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  Snow covered the evergreen hedge that lined the roof, adding to its privacy by making the hedge nearly four feet tall. It made it almost impossible to see the street and city center below. A gap in the hedges gave her a peek of the roundabout below where they would be setting them off.

  “This is a very special show put on by the Tibetans. You’ll love it, my dear,” Zolin said.

  “Isn’t their new year at a different time of year?” Eren asked.

  “It is, but each of the four cultures in Spruce Knoll honors the American tradition as a town. Besides, it’s easier for the town to hold one big celebration instead of four,” he said.

  Aiden came up behind Eren and put his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him, surprised at how warm he was despite the freezing cold. He wore only sneakers, blue jeans, and a sweater. Back at the fire pit, he’d had his feet up on the stones next to the flames but now they were standing upon the icy flakes that had fallen onto the terra cotta tiles. He had to be channeling energy to stay so warm.

  Suddenly people from every business and residence in town began to count down from ten, Eren’s family and Aiden included. Eren joined them. The din of voices was almost enough to drown out the sound of a frantic hissing; almost. At the call of one, the hissing of the fuse ended with a ground shaking boom. A line of fire traced up into the sky and exploded into a shower of bright orange and red sparks that mushroomed out and rained down. The falling snow acted like millions of tiny prisms, reflecting the light everywhere.

  More followed, but Eren didn’t see them. She turned and tilted her head back to look up at Aiden. Even the loud explosions faded into the distance as she watched the lights and colors dance across his face. He smiled and bent to kiss her. It didn’t matter that her aunt, uncle, and grandfather were all there. She had to ring in the first minute of the New Year by kissing him and she was pretty sure they’d understand that.

  All guilt and embarrassment faded away as she became lost in the feel of Aiden’s lips. He tasted sweet, like a wonderful mixture of chocolate and marshmallow. Somehow it tasted infinitely better on his tongue than it had on hers.

  An elbow poked Eren in the ribs and someone next to her cleared their throat.

  “Uh, guys, even my parents have stopped kissing,” Fane whispered.

  Aiden drew back and Eren dropped her head, hiding behind her dark hair. She could feel several pairs of eyes heavy upon them. When she looked up she found her grandfather and Uncle Alin giving Aiden a very serious look. Aunt Sylvia laughed and the tension dissolved.

  “Relax boys. The New Year’s kiss is an age old tradition meant to bring love and happiness the whole year,” she said.

  While the men’s looks softened, the words weren’t enough to take the blush from Eren’s cheeks. She had no idea they’d been kissing that long.

  “Time for an age old tradition we can all enjoy,” Fane said as he pulled his sweater over his head and dropped it. An orange glow emanated from his skin, making his blue t-shirt look as though it glowed from within.

  Having no idea what he meant, Eren’s heart sped up. The anxiety didn’t try to trigger her channeling, her control had become too good for that. But, it did make her uncomfortable.

  “What?” she asked.

  “The first dance of the New Year, of course! Will you join us, Aiden?” Zolin asked.

  Aiden looked shell-shocked for a moment and then a smile spread across his face.

  “I’d be honored,” he said.

  Holding hands, Alin and Sylvia turned and ran for the west side of the roof. They leaped over the snow-covered hedge and disappeared. All that lay below was the alley that ran behind the store two stories down. Grandfather and Fane followed. Mouth agape, Eren ran after them, stopping at the hedge. She rose up on her toes and peered through a gap in the bushes. They were all standing in the alley, Fane beckoning up to her.

  “How will we get back up? I don’t think I can jump up two stories,” Eren said as she turned to Aiden.

  He pointed to the two-story building that lay across the alley. It was easily a twenty foot gap.

  “You can jump on top of that building and make the jump across to here,” he said.

  It looked like he had thought this through, which meant he had thought about how to sneak over and see her. Mouth agape, she turned to give him a wide-eyed look. The huge smile and wiggle of his eyebrows was all the proof she needed to confirm her suspicion.

