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  Rev crossed her arms. “Not really. And these two didn’t see me. Or, at least, I didn’t see them when Dad dropped me off. I didn’t see anyone but Grandma until the next morning.”

  “Please, sit down.” Ben encouraged her and nodded to Lucius, who nudged her closer to the couch.

  She plopped down on the welcoming cushion. “Answers. I deserve them.” Rubbing her temple again, she remembered the tablet in her pocket. “Y’know, Lucius, would you get me a glass of water?”

  He darted away and no one spoke until he returned, handing her the glass and then sitting on the couch beside her.

  She tried to palm the pill, but had no luck. “I’ve been carrying Tylenol.”

  They nodded and no one looked closely as she downed the painkiller. As soon as she felt it roll down her throat she became calmer. Now she was ready to face whatever nonsense these men had for her. “Please, continue. I’d really like to know how my arrival, unseen, could have an effect on anyone.”

  Ben clenched his jaw, making his beard shift, something she could only see because it was glossy, just like Lucius and Kerwin’s black locks. “It’s not a sight thing.”

  Kerwin muttered, “It’s a smell thing.”

  Reverie rolled her eyes. She might have known. This town was so primal. They all lived more as animals than humans. “Pheromones?” she asked.

  “If you want to call it that,” Ben picked up his thread of history, talking about his wife. “Lily was passing through. Her family only stopped to gas up their car, but I knew as soon as the vehicle came near that the woman inside was necessary. I needed her. So, I punctured a tire to keep them in town a little longer, long enough to introduce myself and get her address. It took me a couple years to talk her into coming back here, to start a family.”

  Rev relaxed with the telling. That wasn’t so strange. Love at first sight, like he said. It had happened to friends of hers. They’d meet someone over the summer and fall for them enough to try to arrange to meet again. The difference was, as she saw it, that Littleton didn’t hate Lily.

  “We lived happily for many years, through three children, and built this town up. It’s practically sprawling compared to before, and one of the few safe havens for shifters. Nearly everyone here has the ability and they’ve all agreed to keep their animals in check, to not hurt one another.” He glared at her leg. “Which is why I’m going break down Lyle’s door and have words with him.”

  “You can’t become a bear anymore.” Was that what everyone said? She looked at his feet. He wore sandals, revealing thick toes with wisps of hair, not the boots she’s noted when she first met him.

  He followed her gaze and wriggled his toes. “Yeah. Not exactly. Technically, I can still shift, but it is much harder and I can’t maintain it for any length of time. Not without my boots.”

  “And they are in Stang’s house.” She wanted to be sure she understood correctly.

  “Stang?”

  “The wolves,” she clarified.

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  Reverie flicked her tongue over her lips. The pills were making their way to her brain and it was harder to find her words. “Do they have...boots? Pendants? Bracelets?” She pulled her golden deer over her shirt.

  “Yes and no. Some are like these two, who wear their mark in their skin.” Both Kerwin and Lucius ran hands over different parts of their bodies. Rev had thought they were just regular tattoos. “I know some think one of them should have sacrificed, but it’s nearly impossible to separate them from their animals. For you and me, it’s simple.”

  Shaking her head, Rev sought the questions she wanted answered. They’d been clear and urgent just minutes ago. “Why storm in? Why not come slowly?”

  “Are you okay?” Lucius asked from her side. He set his fingers to her shoulders and pressed against the tension she had been holding. It had melted with the opiate flooding her system. Everything relaxed to the point where there was no pain. It also made maintaining the conversation an onerous task.

  “Yeah. I’m good. Might need a nap when I get home. I think it’s the heat.” She leaned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder. Kerwin, lounging in the corner, cleared his throat but said nothing.

  Ben hesitated before answering her question, briefly glancing at each of the cousins. Focused on the large older man in the chair, she couldn’t see either of them. “Concerned parties argued for speed. We had no idea how you were doing, but each day you were gone led us to believe it was not good. We decided we couldn’t wait any longer.”

