Viola Grace

Tracker continued his determined stride until they were actually inside the shuttle and he sealed it before he released her. “I apologize, but he wasn’t going to let you pass. Therin was on his way.”

She froze in surprise. “How do you know that?”

“I am a Tracker. Once I attach to a target, I keep it on my sensory web.” He gestured to the navigator station. “Please have a seat. We will get under way as soon as we can get clearance.”

Bren quickly strapped in and waited, facing the most technology she had ever seen. Everything was so shiny and bright. The ship was as new as the section of the Alliance that had spawned it.

The Sector Guard had been in operation less than two years, but already, they had saved lives that numbered in the billions. Entire planets had benefited from their existence and a few species even had collector items based around their own Guardsman.

Bren had seen the figures and holograms in the local markets as well as with younger travellers who were passing through. “Where is your partner?”

Tracker’s voice was a little surprised. “I don’t have one. Why?”

“I thought all of the Guardsmen were in teams.”

“No. Not yet. We all find our partners when the time is right.” Tracker’s voice was amused. He slid into the pilot’s seat and arranged for clearance.

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry. It is a common question.”

The magnetic lifts gripped the shuttle and moved them into the launch area. Bren couldn’t believe it. She was actually going to fly through space.

 

Iris rode Teddi up to the gates of the Citadel outpost Keroa. The two men on guard in their smoke grey and black robes greeted her. “Welcome, traveller. How may we help you?”

She dismounted from her rhesh and looked at them in turn. “I understand that someone at the Citadel has been looking for a morinial. I decided to audition for the position.”

One of the men stepped forward and held out his hand, palm up. “Allow me to lead you inside, candidate.”

“And read my talent at the same time? Certainly. Take my hand, Teller, and determine if I am a freak by Keroa standards.” She put one hand out and kept her other on the reins.

“Harvin will take your rhesh for you and get it something to eat.” The other guard took Teddi and led him into the compound. The gates shut and locked with their guards inside.

Iris was inside the Citadel and she had to find out why folk were looking for her. In her eleven years as an active talent, or morinial, no one had ever come looking for her for anything other than her skill as hunter. Some days, anything new was interesting.

The outpost was small, it held twenty members of the Citadel who involved themselves with the community and used Keroa to propel themselves to the outer planets of the system.

Few Keroans had ever been inside the buildings, so it was fascinating to see them up close.

The guard who had a grip on her hand suddenly looked nervous. She came to the awareness that he had just determined her talent.

“Don’t worry. I have not accidentally discharged my blades in almost a decade.” She chuckled at his small sigh of relief.

“Thank you. When awareness of your talent struck, I was pointedly focused on where your hand was.”

Iris almost hooted with laughter, but she restrained it to a light snigger.

They passed into the main building and the guard took her to an office. He knocked on the door. “Administrator. There is someone here to see you.”

“Come in.”

The guard left her with a bow and she opened the door in front of her. Two creatures were inside and since Iris had never seen an alien before, she had to guess at what they were based on Alliance information streams.

Two men turned to her, one crimson and one bronze, both with savage features. She grinned at them and inclined her head. “Gentlemen, I believe that I am the morinial you are looking for.”

The knock at the door was expected. Ikari got to her feet and finished chewing her mouthful of breakfast.

“Hey, doc, you are early. You normally come after I finish eating, not during.” She swung the door open and found herself face to face with members of the guard of Resicor.

Her mother gasped, and her father was behind her in an instant. “Why are you here?”

The guard captain held out his hand, and an image appeared.

Ikari winced as the image of her hovering low over the recalcitrant animals and herding them home with a handheld floodlight leading the way. Her face in the image was lit with a spooky gleam.

The next guard held up wide manacles, and the captain said, “Ikari Quono, you are under arrest for the use of a physical talent. You will be confined and remanded to the dome.”

She fought the urge to run with everything in her. Her parents would be injured if she tried to leave and that was not going to happen.