  “I don’t know, Aiden. I’ve never channeled in front of anyone but you,” she whispered. What if she ruined her clothes?

  Sighing, Aiden took both of her hands in his. A flush spread through her as he fixed those gorgeous hazel eyes of his on her.

  “It’s time to change that, E. I’ll be with you,” he said.

  He was right. She had to start getting more comfortable with what she was. Nodding, she let go of his hands, dropped the blanket, and turned toward the wall. After a deep breath, she crouched and leaped over the wall and hedge, clearing it effortlessly. Wind whipped her hair back as she plummeted two stories. Like she and Aiden had practiced, she projected her power toward the ground, using it like a cushion to slow her descent.

  Light as a feather and almost as quiet, she landed in the alley, her knees bending to absorb the slight impact. A heartbeat later Aiden landed beside her.

  Everyone glowed with energy as their power buzzed below their skin. Coats lay in a pile on the doorstep but, thankfully, everyone was fully clothed. Relief flooded through Eren. She had so not wanted to see any of them even close to naked. But then, she should have known better. They all had years to practice their control and no longer lost it and ruined their clothes. She had a ton of catching up to do.

  Grandfather, Uncle Alin, and Aunt Sylvia started down the alley. Fane gave Eren an impatient look then turned and jogged after them.

  Eren slipped out of her jacket and tossed it under the overhang covering the back step. She bit her lip when she saw the flash of Aiden’s bare arm as he threw his sweater atop her shoes. He still wore a muscle shirt but it was tight fitting enough to be distracting, to say the least. Her eyes were drawn to the way the shirt clung to his chest and abs.

  Turning her head, Eren opened the gates on her power ever so slightly, allowing it to rise just to the surface of her skin. Her whole body vibrated—kind of like when she drank too much caffeine. It fed her energy and speed, and helped keep her from sinking into the snow. She jogged to Aiden’s side and they took off together after the others. In only a few minutes they left the city behind and entered the forest. The adults ran ahead, snow flying from their feet, while Eren, Aiden, and Fane hung back out of respect.

  This was the first time Eren had run with anyone besides Aiden in a long time and she had to admit to herself that it felt kind of weird. She was filled with a wonderful sense of confidence and belonging, but something wasn’t quite right. In a moment of clarity she knew what it was; it didn’t feel right to be following. Maybe they were right about this Rector thing after all.

  Shooting Aiden a pointed look, Eren sped up. They caught up to the adults easily, Fane trailing only slightly behind Aiden. Running like this made her feel completely free and yet connected to the earth at the same time. Her grandfather had once explained that it was because running was a basic instinct and channelers were more in tune with their instincts than normal people.

  They came abreast of the Alin, Sylvia, and Zolin. It felt like they had stepped into a wall of energy, one that gave way for them. Each of the adults looked surprised, as well as pleased.

  Fane didn’t step into line with them. By his relaxed demeanor, it had nothing to do with not being able to keep up. It looked more like he was happier to run at Aiden’s left side. Eren wondered if it was a Rector thing.

  All thoughts of Rectors and Society politics faded away as she became immersed in the joy of running. With the wind in her hair and her loved one’s by her side, time ticked away. They ran through forests of spruce and aspen, the bl
ack and white trunks zipping by like symbols in a matrix. Leaving scarcely a track, they passed through snow covered valleys and leaped across the frozen river.

  They came to a hill top where the adults stopped around a pyramid of logs and branches.

  Zolin drew something out of his pocket, flicked at it, and a flame erupted from its tip. He threw it onto the pyramid and the fire spread in hungry orange tendrils that seemed to be racing to get to the best bits of wood. From the acrid smell Eren was pretty sure there was fire-starter on the logs. Zolin and Uncle Alin started whooping and hollering and were soon joined by Aunt Sylvia. The joy on their faces was contagious and Eren couldn’t help but smile. Alin grabbed Sylvia’s hand and pulled her close. They started to dance with an abandon that was awe-inspiring.

