Guarding Forever Read Online Free

into the world. She had hoped that she could keep the memories, but no matter what she did, they wouldn’t come back to her.
    It was the most frustrating part of being a monitor. She knew that she had done something to keep her charge calm, but she had no idea what it was or who it was.
    When the Edinar sat again, a meal was served. That surprised her. Only those seated were being given a meal. She looked over her shoulder at the dignitaries and vid stars that were in attendance.
    General Thanloss tapped her hand. “Don’t worry about them. They were only allowed visitor passes for this event. It was never meant for them.”
    “I feel weird that they are watching us eat.”
    He laughed. “Understandable, but it is no reason to let the meal go to waste.”
    She gave him a shy smile. “Good point.”
    Ohra nibbled at the vegetables and sliced the meat into small pieces that were easy to chew.
    “How long were you a monitor?” Thanloss was apparently chatty.
    “Six months.” She nibbled her way through the food on her plate.
    “What are you doing now?”
    Ohra looked over at his curious features. “I am a student. Well, I am a medic, but I am going into a specialty so I can get back into the program.”
    “You can’t be a monitor again?”
    She shook her head. “I died on the table a few times during the link. I can’t take another assignment on.”
    He looked surprised. “You died?”
    “Yes, they said my heart stopped. The chemicals that they used to enable us to communicate with you can stress our bodies. We are chosen because our minds are a close match, and we hope the medics can keep us alive long enough to bring you out of it.”
    “So, the monitors here all risked their lives for us?” Thanloss looked around the room.
    Ohra followed his gaze. Pale men and women were dotted around the tables. The monitors all had the same look about them. They had seen another world and had been changed by it.
    The rest of the politicians, the officers, they all had a solid connection to the physical world, and it showed in their faces, their robust colour and their animated attitudes. The monitors looked like shadows of the moon, pale and quiet next to the blazing sun of the others.
    The Edinar were something else entirely. They were flames of energy that crackled and popped even though they were sitting at rest.
    Ohra catalogued the differences with interest. She had never seen them all together in a room like this before.
    “What are you seeing when you look out through those huge blue eyes?” Tanyos brought her attention back to the others at the table.
    “I am seeing the changing face of our world represented in this room. It is something to see, all the different levels of energy and the burning minds in the room.” She covered her mouth when she realised that she had mentioned the minds. Outside of a link, she shouldn’t have been able to see them.
    The two Edinar at the table stared at her, and she tried to make herself invisible.
    Thanloss asked, “You can see their minds?”
    She leaned toward him and whispered. “No. Just the energy that they are giving off.”
    He nodded.
    When dessert had been served and consumed, music played and couples took to the floor. Ohra had seen dancing on vids, but to see it in person made her heart ache.
    She had seen affection before, but around the dance floor, there were those couples that glowed with love.
    “Do you dance?” Thanloss leaned in and whispered.
    She shook her head. “No. I tried in school, but I was unable to surrender control.”
    “Would you care to try?”
    She blinked. “Here? In front of all these people?”
    He smiled and rose to his feet, offering her his hand. “I am sure I can find somewhere quiet for your first lesson.”
    “You want to teach me?”
    His smile was gentle and encouraging. It was a strange expression for such a hard-looking man.
    With hesitation, she slipped her fingers along his skin. She felt an electric jolt of