Steeling herself, she extended her hands and allowed the guard to put the manacles on her. “I am sorry, Mom. I never meant for this to happen. It is my fault and don’t forget that.”

Her father gripped her mother’s hand tightly, and the guard led Ikari away.

The ride to the confinement centre was tense, and Ikari remembered all the stories that she had heard of physical talents being hauled off and never seen again. Sure, they were ostensibly allowed visitation with their families at least once a year, but what if they didn’t survive until the visit?

She sat and bit her lower lip until it bled. Her life on the farm was getting further away with each passing minute, and her heart was starting to ache already.

“Can I make some calls?”

The guard across from her blinked. “Who would you call?”

“My aunt and uncle. My parents need help with the farm. The calving is happening, and they need assistance.”

“You are about to be locked in the dome and you are concerned about the farm?” the man raised his brow.

“Is there a better time to be worried about my family than when I know I will not be able to help them?”

Mistress Galfor darted out of the bridal tent and found Raven Dexter.

The midwife looked at her with curiosity, her blue leather corset with black silk skirt making her look like an exotic blooming flower. "What is it?"

"The gown is stained. We need someone to remove it."

"The gown? Oh my god, the bridal gown?" Raven's red eyes were wide with shock.

"Yes. There was a problem with transport and a splinter gouged into the hand of one of the carriers. A troll."

Raven winced. "Troll blood is the worst-possible stain. Of course, it would have to be something like that. Give me a moment."

Raven turned around and scanned the growing crowd. "I think I may be able to find someone to help. How much time do I have?"

"An hour. The bridesmaids are helping me delay, but I don't know how long it will take to do Abby's nails and hair."

She was almost crying. Her tears welled but didn't fall. This was a disaster. "I would put on a new panel, but I don't have enough of the spider silk. We have to clean that gown."

Galfor accepted the hug that the midwife gave her.

"Give me ten minutes. I will find something." There was something so calm about those red eyes under the white arched brows.

With a shaking nod, she returned to the bridal tent. While across the garden another outburst of activity was occurring, she didn't even look. Her mind was locked on the gown and the stain that would mark it forever if something couldn't be done before the ceremony.

In a move of desperation, she grabbed her phone and called the assistant who was still at the shop. "Bring every unbleached silk gown we have. Every single one. I want them here when you bring the last of the gowns for the bridesmaids and flower girls. Use a portal. I don't want you to waste any time."

"Mistress, are you sure? That is close to twenty gowns."

"Bring them all. This is an emergency." She snapped the phone closed and tucked it into her clothing so she could feel the vibration if it went off. It was time to pretend everything was normal. Abby was an amazing client, but it was her wedding day and everything had to go according to plan. The Nexus's wedding had to go off without any problems.

Nothing broke one's sense of warm snugliness more than hearing, "Your snowmen were on the news. They froze someone in a solid cocoon of ice."

"It's a bad habit of yours to watch the news before you are awake, Xander. Give me a minute and I will prove you are insane."

Abby yanked the covers over her ears and tried to roll over. He stopped her by making the covers disappear. "Bastard."

"You have met my parents and they are married. Now get up. We need to get to the bottom of this and we have to examine that poor frozen man."

If Xander was going to insist she get up, he could at least dress her. She grumped into the shower and had a quick scrub. She was towelling her hair dry as she walked back to her room and still muttering to herself. Her clothes were laid out, so she jerked on the underwear, which let her know that the gnomes had done it.

The warlock had his panties in a twist.

Her gnomes had oatmeal on the table today. When Xander stayed over, they alternated good breakfasts with healthy ones, just to throw him off.

Abby scowled and munched her gray paste with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. They tried to make it tastier by adding chocolate chips and blueberries, but it was no plate of bacon.

"Come on, Abby. We have to look at the man who was frozen." Xander was on his feet and he had her jacket in hand.

"Fine, but my hair is going to freeze."

He waved his hand and it was bone dry.

"Nice trick. Let's move." She grabbed her jacket and stomped into her boots at the front door.

