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  Those men had been about to rape her and probably kill her, and she was calling Eren and Caitlin monsters? They saved this woman’s life. She should be grateful, or at the very least relieved. Yet here she sat cowering, too horrified to even allow Eren to help her to her feet. Not even the sound of the men’s fleeing footsteps could shake Eren from her stupor.

  “Come on, Eren. We’ve wasted enough time helping the ungrateful,” Caitlin said as she grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

  There was so much Eren wanted to say to the woman, but instead she let Caitlin take her back to the parking lot. For starters, she wanted to explain that she wasn’t a monster. She was as natural to the world as the woman was. She wanted to tell her that she and Caitlin were, in fact, better than most, because in this world most people would have walked the other way.

  The look of fear on the woman’s face burned into Eren’s mind. She wouldn’t have listened.

  Across the dark parking lot, Eren saw Aiden and Fane leaving the car to jog in their direction. They looked worried. Seeing them brought tears to Eren’s eyes. It was one thing for someone to call her a monster, but knowing that the woman also would have considered Aiden and Fane monsters, broke her heart. She tried to blink the tears away but it only made them spill down her cheeks.

  Her vision blurred so badly she had to stop walking. Aiden’s arms enveloped her a heartbeat later. After only a few seconds he pulled back and frantically checked her, touching lightly here and there.

  “Are you hurt? We thought we heard a fight,” he said.

  He lifted her chin and brushed the tears from her cheeks. His hazel eyes pulled her up from despair like a compass pulling a needle north. She nodded and let him lead her back to the car.

  “A woman was being attacked. We helped her,” she mumbled.

  “Ungrateful bitch called us monsters because she saw our energy,” Caitlin snapped.

  “Should we go check on her?” Fane asked.

  “The guys took off and the woman started for the restaurant as soon as we left,” Caitlin said.

  Aiden and Fane exchanged a worried look and rushed them to the car. Eren hardly even noticed Aiden had opened the passenger door for her until she sat down and there was no steering wheel in front of her. She didn’t know if he had his license or not and she didn’t have the voice to ask, so she gave him a look when he climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “Don’t worry, I have my license. I’m going to take us to a lookout on the way out of town so we can talk before driving back,” he said.

  Eren nodded and tried to smile, but she was pretty sure it probably came out looking hideous. She didn’t want him to worry about her just because her eyes had been forcibly opened to the cruelty of the world. Aiden and her grandfather had tried to tell her that normal people would never accept her kind and she hadn’t believed them, not really. Now she felt stupid and naïve.

  “Good, I’m way too wound up to sit for three hours,” Caitlin said from the back seat.

  She sounded like a wasp that had downed a quadruple espresso. Eren could feel her hot, angry, energy pouring from the back seat. It didn’t hurt but it was uncomfortable, like a summer day that was way too warm. Putting aside her own feelings, she reached out with her power and sent calm energy to Caitlin. It was similar to how she had reached out with her power to make Bridget uncomfortable, only this time she concentrated on it having the opposite effect. It worked; the air in the car cooled almost instantly.

  “Thanks,” Caitlin sighed.

  Aiden gave Eren a wide-eyed look and started the car, but he didn’t say anything. He put it in drive and reached over to hold her hand as they pulled out of the parking lot. The minute his flesh touched hers she felt better, like the weight of the world had been lightened. It didn’t take away her sadness completely, but it came close. His fingers tingled against hers, making her think he’d probably done something to her like she’d done to Caitlin.

  As they rolled through the bright city streets Eren became lost in thoughts about fear and prejudice. No one spoke, making the low radio seem loud. Still, in the company of her friends, it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, just a sad one.

  The city lights faded behind them and Aiden soon turned onto a gravel road that wound its way up a steep hill. Wheat fields lined the sides of the road. Eren rolled her window down and let the energy of growing crops cleanse the seedy feel of the city from her. The spring sun had warmed the feathered heads of the stalks making it smell vaguely like bread. With each breath, her muscles unbound more and her energy calmed.

