Ember
My breath catches in my throat as I enter the circular student lounge that’s part of the arena on campus. Sunlight streams through the dome skylight, glistening on the marble floors. Some stairs lead to a conversation pit in the middle of the room that has black leather couches. Even though it’s spacious, it’s crowded. About twenty prospective Defender students, who wear the same black training suit as me, wait with their families for the testing to begin.
But one person catches my eye over the rest.
Aiden leans against a nearby wall. My heart somersaults. His white button-up is form-fitting, accentuating his strong build, and his white hair is slicked back.
I head toward him, but the discomfort of my outfit bursts my joy at seeing him. “Do you really have to wear this for your training class?” I claw at the black suit. The material feels like a suction cup around my body. “It took me way too long to get into this thing.”
“Yeah.” The corner of Aiden’s eyes creases with laughter. “It’s a pain in the ass, but it’s designed like this to be efficient with your movements, no matter what your ability may be.”
“Literally a pain in the ass,” I mumble. “I’m not used to wearing something so tight.”
“Well,” Aiden pulls me close to him. He trails his hands up and down my hips, leaving a trail of sparks. “I don’t mind it one bit.”
I bite back my smile, enjoying his electrifying touch. “If it was just us, maybe I wouldn’t care as much.”
Aiden straightens and scans the room. “This isn’t the best time for us to enjoy each other’s company, is it?”
My cheeks get a little warm. “We can figure out a time to do that soon, since we’re going to the nurse’s station tomorrow.”
Aiden takes a deep breath. “Is it bad I’m a bit nervous about going?”
“I’m nervous too, but we’ll figure this out together.” My cheeks rise with my smile. “Like we always do.”
Aiden caresses the side of my neck. “We always do, don’t we?”
I lightly kiss him, letting the gesture answer for me.
Aiden pulls back and focuses on something behind me. “Uh oh.”
“What is it?”
He nods behind me. “Not everyone is getting along as well as we are.”
I glance over my shoulder and see Billy scowling at Carly near the entrance. His skin is a tornado of colors: red, brown, and black. He’s dressed in a white button-up just like Aiden, but Carly is dressed in the same outfit that I am. The black is a sharp contrast against her bubblegum-pink skin.
“Tell me again, why didn’t he break up with her?” I ask.
“He really likes her and—”
Billy drops the back of his head against the wall in frustration. Carly turns from him with her arms crossed, and her pout grows deeper with every passing second.
I glance at Aiden. “Um, that’s not normal, right?”
“It’s definitely not.” Aiden grimaces, and there’s a silent plea in his gaze. “Any chance Stella would talk some sense to him?”
“Are you serious?” I laugh. “I told you how upset she was. She doesn’t even want to be in the same room with him.”
“I figured as much, but it was worth a try.” He glances toward Stella sitting with her parents on one of the black couches in the center of the room. “It’s just hard seeing Billy with someone so wrong for him.”
“Carly!” Billy shouts. “Are you serious?”
Everyone’s attention snaps in their direction.
“Whatever, Billy,” Carly scoffs and stomps from the room. “Do what you want. You clearly don’t care.”
“Hey!” Billy follows her. “We weren’t done talking!”
An uncomfortable silence falls over the room, but chatter slowly refills the air.
I focus on Aiden. “You may not have to worry about them being together for much longer.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” Aiden’s voice is stressed. “But he’ll probably make some excuse for her. I don’t think there’s anything I can say to get him to see reason.”
“Sometimes all we can do is be there for someone and listen.” I reach for Aiden’s hand and weave my fingers through his. “And I know you’re excellent at that. Billy has to want better for himself. Until then, he won’t take your advice.”
“That’s very true.” Aiden clears his throat. “He’s just been there for me through so much, I want to make sure I do the same for him.”
My heart swells with my love for Aiden. He’s always so concerned for those he loves, and it reminds me all over again how good of a man he is. “I get it. I feel the same way about you.”
Aiden traces my bottom lip with his thumb. “What do you mean?”
“I know things have been hard for you, especially after everything happened with Jomo. I want to be there for you.”
“I’m fine,” Aiden says firmly. “Besides, today is about getting you into the Defender program. Not about what I’ve been dealing with.”