  She got it. These two had headed the charge to bust her out. Grandma and Flo more than likely encouraged the same immediate action.

  “Okay. I think I understand that part, a little. It still seems weird for them to hurt you because you wanted to check on me.” She shrugged. “But you have your own weird rules that I’ve never learned or agreed to follow. So, whatever.”

  Kerwin asked this time. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” she hissed. “I’m fine. Everyone is pissed at me because the two of you couldn’t pick up a phone. What I still don’t know is why everyone was pissed at me before that. I mean, I didn’t ask to turn their heads.” She motioned to Kerwin and Lucius.

  “No, you didn’t. There’s something special about finding a mate the way you have. It is a sign of leadership.”

  “Bullshit,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m no leader.” She jumped up only to sink back down again.

  Ben was quick to reply. “Not you, them. Me. Lily had no more idea than you, but my Dad knew what it meant.”

  “I see. Actually, I don’t see, but I think I’ve heard enough.” She swayed slightly but was able to stay standing. “Kerwin? Lucius? Will one of you walk me home? I’m not as fine as I thought.”

  “I got her,” Lucius told Kerwin.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  Ben stopped him. “No, Kerwin, I’d like you to come with me to talk to Lyle.”

  Lucius smiled broadly, like he’d won a prize. Ben disabused him of that notion. “You’ll be at my side next time.”

  “Sure thing, Papa bear.”

  “Papa bear?” Rev asked once they’d reached the sidewalk. Then she giggled. Ben as Papa Bear was a crazy notion.

  “Well, yeah, better than Teddy bear. That’s what Kirsten called him until she was five.”

  That made Rev laugh more. “Teddy bear! Haha!”

  Lucius stopped her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “What’s wrong, Rev?”

  She shook head and smacked it lightly. “Sun fried my brain.”

  “You’re sure that’s all it is? Maybe I should take you to the Golden Palace.”

  “No, I just need to lie down in the shade, really. Take me home, please.”

  He sucked in a deep breath before nodding. “You know we worry about you. What happened to you while you were there?”

  She shook her head. “They drugged me up and fixed the bite.” She ran her hand down the unbandaged calf. It had a noticeable scar down each side. “I slept a lot.”

  “No one... tried anything?”

  “Sexual?” she asked, her voice launching up a few registers. “No! Well, they threatened it a couple times, but no. No one touched me.”

  “They scared you?”

  She rubbed her arm with hand he wasn’t holding. “Yeah. Definitely scared me. And I thought I’d never get out of there, but, in fact, I was fine. They weren’t treating me badly. You didn’t have to rush in.”

  “Yeah, we did.” Lucius kissed her temple. “We’d have done it without Papa Bear if he hadn’t agreed to come.”

  Rev shuddered. “Then where would we be? Would they...remove your tattoos?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what would have happened, but I know you are worth it.”

  Although she didn’t agree, she didn’t say so. They reached Grandma’s house and Rev turned on the doorstep to face Lucius. “Thank you. Really. For walking home, and w
orrying about me, and taking me on a run.” She would have continued her list, but he stopped her as he slanted his mouth over hers.

  The softening that came with the drugs amplified with the endorphins resulting from Lucius’ kiss. Rev latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He didn’t hesitate, cupping her bottom in his palms and boosting her to lift her knee over his hip.

  He felt so good against her, so good she started contemplating removing clothing from between them. Tugging on the neck of his t-shirt, she worked it out of his waistband and up his back.

  Lucius set her back on her feet just long enough to pull it over his head. Dazzled by his sun-kissed skin over rock hard abs, Reverie jumped onto him again, sucking in deep breaths that made her breasts rub against his chest.

  “Lucius,” she whispered hoarsely, tipping her hips toward his. An itch had grown there that spurred her on.

