Sentinel - Cyndi Friberg Page 0,4
coven of witches. It’s a group of beings in three different dimensions who network to bolster their abilities.”
“By working together, they all become more powerful,” Salvo added.
Her brows drew together and she glanced at Salvo. “They cast spells together, or... How does it work exactly?”
“Energy in different dimensions resonates at different frequencies.” Salvo turned around so he could see her without twisting his neck. “Members of a kwaris will draw energy from their dimension and pass it to the others, who combine it with their own. The combined energy allows them to accomplish things that they wouldn’t be able to do without the infusion of interdimensional energy.”
“And Velmar detected this magical network here on Sarronti Prime?” She understood the concept but was still struggling to accept that such a thing was literally possible.
Salvo nodded, so she looked at Jaron, but he just nodded as well.
“Wow, that’s awesome,” Natalie muttered sarcastically. “How does one combat a kwaris?”
`“One doesn’t,” Jaron stressed. “It will take a group of us, working in perfect harmony to have any effect on them. Even then, they are harder than hells to disrupt because it makes the participants incredibly powerful.”
“And you think this kwaris has Velmar?” she digressed.
Mirra handed her a steaming mug of whatever she’d dispensed in the kitchen. Natalie accepted it with a faint smile.
“I’d love a mug of tea, Mom. Thanks for asking,” Jaron teased.
Mirra arched her brow, completely unapologetic. “You know how to operate the beverage dispenser. Natalie is my guest.”
Natalie took a quick sip of the warm, faintly spicy anttis tea, then repeated her question. “Does the kwaris have Velmar?”
“This is all supposition at this point,” Salvo stressed. “All we know for sure is that Zerna Stront knows where Velmar is, and the governor is more involved in the resistance than he pretends.”
“They’re calling themselves the Opposition Force, by the way,” Mirra told them. “Said they needed a name as lofty as ours.”
“We didn’t dub ourselves the Shadowborn Rebellion,” Jaron objected. “The people chose that name for us.”
Salvo made a face as he deactivated the surveillance station. “The elite have always been good at giving themselves pointless titles. They can call themselves anything they like. I will always call them tyrants.”
“How do you really feel?” Natalie asked with a slightly brighter smile. Salvo loved to grumble and brood. Even so, she preferred his personality to Jaron’s continual flirting. For the first day or so, she had been flattered by the attention, but it quickly became apparent that Jaron flirted with everyone and none of it meant anything to him.
“Hungry,” Jaron answered for him. “What’s in the dish? It smells amazing.”
Natalie came alive at the mention of her cooking. Food was her passion. “It’s my latest creation. Now that I have access to fresh ingredients, I’ve been experimenting with different combinations. This one is sort of spicy/sweet.”
“Sweet and spicy?” Jaron grinned. “My favorite.”
“You’ll have to ask your mother if she’s willing to share,” Natalie said playfully. “I carried this over here—and burned my hands in the process—for her.”
“I’ll share with Salvo, but you are much too full of yourself,” Mirra told her son.
“Oh, I see how it’s going to be,” Jaron complained with mock outrage. “This is typical,” he said to Natalie. “Mom always did like Salvo more than me.”
“You can’t blame her,” Salvo joined in with a half-smile. “I’m more likable than you.”
Natalie laughed and heat spread across her cheeks. Salvo always made her feel hot and tingly. “Does that mean Prime Healer Arpovae likes Jaron more than you?”
“No. Mother likes me better too.”
“Nonsense,” Jaron scoffed good-naturedly. “Everyone knows Aunt Arpovae likes Malik more than either of us.”
Salvo chuckled, but pain flashed through his gaze. “Both my parents do,” he added though there was no real humor left in his tone or expression.
Mirra slipped her arm around Salvo’s waist and gave him an affectionate hug. “You’ll always be my favorite.” Then she looked at Natalie and asked, “Do we need bowls or plates for this mystery dish?”
“Better go with bowls. I won’t know how soupy it is until I dish it up.”
They sat down around the small square table in Mirra’s kitchen, and Mirra placed a bowl and spoon in front of each of them. Natalie retrieved the dish from the table by the door and set it in the middle of the kitchen table.
“No guarantees,” she warned. “As I said, this is an experiment.”
Rather than passing the hot dish around, Jaron placed a heaping spoonful in each bowl. The offering had chunks