I knocked on the door of Spencer's house at around five-thirty. The formal was supposed to start at seven. The weather was cool and dry, with the sun slowly sinking in the west.

  Spencer answered the door a moment ter. She was wearing leggings and a t-shirt, her hair was ed up in a towel, and she had a face mask on. Her expression lit up when she saw me. "Oh, hey! e on in. The boys are already here."

  I ehe house, waving to her twin brother as I passed the living room TV. "Hi, Carter. You're not ing with us tonight?"

  "Nah, I'm gonna go hang out with a friend," he replied, not looking away from his video game.

  "He's got a date," Speeased with a wink.

  Carter frowned. "It's not a date."

  "Whatever. You guys are totally gonna end up together. Just wait."

  "You're delusional," her brother mumbled.

  She turned bae. "This way."

  We headed upstairs, finding Spencer's bedroom. There were clothes strewn all over the pce. I carefully stepped over a bra and a pair of jeans before setting my backpad purse on the bed. Joel was leaning against the windowsill, cheg his phone. Luke was sitting in a chair in the er, scrolling through his own phone.

  I smiled. "Hey, guys."

  "Yo," Joel greeted me.

  "Hey," Luke said. I immediately noticed that the bruises on his face were covered by some sort of pale yellow cealer. His hair was held back by a thin pstic headband. I almost ughed.

  "How's your nose?" I asked.

  "Funal," he answered, as if surprised.

  Speepped in front of me, then pushed Luke's chair toward her vanity mirror. She stood in front of him. "I'm just gonna do some more work, and then you'll be good."

  I took a seat on the bed and watched as Spencer went to work. The yellow yer seemed to be a sort of colour corrector, desigo cel out the purple tones of the bruises. When she applied cealer over it, the effect was instantaneous. His skin tone looked pletely normal. The tube of makeup obviously didn't match her own plexion, and I thought it was sweet that she seemed to have go and bought a brand-new shade just for Luke.

  "Close your eyes," Spencer instructed, taking a sponge and dabbing the skin under his eyes. She blehe product upwards, then patted it with a tissue. , she set the cealer with some loose powder. "I think I should've been a makeup artist," she said, shaking a bottle of setting spray.

  "I'd hire you," Joel chimed in.

  "Thanks, babe!" She ughed and spritzed Luke's face with the setting spray.

  He sched up his nose. "Oh, that's cold."

  "I know." She stood bad studied his face before nodding in approval. "'Kay. I think we're done here."

  Luke leaned in closer to the mirror. He turned his head side-to-side, iing his appearance. "...Wow. Spencer, yood at this. Thank you."

  "My pleasure," she replied with a dramatic bow.

  He pulled the headband off and ran a hand through his hair. "Why don't guys wear makeup more often? This is incredible."

  "Right?!" Spencer excimed. "Don't eve me started!"

  Joel chuckled. "Society."

  She rolled her eyes. "Society. Anyway, Chloe, we should get ready. You want to go first, or should I?"

  "Um... I guess I will," I said, grabbing my backpack.

  "Cool. You know where the bathroom is. Let me know if you need anything."

  I headed across the hall and into the washroom. My mind was rag. I felt strangely excited. There was something about the atmosphere, the anticipation for the dahat made my skin tingle.

  I undressed, hanging my clothes over the edge of the bathtub. I then pulled the skirt and top out of my bag and id them across the ter. They looked even nicer in natural light. I hoped they'd still look good ihe school gym. Along with the emerald tulle skirt and the bck mesh top, I wore a gold belt, gold threader earrings, and bck heels with araps. The shoes were thankfully mufier than the ones I'd been given at Diamae's birthday party, having low block heels.

  I brushed out my hair, applied a bit of serum, then began to style it. My natural waves had bee frizzy after spending so much time outside, so I smoothed them down and gathered them together into a low ponytail. I pulled a few strands loose to frame my face. Shaye would've been proud of what I'd learned.

  Lastly, I retrieved some etics from my bag. I covered my under-eye circles and any redness with some cealer, the everything with translut powder. After dusting a ral shimmery eyeshadow all over my lids, I used a brown eyeliner pencil to define my upper waterlines. I fihe look with a couple coats of mascara, some blush, and a clear lip gloss.

  As I studied myself in the mirror, a realization hit me. I actually looked pretty good. The fact that I was fortable in this outfit was a huge fidence boost.

  "Chloe, are you ready yet?" Spencer called from outside.

  "One sed," I replied, gathering everything and stuffing it into my backpack.

  She was waiting for me in the hallway. Her jaw dropped as I stepped out. "Oh, that's so cute on you! You look awesome!" She grabbed my arm and tugged me into her room, where the boys were chatting. "Guys, isn't Chloe beautiful?"

  Joel gave me a thumbs-up. "Looks great!"

  "You look amazing," Luke said, smiling softly.

  My cheeks burned. I gnced away, feeling embarrassed. "Thanks, guys."

  "All right. My turn!" Spencer headed to the bathroom with all her stuff in her arms.

  I settled onto the bed. The boys tiheir versation, which had something to do with the physics of space travel. I listened idly while watg Spencer's cat roam around the room, occasionally pawing at a shirt on the floor.

  Through the er of my eye, I examined Joel’s and Luke's outfits that they'd ged into. Joel was wearing a dark blue suit, white button-up shirt, and coral pink bowtie. Naturally, he had on a pair of white sneakers, but they looked like he'd ed them retly. A gold earring dangled from one ear. The only thing he'd left behind was his quintessential backwards cap.

  Luke, meanwhile, was dressed in a bck suit. He wore a white dress shirt underh, with a skinny, emerald greehat matched my skirt. His bck dress shoes were polished to a shine. His hair was styled as usual, though it looked softer aer. It was a little difficult not to stare. He looked very good.

  A moment ter, Spencer burst into the room, now wearing a floor-length, coral pink dress. The duoe fabric shifted to gold as she moved. It had thin straps and a V-neck, and the skirt was divided into five tiered ruffles. On her feet, she wore metallic gold, opeform sandals. Her hair was tied up in a high bun, with lots of coils hanging down around her face. She'd put on some gold dangly earrings and bangle bracelets. Her makeup sisted of winged eyeliner, shimmery highlighter, and pink lip gloss.

  "I'm done!" she excimed.

  "Geous, Spitfire," Joel said, gazing at her lovingly. She smiled and blew him a kiss.

  I nodded. "You look stunning."

  "Very cool," Luke agreed.

  She curtsied. "Thanks!"

  I pulled out my phone and checked the time. It was almost 6:45. "Should we get going?"

  "Yep. Let's go," Joel replied.

  The four of us filed out of the bedroom and dowairs. We grabbed our stuff, then stepped outside into the evening. Spencer locked the door ahe way to Joel's car.

  "Shotgun!" she yelled. "You're wele," she added, fshing me a mischievous grin. I rolled my eyes.

  Luke opehe back door and climbed into the seat. I slid io him, bug up. The car was small, and we were close enough that our knees almost touched.

  "Seat belts on?" Joel questioned while adjusting his rear-view mirror.

  "Check," Luke replied.

  "All right. Let's rod roll." He started the ehe speakers immediately switched on, bsting a loud punk song. He quickly tur down.

  "What was that?" I asked with a ugh.

  His cheeks flushed slightly. "A demo."

  I grinned. "I still haven't heard your band py live, Joel. I feel like I'm missing out."

  "Yeah, I'd like to hear you guys, too," Luke chimed in.

  He began to back out of the driveway. "We doly sell out cert halls, ile. You're not missing much."

  "." Spenudged him. "You have a YouTube el! There are people who care."

  Joel shifted gears and headed dowreet. "Hah, those are sey! I don't want them seeing the old vids."

  "Oh, we have to watch them now," Luke said, smirking.

  "The camera quality is terrible," Joel insisted. "And we look like toddlers."

  Spencer argued, "But the music is good."

  Uo resist, I fished out my phone from my purse and opened YouTube. I typed in 'Acid Punch' into the search bar. To my surprise, the band's el popped up, with 56k subscribers and 148 videos. The thumbnails all showed Joel and his bandmates in various poses and outfits, aany years. The most ret video had been uploaded st week.

  I leaned over to show Luke the s. He let out a shh and angled himself more towards me. The two of us scrolled through the el, ughing to ourselves and watg clips. I didn't know much about Joel's music, but I had to admit, the videos were quite eaining. There were music videos, pranks, Q&As, and even a couple vlogs. They all seemed to have a great sense of humour.

  "No way," Luke chuckled, tapping on a video. It was a music video called 'Dumpster Dive', featuring a young Joel, two boys, and a girl. They were all dressed in dark clothing and had hair that was dyed neon colours. In the video, the band was walking around a shady neighbourhood, then climbed into a dumpster. A song started pying, and they lip-synched along to the lyrics. The video was full of silly stunts, as well as a lot of ughing and jumping around.

  "I got a rash from that," Joel remarked.

  I tapped on another video titled 'Tele-Pathetic'. It opened on a shot of Joel lying on the floor of a dark house. The camera zoomed out to show that he was surrounded by dozens of antique, broken telephohe song started, and he picked up a phone and began to sing into the receiver. As he sang, his voice distorted and echoed. The lyrics were about being disected and feeling trapped ihe static. It wasn't bad, per se, just very edgy. Like something from a fourteen-year-old's emo blog.

  "Oh, no," Joel ughed. "That was a dark time in my life, okay? We had, like, no budget."

  Luke chuckled. "How did you e up with these songs?"

  "We just wrote whatever was on our minds. We were angsty and stupid."

  "Hey, it's a cssic." Spencer sang a part of the chorus, "Telekiic! Tele-pathetic! You're so cold but you're so magic!"

  I turned my phone off. "Well, I'm gd you have more of a career now. Those are pretty funny, though."

  "They're so embarrassing," he sighed. "Anyway, we're almost there."

  I looked out the window. The sun was low in the sky, painting the horizon gold. We were driving past houses and businesses he coast. It was a calm and quiet night. We pulled into the school parking lot, which was mostly full. A few people were lingering around the gym doors.

  "There are a lot of people here," I ented.

  "I think the whole school's showing up," Spencer said.

  Joel pulled into a free spot, then switched the car off. "Let's do this."

  The four of us climbed out of the car, heading to the front doors. Ihe gym, music ying. We stepped in and immediately felt the thumping bass in our chests. The atmosphere was electric. It was dimly lit, and the walls were decorated with paper nterns, balloons, streamers, and banners. People were dang in the middle of the room, while others hung around the edges, chatting aing snacks. The buffet was id out against the back wall with tables and chairs. There was even a photo booth in the er.

  "Wow," I murmured, taking it all in.

