by Jillian Neal
Rainer pulled Emily away from the back windows of the expansive kitchen.
“Thank you,” Mrs. Haydenshire said. She seemed to feel that she’d gained ground for her case.
The Governor huffed, and then Rainer heard the swing give its customary creak as they stood. He held his breath, and pulled Emily to him as he squeezed them against the white, plank wood between the kitchen window and the downspout for the gutters. He prayed that her parents couldn’t see them through the windows.
They waited awhile, and then decided to chance it. They opened the back door. To Rainer’s relief, the house was quiet, cloaked in reticent silence as they walked towards the stairs.
After kissing her quickly outside her door, he watched her push it open silently, and then furrow her brow. He peeked inside; Adeline wasn’t in Emily’s bed. Rainer slunk quietly to Logan’s door, which was closed with a bra hung on the knob.
Logan was playing an extremely risky hand to have hung that there. Rainer pulled a note addressed to him off of the door.
Sleep in Em’s room. I’ll wake you up before Dad gets up tomorrow. -Logan.
As he weighed his options for a split second, Rainer hoped Governor Haydenshire meant what he’d just overheard him say.
He moved back to Emily’s room and handed the note to her. She moved to the window to read in the moonlight. She smiled and giggled slightly, then quickly closed the door.
Rainer pulled off his shorts and got under Emily’s quilt.
“Your dad will kill me if he finds me in here.” He felt rebellion swirl in his own energy stream as Emily slid into bed beside him.
She shook her head, and looked thoroughly delighted.
“You heard him. He expects this, and you could always blame Logan.”
“Yeah, ‘cause I’d do that,” Rainer was offended she’d even suggest that.
“I was kidding.” Then, with a delicious giggle, she wiggled until her back was to his chest.
“If you stay with me, I’ll let you play,” she sassed as she took his hand and placed it on her right breast. He moaned quietly in her ear.
“Well, when you put it like that.”
What It Means
~Governor Stephen Haydenshire~
The furor in Dan’s shield reverberated around the office. Stephen tried to remain calm. He watched Dan pace as Gavin Willow carried on a rather heated debate over the phone with the Non-Gifted District Attorney.
Stephen rubbed his temples and drew measured breaths. He couldn’t bury another child anymore than he could watch the magnitude of what was coming crush them. It was simply more than he could withstand. Something had to be done. Dominic Wretchkinsides could not be allowed to hunt the Haydenshires for sport.
Dan’s jaw clenched with every armored step he paced.
Stephen had come up with excuse after excuse to keep the kids on the farm all week, but they were determined to go out into the world. It’s what they were supposed to do, he reminded himself.
It was Friday evening, and Rainer had plans to take Emily out that evening to try and get her mind off of her tryouts the next day.
Her tryouts, his lungs begged for air he couldn’t seem to provide.
“They aren’t going to take her from the arena.” Dan huffed as if he’d read Stephen’s very thoughts. “It’s too damn crowded. As long as they stay in a relatively populated place they’ll be fine. There will be dozens of people at Angels Arena tomorrow morning and at the gala here. I just need to find Cascavel.”
“No, that will not do. You are ruining a perfectly innocent girl’s life, and you don’t even care.” Gavin slammed the phone down and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
Stephen stared down the men in his office. “So, let me get this straight. Wretchkinsides has flown Cascavel, a known rapist and kidnapper, and Pravus, the man that shot and killed my son at point blank range, into D.C. and we can’t find them. And Adeline Parker, the love of my son’s life is about to find herself in prison with criminal drug charges that we can’t do anything about. Is that correct?”
In the slight nod he received from both men, Stephen’s entire world slipped from its axis.
The Arlington Angels
Saturday morning, Rainer awoke from another night of sneaking to sleep in Emily’s room. He felt Connor’s hands on his shoulder.
“Stop feeling up my sister, and get up. Mom and Dad are already getting ready for the Gala today.”
