Page 39 of Polestar
The next impression was something like, ‘how the hell canyouhelp me?’
Going with the hunch, she said, “I’m guessing you’d like to know how I’m going to help you.Well, whether you’re aware or not, we are not physically on this iceberg in the middle of the ocean.We’re somewhere in your psyche.Your body is in a comfy hospital bed with IV’s hooked up to you.Magnus is standing by and worried about you.”
There was no response as she stared the polar bear in the face.
His nose twitched, scenting.
Then he shoved her shoulder with his snout.
Who the hellareyou?
How much should she tell him?Could this sigil link somehow convey information back to its originator?
Maybe she’d already said too much.
“My name is Ana.I’m able to reach you through my psychic ability.”
Shaman.
“Sort of, but not really.I don’t have the skills and experience your shaman would.”
She considered what she knew of shamanic wisdom, which wasn’t much, and realized that maybe that’s what he needed—his clan shaman.
“Is that what you want?Do you want us to take you to your shaman?”
He growled.
“Oh, oh dear, okay, that was a clear ‘no’.But why not?”
Why wouldn’t Aksel want to go to the shaman?
She sat next to him, arse frozen to the iceberg as she tried to work through the problems and frustrated that he couldn’t just communicate with her in plain English.Then she realized she didn’t even know if Aksel spoke English, anyway.
But he understood her.
Because they were in his psyche.
And yet, even here, he was trapped in his bear, while his physical body remained trapped in his human.
She dropped her face into her hands.This was way beyond her pay grade.None of this was anything Maeda had ever worked on with her.They’d never gotten this far.
Because usually, she grew tired and lost her connection.
How long had she been here already?Was she trapped here, too?
Oh, dear God, that would be so bad.
Tell me about it.
She popped her head up and looked at Aksel.“You can hear my thoughts?”
He dipped his head with a little tilt.
Her body shuddered against the cold, her hand gripping Gran’s crucifix.
No, she wouldn’t be trapped.But that didn’t mean she should stay here any longer than she needed to.
She had an idea.
