddy rushed in. When Mama saw me, she hugged me. "Oh, Darlin' hush now! What's wrong?"

"Our baby—" but I can't tell her!

"We'll organize a search party! He can't be far. Kids wander. I can't tell ya how many times you sneaked out once ya learned to walk and unlock a door!"