world of concrete and iron, where things were real and people walk on their two feet. Things don’t suddenly appear out of thin air and while the city of Arcadia has always prided itself for its quaint homes, luxurious neighborhoods and flowering public gardens, it couldn’t compare to what was laid out before me.
“You're playing with my mind,” I finally said. I pulled free of his hands and turned to face him. “What are you trying to do?”
“I want you to see where it is that you come from.”
“Liar. I come from Arcadia, the home I love and cherish.”
“Truly? The home that set you apart from others, that sectioned you off to a district far beneath what you deserved? The home that raised you on lies about a predictable future, neatly tied up in a lavender letter?” With forceful hands he spun me around and again put his hands over my eyes.
That immense sense of power and strength surged again and I hated just how much I enjoyed it. I felt immortal and indestructible. I felt victorious and successful.
“Children here grow up realizing their own potential. It’s not dictated to them by a cold and meticulous Committee. Here children learn of their strengths and powers as they discover them; magic, telepathic and telekinetic powers that give them the ability to make this world more beautiful and appealing. They are also raised on a strong belief that love gives them all the power they need to succeed in the world, no matter how talented or untalented they are.”
“You make it sound as though I were raised by wolves, with no love in my home. You're wrong. My mother gave me all the encouragement and…”
“Your mother gave you what she could within the confines of a strictly regimented city. Her love for you gave you a big and compassionate heart you now have. This is part of the reason we know you are indeed the chosen one. Not only do you have the capacity for great powers, but you have the integrity and compassion to do right with it. Can’t you see? You're meant to free the people who are your true ancestors, your true blood.”
His arms wrapped around me as he pressed his chest to my back. My body reacted violently, surging with blood as sensations whirled from the tips of my toes to the tip of my nose. Everything in between was havoc as he enveloped me in his arms.
Right then, I would have traveled to the ends of the earth with him, would have believed anything he said. Warm and secure, I wanted to remain there and it took all my willpower to keep from tilting my head back.
“This is the world you belong to, Kama, the world you were born to,” he whispered in my ear.
His warm breath, sweet and tantalizing, brushed against my cheek and wafted to my nostrils, heightening the sensations my body already struggled with.
“This is your destiny.”
Chapter 7
“ I t’s been weeks since I’ve seen you, Kama,” Liam said, his tone urgent. “The Committee may be able to keep us from marrying one another, but there’s nothing wrong with being friends.”
With my books tucked under my arm, I’d planned to head home to catch up on some difficult math homework.
Seeing him again, so loving and devoted, reminded me of all I had to lose.
“I guess I could use your help with these math problems I have to solve,” I said loudly when a couple of classmates and a teacher walked by, glancing at us, as if making sure we were not together. “Trigonometry had never been my strong suit.”
He cocked his brow and grinned. We both knew I was better in math than he was. “I’ll certainly do my best.”
I was nervous and tense when I arrived at his house. It had been so long since we’d been alone together I didn’t even know how to act.
“How have you been?” he asked the moment we were in his room.
“Okay. The shock and rage of getting a blank Life’s Plan has finally diminished to idle curiosity and annoyance. Had this kind of thing happened to a number of people in the past, and
“You're playing with my mind,” I finally said. I pulled free of his hands and turned to face him. “What are you trying to do?”
“I want you to see where it is that you come from.”
“Liar. I come from Arcadia, the home I love and cherish.”
“Truly? The home that set you apart from others, that sectioned you off to a district far beneath what you deserved? The home that raised you on lies about a predictable future, neatly tied up in a lavender letter?” With forceful hands he spun me around and again put his hands over my eyes.
That immense sense of power and strength surged again and I hated just how much I enjoyed it. I felt immortal and indestructible. I felt victorious and successful.
“Children here grow up realizing their own potential. It’s not dictated to them by a cold and meticulous Committee. Here children learn of their strengths and powers as they discover them; magic, telepathic and telekinetic powers that give them the ability to make this world more beautiful and appealing. They are also raised on a strong belief that love gives them all the power they need to succeed in the world, no matter how talented or untalented they are.”
“You make it sound as though I were raised by wolves, with no love in my home. You're wrong. My mother gave me all the encouragement and…”
“Your mother gave you what she could within the confines of a strictly regimented city. Her love for you gave you a big and compassionate heart you now have. This is part of the reason we know you are indeed the chosen one. Not only do you have the capacity for great powers, but you have the integrity and compassion to do right with it. Can’t you see? You're meant to free the people who are your true ancestors, your true blood.”
His arms wrapped around me as he pressed his chest to my back. My body reacted violently, surging with blood as sensations whirled from the tips of my toes to the tip of my nose. Everything in between was havoc as he enveloped me in his arms.
Right then, I would have traveled to the ends of the earth with him, would have believed anything he said. Warm and secure, I wanted to remain there and it took all my willpower to keep from tilting my head back.
“This is the world you belong to, Kama, the world you were born to,” he whispered in my ear.
His warm breath, sweet and tantalizing, brushed against my cheek and wafted to my nostrils, heightening the sensations my body already struggled with.
“This is your destiny.”
Chapter 7
“ I t’s been weeks since I’ve seen you, Kama,” Liam said, his tone urgent. “The Committee may be able to keep us from marrying one another, but there’s nothing wrong with being friends.”
With my books tucked under my arm, I’d planned to head home to catch up on some difficult math homework.
Seeing him again, so loving and devoted, reminded me of all I had to lose.
“I guess I could use your help with these math problems I have to solve,” I said loudly when a couple of classmates and a teacher walked by, glancing at us, as if making sure we were not together. “Trigonometry had never been my strong suit.”
He cocked his brow and grinned. We both knew I was better in math than he was. “I’ll certainly do my best.”
I was nervous and tense when I arrived at his house. It had been so long since we’d been alone together I didn’t even know how to act.
“How have you been?” he asked the moment we were in his room.
“Okay. The shock and rage of getting a blank Life’s Plan has finally diminished to idle curiosity and annoyance. Had this kind of thing happened to a number of people in the past, and
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