Ghosting the Hero (8 page)

“I do not know how he would respond to that. I do not think that it is his favourite memory.”

Minel smiled slowly. “I think you might be surprised.”

The topic of discussion landed near the pavilion, and he came toward them to retrieve his glass of water.

“N’kad, how did you meet my sister?” Minel blurted it out without warning.

N’kad paused and set his glass down. “Well, I was infected with a virus that created psychological paralysis. I was being ransomed to my world, but they refused to pay. I was going mad inside my own head with my body locked.
Your sister came to me and saved my life. She used my body to pierce a hole in the stone I was trapped in and kept me sane until help arrived that could physically crack me out. Without your sister, I would not be here, even if she wasn’t truly there.”

Simry chuckled. “Sometimes close is enough.”

“So, my sister saved you.”

“She did. Simry is my hero.” He inclined his head to Minel and then turned and lifted Simry’s hand to his lips.

She blushed furiously as the administrators of the education center smiled. They didn’t see a lot of men, but it was obvious that the one in front of them was smitten with Simry. Even she could see it.

Two more hours with her sister and then she and N’kad were back in the shuttle and on their way back to Teklan.

Simry sighed. “That was...”

“Emotional.”

She chuckled. “It was not what I was expecting for a first assignment.”

N’kad smiled. “It was not what I was expecting either, but I am delighted that we carried through and came out the other side.”

She cleared her throat. “So, do you think you will want to do this again?”

“I think that we make quite a team and they would be foolish not to call upon us.”

Simry stared at the stars. “I think you are right, Hero.”

He reached out and tugged her out of her seat until she was standing next to him. “Your tag line may be Ghost, but you are my hero. Do not doubt it for a moment.”

She leaned down to kiss him, and he smiled against her lips until he realized that she was not going to stop.

When the beacon alarm for the jump to Teklan arrived, she was ensconced in his lap and they were staring at the stars together. It was a new life for both of them, and they were facing it together. One hero, to another.

Today marks a slow-down in my writing (due to standard life stress). From now on, there will be one Tales of the Citadel released on the first of the month (at Devine Destinies), one Zenina Masters—Shifting Crossroads, and the Terran Times Second Wave will be on the fifteenth of the month (at eXtasy Books).

In the next Tales of the Citadel (in one month),
Blazing Serious
, a woman who starts blazes with a touch, learns the creative side of fire when she is assigned to guard a psychic with a meeting of minds...on his mind.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

[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.