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  She leaned back and looked up at him. “I am no longer confined to the kids’ table? I can apply for citizenship?”

  He sighed and kissed her, the stroke of his tongue along hers reminding her of their very hot night together.

  When he drew back, she smiled. “Oh, that. Yeah, that would be fun.”

  He licked his lips and smiled slowly. “Fun is just the start.”

  She shivered and stared into his eyes when a noise brought her attention to the families she had found in the path of the fire. They were all staring with interest at the two Guardians.

  “This is going to get embarrassing.” She pressed her head to his chest.

  “They will get used to it, once it has appeared in a few news programs.”

  She grinned. “Well, let’s get them to safety and have them settled in until the suppression has run its course.”

  She nibbled at her energy bar, but her head was spinning. Mordem was working on a map of the area, so she went and got herself a glucose hit from the skimmer supply closet.

  She sat, slumped over, gulping down as many empty calories as she could. The energy bar was next and five more after it. Her direct exchange was a weakness that she wanted to conquer, but it was part of her Gift.

  She had gotten a tremendous amount of power, but it had come with a fatal flaw. She could literally run herself into the ground.

  Cam looked around at the devastation that had been wreaked in less than two hours. Fire was the fastest killer anywhere on any world.

  She ate quietly and looked over at the three families. They were huddled together, joined by their loss. New housing was being arranged and would be in place by the end of the week, but they had lost all their memories, their treasures and heirlooms. Their family history would be starting over that day, and it would have to be enough for them.

  Cam sat, recovering until the survivors were packed up and sent off and Mordem announced that the fire was out. The gas would dissipate in a few hours, but it was still spreading, and it was not safe for anyone to remain in the vicinity.

  Mordem got the skimmer in the air, and they flew over the burn site before turning toward home.

  When they arrived back at the base, he picked her up and carried her to the med scanners. He nodded. “You dosed yourself.”

  “I did. As much as I could drink. It wasn’t enough.”

  He smiled. “Remind me to replenish the skimmer before our next mission.”

  “Will do.” She touched his cheek. “Now, I just want a nap.”

  “That can be arranged. Perhaps a shower first?”

  She nodded and gave a jaw-cracking yawn.

  He lifted her and carried her to her quarters, helping her in the shower with medicinal efficiency before he tucked her into bed, her Masuo in an armband around her right bicep.

  She smiled as he held her for her nap. It was comforting to have him with her and a promise of things to come.

  Damn, she had missed him. Being with him every day for weeks had been pure torture and had spurred her urge to master her skills. Stopping was still tricky, but that was going to be practice. Nothing else would enable her to adapt to the physics of moving at the speed of sound and then stopping. The Gift held her body together, but her control of her own body and motion was something she had to practice. It was a mercy that the friction of her running didn’t affect her skin.

  He wrapped a hand over her belly and pulled her against him, holding her snugly to his chest while she slipped into sleep.

  A flower was tickling her nose. She batted at it, staring cross-eyed at the bloom. Laughing, she closed her hand around the stem and turned to Mordem. “I do love these flowers.”

  “I gathered as much. You touch them every time we go to the governor’s mansion.”

  She chuckled. “Well, I think that I am recovered or, at least, able to get to the dining table. Who is on dinner duty tonight?”

  “Linz.” He kissed her quickly.

  She pumped a fist in the air. “Hooray! Takeout!”

  The Masuo had her clothed in under a heartbeat, and she bounded out of bed with a grin.

  “You seem very happy to be leaving the bed.”

  She sashayed around to him, setting her clothing to replicate the dress she had worn the first night she met him. “The sooner we get authorization from Daymoth, the sooner we can tangle again. So, since he is usually in a better mood after dinner, dinner first and then begging for a chance to confirm our control. Maybe we could offer to have medical standing by.”

  He grinned and leaped gracefully out of bed. “That is an excellent idea.”

  They were giggling like naughty children when they entered the dining area.

  Daymoth moved to block them. “Apprentice Camile.”

  She blinked. “Yes, Commander Daymoth?” Two could play at that game.

  His expression split into a grin. “Congratulations, Guardian Camile.”

  She slumped against Mordem. “Seriously?”

  “Yes. You showed the ability to master your Gift to a usable extent. You are now an asset to the team and will be coming along on all missions where you may be of use.”

  She squealed and hugged him before turning and jumping into Mordem’s arms. He caught her, and their kiss was nearly hot enough to start another fire.

  Daymoth continued, “So, that means that you are now clear to resume whatever relationship you had begun before you were Gifted.”

  Linz laughed. “Dinner is ready. I kept you in mind when I ordered, Camile.”

  She looked over at the table from her perch in Mordem’s arms. “I will keep you in mind and not eat fast, but I am thinking it.”

  He laughed and walked to the table where dozens of containers lined the space. He set her down in a chair and took the spot next to her.

  The rest of the Guardians and apprentices took their spots, everyone digging in as one to tear the delivered food, representing nine different countries, to pieces.

  She ate at a slightly faster-than-normal pace so that she and Mordem would finish dinner at the same time.