  They crested the hill and the road ended in a gravel circle that overlooked the fields and the city. It was beautiful and ugly at the same time. To know that where all those lights and buildings now stood, had once been open plains, was kind of sad. Eren used to love the city, but now it seemed like a cancer on an otherwise breathtaking landscape. Okay, that was a bit extreme she knew, but she couldn’t shake her negative mood. Especially since now she knew that it, and every other city, was filled with people who would think her kind were monsters.

  The engine shut off and both rear doors opened before she was shaken from her contemplating. She was still taking her seatbelt off when Aiden came around and opened her door. Fane and Caitlin were outside waiting when she got out. Was she really moving that slow? It didn’t feel like it.

  “Are you alright, Cuz?” Fane asked.

  The concern in his eyes made a twinge of guilt shoot through her. She didn’t want to let her naivety ruin the night for everyone, especially Fane. This was his first real night out in America. When Aiden put his arm around her and his soothing power seeped into her, Eren was able to nod and smile.

  Caitlin winked at her as she grabbed Fane’s hand. “Let’s go for a walk and let these two talk,” she said.

  Shooting Eren a concerned look over his shoulder, Fane let Caitlin pull him away. The moment he turned his head, Eren’s smile faded. It had been nearly impossible to keep it in place that long. She watched the two of them disappear into the darkness and tried not to let the intense sadness she felt overwhelm her. Suddenly she missed her parents very much. The weight of the moonstone necklace against her chest helped ease the pain of their absence, but only a little.

  A surprised cry escaped her lips as Aiden picked her up and set her on the hood of the car. He leaped up and laid down next to her, turning onto his side so he could look at her. She covered her face with her hands and tried not to cry. For the first time, she didn’t want him to look at her. He had tried to tell her about normal people and she hadn’t believed him, not really. Now she knew better and she felt like a fool.

  “You were right about them and I’m stupid for not believing you,” she mumbled through her hands.

  “Don’t say that. It’s not true. You believe in the goodness of people and that makes you amazing. Don’t stop believing that because of one fearful person.”

  Slowly, Eren let her hands fall away and reached over to touch him. Part of her had to make sure he was real. He always said what she needed to hear, even when she didn’t know she needed to hear it.

  “Thanks, but you were right. We can’t let them know about us,” she sighed.

  “I’m sorry you had to learn it that way. Wow, that sounds even worse than it does in the movies. But I mean it, E. You should have had the chance to learn that in history lessons growing up, not like tonight. You did a good thing and that makes you who you are. What other people think doesn’t.”

  The massive weight that had settled upon her disappeared. He was right. She’d spent too much of her life already worrying about what other people thought. Back in California she had worn all the right clothes, dated all the ‘right’ guys and she’d ended up alone and friendless. It was sort of liberating to hear him say other people’s opinions didn’t matter. If he felt that way, maybe she could too.

  Putting her arm around his waist, she snuggled in close against him, breathing his wonderful scent in until it filled her
lungs. “Thanks.”

  Finally, the urge to cry passed and she turned her attention to the sky. They were so close to the bright city lights that the stars were hard to see. It almost looked like a completely different sky out here, as though it had only a fraction of the stars they did back in Spruce Knoll. Funny, when she thought of it that way, it seemed like cities made the universe feel smaller. A year ago she never would have believed that she’d see the world this way. It was kind of disorienting how fast her life had changed.

  Aiden started naming the planets and constellations he could find and she joined in.

  “I learned most of this from your grandfather,” he admitted.

  “Really? When?”

  “I worked for him at his store the last couple of summers. Before you came here.”

  Once Eren got him talking about it, he didn’t stop. Guilt had been the main reason he applied to work there. Since Eren’s grandmother had been killed fighting against his parents’ murderers, he felt like he owed Zolin. But he was quick to tell her that after he started working for him, he got attached to the old Mayan channeler.