  Lucius, on the other hand, had a clearer head. “You should lie down,” he reminded her.

  “Yeah? I like that plan.” She kissed him again, pulling him toward the door.

  He let her go, but turned her toward the door so she could open it. He kept close enough behind her that she could still feel his heat on her back.

  “Reverie. I was starting to worry.” Grandma stood in the kitchen, one hand on the counter, watching the timer on the oven.

  All sexual heat fled to be replaced with physical heat. “Ugh, oven in the summer,” Rev complained, lifting her shirt to breathe down it.

  “Lucius?” Grandma asked.

  He waved. “Hi there, Penny.”

  “Are you staying?” She quirked a grey eyebrow.

  Rev inched her way toward the bedroom, longing to lie down.

  “No,” Lucius answered. “Rev got too much sun and I was making sure she got home okay.” He followed her, but stopped at the door to her room. She stood inside, looking at him a bit confused.

  “That’s nice of you. Can he bring you anything?” Grandma’s voice carried through the house.

  “No, I’m good. Thank you, Lucius. For everything.”

  He reached out to touch her cheek but didn’t cross the threshold of her room. He whispered, “I think she’ll kill me if I come in.”

  Rev nodded in agreement. They’d have to pick things up another time. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Sounds great.” He turned and called out. “Good night, Penny.”

  Rev let herself fall face first onto the bed with an exaggerated sigh.

  “Have a good night, Lucius.” Once the door closed behind him, Grandma peered into her room. “There’s enough if you want to eat something.”

  Rev turned her head to the side to speak. “Nah, I’m wiped. I’ll grab something when I wake up.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Reverie crawled up the bed until her head found her pillow.

  Turn the Page for an excerpt from Honor & Privilege, Book One in the Cargon Trilogy, A Young Adult Novel by Kimberly Gould.

  Excerpt from Honor & Privilege

  IN A POST-APOCALYPTIC world, a lowly servant is at the front of a second renaissance.

  Eve is born to the lowest caste, but her sharp mind brings her to the attention of the elite.

  In an unprecedented move, she initiates a game of Cargon, the method elite use to rank themselves, and wins a place among them. From within, she sparks new ideas, ones that will literally enlighten her world.

  Can she balance the sacrifices that come with her new privilege? Will she marry a partner that will bring her honor as well as love?

  Standing at the back of the room, Eve was thrilled to be in the class even though her status prevented her from actively participating. The young adults in the seats were elite. Born to the wiliest, most intelligent people in Fontive. Eve, by contrast, was born to a cook and stableman. She served in the palace as her parents did, serving wine when the elite joined for dinner every evening. Attending this class was a gift beyond measure.

  Although her intelligence matched or rivaled that of those seated, she wouldn't be able to speak with them or sit among them. Her place was here, at the back, inconspicuous. She had done her duty if no one ever realized she was there.

  She wasn't that lucky.

  "Server girl."

  Eve clenched her jaw and tried her best to prepare for what torment the Prince might have for her today.

  Prince Louis put his nose to her hair. Inhaling deeply, he sighed. "Would you taste as wonderful as you smell, I wonder?" His hand traced down her side, just off her skin. It brushed the fabric of her skirt, and she stepped to the side.

  He sidestepped with her, grinning now. "Skittish. I like that. Where will you jump to next?" He moved to place his hand on her again, and she leaned away to her left, twisting from him. Her skirts brushed his legs. Technically, she wasn't allowed to touch him, and it was a loss of face for him to touch her. That didn't stop him.

  He continued to pursue her as she backed herself into the corner. He put his hands to either side of her head, trapping her effectively. Finally, unable to find another response, she turned her eyes level to his. In them, she held all of her hatred, her anger, his loss of honor. Would he continue to ignore the impropriety he was inflicting?

  "I do wish our stations were not so distant." He pulled his arms away and turned from her.

