The Healer (The Order of Intergalactic Peace #1) - Kelly Lucille Page 0,59

wide look between them. Then Mal Ryn laughed.

Chapter Twenty

The silence following his laugh was absolute. “Councilman Gren, you are not suggesting the council will go against its own laws over what you yourself called an impossibility?”

She could practically hear the older man gnashing his teeth. “I grow tired of this stalling. Where is the healer? I have already been to medbay and was informed by the computer that it was closed unless there was an emergency.” Clearly he didn’t like being turned away by a machine.

“Even healers must eat, Councilman Gren. Surely you let your own healers join the crew at mess. And I must say I am dismayed that someone, anyone, but especially one of your stature has been roaming my ship without anyone deigning to inform me of it.”

Gren waved that away as if it were nothing. “I informed the captain that I wished to go unannounced.”

Mal didn’t need to share a look with Jas to know that the matter of the Captain would be dealt with.

The councilman turned to examine everyone he could see at the table, as if just realizing they had an audience. The women Mal was glad to see were blocked from his sight, and in Serenity’s case being surprisingly quiet and staying seated at his back.

Meg was covered by both Jas and Flinn and was staring down at her clasped hands as if they could transport her somewhere else. He didn’t blame the little med aide the tiniest bit for that. While no one had lived to prove anything against the councilman. Rumors of his dangerous proclivities were rampant. With the power he possessed few went against him, or any of the council for that matter.

The very last thing Mal wanted was for either of the healers with them to fall under this man’s dark attention. Serenity had his protection as part of his guard, something the councilman was going to hate even more when he saw who the mystery healer was. But Meg was regular army. A healer of little power, at least on record. And as such, little protection. Though seeing the way his phoenix had adopted the woman that seemed to be changing.

Unfortunately, that would not stop Lord Gren if he set his sights on her.

They needed to get her out of there without the councilman seeing her, if possible. But that meant that he would have to show him the shiny high healer behind him. And every muscle in his body was against moving.

He felt a hand touch his back and he knew she stood up behind him, telling him she was ready. How she knew what he was thinking he didn’t know, but somehow he could sense her steely resolve even as he met Jas’s eyes. The hunter nodded once and then Mal stepped to the side. As the councilman took his first look at the High healer something in his eyes went molten. And for that look alone Mal wanted to kill him. His head started to pound and he lost the thought as he turned his mind to the moment.

“This is High Healer Serenity, of the Phoenix guard. Perhaps you need better spies Councilman. She is neither a male, nor of an age young enough to be indoctrinated.”

The councilman took a step forward, his eyes on Serenity.

Unnoticed at the other end of the table, Flinn pulled the small med aide out of her seat and practically carried her from the room, both encased in a sound dampening and light bending shield. Even if the councilman turned to look, all he would see was a shimmer of light, if that. Mal as a reader saw everything and breathed easier the moment the door closed behind the two. Now all he had to worry about was Serenity.

For the moment, that was more than enough.

As a reader he saw what no one else could see, the way Serenity’s power fluttered around her and tasted those she encountered always drew his attention, especially since he knew she did it automatically, and without seeming to notice. He knew she wasn’t aware that whenever they were close her power reached for him, as often as his reached for her. Now that questing brush of energy fluttered up to taste the councilman.

If he could have shouted without bring even more attention to her gifts he would have. He held his breath until the second her light connected with the dark power pulsing off the man like a virulent fog. Her power hit that