His car was waiting, warm and ready. They made quick time to the street in Sargent where the frozen man was making quite the stir.

The fire department was there, trying to cut him loose, but Abby could see with her inner eye that he was bound, not by ice but by magic. It was nothing like she had ever seen before. The snowmen were gently crusted, but this was a thick mass of magic that was as clear and hard as the ice that held him.

Tears clogged her voice. "We have to get him out."

"We can't. He is safe enough for now. Nothing can be done to save him, but nothing can be done to harm him." Xander turned the car back to Oak Point Way.

"If we destroy the snowmen, will that eradicate the ice?"

"It should. They are the binding magic after all."

"Why him? Why did they attack him?"

"He was defending his Christmas lights. There were, also, several other thefts of lights and generators. Whatever they are up to, it isn't good."

They were on the short span between their street and the main town when a snowman darted across the road in front of them. It disappeared into the woods, but it left Abby shaken.

"I thought they were slower in sunlight."

"They should be. It must be your magic that is speeding them up." He turned carefully on the slippery road and soon was in front of her house. "I am going to contact the specialists and see if they will come to help. If not, I will try to get what information I can from them. I will see you in three hours, alright?"

"Alright. I will give the gnomes a pep talk and try to keep them inside. Same for the gargoyles. I don't want them out there with those psycho snowmen in the yard."

"I doubt very much that they are still in your yard, but it is a good precaution." He leaned over and they kissed. "See you in a few hours and don't do anything reckless. I will be back as soon as I can."

"Back? From where?"

"The consultation with the experts. I have to transport myself to them. They won't talk over the mirrors."

"Okay. I won't do anything stupid and you will get back as quickly as you can? See you soon."

Abby hopped out of the car and held the door until her feet stabilized on the ice. Sliding her feet in a skating motion, she made her way to her door. As Xander entered his house, she had a feeling of foreboding. The gnomes were usually pretty good about keeping the walkways clear.

The house was silent. She took a deep breath and called for her creatures. "Everybody, front and centre."

A voice in the interior com had her concentrating on how to respond. Eventually, she figured out the com system. "Phase, how are you doing?"

In her mechanical voice, she replied. "Feels weird, but I am fairly comfortable. You?"

"I am fine. Just catching bugs in my teeth."

She popped the pilot hatch. "Come inside. I am not using the chair."

"What? Where are you?"

"Everywhere that is part of the mech. Come inside."

His long limbs slid through the hatch and the part of her that felt a surge of lust was squelched as she kept striding through the forest. He certainly was pretty. Perhaps a deep violet for a team colour. That would suit them both, as well as provide a dark colour for concealment before battle.

"You are serious. You really aren't in here."

"I beg to differ. I am everywhere and you are now behind the strongest shields this suit can manage." The steps of the suit became less jarring with every stride. She made the shocks as effective as she could.

"How bad was the suit?"

"It was neglected and it was unarmed. I have corrected that."

He grinned, breaking the Rupture mask that he wore. "How do you do that? We couldn't figure it out at the museum."

"I think it has to do with molecular transfer. The same as my ability to become one with objects."

He leaned back in the pilot's chair and put his feet up on the console. "Explain it to me."

"I really can't. It isn't the sort of thing I could have analyzed. I touch something and feel the intent in the object, the love or care that it needs or wants, then I step into it and give it what it needs to be the best it can be."

"That is fascinating. You can do this with anything?"

"Well. It has to be large enough for me to walk into, but after that, it seems to be fairly open. At the museum, there was a tank I could have used, but it was filled with a dark energy by its previous occupants. It wanted to kill and there were children in the way. I wouldn't use that."

He looked surprised. "They have emotions?"

She thought about it as the mech climbed a hill. "More or less. They are left behind by the owners, operators or the assemblers. Traces of their thoughts and purpose."

"How are you speaking to me?"

"I have altered the com unit. You are hearing thought to voice."

"How does it feel to have me inside you?"