And I did. He had no idea how much. I was tired of rules and isolation, of watching the world go by without me. I was tired of Talon and their endless string of policies, laws and restrictions. No more of that. The summer was mine, and I had big plans, things I wanted to do, before it ended and wed be forced back into the system. This summer, I was going to live.
If I was ever allowed out of this stupid car.
The front door opened again, and Mr. Ramsey waved us forward. But instead of disengaging the child locks, the driver himself got out of the sedan and opened the doors for us. Of course he let Dante out first, and I almost slid across the seat to exit the car behind him. I was literally bouncing with impatience by the time the driver walked around to my side and finally let me out.
When my feet hit the ground, I stretched both arms over my head and yawned, breathing in the sun-soaked air, letting it warm my skin. I already loved how this place smelled. Ocean and sand, surf and hot pavement, the sound of distant waves caressing the beach. I wondered what Mr. Ramsey and my future guardians would say if I blew them all off and went skipping down to the ocean without looking back.
Ember! Dante! Mr. Ramsey stood in the shade of the archway, beckoning to us. I sighed and had taken one step toward the trunk to get my bags when the driver stopped me.
Ill bring in your luggage, Miss Ember, he said solemnly. You go on up to the house.
Are you sure? I can get it. I stepped forward, holding out a hand, and he cringed back, averting his eyes. I blinked and stopped, remembering that some humans in the organizationthe ones who actually knew what we werewere afraid of us. Our teachers had told us as much; though we were civilized and had slipped perfectly into human society, we were still predators, higher up on the food chain, and they knew it.
Come on, sis, Dante called as I stepped back. He stood at the edge of the walkway with his hands in his pockets, the sun gleaming off his crimson hair. He already looked perfectly at home. The sooner we meet everyone, the sooner we can do what we want.
That sounded good to me. I nodded and followed him up the walk to Mr. Ramsey, who ushered us into a charming, well-lit living room. Through the large bay windows off to the side, I could see a rickety picket fence and, beyond that, the beach, a long wooden dock and the ever-tempting ocean. A pair of humans stood in front of a green leather sofa as we came in, waiting for us.
Ember, Dante, Mr. Ramsey said, nodding to the pair, this is your aunt Sarah and uncle Liam. Theyll be taking care of you until further notice.
Nice to meet you, Dante, ever the polite one, said, while I hung back and observed our new guardians curiously. With a few distinctions, all humans looked basically the same to me. But our teachers had instructed us that it was crucial to see the differences, to recognize the individual, so I did that now. Uncle Liam was lanky and wind-burned, with russet hair and a neatly trimmed beard peppered with white. He had a stern face and unsmiling, swamp-water eyes that swept over us critically, before he gave a short, brisk nod. Aunt Sarah was plump and cheerful looking, her brown hair pulled into a neat bun, her dark eyes watching us with hawklike intensity.
Well, Mr. Ramsey said, tucking his tablet under an arm. My job here is done. Ill have Murray deliver your bags to your rooms. Mr. OConner, you know who to call if there is an emergency. Ember, Dante... He nodded to us, fixing me with a firm glare. Obey your guardians. Remember your training. Your evaluators will be in to check on you in three months.
And, just like that, he swept from the room, out the front door and was gone. He didnt say goodbye, and we hadnt expected him to. Sentiment was not a big thing among our kind.
Ember and Dante Hill, welcome to your new home, Uncle Liam announced, sounding like hed done this speech before. He probably had. Im sure your instructors have informed you of the rules, but let me remind you, in case you forgot. While you are here, Sarah and I are your guardians, thus we are responsible for you. Meals are served at 8:00 a.m., noon and 6:30 p.m. You are not required to be home for mealtimes, but you are to call to let us know where you are. You should already have the numbers memorized, so there is no excuse not to. Talon has provided you with a vehicleI understand you both have drivers licensesbut you must ask permission before taking it out. Curfew is strictly at midnight, no exceptions, no questions asked. And, of course, the most important rule. His green-gray eyes narrowed. Under no circumstances are you to Shift into your true forms. And you are never to fly, for any reason whatsoever. With the amount of people, technology and hidden threats, the risk of being seen is far too great. Your old school was on Talon property and they controlled the airspace around it, so the risks were minimal if you needed to Shift, but that is not the case here. Unless you receive a direct order from Talon itself, flying around in your true forms is strictly, one hundred percent forbidden. Is that understood?
