Blazing Serious by Viola Grace Page A

to the hospital first.”
    She sighed and nodded. “My mom won’t be happy. I was supposed to babysit Tiska today, but her dad cancelled. She called me when the fire started.”
    “How old are you?”
    “Thirteen.”
    She nodded off, but the blanket was rhythmically rising and falling.
    Graftic took her to the nearest children’s hospital, and he was unsurprised to find that she was a known presence.
    The medic checked the girl and wheeled her toward an exam room. “What happened?”
    Graftic scowled and worked on the phrasing. “She ate a house fire and then had to release it.”
    “Does her mother know?”
    “I don’t know her last name.”
    The medic smiled and went to the desk; he told the clerk, “Tell Dr. Artu that Jimra is in.”
    The clerk smiled and picked up the interior com. “Please inform Dr. Artu that her daughter is here.” She paused and nodded. “Excellent. I will let the medic know.”
    The clerk hung up and lifted her head. “She is on her way.”
    “I will get Jimra into a gown.” A female medic came by and went into the exam room, closing the door.
    Graftic scowled. “She comes here often?”
    The first medic nodded. “Her father was a Guardian on Ypra, or so we have been told. Her development of a temperature talent was not unexpected.”
    A woman in a black and silver physician’s uniform came up to him. “Fire Officer, what happened?”
    “Are you Jimra’s mother?”
    “I am. My name is Orden Artu. Please come with me and explain what happened.”
    Graftic rubbed his forehead. “Aren’t you going to check on her?”
    “You have brought her in and the staff was not alarmed. If she has had an episode, she will sleep for another hour. Now, what happened?”
    The doctor scowled at him, so Graftic filled her in, distracted by the pale gold of her hair and the frown on her face.
    He told her about the fire, about the young girl and about Jimra’s assertion that the father had started the fire.
    “If she said that is how it started, that is how it started. Jimra is excellent with the forensics of fire. Now...what happened afterward?”
    “She was crouched in the middle of the charred house, so I brought her to the lookout, and she released the fire.”
    “Do you know how large the blast radius was?”
    “Based on the char marks on my skimmer, about one hundred feet.”
    Dr. Artu winced. “Damn. She must be exhausted.”
    “She is. Now, why can she do what she does?”
    The doctor tilted her head. “Why is it your concern?”
    “Because she is brave, she is young and she saved a life today. This world isn’t ready for someone like her, and she needs to be protected.” He blurted it out.
    “Are you offering to become her keeper?” There was a twinkle in her eye.
    “I...”
    The doctor kissed him on the cheek, and he inhaled the scent of medical-grade soap and the lightest hint of flowers.
    “Thank you for watching out for my daughter. She finds herself in the oddest positions, but she manages to thrive. I am going to use any means at my disposal to make sure it continues.”
    The intent look she gave him before she left him was calculating and a little bit heated. Graftic had the funny feeling that he was going to become the means by which Jimra stayed safe.
     
    * * * *
     
    Orden stroked her daughter’s hair. Jimra stirred and smiled without opening her eyes.
    “I am sorry, Mom. I felt the fire start, and I had to go.”
    “I know, sweetie. You did good. You saved Tiska.” Orden stroked her hand down her daughter’s cheek, feeling the uncharacteristic normal temperature.
    Jimra opened her eyes, and they were her normally passive pale lavender. “I am glad she is safe. He meant to kill her. Someone needs to get her safe.”
    “I will have an officer look into it. The fire officer notified his team of your suspicions, so they will have started an inquiry. Fortunately, you probably consumed most of the heat before it could destroy the evidence.”
    “I just tried