  "I think we should start with pictures," Spencer suggested, "while we're looking our best."

  "Good call," Joel agreed.

  We made our way over to the photo booth. A line had formed, so we waited patiently until it was our turn. The booth was decorated with balloons, streamers, and lights. It retty big, and had a red curtain draped over the front. After a moment, a boy and a girl stepped out, giggling as they held their photos. I reized Gavin but not his date. She was short with long, auburn hair, and thick-framed gsses.

  Gavin's eyes nded on Luke, and he waved us over. "Hey, you're here! Gd to see your nose hasn't fallen off."

  Luke cracked a smile. "Yeah, me too."

  "You guys gonna take some pictures? Me and Zahra are gonna check out the food," he tinued.

  "Yeah, we are. You go ahead," Luke told him.

  "Okay, cool. We'll catch up ter." Gavin gave a wave, thewo of them wandered away.

  A few mier, it was our turn. Joel pushed back the curtain. There was a small ben front of a rge mirror. The camera was attached to the wall beside a touch s. He and Spencer went inside first, followed by me and Luke. There was barely enough room for the four of us. Our bodies ended up all squished together. I could only imagine how red my face must have turned upon realizing just how close Luke was to me.

  "Let's make some art!" Joel leaowards the s. He selected four copies with five photos each.

  Luke was squashed up against the wall, his shoulder pressed to mine. He looked over at me and grinned. My heart flipped. "Are these things always so cramped?"

  I looked up to meet his eyes. "Pretty much, yeah."

  "Okay, five photos," Spencer spoke up. "Let's start with a serious one. Everybody look straight ahead and don't smile!"

  A five-sed tdown began. We faced the camera and stared bnkly as if taking mugshots. I heard a click, and then a bright light fshed.

  "Rad, very stoic," Joel said.

  "Now do a nie," Spencer instructed, throwing an arm around me.

  Another five seds started. We all smiled nicely for the camera. Another clid fsh.

  "Okay, now pose!" Spencer framed her face dramatically with her hands.

  Joel raised his fist like a supervilin, opening his mouth wide. Luke and I g each other for a moment. He held up a peace sign and raised his eyebrows. I gave the camera a stern salute, arg one brow and twisting my mouth to the side. Click, fsh.

  "Fourth one, goofy," Spencer directed.

  Everyone halted for a moment, unsure of what to do. Joel leaned forward and crossed his eyes, grinning maniacally. Spencer covered one eye with a hand, then opened her mouth as wide as it would go as if she was screaming in terror. I looked over at Luke, who seemed like he was trying not to ugh. He then smiled, wi the camera, and stuck his to between his teeth. At the st sed, I lifted my and bared my teeth, one er of my top lip pulled up. Click, fsh.

  "Last one," Spencer said. "Make it t!"

  Joel leaned over and kissed her, holding her between his thumb and index finger. Her arms draped over his shoulders. I felt a pang of jealousy.

  I turo Luke. He was already gazing at me. The look in his eyes was intense, like a storm brewing. The seds passed like mosses. I just hoped my makeup was c my blush. I couldn't look away, aher could he. If this was a dream, I would've leaned in and kissed him. But this was real life. And iy, he wasn't mio kiss.

  A fsh filled the booth, snappi of my thoughts.

  "That's our time!" Joel announced. ", let's see how we look."

  The four of us squeezed through the curtains and waited for the pictures to print. We watched the image strips appear one by one in the slot. As the pictures progressed, I felt my face heat up. In the fifth and final photo, Luke and I were gazing at each other, looking like we were caught up in a trance. Our faces were only inches apart, and the air between us seemed to hum with electricity.

  Spencer giggled and grabbed the strip. "Oh, man, that st one is sick! You guys are so cute!"

  My cheeks burned. "Uh, right."

  Luke rubbed the back of his neck. "Hah..."

  Joel took the strip and squi it. "Wow. That's a good one. A keeper for the mantle!" He distributed oo each of us, then pocketed his own. Luke did the same, his face slightly rosy.

  I, oher hand, couldn't stop staring at the photos. Every one of them was beautiful. Spencer and Joel looked great – as usual – and the sometimes goofy, sometimes romantic chemistry between them was undeniable. I looked pretty okay, too. However, I could only focus on Luke.

  In the first photo, he was solemn and modelesque, like he osing for a magazihen, in the sed, he wore his signature crooked smile, and the light sparkled in his eyes. I could tell he was having fun. The third one was a little silly, but more did, and somehow still attractive. I started to wonder if he could take a bad photo. The fourth was just stupid, yet adorable and hirious. And in the fifth...he was looking at me like I was the only person in the room. I quickly stuffed the photo strip into my clutch before I could stare any longer.

  "Okay, pictures are done. Let's get some grub!" Joel said, g his hands together.

  We followed him to the food table, where there was a vast array of snacks: chips and crackers, dips and veggies, sandwiches and fruit, cupcakes and cookies. It looked surprisingly good. I wasn't sure what to try first. The four of us grabbed ptes and began to pile on a few things, then found a pce to sit away from the dance floor.

  As we ate, we talked and ughed. Joel told us stories about his band's antics. Spencer spoke about her current art projects. After a while, Gavin and Zahra came over to say hello. We made room for them, and they sat down to eat. The six of us spent the half hour discussing everything from school to music, to sports, to video games, to world events. The versation flowed smoothly, and I was genuinely having a good time. I hadn't realized how much I his.

  "All right, Spitfire, let's dance," Joel said, standing up. He held out a hand, and she took it.

  "Let's do it." They walked off towards the dance floor and disappeared into the crowd.

  Luke looked at me. "Should we go daoo?"

  My stomach did a somersault. "I'd like that," I replied, smiling, before I hesitated. "That is, if you want to. Have you been feeling okay so far?"

  He stood up. "You are incredibly siderate, you know that?" He offered a hand. "I'm doing just fine."

  I pced my hand in his, and he helped me to my feet. He kept his fingers loosely around mine as we headed over to the dance floor. It was crowded, and the music was loud. A song came on, and the crowd erupted in cheers. It was a song everybody knew. People started jumping and waving their arms. The dance floor acked, and the energy was incredible. Luke and I mouthed the lyrics to each other while bobbing and spinning around. It was silly and fun, and a great distra. Luke had perfect rhythm. I was surprised since he didn't seem like the type to dance. I mean, he was no Ashkan, but it was still charming. A few songs passed, and then another. Every o so short. I didn't want it to end. We dahrough three, four, five more songs, ughing and shouting along to the lyrics. It was a high I didn't want to e down from.

  The song came on. I didn't reize it, but it beat and fun. Everyone danced and sang along, and the oved and bounced like a wave. Luke and I were both grinnio ear. Suddenly, our fun was shattered by Farrah and her posse, pushing their way into the crowd and surrounding us. She wore a lic dress with silver beading and ruffles. Some guy who I presumed was her date was holding her purse. Poor dude.

  "Uh, what's up?" Luke asked her, yelling over the music.

  Farrah turo me instead. "Hey, Chloe."

  "Hey," I replied, frowning.

  "Having a good time?"

  "I was."

  She looked me up and down, sizing me up. What did she want? Couldn't I have just one private moment with Luke without her crashing it?

  "I'm surprised you actually showed up," she said, flipping her bck hair over her shoulder.

  I crossed my arms. "And why's that?"

  "I thought you would've been embarrassed. Or ashamed. Especially if the only person charitable enough to take you is Luke," she replied, smirking.

  I was stunned. Was she seriously doing this right now? I shot Luke a look. "Charitable?"

  He looked unfortable. "What are you talking about, Farrah?"

  "I'm saying the only reason you asked Chloe to e is out of pity. You knew she had no other choice; you wao do a good deed," she expined, her voice full of poison. "I don't bme you. It's like pig a mangy puppy up off the street."

  "Hey!" Luke objected, his eyebrows pulling together.

  I ched my jaw. I wasn't surprised that this was happening, but I was shocked that she was brave enough to do this in front of the guy she liked so much. What was her angle, here? Was she drunk? I had to remain calm. There was no way I was letting her ruin my night.

  "Wow, Farrah. You think so little of me, a, you're still jealous," I retorted. "I feel sorry for you."

  "Oh, please. You're pitiful, Chloe. Not me." She turo Luke. "It's about time you start thinking straight. You know, she's only using you to make her feel better about herself."

  "That's not true," he said firmly.

  "Luke, are you serious?" Farrah scoffed. "She's using you to feel special. And she'll keep doing it because nobody else wants her. She's a leech." Her friends snickered behind her, some of them c their mouths and feigning shock.

  Luke's mouth dropped open. Anger simmered inside me, but it was nothing pared to the hurt. Her words stung like stings. But I wouldn't give her the satisfa of seeing me break down.

  "Why would you say that?!" Luke demanded.

  "I'm just calling it like it is." Farrah shrugged, and her posse giggled. "You'll thaer. People like that don't make it far in life."

  His eyes were bzing. "Farrah, just stop. You're being–"

  I started walking away. The urge to sp her was to. I didn't want to stick around to hear anything else she had to say. This wasn't going to solve anything. Farrah and her ies would just keep going. It would've been a never-ending cycle. I didn't have the strength tonight to deal with her.

  Why, why, why? Why did she have to ruihing? Why couldn't I just exist and have a normal school dance like everyone else? Why did I always seem to cause problems and rifts between people?

  "Chloe, wait," Luke called after me, his voice barely audible above the music.

  I didn't slow down. I pushed open the front doors and burst outside, into the cool night air. It was refreshing, but didn't bring the relief I'd hoped for. I heard the doors open behind me again, and I didn't bother looking back. I kept walking towards the running track behind the gym, finally taking a seat on the bleachers. My hands were trembling. The sound of the party was distant, now. I felt so small. It was just like Diamae's birthday, except with less wine and more Farrah. I refused to cry this time. There would be no tears.

  "Chloe! Hey!" Luke shouted. He jogged over, then slowed when he reached me. He climbed the steps and sat down beside me. "Are you okay?"

  I took a deep breath. "Yeah."

  "I'm sorry about Farrah," he said. "I... I don't know what's gotten into her tely. She didn't used to be like that."

  I stared at the ground, hugging my knees. "Maybe she's been like that all along, and you just didn't realize."

  "I really hope that's not the case."

  I looked over at him, meeting his eyes. "Were you actually once friends with her?"

  He frowned. "We were, once. After sophomore year, I think, something ged. She got...colder. More petitive. She was always o me, and she was never mean to anybody, not ht. But she had a reputation. She'd get a little snippy if she didn't get what she wanted, and she could be passive-aggressive. It wasn't too bad, though. She'd snap at someone, and it would just rht off them. I'm not sure why she's started to ge."