I managed a brief nod, though the thought made me physically ill. How did they expect me to never fly again? They might as well just tear my wings off.
If you fail to comply with these rules, Liam continued, or if we deem you unfit for human society, Talon will be informed at once, and you will be evaluated to see if reeducation is necessary. Other than that, you are free to come and go as you please. Do you have any questions?
I did. I might be completely earthbound, but that didnt mean I had to stay here. So, the beach, I said, and he arched an eyebrow at me. Can we go down there any time?
Sarah chuckled. Its a public beach, Ember. As long as youre home by curfew, you can spend as much time down there as you want. In fact, its a good place to meet the localsa lot of kids your age go there to hang out. She turned, beckoning to us with a chubby hand. But here, let me show you to your rooms and you can unpack.
Music to my ears.
* * *
My room was on the top floor, light and airy, with bare but cheerful orange walls and large windows. It had a fantastic view of the beach, as if I needed any more encouragement. As soon as Sarah left, I dug a green two-piece bathing suit and cutoff shorts out of my suitcase, not even bothering to unpack my clothes. Talon had provided us with a wardrobe for sunny Cali, so I had plenty of suits, shorts and numerous pairs of sandals to choose from. I guessed they really did care about us fitting in.
But before I did anything else, I carefully dug my jewelry box out from where it was nestled within a pile of shirts and set it on my new dresser. Talon had provided us with everythingclothes, food, entertainmentbut this small wooden box, fashioned like an old chest, was where I kept all my personal things. I unlocked the box with the hidden key and gently pushed back the lid, peeking in. The bright sunlight sparkled off a collection of small treasures: a couple of rings, a gold necklace, an assortment of old coins collected over the years. I picked up a piece of quartz Id found in the desert one afternoon and held it up to the light, letting it glitter in my palm. Hey, I couldnt help it. I liked shiny things; it was in my blood.
Replacing the crystal, I closed the box and checked myself in the mirror above the dresser. A short, somewhat spiky-haired human girl gazed back. After what seemed like an eternity, I had become used to her face; it had been a long time since the human in the mirror seemed like a stranger.
Whirling around, I strode to my door, flung it open and ran straight into Dante.
Oof, he grunted, staggering backward as I tried not to trip and fall over him. He had changed into shorts and a loose sleeveless shirt, and his red hair was mussed as if already wind tossed. He gave me a rueful look as he caught himself on the railing, rubbing his chest. Ow. Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go check out the beach, but it looks like you beat me to it.
I shot him a grin, the same as when we competed against each other in school, defiant and challenging. Race you to the water.
He rolled his eyes. Come on, sis. Were not in training any But I had already rushed past him down the hall, and heard him scramble to catch up.
Bursting out of the house, we flew down the steps, leaped the picket fence and broke into a flat-out run toward the ocean. I loved running, or anything that involved speed and exertion, feeling my muscles stretch and the wind in my face. It reminded me of flying, and though nothing could compare to the pure thrill of soaring through the clouds, beating my twin in a footrace, or anything really, ran a very close second.
Unfortunately, Dante and I were pretty evenly matched, and we reached the waters edge at the same time. Splashing into the turquoise sea at last, I gave a breathless whoop, just as a wave came out of nowhere and smashed into me, filling my mouth with salty water and knocking me off my feet.
Wading over, Dante reached down to pull me up, but he was laughing so hard he could barely stand. Grabbing the offered wrist, I gave it a yank, and he toppled in after me as another wave came hissing in and covered us both.
Sputtering, Dante rolled upright, shaking water from his hair and wringing out his shirt. I staggered to my feet as the water receded, sucking at my ankles as it swept back to the ocean. You know, my twin muttered, giving me an exasperated half smile, you typically take off your regular clothes before you decide to do a face-plant into the ocean. Thats what normal people do, anyway.
I grinned at him cheekily. What? Now you have an excuse to take off your shirt and show everyone the manly six-pack youve been working on all year.
Ha-ha. Hey, look, a shark.
He pointed behind me. I turned, and he shoved me into another wave. With a shriek, I sprang up and tore after him as he took off down the beach, the foaming seawater lapping at my toes.
