Keystone by Misty Provencher Page A

proof of how much I care about Garrett- how my whole body turns to lightening when he’s around and how his voice puts something back together in me. Like she should know how wide open I am with him and how I would do anything to make him happy. And there’s a part of me that wants her to know that she doesn’t have to worry about protecting Garrett. I can be protective enough for both of us.
    “You know, Nali’s a Contego, right?” Zane drawls. “Which means that she could relocate your little Belladonna butt faster than a weed whacker.”
    Zaneen rolls her eyes at her brother, but watches Garrett’s every move as he reaches for me. He pulls me close, against his ribs and I guess he’s decided to take advantage of the whole window in the training schedule after all. I’m glad he does. The arc of electricity that fires through me erases all of Zaneen’s sour glares. I melt against Garrett’s side instead.
    “I’m irresistible,” Garrett says with a laugh.
    “Of course you are,” Zaneen says, but it’s pretty obvious, even before she looks up at Garrett and her smile opens wide, that Zaneen and I will never be friends. And I get a wide-screen idea of what kind of enemies we’ll be the moment she reaches up and touches a lock of Garrett’s hair as she giggles and whispers to him, “It’s not like it’s ever been a secret.”
    “That’s hysterical,” Zane pops up between his sister and Garrett. “Because I would bet Nali’s thinkin’ the same dang thing.”
    That’s when it hits me exactly what Zaneen is. She’s another Jen. But she’s a grazillion times worse. I’ll probably never even see Jen now that she and Garrett’s senior year is over, but with Zaneen and I, we’re both tied to the Ianua and that’s never going to change.
    A heavy thing sinks in my stomach and drags down my heart.
    I didn’t mean to believe that being Contego would be some magical thing that would make everything easier…but I did. I hoped that being one of the Ianua would mean that I belonged, that I’d have friends and a feeling of family. But now, with Zaneen glaring at me, I realize it’s not what I hoped at all. We are going to be enemies, fighting for all the same things.
    I glance at Garrett and his brow jumps once, making a joke of it all, just for me.
    Deeta touches my arm and says, “Zane said you’re Garrett’s Vieo. Congratulations.”
    “You are?” Zaneen’s smile droops as she looks from me, to Garrett, to Zane, and back again.
    “Um,” I still have no real idea what a Vieo is, even though Deeta says it the same way Zane did, as if it’s something really good. I think it means I’m Garrett’s girlfriend, but I don’t know for sure. “I don’t know what that means…”
    Zane lassos Robin’s neck with one arm, pushing his nose through her hair and into her ear. “Remember when we were Vieos?”
    “Ugh.” Robin shoves him away. “Get off me.”
    Zane pulls his head away with a laugh. “That’s why,” he says to me, “this one’s my wife.”
    I’m sure my eyes bug out a little. He doesn’t seem to be joking, but he’s got to be. They just graduated. They couldn’t have been married while they were still in school. I think it’s against school rules. I don’t even think it’s even legal. I’m pretty sure I heard him wrong, especially when Robin lands a fist in Zane’s gut and he doubles over with an oomph. He lets go of Robin, but he’s still laughing as he snaps his jaws at her.
    “This one’s vicious,” he says. Robin slaps him and Zaneen turns her back on me and walks away. She goes all the way around the table to the other side and drags out a chair. Zane leans over the table and opens his mouth to say something to her, but Robin pulls him back.
    “Lay off Neenie,” she says. “You know she’s broken hearted.”
    “Like it was ever going to happen,” Zane counters, but he lets it go. We all look anywhere else we can, besides at each other for a moment. And then