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  With her thumb, Karma wiped a smudge of dirt from her son’s forehead. He winced at how cold her hands were. Earlier, his mother had suggested he go outside to burn off some anxiety with Rory, but it wasn’t long before he was back inside, pacing in the kitchen. “Am I too dirty?” he asked, his voice more strained than usual. “Should I go take a shower?”

  She motioned for him to wash his hands in the sink. “You’re presentable. Just go get the door before she leaves,” Karma said.

  Cale hadn’t thought of the possibility of Ava leaving. He hurried past his mother, knocking the cutting board to the floor again. Karma sighed and rinsed the steaks off as Cale flung the door open.

  “You’re early,” he said. “My dad’s still in the shower. I haven’t even told him yet.”

  “Haven’t told him what?” Ava asked as she pulled at her shirt, willing it to be looser on her.

  Cale stammered before coming up with a suitable response. “I haven’t told him you’re having dinner with us,” he said. It wasn’t a lie. Cale never lied.

  Ava stood back a few feet from the door. Her hair was up in a ponytail, just like it had been at the gym. Nothing special. She couldn’t understand why Cale was beaming at her the way he was and after a few seconds, she entertained the idea of calling up T and running for it.

  “Look, I can’t stay long,” she said, about to take a step towards the driveway. “You have the money?”

  Cale’s smile dropped clean off his face. “Why can’t you stay?”

  She shrugged. “I just have stuff to do.”

  “Oh. You mean like staying and having dinner with us?”

  Out of curiosity alone, Ava peeked over Cale’s shoulder. The smell of grilled peppers filled the air and Ava had to put a hand over her stomach to keep it from sounding off. Karma appeared behind her son and held out a tray of the peppers, cooked to perfection, drizzled with butter and teriyaki. Ava studied the plate, then slowly picked one of the pepper cubes up and bit into it. It was filled with the kind of flavor that made a person drool on themselves. Ava wiped her chin with the back of her hand.

  “You must be Ava. Welcome.” She put on a smile. “I’m Karma.”

  The slim woman was pale skinned with coffee colored hair. Her eyes were the darkest, deepest blue Ava had ever seen and nothing like Cale’s. “Well, don’t just stand there. Come in. You’re early enough to help me in the kitchen.”

  Karma didn’t leave room for objections and Cale gave his mother a quick look of gratitude before she shooed him away. “Go play with your brother and let us ladies chat,” she said.

  Ava couldn’t help but notice that Karma was nothing like Miriam. And it wasn’t just because of the odd accent. Ava couldn’t place it. It was almost English, almost American, almost…something else.

  No, it was her nature. Miriam would have been sheepish about a hesitant guest at her front door and she would never chase anyone away, even if she desperately wanted them gone. Even Karma’s movements were unlike anything Ava had ever seen. Her steps were both mechanical and flawless. Like a ballerina with a physics degree.

  Karma set Ava up with a knife and a cutting board for dicing up onions and potatoes while she slid her own knife through more meaty strips of steak. They worked quietly for a few minutes, slicing and cubing without conversation, which Ava was grateful for. It was almost a respectful silence, as if Karma knew she’d rather not be forced into small talk, as if the woman wasn’t a fan of “chatting” herself.

  Part of Ava couldn’t believe Karma and Cale had been so welcoming. She was a complete stranger, yet there she was, helping with dinner and snacking on the appetizers Karma had left within her reach. But then again, Ava hadn’t yet met Cale’s father. She was sure he wouldn’t be as warm as the others.

  “So, is that bruise on your nose from boxing?” Karma asked, her voice as smooth as her eyes were sharp. “Cale tells me you’re very talented.”

  “Uh…yeah,” Ava said. “He’s not so bad himself.”

  Karma stole a grilled pepper and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, keeping her eyes on her knife as she asked the next question. “And the bruise on your arm?”

  Ava nearly sliced her finger off. How did she know? She had been sure to cover it up well, to move as though it wasn’t there. She had had plenty of practice at that sort of thing.

  “I noticed you’re favoring it, though you hide it well.” Karma glanced up at her. She answered almost as if she had read Ava’s mind.

  “I am very good at noticing.” She rinsed her hands off in the sink. “The human face is made of fifty two muscles. There are thousands of combinations of muscular movements that betray what a person may feel or think at any given time. That, combined with posture, vocal tone and quality, eye fluctuations, and changes in skin pigmentation, breathing, and heart rate make it easy to…notice.”

  Ava blinked. The woman had just unloaded her onto Ava, from silence to an overwhelming info dump.

  “Are you…some kind of scientist?”

  Karma looked up at her. “How did you get it? The bruise?”

  Ava tried to control her facial expression. Don’t look so nervous. Instead she kept working on the vegetables. “Yeah, boxing’s a tough sport,” she said as casually as she could.

