Tameka didn’t wait for Rayne to come back into the cafeteria. When Sagan walked inside, escorted like a prisoner, Tameka went to her closest friend. She found Rayne outside, sitting on a picnic table near tears.

As Tameka sat down beside her, she smoothed a hand over Rayne’s back. “Hey. You don’t have to tell me anything, but I’m here for you.”

“I love you, Tameka.”

That came out of nowhere and took her aback. Before Tameka could ask, Rayne answered her question. “Maybe I didn’t tell her enough. Maybe I pushed her away and didn’t know it. So I’m telling you before you leave me, too. I love you.”

Tameka tsked and pulled Rayne against her. “Girl, that ain’t happening. We’ll see the end of the world together, you hear me?”

Rayne squeezed a mite too hard, and something cracked. “Shit, I’m sorry!”

It hurt to laugh, but Tameka did it anyway. “I’m sure my rib will eventually heal. You’ve got to be the strongest of us now.”

“I’ll be more careful.” Rayne promised it as if she feared Tameka would stop being her friend otherwise. Whatever was happening had done a number on the brunette girl.

Tameka stood and held out her hand. “Come on. We’ve got a quiz in history, and I know you haven’t studied. You can copy my cheat sheet.”

Rayne took her hand and stood. “Thanks. I mean it. Thank you.”

Tameka pulled Rayne close against her side and chafed her arm. “To quote a certain Icarus, ‘I got you.’”

That made Rayne smile. They walked together back into the cafeteria—

Oops.

Tameka accidentally bumped into a fellow redhead. “Hey, Matt. Sorry.”

Matt Anderson, pale and freckled with short auburn hair, smiled, but it didn’t reach his almost black eyes. He said, “No worries, ladies. Are you two coming to the game Saturday?”

Baseball. Not really Tameka’s thing, but…

“Sure. Why not? I think this one could do with getting out of the house.” She playfully nudged Rayne.

Subdued, but living, the brunette said, “Yeah. Of course, Matt. We’ll see you there.”

There was something about his smile that reminded Tameka of a shark. A handsome one, no doubt. The boy kept in peak physical condition, but it was like Rayne, who at least had the excuse of an apocalypse to drive her.

What drove Matt Anderson?

“Hey!” Kyle ran out of the cafeteria, distracting Tameka. He indicated with his thumb at the cafeteria doors. “You two are missing one kick ass fight.”

Nikki followed, breathless. “They’re shutting the gates.”

Oh, it must be a big one.

Tameka dragged Rayne by the hand into the cafeteria, and yup. The security guards were rolling down the riot gates. No one in or out while the three guys in the center went at it. One of which, Tameka was ashamed to say, she’d dated. And how about that? He fought as clumsily as he fucked—

“Rayne, what’re you doing?!”

Before Tameka even finished the question, Rayne jumped onto a cafeteria table, ran down the length of it, and leaped onto two of the boys. She pinned one and said something into his ear which stopped his struggling.

The second one swung at Rayne. She let his fist go by her before grabbing his arm and wrenching it behind him. Again, she whispered something in his ear, and he stopped.

Rayne faced the third boy and waved for him to come at her. There was something crazed in her expression, and Tameka worried she’d make a habit of picking fights.

Chock full of testosterone, the teen boy unwisely charged at her.

With ease, Rayne caught him and suplexed him over her head and onto the table. It clattered with the force of his landing, and he gaped like a fish, unable to take in air. Deftly, Rayne thwacked his chest, and he took such a deep breath that his spine bowed with it.

Wild.

That’s how Rayne looked.

Tameka ran into the center of the cafeteria and grabbed her by the arm. Rayne let Tameka pull her into the crowd—

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“Ms. Callahan.”

Shit. Too late.

Mrs. Mendax emerged from the sea of students trapped inside the cafeteria. For all her five-foot, three-inch stature, their principal looked intimidating when she folded her arms and glared. “I expected better out of you, young lady.”

A voice in the crowd shouted, “She started it.” And others agreed.

Tameka glanced toward the voice and almost snarled.

Justin.

Locked in his grip, Sagan looked devastated and completely powerless.

What the fuck was going on?

Kyle called, “It’s Rayne’s first offense. You won’t suspend her for this, will you, Mrs. Mendax?”

Behind Tameka, Nikki took Rayne’s hand and squeezed. But the girl in question stared at the principal with the same wild look in her cobalt eyes. She was breathing hard from the exertion or… excitement? Tameka wasn’t sure what was happening in her closest friend’s head, and Tameka realized she’d need to talk to Xelan about it.

After a considering moment, Mrs. Mendax tugged on the lapels of her blazer, straightening it. “Rayne, you’ll spend the rest of the week in detention.” She grabbed the one boy on the table by the arm and dragged him off of it. “You, too. Don’t disrespect my school again.”

Tameka sighed with relief. Detention was manageable. Suspension was too harsh for Rayne’s first offense. Not to mention, Tameka believed it was good for Rayne to get out of the house, even if it was just for school. Tameka glanced Rayne over. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” That was a damned lie. Rayne’s pupils were dilated, and Tameka could see her pulse pounding in her carotid.