Sometime later, we were both drenched, hot and covered in sand. Wed also traveled pretty far down the beach, passing sunbathers and families, though the strip was emptier than Id thought it would be. Farther out, I could see surfers on their colorful boards, gliding through waves much larger than those close to shore. I wondered, again, what it was like to surf, if it was anything like flying. I made it a priority to find out.
Closer to the edge of the beach, a volleyball net stood in the sand, and several teenagers bumped a ball back and forth over the net. There were six of them, four boys and two girls, all wearing shorts or bikinis. They were very tan, as if theyd spent a lifetime out in the sun, the girls slender and beautiful, the boys shirtless and muscular. A pair of sleek yellow boards lay nearby, showing that at least a couple of them were surfers. Curious, I stopped to watch from a safe distance away, but Dante nudged my shoulder and jerked his head in their direction.
Come on, he murmured, and started ambling toward the group. Frowning, I followed.
Um. What are we doing?
He looked back at me and winked. Fitting in.
What, right now? I glanced at the humans, then back at my brother. I mean, youre just going to walk up to a bunch of mortals and talk to them? What are you going to say?
I figured Id start with hi.
A little apprehensively, I trailed after him. As we approached the net, one of the boys, his dark hair bleached blond at the tips, leaped up and spiked the ball toward one of the girls on the other side. She instantly dove into the sand to save it, sending the white sphere flying in our direction.
Dante caught it. The game paused a moment as all the players turned in our direction.
My brother smiled. Hey, he greeted, tossing the ball to one of the girls. Who, I noticed, nearly missed the catch from gaping at him. Need a couple extra players?
The group hesitated. I noted the way the girls were staring wide-eyed at Dante, and bit down a snort. By human standards, my twin was charming and extremely good-looking, and he knew it, too. It wasnt by accident. When choosing the form that would be ours for the rest of our life, everyone in Talon was groomed to the highest standards of human beauty. There were no ugly humans in the organization, and there was a very good reason for that. Mortals responded to beauty, wealth, power, charisma. It made them easier to sway, easier to control, and Dante was a natural at getting what he wanted. This was sure to go to his already inflated head. But at least three of the guys were staring at me, too.
One of the boys, lean and tan, with blond hair down to his shoulders, finally shrugged. Sure, dude. His voice was light, easygoing. The more, the merrier. Come on in and pick a side. He flashed me a grin, as if hoping I would choose his side of the net. I hesitated a moment, then obliged him. Fit in, make friends, adapt. That was what we were here to do, right?
The other girl on my side, the one whod dived for the ball, smiled at me as I joined her on the front row. Hey, she said, pushing long brown hair out of her face. Youre new around here, arent you? Come for summer vacation?
I stared at her and, for a second, my mind went blank. What did I say? What did I do? This was the first human, not counting my teachers and guardians, who had ever spoken to me. I wasnt like my brother, who was comfortable around people and knew how to respond regardless of the situation. I stared at the human, feeling trapped, wondering what would happen if I just turned around and sprinted back home.
But the girl didnt laugh or tease or give me a weird look. Oh, right, she said as Dante was tossed the ball and encouraged to serve. You have no idea who I am, do you? Im Lexi. Thats my brother, Calvin. She nodded to the tall blond human who had smiled at me earlier. And thats Tyler, Kristin, Jake and Neil. We all live here, Lexi continued as Dante walked to where a lone sandal sat several yards from the net, marking the back line. Except for Kristin. She nodded at the girl on the other side, blond and tan and model-gorgeous. But her family owns a beach house and comes down every summer. The rest of us have been here forever. She shot me a sideways look as Dante prepared to serve. So, where did you two move from? Ever played volleyball before?
I was trying to keep up with the endless string of words, to find time to respond, when Dante tossed the ball, leaped gracefully into the air and hit it with a resounding whack that propelled it over the net and behind my head. It was expertly bumped to the blond boy, who hit the ball with his fingertips, setting me up for a spike. I hadnt ever played volleyball before, only studied it on TV. Thankfully, my kind were naturals at picking up physical activities, and I instinctively knew what to do. I bounced into the air and smacked the ball right at Bleach-tips. It shot toward him like a missile, and he dug for it frantically. The ball struck his hand at an angle, bounced off and rolled merrily toward the ocean. He cursed and jogged off after it, while our side cheered.