The Stars Said Hello [1]

C H A P T E R - 3 9

Sophie's dreams were a horror show of ghostly voices and black figures and fire. She woke up tangled in covers, only to find an enormous gray beast towering over her. She screamed as black fear swirled through her mind and her whole body trembled.

"Stop, Sophie," Alden warned, shaking her shoulders. "Stop, you're hurting him."

His voice washed the darkness away and her vision cleared. The gray beast twisted in pain on the floor.

"Sandor won't hurt you," Alden promised. "The Council assigned you a goblin bodyguard to keep you safe. It's not a good idea to inflict pain on him."

Her jaw dropped. "Inflict?"

Alden nodded. "It seems you're an Inflictor. A melder causes temporary paralysis, so Dex was semiconscious during your escape. He told me you made everyone collapse in pain. I wondered if that meant you could inflict. Meredith also agreed with it. You just did it to Sandor, so it appears you can."

Her eyes widened and she turned to the barely conscious goblin on the floor. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean—"

"He'll be okay in a minute," Alden promised. "Goblins are tough."

And yet she'd incapacitated him—without even trying. "But . . . I'm a Telepath. How can I have two special abilities?"

"It is possible to have more than one. Rare. But considering how special you are, I wouldn't be surprised if you still have more abilities that you haven't discovered. Meredith manifested one during her time at the kidnapping. She seemed pretty sure your a Polygot too."

"What, I'll just wake up and suddenly be able to walk through walls?"

"Not quite. Most abilities stay dormant until they're activated—that's why we have ability detecting. It seems like the trauma of the kidnapping activated some of your latent talents. That's why you can inflict, why your concentration is stronger now—and Dex said you're a Polyglot."

"A what?"

"You speak languages instinctively, just by hearing them. It's a very rare skill. You'll be glad you have it as you advance in multispeciesial studies."

"I guess." She wasn't sure she would ever be excited about having more weird talents.

"We'll run some tests when you're stronger. See if we can find out what else you can do."

She shivered. She could still hear the ghostly voice of the kidnapper saying something similar while he interrogated her.

What if she didn't want to find out anything else?

Sandor heaved himself to his feet and moved back to his post in the shadows. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It's all right." Sandor's soft voice would've made more sense coming from a bunny than a seven-foot-tall, buffed-out goblin. He turned to Sophie and bowed. "It's nice to know my charge can defend herself if I fail her."

She shivered. "I take it this means you haven't caught the kidnappers."

Alden squeezed her hands. "We won't let them get anywhere near you ever again. The nobility is working overtime following the leads we have." He handed her a memory log and flipped to a blank page. "Do you remember anything that might help?"

"I was blindfolded the whole time, and I was too drugged to probe their minds. Plus, I was saving my concentration for transmitting. But the leader was a Pyrokinetic, so it had to be Fintan."

"You're sure he was a Pyrokinetic?"

She rubbed where his hands had seared her skin. "Positive."