Grace and Shadow (7 page)

Grace moved toward her and stood straight. The small nametag that the doctor was wearing pronounced her to be named Grassis. Grassis Kelart.

“What did you wish to speak with me about, Grassis?”

She jolted in surprise. “Um, Mother and Father would like you to cease using your family name. It doesn’t make them look good.”

“Tough. It is my name by birth, and I will continue to use it. What else?”

Grassis looked uncomfortable. “They would also like you to cease speaking about your upbringing after I was born.”

“Too bad. I did very well with the means I was given. I even had to learn to repair the food dispenser when I was thirteen, because I hadn’t had food for three days and they would not respond to my com requests.”

Her sister flinched. “I didn’t know that.”

Grace sighed. “I know you didn’t, but what they need to understand is that I survived my childhood, I survived my adolescence and I remain a survivor to this day. Please tell them that there is no malice involved. I am stating the facts. My position in our society has changed, but I haven’t. They had ample chances to learn who I was, but now, they can watch it as the Guardians haul me all over the globe.”

Grassis nodded. “I understand, I think. It is good to meet you.”

Grace smiled. “It is good to meet you, too. Congratulations on the early doctorate.”

“Thank you, but how do you know that?”

“I know how old you are, Grassis.” She chuckled.

“Oh. Right. Oh, wow. It’s So’orn, the Walking Shadow.” Grassis looked all fluttery, and she swallowed nervously. “He is coming this way.”

Grace chuckled. “I should hope so.”

Shadow came up to her, embraced her and gave her a kiss to curl her toes. Gasps rang through the scientific community, and when he released her, he was grinning. “I want to introduce you to someone.”

Grace’s heart was still pounding. “Me first. Shadow, this is my sister, Grassis Kelart.”

Shadow nodded a greeting. “Pleased to meet you. The only other family member of hers that I have met is Link, and he is a pain in the ass.”

Grassis let out a startled giggle and clamped her hand over her mouth. “Pleased to meet you, Shadow.”

Grace inclined her head. “If you will excuse us? Oh, if you want to talk more, you can go through the base. They can find me pretty much anywhere.”

Grassis smiled. “I will do that.”

Shadow eagerly hauled her through the gathering until they were standing in front of a serious couple in conversation with others of a similar bent. Grace could hear them discussing the ramifications of her being raised primarily by bots and her lack of social interaction.

He cleared his throat, and the group turned to them, several with guilty faces. They had just been discussing the likelihood that Grace threw herself at men to get attention and social interaction.

“Grace, I would like to introduce you to my father, Professor Liro’os Maneki. Dad, this is Grace of the Guardians of Jremat.”

The other sociologists watched as Shadow kept his hand on her back as he edged her toward his father. Grace hissed at him and stepped forward, extending her hand to Professor Maneki. “I am happy to see that his good looks will remain immune to time. With no brains, it would be a shame if Shadow stopped being pretty.”

The room gasped and Professor Maneki cackled. “He said you were made of acid with a good heart. Call me Liro’os.”

Shadow made a face at her, and she made a face back. “You have been talking about me?”

“Only when you sleep.”

Grace winced. “That is extremely creepy.”

Shadow gave her a lascivious grin. “I know.”

She laughed, and his father watched them with a happy expression on his face.

“Just like me and your mother, except she was telling me what to do.”

Grace glanced over to the debaters with the lewd minds. “For your data, I haven’t engaged in any physical or sexual relationships. Until I could take care of myself, I couldn’t trust a talented person not to kill me.”

Liro’os watched his companions scuttle away. “They are going to be working over the ramifications of that for a while. Men always forget that trust is a factor. You have had more reasons not to trust than any woman alive.”

“Yes, but lately, it is less trust than having time to get something started. We no sooner peel off two layers of my suit than an alarm goes off, though I think Link might be setting them off.” Grace grinned.

Shadow squeezed her close to him. “He is taking his position as her kinsman seriously. Even Shatter is getting into it and vibrating us apart at random intervals.”

Grace leaned back against him, comfortable with the public contact. “We will figure it out. I just have to find a medic willing to install protection at my ancient age.”

“You are twenty-nine.” Liro’os was surprised.

“I know. Most girls have it installed at twelve.” She made a face.

“So, you are dependent on So’orn’s protection?”

“Not yet, but eventually, yes. If it fails, you are a grandparent.”

Liro’os laughed. “It sounds delightful. I look forward to the mingling of your genetics.”

“Even if the child has no talents?” Grace raised her brows.

“Especially if she has no talents. I can read emotions, and there is nothing hidden or twisted in you. You have the clean emotions that come from self-knowledge and that makes for a very good parent.” Liro’os chuckled. “Trust me. I am a professor.”

Grace stood on the snowy hill and watched the curls of ice crystals tumbling along. She had boosted Shatter so that he could cause a controlled avalanche from a safe distance.

The snow load had been removed from the resort, and they were ready to head home.

“So, are you really going to So’orn’s family home for the holidays?” Urmik Tohl grinned. With a name like Urmik, no wonder he preferred Shatter.

“I really am. I have been chatting with his parents and siblings on the com, and they seem eager to have me.”

He settled onto his cycle, and she climbed on behind him. “Did you get presents for the family?”

She snorted. “Of course I did. I wasn’t always raised in a box.”

He laughed and set them on their course back to the base.

