The Cure by Teyla Branton Page B

determined not to easily forget what he’d done. I hadn’t asked for undying devotion or anything so awkward as that. I’d simply believed his promise to be there when I awoke from the heart transplant that saved my father’s life—and took mine, however briefly.
    I was sure Ritter could figure out something to do with himself tonight. By the time I returned from the restaurant with any information I could squeeze from Keene, I bet he’d have Oliver, Mari, Chris, and even Stella in the sprawling dining room turned gym, working on combat techniques.
    “Okay, you stay out of sight,” I told Jace, as I drove slowly past the restaurant. “Just because you’ve never officially met Keene doesn’t mean he won’t recognize you. He’s probably seen your picture dozens of times.”
    “You think I don’t know that?” Jace’s normal good humor vanished. “I have a bone to pick with that man. He almost killed me.”
    “Not him. Justine.” His execution wasn’t the only one my once best friend had ordered. “Keene just had instructions to bring you in. He didn’t know she was taking orders directly from the Triad.”
    Jace grinned. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were sweet on this guy.”
    I had kissed Keene, but Jace didn’t know that. Neither did Ritter.
    I looped around the block and drove past the restaurant a second time. Whenever the Emporium might be involved, it paid to be careful. Many of their mortal children worked for the Emporium as little more than expendable slaves whose blind obedience made them dangerous. Keene was more than that, his intelligence and skill at fighting landing him a higher position than most mortals in the organization. It helped, of course, that his father was a member of their governing Triad. Keene had left the Emporium during my first run-in with the group, but he could have changed his mind. He’d do what he needed to survive.
    “We’ll park on the next block and walk back separately,” I said.
    “I’ll follow you.” Jace checked his .45 to make sure a bullet was in the chamber, though he’d already done that two times since we’d left the palace. Like me, he had a backup weapon and at least one knife, but his real strength was his hand-to-hand combat skills. Not only did he move with lightning speed, but his ability gave him a sort of precognition that told him where his opponent would strike next. Watching him these past months, I understood how Ritter had been able to tell from only one workout that combat wasn’t my inborn ability. Jace was stronger, faster, and better than everyone else—except Ritter, who shared the combat ability. During our training together, I did manage to get in a rare surprise hit, which was better than most non-combat Unbounded. I wondered if the precognition meant that on some level Jace also had a bit of the sensing ability that ran through our mother’s family line, but everyone assured me there wasn’t a connection, and that no Unbounded ever possessed more than one family ability.
    Which meant, since my ability was sensing and not combat, that I had to learn to fight the old-fashioned way instead of coming to it instinctively like Jace. Sometimes I felt all I did was train. Well, train and watch Mari. Now that I’d have more free time, I’d spend it tightening my moves. Because not honing my fighting skills meant endangering my friends.
    I was definitely not trying to impress Ritter. We’d only worked out together a few times before he’d vanished, and he didn’t really know me or my abilities. Attraction didn’t count for anything.
    “I’ll find a table nearby,” Jace said as I pulled into a parking place. “After I make sure he came alone. If he didn’t, I’ll take care of them.”
    “No, you give me the signal first. You know the drill. We don’t attack unless we’re in danger. We can’t bring attention to ourselves.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” Jace gave me an exaggerated salute.
    Cold bit into me as