  It was because of me. Wasn't that obvious? Farrah's sudden attitude was a direct result of the petition she perceived me to be. If I did, she'd be in the clear. She'd have Luke all to herself. But instead of stig with her, he was sittio me, trying to cheer me up. It just didn't make sense.

  The moon hung above the track, full and round, like a bright spotlight. The wind was gentle, and the trees rustled.

  "Do you believe what she said?" I asked Luke, staring out across the field.

  "What, about you being a leech?" he crified. "No, not even for a sed. That's ridiculous."

  I shook my head. "Not that. About me using you. And you being...charitable."

  He was quiet for a moment. "No," he finally said. "At least, I don't see you that way."

  A part of me wao press for more reassurance, but most of me didn't want to seem insecure. Instead, I decided on, "I never wao get in the way."

  Luke tilted his head, a strand of hair falling over his eyebrow. "Get in the way of what?"

  "You and Farrah," I said. I hugged my kighter, theed my head on my arms. "If I was gone, everything would go back to the way it was before. She'd be happy. You'd be happy. No more drama."

  "What?" he said, ughing bewilderedly. "Chloe, no. Our friendship started crumbling st year. There is no 'me and Farrah'."

  "Then what would you call this?" I gestured around us. "We're sitting outside on the bleachers during the Winter Formal. Away from everyone. Away from your friends. Because your ex-friend-crush-whatever was insistent on badmouthing me. You could be in there, dang, having fun. Not out here babysitti's pathetic."

  He frowned sadly. "It's not."

  "It is!" I argued, lifting my head and staring at him. "Don't you get it, Luke? How I be okay with the fact that she kissed you without your sent because of me? How I be okay with the fact that her behaviour is pletely out of trol because of me?"

  There was a long pause. "…You 't seriously think that was your fault. Farrah is responsible for her own as," he replied, his voice soft. "She's always had that side of her. I saw it a lot. Just not this intensely. You taking the bme for that is like...saying an alcoholic parent drinks because their kid makes them. You might've had an effe it, but you're not the root cause."

  I stared down at my shoes. He was right. It was a twisted parison, but it made sense. I was the catalyst, but Farrah was the cause. It didn't make me feel much better, though. I still felt guilty. But the damage was already dohere was no use dwelling on it.

  Luke was studying me, his eyebrows piogether. "What do you wao do, Chloe? Stop being your friend? I'm not gonna do that. No matter how much Farrah would like it."

  My chest tightened. "But why? Why not just...give in to what she wants? Spare yourself the grief."

  "Because. You're worth more than that."

  Luke spoke so genuinely, so early, that I didn't have a deflective eback. All I could do was stare ahead at the track. I knew he was being genuine, and it made me feel...warm. His presence, his words, his entire aura. Everything about him was f. It was something I could get used to but wasn't sure I deserved.

  "And if you haven't noticed, I like hanging out with you," he tinued, nudging my shoulder with his. "You're cool. We have a lot of fun together."

  A blush crept up my neck. "Thank you," I said softly. "You're pretty cool, too. And very persistent."

  "So persistent," he agreed.

  I ughed a little. "Did you want to go baside?"

  Luke opened his mouth to answer, but a yawn escaped first. "Do you?"

  "I asked you first," I said.

  "Touché. To be ho, no. I kind of wanted a breather," he admitted. "I have a tiny bit of a headache."

  I gave him a sympathetic look. "Since when?"

  "Since about halfway dang," he replied, rubbing his temples. "I didn't really want to mention it. I was having a good time. Still am."

  I frowned. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have kept you out there."

  "I didn't want to disappoint you. You were so excited." He smiled sheepishly.

  I sighed. Uhe bright moonlight, I could see the faint outline of the scab on his nose, alongside some barely visible bruising. I'd almost fotten about his injury. I wondered if it would leave a scar. He'd still be handsome either way.

  I looked back up at the moon, watg the stars glitter against the bck vas. The longer I stared, the more steltions came into view. There was ohen another, and another. It was like they were revealing themselves, one by one, slowly. It was beautiful. I felt like I could've sat out here all night. I kept quiet for a while, unsure if Luke and his headache would prefer versational distras or silence.

  "It's pretty out tonight," Luke ented.

  I nodded. "It is."

  "I'm gd the semester's over. I could use the break," he tinued, leaning back against the bleacher.

  "Same. I 't believe the year's already half over," I said, thinking out loud. "Feels like just yesterday, I was starting."

  "Time goes by fast, huh?"

  "Too fast."

  He hummed in agreement. "Feels like just yesterday, it was July, and I met this girl at the beach."

  I couldn't help but grin. "That seems like forever ago."

  "I remember, though," he went on. "She had this light blue swimsuit on and was reading some novel. I couldn't see the title."

  My cheeks grew hot, and a flutter tickled my stomach. It was amazing how vividly Luke remembered that day, like it happened only ho.

  He pressed a fio his . "I was walking around, looking for a spot to sit down. Then, she saw me. I think she thought I was weird. I thought about waving, or smiling, but I just ended up asking if I could sit near her. She said yes. I kinda wao strike up a versation, but I didn't want to interrupt her reading. I know how annoying that is."

  "Very annoying," I agreed with a smirk.

  He nodded. "So I just sat down and watched the waves. Eventually, she got up a for a swim. But some storm clouds soon rolled in, so she had to start pag up her stuff."

  I ged at the part. "And then, the sand under her umbrel turo stone."

  "Yes, and then the sand turo stone," Luke recalled, ughiween words. "I noticed her umbrel was stuck, and I offered to help. So, I grabbed the umbrel and somehow ya free. The girl thanked me, and we went our separate ways."

  "And the rest is history," I cluded with a smile.

  His grey-blue eyes sparkled. "And the rest is history."

  "There's been some good memories so far," I remarked. "Remember when Eric scarfed down six slices of pizza within ten minutes during the potlu English css?"

  "And then immediately left to go puke?" Luke chuckled. "He's an animal."

  "Then there was the time with that abandoned locker with the hole in its floor," I added, stifling a ugh.

  "Oh my god, yeah." Luke was grinning widely. "Heard a thud. Went to iigate. It was that girl with the green hair and gsses, wasn't it?"

  "Yes! What's her name? Something with a J," I said.

  "Jo?"

  "That's it!"

  "Poor thing fell into a janitor's closet," Luke remembered, shaking his head.

  "She was stuck there for a while. We had to go get help," I added, giggling. "Then there was that time in chem css, when Tyler didn't believe you could make yourself pass out by pushing oeries in your neck."

  "So he tried it! The idiot actually tried it!" Luke threw his head back, ughing. "Woke up and didn't know who or where he was for like, ten seds."

  I wiped tears from my eyes. "God, and then that fight between Emily and Tasha. And she hung up posters after with her ripped-out hair taped to them?"

  "What a mess." He was still chug. "I'll never fet that tagline. 'Got hair? Emily doesn't.'" I covered my mouth, wheezing. At the memory, Luke ughed so hard that he went silent. He clutched his sides, his upper body shaking. "How was anyone supposed to take that seriously?"

  I could barely speak. "And the picture! It was a stock photo of a smiling woman brushing her hair!"

  "Instant cssic..." Luke wiped his eyes, his cheeks flushed from ughter. "Eh, she deserved it. Everyone was sick of her backtalk."

  "Right?" I sighed, the tension in my shoulders melting away.

  We sat there for a while, reminisg and ughing. The air was cool and crisp, and the full moon glowed brighter than ever. My face hurt from smiling so much. It felt like nothing could g in that moment. For once, I didn't think. I just e.

  Eventually, our voices softened, and the ughter faded. The two of us sat there, in silence, listening to the gentle wind and rustling leaves. We were so close that our shoulders were almost toug. I wondered if it was strao be so fortable with a person you'd only known for about five months. It didn't feel weird. It just felt nice.

  Luke looked over at me, his eyes shining. "Did I ever properly thank you for helpiudy chemistry all those times?"

  I thought back, and a warm feeling rose up my chest. "You don't have to."

  "No, I want to." He shook his head. "Thank you. Really. I don't think I could've gotten through the semester without your help."

  I arched an eyebrow. "I dunno, Luke. You were struggling a little with intramolecur forces and crystal types, but by the time we got tanic molecules and redox reas, you had it down. It started to feel like you were the o me."

  Luke ughed lightly, scratg the back of his head. "Yeah, well, you were a good teacher. And I 't say that I hated chemistry as much by the end, with you around."

  My lips curved up. "I'm gd I could help."

  There was another fortable silence. My mind wandered. What would happen if I reached out and took his hand? Or leaned on his shoulder? How would he react? Would he be okay with it, or would it be too weird? We were already pretty close, sitting together like this. But what did it mean? I didn't know. Maybe I was just overthinking things. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe we were better off being friends. I'd rather have Luke in my life as a friend than not at all.

  The two of us never did end up going baside. Instead, we just sat on the bleachers, chatting, ughing, and gazing up at the stars. Spencer and Joel found us at the end of the night, and the four of us drove home, exhausted and happy. Joel offered to drop us off at our houses, but I deed. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the night. Spencer's house was far from mihough, so we promised on being dropped off a few blocks away from our respective homes. I was fih walking to her pce during the day, but not so much at night.

  After saying goodbye, Joel and Spencer drove off, leaving Luke aogether in the nighttime suburbs once again. This time, however, the night didn't feel eerie. It was the opposite. The streets were illuminated with the glow of the street mps, and the windows were alight with e hues. The air smelled faintly like o water. A small bouquet of flowers was clutched in my left hand. White roses and sky-blue fet-me-nots. To Spencer's and my surprise, the boys had stopped by a floral shop befoing to her house and bought us each a little something. Spencer had gotten a bouquet of pink orchids and e lilies. It was the sweetest thing.

  Luke walked me home, aalked the whole way. Even as we reached the porch steps, our versation didn't end. We sat down together, and our words filled the cool night air. The sky was a deep indigo, the stars twinkling brightly.

  "Tonight was fun," Luke ented, leaning against a post. "I'm gd I decided to tag along. Especially since Farrah was being such a pain."

  I smirked. "Are you sure she didn't give you that headache?"

  He snorted. "I'm not, actually."

  "How's the pain? Still there?"

  "Kinda. It's not that bad, though. I think the fresh air helped."

  I nodded. "That's good. Do you need anything else? Advil, or water, or...a pillow and b, maybe?"

  He smiled, shaking his head. "No, I'm fihank you, though."

  "No problem," I said. "And thanks for walking me home. Again."

  "Of course. You know it's never a bother."

