“Sure! Do you want to come back out here? Hopefully, the weather will be better.”
I swear her cheeks flush, but it’s hard to tell in the dim lighting. “Or … we can have some fun off campus.”
My heart thumps harder against my chest. “What?”
Her eyes shift, breaking eye contact with me. “It would be nice to get off campus for a bit. We could grab some dinner or something?”
I rub my neck. “You … want to go off campus? To have dinner?”
“Why not?” She looks into my eyes. “We’re friends, right? Friends can go off campus. Plus, it may be nice to escape all the distractions here and just take a break.”
Why not? She doesn’t see how hard I’m falling for her. Every moment with her tugs harder at my heart knowing we can never be. I’ll never be the guy to hold her when she needs a shoulder to cry on, to love her when she needs it the most, to … share my life completely with her. I swallow back the sudden tension in my throat. “Um …” Her bright emerald-colored eyes make me waiver. I can’t say no to her. “Sure. We … We can do that.”
She smiles. “And I’ll pay for dinner. It’s the least I can do for all your help.”
“You don’t—”
“Oh, yes I do.” Her hand rests on top of mine. “You have no clue how much I owe you.”
All the guilt from my past—letting her grow closer to me and acting like I’m not intertwined with her more than she realizes—stabs me. I retract my hand.
A trickle of hurt reflects in her eyes.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
She brushes off her shirt and stands. “Maybe we should go ahead and head back. There’s no way this rain is going to end any time soon.”
I get to my feet. “We can stay a little longer. It’s fine. I promise.”
She takes a step, ignoring me, but slips.
I reach to catch her but lose my footing, sliding on the mud. We both fall to the ground, mud splattering all around us.
“Ah! Yuck!” she groans.
I wipe the mud from my face. “Well, I guess that’s one way to get down and dirty.”
Ember regards me with narrowed eyes, but a huge grin spreads across her face, and she laughs. “You are ridiculous.”
I hurl a chunk of mud at her, and it hits her face then drips down her cheek.
She stares at me with her mouth agape in disbelief.
“At least I’m not the one getting mud thrown at her.”
She grabs a fistful of the wet ground and aims it at me. “Oh? Want to bet?”
A mud fight ensues, like we’re both only five years old again. All the tension between us, the gravity of my past, and all the uncertainties melt away.
I laugh like I haven’t laughed in years.
She giggles and flinches away between bits of flying mud. It seems as if all her worries may have left her too. She takes me off guard by tackling me. We both fall backward, with her on top of me. We are both covered in mud, a disgusting mess, but even so, Ember takes my breath away. Her hair is wild around her, and her eyes are as mesmerizing as a crystal-clear lagoon.
I brush back some of her hair and feel no remorse when I say, “You are so beautiful.” Why did I have to fall for the Guardians’ daughter?
“Thank you.” She picks some mud out of my hair. “You’re not too bad looking yourself.” She smiles. “Not just anyone could pull off white hair the way you do.”
I clear my throat and sit upright, forcing her to the side. “I don’t know about you, but I need to shower.”
She laughs dishearteningly. “Well, thankfully, a shower is happening not even ten feet away from us.”
The cover of the trees has lessened the rain around us, but in the distance the raindrops are thick and fast, making it almost impossible to see.
“Huh, you’re right.”
We carefully stand, holding onto each other for support, and head into the water. It’s cooling and comforting.
Ember runs her hands through her hair, and mud streaks down her face. Her red shirt forms to her body, hugging her curves in all the right places.
To distract myself from ogling her, I shake, like a dog after a bath, and she giggles.
After a few more moments of us brushing the mud off ourselves, Ember motions for me to head into the woods with her. We run back to the shelter of the trees, and she grabs my arm.
I stop.
“Wait a second,” she says, and a warming sensation travels up my arm and throughout my whole body. Steam rises from both me and Ember, drying us in the process. She releases me and wipes her hand together, like she is satisfied with her work. “There you go.”
