Free Zamani by Angelic Rodgers Page A

smell
and taste to hunt effectively how great this will taste.”
    Sasha brought the glass to
her lips and tilted it enough for the wine to touch her lips.   It was cooler than her mouth, but not
cold. She wasn’t sure if it was the wine or her tongue that was different; she
tasted the different levels of flavor in a way she never had before.
    Zofia smiled as Sasha closed
her eyes and paid attention to the wine.   “I hear you had quite the birthday party the other night. So, things
won’t be so bad after all, young one.   You’ll find that the benefits are many.”   Zofia leaned back and crossed her
legs.   “To start, yes, I can read
your mind.   One of the first things
you must learn is to close yourself off.   If you don’t, you’ll be a sitting duck.   Besides, you don’t want the one who
turned you to know about you if she doesn’t already.”
    Sasha laughed.   “Oh, I’m not worried about her.   She’s been arrested and isn’t likely to
be listened to.   Everyone thinks
she’s a psychopathic murderer.   She’s all over the news.”
    Zofia shook her head. “It’s
not that easy.   I’ve seen footage of
Wren; I don’t think she is aware she turned you.   She gives off the vibe of someone who is
completely untrained. Once you’ve worked with me for awhile, you’ll see it,
too.   I don’t like the word ‘aura’
but it is as close a fit as I’ve found.   You’ll be better able to see that she is a complete mess once you’re
more attuned to reading people.   Besides,
if she was aware she turned you, she wouldn’t have been caught.”
    Sasha frowned.   “Can you train me so I can go to her and
kill her?”  
    “No. I understand the desire
to do so, but killing Wren and escaping undetected will only alert Olivia that
you exist. We can deal with the Wren situation later if it is even necessary.   Right now, though, it is more important
that you know how to shield yourself. The longer we can keep your identity
secret, the better for all of us.”   Zofia freshened their glasses.   “If you want me to teach you, you must listen to me and trust that I
know what is best for you.” She paused.   “Will you trust me?”
    Sasha nodded. Zofia began
with:   “The first thing you have to
realize is that you can’t go to Liz and reveal you’re still alive.   I know you think that’s a solution, but
it’s not.   Trust me; going to her
right now can only cause more chaos and pain for both of you.   She’s not in a psychological state where
she could accept any of this. Let her grieve.”
    Sasha said nothing for a
moment. “Will there be a time when that can change? For instance, once she’s
grieved and I understand more about who and what I am, is there a chance?”
    Zofia shook her head.   “For now, consider going to Liz off
limits. Going to her will create more complications than killing Wren would, I
suspect.” She poured more wine in their glasses and raised her eyes to Sasha’s.
    Before Sasha could ask,
Zofia continued.   “When I was turned
it was similar to your situation; I was turned to be an offering to a man I
knew.   It wasn’t my choice, nor was
it his. I resisted going to him at first. My family rejected me when they
recognized what I had become. I then had to turn to others of my kind.”
    “How did you find others?
Who turned you?”
    “The man realized that I was
no more at fault than he was. He helped me. He trained me. As for who turned
me, it was Olivia.”
    Sasha was stunned into
silence. Zofia continued, shifting her attention back to Sasha’s situation and
the reasons she couldn’t contact Liz.
    “I know that part of what
you are feeling is guilt over your weekend with Steph, and I’m sensing guilt
over Wren as well.   That’s exactly
why revealing yourself now will lead to a bad outcome.   Not only is it difficult for one who is
not turned to understand how it is even possible, but once you start the story
with how Wren turned you