said.
Aiden nodded and continued across the street, pulling her after him. She followed without protest but her head turned so she could take another long look at the meeting place. It held an interest that she couldn’t quite explain. Not only did it smell fascinating—almost metallic—it felt as though it were pulsing with energy. That sounded crazy, but then so had much of what she’d been told lately.
“Once we start coming into our power then it’s time for us to choose our own Society anyway. It’s time when we belong nowhere,” Aiden said.
The words drew her attention back to him. Did that mean she had the chance to really belong somewhere? To have not only her aunt and grandfather, but an entire family? The hope that idea stirred in her was staggering.
There was no more time to think upon it because they had reached the sidewalk and Zolin’s store. Just like the coffee shop, the bookstore sat on a corner, only this was on the Maya corner. The big two-story building was beige colored adobe that looked like it had been built well over a hundred years ago. Adobe always looked like that though, so it was hard to tell the true age of the place.
A little bell hanging upon the glass door announced their entrance. The ancient hardwood floors were polished to such a high shine that the sunlight bounced off them and blinded Eren. The smell of used books and old ink was powerful, but not unpleasant. Aiden guided her into the room and away from the glare. She opened her eyes. Unlike the coffee house, there were no windows in this shop. Instead, every wall was lined with packed bookshelves. More filled the spaces between. Very little empty floor space remained beyond the entrance. It was a lot of books for a small town.
“Wow,” Eren said. She was intimidated and suddenly very worried about history class.
“People read a lot in this town. There’s no theater and there aren’t many of us who have TVs,” Aiden said.
Rolling her eyes, Eren sighed. For the first time, these people really didn’t seem human. The TV she could live without, but no movie theater seemed a bit extreme. How were they supposed to know what was going on with the rest of the world? Oh yeah, internet. At least there was that.
“Guess we won’t be catching any movies together then,” Eren murmured as her eyes scanned the depths of the store.
There was no one at the counter and she didn’t see her grandfather down any of the aisles. The door was open so she figured he must be here. An open door at the far end of the room drew her attention.
“Sure we will. We’ll just have to drive to the city,” Aiden said.
Eren’s eyes flew open and she blushed before her hair could drop down to cover her face. She hadn’t thought he’d actually hear her! Wait a second, had he really said what she thought he’d said? The blush grew so hot it became uncomfortable. Dizziness washed over her and her body started to vibrate very subtly. A few deep breaths later and she had it under control. That made her smile. She was getting better at this.
“Eren, is that you?” her grandfather’s voice came from the back of the room.
“Yeah, Grandpa,” she called back.
She loved how that sounded, how it felt on her tongue. It made her wonder how her parents could have kept her from knowing her family. They were a small family for sure, but that made it worse, not better. There must be more to the story than Aunt Sylvia and her grandfather were telling her. Her parents had not been cruel. They wouldn’t have kept her from knowing them without a good reason. Having to leave town because they were a mixed couple was not a good reason.
Zolin emerged from the back room smiling and calling out a greeting to Aiden. He walked like a strong, healthy man, not like someone she should be calling grandpa. She felt a bit guilty until a thought occurred to her; she had no idea how long they lived.
“Come, sit down,” he motioned to a group of three leather
Aiden nodded and continued across the street, pulling her after him. She followed without protest but her head turned so she could take another long look at the meeting place. It held an interest that she couldn’t quite explain. Not only did it smell fascinating—almost metallic—it felt as though it were pulsing with energy. That sounded crazy, but then so had much of what she’d been told lately.
“Once we start coming into our power then it’s time for us to choose our own Society anyway. It’s time when we belong nowhere,” Aiden said.
The words drew her attention back to him. Did that mean she had the chance to really belong somewhere? To have not only her aunt and grandfather, but an entire family? The hope that idea stirred in her was staggering.
There was no more time to think upon it because they had reached the sidewalk and Zolin’s store. Just like the coffee shop, the bookstore sat on a corner, only this was on the Maya corner. The big two-story building was beige colored adobe that looked like it had been built well over a hundred years ago. Adobe always looked like that though, so it was hard to tell the true age of the place.
A little bell hanging upon the glass door announced their entrance. The ancient hardwood floors were polished to such a high shine that the sunlight bounced off them and blinded Eren. The smell of used books and old ink was powerful, but not unpleasant. Aiden guided her into the room and away from the glare. She opened her eyes. Unlike the coffee house, there were no windows in this shop. Instead, every wall was lined with packed bookshelves. More filled the spaces between. Very little empty floor space remained beyond the entrance. It was a lot of books for a small town.
“Wow,” Eren said. She was intimidated and suddenly very worried about history class.
“People read a lot in this town. There’s no theater and there aren’t many of us who have TVs,” Aiden said.
Rolling her eyes, Eren sighed. For the first time, these people really didn’t seem human. The TV she could live without, but no movie theater seemed a bit extreme. How were they supposed to know what was going on with the rest of the world? Oh yeah, internet. At least there was that.
“Guess we won’t be catching any movies together then,” Eren murmured as her eyes scanned the depths of the store.
There was no one at the counter and she didn’t see her grandfather down any of the aisles. The door was open so she figured he must be here. An open door at the far end of the room drew her attention.
“Sure we will. We’ll just have to drive to the city,” Aiden said.
Eren’s eyes flew open and she blushed before her hair could drop down to cover her face. She hadn’t thought he’d actually hear her! Wait a second, had he really said what she thought he’d said? The blush grew so hot it became uncomfortable. Dizziness washed over her and her body started to vibrate very subtly. A few deep breaths later and she had it under control. That made her smile. She was getting better at this.
“Eren, is that you?” her grandfather’s voice came from the back of the room.
“Yeah, Grandpa,” she called back.
She loved how that sounded, how it felt on her tongue. It made her wonder how her parents could have kept her from knowing her family. They were a small family for sure, but that made it worse, not better. There must be more to the story than Aunt Sylvia and her grandfather were telling her. Her parents had not been cruel. They wouldn’t have kept her from knowing them without a good reason. Having to leave town because they were a mixed couple was not a good reason.
Zolin emerged from the back room smiling and calling out a greeting to Aiden. He walked like a strong, healthy man, not like someone she should be calling grandpa. She felt a bit guilty until a thought occurred to her; she had no idea how long they lived.
“Come, sit down,” he motioned to a group of three leather
Similar Books