“That’s helpful, thanks!”
She nods. “Of course.” Her head jerks, and she squints, looking into the woods.
I try to follow her gaze, but all I see is endless woods. “Is everything okay?”
Her eyes stay trained in front of her. “I have to admit, I like coming out here to practice by myself, but sometimes it makes me feel uneasy. I feel like someone is always watching me.”
I scan the area. “Like Iron Forge?”
“To be honest, I don’t think it’s him. But … someone. I’ve never actually seen anyone, but sometimes I feel a difference in the thermal energy in the area.”
“What do you mean?”
“I really don’t know. It just gets bolder, more intense. Maybe it’s something to do with me? Or it’s just the earth? It’s hard to say, but I just have this gut feeling.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t come here by yourself then?”
She shakes her head. “No. I’m done hiding. If someone is watching me, they can watch away. I think it says a lot more that they haven’t done anything. They’re either just creeping or are too scared to do anything.”
Sometimes I hate her stubbornness. “I know you’re capable of handling yourself, but … maybe you should go to the training field? Plus, you would get to practice with more students, learn about different abilities. And the training bots are there. They’re great to take out frustrations on.” Something occurs to me. “Why are you practicing so much, if you don’t mind me asking?”
A secret twinkles in her eyes. “You’ll just have to wait until Saturday to find out.”
Chapter 26
Ember
I can’t take my eyes off of the proposed restaurant in front of me—The Garage. The name is painted in large black cursive script mounted on the front of the structure. Apparently, the city of Stalwarth houses a large red barn that should be found in the middle of the country. The thing freaking me out the most is the head of a large brown steer mounted above the doors staring down at me. “This is where you want to eat?” I ask puzzled, like I’m asking the steer, not Aiden.
“I promise they have some of the best food in the city!”
I don’t take my eyes off the decapitated mammal. “I guess I trust you.”
Aiden pats my back. “I promise. I wouldn’t steer you wrong!”
I smile to myself, shaking my head. “You are so ridiculous.”
“Let’s get our table.” He opens one of the large white barn doors and motions for me to go before him.
“Thank you,” I say as I pass him, and he nods in acknowledgement. My breath escapes me. Inside is not what I imagined. A gigantic sparkling chandelier hangs from the middle of the ceiling. The top of it is a silver chicken that looks to be sitting on about a hundred or more glass eggs that are lights. The white rafters add to the barn aesthetic, and more steel barnyard animals are hidden throughout them. Hoedown-type music adds to the lively atmosphere, and the scent is thick with smells of roasts, mashed potatoes, chicken, and so many more appetizing meals. My mouth waters. “Aiden … this place is amazing.”
“I knew you’d like it.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“You were right.” I glance forward, and my sense of wonder diminishes. At least twenty people must be waiting already. “It looks like we might be waiting a while.”
There’s no denying the disappointment in my tone.
Aiden surprises me by grabbing my hand. “Don’t feel so discouraged just yet.” He leads me to the hostess stand.
A shorter girl with glasses, curly brown hair, and a third eye planted in the middle of her forehead stands behind it. She’s wearing a straw cowgirl hat, a red plaid shirt, and brown pants. Her large golden belt buckle glimmers in the light with THE GARAGE engraved in the center. She’s studying a seating chart but quickly notices us. “Hi there! Welcome to The Garage! I am sorry to tell y’all that if you are hoping to join us for dinner tonight, there will be about an hour wait.”
I sigh. “Maybe we can try somewhere else?”
Aiden glances at me from the corner of his eye. “Actually, I made a reservation.”
“You did?”
The hostess smiles and pulls another list from under the seating chart. “That’s great to hear! Can I get your name?”
“Aiden Stiles.”
She eyes the list and makes a pen mark. “Yes, here you are! Mr. Stiles, party of two.”
He squeezes my hand. “That would be us.”
“Right this way,” the hostess says as she grabs a couple menus and leads us toward the dining area.