  I looked down at the flowers in my hands. The soft blue petals shimmered beh the moonlight. They were so pretty. It was the first time I'd ever received flowers from a guy. Oh, at least. I'd gotten roses a few times on my birthday, but never from someone I had romantic feelings for. It felt…awesome.

  "These are pretty, huh?" Luke said, gesturing to the bouquet.

  I gnced back up. "They're geous. Spencer's were beautiful, too."

  "I'm gd you both liked them," he said.

  "Well, what made you guys buy us flowers?" I asked. "Not that we're pining."

  "Joel texted me with the idea. I 't take credit," he expined. "It's true that it would've been awkward if he'd bought something for Spencer and I'd showed up empty-handed, but I thought it was a good idea. I just didn't think of it. Joel's a good guy."

  "That's very thoughtful of him," I agreed. "And you. So, thanks again."

  He chuckled. "You're wele. It's the least I could do."

  I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Well, I hope you have a good break, Luke."

  "Same to you."

  I gnced up at a window, where the curtains were drawn. The lights were off. Mom and Dad were probably asleep. "I should head in," I said.

  Luke's face fell ever so slightly. I might've imagi. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. You should get to bed."

  I nodded, standing up and adjusting my skirt. I wasn't in any hurry to go ihough. I just wahe moment to st a little longer.

  Luke stood, too, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, um..."

  "Yeah..." I looked down, twisting my foot on the wood.

  We were both quiet. her of us wao say goodbye, but we didn't want to make it obvious. The longer we stayed, the harder it would be. I'd just have to rip the bandage off.

  "Goodnight," I said softly.

  "...Goodnight."

  I lingered for a moment, then pivoted towards the door. I didn't make it very far, though.

  "Hey, Chloe?" Luke spoke up.

  I turned around. "Yeah?"

  He bit his lip, then stepped closer. He reached for my hand and csped it gently. My heartbeat sped up. His palm was warm. I couldn't read the look in his eyes. His jaw was tense, like he was trying to find the right words. I didn't know if I should say anything. I was worried about breaking his tration.

  After a moment, Luke sighed, exasperated. "I was gonna try and say something poetic, but I'm drawing a bnk. So...this."

  I watched him slowly lean down, his eyes trained on mine. My cheeks instantly grew hot as if lighting a match. Was this really happening? He tilted his head slightly, his expression growing unsure. Maybe he was just as nervous as me. He paused a few inches from my face. He was givihe ce to pull away. I didn't want to.

  Then, he moved to the side and pressed his lips against my cheekbohey were soft. The touch was light, but it made my brai into fireworks.

  Luke pulled away, a ruddiness staining his cheeks. "Goodnight," he repeated, squeezing my hand before letting go. He gave me a quiervous smile before desding the porch steps.

  I touched my cheek. It tingled. Luke had just kissed me. On the cheek, but still. Holy shit. Did this mean anything? It had tht? Friends don't normally do that.

  My hand flew outward like I was about to reach for him. "T-Text me...!" I called out, my voice pitched higher than usual.

  He gnced back. "When I get home safe. I know. I will," he promised.

  I exhaled, my shoulders rexing. I stood there, dumbstruck, watg as he retreated into the night.

  Once he was gone, I went inside. My hand remained glued to my cheek. A wide grin spread ay face. "Yes!" I whispered, pung the air. I did a quick dance, spinning on the heels of my shoes, then rushed upstairs.

  I colpsed onto my bed, the flowers held to my chest. My ribs felt tight. My mind raced with excitement. It was hard to believe the night was real. The photos, dang, the ughter, the stargazing, the flowers, the kiss. It was all so amazing. I rolled over onto my back, holding the bouquet to the ceiling. My head was swimming with a thousand thoughts, a million feelings. It was so intehat it almost hurt. There were too many implications.

  It was a lot. But, a good lot.

  The events of the Winter Formal stayed in my mind like the afterimage of a blinding fsh. I found my focus drifting away on Emiarhia more times than I'd like to admit. Of course, the one day that I was struggling to devote my full attention to training was the day we started learning aero.

  Aero was the short form of the term aerokinesis, and it ecific branch of air magic that was easy to cast, but hard to master. Basically, aero involves quickly shifting your energy through different limbs to create currents in the air around you. The currents could be used to propel yourself in any dire, break a fall, jump extremely high, or deflect projectiles. The first few aero lessons were all about getting the fuals down.

  Shaye already had a leg up on Ashkan ah her natural air magic prowess. She didn't need mustru from Kadia. With enough focus, she could jump to inhumas and glide back down safely. I, however, was struggling to do more than lift myself up a few feet.

  "Just trate," Mina said, walking over to adjust my arms. "Your hands should be out like this." She bent my elbows slightly and turned my hands outward, palms down. "There, that's better."

  "How's this?" Ashkan asked, jumping and h briefly before crashing back to the ground.

  "Yetting there," Tyrath said, moving across the arena. "Work on your ndings. You're ing down too hard."

  Above us, Shaye was leaping smoothly between simuted rooftops, maniputing the air under her legs to vault across them.

  "Keep your feet pointed out!" Thorne yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

  Shaye gave him a nod and tinued. I focused on Mina's corres and took a deep breath. I could do this.

  The first step was visualization. I'd read enough to know how to do it. I had to clear my mind, picture myself rising into the air, and hold the image as long as possible. The sed step roje. Ohe mental image was formed, I had to take the energy inside of me and push it out in a way that mimicked what I'd visualized.

  It sounded easy enough. I took a deep breath and began the exercise.

  The first couple of tries yielded s. By the fourth, however, I felt the wind under my feet shift and I jumped up, just high enough to clear a small rock. When I nded, I stumbled forward and nearly fell, but kept my band mao stay upright.

  The exercise involved doing the opposite: breaking a fall. It was tricky to get right. If you braked too slow, you could wind up with a twisted ankle. If you braked too fast, you'd risk knog the wind out of yourself, or worse. The three of us climbed to the top of a rocky ridge and lined up. At the bottom of the cliff sat a pit filled with spongy material. It was essentially a big bouncy mattress, made specifically for this purpose. It was about a fifty-foot drop.

  "Remember, the timing is key!" Kadia shouted. "Keep your feet apart and knees bent, and you should be fine."

  We took turns jumping off. Shaye was able to trol her nding to an almost perfect degree, drifting the st fiftee down like a flower petal. Ashkan was , and he mao keep from plummeting too hard by leaning back slightly. My turn was st. I looked down at the pit below and swallowed. This was going to hurt.

  "Whenever you are ready!" Reyshore called. "Do not rush. How you fall does not matter as much as how you nd."

  "Okay," I mumbled, taking a deep breath and preparing myself. "Here goes nothing." I stepped off the edge, immediately regretting my decision.

  My heart thudded rapidly in my chest, adrenaline spiking. I tried to remember the instrus as the pit rushed up to meet me, but my mi bnk. I panicked and pushed my hands down. The air caught me for a split sed, and then I smmed into the pit. I hit the cushion face-first. I tumbled to a stop and sat up, groaning. That wasn't fun.

  "Not awful," Kadia said, me a hand. "You just have to work oiming. And try not to hesitate. Hesitation is death."

  "Yeah, okay," I said, rubbing my head.

  We tihe lesson. It was an intewo hours. By the time the session was over, my arms and legs were trembling from the effort. Ashkan didn't look much better. He had a slight limp as we headed for the ging rooms. Shaye, oher hand, seemed perfectly fine.

  "You're doing great, you two," she said, patting me on the shoulder. "Really, you're keeping up pretty well."

  Ashkan shook his head. "I don't know how you do it, though. You make it look easy."

  "Oh, well, I've always had an easier time with air than anything else," she admitted. "I 't manipute vines and roots like you . And I'm not a great healer htning-wielder like Brielle."

  "It's all about what works best for eadividual," I said, eg Kadia's words. "But that's not to say that aero wouldn't be incredibly useful..."

  "Right, well, I'm starving." Ashkan stretched his arms over his head. "Anyone want to grab some food at the market?"

  Shaye tilted her head to the side. "You're supposed to ght home with yuards, Ashkan. You know that."

  "Well, 't we make a detour?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's not a far walk."

  "No, your family is expeg you home for dinner."

  "Oh, e on, you know they won't notice."

  "No," Shaye said sternly. "It's going to be dark out soon."

  I shrugged. "I could go for some street food."

  "I knew you'd uand," Ashkan said, g his hands together. He turned back to Shaye. "As far as I know, uards 't stop us from doing anything within reason. They have to follow us around. But they don't get to dictate where we go."

  Shaye pursed her lips. "That's not a good attitude to have, you know."

  He put his hands on his hips challengingly. "I'm a lord, and I want some red fried dumplings. Are you going to deny me?"

  "Fine," she said, throwing her hands up. "You wi's get something to eat."

  We left the arena and headed toward the market district, with our bined six guards trailing behind. They seemed a little irritated at having to babysit us for longer, but didn't argue. I khat, ultimately, their job was to keep us safe. I didn't doubt that they were petent, but I was still unfortable having them around. It was unnerving to have a stant shadow.

  The Nelorismel market was busy, as usual. Vendors called out their prices and wares, and ers haggled and argued over everything from bread to pottery. One mert was selling a variety of fruits, all of which had been carved into the shape of various animals. Another was hawking jewelry, mostly earrings. The booths were lit by oil mps, which cast flickering shadows over each stall.

  The air smelled like a variety of foods, all bining to create an odd, but pleasant st. It was like a cross between fresh-baked bread, roasted meat, and died fruit. The aroma grew stronger as we passed through the market, and my mouth began to water.

  "So, what are red fried dumplings, anyway?" I asked, looking over at Ashkan.

  "They're amazing, is what they are," he replied. "The red is from the spices. They have a kick to them. And the filling is a blend of minced meat, herbs, aables."

  "It's an acquired taste," Shaye added. "I've never been a huge fan, but Ashkan loves them."

  "What? They're delicious!" he excimed, shaking his head. "You get soup with them, and these little fried bread rolls..."

  "All right, I uand, you're hungry," she said, putting a hand on his arm.

  We tihrough the market, passing dozens of vendors. Eventually, Ashkan found the booth he was looking for. He walked right up to the ter, and the moustaan behind the grill greeted him warmly.

  "Well, if it isn't Lord Ashkan!" he excimed, wiping his hands on his apron. "What brings you to my humble stand?"

  "Good evening, Mr. Sindo," Ashkan replied, smiling. "I'll have two red dumplings and a pte of fried rolls, please."

  Mr. Sindo walked away from the grill, and I watched curiously as the pa simmering on its own, shaking ingredients around and stirring itself.

  "Anything else I get for you three?" he queried.

