Wicked Telepaths: Vortha Gifted Telepaths Academy, #1

By Enid Titan

3 6'7"-tall athletic blue aliens all singularly obsessed with the 'new girl' from Earth...

She's the first human to ever attend the Vortha Academy on Devor.
After first contact, Earth's climate crisis reaches its climax.

With a planet in crisis, human girl Poppy Darden remains Earth's only hope.

She takes her chance on a distant ice planet, hoping to unlock secrets to save her homeworld.

Three brawny, muscular, blue-alien males notice her...

They must have her.

What could possibly go wrong when 3 lusty, tall, strapping alien telepaths read her mind?
Poppy can't get distracted from her mission... no matter how tempting their offer.

This book is set 100 years after Enid Titan's debut novel, "Devor", and is the premier novel in its own series. If you enjoy stories with 3 hot alien males falling for a human female and ending up HEA, this just might be the book you were waiting for. Take a peek inside to get a taste of the action. This is a NO cheating polyam quad science fiction romance story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamila Jasper
• Release date: Dec 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393655565

Book preview

1

New Earth

Poppy glowered as she stared out the window of her uncle’s New Manhattan apartment at two naked guys brawling over a bottle of water. The sand in the city below crept in from the growing Dust Bowl, which now encroached on the Rockies. 

Uncle Monty told Poppy once that before the Dust Bowl, people lived in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. Now, they were all covered in sand.

Poppy, are you listening to me? Uncle Monty said gruffly.

Poppy nodded, but she wasn’t listening. The fight between the homeless men escalated. One of them pulled a silver blade.

I know when you’re not listening, Uncle Monty chided, You have that same look your father used to have when he wasn’t listening.

Before the fight with the homeless men could escalate further, three robotic policemen came and neutralized them. They dropped to the ground and Poppy figured that she’d better listen to her uncle.

We need to take you to the embassy.

The one on Main Street?

No, darling, the one on the moon.

Very funny.

I’m not joking. I’ve been meaning to tell you this but we received this in the mail after your high school exams.

What’s this?

Poppy took the silver envelope with the holographic wax seal from her uncle, still disinterested.

The U.S. government analyzed the biometric data of every high school student in the country and sent it to the Devorans.

Great, Poppy snarked, Are the little blue men going to give me an Olympic medal?

Uncle Monty grimaced, Don’t talk like that, Poppy. They’re our allies.

They’re watching our planet turn to dust when they have all the power and technology in the world to fix it. I don’t care.

Open the envelope, Monty insisted.

I don’t care.

Please, Poppy. Open it.

You already know what’s inside, don’t you?

I got a call.

Fine.

Poppy ripped open the seal and read the letter.

Dear Penelope Darden, 

The Royal Family of Devor invites you to visit the planet and to attend the prestigious academy for our telepathic youth, The Vortha Gifted Telepaths Academy, on our home world. Should you accept our invitation, we will be in touch with you. This envelope contains more information about the academy and what your acceptance would mean.

Gratefully Yours,

Achilles, Headmaster

So what?

Poppy, don’t you recognize what this is?

Yeah, an opportunity for me to travel in space. Big whoop. We all did a trip to Venus as seniors. It sucked.

This wouldn’t just be a trip to Venus. It would be a trip across our quadrant of the galaxy.

I don’t care!

It doesn’t matter. I already accepted your spot.

You did what? Poppy snapped.

Sorry Poppy but I couldn’t let you pass this up.

Why not? What the hell is so great about these aliens? We’ve known about them for years but from what I’ve seen they’re all useless! The Devorans, the Taureans, the Polluxians, they all came here and left our planet in shambles. We’re all dying and they don’t give a shit!

They do, Monty answered, And this is how they’re proving it.

By giving one person a chance to go to their stupid academy?

Monty was used to his niece’s outbursts by now. Poppy could be strong-willed, like her father, and she had her mother’s temper. 

It’s more than that. They believe you have latent telepathic abilities that once untapped could heal the planet. You could save everyone.

What? Me?

Yes, Poppy. I spoke to the ambassador on the phone. There’s no other human being on the planet whose data registered on their charts. Everyone here has latent telepathy and we knew that already. Even the ones with developed skills don’t have the potential that you have.