This seems to be becoming a habit of Aiden’s, redirecting the conversation when the focus is on him. “Are you sure? I mean, I’ll admit you’ve handled everything in stride, but none of this has been easy.”
He chuckles, but the gesture doesn’t reach his eyes. “Really. I’m fine, Em.”
“Okay… Well, how many candidates are going to get in?” I ask, respecting his desire to change the topic, but I make a mental note to bring this up later.
“Only five,” he answers with a small frown.
My face falls. There’s only a twenty-five percent chance of getting into the program.
“You’ll be fine, hun.” Aiden tucks a loose strand of hair from my ponytail behind my ear. “You said yourself that you did great on the law test this morning, and if you show half your power that you did during our training sessions, there’s no way you won’t burn their socks off.”
I chuckle. “They may not like me if I actually set fire to their socks though.”
Aiden snickers. “But let’s admit, it’d be pretty funny. What’s your number, by the way?”
“Six.”
“Do you know what number Stella got?”
“Three, so she’ll be taking the test before me.” I glance at Stella. She notices me and waves us over. “Speaking of Stella, it looks like she wants us to join her.”
“Sure, let’s go.”
We approach Stella, walking between other candidates. I take note of a girl who has extremely thick, bushy black hair with a white stripe running down the middle, like a skunk. Her cheeks are rosy, as is her nose, and a certain sweetness about her makes it hard to imagine her fighting someone. There’s also a guy with his arm extending over ten feet from him, stretching like taffy, to grab a tissue off a table. I tear my eyes away, focusing on the stairs to go into the conversation pit.
“Hey, you two! I want you to meet my parents.” Stella motions at the woman next to her. “This is my mom, Dayla.”
Dayla has the same dark curly locks as Stella. Her eyes are green like a forest, twinkling like the sun peeking between the trees. Lime sits trancelike on her lap with a goofy grin while she strokes the top of his head.
Stella points at a man sitting next to her mom. “And this is my dad, Bruno.”
Bruno’s skin is a deep sepia color, and his red hair is thickly curled, resembling a mushroom cap on his head. He’s dressed in khakis and a button-up shirt with a pine tree pattern.
Stella glances at Aiden and me. “Mom, Dad, you already know Aiden from high school, but this is Ember, my roomie.”
I eagerly reach for their hands. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. and Mr. Morris!”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ember!” Mrs. Morris takes my hand. “But please call me, Dayla.”
“Yes, Stella speaks so highly of you,” Mr. Morris adds. “And call me Bruno.”
“I definitely wouldn’t be here today without Stella’s help. She’s been such a great friend. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”
Dayla pats her daughter’s face. “Aw, well hopefully today works out for both of you. I’d hate for Stella to have to leave.”
“Mom, I hadn’t told her yet,” Stella whispers.
My heart sinks. “Leave? What do you mean?”
Stella stares at the marble floor. “If I’m denied for the program this time, I’ll have to transfer to pursue my Guardian goals.”
“What?” Confusion and a bit of panic sweeps over me. “Why?”
“I guess you would, wouldn’t you?” Aiden pipes in, his eyes sad.
Stella frowns, but there’s a soft edge to the gesture. “This would be the second time I’ve tried to get into the Defender program here. They only let you try twice.”
“There’s no way you won’t get in,” I say, not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or her more. “You’ve improved so much since your last tryout. They’ll see that.”
Stella smiles. “Thanks, Em.”
Dayla whispers something in Stella’s ear, taking her attention.
Aiden leans toward me. “Is Eliza coming today? You haven’t mentioned her.”
I sigh, and my heart sinks even further. “No. I didn’t tell her when the test would be. I don’t need her here, with everything unresolved between us.”
“I get it.” Aiden’s tone holds a concerned edge. “Maybe give her a call later? Let her know how it goes, at least?”
My chest gets tight. “Maybe.”
A door creaks, and the chatter around the room ceases. Everyone focuses on the entrance. Stu enters from the hallway, holding the lapels of his green-plaid suit. An air of importance swirls around the dean. His thick mustache is curled tightly around the edges, and his beard is neatly trimmed, resembling an upside-down triangle.