  Shaye perused the menu hanging from the booth's awning. "A small pte of the gionfo noodles, please. And three cups of tea."

  "ing right up," Mr. Sindo said, turning away. "That'll be twenty-six trooks and five dulsas."

  We split the bill and took a seat on one of the benches around the side.

  "This pce is so busy," Shaye mused, watg the bustle of the market. "You'd think that they'd have a more anized system by now."

  Ashkan shook his head. "People have been selling goods here for turies. No one wants to mess with tradition. And it works."

  I was too busy taking in the sights and sounds of the market to talk. The pce was teeming with life. Everywhere I looked, people were bartering and ughing. Kids darted iween the crowds, chasing each other. The energy was tagious. It made me happy to see it livelier than ever after the Inkblood attack months ago.

  Mr. Sindo set down three cups of steaming hot tea in front of us, theuro his kit. I ed my hands around the ceramic cup and breathed in the st of the drink. It smelled spicy, but sweet. I took a sip, and it tasted just as good as it smelled. It was rid had an almost smoky uone. About ten mier, he returned with a ptter banced on his forearm.

  "One order of fried rolls and two red dumplings with soup," he announced, setting the dishes down. "And yionfo noodles, Lady Shaye."

  We thanked him and dug in. The dumplings were served in a bowl with broth. I stared down at the e, steaming liquid. The dumplings were swimming in it, and ks of vegetable floated in the soup. Each round dumpling was about the size of my palm. They looked a little intimidating.

  Ashkan had already grabbed one of the bread rolls and was dipping it in his own bowl. "What, are you scared?" he asked, grinning at me.

  "No," I said quickly. "Just...."

  I picked up a fried roll and followed his lead. I dipped it into the soup and took a bite. The bread was warm and soft, and a little chy. The broth was tangy, and a strong taste of peppers came through. There were hints of onion, too, and a few other spices I couldn't identify. The whole thing was incredibly fvourful.

  Instead of using spoons or chopsticks, we had these strawed sticks that were desigo fit in your fingers. They were called jiis, and were like tongs, but much slimmer and more precise. If you pihe tws together, it formed a shallow spoon. I was slowly getting the hang of them.

  I mao pick up a dumpling after a few tries. When I bit into it, a flood of fvours burst over my tohe fvour profile was plex and delicious. They were slightly crispy, and definitely spicy. There was an undercurrent of sweetness from the filling, and the broth plimehe whole dish.

  "What do you think?" Ashkan asked, lifting his bowl to his mouth.

  "Pretty good," I admitted, taking another sip of tea. "Hot, though."

  He nodded. "That's the whole point."

  I ate about half of my dumplings before calling it quits. Ashkan, however, had a bottomless stomach. He polished off the rest of his bowl with ease, then finished mi was kind of endearing to watch how enthusiastic he was about his food. Shaye seemed tent to eat her noodles and a few rolls.

  I grabbed my satchel from the ground, searg for my water fsk. My fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the gss, and I pulled it out. But as I did so, something else slipped out of the bag. A small, grey envelope fell to the ground, nding at my feet. I frowned and picked it up.

  "What's that?" Shaye asked, nodding to the letter.

  "I'm not sure," I admitted, turning it over. It was sealed with a golden wax stamp, but there was no identifying symbol or mark on it. Just the seal. No name, no address, nothing.

  I gnced up and around, trying to spot who might've delivered the note. But no one seemed to be paying any attention to us. Everyone was ed up in their own versations or meals.

  Ashkan gnced over from his seat and leaned forward. His gaze was intense. "Wait. You also got one?"

  I raised an eyebrow. "One what?"

  "One of those," he said, pointing at the envelope. "I found one a few days ago, stu my bedroom windowpa looked just like that."

  Shaye's eyes widened. "I discovered one on my baly a few days ago as well."

  I looked bad forth between them, shocked. "Wait, really? Did you guys open them?"

  "I did," Shaye said. "They're...rather ominous. And a little creepy, to be ho."

  "It's an invitation of sorts. I think," Ashkan expined. "Just open it."

  I stared at the envelope for a moment, relut. This seemed very strange. Potentially dangerous. Who was sending us these messages, and why? Curiosity got the better of me, and I broke the seal, pulling out a folded sheet of circur paper. It was written on thick part, and the writing was and clear. The words were hand-scribed in a, swooping script.

  To whom it may ,

  If you are reading this, then you have been deemed worthy. Your potential has not gone unnoticed, and you have caught the attention of the League. We extend an invitation to you, good hunter.

  If you are ied or simply wish to learn more, the us at the heart of the city, behind the statue of the King. You will find us on the sixth night of the week, at midnight, whears shine brightest. Bring no ons. Tell no one. Do not dey.

  May the sun rise upon thee.

  "Huh," I said, looking up at the others. "That's not at all disturbing."

  Shaye's eyebrows were kogether. "I've never heard of any sort of 'League'... I don't know if we should trust it." She leaned over to examihe letter, but frowned. "Oh. It's bnk."

  I held up the paper. "What do you mean?"

  "That's what happeo mine as well," Ashkan said, squinting. "I brought it to my guards, and they said the same thing. But when I looked at the letter again, it was written. Seems as though only the intended recipient read it."

  "So this is definitely for me..." I said, frowning.

  "Looks like," Shaye replied, shaking her head. "I think we should ig. It's probably some sort of trap. We could be walking straight into danger."

  "But it could also be a new adventure," Ashkan pointed out, shrugging.

  "Yes, or death," she said, raising an eyebrow. "The st thing we need is more danger."

  "I think you're overreag," he replied. "There's no way to know unless we go."

  I was quiet for a moment, staring at the letter. Something told me that this was important, somehow. That this could be an opportunity.

  "Well, I say we go," I said, looking up.

  Shaye blinked. "Seriously? You ot be serious. We don't even knorote this. Or what their iions are. Or if it's some sort of cult or secret society..."

  "Oh, e on, we handle ourselves," Ashkan replied, waving her off. "I agree with Brie. It's worth looking into."

  "No! Absolutely not!" she excimed. "I will not have you two getting hurt because you went traipsing around in the middle of the night. We're not going, and that's final. End of discussion."

  I stared at the letter in my hand. The calligraphy was mesmerizing. I'd never seen such beautiful handwriting. It was clearly doh great care. And the message was intriguing, to say the least. I felt a pull toward the words, as though they had some sort of power.

  "All right," I said, gng at Shaye. "I uand why you'd be worried, and I'm not gonna force you to follow. But I am going."

  She looked taken aback. "What? Brielle, no, you 't!"

  "Yeah, I'm ing too," Ashkan chimed in, nodding. "We're a team."

  Shaye groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Unbelievable."

  I slid the letter bato the envelope. I almost didn't notice it begin to disie in my hand until it had faded away entirely. The whole thing disappeared into a thin yer of dust. "Whoa, hey!" I said, holding my hands up.

  Ashkan's expression turned puzzled. "That's new."

  "Huh? What happened?" Shaye asked, downing the st of her tea.

  "The letter just disappeared," I expined.

  She looked skeptical. "What letter?"

  "The one I just showed you."

  "Hm? There was er," she replied, looking at me like I'd lost my mind.

  I stared at her, fused. "I literally just read it."

  "Brielle, are you feeling okay?"

  "What? Yes, of course I'm–"

  "You didn't show her a letter," Ashkan interrupted, giving me a knowing look. "Remember?"

  "...Right," I said slowly. I realized what he was getting at. Since she wasn't ied iter's invitation, it must've been ented to wipe her memory of it.

  Shaye narrowed her eyes. "Are you two jesting with me?"

  "No," Ashkan said quickly. He leaned back to evade her line of sight, mouthing the words 'fetting charm' over to me.

  I nodded. "Sorry. I was thinking of something else."

  She gave us a suspicious look. "Very well."

  We soon finished our meals ahe market behind. The sky had begun to darken, and the streetmps had been lit. As we walked, the air grew chilly. I could see my breath in the glow of the mplight. The wind had picked up, and the sky was cloudy, obsg the moons and stars. Shaye's house was the closest, so she bid us goodnight and walked home with her guards. Ashkan and I kept walking, our ente a few steps behind.

  He leaned in close to whisper, "So, I assume yon that statue at midnight? Today is the sixth day of the week."

  "You think this is a good idea? Going to a mysterious meeting like this?" I asked quietly.

  "Maybe," he said, shrugging. "I 't think of a better way to spend my time."

  I shook my head, ughing. "Of course you'd think that."

  He chuckled, then gave me a sly look. "And what about you?"

  I sidered this. Was I really going to risk it? Shaye was right. We could be walking into a trap. But part of me felt excited by the prospect. Like it would be an adventure. A mystery. A ce to get out there and explore. To practice using my powers, maybe.

  "You know what? Let's do it," I replied in a low voice.

  "Smashing."

  "We'll have to sneak out, though. Kadia will have a iption if she finds out," I added.

  "She won't," he assured me. "We're professionals. Here's the pn: I'll walk home, and you teleport back to Earth. Wait until midnight, and theurn here. We'll rendezvous at the statue, and head out from there. Sound good?"

  I nodded. "Got it."

  "Great. See you in a bit, then," he said, smiling.

  We preteo strike up a casual versation while uards followed us home. Wheime came, we parted ways. I waved goodbye to Ashkan befrasping my neck my fist.

  "Hoy," I whispered, closing my eyes. In an instant, the cold, crisp air of the city faded away. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the familiar warmth of my bedroom. Now all I had to do was wait until around two-thirty in the m and try not to fall asleep. Easy, right?

  I couldn't believe that this was what I ending Christmas Eve doing. …Not like Emiarhia celebrated Christmas, though.

  After waiting around for what felt like forever, I finally returo Emiarhia just before midnight, in the same spot where I'd left. The streets were still alive, despite the te hour. People were out and about, chatting and mingling. It made sense si was the weekend.

  I pulled my hood down and walked dowreets, making my way toward the tre of Nelorismel. I had a rough idea of where the King's statue was. A new sculpture was built every time a new king was ed. The effigy stood in a rge, paved courtyard, past the outskirts of the market. It was a bit of a trek.

  As I got closer, the crowd thinned. I found myself alone on the empty street, illuminated only by the dim glow of the streetmps. I walked briskly, my eyes darting around. My hands were shoved deep in my pockets, and my breath came out in little clouds.

  The street widened, and the square came into view. The courtyard was surrounded by tall buildings and was bathed in shadow. I approached the tre, which was dominated by a huge, oratue. King Typhis' steel face gazed down upon the empty pza, his expression solemn. His eyes were cast downward, his held high. He was dressed in royal armour and carried a decorated sword in one hand. His other was stretched out, palm fag upwards. The base of the statue was littered with bouquets, s, and tris. s from his people. Maybe the gods had some petition.