  Eve fled to the library, her sanctuary. The rules of their society were clear. If she'd been interested and met him under cover of night, a relationship between one of the elite and a servant might be possible, but she'd never heard of one. She had never returned Louis' affections and he dared to approach her while she was doing as instructed.

  Storming up and down the aisles of books, she knew she had to get a hold on her temper. Her attitude was unbecoming, and although the librarians, as fellow servants, might not be offended, the elite accessing the library certainly would.

  She stopped among those elite, in front of the large windows that looked out onto the manicured gardens. Another servant pulled weeds, adding them to her basket. Hundreds of servants, easily ten times the number of elite, could be found throughout the palace. The majority didn't tread in these halls, manning laundries, kitchens, and grounds. Today, Eve envied them.

  Inhaling, Eve imagined she was in the garden, breathing the fresh air. From there, her imagination took her away from Fontive's palace. If she reached the wild lands, Louis would never bother her again. However, life there was difficult, coaxing the land to provide enough food for one's own family as well as the capitals. In return, Fontive provided them with safety and refined products: tools, cloth, ceramics.

  Perhaps there was another option. Turning, she made her way down the aisle full of histories. As a servant, she was taught nothing of the world before her birth or outside the palace. When she'd been sent to attend classes with the children of the elite, she'd learned about all the rulers before Bianca, their current High One. She passed those, however, looking for something older. One of the children had told a story that she hadn't thought about since she tested its veracity.

  Flipping through pages, she read about the ruins and relics recovered along with metal, glass and the strange material that gave off noxious fumes when anyone tried to melt it. They'd found no way to adapt that for their use. There were diagrams of skeletal buildings towering over trees.

  She flipped on, stopping at a page on power relics. These were mythical stories about the power of light. Before the fall, more than three hundred years ago, nearly anything could be done with the power and everything required it. No one had managed to recreate the power, and almost all the knowledge of that time had been lost.

  Looking at the strange diagrams and trying to intuit their purpose distracted her completely from her fury. When the gong rang, announcing dinner in an hour, Eve carried the book to the sorting table, knowing her duty and happy to do it.

  Although the elite would gather in an hour, she had half that to change her uniform and have her hair arranged. The
same servants who tended Eve and her fellow servants' hair would go into the elite wings to do the same for them.

  In the dining room, she was given matching pitchers of red and white wine. While she kept cups full, others would dart in and out to serve full plates and clear away empty ones.

  As she did every time she entered the dining hall, she stopped to regard the Cargon board. It's three-tiered surfaces and thirteen pieces made up the game elite used to rank themselves, to prove their fitness for their roles. Her keen interest in the game, and proven understanding of its rules, had directly led to her assignment in the classes of the elite.

  On Eve's first night in the dining hall, the High One had ordered her to never touch the pieces. She would never forget that night. At the time, she couldn't have imagined being noticed by someone so important, but the High One had spied her, gauged her interest, and tested her knowledge.

  Every few weeks, one of the elite would challenge another at the end of dinner. It seemed tonight would not be one of those. Cargon came with powerful consequences. The winner, deemed highly intelligent, took the place of the loser. If the loser came from lower status, he was further shamed and deemed less competent. Likewise, a winner of higher status was further honored and more likely to test those above him. What surprised and frightened Eve was the tendency of spouses to shift with the results as though their status, unchanged, kept them with the elite of that position. The practice, although well documented, made no sense to Eve. For all her intelligence, she would never claim to 'think' like the elite.

  After dinner, she lingered, watching the High One tend the board. It was strange to Eve that the highest among them would assume such a menial task, but she did the same every night. Eve was gobsmacked when, for the second time, the High One addressed her.

  "You return." Despite the fact that she spoke to Eve, the servant did not answer. She hadn't asked a question, after all. "Your studies progress well; I have been apprised." Eve felt her face flush. Bestowing the honor of instruction on her overwhelmed and now she continued to have an interest. "You have a question? Ask." the High One commanded.