Channeler's Choice by Heather McCorkle Page B

wanted to slap the smug look from Bridget’s face. She started to rise. Fane’s hand tightened on her arm, pulling her back down.
    “ Let it go, Cuz. You’ll have your chance to fight her soon enough,” he said.
    The crowd settled back down and most of them took their seats. People started to come and go as the judges prepared for the Irish boys’ matches. Bridget paused to talk to a group of girls on the sidelines. Ten minutes later, Caitlin emerged from the locker room wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, her wet hair clinging to her. Gaze flicking to Caitlin, Bridget said goodbye to her friends and started toward the locker room. Caitlin slowed and gave Bridget a dirty look. Pretending not to notice, Bridget flung her hair from her brow and kept walking.
    Eren would have stormed down there if Fane’s grip hadn’t held her in place.
    “ Hey guys,” Caitlin said as she climbed the bleachers to them.
    Sighing, she sat down in front of Fane and leaned back against his legs. Heedless of her long, wet curls, Fane leaned forward and put his arms on her shoulders.
    “ You fought valiantly. It was inspiring,” he said.
    “ Jeez, Fane you’re hard to follow. ‘You did great’ sounds so lame after that, but you did do great Caitlin,” Eren said.
    Caitlin grunted and gave Eren an apologetic look. “Not good enough. Sorry, Eren, I really wanted to beat her for you,” she said.
    “ Thanks, but you didn’t have to. Just watching you pummel her was great,” Eren said.
    The disappointed look left Caitlin’s eyes as she laughed. They talked about Bridget’s style, habits, and weaknesses while one of the elementary school students mopped the mats. Their conversation was cut short when Bridget emerged from the locker room and sat only a few levels down in front of them. Eren ground her teeth while Bridget chatted up her blond entourage.
    A pleasant pulling sensation drew Eren’s attention to the door of the boy’s locker room. Aiden stepped out a moment later and smiled as he met her gaze. She was too stunned to smile back. Wearing only a pair of clinging black shorts, his chiseled physique took her breath away. His smile turned into a smirk. Laughing and shaking her head, she looked down at her shoes.
    “ You gonna need a cold shower, Eren?” Caitlin laughed.
    Eren slugged her lightly in the shoulder and mumbled, “No.”
    A red-headed boy entered the ring with Aiden and they hit knuckles before settling into fighting stances. As they waited for the signal to begin, the red-headed boy kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His eyes were a little too wide and he his Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed repeatedly.
    The signal was given and Aiden moved in. He dodged and wove so fast that he made the red-headed boy look like he was moving in slow motion. In only three seconds he landed four punches to the boy’s midsection. Though it clearly would have been easy, Aiden never once hit the boy in the face. A whistle blew before the end of the third round. Rather than look disappointed, the red-headed boy looked relieved. The head judge took both boys by the hand, announced that match point had been reached, and thrust Aiden’s hand into the air.
    Before the judge even raised his hand all the way, Eren was on her feet cheering. Much to her annoyance, she was drowned out by Bridget’s high-pitched whistle. She glared at the back of the girl’s blond bob, wishing she had a cool superpower like heat vision or something. Superior speed and strength fed by her power were great, but right now she’d trade them for heat vision.
    Bridget cringed and shot a wide-eyed look back at Eren as she sat down.
    “ Easy there, Cuz, I think she felt that,” Fane whispered in Eren’s ear.
    “ Hell yeah she did! That was awesome. Do it again!” Caitlin exclaimed.
    The tension drained out of her as Eren laughed. Maybe it wasn’t heat ray vision, but the fact that Bridget had felt the weight of her gaze was pretty