Free Grace and Shadow by Viola Grace Page A

gritted teeth. “Fabulous. How are we supposed to get out of here?”
    “Just leave. You have done it often enough. I am tracking her now, so you should be able to get on your cycle and cut her off.”
    Shadow rolled his eyes. “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen.” It was mostly ladies, it always was. “We have been called off to attend our administrative duties. Please excuse us?”
    Shatter smiled, and they turned and left the municipal offices with long strides.
    “Get the location up on the cycles, Link.”
    Link laughed in his ear. “I am working on it. She is close, but you can hide the bikes in an alley. Fly, spiral around the municipal centre and then drop down two blocks north. It looks like she is having lunch.”
    Shadow nodded, though Link couldn’t see him. Shatter and Shadow lifted off in search of the void that might solve a little problem for them.
    For the last two generations, no one could leave Jremat and keep their talent. It ceased to function the moment they cleared eighty percent of the gravitational pull. Researchers determined that a Jrematan without power might act as a link to the world and as a power source. It had never been tested, because there was only one void currently on record. The others had all been killed in childhood accidents.
    They were in search of that one survivor.
    She had to be around here somewhere.
     
    * * * *
     
    Imgrace ordered her hot sandwich and settled in to eat it at the counter. Her blocking headset was on and she was a regular, so no one wanted to chat.
    She felt the murmurs of surprise before she glanced over. Two Guardians were getting off their cycles and walking into the diner.
    Their faces were stoic and dark as they pushed through the doors and walked straight toward her. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and swallowed.
    “Citizen Kelart?”
    She cleared her throat. “I am.”
    “Would you please come with us? We have a matter we would like you to assist on.” Shadow’s eyes were smiling though the rest of his face was stern.
    Shatter had the same inner amusement in his gaze.
    “Now? Can’t I finish my lunch?”
    “Food will be provided for you at the base. Please, come with us.”
    She put her payment down, got to her feet and nodded. “Fine.”
    In her mind, she was wondering if they were arresting voids now for being freaks. She hadn’t heard of another one in years. Perhaps that is where they all went.
    At the cycles, Shadow lifted her to straddle the seat, and when she settled, he got on in front of her. The pressure of his weight on the seat sent her sliding into his back.
    “Sorry.” She tried to squirm backward but friction gave her up and gravity pulled her in.
    He glanced back at her while his hands went to the controls. “Don’t worry about it. You will have to put your arms around me anyway.”
    She wanted to argue that, but the cycle shot upward and his words came true. She threw her arms around him and held on tight with her eyes screwed shut.
    She heard Shatter’s cycle nearby, and she could swear that she heard him laughing.
     
    It felt like she was on the cycle for hours. The skin on body parts that hadn’t been touching Shadow were ice cold. Her work suit was no match for the wind over the ocean.
    The two Guardians were fine. Their suits were insulated for this sort of thing, just another advantage of the talented. Their headgear kept in a lot of heat as well.
    Imgrace wrapped her arms around herself as they walked toward the building. She tried not to shiver or chatter, but it was a fight.
    Another Guardian came out, and he had a blanket in his arms. He pushed past Shadow, muttering, “Idiot.”
    The man had kind eyes, and he draped the blanket over her, rubbing her arms and legs brusquely as the blanket heated to body temperature. The headset he wore identified him as Link.
    Shadow cleared his throat. “I don’t understand.”
    “She has neither a talent to protect her, nor an insulated suit. Her vitals started