  After almost an hour of talking, Aiden slid from the hood, threw his hands out, and channeled energy down into them until they were glowing green with specks of gold. His hands looked like a beacon in the darkness and Eren realized it was meant to call Fane and Caitlin back.

  Flushed and grinning, they came jogging into sight a moment later. Aiden turned and gave Eren an unnecessary hand down. She wasn’t about to go all liberal and pass up the chance to touch him.

  “I’ll drive if you want to sleep on the way home,” he said.

  “That’d be great,” she admitted.

  As she moved to open the door she couldn’t help but laugh at the huge smile on Caitlin’s face. Without an ounce of embarrassment, Caitlin winked as she climbed in the back seat. Since Caitlin was staying the night with her she knew she’d get the whole story later.

  “Glad to see you didn’t ruin your clothes,” Aiden said as he clapped Fane on the shoulder.

  “I’m not going to live that down am I?” Fane asked.

  Eren and Caitlin laughed and the dark mood that had fallen over the night vanished. The subtle, sweet smell of columbine flowers filled the car, relaxing Eren. One of the lavender and white blossoms was tucked behind Caitlin’s ear. It reminded Eren to enjoy the simple things in life and let the bad things go. Her father taught her that. She thought of the lessons her parents had taught her a lot lately. It made her feel like maybe they weren’t completely gone.

  As much as she wanted to stay awake and talk with her friends, she couldn’t. One moment she was talking about how great dinner was, the next her eyes were fluttering open as they drove into Spruce Knoll. The solar street lights glowed softly, a stark comparison to the bright lights of the big city. Eren smiled; she was home.

  “The energy of one Society member

  has the ability to affect the energy of the others.

  Always remain aware of this.”

  ~from Life In A Society

  Chapter 11

  The garage door hummed as it slowly slid open, the light from within pouring out and illuminating the drive. Aiden pulled the car into Zolin’s garage and shut off the engine.

  “I can drive you guys to Aunt Sylvia’s,” Eren said.

  “Naw, it’s a nice night. We need the walk,” Aiden said.

  There was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked in the rearview mirror and caught Fane’s gaze. They were up to something. Aside from Aiden staying over at Fane’s house, Eren didn’t really know what their plans were for the rest of the night. Before she could ask him, he got out of the car and came around to open her door.

  The door hadn’t even latched when he took her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. It dawned on her that this was the first time he’d kissed her all night. Damn, they’d wasted all that time, she could kick herself. His lips were so soft and sweet. He was being extra gentle with her which made her think he was probably still worried about her reaction over the night’s interruption. While it was something she would be processing for a while, she didn’t want him to think it had ruined the night for her.

  “I had a great time,” she said when he pulled away.

  “You sure? I could stay a while and make you forget all about human prejudice,” he whispered against her ear before kissing it. A wonderful sensation traveled down into her navel and made her shiver.

  “I’m sure you could. But if you stay and my grandfather finds out, he might seriously think about bringing flogging back into style.”

  “If you’re holding the whip I’m open to that,” he teased

  Pushing him away, Eren laughed and slapped his arm. He shot that gorgeous half-smile of his at her and lifted eyebrows. Eyes fluttering closed, he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. When he opened them again he was staring at her with a look that kind of made her think about testing her grandfather’s reaction. Very slowly, he pulled away, his fingers clinging to hers until the last possible moment.

  “Time for us to go,” Aiden said.

  Fane sighed. He and Caitlin had been engaged in their own whispered conversation on the other side of the car so Eren wasn’t sure if they’d heard any of that. She knew that should make her blush, but it didn’t. Caitlin was quickly becoming the best girlfriend she’d ever had and Eren knew she could tell her everything. And, undoubtedly, that’s how the night would end.

  “See you tomorrow morning,” Aiden said as he and Fane walked backwards through the open garage door.

  She watched them until they disappeared into the darkness. Since she could see the glow of their energy, it was a long time. Laughing and shaking her head, Caitlin leaned in the car and pushed the button to close the garage door.