  Kelmin looked at them. “So, how do I get my own Companion?”

  Mordem fielded that one. “First, you have to know how to dance, and Comyo has to be so persistent as to nearly assault her. You swoop in and rescue her like the hero that you are, and she takes you through your paces on the dance floor. After that, it is up to her.”

  Kelmin looked genuinely interested. “Do many Companions visit the governor’s mansion?”

  Mordem shrugged. “One was enough for me.”

  Cam smiled. “All that training and I still made Mordem do all of the work.”

  He stroked a hand up her thigh. “And I would do it all over again.”

  Linz cleared his throat. “Kelmin, what you seem to be confusing is that while her occupation was Companion and his occupation is Guardian, they would have been drawn to each other no matter the circumstances. It was fate that brought her here but Namkor that wanted her to stay.”

  Cam sighed. “And on that note, I have to assess another aspect of my Gift-altered body. Come on, Mordem. It is time to take me through my paces.”

  She got to her feet and hauled him to his.

  He sighed and grinned at the others. “My apprentice calls for instruction. I must answer.”

  Laughter followed them down the hall, and Cam didn’t care. Kelmin was young, and he was definitely interested in sex. He considered Companions to be the epitome of desirable women. It was too bad that he didn’t actually know how cold most of them were.

  Once in her room, she whirled on Mordem and pinned him up against the wall. He might be stronger, but she was faster. This was going to be fun.

  Chapter Eight

  The Masuo made removing the clothing easy. They were naked in seconds, and he lifted her against him, pulling her up so he could kiss her with all the frustration of the training sessions and their thwarted night toget
her.

  She threaded her fingers through his hair and held his mouth to hers, savagely eating at him as she fought to consume him entirely. Her life had become an endless cycle of consumption and lost energy. It seemed it was leaking into her sex life.

  Mordem thudded her against the wall and held her wrists to her sides. He shifted his hips, and she felt him prodding for entrance. A few flexes nudged him into her, and once he had himself inside, he pulled her down and started thrusting.

  The weeks of teasing had taken their toll, and her squeak of release struck far faster than she was expecting. She shuddered, and he kept pounding into her, using her body weight to increase the shuddering impact of every thrust.

  She bucked hard, pinned between him and the wall. He groaned and pressed into her, breathing hard against her neck as his hips jerked up without rhythm.

  She ran her hands through his hair and pressed kisses to his temple and cheek. She smiled against his skin. “Welcome back.”

  He slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze, and his kiss was sweet as he pressed into her, hardening and cooling.

  She smiled against his lips. “Now that I know what is going on, that is a cool trick.”

  He chuckled. “Shall we adjourn to the bed?”

  “Oh, please. Now that I recover quickly, I have been wanting to try a few things I wasn’t up for the last time.”

  He grinned and gripped her hips, walking slowly with her to the bed. He tipped her back and started to move with slow, arching motions of his hips.

  She shivered and held onto his arms, using a rapid shiver of her hips to drive her to the edge of orgasm faster.

  He grinned. “Are you cheating?”

  “Says the guy with the metal cock.” She breathed rapidly as he thrust into her again.

  He laughed and stroked her clit, sending her over the edge in a flurry of rotations.

  Cam bucked against him hard and slowly came back to herself, ready for a second round, when her implant started a chime, she couldn’t ignore.

  “Seriously. I have had this audio implant for a day, and it has gone off twice?”

  Mordem grinned. “You have gone off twice, so perhaps it is one mission, one orgasm.”

  He dismounted and headed for her lav. The solar shower flashed, and he emerged dressed in his Masuo.

  “Come on, newest Guardian. Get the cum off and get to work.”

  She grumbled, got her legs together and stumbled into the solar shower. Accelerated healing was one of the bonuses of her Gift. He could ride her as hard as he wanted, and she would be fine in a few minutes. The thought caused a tingle of excitement again.

  She shifted her Masuo, checked that her hair was still up in its workday position and headed for the skimmer.

  Her body had already recovered but that didn’t mean she wasn’t in the mood for more. She had to push aside thoughts of sex while listening to Daymoth give them a briefing.

  They were going to intervene in a domestic situation. Two brothers were holding their family hostage because of an inheritance. They had thought they were the only inheritors and that was not the case.

  Namkor didn’t have laws that would stop them from inheriting if they killed their siblings and family members. The Guardians were there to prevent loss of life on all sides.

  Daymoth told her what he wanted her to do, so she thickened her suit to projectile-proof and nodded.

  She was going to grab the youngest members of the family and get them to safety, as fast as she could.

  She grabbed the drop cord, and Mordem stood beside her. He was going to be the direct line of defense while she tried the evacuation.

  She hung onto the handle as the reel slowly spun out, and she descended to the ground at a speed that wouldn’t break her legs. She used her scanner to do a quick recon while Mordem landed, and when he gave her the nod, he broke in the door and she went to work.

  Everyone around her moved in slow motion. The men who had been watching out the window started to turn; Mordem silvered up and began barrelling in.

