contorted necks were straining to take a peek. How the “bad boy” of the village gained the favor of one of the Elder’s daughters was prime gossip, and everyone was trying to overhear details of the scoop.
“Let them stare,” Aidan replied finally, turning his attention to the front. “Unless you’re having second thoughts. This won’t get any easier once your father knows.”
“Don’t I know it,” Leah laughed nervously. “I feel like the music will stop abruptly and people will start fainting.”
“I’m not that ugly,” he winked to her, and she just held his arm tighter. A few low gasps were heard throughout the mob. There was no question over who Leah was with. Aidan was wearing the same robe that he loved so much, and Leah was easily identifiable. Leah was wearing a glittery, elegant gown that matched her hair’s color. The strapless dress held itself up at her shoulders and extended down into a lavish array that was of bridal quality. The only strange addition to her lovely gown was a holster that was strapped to her back and housed an obscure, thin object inside it.
“Maybe they’re gasping because you wouldn’t wear a tux to a formal event.”
“I’m sure that’s what it is,” Aidan said as he noticed someone angrily approaching them from his left.
“Greetings,” the black-haired boy said, his massive fists clenched tightly. “I notice you have Leah on your arm.” A couple of similarly aged villagers, sporting spiked Mohawks, joined their friend. Aidan, Leah, and the intruders stopped walking as the rest of the crowd continued forward, taking silent bets on what would happen next. Aidan smiled, took his arm from Leah, and then wrapped it around her back, hugging her hips tightly and pressing her side up against his. She pursed her lips into a curt smile and then leaned rapturously onto his arm. The black-haired boy grit his teeth.
“Why are you with this hot head?” he asked her. Leah gave no reply. She knew Aidan had enough to say for the both of them.
“She said yes when I asked her out,” Aidan replied, softening his face. “Simple as that.”
“Yeah, right.”
“No, it’s true. It’s not my fault you took forever to do it. Maybe you would have had a chance if you didn’t stay up all night rehearsing your poetry.”
“Be nice,” Leah said, smacking a hand on Aidan’s chest. He nodded and continued.
“But don’t worry. I’m not going to harm her. I don’t hurt women. Just prepubescent boys who claim to be men. You’re not one of those, are you?”
“You think that because you’ve lived out there, you’re tough,” the black-haired boy spat, inching closer to Aidan’s face. “But I’ve seen guys like you before. You never last. Because you’re not strong enough to take it.”
“Take what?” Aidan scoffed. “The rules? The uniformity? The relaxation?”
“The discipline. Your kind always get banished. If it wasn’t for Bailey covering for you, you wouldn’t even be here tonight. I would watch my back from here on out if I were you.”
“Well,” Aidan chuckled. “I have this lovely lady on my arm to watch it for me. Personally, I like to take a more direct approach.” In the next second, Aidan ripped himself from Leah’s embrace and grabbed the black-haired kid’s right hand. His friends started moving forward but Leah had already called forth her obsidian fan, the blades staring each of them in the face. The black-haired kid went to punch Aidan with his free hand when he suddenly stopped. He stared down at his clasped palm, so red it was as if it had been sitting in the midst of a fire. He slowly glanced back up into Aidan’s eyes.
“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Aidan replied with a steady voice. “One wrong move and I could set you ablaze.”
“You wouldn’t do that. You would be expelled.”
“So would you…technically. What’s your name?”
“Trevor.”
“And how do I know you, Trevor? You look familiar.”
“I
“Let them stare,” Aidan replied finally, turning his attention to the front. “Unless you’re having second thoughts. This won’t get any easier once your father knows.”
“Don’t I know it,” Leah laughed nervously. “I feel like the music will stop abruptly and people will start fainting.”
“I’m not that ugly,” he winked to her, and she just held his arm tighter. A few low gasps were heard throughout the mob. There was no question over who Leah was with. Aidan was wearing the same robe that he loved so much, and Leah was easily identifiable. Leah was wearing a glittery, elegant gown that matched her hair’s color. The strapless dress held itself up at her shoulders and extended down into a lavish array that was of bridal quality. The only strange addition to her lovely gown was a holster that was strapped to her back and housed an obscure, thin object inside it.
“Maybe they’re gasping because you wouldn’t wear a tux to a formal event.”
“I’m sure that’s what it is,” Aidan said as he noticed someone angrily approaching them from his left.
“Greetings,” the black-haired boy said, his massive fists clenched tightly. “I notice you have Leah on your arm.” A couple of similarly aged villagers, sporting spiked Mohawks, joined their friend. Aidan, Leah, and the intruders stopped walking as the rest of the crowd continued forward, taking silent bets on what would happen next. Aidan smiled, took his arm from Leah, and then wrapped it around her back, hugging her hips tightly and pressing her side up against his. She pursed her lips into a curt smile and then leaned rapturously onto his arm. The black-haired boy grit his teeth.
“Why are you with this hot head?” he asked her. Leah gave no reply. She knew Aidan had enough to say for the both of them.
“She said yes when I asked her out,” Aidan replied, softening his face. “Simple as that.”
“Yeah, right.”
“No, it’s true. It’s not my fault you took forever to do it. Maybe you would have had a chance if you didn’t stay up all night rehearsing your poetry.”
“Be nice,” Leah said, smacking a hand on Aidan’s chest. He nodded and continued.
“But don’t worry. I’m not going to harm her. I don’t hurt women. Just prepubescent boys who claim to be men. You’re not one of those, are you?”
“You think that because you’ve lived out there, you’re tough,” the black-haired boy spat, inching closer to Aidan’s face. “But I’ve seen guys like you before. You never last. Because you’re not strong enough to take it.”
“Take what?” Aidan scoffed. “The rules? The uniformity? The relaxation?”
“The discipline. Your kind always get banished. If it wasn’t for Bailey covering for you, you wouldn’t even be here tonight. I would watch my back from here on out if I were you.”
“Well,” Aidan chuckled. “I have this lovely lady on my arm to watch it for me. Personally, I like to take a more direct approach.” In the next second, Aidan ripped himself from Leah’s embrace and grabbed the black-haired kid’s right hand. His friends started moving forward but Leah had already called forth her obsidian fan, the blades staring each of them in the face. The black-haired kid went to punch Aidan with his free hand when he suddenly stopped. He stared down at his clasped palm, so red it was as if it had been sitting in the midst of a fire. He slowly glanced back up into Aidan’s eyes.
“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Aidan replied with a steady voice. “One wrong move and I could set you ablaze.”
“You wouldn’t do that. You would be expelled.”
“So would you…technically. What’s your name?”
“Trevor.”
“And how do I know you, Trevor? You look familiar.”
“I
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