Page 55 of Smuggler's Beauty

Some planets identified those children and killed them.

The societies that seemed more balanced seemed to train their children in the use of control before anything else was attempted. Knowing when to employ a dangerous weapon was the first step to making sure one could use it successfully, after all.

So step one, mastered.

Now that she was actually thinking about the implications of her abilities, she was realizing how irresponsible it had been to learn control and nothing else. No matter how unappealing the prospect was to her. Locking up a blaster was all well and good, but it was just as important to know how it was used in case you ever needed to use the damn thing.

The next steps were hazier. Some schools of thought seemed to be aligned with Corvinia’s advice — mess about with your abilities in a controlled environment and see what happens. Others championed repetition, changing as few variables as possible until results were consistent. Still others thought the inverse a better way to train, as few things in life would ever be as cookie-cutter as the controlled environment. Chaos would always reign in the universe. Best to get used to it.

Evelyn switched off the tablet. She stood, shook out her limbs, and eyed the spread of electronics on the table. The neat line of devices sat there, an energy buffet for her to plow her way through. Her stomach churned at the idea. What if she lost control? What if she sucked the energy from all these little doodads, and the energy went to her head? What if it made herwant more, and more, and more until she couldn’t stop herself and had to go after something bigger? More lively?

She shouldn’t do this alone.

Her first thought was to get Aiden, but she knew he was a bad choice. She needed someone who would be willing to knock her on her ass if she lost it. She shoved up the sleeves of her cardigan and left her hidden research nook to find Nannette. Surely she would be the one most willing to knock her into next Tuesday if she posed a threat.

After a bit of exploring — she had refused to ask L.I.N.D.A. in a futile attempt to put off the inevitable — Evelyn found Nannette in the kitchen with Veselko and Tariel. They were playing a card game, something with brightly colored hexagons of paste board. It didn’t seem too heated an exchange, but they all had fairly even quantities of chips in front of them, so Evelyn assumed they were near the start of the game.

She paused for a moment, let her eyes unfocus, and peeked at the vibrations that emanated from them. She slowed her breathing and focused on the information flowing towards her. There was a wave of steady, vibrant cheer flowing from Veselko. Tariel was a whirl of colorful expression. Nannette was like a thunderstorm, a cleansing destruction that could both save and shatter.

Evelyn blinked and refocused her eyes before she stepped further into the kitchen. She headed to the refrigeration unit and found a bottle of lemonade. “Penny for your thoughts when you’re done here?”

“Was this a penny for each of us, or a penny between us? Because our consultation rates are usually a bit steeper,” Veselko said, grinning as he threw down a card.

“I’m going to insist on my own penny,” Tariel said. “I have bills to pay.”

“I’m flush. You can have my share,” Nannette said, throwing down cards and shooting Veselko a look that said “take that.” He scowled and looked at the cards in his hand.

“I need training advice,” Evelyn said, smiling in spite of herself. “Nannette gets the penny. You two are free to be the peanut gallery.”

Nannette placed her cards face down in front of her and gave Evelyn her full attention. “You mean we get to finally find out about this secret second ability you have?”

Tariel took advantage of her distraction to try and slip a card out of the hand she’d placed on the table. He was halfway across the table with it when Nannette’s palm slapped down on his. He swore and shook his hand out.

“That’s what you get for trying to cheat,” Veselko said. “So, do we get to see? What’s with all the secrecy anyway? Do you shoot like, poisoned darts out of your nipples or something?” This time Nannette’s hand hit the back of his skull. Tariel laughed as Veselko rubbed his head.

Evelyn almost choked on her lemonade. “If I could do that I would have set up a traveling show. Come see Evelyn, the Lethal Tit Princess!”

“Nowthat’sa commemorative T-shirt I would buy,” Nannette said, pointing her finger at Evelyn.

“Duly noted. No, it’s nothing that . . . showy. Do you have your communicator on you?” Evelyn reached her hand to Veselko. He reached into his pocket to get the device.

“What are you going to do?”

She bit her lower lip, second-guessing herself. The idea of blatantly showing off her siphoning abilities made her want to vomit. She had spent years hiding, deflecting, being a super Amplifier to distract from the fact that she should be exhibiting other signs of psychic talent. The exposure felt raw, like new shoes not yet broken in.

They like you. They won’t freak out. Aiden didn’t.

“Nothing that can’t be undone with a power cable. Hopefully. Bill Corrie if I fuck it up.”

Evelyn took the communicator from Veselko and held it up to show the charge indication was at eighty-nine percent. She held the communicator in her hands and felt the subtle warmth of the energy of the device resonating with her own. She closed her eyes as the faint glow started to emanate from the device and energy flowed into her body. When warmth dissipated, she opened her eyes to see the three of them staring at her, open-mouthed.

Veselko cleared his throat.

“Uh, so do you haveanyinterest in a life of crime?”

Nannette turnedout to be somewhere in the middle of the two main schools of thought on training. Also, she had promised to blast her with a non-lethal pulse if Evelyn started to exhibit signs of megalomaniacal delusion.

Safety first.