Aiden motions for me to follow the hostess and releases my hand only to lay his softly on my lower back. The feeling of his hand on me is a welcome sign of intimacy, even if it’s a bit confusing.
The hostess leads us to a row of booths with red leather seats and solid oak tables. She places the menus on one of them near the back.
Aiden and I sit opposite of each other.
“Enjoy! Your waiter will be here soon to take your drink orders. If you need anything beforehand, don’t hesitate to come get me.”
“Alright, thank you,” Aiden says, and the hostess leaves as he offers me one of the menus. “See? No wait!”
Delight is all over my face, and I take the menu from him. “I can’t believe you made a reservation!”
He smiles, almost bashfully. “Well, I wanted to make sure things went smoothly for us tonight, and I know how busy it can get here.”
I study the menu. It fits the same red and white color scheme of the interior. The Garage is written in the same font matching the front of the building, and red chickens decorate the cover. I eagerly open it to reveal pictures of hamburgers, smoothies, steak, and so much more. It’s almost overwhelming with so many options. “So … what would be something you would recommend for a newcomer like me?”
Aiden sets down his menu. “Everything is good. Are you hungry for anything in particular?”
“Actually, do they have soup? I’ve been craving some recently, probably because of the cooler weather. My dad used to make soup all the time in the fall.”
Aiden looks at me with gentle eyes. “Sure. They actually make the best vegetable beef soup around. All the vegetables are fresh, and the meat is naturally raised. I would do a bowl though, not a cup, so it actually fills you up.”
“Awesome. I’ll just do that.” Next to me, I notice a small glass vase with yellow daisies. “The flowers are a nice touch.”
“Do you like daisies?”
“Sure. They’re nice. I prefer tulips though, especially pink ones. They are just so soft and delicate. They remind me the world isn’t always such a harsh place.”
The corner of his lips slide upward. “I’ll have to remember that.”
POOF! “Howwwdy!” someone says way too loudly.
The suddenness of the voice causes me to jump sideways in my seat, and I see a tall, skinny man with a chocolate-brown cowboy hat next to the table.
He grins from ear to ear. “Oh, I’m sorry, darling! I didn’t mean to scare you. My name is Dillon, and I’ll be your waiter for the night. Can I start you off with a refreshing beverage?” His accent is heavy with a country twang.
I remove my hand from over my heart. “Oh, hi! Um … sure. Do you have lemonade?”
“We sure do! Freshly squeezed every day.”
“I’ll take a lemonade then.”
Without writing anything, he turns to Aiden. “And for you, sir?”
Aiden flips over the menu and studies it. “Root beer, please.”
“Are you guys ready to order your food as well? Or do you need a few more minutes?”
“I’m ready.” Aiden glances at me. “How about you?”
“Yeah. I’ll do a bowl of vegetable beef soup.”
The waiter retrieves an ordering pad and a pen from his pocket. He scribbles my order. “Is the house salad okay for your side? Or would you like something else? We have mac and cheese, almost any vegetable you can think of, French fries—”
“Fries, please.”
He angles toward Aiden. “And for you?”
“I’ll do the nine-ounce sirloin, medium rare, a plain baked potato, and a side salad.”
The waiter takes both of our menus. “I’ll get this right in for you folks, and I’ll be back soon with your beverages.” POOF! The waiter disappears in a small cloud of smoke.
I scan the restaurant and have a sudden childlike urge to bounce up and down. “You know, this is my first time in a very long time that I’ve been downtown like this.”
Aiden smirks. “I bet, but I have to say, your disguise is working. No one seems to know who you are.”
I tap the side of my red-tinted glasses. “Genius, huh? The glasses totally mess with the color of my eyes, and having my hair mostly up in a bandana helps also. Just don’t let Lime know I borrowed his blanket.”
“Lime will be very upset with you.” He laughs. “That little guy has spunk.”
“You have no clue. You’ve never lived with him. He likes to rearrange my sock drawer and hide his collection in there.”
