Page 5

A rcady sat and blinked when Cadence was gone. I can t believe I forgot that.

Tycho smiled. What, bunny?

She hates people. Hates being in public situations.

She was renting a small house in a poor but sparsely populated part of town.

She went home. No people. When we were growing up, she was always getting in trouble for being antisocial.

Like a lot of trouble. Like our parents and siblings hit her kind of trouble.

Kritz blinked. What kind of antisocial?

She didn t let anyone hug her or touch her.

He thought and then said, Arcady, what happens to you when you are too close to a sonar array?

It aches. Hurts. The new implants don t like it; I don t care how close to living tissue you made them.

Corianne chuckled and seemed to catch on to something. How would it feel if the sonar bombardment was really fast and at close range?

Arcady shivered. It would really hurt... oh. Oh, god.

She started acting odd around twelve or thirteen? Tycho smiled kindly.

Six. There was a bus accident, and she was strange after that.

And knowing that your family were members of Humans First, she did not mention that she had activated.

She always stayed at least a foot away from anyone and ate apart from everyone at dinner.

Kritz said, The sound of chewing is frequently nauseating for them. It echoes.

We all thought it was just ADHD.

That may have played a part.

Arcady was sitting in dawning understanding, and when the rest of her quad took her upstairs so they could have their meal, she cuddled against them, feeling stupid.

She had gotten so used to turning to the taller folk around her for comfort that she had forgotten her family and the dynamics that had been purged from her mind.

Curled up with them later, she said, I had forgotten how small she was. When she started to grow, she must have been super skinny.

Kritz smiled sadly. She has scarring around all major joints. She grew too fast for her skin.

She was too skinny. Thanks for the confirmation.

Give her a few days and call her, Tycho said.

If proximity is a problem, she hates being in the middle of downtown.

She feels slightly comfortable in her apartment, but she can never relax.

She has to hold her energy against her skin at all times.

It will slowly degrade her sanity. The rules here have given her nowhere to run.

Kritz nodded. I will mention it to Dr. Amber, but I believe she is already making alterations to the contract for Cadence s comfort. She s been around a sonic active before.

Arcady blinked. She has?

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. Call her. She will appreciate it far more than a visit.

I will. Arcady smiled.

* * * *

C adence got out of the transport with her duffel bag over her shoulder. Dr. Amber came out of the manor looking different in a pantsuit that was silky and moved easily when she did.

Cadence. Excellent. Thank you so much for agreeing to this. I know Zera was having kittens at letting you out of all her surveillance. What the hell are you wearing?

It s a contact suit that Kritz designed for me.

Come in and take it off immediately. Containing your ambient seeking is not good for the baby. It will be worse as it matures.

Seeking?

The pulse you are putting out to see your environment. The suit is confining it. Let s get you comfortable.

Dr. Amber smiled. A servant took the bag, and she was walked into the house and a bedroom that smelled of fresh air and was filled with sunlight. Cadence couldn t get the suit off her skin fast enough. It hurt to keep it on.

The doctor came in to bring some loose lounging clothing and sighed. You put a barrier between the suit and your belly.

I knew what the suit was doing. I didn t want it to hurt anything.

Kritz is going to call me right away. As soon as you leave the suit.

Do I need to explain it to him?

No. I will handle that. Dr. Amber then said the most beautiful words Cadence had ever heard. Get comfortable.

Cadence felt like her soul left her body. She removed her outer clothing and then peeled off the confining suit. The trousers were super soft and flowing as she moved, and the top was wrapped into place with some slippery ties. She was dressed, covered, and felt relaxed. That never happened.

She smiled and twirled before hugging herself happily. She could feel the clothing, but it didn t resist her like normal fabric did.

Cadence smiled at the doctor, who was folding the suit with a content expression. Thank you.

It was my pleasure. They simply don t understand because they have never put effort into learning. It is easier to try and confine you.

That does seem to fit.

Go take a walk in the gardens and come back when you are hungry or thirsty. My staff is at your disposal. They know of your condition and do not fear a little discomfort. Dr. Amber smiled. As you meet them, they will introduce themselves.