So what, I’ll go and learn to read minds and then save the earth? It doesn’t make sense.

Hear what they have to say, Poppy. Give them a chance.

What if I say no?

What will you do next year, then?

Ah, that question. Poppy had been hoping that after high school she could continue living with Uncle Monty. He was well off and New Manhattan was one of the biggest cities in Colorado. But it was tough finding work here and to make money, you had to be willing to hustle hard. 

I dunno. The Appalachian coast might have work.

I won’t send you to the East Coast just to have you become a beach bum or a surfer. You have to do something with your life, Poppy. When your father died, he left me in charge of you.

My mom’s still alive. Doesn’t she get a say?

Don’t you think your mom would want you to do your part to help the planet?

Poppy diverted, What about college?

College doesn’t give you an advantage anymore. 

I suppose, Poppy admitted.

Monty stroked his silver beard and followed up with, Then give this a chance. We’ll leave for Devor on Friday.

Friday!?

We have to act fast. The Devoran delegates are already on the planet’s surface. Of course, they prefer visiting Canada to visiting here, especially after the last incident, but we’ll meet the delegates tomorrow.

I won’t have time to say goodbye to my friends.

You will if you head out tonight.

We were supposed to have dinner, Poppy argued.

We’ll have plenty of time for dinner on the spaceship. Run along. You should get started packing tonight.

What do I even pack?

The warmest clothes you can find. The planet is freezing.

Uncle Monty had gone to Devor for work last year. Poppy wanted to come along then, but he refused just so she could study for that stupid Ancient U.S. History test. 

After that, Poppy didn’t think she’d chance leaving earth again. Space travel could be dangerous and unpredictable. At least aliens had better tech. Better everything. 

The aliens might not have all been hostile, but they were certainly unfriendly. Poppy had never met a Devoran, but she’d seen the blue-skinned tourists from a distance once or twice. 

When aliens visited earth, no matter what planet they were from, they always had such a strange look on their face — a mixture of pity and disgust. Poppy loathed that look.

2

Shuttle

Poppy didn’t want to admit her terror about teleportation to Uncle Monty. She’d seen aliens enough times that she didn’t stare at them when she entered the embassy. The issue wasn't having to deal with Devorans. Poppy rather liked observing them out of the corner of her eye so they didn't notice her staring.

They were all so tall and their skin so many different shades of blue. Devorans stationed on Earth staffed the embassy.

How do they live right here in New-Man and I’ve never seen them before? Poppy whispered to her uncle.

Monty adjusted his tortoiseshell glasses and explained that Devorans preferred to use their telepathic fields to filter human perceptions so that they could appear human unless an observer knew what to look for. Poppy doubted him at first, but it had to be true. Her uncle knew more about aliens than anyone else she knew. The embassy was in a huge stone building staffed with over four-hundred aliens. As they traveled the arching halls deeper into the belly of the beast, a knot tightened in Penelope's stomach.

Poppy couldn’t tell the males and females apart. Both were tall, both equally strong and both had long silvery-white hair twisted into different styles. Monty elbowed her and whispered, It takes a while to tell them apart. Don't worry.

Two imposing guards in tight white fabric jumpsuits led them to a large circular arena with a ring of white light around it.

Step onto the teleportation pad, Poppy.

Poppy held her uncle’s hand. He squeezed until the shaking in her hands stopped. Poppy never said a word to him about being nervous. Spitfire, just like her mother, she’d never admit dreading her circumstances on Devor. This would be nothing like her school trip to Venus, Monty thought. He hoped he was making the right choice for the girl. Leaving Earth now was the only option he saw, but the issue of whether it was right to let her go weighed on him regardless.

Her parents trusted him over anyone else on the planet. His niece relied on him for everything.

Monty squeezed her hand back. Poppy's mouth gaped open as she underwent her first teleportation. No noise came out. Her chest contracted. Her body twisted and there was this sense that she would never be put back together again and just as quickly, she was standing on a platform somewhere entirely different. Her legs trembled and Poppy lost her balance.

Entirely normal. The temperature difference must be quite a shock. Welcome back, Monty.

Pallas! I didn’t expect you here.