Kyle asked, “Do you want me to get detention so you’ll have company?”

Nikki snickered at the suggestion. “We could all get it and join you in protest.”

That was enough to snap Rayne out of it and make her smile. “Thanks, guys. I’m fine.”

Bullshit.

Tameka hugged Rayne, assuring, “Whatever is happening to you, I’m here.”

Rayne’s response only furthered Tameka’s concern. “Please don’t tell Xelan.”

As security arrived to collect Rayne, Tameka frowned.

How could she not tell Xelan?

“Stay down!” Xelan ordered for the third time. He walked away from Tameka and headed for the playground equipment. Their bags were by the rope tree.

Tameka’s backyard opened onto an elementary school in the Meadowcliff subdivision. A great location for training. And making out. Though, Xelan was always too focused for the latter. Much to her disappointment.

And Tameka wanted none of Xelan’s orders tonight. Her biceps bunched when she threw herself into a kip up and charged at him. Tameka’s lungs burned, her head ached, and her bruises screamed. Why was she doing this again? Oh, yeah. Cause there was no chance she was ever staying down.

Tameka never made a sound, but she came at Xelan from upwind. Big mistake. As soon as she came in range, he spun into a tornado crescent kick, and sent her crashing back into the dirt. She groaned and coughed out the little particles of earth.

“You are so damned stubborn! You’re by far the most tenacious Progeny I’ve ever met.” Xelan stepped over her and reached out a hand. “Why can’t you just stay down?!”

Above him, the stars winked and played in their games. It would be a shame to waste such a night.

Tameka gripped his hand and twisted a foot around his ankle. She pulled, and he came tumbling down on top of her. Elbows and knees jabbed in uncomfortable parts of her body until Xelan spread out above Tameka in a plank. Not well thought out, she’d admit, but it got him down on the ground with her.

Tameka took Xelan’s face in both her hands. “Look at the stars with me?”

There.

An innocent request.

“Of all the things for you to do, and of all the things for you to say right now…” Xelan broke into a grin.

Tameka smiled in return.

“Fine. Ten minutes, then I’m heading to our fearless leader’s house.” Xelan rolled over beside Tameka. Not an improvement, but at least she had him for a little while.

Tameka shrugged. “It’s not like she sleeps, anyway.” She was not about to ruin this moment with news of today’s events.

Xelan grumped in agreement while he gazed into the night. He said, “There are better views. The city’s too bright. One day I’ll show you a true night sky.” He turned to her with a gorgeous, genuine smile.

Tameka’s breath left her.

Future plans.

With Xelan.

His smile twisted just a little. “Breathe,” he said.

Deep inhale. Tameka let it out on a sigh.

Xelan looked too pleased with himself.

A thought occurred to Tameka. “Why do you stare up at the stars so often?”

“The sun swallowed Cinder before I was born.” Xelan expanded his hands to cover the entire sky, saying, “There are no stars. Only the fire.” He stared into the black with his hands resting on his stomach. After a quiet second, he asked without even a glance at her, “Tameka?”

“Yes.”

“What else have you noticed about me?” Xelan kept his eyes on the cosmos.

Tameka sputtered. “Well, uhm… You see…”

When Xelan turned to her, Tameka swallowed hard. A heaviness had settled into his eyes. So sad. A little lost. She reached out to him and touched his face.

Xelan let her.

Tameka traced the angle of his cheekbone and the strong line of his jaw. When her fingers brushed his lips, Xelan took her hand, saying, “Tameka, we can’t.”

“Why not?” Her voice sounded petulant even to her.

“Because you’re too young. I was there when you were born.”

Tameka drew her hand back and stifled a groan. The same old tale of how her birth signaled the oncoming invasion. It was history to her. “I’m eighteen.” Tameka tried to ignore the urge to cross her arms and sulk. She turned away from him and looked back at the sky.

Xelan shook his head. “I’m ancient. I won’t take advantage of you. You have an entire life to build. So many wonders to experience. It would be selfish of me to stand in the way of that even if I am extremely attracted to you.”

Well, that got Tameka’s attention, but when she opened her mouth to say something, anything… nothing came out.

Xelan dared poke her nose. “Besides, I’ll still be devastatingly hot when you’re old enough.”

Laughter bubbled out of Tameka and then… the dreaded snort.

Xelan’s smile broadened until all his teeth gleamed. “That’s my girl. Now…” He made to stand up. “Let’s tuck you in.”

“Wait. I need to tell you something else.” Yes, Tameka was about to use Rayne’s bad day as an excuse to keep Xelan on the ground with her. “Rayne’s going through something, and it’s leaking into school.”

Xelan frowned. “I know something’s wrong between the other girls. I tried to talk to Sagan, but I won’t force her to tell me what’s wrong.”

Tameka nodded, knowing the feeling exactly since she spent all afternoon trying to pry it gently from Rayne. “Can you talk to Rayne about it, tonight? She’s got detention for the rest of the week.”

Xelan’s brows shot up. “Is it that bad?”

“I’m afraid so.”

It wasn’t his famous grin, but it was reassuring all the same. “I got you.”

At the use of Xelan’s catch phrase, Tameka snorted again.