  “Come on, let’s go drown our hormones in ice cream,” she said.

  She grabbed Eren’s hand and pulled her up the stairs and into the house. Silverware clanked together from the kitchen down the hall where Zolin was humming to himself. Hearing his voice made Eren’s reluctance to leave the garage—and Aiden—fade a little. It was getting close to midnight; she could barely believe her grandfather had waited up this long for them. From the sound of his tune he didn’t seem angry, but then they were back before the curfew he’d set.

  Eren skipped ahead of Caitlin and led the way into the kitchen. Three bowls and a pile of spoons were stacked on the island countertop and her grandfather had his head in the freezer. He turned around with a half-gallon of ice cream in one hand, and a can of chocolate syrup in the other. A huge smile pushed up his darkly tanned cheeks.

  “Ladies, good evening. I was just getting ready for an almost-midnight snack. Care to join me?” he asked.

  Knowing full well he’d heard them come in and had probably heard Caitlin’s comment about ice cream, Eren laughed and nodded.

  “You read our minds, Mr. Y,” Caitlin said as she climbed atop a barstool.

  Zolin laughed as he set the ice cream down and removed the lid. “No, my dear. I’d be a highly sought after man if I could do that.”

  Once the ice cream was scooped into the bowls, they dug in. At his insistence, Eren and Caitlin told him all about the movie and dinner, leaving out the part about the woman they’d helped. That wasn’t a story Eren wanted to rehash, not yet. So far the night was ending on a good note and she wanted to keep it that way. Besides, she was pretty sure her grandfather would not be happy about such a display in front of a normal woman who could see their energy.

  Before Eren could really ponder whether or not to lick the chocolate from her bowl, her grandfather deftly snuck it out from under her and added it to the others in the sink.

  “I’m sure you girls want to reminisce about the night, so you go on upstairs. I’ll clean up,” he said.

  Caitlin was already on her feet but Eren was slow to rise. “Are you sure?”

  Zolin leaned over and kissed her forehead. He smelled faintly of flowers. Odd, Eren didn’t rememb
er any flowers in his green house. “Of course, dear,” he said.

  Too tired to ask about it, instead Eren jumped from the barstool and followed Caitlin upstairs. When they reached the second floor, Eren smelled the sweet scent of flowers again, this time much stronger. As they came to the attic access ladder she realized the smell was coming from up there. She and Caitlin exchanged a wide-eyed look.

  She followed the thick scent all the way up the ladder and into her attic suite. Sitting on the coffee table were two beautiful vases each packed tight with a dozen roses. One vase was a deep gold—nearly the same color as the striations in Aiden’s eyes—and was filled with dark red roses. Eren knew that one had to be for her. The other was a black vase filled with pink flowers; Caitlin’s beyond a doubt.

  “No way,” Caitlin cried as she went straight for the pink roses.

  Colors aside, it still wasn’t hard to tell which was meant for each of them. Traces of Aiden’s green and gold power clung to the red roses and Fane’s orange energy clung to the pink roses. Eren’s hand shook as she reached for the card. This wasn’t her first bouquet of flowers from a boy, but they were the first flowers she had ever received from a guy who could be her soul mate. That made it a lot more momentous than flowers from some guy who just wanted in her pants. The words on the card brought tears to her eyes.

  I love you E. You are my world. – Yours forever, Aiden

  The words sank into her and clutched at her heart until her chest almost hurt. She was humbled that he cared so much about her, and completely exalted that she cared just as much about him. It amazed her that she could love someone with every atom within her.

  Beside her Caitlin uttered a huge sigh as she read her own card then fell dramatically back onto the loveseat.

  “Oh Eren, we have the best guys ever,” she said.

  “Yeah, we do,” Eren agreed as she tried not to sniffle.

  “Let’s go up on the roof where your grandpa can’t hear us talk,” she suggested as she leaped back to her feet.