  "Hi."

  I spun around, my heart lurg. Ashkan stood a doze away, his hands in his pockets. He gave me a nod of greeting.

  "Hey," I said, my shoulders rexing.

  "You're jumpy," he observed.

  "No, you're just really quiet."

  He joined me in the courtyard, his eyes drifting up to the statue. "Well, looks like we're the first ones here."

  I checked the position of the moons. It was just past midnight. "Noait."

  "I suppose so..." He pulled his coat closer. "It's pretty chilly tonight."

  "Yeah," I agreed, ing my arms around myself. "Do you think somebody will actually show up?"

  He shrugged. "Yuess is as good as mine."

  We fell silent. A minute passed, and then another. Nothing happened. No one came. The only sound was the whistling of the wind. I was about to suggest we leave when something caught my attention.

  There was a movement in the shadows. I stiffened, narrowing my eyes. Two figures were approag from the south side of the square. They were tall and slender, cloaked in...white, surprisingly. It blended in with the snow. On their heads were matg gaucho hats, bck, with wide brims that covered their upper faces. Dark scarves cealed the rest.

  I exged a gh Ashkan. He looked on edge, but curious. The twers stopped and stood motionless.

  "…Hello," Ashkaured after a beat.

  "Good evening," one of the figures spoke, his voice deep and raspy. He was the taller of the two.

  "So," I said, trying to sound calm and fident. "This is the League?"

  The other person, a woman, answered. Her tone was warm and lilting. "If you're seeing us, then yes."

  Ashkan folded his arms. "Who are you?"

  The man tilted his head. "That depends. Who are you?"

  "Shouldn't you know that?" he tered, raising an eyebrow. "Since, apparently, we've caught your attention."

  The oke again, "You've certainly caught the eye of many. You've been making a name for yourselves."

  "Enough," the man interrupted, holding up a gloved hand. "There will be time for questions ter. For now, we must proceed. It is not safe to linger out in the open."

  He turned, his white cloak sweeping behind him. He began walking away, and his panion followed suit. Ashkan and I looked at each other.

  "Should we trust them?" he murmured.

  "They haven't done anything suspicious yet," I replied, keeping my voice low. "I say we follow. If anything seems weird, we'll bail."

  He nodded. "Stay close, then."

  The figures walked across the pza and disappeared into the shadows. We tailed them, keeping a healthy distaween us. I could hear them whispering, but I couldn't make out the words. We were led through a work of winding alleys and backstreets. At this point, I had no clue where we were. I hoped Ashkan had a better sense of dire.

  Suddenly, the pair veered to the right, slipping through a gap ione wall. It was so narrow, I had to turn sideways to squeeze through. We emerged oher side, into a secluded courtyard. It was bordered on all sides by dipidated buildings, their windows boarded up. A siern was affixed to the brickwork, bathing the se in an eerie e glow.

  The twers stood side-by-side, fag us. Ashkan and I halted. The sileretched on.

  "I have a bad feeling about this," he said under his breath.

  I kept my eyes fixed on the figures. "So do I."

  "Wele," the man spoke, spreading his arms. His voice was a low rumble. "Wele, young champions. To the League of Sacred Dawn."

  The woman dipped her head, then reached towards the ntern. A fsh of gold sparkled on her gloved fingers. She grasped the handle and ya down. The fme was extinguished, and the world plunged into darkness. I heard the sounds of gears grinding, and the scrape of metal against stone. Light began to pour out from a cra the cobblestone, slig through the murk. A trapdoor.

  The man stepped over and heaved the heavy sb aside, revealing a stairwell. The passage was illuminated by white-fme torches. "After you."

  The womaered first, gesturing for us to follow.

  I felt Ashkan ce his fihrough mine. We walked side-by-side, desding the stairs. Once we were ihe man came down after us. He pushed the door shut, sealing it with a metallig. Then he passed us, leading the way. Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls as we desded. The stairs were narrow, spiralling around and around. I tried not to think about how far below the surface we were. We had to be at least a dozen floors beh the city.

  Finally, we reached the bottom. The tunnel ahead was straight and narrow. I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard music. It sounded muffled and far away. We followed the man as he strode down the hall, his cloak swishing behind him. His panion was close at his side. The corridor was lined with stone sbs, like a mausoleum. The walls were decorated with engravings of symbols and runes, all unfamiliar to me. The designs were abstract. Some of them were simple shapes, others looked more plex. We soon reached the end of the hallway, which was blocked by a wooden door.

  The man paused and gnced over his shoulder. "Remember. What happens here stays here. Do not speak of it outside this pce. If you are discovered, we will deny all involvement and erase your memories of us. Do not attempt to expose us. We are always watg." With that, he turned and pulled the door open. Warm, golden light spilled into the hall, and the distant melody became clear.

  My jaw dropped. I repared to see something resembling a religious temple, or cult circle, or at least some kind of ominous chamber. Oh, h I was.

  The room was giant, and it was full of people, not uavern. The vast ceiling was carved into the shape of a dome. It ainted with a mural of celestial bodies. Suns and moons and ets and gaxies, swirling together in a dizzying spiral. The entire space was lit by dozens of hanging nterns, dles, and white-fme torches. Their illumination was almost blinding. The floor atchwork of tiled stone. Every square was a different colour. A handful of people danced on the uneven ground. In the tre was a U-shaped ter made from dark wood. Its surface was worn smooth from use. The walls were lined with booths, tables, and alcoves. Loud musid chatter filled the air. Swirls of inse smoke curled up into the hazy atmosphere. A rge tapestry hung from the far end of the room, opposite the door. It was embzoned with a silvery-gold sigil, shaped like an intricate sun.

  I gnced over at Ashkan, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. This was not what we were expeg.

  Our escorts ehe room and began weaving their way through the crowd. We followed. The throng was prised of people from all walks of life, all races and nationalities. They were dressed in clothes ranging from pin and simple to ostentatious and eborate. I was struck by how diverse the gathering eople were drinking, pying cards, dang, socializing, or polishing their ons. The only thing they seemed to have in on was their bck, wide-brimmed hats.

  Pretty much everyoared at us as we passed. Some were curious, others standoffish, and others suspicious. I felt a pang of ay but tried to hide it. Eventually, our escorts stopped at a tall door with an arched top. It was led in an alcove, half-hidden behind a stone partition. The woman rapped on the surface, and a moment ter, it swung open.

  The room inside was small and dimly lit. It was like a den. The walls were lined with shelves and cupboards, all filled to bursting with various tris and supplies. There were gss jars, boxes, books, and scrolls. A desk was he back wall. A variety of bdes were dispyed on the walls, along with a few shields. Sitting at the desk was someone in a high-backed chair, with their back to the door.

  uides ehe room and k before the figure. The door swung shut behind us, cutting off the sounds of the revelry.

  The man cleared his throat. "Your Eminence, we have brought them."

  "Very good," the stranger replied, their voice a pleasant, fident alto. "You may go."

  "Yes, ander."

  The two rose ahe room, shutting the dain. The figure swivelled in their chair, fag us. My eyes immediately widehey stuck out gringly against the ruggedness of everything I'd seen thus far.

  They seemed to have a blend of Faennia and Deiq geheir skin ale and shimmery with a pinkish uoheir round eyes were silver-grey, and they had light blond eyeshes and eyebrows. A rge streak of their chest-length, iridest hair shared this c, but the rest of the side-parted waves were pastel vender. Pointed, opposable ears stuck out through the locks. They wore a loose, sleeveless top, exposing their slim arms. One arm was tattooed with a pattern of lines and swirls. Their pants were dark and fitted. They had on a pair of pointed boots with raised heels, and a bck choker with a single pearl. But above all, the most surprisiure was the cycloid, opalest scales on their hands, forearms, and uheir cheekbohey were a shade of calm turquoise.

  They were holding a piece of fruit – an abaet, a plum-like food native to Winithas. The aook a bite, and their eyes flitted over us. "Wele, newers. Gd you got my letters."

  "You wrote those?" Ashkan asked.

  "Of course. Nobody's cursive is as perfect as mihey fshed us a bright smile. "Sorry about the theatrics, by the way. The whole spiel about memory wiping and whatnot. And the midnight meeting, and the ominous outfits. 't risk exposure, y'know? It's a little much, but it helps to keep us hidden."

  For what felt like the huh time, I eyed Ashkah had no idea what to make of this. Everything about the League up to this point was dark, secretive and mysterious. And here was the ander, ag so...normal. So casual.

  The ander leaned ba their chair before taking another bite of abaet. The scales on their body turned greyer. "Well, now that that's out of the way, introdus are in order. My name is ander Lochkornakayniv, and I am the kingpin of the League. You just call me Perl, though. o be formal." They gestured around the room. "This is my office. Or den. Haven't decided which..."

  "I have a few questions," Ashkan said, folding his arms.

  "More than a few, I'd think. Fire away."

  "What is this pce?"

  Perl ossing the remains of their fruit into a bin. "We are the League of Sacred Dawn. A guild of fighters and vigintes, w to protect the p. We specialize in hunting down criminals as alike. Inkbloods and Rotted, mostly."

  I perked up. "Wait, really?"

  They smiled, and a bit of pride slipped into their toheir scales turned a muted shade e. "Really. We've been active for decades in respoo a siderable upti Inkblood activity. And we're very good at our job."

  I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or ed. her Inkbloods nor Rotted were anything to mess around with. And there were so many of them. I felt like it was a miracle that the League had survived this long.

  "Our primary headquarters is in Shialumura, he Chasm...for obvious reasons," Perl tinued, "but we have a number of sedary bases all across the globe. You're standing in one of them right now. This is the main location in Winithas, though there are also some little-knes peppered around if you know where to look."

  Ashkan spoke . "Why did you send us letters?"

  "Because, like I said, we've been watg you. The two of you are quite impressive, and so is Shaylie." Perl sighed and ran their fihrough their hair. Their scales shifted into a purplish-blue. "What a shame she deed my invitation. Too smart for her own good, that one. I knew she'd refuse. But still, I had to try."

  "So, why did you invite us?" he pressed.

  They rested their on their hands. "Because I want to recruit you. Both of you. I believe you would make fine additions to the League."

  "You want us to join yang?" I crified, raising an eyebrow.

  They tilted their head, their scales turning yellow-green. "Not a 'gang', a guild. A syndicate. We don't take tracts for mere pleasure. Or even for money. We're doing the world a favour."

