Ember
I can’t take my eyes off the newspaper on the dean’s desk with the headline: THE DAUGHTER OF EMERALD BLAZE AND DIGGER: EMBER VULTERRA - PRESS CONFERENCE THIS SUNDAY. There’s a photo of me from the day of The Regenerator, Erik’s, memorial service about two months ago. I’m dressed in black, my green eyes are bright, and my auburn hair looks like flames fueled by my anger at the photographers.
More photos decorate the front page. One is of a crazed woman with white hair and a man with long, slimy black hair: Mad Marie and Black Mold. The headline above them reads in large, bolded letters: THE REGENERATOR’S MURDERERS STILL AT LARGE. There’s one other small article next to a photo of an elderly man with a long, white, twisted beard—a local clockmaker who has been missing for the last month.
I survey the rest of Dean Warwick’s office, trying to distract myself while I wait for him to finish talking to his secretary. You would think for being Dean of the University of Stalwarth, he’d be neater. Piles of paper, files, and old donut bags clutter his unique mahogany desk. Folders, leather-bound books, newspapers, and random knick-knacks, like a small ceramic phoenix, cram his bookshelves.
“I’m sorry about that, Ember,” Dean Warwick’s voice causes me to jump. “I told Susan to hold the rest of my calls.” The door latches closed, and the heels of leather loafers click across the wood floor toward me. He places his hand on my shoulder and peers at the newspaper. “I know things haven’t been easy for you since the loss of The Regenerator. You practically considered him an uncle, right?”
My eyes and throat burn with the threat of tears. “Yeah,” I choke on the word. “We actually reconnected last semester, so losing him like this… has been hard.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “I hope you know the Guardians are doing everything they can to track down Mad Marie and Black Mold. They will pay for what they did to The Regenerator and for the destruction they did to our city.”
A lonely tear sneaks down my cheek. “Thank you, Dean Warwick. At least Iron Forge was caught during the attacks, getting one of my parents’ murderers off the street, but it’s still unnerving.”
The dean sits behind his desk, and his chair squeaks under his weight. The panoramic window behind him showcases a perfect view of the campus. The glass buildings sparkle, dusted by snow.
“Please, Ember. Call me Stu. I know we’re not too close, but I’ve known your family, including Eliza, for years.”
“Okay, thank you, Stu.” Though I’ve called him Stu plenty of times, for some reason, this time it feels a little more awkward. Maybe because what he says is true. Even though he dated Eliza years ago and knew my parents, it’s not like we’ve ever been that close.
“Also, rest assured, we’re increasing security around campus.” Stu weaves his fingers together and places them behind his bald head. “Eliza reached out to me to make sure we were doing so. She really does care for you like you’re her own daughter.” His lips pinch together. “It also seems she still has a soft spot for Erik and took his loss exceptionally hard. She felt he was keeping a protective eye out for you here.”
I shift in my seat, suddenly feeling awkward about the implication of Eliza harboring some kind of feelings for Erik. Even though I’ve known Eliza my entire life, since she was my mother’s best friend and she stepped in to care for me after my parents’ murders, I’ve never known much about her love life. Though I did pick up on something between her and Erik the last time they were together, it’s really not my place to say anything. “We should finish discussing the press conference,” I say. “I know you’re a busy man, and I have class soon.”
“Of course.” Stu leans forward while eyeing some paperwork on his desk. “I think the only thing we need to finalize is what time you want to arrive.” He glances at me. The color of his pointed beard and curled mustache remind me of caramel with hints of cream, and they are neatly trimmed, framing his smile. “But rest easy. Everything is in place for you this Sunday. If you get to the auditorium about an hour beforehand, you should be fine.”
A knot forms in my stomach. “Maybe I should arrive a little earlier, just so I get there before any press arrives.”
Stu’s face softens. “We’ll make sure the press doesn’t see you beforehand. If you truly don’t want to deal with them, we can cancel.”
My heart thumps like a game of paddleball. “I promised this press conference at Erik’s service so the press would focus on honoring him, not on spinning another story about me. If I go back on my word, I’m sure they would run headlines that I used his death as a tool to avoid them.”
Stu sits back in his chair, and lines crease his forehead. “I think anyone would understand if you wanted to take more time. We can push it back. Plus, we’re only a few weeks into the new semester. I’m sure you have a lot going on with your studies, especially since you’re taking the test for the Defender program.” His eyes light up with joy. “I’m glad you changed your mind about that. I know you’ll make your parents proud and become a great Guardian, like they were.”
