Fractured Darkness Read Online Free PDF Page A

his eyes and he took over feeding himself.
    “Don’t use your speed, Robik. You will only need more food, and I am sure that this restaurant closes eventually.”
    Urad shook his head. “How do you know the vulnerabilities of the powers?”
    “Years of study. I was given access to information on talents and I read everything I could. It put me into the position to come here.”
    “Your people know about talents?”
    “They hunt them and lock them away, much as your priests are doing here. I think that was why I ended up here. It is a similar situation.”
    “And you are saying that your world sent you here?”
    “She did. She occupied the body of my sister and sent me through the portal.”
    Robik kept eating, but his gaze flicked between them.
    Noma removed her shadows from him now that he was eating on his own.
    Urad looked at her and he smiled. “I think you have explained enough for one day. I will show you where you can rest and recover from your ordeal.”
    Robik was nearly finished with his meal, so Noma got to her feet and patted his shoulder. “Eat when you are hungry and do internal checks to verify your energy level. If you don’t know how to do that, I can show you tomorrow.”
    He nodded and she left the café area. Urad followed and when he caught up to her, he offered her his arm. “Hang on to me; you will be staying in the tower until a permanent residence has been arranged for you.”
    She looked up at the tower and thought of all the folk she had helped to find the Citadel, and she smiled. “It is appropriate.”
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    In her new rooms, she had a bathroom, a bed and a window. It was all she needed.
    Noma reached into her robes and pulled out the orb. “So, why did you get chucked through the gateway?”
    Light danced out of the orb and across her eyes. Numbers, images, details of the local terrain, it was all there.
    When the light display was over, Noma was blinking. “What do you mean I am over six hundred years in the past?”
    The image of the tower she was in with the word Citadel embossed on it repeated over and over again.
    “You have got to be kidding.” Noma rubbed at her temples. Exhaustion pounded like a drum in her skull.
    The orb tucked itself against her side, but when she closed her eyes, she could still see the word and the image. If this was a Citadel, why wasn’t anyone training?
     
    Daylight ripped into her window with fury. Noma fought the hiss as she got to her feet, and she stumbled to the bathroom with eyes narrowed against the brightness. Morning light was her least favourite.
    Summers at her grandmother’s cabin came in handy in dealing with the plumbing and her talent for shadows made it easy to move in the dark. She was going to have to rinse out the bodysuit she wore under the robes. She was fairly sure that she hadn’t earned sufficient work credits to earn a new outfit.
    With a deep breath, she opened her door and headed out into the hallway and down the myriad stairs to the main floor, and then, she followed the smell of bakery products.
    There weren’t many folk around, but the few who were up gave her sleepy smiles and confirmed that she was, indeed, headed in the right direction.
    A few of her students were at the dining area, and they showed her where to go to get the breakfast pastries that everyone else was enjoying.
    Breakfast was quick, and when she had put her plate in the washing station, her students hauled her back to the classroom and Noma came to a stunned halt. Eighty hopeful faces turned toward her and she blinked. “We are going to need a bigger room.”
    A wave of laughter ran through the crowd, and they went in search of a bigger room.
     
    The breathing and focus class went well outdoors with their backs to the tower, but when they lined up in the practice yard, she had to group them by talents.
    The healers were standing by in case anyone got a little carried away and the shielding talents were in front of