Centyr Dominance Read Online Free PDF

Now
     that she had some quiet, she could devote herself to studying damage to Laura’s
     mind.
    The part of Laura’s brain that was responsible for
     speech in normal people was dark. At a physical level Moira could see that
     some of the tissue there had died, leaving a disconnect that prevented the girl
     from speaking, even though she could still understand others’ speech.
    She had no idea how to restore lost brain tissue, but
     being a Centyr she knew that wasn’t strictly necessary. The sentient
     intelligences she regularly created had no physical brain whatsoever, their
     minds were constructed from a web of pure aythar. It would be easy to create
     something similar and attach it to Laura’s mind. Her natural aythar would
     support it, and it could perform the necessary function of bridging the gap
     between Laura’s intentions and the motor centers that controlled her tongue and
     voice box.
    If I’m really careful, it shouldn’t disturb
     anything else, thought Moira.
    Reaching out mentally she crossed the boundary of
     Laura’s mind. She felt slightly guilty, breaking the rule her mother had
     warned her about, but she knew it was for a good purpose. Deftly she
     constructed the necessary pattern to enable speech, and using the lightest of
     touches she connected it to Laura’s psyche, allowing it to bypass the areas
     that no longer worked. So gentle was her work that the other girl never even
     woke, although she did begin to babble in her sleep, but just for a moment.
    Moira withdrew and studied her handiwork. The
     patterns in Laura’s mind had shifted ever so slightly, but otherwise she seemed
     unchanged. Everything was still balanced and she doubted that the girl would
     notice a difference. She’ll be able to talk when she wakes. I wonder what
     she will think.
    She touched Laura’s shoulder, “It’s late. You should
     go to bed so your mother doesn’t worry.”
    Laura stirred, opening sleepy eyes, “Mmm, yeah.” The
     sound of her own voice startled her, and she sat up suddenly, staring at Moira
     in surprise. “What’s happening?” she said, with a note of alarm in her tone.
    “You can talk now,” stated Moira plainly.
    “What happened to your stutter?” asked Laura. She
     clapped one hand over her mouth in surprise. “I’m talking!” she added through
     her fingers.
    “Actually, I need to apologize,” explained Moira. “I
     was only pretending to stutter. We were afraid my accent would give away our
     origin, and we didn’t want to alarm your father.”
    “You don’t sound like him,” observed Laura, indicating
     Chad. The sound of her own voice continued to startle her, and her eyes began
     to water. “My voice!” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe it. I must be
     dreaming. Who are you?”
    “There isn’t much point in hiding it now,” said Moira.
     “I’m Moira Illeniel.”
    Laura stared at her in surprise, almost taking a step
     back, “You’re the Blood-Lord’s daughter?” She looked at Chad Grayson who had
     awoken and was quietly watching them talk. “He’s the Blood-Lord?!”
    Chad was irritated already by the fact that Moira had
     revealed her identity, but this new pronouncement made him groan, “Ahh, for
     fuck’s sake.”
    Moira was none too pleased herself at hearing the name
     ‘Blood-Lord’. It was an appellation that people had begun using for her father
     after he had slain Duke Tremont and his men in Albamarl. Technically it hadn’t
     even been her father who had done it, but no one believed that. “That’s not my
     father,” she corrected, “and I really don’t like the term ‘Blood-Lord’. My
     father is a good man, and he’s far too kind to deserve that name.”
    Laura’s thoughts were moving several times faster than
     her newly restored speech could keep up with, “But he…!” She was staring at
     Chad. “He’s not? But then, who is he? Why are you…? What have you done to
     me?!” She punctuated each question by