She blinked. That s it? No scheduled workouts?

Your instructor will arrive later in the week, and today is for acclimatization and food without stress. Have you been learning Toulan?

Yes, but it is slow going.

Put on your headset and go for a walk. Lunch will be when you want it.

Just like that?

Just like that. You can t fly right now, and this estate is extensive. There are plenty of paths to walk here.

So, I can just... go?

Yes. Dr. Amber grinned. Here is the panicked call from Kritz. Go. Walk. Relax.

Cadence smiled and walked toward the back of the enormous house.

It felt so good not to have anything blocking her sonic field.

She ran out the rear doors and made it to the pathways.

It was like she could feel air on her skin for the first time in years.

She knew she was grinning, but she couldn t stop.

She felt good. The only thing that would make it better would be underwear made of the same stuff.

She slowed her running and breathed. It felt good. Really good. If she could run out the rest of the pregnancy here, she would be very happy to do it.

Cadence listened to the crunch of her feet on the path and stretched her arms over her head, twirling randomly.

* * * *

A mber answered the call. Hello, Dr. Kritz.

She s out of her suit.

Yes, she is. She s breathing and happy. She will be very content here for the next eight and a half months. Amber smiled. Do you know how stupid that suit was?

What do you mean? Arcady could touch her.

Arcady is not pregnant. Arcady is not a harmonic talent. Take a reverberating crystal and put it under a tight confinement, and what happens?

The crystal shat-oh.

Correct. Her own energy signature was redirected back onto her body. She was hurting and very badly.

She didn t say anything.

When was she given the opportunity? When did she have a chance to speak to either of us without her sister there, eager to enforce contact?

Ah. Yes, that would be a complication I had not considered.

Go through the history of sonic and harmonic actives and what worked for them.

She needs clothing that is all the same material and room to breathe without others near her.

I don t think she s ever had a chance to just be free without the world pressing in on her.

She looks lovely when she is happy. She s laughing and skipping around with her arms wide.

Kritz exhaled. That is good. Can you send me what you know about textiles? I will send them to Nelith, and she can start working something out for her. You said she s harmonic? I thought she was sonic.

No. She s harmonic. She is constantly giving out a signal. She can t help it.

There was a long pause as Kritz understood one of the reasons why Cadence had been moved.

You are planning on her waking him up.

Amber chuckled and heard the slide of a foot behind her. She turned and stared at her brother. Raek. She hung up the call with Kritz and walked to her sibling. You are awake.

She walked forward to take his hands. He smiled and took in her appearance. Im-bar. How long has it been?

Over a decade, Raek. Watching and waiting, but Aksalla is finally holding to their word. They have presented the mother of your child.

His eyes went wide. You have been busy. Is she here? How far along is she?

She is in the early stages, and I need to speak to you about her.

She slowly walked him to the kitchen and got him something to drink.

When he had been briefed, she smiled. So, while I don t want you falling on top of her or sweeping her away, I believe that she deserves to live free for a little while longer.

I offer you a chance to actually meet her and help her work with her harmonic skills.

I will ask her if she wants a personal, onsite trainer and photographer.

She agreed to be photographed at every stage in the process.

I seem to recall you liked using a camera.

Raek stared at her. I can t touch her?

Not as a lover. Not yet. She has had emotional damage and has been punished for her harmonics her whole life. They have cost her family, friends, and coworkers.

She didn t get training?

She did not. She activated in a different country, and until recently, Aksalla did not reexamine their incoming actives. So, they know she is an active but think it is sonic and under her control. I just moved her here today.

He rubbed a hand over his face. And I pulsed to wake up the moment she set foot on the property.

Im-bar grinned. And I am so happy about it. It just proves that she s the right one.

Her song is powerful and very happy right now. He rubbed his head. I am going to get some proper rest, and I will take up your offer to be her personal trainer and her photographer. What is the schedule for the photographs?

Once a week. She isn t showing yet. She s only eleven days in.

Are you sure she s the right one?