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her and then interrupted. “I am sure you can continue this while I am running the errand. Can I get some clothing, please?”
    Mordem cackled and sauntered off.
    She watched the flex of his back and buttocks as he went.
    Daymoth covered his eyes. “Yeah, I can’t see this being distracting.”
    Mordem returned with a wide, square box. “Your own Masuo. Just let it wrap around you and then think how you want it to appear.”
    She looked at it in surprise. Instead of opening the box, the box melted and coursed up her arms. She stepped back and fought the urge to shake it off.
    It ran across her skin and under the sheet, covering her completely in a thin layer of grey. She watched the texture form, and with a smile, she created a ridged system across the surface while colouring the suit. She went with a black and white pattern of leopard spots on the body of her suit with a grey and white cracked pattern on her gloves. She smoothed the surface before twisting and checking for any gaps. It wouldn’t do to flash anyone.
    Daymoth muttered, “We get our Masuo from Sector Guard Base Udell. It is up for all kinds of stress, not to mention radiation and friction.”
    Mordem took a quick look at her, front and back. “Nice pattern control. Come with me, I will give you the list and the pack.”
    She grinned and got the items from him, suiting up for the fastest shopping trip she could manage. The base normally got deliveries, but she was going to have to make up for eating everything that wasn’t nailed down.
    “You have your coordinates for the shops. We will send them a notice that you are on your way and to charge all items to the base. Go ahead when you are ready.”
    She looked at Mordem. “Any particular requests?”
    “I am fond of green mitskis. If you happen across any, feel free to toss them in.” He winked. “Have fun, but don’t forget your ration bars.”
    She looked outside, checked the unit that he had strapped to her wrist and nodded. “Let’s see if this works while I am behind the wheel.”
    Daymoth still looked as if he had a headache, but Mordem was amused and encouraging. With a few cautious steps out the door, she started to run.
    The world slowed down, and her heart felt freer than it had ever been. This was what she was meant to do.
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    Five minutes. She had run over a hundred miles, shopped and returned to the base in five minutes.
    She paused for breath outside the base and jogged in at a quick but controllable pace.
    Comyo and Linz were up, and it seemed everyone was waiting for the next two Gifted to wake up.
    Cam handed over the backpack full of food, and Daymoth smiled.
    “Perhaps you will make a good Guardian after all. You even got the eggs back without cracking.” Daymoth chuckled. “Well done, Camile.”
    She smiled and started shaking.
    Mordem was suddenly beside her, holding a glass to her mouth. “Drink up. I prepped this in our med bay.”
    Comyo moved in her periphery, digging through the bag and coming out with the energy bars.
    Cam drank the sweetest beverage she had ever consumed, and when it was done, one of the bars was slapped into her hand. Apparently, she had just become a group project.
    The drink stopped the shakes, and she was able to sit and gnaw at the energy bar. It tasted like she was eating beef jerky, citrus and flowers, but her body relaxed and the ravenous tension eased.
    She sighed and settled back. “Did I get everything on the list?”
    Daymoth nodded. “Well done. It is an excellent trial for your Gift.”
    Cam smiled weakly. “Great, so where are the others?”
    She remembered the feeling that others were sharing the energy of the Gift with her. The sense of sharing had been a secondary feeling to her own body absorbing the light.
    Mordem sat next to her and held one of her hands. “They might require more rest than you do. The Gifting can be hard to adapt to.”
    She looked at their hands and felt the weird rightness of