Free Lost and Sound by Viola Grace Page A

you have a very strong chance at joining Citadel Ohkhan.”
    She brushed her hands on her thighs. “Great. I will look forward to a call.”
    Yllin bobbed her head and headed out of the convention centre. She knew that she had run and retrieved the orbs within ten minutes, but she didn’t know precisely how well she had done.
     
    * * * *
     
    Master Wercor looked at the other Masters in the boardroom. “I want her in the Citadel.”
    Master Liash frowned. “We are already near our maximum. This will be the last candidate that you can choose. Are you sure that she is worth the space?”
    Wercor sent copies of her performance evaluation to the other three Citadel Masters. “Let me know if you think I am wrong here.”
    The other three looked down and blinked as the recording of Yllin sending out a sonic burst that she analyzed and acted on immediately played out in front of them.
    He watched the image of the slender woman with huge eyes, and then, his glance flicked to the other Masters in the room. When Yllin retrieved the orbs and returned to him within five minutes, the others sat back and two nodded.
    The third smiled. “I will leave one of the weaker psychic talents behind so that you can have Yllin.”
    Master Wercor sighed happily. “And I will put Missambra onto the recruit rotation for next year. Anyone who does not make this year’s list will be pushed to the front of the line for next year’s assessments.”
    Master Liash smiled. “Excellent and done. Now, on to the other candidates.”
    Wercor put in his comments as the other candidates were brought forward, but mentally, he congratulated himself in gaining the extra seat on the physical talent side. Missambra was known for providing strong psychics, but their history with battlefield talents was weak. Yllin Gerocard might change all that, even though she looked like a doll that his sister used to play with.
     
    * * * *
     
    Yllin carried the trays balanced on her arm as she delivered food to three tables at the same time. She swayed easily between tables, dodging rising diners and other servers.
    She reached with her foot to grab stands for the trays from the corner rack, and with them arranged on her arm, she finished her walk to her section.
    She dropped the three racks, settled the appropriate trays on each of them, distributed the plates and was on to the next table in moments. She asked everyone if they had what they needed, and when they smiled at her, she assessed the level of liquid in their glasses and gathered the stands.
    She returned to her tables with the refills before turning to greet the new arrivals to her section.
    Until she knew if she was accepted into the Citadel, she needed this job and she was going to do it to the best of her ability.
     
    After an eight-hour shift, every part of Yllin throbbed. She collected her evening wages, changed into her street clothes and headed for home.
    The streets were empty except for other workers, like her. She kept her senses aware, avoided two alleys that contained men with knives and made her way to the apartment that housed her family.
    Yllin forced herself to take the stairs as she hauled her way up thirty floors. Her knees were quivering and her thigh muscles jumped randomly, but she managed it.
    Her passkey got her access to the penthouse at the top of the high rise.
    Hermia was waiting at the door. “You walked again?”
    Yllin sighed and slumped past her family’s loyal housekeeper. “I did. I am in training, of a sort.”
    “Still trying to see the stars?” Hermia rubbed her back.
    “Yes. Today, I actually got through for an interview.” She had been trying to get into the Citadel recruitment for six years. It had started when she was fourteen. She had no grasp of her talent then, but she had wanted to go.
    Each year, she had continued, but her vague understanding of what she could do held her back. This year, her work at the restaurant had shown her what her applications were