  I didn't reply, but I was thinking the same thing. I'd never sidered that there might be people out there trying to fight the darkness. To protect the weak and i. I guess that was na?ve of me. I was sure there were plenty of Inkbloods and Rotted out there, wreaking havoc. I'd just hought there were people dedicated to stopping them.

  "What about the monarchies?" I questioned. "Surely this kind of thing 't exactly be legal."

  "Why do you think we're underground? Why do you think we hide ourselves away?" Perl replied, gesturing vaguely. "We are operating outside the w. It's true. Kings and queens have their own ways of dealing with problems. But they're too slow. By the time they cat, it's already too te. That's why we're o up their messes. And, yes, that does include hunting Inkbloods. As you know, they're very slippery, and bluebloods rarely want to deal with them, or even admit that they're a problem. That's where we e in."

  I didn't respond. I could tell by Ashkan's expression that he was thinking hard.

  "And there's no she of evil out there," they went on, a dark blue hue tingeing their scales. "It's a dangerous world, and it's getting worse by the day. There are forces at work that the rest of us 't begin to prehend. It's going to take a lot of power and bravery to bat them. That's why I eople like you on my team."

  I couldn't believe my ears. They were actually me a ce to use my abilities food. To do something with them. To make a difference. Directly. Right now.

  "What would we do?" I asked as I stepped closer. "Like, how does it work?"

  Perl smiled, then stood up. They were even taller than I expected. "Walk with me."

  They strode out from behind the desk and opehe door, motioning for us to follow. The three of us filed bato the entran.

  They led us around the outskirts of the chamber, heading for a wide set of stairs against the wall. The ander didn't pause to expin as they desded the steps. The noise of the crowd grew muffled as we travelled lower.

  As it turns out, we entered a massive space with many levels, ected by dders and stairways. It was like a multi-level shopping mall, but a cavern. The ceiling was supported by pilrs. Lanterns hung from the rafters. We came to a halt at a baly overlooking the floors. Even more people were below, milling about or sparring. I could see several other rooms and chambers opening off the main area.

  "This is the tral hub of the base," Perl stated. "We've got everything a hunter needs. Armoury, library, boratory, medical bay, training grounds, dormitories. And a mess hall, of course. You would have access to all these facilities."

  My mind was rag. This was unbelievable. The idea that this kind of setup existed right under my nose was insane.

  "How many of you are there?" Ashkan piped up.

  Perl shrugged. "Worldwide? About two hundred. Maybe three huhe exaumber fluctuates. Members join, others leave. Sometimes they're killed. Of course, not everyone is active at once. Most are off the clock, tending to their normal lives. But when there's a big mission, we need more hands."

  I tried to my head around it. So many people, all w together to defend the world. That's what this was all about. To make sure the sun lived another day. It was amazing. And also incredibly daunting.

  I bit my lip. I was still reeling. I didn't know what to say. I'd always known, deep down, that I wao do good. That I wao help people. It was why I trained so hard. It was why I got so angry when people couldn't see that. Now, it was being hao me on a silver ptter. The opportunity of a lifetime.

  "You must uand," Perl said, folding their arms, "we have a duty, aake it seriously. If you're willing to dedicate yourselves to our cause, then I would happily accept you. You would not have to abandon yur lives. In fact, it would be preferable if you didn't. We don't want to raise any suspis."

  "How would we be able to bahis with school, training, and everything else?" I wondered out loud.

  "I've got that covered. See, one of the reasons why we have so many members is because we hat security of knowing we'll have enough hands on deck at any given time. Taking into at that instability, our numbers are actually cut down. But we're rarely short-staffed, thankfully. Hunters are scattered all around each region. Even though not everyone is avaible 24/7, there's always a random group who plete the task. I'm not asking you two to even be regurs. We've got plenty of people for that. I'm asking for you to be on standby as st resorts. Strong backup. That way, you keep up with your studies and training. The calls won't be frequent, but they'll be for the direst of emergencies."

  I was starting to feel a bit more fortable with the idea. This would let me do what I wanted, while still having some sembnce of normalcy. There was no doubt that it carried dahough. But that didn't scare me. At least not yet. I wasn't sure why.

  "Calls?" I echoed.

  "We unicate through these." The ander poio their left pinky finger. A golden insignia ring sat on the digit. "When a situation arises, a League member will report its location and the severity of the threat. Then, the hunters o the area will see their guild rings glow red in the tre. They decide if they want to accept the mission or not. If so, the ring acts like a pass, guiding the wearer towards their mission. It also ge you into year in an instant." They smiled. ", isn't it? Magic jewellery. Anyway, you two wouldn't be getting normal rings. You'd have a special model, ohat glows red only when a request from me es in. And I don't give those out lightly. The range would be expao include missions anywhere on the p, and it would teleport you straight there. You'd be able to accept or dee it at your leisure. If you dee the task, a fellow hunter will ter send out a pletion signal, and the ring will glow white when any threats have been vanquished."

  I blinked. I'd never heard of anything like this. "Whoa."

  "I'm aware that it sounds ihey went on, shrugging again, "and holy, it is. It's not like we're a massive anization with lots of resources and funding. Everything you see here is a result of trial and error. A bunch of crazy iors and researchers ing together to figure out the best ways to fight evil. And it's w." They paused. "Oh, and Brielle, y would be extra special. Since you're oh half the time, you'd o be able to gauge whether it'd be worth it to slip away or not, if needed. So, a red glow signifies a more serious threat, a white one is the all-clear. But a bck glow would mean that a situation is esg and requires immediate attention. Basically, it'd let you know that we need you, no matter what. You're the big guns. And I pray to the gods that we never have to call on you for something like that."

  That didn't sit well with me. It was the mention of a bck glow that was troubling. Something so catastrophic that it would require me, of all people, to drop everything and e running. It didn't seem possible. Surely, there would be others who could ha. Others who were far more experienced.

  I looked at Ashkan, hoping to get a sense of what he was thinking. He was quiet. I could practically hear the gears in his head turning.

  I turned my attention back to Perl. "So, you're basically asking us to be part-time super-hunters."

  The ander nodded. "Exactly."

  "How long would this arra st?"

  "For as long as you're able. For as long as you want, actually."

  I frowned. "And if we decided to leave? Or quit? What would happen?"

  They hesitated. Their scales turned brownish-red. "If you wao leave, you'd have to gh a memory wipe. It's a necessary precaution, I'm afraid. We 't afford the risk of letting anyone slip. Not even former members. It's true that a handful of citizens out there are aware of us, naturally, since word of mouth is a terribly untrolble variable... But most who know of the League are involved in it. Even the janitors are League members. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth. I 't stress enough how important it is for us to stay hidden as much as we manage. Harmless procedure. I'm sure you uand."

  "Right," I said slowly.

  Their scales then shifted to a brighter, rosier hue. "Great. How about I let you two mull it over for a little bit, and I'll show you the rest of the facility?"

  Ashkan and I both nodded, and Perl began leading us dowairs, expining everything as they went. The training grounds, the library, the dormitories. We walked and walked, the ander pointing out everything, and the two of us listening ily. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. All these secret rooms and halls and people. Energy thrummed through my veins. Maybe this is where I belong.

  The ander had a long stride. They were clearly eager to show off the pce. "Of course, I've been rambling on about the practical side of things," they said, turning a er. "But the League is more than just a colle of buildings and gear. We are a family. People from all different tries, backgrounds, races, cultures, genders. We may be hunters, but that's not all we are. We work together. We protect each other. We look after each other. And that's what sets us apart."

  It made sehe more I thought about it. This was the reason why everyone had their own uyles. It wasn't because they were showing off. It was because they weren't worried about standing out. Because they didn't o hide themselves away. They could be their true selves. I was a little bit jealous of that.

  "I'm not exaggerating when I say that the League has ged the course of history. We have saved lives. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. And we're going to tinue doing so, as long as the gods see fit." Perl smiled. Their scales were bright violet, now. "We may be outws, but that doesn't make us vilins. In fact, it makes us the very opposite."

  A few hunters called out to the ander as we passed. They responded cheerily. A group of members ran across our path, carrying wooden swords. Two of them nearly crashed into me, but they quickly apologized. A woman was sitting on a bench, polishing her gaus. She greeted the ander with a salute. The base was full of activity. Full of life. It was amazing. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I didn't know if I could bring myself to dee the offer.

  We reached the bottom floor, and Perl guided us into the armoury. It was enormous. There were shelves and stands and racks full of equipment. Every type of on imaginable was arranged in perfect rows on the walls. Armour suits were suspended from the ceiling, posed in intimidating battle stances like a museum exhibit. Aensive variety of firearms lihe rear of the chamber. The room was illuminated by bright overhead nterns.

  "As you see, we've got everything you'd ever need," Perl decred, spreading their arms. "Every hunter is equipped with their own personal gear, which they are free to keep and ize. People use their own ons or borrow ones from here. Of course, we also have standard uniforms. If you do choose to join us, we'd provide you with the pieces. But the rest of your outfit is up to you. Just as long as it's not, y'know, offensive. Or too garish." They chuckled.

  My gaze wandered around the room, taking in the various pieces of equipment. It was impressive, for sure. There was so much stuff. Some of the onry was pletely fn to me.

  Eventually, the three of us made our way out of the armoury and tinued on.

  "How do you fund all of this?" Ashkan asked as we strolled down a corridor.

  Perl ughed loudly, their scales c a sunny yellow. "We have our sources. It's nothing illegal, if that's what you're w. Many hunters decide to donate money, but a lot of our expenses are taken care of by the staff in each realm. And me, of course. As the ander, I'm in charge of making sure the League keeps running smoothly. And I've got plenty of . Not that I'm bragging. That's just a fact. Well, also, some of our hunters occasionally steal from their oppos. Like, their loot and valuables. That's pretty helpful. I mean, what an Inkblood do with a brooch full of sapphires after they're dead? Not a damn thing. Unless we know that the loot was stolen, in which case we return it anonymously, we'll just take the goods ahem off. Or keep them. Simple as that."

  "Do you pay your members?" I inquired.

  "Rarely. I wish we had the budget, but as, no." They shook their head. "If there's a huruggling to make ends meet outside of the League, we do try and help. We 't give them a sary to live indepely off of, but we'll make sure they get food, clothes, supplies, or whatever else they need. If someone loses their house, or their job, or their family, or anything else, then we'll help them find somewhere to live, or a pce to work, or a support system. Sometimes, we 't help. But most of the time, we ."

  "That's nice," I said, and I meant it.

  Perl's scales flickered pink. "I've got to keep morale high, after all. The more tent the members are, the better their work will be."

  We tinued along. More and more corridors and rooms revealed themselves as we explored. There were a few times when the ander led us off-course to show us something that had caught their eye. I couldn't bme them. It was a lot to take in. I couldn't believe it had all been structed without the general public being aware. I felt like an archaeologist disc a lost city.