  Fane looked at Eren and Aiden with raised eyebrows. While dancing was something she’d never done much before, the instinct to join the others was overwhelming. The moment Aiden grabbed her hand, her insecurities melted away. Laughing, they skipped up to the bonfire and started to dance.

  Back on the rooftop, Eren and Aiden snuggled on a bench beneath the pergola. It had stopped snowing and the clouds cleared away to reveal a star-filled sky. Eren’s eyes were drawn to a three quarter moon surrounded by an orange ring.

  “That’s so beautiful,” she commented.

  “It’s a harvest moon,” Aiden said as he followed her gaze up.

  “What’s that mean?” she asked as she stroked the moonstone necklace her mom had left her for her birthday last year.

  There had been a time not too long ago when she’d been ashamed that she knew so little about her own kind and their customs and beliefs. Now she had come to accept that there was no shame in needing to learn. Aiden was always open to her questions and was eager to help teach her, which certainly didn’t hurt.

  “It means this will be a good year—or a bad one, it depends. You reap what you sow. For us, it will definitely be a good year,” he said.

  His voice lowered and got that husky sound to it that made Eren’s heart speed up. He started to lean in for a kiss but paused as their gazes met. The moonlight reflected off his eyes and almost made them look like they were glowing. Eren thought that her own blue eyes would look so dull in comparison. His lips touched hers and completed a perfect New Year’s Eve, banishing any doubts she had about how the year would turn out. He was right; this was going to be a perfect year.

  “Society members will be drawn to their Rectors.

  There is no choice in the matter, only instinct.”

  ~from Life In A Society

  Chapter 3

  Excited chatter reached Eren’s ears before she heard her friends knock on the door. Tossing her backpack over her shoulder, she kissed her grandfather on the cheek and dashed outside. Ankle deep in snow, Aiden and Fane waited for her. She’d been promising grandfather that she’d get around to shoveling the sidewalk and suddenly she felt guilty about forgetting, again.

  Aiden managed to make a black ski jacket and blue jeans look totally hot, while Fane looked like a young gentleman dressing for prep school. Having worn a white button up shirt and black skirt for most of her scholastic life, Eren knew how he felt. When in doubt, one reverted to what they were comfortable in.

  “You’re going to knock the girls dead, Fane. But let me help out a little.”

  Fane tolerated her attentions while she rolled up the sleeves of his suit jacket and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. Nodding in satisfaction, she stepped back.

  “Thanks, Cuz” he said.

  “Cuz?” she asked as she lifted an eyebrow at him.

  “Aiden has a nickname for you, but I couldn’t really use his. You don’t like it?” he asked, unsure of himself.

  Insecurity was so unlike him. It made Eren realize how nervous he was about this whole public school thing. She put an arm around his shoulders as they started down the alley.

  “I like it,” she said. And she did. It made her feel more like family.

  Fane grinned, and stood a bit taller, making it harder for Eren to keep her arm around his shoulders.

  Ahead of them, Aiden turned around and walked backwards. “And do I need any help with my look?”

  “Well, the jeans could be a bit tighter, but then it could start a fight,” Eren teased as she wiggled her eyebrows.

  Aiden laughed. “Oh really? I’ll remember that.”

  They talked and laughed all the way to school. Going there was no longer a horrible ordeal for Eren, not now that she and Aiden didn’t need to pretend they didn’t like one another. It didn’t hurt that Luke wasn’t there either. Knowing he was on an entirely different continent brought Eren a huge amount of comfort. He’d tried to kill her—and worse—so she didn’t feel an ounce of remorse about him being forced to leave Spruce Knoll. His sister, Elisabeth, was a different story. Eren still thought about her from time to time, but she knew Elisabeth must be happy now that she lived with her grandparents, despite the fact—or maybe because of it—that her murderous parents were dead.

  The steps of the school came into view and Fane stopped, smiling up at the building. “How charmingly American!”

  Eren laughed. Yep, with a vocabulary like that, the girls were going to absolutely flip over him.