Rainer’s eyes flew open and he jerked his hand away, which had indeed been slung across Emily’s right breast. Quickly deciding to pretend that Connor hadn’t seen that, Rainer rolled over and sat up.
“’K, thanks,” he yawned.
“No problem, but I expect payback if I ever get a girl to sleep over with me.”
“You got it,” Rainer rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. The Governor had unexpectedly asked Rainer and Emily to babysit the night before. He and Mrs. Haydenshire needed to be up at the Senate. The twins had worn them out. Then Emily had taken forever to get to sleep. She was a bundle of nerves about her try-outs. Rainer could still feel the nervous energy rolling off of her as she lay beside him.
“Em, baby,” he kissed her cheek. Her eyes blinked open, and he smiled. “Hey there, we need to get ready.” He braced for another round of nervous hysteria.
“I don’t want to go. I’m gonna screw up the try-out, and they’ll never let me be an Angel!” She hid her face under her quilt.
“Em, come on.”
Emily had fought long and hard to be one of the two Receivers on the Venton Vixens, the only all-female Summation team at Venton. You couldn’t be considered for a team until you were a true freshman, and because Emily had been working quickly to complete two years in one, she was a year younger than most of the other hopefuls. Her phenomenal power and skill had won her a first-string position.
When she’d been named head of Auxiliary order, her future seemed to unfold before her. To play for the Angels, and complete the many varied service projects each professional Summation team participated in each year, was Emily’s dream. To be asked to try out for the Angels was more than she had ever even allowed herself to hope for, and she was overwrought with nerves.
“Baby, you’re going to be phenomenal. You always are,” Rainer tried to be reassuring.
“I can’t do it.” She sat up and clutched her stomach.
“I’ll be right there waiting for you. Just do the course, and then you get to get all dressed up for the Gala, and after that, we’re going to Sam’s.” He knew perfectly well that he was much more excited about that than she was.
She groaned and fell back on the bed.
“You don’t have to get anything tonight. I just want you to see some, and meet Sam. He’s great, really.”
“I know, but believe me, I can’t even think about a car until I get through this try-out.”
Rainer heard the Governor coughing from the room next door, and he quickly kissed her cheek.
“I gotta get out of here, baby, but you’re gonna do great. I know it.”
A little while later, he was holding Emily’s hand as he cranked the Mustang. He tried to will calmness into her, but she was strung so tightly she was having a hard time receiving it.
That wasn’t going to bode well for her try-outs, since the position she played was to quickly determine what kinds of energy were in the course, and then change them until they were able to be used however the team might need them.
“Em, you’re gonna be fine. Just chill,” Logan commanded from the back seat, which did nothing but infuriate Emily.
Rainer tried to distract her as he made the drive to Alexandria. Mrs. Haydenshire had made Emily’s favorite breakfast, but she hadn’t been able to eat more than two bites. Rainer tried plying her with tea, but she wouldn’t drink that, either.
Her try-outs started at ten, and then the Realm Luncheon and Gala was at two. They were heading to Sam’s around six.
&n
bsp; “Deep breath, Em,” he urged as they neared the large metal warehouses on the outskirts of Alexandria, that not only held Angel’s Arena but concealed it from the Non-Gifted population.
Logan and Adeline had come along for moral support, and Rainer hoped fervently that Emily could calm down enough to complete the try-out sequence.
After he pulled the Mustang into a parking space, Rainer gestured for Logan and Adeline to go on in. “You ok, baby?”
She shook her head. She was as white as a ghost. “Sweetheart, you’re an amazing Receiver. You’re going to do great!”
“Let’s just get this over with.”
After closing his eyes for the length of one heartbeat, he nodded and emerged from the car. He moved to open her door and wrapped his arm around her, still hoping to soothe her as they made their way into the metal building that was the size of a football field.
They came to another set of doors, and Rainer cupped his hand. He summoned the energy from himself until it glowed green. The energy to protect was the easiest for him to call on, and the doors opened.
If a Non-Gifted person should stumble into the warehouse, that from the outside appeared to be abandoned, and couldn’t summon energy, then the interior doors remained locked.