People clear out of his way, making a path to the edge of the stairs in the middle of the room.
“Welcome, everyone!” Stu’s voice echoes off the walls. “It’s inspiring to see so many people here for our youngsters! As Dean of the University of Stalwarth, I want to personally thank you all for coming, but it’s time to bid farewell to your student and make your way to the arena.”
Aiden and I exchange our goodbyes with Stella’s parents, and they embrace their daughter tightly together, saying their “I love yous” and telling her how proud they are of her and Lime. Lime latches onto Dayla’s mustard-yellow blazer, refusing to let go, but after some coaxing, he does.
Thoughts of my parents wash over me. My body aches for their hugs, their support—their love. Aiden wraps his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. I lean into him, appreciating what I do have.
Billy sneaks back into the room right before Stu follows the families out. There’s no Carly in sight.
A few other current Defender students, dressed in the same white shirt and black pants as Aiden, remain in the room. There’s a guy whose skin is jagged and reflective like a mirror, a girl with short golden hair, and then there’s Jomo, who, thankfully, is too focused on talking to the golden-haired girl to pay any attention to us. My eyes linger on him, remembering his comments from the other day—that I’ll only get into the program because of my parents. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the thought. It doesn’t sit well with me.
Two men and a woman enter the room, redirecting my attention.
I squint in discomfort, adjusting to the light the woman is emitting. I recognize her as Aiden’s current professor: Biv Valentino a.k.a. The Prism. She’s tall, thin, and very brightly dressed in all-white. The two men are Guardians too, and are also part of Valentino’s League: The Capital League—my parents’ old league. Mantu Lee the Shapeshifter and Oscar Lee the Bone Piercer. They’ve been married for years and walk hand in hand, looking radiant, while sizing up the room.
Mantu is a tall, muscular man, with fair fawn-colored skin. Gold-rimmed glasses balance on the edge of his harsh, angular nose. His thick black hair is cut right above his ears, and his facial hair is trimmed in straight, even lines. He’s dressed in his Guardian outfit: a black and white striped leather vest with matching pants.
Oscar is similar in height and build to Mantu, but that’s about it. He has bushy gray hair and a clean-shaven face. His skin is rough, like aged-brown leather. He too is wearing his Guardian gear: a cream sleeveless one-piece that ends right above his white leather boots. But it’s his belt buckle that’s the showstopper: an ivory skull with rubies for eyes.
“Can’t Mantu shapeshift into any animal he’s touched?” Stella whispers to Aiden.
Aiden nods. “Yeah. His favorite form is a white tiger.”
“How about Oscar? What can he do again?” I ask softly. “Something with his bones, right?”
“He can manipulate them into weapons, like spikes protruding from him.” Aiden shivers. “It’s pretty terrifying, but his thick skin makes it possible with little or no blood.”
“Oh.” I swallow involuntarily. “That is terrifying.”
Professor Valentino clears her throat and stands tall, with her chin in the air. Authority and respect radiate from her. “Before we begin, we ask for our top Defender students to join us.”
“That’s my cue,” Aiden says. “I’ll see you guys in a little bit.” He kisses me. “I would tell you good luck, but you don’t need it.”
I playfully roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Get up there, Mr. Top Defender Student.”
Aiden winks and heads for the front of the room.
Billy joins Aiden at his side, lining up with Jomo, the glass guy, and the golden-haired girl as well.
Professor Valentino stands in front of them. A hush falls over everyone as her red eyes scan the room. “Well, well, look at all of our little candidates for today.”
“Biv.” Shapeshifter steps forward with a small chuckle. “Why don’t I take it from here?”
She tips her head in respect. “Be my guest.”
Shapeshifter claps his hands together and addresses the room. “Hello, everyone! It’s a real honor to be here. I’m looking forward to witnessing each of your fantastic abilities firsthand.” His chest swells with pride, regarding us like we’re his children about to go off into the world. “Now, to become a Guardian, you must be a master of your ability. Guardians fight the higher level villains—the most dangerous villains. Our police do a great job keeping the city safe from lesser crimes. We only assist them with crimes and investigations when necessary. Our focus is on the villains who threaten to destroy our city as we know it.” His head falls. “Unfortunately, our power was tested recently, but we succeeded in capturing a powerful villain.” He looks up, capturing my eyes across the room. “Iron Forge.”