  Cam took the weapons and put them outside then ran back in and collected as many children per visit as she could.

  Nine children took two heartbeats to evacuate, but after that, Cam continued with the women and men, bracing their heads with her hand as she moved them faster than they could see.

  When all of the other men, women and children were out, she spoke to Mordem. “All clear, weapons extracted.”

  “Thanks, Camile. I would recommend you don’t listen to this.”

  The regular law enforcement came forward and ushered the hostages to safety.

  A crowd had gathered, and Camile was in full view of them for the first time since her speech. Daymoth had kept her apprised of the thoughts of the majority and the minority.

  When she heard “alien bitch” and “stolen Gift,” she got an idea of what the locals thought of her.

  “Do you need a hand in there, Mordem?”

  There was nothing like the urge to escape to make her feel like she didn’t belong.

  “Come on in, but don’t rush. We just need to walk them to the holding vehicle.”

  She was relieved for something to do. She returned to the building and looked at the groaning men, covered with blood. Mordem was standing over them, a silver statue of vengeance. It was a memory she was going to pull out the next time he was inside her.

  Cam grabbed one of the men and hauled him to his feet, propelling him to the police vehicle.

  They were ten feet from the barricade when her suspect’s head exploded.

  She acted with speed, dropping the dead body and looking for the killer in the crowd. The young girl was standing with one of the weapons in her hands; the expression of fear and hate on her face was unmistakable. Her relative was not going to be able to hurt her again.

  Cam removed the gun from her hand and picked her up, sweeping her away from the crowd.

  When they were a few kilometres away, Cam put her down and asked, “Why did you do that?”

  “He was my dad. He was supposed to love and protect me. He told me he would shoot me first because I was a useless girl, so I shot him.”

  Cam nodded. “I understand. When we get back, say that you thought he had a weapon under his clothing. All right?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I have been studying the law here, and that means that you will get to see your little sister grow up and your mom will be able to start over.” Camile didn’t say that shooting in cold blood was an offense that could gain the death penalty, even for a child. It didn’t need to be said.

  The little girl nodded. “Right. Can I have the gun back? My uncle is coming out next.”

  Cam blinked and sighed. “Probably not a good idea. I will take you back and explain things to the police. Please don’t kill anyone else.”

  “Yes, Guardian. You are very pretty but very pale. Are you sick?”

  Cam paused. “No. I am not from this world. Namkor Gifted me with speed, so I am trying to be smart with it.”

  “I want to be Gifted when I grow up. Then, no one can threaten me again.”

  “Oh, honey, they will say what they like, but as long as you know what you are and what you can do, you can always recover from anything.” She smiled. “I get threatened all the time.”

  “But... you are a Guardian, you help people.”

  “I am an alien, and some folks think that I stole the Gift of Namkor.”

  “That is stupid; you can’t steal a Gift.”

  Cam lifted her in her arms. “Adults forget that sometimes. Come on, back to your mom.”

  “Thank you for protecting us.”

  Cam moved fast but not fast enough to make breathing difficult for her passenger. “Thank you for reminding me that Namkor picked me. I forget that every now and then.”

  Her passenger wiggled to get down and embraced her mother. Everyone was crying with relief.

&nbs
p; Cam spoke to the police and explained that the dead man had had a gun in his waistband inside, and the little girl thought she saw it again. Her trauma could explain a number of scenarios, and the police officers nodded wisely as they wrote down the details.

  Mordem came up behind her and put his arm around her. “You are covered with brains and blood.”

  She looked down at his silver skin covered with glossy red blood. “Right back atcha. I need a lot of food and to sleep for a week.”

  “How about an energy bar and a night in my arms?”

  She leaned back against him and raised her chin for his kiss. “Sounds delightful.”

  He kissed her, both of them covered with gore and grime. It was not the most romantic of situations, but it was her new normal. She could get used to it.

  Epilogue

  Kelmin rejected the Gift. He had never gotten used to the duality that had been forced on him.

  As the newest Guardians, Vendiuk and Camile had to take on the public speaking and community education portion of the duties. He was over at the boys’ school and she was at the girls’ school talking to an assembly of eager, young faces.

  After walking through the Guardian program on Namkor, she was taking questions.

  “What did it feel like when the Gift took you?” The earnest, young woman looked to be in her early teens.

  Cam smiled. “Because it is different for everyone? Right. Well, for me, the Gift was like giggles.”

  The room with two hundred girls giggled.

  “Yes. Like that. Each tiny impact of a piece of the Gift was like the brightest, happiest laughter you could imagine. It stuck to my skin, and I tried to brush it off, but it came faster and faster, leaving me covered in a roar of light and giggles that were filling me with energy.”

  She closed her eyes. “The sound and light pulled at me, hauled me upward, and the urge to move became overwhelming. It wasn’t like I wanted to run from the sound, I wanted to take it for a ride.”

  She opened her eyes. “It set me on my feet, and I ran. Across fields and over water, I ran. When the first burn was over, I turned and went back into the party where Guardian Mordem caught me because I couldn’t properly stop. I was going too fast.”