Mind Over Psyche by Karina L. Fabian

aberration. That I never should have been allowed to be born.”
    Joshua nearly dropped his fork. “You’re kidding. That’s whacked! How could anybody—” He stopped as he noticed Deryl’s shocked expression. “Listen, I’m sorry to dis your family, but that’s really heinous.”
    â€œNo, it’s not that,” Deryl stammered. “It’s just—it’s in my file. First thing, practically. Edith seemed to find it was particularly enli ghtening.”
    Joshua stifled a groan. “I never read your file. Edith wanted me to treat you like a friend. Do you go reading dossiers on your friends?”
    Suddenly, Deryl shoved his plate of food away. He thumped his elbows in its place and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes.
    â€œ You okay?”
    â€œDon’t be nice to me!” Deryl snapped. “You’ve tried to be nice to me from the very beginning, gave me your trust, tried to take me for who I am and not who everyone said I am. Look how I’ve repaid you! No, I don’t read dossiers on my friends. I just read their minds . You ought to be agreeing with my gra ndfather.”
    â€œWell, you’re not easy to love,” Joshua agreed with a twist of irony in his voice, and Deryl dropped his hands away from his eyes to gape at him. “Not everybody is. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have been born, or that we aren’t friends. Besides, I’ve kind of enjoyed being around you. I’ve learned a lot, about myself. About the universe.” Again, his voice took on an ironic twist, and he turned his head to take in the alien cafeteria, making Deryl laugh. “Hey, how many friends take their buddy road-tripping to another planet? How phat is that?”
    â€œâ€˜Fat’?” As Joshua had intended, the word distr acted him.
    â€œPhat, with a P-H. Means cool, but it’s kind of old now. When we get back to Earth, you’ve got some slang to catch up on. Listen, I’ll make you a deal.” Joshua glanced at the date feature on his watch. “I’ve got ten days until Chipotle auditions in New York. I miss that, my music career ends before it’s begun. Figure on two days to handle the fallout of our disappearance. Get us home in a week and things are cool between us. And if you can time-tesser, get us home the day we left, and things are totally ph at. Deal?”
    â€œDeal.” They shook on it. “You ready to go find t he baths?”
    Joshua rose. “Oh, yeah. We’re both prett y skanky.”
    â€œ ‘Skanky?’”
    â€œHey, that’s an old one. My mom uses it all the time.”

Chapter 7
    Tasmae left the two brooding over the last of their meals. Leinad would not have approved, but he did not know Deryl like she did. She trusted Deryl, as the Miscria had always trusted the Ydrel. Still, it bothered her that Deryl refused to answer her questions until he’d taken care of his friend. In truth, he seemed as confused about his arrival as they were. Perhaps Leinad was right that the answers could only be found in the Remembrance.
    She reached out with her senses, determined where Salgoud and Leinad stood conversing, and headed in that direction. The earthquake had stilled under her care, and she thought she had a few days’ respite. If Deryl could advise Salgoud directly on the strategies she had tried to adapt, she could take time to experience the Remembrance. Not that she had a choice, but she would do it on her terms.
    She found them, as expected, leaning against a wall in the outer courtyard where many of the warriors busied themselves with sword practice. Salgoud’s eyes were on his troops, taking in flaws of step or swing, noting improvements, but even so, he kept his attention on what Leinad was telling him—about the Ydrel and probably her, no doubt. She did not interrupt. She would know what she needed to know so on enough.
    Leinad pinned