I stiffen at hearing the name of my father’s murderer but nod, showing my appreciation at Iron Forge’s capture.
Shapeshifter glances around the room. “Since then, we’ve also captured almost ten other villains who are known to have conspired with Black Mold, and we’ve also raided numerous locations where they’ve been known to hold meetings. Every day, we get closer to apprehending Black Mold and Mad Marie. And once we do, they will rot behind bars for the rest of their lives.”
Everyone in the room nods approvingly at hearing this news. Maybe I should read a newspaper occasionally to get updates about what the Guardians have done since the attacks.
“So, that brings me back to all of you.” Shapeshifter opens his arms widely, like he wants to hug everyone in the room. “You’re here because you wish to become one of us! And the first step to doing that is to get into the Defender program. A program that will train you to fight, to protect, and above all else, to be a savior when someone needs you to be.”
A chill runs up my spine. I’ve always known this is what a Guardian is, but something about hearing it like this hits me in a strange way that I can’t quite describe. This is the path I’ve chosen, but have I chosen it for the right reasons?
“Everyone knows what number they are, correct?” Shapeshifter asks, and everyone nods and murmurs in agreement. “Good! We’ll come to get you one at a time for the exam. You’ll test against a current Defender student. This is for us to get a good judgment of your abilities. Myself, Oscar, and Valentino will score the battles, which will be added to your earlier law test results. The five who score the highest will be accepted into the program.” He motions to Aiden and the other students behind him. “These are the top five students of the first-year class. They won’t be ones you’ll test against, but they’ll be watching to get an idea of who they want to mentor. Their guidance will help those who are accepted into the program with their upcoming summer classes.” He claps his hands together. “Now, after all of that, does anyone have any questions?”
The girl who reminded me of a skunk raises her hand.
Shapeshifter smiles. “Yes, hun! What’s your name?”
“Summer.” Her rosy cheeks somehow get redder. “I was wondering how quickly we will find out the results?”
“What a good question, Summer!” Shapeshifter says with genuine excitement.
Valentino rolls her eyes.
“After your battle, you’ll return here and wait for your classmates to complete their test. Once everyone has gone, we will return to announce who has been accepted shortly after.”
“Okay,” Summer says. “Thank you.”
“Anyone else have a question?” Shapeshifter glances around, and when no one raises their hand, he continues, “Well then, we’ll be leaving for the arena, and Dean Warwick will be back soon to get our first candidate.”
Bone Piercer steps next to Shapeshifter with a pip in his step. “Good luck, everyone!”
“Indeed. Good luck,” Professor Valentino says. She eyes all the top Defender students behind her. “You can stay for a couple minutes to talk but join us in the arena soon. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Valentino,” all say in unison.
Everyone claps as Shapeshifter, Bone Piercer, and Professor Valentino leave the room.
Candidates shuffle toward the mentors to make conversation.
Stella jumps off the couch. Lime slides down her shoulder, clawing at the slick material of her body suit. She catches him. “Woah there, little guy. Maybe you would do best sitting in my hair. These suits are something special.” She places him atop her head, and he grips her hair.
“Do you want to go over?” Stella asks while nodding toward Aiden, who’s wrapped up in a conversation with the guy who stretched his arm like taffy earlier.
“Sure. I’ll butter him up.” I wink and chuckle.
“Do you need to do that?” Stella laughs. “It’s a no-brainer that he’ll be your mentor.”
I smirk, feeling a little giddy for some reason. “I mean, yeah. He promised me that before we even started dating.”
Billy says something to Aiden, taking his attention from the arm-stretching guy.
I realize something and glance at Stella. “You don’t want to go over there with me. Do you?”
Stella takes a deep breath. “Not really, but I can’t avoid Billy forever.”
“Especially when you get into the program.”
She takes another long breath. “You’re right. At the end of the day, I need to be an adult about this and move on. Billy made his choices, and he’s the one who’ll have to live with them.”
I loop my arm through hers. “That’s my girl.”
We make our way between students toward Aiden and Billy.