“His collection?”
“Yeah. Random things he finds. Coins, earrings without their mates, hair ties, and, oh yeah, let’s not forget his obsession with bottle caps.”
Aiden chuckles. “Why doesn’t any of this surprise me?”
“Because it’s Lime.”
“That’s true.” The corner of Aiden’s eyes crinkle. “So, anyway, enough about that little guy. I don’t think I’ve told you how nice you look tonight. You really managed to tie the whole look together with that red dress.”
A tingly sensation teases me, and I take a deep breath. “Well, thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.” Not bad at all. Aiden is dashing, dressed in a long-sleeve black buttoned-up shirt and gray jeans. His shirt contrasts nicely with his baby-blue eyes and white hair.
He clears his throat. “So … um, I think you had something to tell me about tonight? Like, why you’re practicing so much? Don’t think I haven’t noticed your new interest in the Defender program.”
This is it. I take a breath to calm my nerves while clasping my hands together in front of me. “Well, that’s why I want to talk to you. If you haven’t figured it out by now, but I am staying at the university.”
“I figured. You’ve seemed happier recently. If you weren’t going to stay, I don’t think you would bother with making new friends.”
I feel a bit self-conscious about what I want to tell him next, but it’s something I want to make sure he knows. “I really want you to understand how much you’ve inspired me regarding some decisions.”
Aiden’s forehead creases. “You shouldn’t be inspired by me.”
“Why not?”
POOF! Dillon appears with our drinks and smiles. “Here you go.” He places down Aiden’s root beer and my lemonade in front of me.
“Oh, thank you!”
“Of course, darling!” POOF!
Aiden stares at his drink, his eyes become glassy.
I lean closer to him, not masking my confusion. “Aiden? Are you okay? Does that really bother you? That you’ve inspired me?”
His face softens, but I swear I see a ghost of a memory leave his eyes. “No, of course not. I’m glad I could help you in some way.”
“This all leads me to
the next thing I want to tell you.” I fidget with my hands. “I’m really considering testing for the Defender program next semester. I think I want to give it a shot.”
Aiden’s face lights up with surprise. “What? Are you serious?”
I nod intensely. “Yes. It feels like the path I need to at least try. If I end up not liking it, I can always change my mind.”
“Ember, that’s great! With your abilities, you would be a great fit!”
“I’m still a little nervous about committing to it though.”
He takes a quick sip of his drink. “I understand. Can I answer anything for you to help soothe any worries?”
“How about filling me in about the test? Do you know anything about it? I figure I would have to do something with my abilities.”
“More than likely, they’ll have you test your abilities against a current Defender student. There’s a separate legal test to see where you stand with your knowledge about the laws. There’s a beginner course you can skip if you’re more advanced.”
I pick up my own drink, my throat suddenly feels dry, and take a drink. The tartness of the lemons puckers my lips. “I see. Thankfully, I do know some. I used to study the laws, legal system, and other Guardian history before … well, you know.”
“That’s awesome then. If you do get accepted, I’d encourage you to take summer school. That way you can graduate on time, but it would be intense. They basically cram the whole first year into three months. You’ll have to work nonstop.”
I swallow hard. That is a huge workload to take on, but, like I told Eliza, if I commit to this, I’m going to grab the bull by the horns. “Yeah, but hard work doesn’t scare me. Doing nothing with my life is what truly terrifies me.”
“Believe me, I understand that feeling.” Aiden takes a longer drink of his root beer. “One thing that’s nice is a mentor will help you. They’ll basically be your partner in crime to help you succeed with the workload.”
“Mentor?”
“Yeah. People already in the program who help with the latecomers. If someone is a mentor, it helps their chances at getting an internship for the summer. So, there’s an incentive to take it on, but it’s also daunting.” He grins. “So naturally, I’m looking into it. Valentino actually encouraged me to do so during our last training session and gave me a packet to fill out.”
The Guardians' Daughter Page 18