Halcyon Nights (Star Sojourner Book 2) by Jean Kilczer

closed my eyes and visualized bugs crawling across the face of the dead woman in the coffin. White hair. White shroud. She is ancient, sunken, as though the coffin is dragging her down. I pictured a skeleton in her shroud. The bouquet of lilies became brown and shriveled.
    “What?” Bjorn glanced around, the whites of his eyes showing. He brushed off his face and stared at Sharkie. “What did you say?”
    “Master?” Sharkie responded.
    “The kid's got a fever,” I told Bjorn. “I didn't want to tell you, but she's sick. She shouldn't be put into cold sleep.”
    Diseased!
I bored toward his head. I imaged fat greasy bugs. Slime trails across skin.
Halcyon
! Drop them off at the Terran colony on Halcyon! Get rid of them!
    Bjorn backed away from Lisa and covered his mouth with his hand. “Who said that?” he mumbled through fingers and frowned at Sharkie.
    “Uh, master?” Leo answered. “Sharkie didn't say anything.”
    Halcyon, you stonefried android,
I sent and imaged Bjorn snakes striking the eyes of a bloated corpse. My head throbbed from the tel effort.
Drop them off on Halcyon! If you put them into cold sleep, the bacteria will jump to you.
    Bjorn moaned. He pulled out a handkerchief and slapped it over his mouth. “Get her into the unit and close it.” He turned away and waved an arm back. “Quickly!”
    “Damn you!” I tried to twist out of Sharkie's grip.
    Lisa screamed as the 'bot pressed her down into the chamber bed and pulled the bear from her hands.
    “Leave her alone!” I cried. “For God's sake…you crotefucker!” I struggled and saw spots before my eyes as Sharkie squeezed harder. I drew in a shaky breath. “I'll kill you!”
    Sharkie twisted and I was on the floor with his knee pressed into my back.
    “Who you going to kill?”
    Pain shot up my arm as he twisted my wrist.
Oh God. Help my daughter,
I thought miserably.
Great Mind…
    Oh God, Daddy.
Lisa's voice…In my head! She was sending!
Pig Born. Die, pig Born!
Her link was weak and I don't think it reached Bjorn, but she was sending!
    Yeah, Lis',
I sent back.
That's good, but stop now.
    The silver tag must've amplified her own latent talent somewhere along the way. Was it inherited? Had she known it before and been sneaking around in people's minds?
    My assault on Bjorn's senses was draining me. Sharkie lifted me to my feet and dragged me to an empty unit. He shoved me into the chamber. “Stay there!” he ordered, slammed down the cover and locked it.
    I pressed my hands against the glass. My breath hissed in my ears. I was finished if the syndicate got their probes into me. They'd know I wasn't I-DEA and of no value to them. What would they do to my daughter? My Lisa. I slammed a fist against the cover, then rubbed my stinging knuckles.
    I saw Bjorn pull a white glove over his hand and yank Lisa's bear from the 'bot's metal hand. A loose screw rattled to the floor and the 'bot's thumb dangled. Bjorn stood by Lisa's unit and smiled down as he methodically plucked the marble eyes off the bear, then twisted the head until it hung, and let the bear drop to the floor.
    “You scramballed bastard,” I mumbled and pressed a hand against the cover, which was hazing over.
I'm sorry, Lisa
. How did I get her into this mess?
I'm sorry, baby.
    He's so mean, Daddy,
she sent.
    I'll buy you a new bear when we get home.
I felt her trying to ease her anguish by sucking her thumb.
How about a white, fluffy Vegan bear?
The gentle hunters of planet Kresthaven in the Vegan system resembled bears. I let my hands drop, closed my eyes, inhaled deeply and breathed out, to relax my mind. My temples throbbed as I concentrated, as I willed that beating sensation in my brain to intensify.
    Quickening now! Like a burn. Faster than my heartbeat. Spasms of a force growing within my skull. Energy coalescing. My breath came fast. I pictured a hot coil turning inside my head. Heating up. Spinning!
    Daddy, I –
    Cancel, Lis' Not now!
I moaned as the coil twisted