Rainer pushed them open, and issued Emily through. Logan and Adeline were waiting on the other side.
“They haven’t set the field aegis yet, so you can walk her down,” Logan informed them. He looked truly worried about his little sister. “We’ll be watching from the stands,” he pointed to seats in the lower middle that were suspended over the energized field.
Emily nodded, and swallowed hard. Her complexion took on a greenish tinge.
“You’re going to be amazing!” Adeline grasped Emily’s hand, and tried to give her peace just as Rainer had but didn’t get any further.
“Good luck,” Logan called as he led Adeline to the seats he’d chosen, and Rainer guided Emily to the steps that led out onto the field.
They joined a crowd of women that were moving around the arena. Rainer’s mouth dropped slightly as Fionna Styler, lead Receiver for the Arlington Angels, approached them. She gave them a broad grin. “Hi, I’m Fionna.”
“Uh… yeah...” Emily was in awe.
Fionna Styler was stunningly gorgeous. She had deep-olive skin that was set off by her long, thick, brunette hair. It cascaded down her back, and she had sienna eyes with golden flecks in them. She had a phenomenal body, with legs that went on for miles. She was certainly stacked in all the right places. Rainer had to remind himself not to notice.
Emily had informed him that Fionna had been asked to pose for Playboy twice, but had turned them down. Rainer had seen her from a distance numerous times, both in the posters in Emily’s room and when they’d attended Angels’ challenges growing up. She was a tremendous Receiver, probably the best in the entire Realm.
“Don’t be nervous,” Fionna urged. She grasped Emily’s hand, and squeezed it. Emily relaxed immediately. “I have a really good feeling about you, but don’t tell the other girls I said that, please.”
This seemed to bring Emily a great deal of peace.
“Really?” Emily gasped. Fionna gave her another dazzling grinas she turned, and extended her hand to Rainer.
“You’re Rainer, right?”
Rainer nodded, smiled, and shook her hand. “Lawson,” he offered.
She laughed. “Well, I mean, who doesn’t know that?” She wrinkled her nose. “That must be extremely annoying, actually.”
Rainer nodded his adamant agreement.
“So, are you two actually engaged? I mean I’m sure most of what they print about you two isn’t actually true.” Fionna shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Oh, my gosh, I want to hug you,” Emily gushed as Fionna and Rainer laughed.
“That won’t get any better when you make the team, unfortunately,” Fionna lamented.
Emily nodded her understanding. Rainer wondered how the press’s obsession could get any worse, and he tried not to grin over Fionna’s very obvious assurance that Emily was going to make the team.
“He asked me at the beach a couple of weeks ago,” Emily smiled broadly, and showed Fionna her ring.
“Wow, that’s beautiful!”
“Thank you,” Emily smiled, and Rainer could feel her nerves subsiding rapidly.
“Ok, well, you can watch from the stands,” Fionna instructed Rainer. “And in a few minutes, Chloe will give the instructions, and everyone trying out will sort of have a trial run where we see how fast you can change the different forms of energy, and make them passable. Like I said, I know you’re going to be fantastic. There are two other girls trying out for the other Receiver position, but I just know it’s going to be you.”
“I really hope you’re right,” Emily couldn’t seem to stop beaming.
Rainer squeezed her hand, and then leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’m gonna go, but I’m not even going to wish you luck because I know you don’t need it.”
“Aww,” Fionna swooned. “What a sweetie.”
Rainer joined Logan and Adeline in the stands, and he was pleased that they were close enough to the field to not only be able to see Emily as she stood with Fionna and awaited the other hopefuls, but to hear them, as well.
The Angels had decided to take on a Junior Enforcer, and two brutish-looking girls were lined up near Fionna and Emily under the sign for that position. Fionna walked away to talk to Chloe and a few other Angels.
A girl who towered over Emily, and who appeared to be twice her weight, with dark brown hair and eyes, sported a sneering scowl, and glared hatefully at Emily.