  The mess hall was the rgest space of all. It was a wide, open room, with a vaulted ceiling and long tables. The smell of delicious cooking drifted in the air. Many hunters were already seated, eating and versing. It was simir to the entran, but with a less rowdy atmosphere. And less bring music.

  "As you tell, meals are served 24/7," Perl remarked, their voice loud enough to carry throughout the entire hall. "It's always a good idea to have some grub in your belly before a mission, especially if you're heading out into the wilderness."

  I could feel dozens of eyes on me as the three of us passed. I tried not to fidget with my hands a my up.

  "Oi! ander!" someone called out, raising their stein. Many others sat hem, all dressed in various assortments of leather armour. I estimated they were all between the ages of twenty and forty. "What's the occasion?"

  Perl stopped walking. Ashkan and I halted behind them.

  "I'm giving a tour to our potential recruits," the ander answered, their scales a light blue. "Yhem, I'm sure."

  There was a murmur amongst the gathered hunters. Several heads turo stare. I felt unfortable uhe collective scrutiny.

  "Cor!" the man shouted. "We were w when they'd finally show up."

  Perl smirked. "I knht? Took 'em long enough."

  A couple of the hunters ughed. One of them whistled.

  "Give it a few weeks, and they'll be running circles around all of you!"

  Another round of chuckles. Ashkan and I stood there awkwardly. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be smiling or not.

  Perl turo us. "Oh, where are my manners? Hunters, this is Brielle, and Ashkan. Brielle, Ashkan, these guys represent the iional unit. Should you choose to accept my offer, you'd be w alongside any bination of them." They poio each person individually. "Dazz, Ribbons, on, Steelshot, Halo, Blue, Nine, and M. And those two are the twins, Tabs and Trench. ...Don't ask me whie's which."

  There was a chorus of greetings apanied by raised gsses and waves. Ashkan and I smiled and nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

  "It's o finally meet you both," Ribbons said. Her ginger hair was very long and curly, and tied into two ails. She had slim, bck horns that were ed in magenta fabric. "We've heard a lot about you two."

  "Yeah, the rumours have been flying," Dazz added. His skin was a shade of deep grey. His long, thin ears had multiple piergs, and he wore dark-tinted, round sungsses.

  "What exactly have you been hearing?" Ashkan spoke up.

  Halo grihe ers of his eyes kling. One was the colour of honey, and the other, pistachio green. A golden circlet rested atop his stubbled head. "That you've got some serious power, mate."

  The man who'd spoken up earlier was on. "Hope you're not afraid to use it," he said. He had a short, copper beard, and long hair tied bato a knot. His right eye was covered with a browch.

  Steelshot was a rge, hulking woman, with a long scar across her right cheek. Choppy, dark azure hair surrounded her sharp features. Her left calf and foot had been repced by a sophisticated prosthesis. "If you're joining the League, you 't be fearful."

  "You've got nothing to worry about," Perl assured, pg a hand on Ashkan's shoulder. "I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't think you have what it takes."

  "Well, what's it gonna be? Are you in or out?" Blue asked. She had a short, dark afro, and her eyes were a striking, glowing cerulean. Bluish gills peeked out from her jacket's colr.

  "Don't rush them," Tabs reprimanded.

  "Yeah, let 'em make their own decisions," Trench added. Both twins were incredibly identical. Like carbon copies of each other. The young men had the same voice, face, and body type, and wore the exact same outfit. They even had the same pushed-back, dark purple hair.

  Perl's scales fred red. "We won't pressure you, of course. I've already given the sales pitch. It's up to you."

  Nine's mouth twisted like he was deep in thought. He had pointed ears and dense eyeshes. Underh thick locks of ash blond hair, his eyes were a pale, ghostly white. Tattoos of vines and serpents wound their his muscur arms. Upon seeing his hands, it didn't take long for me to guess why had the ame he did. The guy had nine fingers, missing the fourth one on his right hand.

  I watched M leao him and sign something, gesturing quickly. Nine's gaze flicked towards the ander. He signed back. M's face lit up, and she let out a soft ugh. Light brown waves were cropped just below her shoulders. She had a thumbprint-sized birthmark on the left side of her jaw, and wore all bck.

  "ander," Nine said, "we've got a couple of questions. you spare a minute or two?"

  "Sure thing," Perl answered.

  "M wants to know if Brielle and Ashkan's Rime Guard trainers know about the League," he reyed, his tone casual.

  The ander rolled their eyes. "Obviously not. Why would the RG allow two of their most valuable assets to join the biggest anization ue huhe realms have ever known? The King would have us arrested for undermining his authority, or for disloyalty, or something. It's a no-brainer. We don't cross paths. Let's keep it that way."

  "He'd be pissed," Trench agreed.

  "Beyond pissed," Dazz chimed in.

  "No doubt," Halo mused.

  "No, no, no. It'd be a bloodbath," Ribbons corrected. "RG people are scary."

  irked. "But they're not as gutsy as us."

  "Or as driven," Steelshot grunted.

  "All right, all right, calm yourselves," Perl said with a smile. "You've made your point."

  M signed some more, and ransted, "She's worried they're too young. She thinks this might not be a good idea. And, uh, I agree with her."

  The ander's scales were a mottled e. They looked at me, and then at Ashkan. "Are you too young?"

  "I'm seventeen," I replied. "Eighteen in a few weeks, actually."

  "And you, Ashkan?"

  "Eighteen."

  "Then no, you're not too young." Perl's gaze returo heir scales fshed pink, yellourple, like a sunrise. "It's a risk, yeah. But I know they're more than capable. And besides, how old were you, Nine? When you joined? Fourteen?"

  Niated. He gnced down at M, and she signed something. He replied to her before looking back up at the ander. "My case was different."

  "How so?"

  He opened his mouth, then shut it. His lips twisted into a frown. "You know how it was."

  "Tell M that we’ve been rigorously trained," I said, breaking my silence. "I get the , but we're old enough to protect ourselves."

  At that, Nine became suddenly irritated. He glowered at me. "She's not deaf, idiot. M had her to out as a kid. She hear you just fine."

  "I-I'm sorry," I apologized immediately. I could feel my cheeks burning.

  M waved her hands. She patted Nine's arm. He calmed down slightly, though his eyes remained cold. She gave me a warm, sympathetic smile, and shook her head.

  "and down," the ander said, their tone level. "We've all made mistakes. We're all learning. I know you're protective of M, but there's no reason to be hostile."

  He iffly. M gave him a quick pe the cheek, and his face flushed, the tension in his muscles dissipating.

  "Anyway," Perl began, their scales a calm teal, "I'd rather not let you go without some sort of decision or answer. So, if you'll give me ohat would be much appreciated. You leave and never return, and the escorts will erase your memories of the League. Or, you bee a hunter and ge the world by helping us fight the mohat pgue this world. What's it going to be?"

  My heart rate spiked. I had so many thoughts running through my mind, and none of them seemed like the right ohis was a huge step. A huge ge. But a ge for the better. Right?

  "Ashkan?" I whispered, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. "What are you thinking?"

  He didn't answer me right away. My stomach was twisting.

  "I think..." He paused. "...I think I'm going to do it."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. If you are, then I will too."

  My brows furrowed. "No, don't think about me. Don't base your decision off of mine."

  "Well, I'm not very keen on fighting alone," he reasoned. "But I know that I want to make a difference. I want to help. If this is the way I do it, then that's what I'm going to do. s."

  I didn't disagree with Ashkan, but I felt the o sider everything thhly. "What about the prophecy? That doesn't involve you making a differen the world and helping people?"

  He sighed and shrugged limply. "Sure, but we still don't know if all that will ever happe alone when. At the earliest, we still have to wait for you and Shaye to tureen. But nothing might happen until we're twenty-five. We don't know. At least joining the League means that we're doing something now."

  He had a point. The prophecy was vague, and we didn't know if, how, or when it would be fulfilled. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to keep waiting around.

  "Besides, our identities would be cealed. Nobody would know. Not to mention that we'd get serious opportuo train and strengthen our skills...instead of practig on dummies all the time." He lowered his void leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Also, this could be our ce to find Balgaur, and maybe thin out his numbers. I have a feeling he's going to py a bigger part in our story. We could be doing it now, instead of ter."

  Ashkan made an excellent argument. He really could be very ving when he wao be. I was still unsure, but the more I thought about it, the more it began to make sense.

  I took a deep breath. "Okay."

  He blinked, straightening up. "Okay?"

  "Okay. Yeah. Let's do it."

  His eyes brightened, and he grinned. I tried to mirror his excitement, but I still wasn't totally certain that this was the right decision. But, as he had said, s.

  Perl cleared their throat. They looked bad forth between Ashkan and me. "Well? Do you have an answer?"

  "We're in," he replied without hesitation.

  "Excellent!" The ander cpped their hands. Their scales rippled and ged colour. A mixture of green, pink, and e. "This is absolutely perfect. I'm delighted. You won't regret it."

  The hunters at the table cheered and appuded. ...Well, some more than others.

  "It'll be o have more faces around here," Dazz said.

  "Happy to have you!" Tabs and Trench excimed at the exact same time.

  Blue smiled. "Wele."

  "Don't scare them away on the first day," on advised.

  Ribbons ughed. "Or ever."

  "I'm gd that's settled." Perl's scales were a dazzling yellow. They held their arms out wide, their hair billowing. "Let's get the formalities out of the way. Wele to the League, Ashkan and Brielle! From this day forward, you are hunters. We're not bound by the w. We're not beholden to anyone or anything. Our job is to save the p from the mohat are out there and protect the lives of i civilians. Ys will be delivered to you soon, in the same manner as your invitatioers. And I'll let you know your ames before your first mission."

  "Thank you, Perl." Ashkan bowed his head.

  I smiled at them aed the gesture. "Yes, thank you."

  "No, no, thank you. Really. Thank you. It's an honour to have you two here. Yoing to be incredible additions. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a few errands to run. But feel free to make yourselves fortable. Help yourself to some food and drinks, if you want. Or you go. I don't care." They patted Ashkan's bad squeezed my shoulder. "I look forward t with you two. Farewell, and may the sun rise upon thee!"

  Before we could say anything else, Perl turned on their heel and walked away, their footsteps eg. We watched them go, and the hunters at the table fell bato their previous versations.

  Ashkan turo me, and his eyes grew wide. "...We're really doing this."

  I nodded slowly. I didn't know how to react. Part of me was excited. And part of me was terrified. I felt like I was in a dream. "Yeah, we are," I finally answered. "We really are."

  Merry Christmas to me.