A sigh escapes me. “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to prolong this.” I withhold the real reason that cemented my decision about the Defender program—that it’ll be a useful stepping stone to investigating the true motives for my parents’ murders, to find out what secret my parents were killed for. “So, how about I show up at nine a.m. at the auditorium? That’ll give me about an hour and a half before it starts.”
Stu nods. “That’ll be fine.”
“Excuse me, Dean Warwick?” a timid feminine voice asks.
I face the door. Stu’s very tall and skinny secretary, resembling a stick in her brown suit, holds it open. Her hair is neatly up in a high ponytail, and she’s wearing orange-tinted glasses.
Stu sighs. “What is it, Susan? I told you to hold my calls.”
She adjusts her eyewear. “I’m sorry, but there’s a student here to see you. He said you had something for him.”
“Who is it?”
“Aiden Stiles.”
Aiden? What’s he doing here? Though I’m very happy about a chance to see my boyfriend, he never mentioned anything to me about stopping by last night, even with us discussing my morning meeting with the dean.
“Oh! The Stiles boy!” Stu beams ear to ear. “Have him take a seat, and I’ll be with him shortly.”
Susan nods and closes the door behind her.
“Well, Ember”—Stu clears his throat—“if you don’t have any further questions, I think we have everything set for Sunday.”
I’m more than happy to put an end to this conversation. “I’m good.”
“If you do think of anything you want to ask, just stop by.” Stu focuses on a stack of files and manilla envelopes on the corner of his desk. “On your way out, would you let Mr. Stiles know he can come in?”
A thought occurs to me. “If you would like, I can give whatever it is to Aiden.”
“Oh?” Stu gives me his attention. “Are you two friends? I remember you two fought together when the Iron Forge attack happened last semester, but—”
“He’s actually my boyfriend.” I sit up a little straighter. “That’s why I don’t think he would mind if I gave it to him, but if it’s something you feel you should give it to him personally, that’s fine. I just figured I would offer.”
Stu’s eyes widen. “I didn’t realize you two were together.” He fidgets nervously with his pen, clears his throat, and says, “That… that would be fine, then. It’s just some paperwork. Let him know he can reach out to me if he has any questions.”
“Sure.” I nod. “I can do that.”
He searches through the small stack of manilla envelopes and hands one of them to me. “Here you go.”
I stand and take the envelope. No information indicating what it may be graces the outside, only a white label with Aiden’s name. “Thanks.” I turn to exit.
“Ember?”
“Yeah?” I glance over my shoulder to see Stu’s face etched with worry.
His frown intensifies. “Be careful. If you see anything strange on campus, please notify me.”
“Of… of course,” I stutter.
He nods and refocuses on some forms. “That’s all.”
A chill runs up my spine. I’ve always felt like Stu knows more than he lets on, but he wouldn’t tell me anything even if he does. He’s the dean, and I’m just a student; why would he disclose anything to me?
I close the door behind me, leaving the anxiety in Stu’s office, and get a glimpse of the gold plaque on the door that states Stu’s title and full name: DEAN STUARD WARWICK.
I refocus forward, and my cheeks rise with my smile. The sight of Aiden sitting in one of the wooden chairs brings me some needed comfort. He must be the handsomest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on, with the definition of his chiseled jawline and angular features. His white hair lays loose past his shoulders, and his black sweater hugs his athletic torso.
He glances up at me, and his baby-blue eyes seem to sparkle with electricity. “Hey there, beautiful,” he says, standing. “I was hoping I’d get to see you.”
I head in his direction. “It’s great to see you, but why didn’t you tell me last night you were stopping by?”
His smile is mischievous. “Well, we did get distracted.”
Blush burns my cheeks at the memory of me entwined in his arms. His lips on mine, my hands lost in his hair… Until Billy, Aiden’s best friend and roommate, gave us a heart attack by returning to their dorm earlier than we expected.
“Plus, I didn’t know I was going to stop by. I went to class early to work out, but Valentino told me to come here to get a packet from the dean.”
“Here it is.” I hold out the envelope. “I will admit, I’m a little interested to know what’s in here.”
Aiden drops the envelope on a chair and pulls me against him. “It’s just an application for an internship with a league this summer, but before we talk too much about that, I don’t think we’ve properly said good morning to each other.”
I raise an eyebrow, feeling playful. “Oh?”
He lowers his head and lightly brushes his lips against mine. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I sigh while curving into him. Tingles shoot through me, and goosebumps prick my arms. Aiden’s ability to harness electrical energy always causes his touch to have that extra spark.
A woman clears her throat.
Aiden and I both snap our attention to Susan. Her lips are sternly pressed together, while shaking her head.
“Whoops.” Aiden chuckles and releases me. “I guess she doesn’t appreciate our little show of affection.”
