Talent For Trouble Read Online Free Page A

vice versa?”
    Darak sat in the visitor chair, sprawling negligently. If he’d calculated his posture, it couldn’t be sexier, she thought. But it just came to this rogue naturally.
    “Ah, I think I understand. Specitars only have one or, at most, two psi abilities. Their Talent is very directed, totally channeled to their specific abilities, and they excel in those areas. But only in those areas. It’s a relatively rare condition. Most of us have Talent in a broader range of things. For example, I can heal, but I also have telepathic and some telekinetic abilities. I can channel my power to any number of tasks, not just healing or ‘pathing or whatever. Barath can only heal. That’s it. He’s a one-trick pony. But that one trick, he does better than anyone else.”
    “So, how do they rank Specitars? How do they know who’s the strongest among them?”
    “There are relatively few of them. In order to become a Specitar, you have to manifest your one Talent at Mage level or above. From what I’ve seen, Specitars tend to group themselves by what they do. The telepaths gravitate toward each other, the healers to healers, and so on. Among themselves, they get to know who has the strongest ability, and they sort themselves out, I think. They have their own Council that is part of the larger Mage Council, and they handle specific tasks unique to their abilities—teaching, testing and the like.”
    “It sounds very complicated.” Jana scratched her head as she thought through what he’d just told her. “The collective was so different. We were all just cogs in the wheel, and the Voice told us who would lead and what to do at all times.”
    “The Voice?” Darak seemed suddenly interested and alert, though his slouching posture hadn’t changed.
    “The Voice of the collective. At least, that’s what I call it. It was what, or perhaps who, gave all the orders. I can still hear it murmuring in the back of my mind, but I think it’s unaware of me.”
    This time, he sat up. “How do you know?”
    “If it knew I was within hearing, it would give me orders. It would try to control me again.” She looked at him as if he were slow. Fear shot through her at the thought, making her shiver. “It doesn’t know I can still hear it. If it ever finds out, I’m done for.”
    Darak sat on the edge of her bed, reaching out one hand to stroke her hair. “I seriously doubt that, Jana.”
    “Why?”
    “Besides two very angry Shas and one Mage Master standing firmly between you and the collective, there’s your own very strong Talent. I doubt you would ever succumb to their dominion again. Not now that you’re fully aware of it.” He stood, letting her go. “Come, we have places to go and things to do today. I’ve come to officially spring you from this facility and escort you to the family. Jeri and Micah arrived back yesterday and your sister wants very much to see you.”
    They went in a small private craft that Darak piloted expertly. The family compound was huge, richly appointed, and beautiful. The wealth and power of this family was not lost on Jana. She noted the graceful architecture and sprawling lands. She saw horses, too, roaming freely in one huge area that had been set aside for them, probably at her sister’s request. Darak had told Jana about Micah’s wedding gift to his bride—a tropical island where her horses could roam free.
    Jana hadn’t realized until that moment how she had missed the herds of huge beasts that she’d been raised to train. Most of her childhood teaching was forgotten or suppressed by the collective’s training, but she felt a yearning to be as free as those majestic animals she saw galloping below the small craft as they came in for a landing.
    “Jeri has had quite an effect on our family lands already. The herd came when she called, and now, they won’t leave.” Darak apparently saw the direction of her gaze.
    She could feel his admiration for the beasts, though, belying his