  “I mean that in a good way of course. American architecture is wonderfully practical and that’s not a bad thing,” he explained.

  Aiden rested and elbow on Fane’s right shoulder. “True, but I much prefer the brilliance of Roman architecture.”

  White shown around the deep brown of Fane’s eyes as they grew wide. “Understandable considering that it’s hard to compare with the people who designed aqueducts,” he said.

  They delved into a conversation about different eras of architecture and design and soon, Eren was completely lost. But it was a pleasure seeing them so engrossed in conversation.

  Heads turned when the three of them walked through the double doors. The looks everyone cast their way weren’t like the hostile looks Eren used to get. Now they were cautious and unsure. The stories about the fight at last October’s bonfire party were still hot news. Everyone talked about how Eren could fight and heal. What they didn’t know was that now Aiden could do it too. There had been a time, back in prep school, where she hadn’t minded being the center of attention and gossip, but not anymore.

  Today everyone was looking at Fane. Eren felt sorry for him, but only for a moment because he didn’t seemed bothered by the attention at all. In fact, he seemed oblivious to it. His eyes were filled with wonder, and his head turned every which way as he tried to take it in all at once.

  Ignoring the gawkers, they found Fane’s locker and showed him to his first class before the bell had them scurrying off to their own. As a sophomore, he didn’t have a single class with them so Eren didn’t see him the rest of the morning.

  After phys ed Eren was headed out for the girl’s locker room when her instructor stopped her. She wondered if she was in for a lecture for being overzealous with the bag again. It was hard not to be, considering it was the only thing she got to hit. Despite all the progress she’d made—or perhaps because of it—she still wasn’t allowed to spar with the kids.

  “Yes, Maestro?” she asked.

  “You cannot use the kids’ locker room anymore,” he said.

  Wow. Whatever she did must have been really bad. She racked her brain but couldn’t come up with anything bad enough to get her kicked out of class altogether. A sick feeling came over her as she realized it may have something to do with what happened at the party a few months ago. She was just starting to enjoy training. She didn’t want to have to stop.

  “I’m sorry, Maestro. Whatever I did, I’ll make it up to you,” she said, trying hard to keep the quiver out of her voice.

  Getting kicked out of this class was the last thing she wanted. How was she supposed to become a great Rector if no one would teach her how to fight? Her heightened anxiety tried to start the tremors that precluded ch
anneling. She banished the desire and tremors with a thought. This was no time to be losing her cool.

  “Nonsense, Eren. What I meant was; you’ll have to use the high school girls’ locker room from now on. I’m moving you into their class starting next week,” he said with a rare smile.

  A plea froze upon Eren’s lips. Had she really just heard him right? She’d only had four months of training. True, she was working ridiculously hard and getting quite good, but that didn’t mean she could hold her own among the high school girls. Did it?

  “They’re going to be hard on you, be prepared for that. But I’m sure you’ll give them a run for their money in no time at all.”

  His smile grew, his thin mustache stretching into a barely perceptive line as he clapped her on the back and gave her a push toward the locker rooms. His confidence in her was flattering. She tried to thank him, but her lips didn’t want to work. From the opposite side of the gym, the opening to the high school girls’ locker room yawned like a dark abyss with the promise of frightful creatures within. Shoving aside her fears, she strode over to it and entered; only to stop the moment her feet touched the tiled floor.

  The roar of sixty gossiping girls fell silent as if a switch had been flipped. Eren’s smile didn’t even wilt as she walked in and headed straight for the showers. The moment she turned the water on, hushed conversation started back up. By the time she finished, over half of the girls had left. Wrapping a towel about herself, she picked up her backpack and walked over to the lockers. A line of girls were leaning up against them, chatting about the upcoming tournament.

  Eren cleared her throat but they ignored her. Someone came from behind her, a blond girl, and walked up to the others. She leaned in close to one of the girls and held up a fist that glowed with blue-green energy. The energy sort of pulled at Eren instead of pushing like most others did. She had come to realize this meant someone was a healer channeler instead of a warrior channeler.