The Energy Crusades Read Online Free Page B

of you brings a set of unique skills, but you all must work together to accomplish your goals. Ajax is the leader of your team and your mentor in particular. You will answer to him at all times and obey his command while training. You remember my son?" She paused and waited for my answer.
    "Yes, Professor," I answered. It was the truth. I remembered him. I did not look at him, though; I kept my eyes on hers as she continued.
    "Ajax trained with Cadmus and Tiergan. The fact that they graduated and he is still here is not a reflection of his skills as a crusader. He is extremely accomplished and had every right to graduate, but I have other plans for him. He will watch over you and help guide your training. I kept him behind specifically for this purpose." So there was the reason for his hostility. He ' d done everything right, accomplished his goals for his Crusade, and yet he was left behind. It was unimaginable having to train all over for a second crusade. It wasn ' t fair. And it was hard to understand. Why do this to Ajax? Why not have the four of us train together? Why let Ajax train with our brothers at all, if she never planned on letting him leave? I turned my head slowly to meet his eyes, ready to face his anger over this injustice. He kept his face a stony mask, allowing no emotion to show. I reached into his mind.
    You blame me? I asked him, placing the words inside his head, the way we often communicated as children. Ajax was the only other human I knew who could have a conversation with me without speaking. We discovered this secret as children and, for my part, I had never told anyone. Ajax claimed Cadmus could also speak without words, but I hadn ' t been close with Cadmus the way I was with Ajax, and I was unable to teach my brother how it was done.
    Ajax didn ' t answer me. Either he was ignoring me, or he had lost the ability altogether. I set my features with the same stony expression he wore. I felt my fists clench in anger, but I quickly relaxed them. I didn ' t want my anger to show. Instead, I concentrated on the necklace at his throat, the same one he had worn as a child, a gift from his mother. Cadmus wore a similar one, I recalled. It was a thin, black leather rope with a small stone attached. The stone had etchings all over it, some type of language. I wondered if he had deciphered their meaning in my absence, something we could never figure out together, though not for lack of trying. My fingers itched to reach out and touch it. I also had the urge to stick my fingers in his impossibly black hair, a color so rich it was difficult to believe it was real.
    "Ajax is the leader of your team," Professor Baal continued, "But I also expect you to be a leader. You have an affinity for endurance I believe is unmatched, and you also have extreme control over your senses. Your mind is a special weapon, and it is time for you to learn to harness its power in ways you haven ' t needed to before. This won ' t be about beating an opponent on the tennis court or winning a match. The decisions you make during your Crusade will affect others, and it is imperative you think clearly and make good decisions under pressure."
    "I can do that, Professor," I assured her when she paused, allowing her words to sink in.
    "Your Crusade will bring you face to face with the Resistance and your task will be to recover a particular item they have stolen from the Reformation. Other teams from around the globe will be attempting this same task. Do you think I need to emphasize how I feel about my team leading on all aspects of this Crusade?"
    She did not. Professor Baal ' s teams always completed their Crusades first, which was why being accepted on her team was an enormous honor. An Elite Crusade meant you were competing against many other teams to accomplish a given goal. The team who accomplished it first graduated and went on to serve their planet in a similar capacity. Tiergan ' s team had moved on to Danu, where the Resistance