Monty's cheeks reddened at the sight of the towering broad-shouldered blue alien who awaited them with high arched eyebrows and long, pointed ears.

I didn’t expect to be assigned to your neck of the woods. I suppose that poor pink creature there is Penelope?

Monty glanced back to find that Poppy had risen and she stared around the giant white atrium, stumbling forward both nauseous and confused. Pallas rushed over to her and introduced himself, grasping her hand in a polite shake. 

Welcome aboard, Penelope.  

Penelope flinched and gasped as she took Pallas' hand. She’d never touched a Devoran before but the slight contact from his hand caused a series of images to flash before her eyes. She retreated quickly. Pallas’ eyes glowed yellow with embarrassment.

My apologies, Pallas responded quickly, I wasn’t aware you had never connected with a Devoran before.

Connected? What was that? Poppy turned to her uncle for reassurance.

Monty nodded and stepped behind her, wrapping his arm around Penelope's shoulder. Pallas was much taller than her Uncle Monty, but shared his slight frame, more typical of a college professor who hardly experiences the sun's tender touch. Pallas reached out again and Poppy flinched instinctively.

Sorry, I was only fascinated by your hair. It’s… jet black. So very different from Monty’s. Perhaps one day when you’re more accustomed to our customs we can discuss Earth.

Yes, sir. 

She’s got your manners, Monty. I take it she’s never been to Devor?

No, she hasn’t.

She’ll fit right in at the Academy.

Will she now?

Poppy noticed her uncle's uncertainty for the first time since he'd propositioned her with leaving Earth. Monty never second-guessed his choice's. Pallas' gaze traveled from her back to Monty.

I felt something, even in that split second, Pallas uttered, now peering over at Poppy like she was a creature in a cage, lost in thought.

Poppy blushed and Pallas leaned away again.

My apologies, I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable.

Poppy realized with increasing discomfort that he must have read her mind. All Devorans were telepaths. 

I… Uncle Monty… I… I need to get out of here.

Don’t worry dear, we’ll be on Devor soon.

No. That’s not what I mean.

Oh dear, she’s upset, Monty. Take her to your quarters. We’ll be on Devor in a day or two.

Yes, of course, Pallas. Thank you for your generosity.

Monty's cheeks hadn't lost their redness. Poppy observed her uncle as he said goodbye to Pallas with a low bow. 

The Devorans teleported their possessions to their quarters. Poppy still hadn’t stopped shivering from the ship's chill and the daunting environment of the Devoran ship terrified her. Poppy was a tiny figurine in the giant white snowglobe. She hugged her Uncle Monty's side as they followed the Devoran cadet down the halls to their quarters. 

Once they were alone, Monty paced their quarters muttering to himself, visibly frustrated. He unmade and remade the bed on his side of the room. Poppy flopped down on hers, settling the queasiness in her stomach.

Their room was organized like a chain hotel room with made beds and various amenities familiar to Poppy from earth. The main difference was the temperature. The room was still freezing.

Darling, I know you’re a fish out of water here but you need to pull it together. Soon, you’ll be at the academy and I won’t be able to help you adjust.

What am I supposed to do when I get there? I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, what I’m studying…I hardly had time to go over these stupid handbooks. Then that man… when he shook my hand…What the hell was that?

The connection. You experienced the connection.

I don’t understand.

Your telepathic fields touched. It can take some getting used to.

The same thing’s happened to you?

Every time. They don’t mean any harm by it. It’s sort of pleasant depending on who you come across.

I don’t know if I can do this. 

I know this isn’t where you thought you’d be, but Earth is no place for a young woman anymore. On Devor, at least I can be certain you’ll be safe.

Monty’s mouth dropped and the edges of his eyes turned downward. A chill danced down Poppy's spine, as if she could almost sense what her uncle was thinking, but his thoughts were just out of reach.

It’s still cold in here, she complained.

Touch that panel on the wall and picture warm clothes.

Imagine warm clothes? How the hell will that help me? 

3

Prophecies

Furs from the panel on the wall warmed Poppy quickly, but she had much to adjust to on the ship. Devorans didn't speak out loud in the presence of others, Poppy learned. Surprise colored Poppy's cheeks the first time she heard a Devoran voice in her head. Soon, she found the dull throb of constant telepathic communication around her soothing. Most times, the Devorans on the ship strived to keep their conversations private from the alien visitors, but some didn’t bother to hide their thoughts.

