Keeper by Viola Grace Page B

was made of steel coated in black velvet. His skin had a nap on it that was thick and reminded her of some curtains her mother used to have. The matte effect of his black-on-black skin made it hard to make out the tiny details, but he had high cheekbones, a sharp chin and pointed ears ringed with piercings. A slightly glossy scar ran from his forehead to his jaw on the left side of his face. She found that it changed him from pretty to riveting.
    His eyes were a dark silver and he had what she guessed was a perpetual smile. Women threw themselves at him and he was only too happy to catch them.
    “Ikvaro, what are you going to be teaching me?”
    “The science of movement. You have control over your body, but I am going to add some skills to your mix. A Keeper operates in armour, but you need to be able to defend yourself and your associate. Normally, a Keeper is used for social mores.”
    “Like escorting women or children through space.”
    “Precisely. Your armour will protect you, but you will protect them. We need to make you more than capable. When I am through with you, you will be exceptional.”
    She smiled at him, throttling down any attraction that she felt. Getting a crush on her instructor would not be advisable as she was on her way out to the stars.
    He got to his feet. “Shall we begin? In your role as defender, you will need to channel your inner instincts to protect. That means going on the attack. Come this way; we will outfit you and begin.”
    Aggie looked around at the quiet gym. “Is it appropriate to be doing this in the evening?”
    “If I am up, and you are up, there is nothing untoward in burning off some extra energy.”
    They put on gloves and faced each other. He inclined his head. “They will not be coming for you; they will be coming for your charges. You have to stop them.”
    He lunged forward, and she followed her instincts. She stepped to one side and drove her fist into his abdomen. He grunted and shifted his focus, putting a controlled strike into her side and sending her to the ground.
    Aggie gasped and rolled to face him.
    He crouched down. “Rule one. Once you have made them focus on you, they will. You have to be ready for it. Nice hit though.”
    She grunted as she got to her feet and faced him. “Let’s try that again.”
    Training was underway.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    First assignments were always awkward. Two weeks of training with Ikvaro had driven home one unassailable fact; Aggie had a will of iron.
    Two weeks of having him pressed against her as they writhed for position had tested her self-control, and he had jerked away from her goodbye hug with shoulders so tight that his body suit creaked.
    Aggie’s first assignment was ferrying a young Wyoran from her home to a Citadel. The Wyoran framework worked as it was intended to. Lianda linked to her for the trip, and they parted when she was brought to the Citadel Thoola Education Centre.
    Meeting a group of women who all had a psychic element to their existence took a little out of Aggie. Her connection with Marty was because they shared genes. They were literally designed to be on the same frequency. It wasn’t a talent she shared with anyone else.
    Her armour was a good fit. She had free range of movement and her face was completely hidden. It was definitely incentive to brush her teeth. Her head was hidden in a hood that settled on her shoulders in the same gold and black as her armour. It was very stylish but a pain in the butt.
    The rules of her uniform meant that she couldn’t do more than remove her faceplate in front of her charge. The lav had a solar flash connection and her suit was designed to wick away sweat. She could get clean but it took some doing.
    Her ship was a pleasant surprise. It had a consciousness and it loved to chat about the stars and what it was going to show her. Talorca was a name it was considering, but currently, it was the Grey Talon .
    The headmistress came up to her. “Where are