Billy rubs his forehead, and his skin is still a wild storm of all kinds of colors. Aiden reaches for his shoulder and frowns.
When we reach them, Billy focuses on Stella. “Hi.” The tiniest smile teases his lips. His skin calms, blending slower between colors of brown, beige, and white. “It’s good to see you.”
Stella stiffens at my side. Lime grunts, dismissively turning his head.
“Everything okay?” I direct my question to Aiden.
Aiden glances at Billy. “Do you want to tell them?”
Billy shrugs. “Carly is pissed at me. She doesn’t think I should be anyone’s mentor, because I’d be spending more time with them than her.”
“What?” Stella asks with bewildered eyes. “Are you serious?”
He nods. “Yep.”
“That’s so selfish of her,” Aiden adds. “You’ve worked your ass off to get here. She should be happy for you.”
“According to her, I’m the selfish one, since I’m putting my goals before her.”
I glance over my shoulder; the room is eerily absent of pink. “Where did she go, by the way?”
“Probably to the arena,” Billy answers. “She’ll be battling one of the candidates. That’s why she’s wearing the training outfit.”
Aiden shoots me and Stella a worried look. “I hope it’s neither of you.”
“I’m not worried about it,” I say and secretly hope we’ll go head-to-head.
“Yeah.” Stella agrees. “Me neither.”
Billy nudges Aiden. “We need to get to the arena, man. They’ll be looking for us. Especially Valentino.”
“You’re right.” Aiden eyes the other three top students. “Hey, everyone. We should get going.”
Jomo squares his shoulders and narrows his yellow eyes at Aiden. “Who gave you the power to order us around?”
Aiden’s chest extends, taking a long breath. “Jomo, c’mon. I just don’t want any of us to feel the wrath of Valentino if we’re late.”
“He’s right,” the golden-haired girl says, laying a hand on Jomo’s arm. Her iris’ swirls around her pupils like a sandstorm. “We should get going.”
“Thanks, Sally,” Aiden says with appreciation in his gaze.
She nods and tightens her grip on Jomo’s arm. He eyes her hand on him, and his face softens a smudge. “Fine,” he says but throws Aiden a disgusted look. “Just don’t think because you’re top of the class it means you can order us around. Got it?”
Aiden clenches his jaw, and from the corner of my eye, I see him ball his hand into a fist. A small bolt of electricity shoots from him.
Jomo turns with Sally on his arm, leaving the room.
The guy with the glass-like skin faces Aiden. His eyes look like two lumps of coal. “Ignore him, Aiden. He’s just jealous. Don’t let him get to you.”
“Thanks, Lewis. I won’t. Billy and I will be right behind you.”
Billy clears his throat and bashfully rubs the back of his head. Pink mixes in with the tones of brown of his skin. “I’ll be rooting for you,” he says to Stella. Their eyes meet. “And I’m sorry. About everything.”
Stella’s lip quivers the tiniest bit, and she turns her head, ignoring him. She heads toward the black couches. Lime stares Billy down as they go.
I never want to be on Lime’s bad side.
“You’ll have to apologize to her better than that, dude.” Aiden nudges Billy with his shoulder.
“You’re right.” The pink in Billy’s skin turns light blue, and he tears his gaze from Stella to look at Aiden. “Ready to go?”
“Go ahead. I want a quick moment with Ember.”
Billy playfully wiggles his eyebrows, but something about the gesture seems off. “Making it a quickie, huh?”
“Billy!” Aiden’s face burns bright red, matching mine.
“I know. I know.” Billy waves goodbye behind him. “I’m going.”
Aiden watches him go. “I’m worried about him,” he says softly. “He’s always a jokester, but he’s not himself.”
I stare after Billy before he disappears out the doorway. “He’s had a bit of a rough go of it this afternoon. I can’t believe Carly said that stuff to him. I would never say something like that to you.”
“That’s because you respect me.” Aiden reaches for my hand, and a spark dances between our fingers. “I do have to get going, but I’ll see you out there soon. Since I’m top in the class, I’ll get to pick who I want to mentor first and—”
“Hmm, I wonder who you’ll pick,” I tease.
“You.” He pulls me against him and traces my face. “It’ll always be you.”