Uncle Monty had never mentioned this aspect of Devoran culture. He’d never talked about his trips to Devor. Poppy had never asked about his academic forays into space. He'd spend his time on Earth bent over books in his study or yelling at librarians on the phone. Poppy assumed space held little of interest aside from intergalactic politics that she would never play a part in.

She’d been too busy doing teen things and finishing high school. That had been a project and a half. Poppy had been a straight C student. Her friends hadn’t even believed her when she said she was accepting a place at an academy on Devor.

You’re stupid, CJ replied bluntly when she'd told him the news. 

Thanks, Ceej. 

Straight C students didn’t go to college anymore. Hell, most of them couldn’t do anything except go to the Coast Guard — another reason Uncle Monty hadn’t wanted her to go to the East Coast. Joining the Coast Guard in this day and age was more or less a death sentence.

Poppy, are you listening?

Again, Poppy found herself distracted. She nodded and Uncle Monty smiled knowingly. He was used to the way her mind wandered.

The ice planet is magnificent. The capital, Vortha, is far away from the tundra, a quiet little enclave bustling with culture and priestesses. The energy there is so strong — and then there’s the temple. Do you know the history of the temple?

Um, I remember learning about this when we learned about first contact.

Tell me, Monty instructed.

A human woman made contact with the telepathic temple on Devor and our people became linked. They began to take human names — Ancient Greek names — and they ended the birth crisis on their planet.

Exactly.

That was one hundred years ago.

Yes, the Empress of Devor is an old woman now.

And she’s human.

How strange, that a human woman would have left all that she knew to become a part of a bizarre world of ice and blue aliens. How could she choose that over Earth? Didn’t this empress lady feel guilty about the way the planet suffered?

You head back to our quarters and change. We’ll be landing on the planet soon and you’ll need more clothes than what you have.

Okay.

Poppy missed her friends on earth already, and she missed New Manhattan — the rats, the smell of piss, the vagrant camps, the red light district — all of the shitty parts of the city added to the rich culture. 

Poppy missed heading to the Upper West Side camp with CJ to watch the women play instruments for money or to listen to the poets slam outside the tent district.

Compared to the perpetual buzz of New-Man, the ship's low hum skirted Poppy's awareness. After a few hours on the ship, Poppy learned to open the doors of the ship through imagining them open, which took less effort than she thought it would. Uncle Monty instructed her on the Devoran calendar: a year broken into thirds. She'd start school at the beginning of First Winter, take what amounted to a six-month break for summer, and then return for Second Winter.

Poppy didn't care about their calendar and when Monty noticed he'd lost her attention, he left to speak to one of the Devoran soldiers on the transport.

On her uncle’s bed, Poppy noticed a brown envelope that hadn’t been there when they’d left. She eyed the mysterious thing, sensing that she should leave her uncle's business well enough alone.

Poppy opened her school pamphlet on her bed. At least their weeks were similar to Earth weeks so she wouldn't have to be at school for all eternity. This long school year was already unappealing enough. 

The envelope on Monty's bed seemed to call her name. That niggling sensation that she should leave well enough alone didn’t stop Poppy from scrambling over to Monty's bed and emptying the envelope's contents on the tiny desk which he'd already covered in a selection of large tomes. 

Poppy’s hand reached for a letter that fell from the envelope before she knew how the decision had been made. The heavy card paper stood out against the stack of business papers that spilled out with the letter. Poppy pressed the paper to her nose. The paper smelled like eucalyptus and whiskey. She couldn't place why the smell was so familiar.

She opened the card paper up. 

Hi Monts-ter,

Sorry for the old-fashioned communication. I actually whipped out the old typewriter to get this going. It's the only fucking thing they'll let me have in here. No internet. No interacting with the outside world. 

This fat-faced guard will even read my letter before sending it. Can you believe that? Fucker. I'll probably get smacked for that.

I need you to tell me how Penelope reacts to the planet once you get there, okay? I keep re-reading your last letter. 

I spoke to my contacts in Congress and they don’t think we’ll make any progress on the next climate bill. No one