Rainer edged closer. He could still throw his cast. The energy- field aegis hadn’t been set yet. Once set, the aegis kept any energy from the crowds or anywhere else from reaching the field.
Emily glanced at the girl quizzically. She seemed to be wondering why the girl so obviously hated her. They weren’t even trying out for the same position. Emily crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. Whatever Emily felt in the girl’s energy, it wasn’t nice.
Logan and Rainer shared a worried glance. As the two other hopefuls for the open Junior Receiver position took their place behind Emily, the girl edged closer.
“You’re Emily Haydenshire right?” the girl spat haughtily.
“Yes.”
Rainer recognized Emily’s tone when she feigned bravery. He grimaced. He didn’t want anything to distract her from her tryouts.
“Well, I guess if my daddy was a Governor, and I was letting Rainer Lawson stick me, then I’d have a guaranteed position on the Angels as well.”
Rainer summoned instantly. She wasn’t going to get away with that. Logan grabbed his hand, and shook his head. Emily gave her a confident grin, and then took an overly appraising glare at the girl before she laughed derisively. “Yeah, I’m sure that would happen.”
Rainer and Logan covered their mouths to hold in their laughter as the girl glared furiously at Emily. Whatever vicious comeback she was going to make, she was unable to say. Chloe Sawyer was now giving the ladies directions.
Adeline laughed as well, and then leaned against Logan.
“Yeah, Emily doesn’t take a lot off of people, even if she is a Receiver.” Rainer and Logan nodded their adamant agreement.
A few minutes later, Rainer’s stomach churned as Chloe summoned a yellow iridescent light in her hand, and touched several pads located along one wall of the stadium. They watched as a light- green haze covered the field as the aegis was set. Rainer kept his eyes trained on the course in front of Emily.
“Summon!” Chloe shouted and Emily began.
“Come on, Em!” Logan squeezed Adeline’s hand. Rainer glanced at his watch as Emily began. It was a timed try-out.
He watched Emily enter an area that contained a glass, filled with a swirling white haze, along with a line of pistons from a motor.
Emily shattered the glass, summoned the heat energy, and spun
her hand to convert it, until she made the pistons fire. Rainer allowed himself to breathe as she continued.
A heat lamp was positioned right beside a lantern. In under a minute, Emily had converted the thermal heat into electricity and lit the lantern. The next was a large pool of water. Emily thought for a moment, and then summoned energy from around her. She touched her hand to the pool, and took a full minute to freeze the water so she could move across it. Next was relatively easy, Rainer thought. He watched Emily pull power from a light bulb and light a fireplace. The last room contained a dozen small windmills that weren’t spinning, and then a large turbine engine.
“Come on, Em, you don’t need to turn them all!” Logan warned, though Emily certainly couldn’t hear him. Rainer prayed as Emily began moving six of the windmills faster and faster, until she was able to summon the vast amount of energy. She shuddered suddenly. It was almost too much. Rainer was terrified as he watched her, but a moment later, the engine began to turn slowly and then with more force. Emily threw open the door to stop the clock and emerged. She was taking rapid breaths as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
“Wow!” Fionna beamed. “That was great, four minutes twenty nine seconds!” she announced proudly. “As soon as Jennifer and Gwen finish, we’ll know.” Fionna smiled. She winked at Emily, but she making certain neither of the other girls saw her. “You can go up and wait with Rainer, if you want.”
“Thanks,” Emily moved slowly out of the field and up the steps. Rainer sprinted to the top of the stairs. He couldn’t descend onto the field, so he waited on her to emerge.
“You were amazing!” He pulled her to him. “You ok?”
“Just a little tired,” she admitted as he led her back to the seats. They watched Julie Gordon try out. She’d been recruited to try out the year before, but she was having a difficult time with the pool of water. When she finally emerged, her time was over six minutes. Emily squeezed her eyes shut, and clung to Rainer’s arm.
“You got it, Em,” Logan assured.
“Don’t say that yet.”