The Swarm Trilogy by Megg Jensen

Not just at his refusal, but at the strength of his arm. I wouldn’t have guessed he’d be so strong for a scribe.
    “I don’t trust Kellan and you shouldn’t either,” he said. “I can read him as well as I can read you. When he had his Awakening something snapped. He’s not the person he used to be, Lianne.”
    I stared at Bryden, not knowing what else to do. Kellan was angrier, but he also fell in love with me after his Awakening. He’d changed, but it wasn’t all bad. Part of it was better than good, it was amazing. He loved me now, just like I’d always loved him.
    “He only wants what’s best for our people,” I whispered.
    “He only wants what’s best for him,” Bryden countered. “You can’t trust him.”
    “Why should I believe you?” I asked. “We haven’t been friends since we were children. You’re the one who broke up our friendship. Why do you care so much now?”
    Bryden grabbed my arm, yanking on it, and urging me to sit down with him on a nearby bench. I wondered if he was tired from standing for so long. His limp became more pronounced as we walked to the bench.
    “I’m not sixteen yet,” Bryden continued once we were settled on the wooden slab, “but I had my Awakening already. My accident triggered the Awakening. I think it’s because I was so close to death. Three of our people came to me late one night while I slept in my bed. They begged me not to tell anyone.”
    “You’ve known for almost ten years?” I asked. I thought back to the little boy I used to play with on a daily basis. I’d been better friends with him than Kellan but after his accident, Bryden had changed.
    Whereas he’d once been a happy little boy, after the accident he lashed out at everyone around him. We’d all assumed it was his anger over his leg. But now, I saw a different picture. A little boy, burdened not only with a lame leg but also the weight of his people’s struggles and their desperation for freedom. Knowing that he had no one to confide in and his only two allies wouldn’t be awakened for ten more years. It must have seemed an eternity to him.
    I threw my arms around Bryden, finding it the only useful way to express myself. His arms made a tentative circle around my body and I only squeezed him harder, resting my head on his shoulder. Being in his embrace was so different from Kellan’s rough, possessive grasp.
    “I wish I would have known.” I pulled away, surprised at the tenderness of his embrace. “For the first year I cried because you wouldn’t see me anymore. I didn’t care that your leg was lame, there were so many other games we could have played sitting down.”
    “I couldn’t tell you,” Bryden said. “Even though I was little, I suddenly understood things better than any child should. I knew you wouldn’t understand and I knew I could never be the same easygoing boy again. I had to let you go.”
    “I’m so sorry I haven’t been nice to you the last few years,” I said. The guilt overwhelmed me. The angry fires in my belly felt like they were doused with water for a moment as the pain dispersed.
    “It’s not your fault, Lianne. I pushed you away on purpose. Besides, you were never mean to me, just indifferent. It’s exactly how I wanted you to be. I couldn’t handle it if you were mean to me, like…” I knew who he meant. Kellan.
    Kellan and Bryden had never been friends. Not even before the accident. He hadn’t liked either of us, preferring to keep to himself. But after Bryden pushed me away, I found myself frequenting the warrior compounds more. None of the Fithian children wanted to play with me so I sought out Kellan. Aric found me peeking in a doorway and gestured me inside. After that Aric wouldn’t acknowledge me, because he knew I wasn’t supposed to be there.
    I’d stand in the back of the combat practice room and imitate his every move as he practiced his morning meditation. Kellan sat in the corner and sulked. He wanted nothing to do with