“We should go. My class starts soon, and you should get back to yours.”
He retrieves the envelope. “I should, but I’ll walk you to the science building first.”
My chest tightens. Since the new semester started a couple weeks ago, it’s been a struggle to go to my class: DNA Exploration of Abilities. Erik would’ve been my professor, like he was for Extreme Chemistry last semester. I gave him such a hard time then. I wrongly blamed him for contributing to my parents’ murders by not helping them, but he saved so many other lives that day, including children. My parents would’ve never forgiven him if he’d abandoned families to save them instead. It’s not the Guardian way.
Aiden and I enter the hallway, and a spark bounces between us when we reach for the other’s hand. Multiple doors of other administrators at the University of Stalwarth line the hallway, but I focus on Aiden’s touch, needing a sense of security. I sniffle, realizing my thoughts about Erik triggered my grief.
Aiden furrows his brows at me. “How about you take the morning off? I’m sure talking about the conference was stressful.”
I wipe my eyes. “It was, but I can’t put my life on hold because I’m nervous. I’ve done that enough already.”
His eyes soften. “It’s okay, though, to take a little break. It took me a while to realize that.”
I laugh. “You? Take a break? Aren’t you the top in your Defender class?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, but it’s important not to wear myself too thin. I almost did that last semester with everything going on, and… ” His eyes dimmer. “With everything that happened between us.”
The lump forms back in my stomach, remembering when Aiden told me that he’d witnessed my parents’ murders—that he’d been the only one nearby who could’ve helped them. He hid the secret from me for months and even pushed me away multiple times because of it. When he was honest with me, it was a shock, and we almost broke up. Thankfully, Stella helped me realize he was just a kid then—a kid who was way in over his head.
“I know, but that’s behind us now,” I say, trying to comfort him.
Aiden avoids my eyes.
“Hey,” I say, stopping in front of the black iron railing near the top of the stairs, and I squeeze his hand. “Let’s keep that in the past where it belongs. We’ve worked through it.”
“I know.” He squeezes my hand back and flashes a look in my direction. “But, sometimes I still can’t believe you forgave me.”
My shoulders soften. “Aiden, you did nothing wrong, and you couldn’t have done anything to save my parents. Black Mold and Iron Forge murdered them. Not you. I know you feel like you should’ve done something, but even if you had tried, you would’ve been killed too. You know that.”
He nods but blinks quickly, like he’s holding back tears. “Sometimes it’s still hard not to feel guilty. I was the only one there who could’ve aided your parents.”
“It wasn’t your job to aid them. It was the other Guardians.”
“I know.” Aiden closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring this up.”
“Besides,” I say, trying to be a little more encouraging, “you have to keep your mind clear so you can help me figure out what is really going on with the Guardians. When Johnny and Jill tried to kill us during the attacks, they pretty much confirmed the villains have help on the inside.”
Aiden caresses the side of my face, a sudden worry in his piercing blue eyes. “Speaking of Jill, are you still having nightmares?”
I swallow loudly, trying to ignore the image of Jill dressed in her dirty skull shirt, shrieking while burning into a pile of dust. “It’s been better lately, but some images I can’t get out of my head.”
“Oh, hun.” Aiden wraps his arm around me. “Don’t feel guilty about what you did. She was going to kill us both.”
“Let’s talk about something else, okay?” I say against his chest and tighten my grip. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty. Jill was going to kill us, but I did take a life that day.
“I’m here for you.” Aiden kisses the top of my head.
I pull back and force a smile. “I know, but we should get going. We’re both going to be late if we stall any longer.”
“Yeah.” He stares out the wall-length window on the opposite side of us at the fantastic view of the ice-covered lake on campus, surrounded by all the old, snow-frosted oak trees. “Valentino would be upset if I missed mock battles.”
We head down the stairs. “Do you know who you are up against today?”
“Not yet. We’re being paired together in class. I’ll be fine as long as I’m not put with Jomo.”
I snicker. “You probably just jinxed yourself.”
Aiden grimaces. “You’re probably right.” He stares out the window again. Snow falls, twinkling in the ray of sunshine breaking through the gray clouds. “You know, the snow has been nonstop this winter.” He creases his brow at me. “It makes me wonder if someone is using their abilities to mess with the weather.”
Jill. She’s dead, though. She can’t manipulate the weather any longer.
“It’s probably just some kind of freak occurrence,” I reply, feeling like I’m trying to convince myself more than Aiden.
He holds my hand a little tighter. “You’re probably right.”
There’s no denying the dark cloud forming around us, amplifying our uneasiness, but there’s no reason for it.
No one can use their abilities from the grave.