What she didn’t tell him was that in her room were presents for Link and him. Link’s had been the hardest to manage. She had had to creep into the kitchen in the darkest hours to execute it.

It was a labour of love, and she hoped he appreciated it.

Imgrace and So’orn were getting ready to leave when she whistled sharply and the bots trundled out. One held a large box that went to Argus, the other box went to Urmik.

Imgrace smiled. “Since I hope not to be with you for the holiday, I prepared something to make your season a little warmer.”

Urmik opened his gift first, wrapping fabric fluttering to the floor. He held up a folded view screen. “What is this?”

Imgrace went up next to him and opened the screen. “
This
is a data base of women who would not mind spending more time with you. They are all free of romantic constraints and are willing to wait in the wings while you seek a solid match if you want one.”

He blinked. “Really?”

“Yup. On caveat. No sex. You can court as many as you want, but have sex with one and the others will block your number. This is not a buffet. This is to find you a match.”

He grimaced. “Fine.”

There was a gleam of excitement in his eyes despite his glum tone, and to her surprise, he lifted her in his arms and swung her around. “Thank you, Imgrace.”

She looked over at Argus.

He glanced down. “If there is a woman in here, she is very tiny.”

“No matchmaking for you, not yet. You are a trickier fit.” She nodded to the package. “Open it.”

He opened the box, and the scent of baking filled the air. Imgrace smiled as all the men breathed deeply.

Argus took a small pastry out of the box, and he popped it into his mouth. His eyes closed in bliss before they opened wide. She could see his struggle to speak and swallow.

“Yes, it is Great Grandma’s recipe. It is amazing how much family claims you when you are in uniform.”

Argus mumbled, “How did you do this without our smelling it?”

A bot came by and waved a fan.

She giggled. “Every bot in the house was working on containment in the middle of the night.”

He grinned and hugged her. “Thank you. It is the best memory that I share with my favourite cousin.”

Urmik tried to snag one of the pastries, but Argus smacked his hand.

Imgrace giggled and finally pried herself away. “Alrighty. You two are taken care off and now off to shower So’orn with attention under his parents’ roof.”

Shadow snaked his arm around her waist and headed for the small transport that could hold all the presents she was hauling along.

It might be a first meeting, but she was prepared to bribe people into liking her. She was sure that Liro’os would find it fascinating, and who was she to defy research?

Twenty-five Jremat workers floated around the space station, working calmly over their shifts until the next round was ready to go out.

In the middle of the station, Grace sat playing solitaire with dice in zero gravity. It wasn’t easy, but she enjoyed the challenge, and it took her mind off the scowling face of her husband when she had hauled herself out to the shuttle.

“Grace, how are we doing?”

She looked around and suddenly felt a hum under her feet. “I think the gravity is coming on line.”

The dice dropped to the floor. “Yup. Gravity is working. Station is spinning.”

“Good. After this shift, get home. Your husband is driving me crazy.” Link growled.

“He is just upset because I am up here and he is down there. Now that we have gravity, he can probably kick in his part of the plans.”

“I don’t think that is it.”

Imgrace knew why So’orn was mad. They had gotten authorization for a child and the space station construction had begun immediately. She had spent every waking moment and a lot of time asleep up on the station. There had been no time to start the next generation.

“The Citadel Specialists are almost here. This should be the last full week that you spend up there.”

She rubbed her gloved hands along her legs out of habit. “Do you know how petrified I am at the thought of trying for a baby? If it is like me, can I defend it when the time comes?”

“This is a discussion you need to have with Shadow.”

She sighed. “I know. I will set up the next shift, and then, I am on my way home.”

Imgrace was as good as her word. She powered up the next shift, removed the residue from the incoming talents and got her butt on a shuttle home.

* * * *

Shadow removed his headset. “I thought that was it.”

“You can see why she is nervous.”

“I can. But why didn’t she tell me?”

Link looked at him. “When has she ever put herself in front of us, if not to defend us? You want a baby, so she will have a baby. It doesn’t mean she won’t worry about it. You two together have to come up with a plan in case it is a void.”

Shadow nodded. “We do.”

* * * *

The child was perfect in every way, and when she held her father’s finger, shadows flickered wildly in the room. She had power from birth, and it was good to know it.

Imgrace sat back while her in-laws cooed over the infant, and she mentally recovered. A healer had already helped her back to normal physically, but the mental adjustment was taking some doing.

So’orn sat next to her and kissed the back of her hand. “You did it.”

“I did. A little girl.”

“A little girl with her mother’s power. Well done.” He grinned.

“We are in for a bit of exertion here. I hope you are up for it, Guardian.”

“With you at my side, I am up for anything. Just one more thing...”

He looked at her with a slow smile in his eyes. “What do we call her?”

Imgrace huffed and lay back against the pillows. “Do I have to do all the work?”

Those in the room laughed, and Imgrace sat back and waited for her child to return to her. Little Saronai Maneki had had a name for the last six months; Imgrace was just waiting until it was time to tell them. She still had a few days to hold the secret between her and her daughter, and then, she would tell the world, and Jremat would listen.

So, this one was a bit...odd. I could have turned her early years in to a YA novella, but I didn’t. No time. I only had time to get her into the Citadel and work from there.

The idea of a world of superbeings that stopped being super when they left their world amused me. That she had no powers but was instead, made of power, made me laugh out loud. I had no idea until she was in the scanner that she gave off the same power signature.

Surprise!

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

http://www.violagrace.com

[email protected]

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.