Page 53 of Stealing Embers

Oh great, she’s here to rip into me for kneeing Steel. Maybe she’s worried the trauma to his baby-making organs is going to screw up her plans for their perfect two-point-five kids.

“Oh, um . . .” Is she expecting me to respond to that?

She lifts the corner of her mouth and turns to the food in front of her.

“Oh good, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum have finally figured out how to eat.”

“Super original,” Sterling says around a mouthful of food.

“I thought so,” she replies.

What is happening here?

“Are you not mad about today?” I want to suck the words in the moment they emerge. Why can’t I just keep my mouth shut?

She laughs. And not just a polite giggle, but a full-body laugh. After slapping the table a couple of times, she pulls herself together.

“Are you kidding? Now I know you weren’t lying to me earlier. If you had any interest in Steel, there’s no way you’d have put him down like that. And if you were looking for a way to ostracize yourself from him, well . . . congratulations. I doubt he’s ever going to come within ten feet of you again.”

I blink at her, sure my mouth is hanging open.

She chuckles again and spears a green bean with her fork. “No, we’re cool,” she says before putting the vegetable in her mouth and chewing.

Well, then.

I look to Ash. When she meets my gaze, she shrugs. I return the gesture and finally start eating.

I guess this means I’ve made another friend . . . and that I’m right. This place really is weird.

Chapter Fifteen

The next several weeks fly by. Long days of classes and training are broken up by sleeping, eating, and spending time with my new friends. I still struggle to wrap my brain around that concept—having friends—but I find having people to hang out with is . . . nice. Even Nova joins us for meals from time to time, and although it freaks me out a bit, I’m warming to her snarky sense of humor.

Nova was right about Steel: he gives me a wide berth and acts like I don’t exist. His attitude might offend me if I wasn’t already used to that kind of treatment. I’ve had years of experience being ignored and bullied. If I have to choose between the two, I’ll take the former over the latter any day of the week.

But even so, if I’m honest with myself, Steel’s indifference does nag at a hidden part of myself. Like an annoying splinter I can’t dislodge. It’s irritating and starting to fester.

It doesn’t help that we run into each other all the time. We have several of the same classes, I’m friends with his brothers, and then there are the random encounters—the times I round a corner to find him on the other side, or when I slip outside to walk the grounds alone and he has the same idea. Sometimes we’ve even asked to be excused from different classes at the same time and accidentally meet in the hallway.

And with each chance encounter, Steel reacts to me the same way—with cool indifference.

But that’s good . . . isn’t it?

A heavy weight drops on my shoulders and shakes me from my thoughts.

“You ready for an exciting trip into town?” Sterling uses an arm slung around my shoulders to steer us toward the oversized van parked in front of the academy.

Twice a month the school arranges for interested students to visit Glenwood Springs. The small mountain town boasts three restaurants, one ice cream store, and a smattering of quirky shops geared toward the tourists who visit the town for its thermal spas.

It’s not exactly a bustling metropolis, but when you’ve been cooped up on the same few acres of land for long enough, a trip anywhere is a welcome break.

“I’m ready for a little fresh air.”

“We live in the mountains. All we have up here is fresh air.”

Good point.

I open my mouth to answer when the roar of a revving engine cuts me off. I jerk my head toward the noise. Greyson strolls toward us as Steel peals past the front gates on his chrome motorcycle.

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