  Karma smiled a little as she looked at Ava, who made the mistake of looking back. Karma’s eyes seemed to go on forever–an ocean of blue, a well of intelligence, but with an icy bite to them.

  “I know a lie when I hear one,” she said. “But that’s alright. It’s not my business. Just do me a favor and keep it from Cale unless you want a scene.”

  “Why?” What would he care?

  Karma shrugged. “A gentleman doesn’t like to see a young lady mistreated. They may be rough around the edges, but all of my boys are gentlemen.”

  Ava followed her outside and handed the food off to a boy who looked remarkably like Karma as he manned the grill. Dark hair, pale skin, blue eyes. He couldn’t have been older than sixteen.

  “This is my youngest, Cameron,” Karma said. “Cameron, this is the Ava we’ve been hearing so much about.”

  Cameron didn’t smile at Ava and he certainly didn’t exude the calculated charm that his mother seemed to. Ava almost felt colder standing next to him. She rubbed the goose bumps off her arms, glad for her long sleeves, though they’d done little to shield her from Karma’s observational skills.

  “Nice to meet you,” was all Cameron said before returning to his work, flipping the steaks and vegetables that were already browning over the fire. “How would you like your steak?”

  “I’m a vegetarian, actually,” Ava said. It was a matter of taste. She had never liked the consistency of meat. She waited for the questions that always accompanied that statement. The “What? No meat? Why not?” and the “Is it a religious preference?”

  Karma didn’t even blink at her. “I’ll prepare some more vegetables, then,” she said, disappearing inside before Ava could follow.

  Cale and Rory were tossing a football back and forth with remarkable accuracy. “Hey, Ava,” Rory shouted, hurling the ball towards the grill.

  Cameron ducked in anticipation, ready for the ball to topple the entire operation, but Ava ran forward, reached out one hand and caught the ball, bringing it to her chest before it collided with the cooking apparatus. She hid her flinch well as she straightened back up. Cale and Rory exchanged looks that Ava couldn’t interpret.

  “Throw it here,” Rory said.

  Ava had the oddest feeling the boys were testing her. Like they were watching every little thing she did. Maybe they don’t get a lot of visitors, she thought. Though she wanted nothing more than to send the ball spiraling into the bigger boy’s face, she walked over to them.

  “My brother, Rory,” Cale said apologetically.

  “What was the point of throwing it so hard?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at Rory before placing the ball into his palm. “You trying to prove something?”

  Ro
ry smiled with a shrug. “I don’t know my strength sometimes.”

  Unlike Cale, Rory had no problem twisting the truth. He had been testing Ava, trying to find what Cale had seen in her. He hadn’t been impressed with Ava during the boxing match, and he wasn’t impressed then. To him, she looked small. Small and weak.

  But Cale didn’t need proof. He knew what Ava was. And she was more than enough.

  “We can eat now,” Cameron said from behind the grill.

  He set some of the food on the picnic table that stood off to the side of the big back yard. Water already sat in pitchers on the table, and Ava was grateful for a drink. Her body always let her know when it needed the stuff. Apparently, so did the Anders brothers–with the exception of Cameron, who stood silently by. Cale and Rory each took a jug for themselves and downed it.

  “Manners,” Karma said smoothly as she reentered the backyard with more raw vegetables and a disapproving frown. “We have a guest.”

  “A guest, huh? I would have put on pants.” The voice was deep, a tint of a southern drawl to it.

  No one laughed at Mac’s attempt at a joke. The large man rubbed a towel against his wet hair until Karma pulled it from him. “You’d think we were all barbarians,” she said, scowling as she folded it. “Not at dinner. Set a good example.”

  Ava had a feeling the Anders’ were trying very hard to be polite for her. She could tell they were monitoring the things they said and even the things they did and didn’t do. She wondered whether Cale’s father would be angry that he hadn’t been told she was coming.

  “Call me Mac,” he said, stretching out a thick arm to Ava and swallowing her hand in his. “I have to apologize. These heathens are my doing.”

  When Mac grinned he looked exactly like his oldest, Rory. Same sandy hair and freckles, same hearty, muscular build and height. Ava shook his hand in complete surprise. Mac was not what she expected. She felt genuine warmth when he smiled. His sons didn’t shy away from him. In fact, it seemed like Cale and Rory were glad he was finally outside.

  “Eat, Dad, we’re starving,” Rory said.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce her to me first?”

  Everyone’s heads whipped around to Cale, who was holding his empty pitcher and practically blushing. “Um…this is Ava. This is her.”

  Ave grimaced. Why did he say it like that?

  Mac’s faced turned serious and Ava braced herself. His eyes zoned in on Cale like the thunderstorm Ava expected all along was about to break loose.

  “You mean…you found her? This is her?”

  Cale looked over at Ava, as if to make sure before he spoke, but he felt ridiculous that he even bothered to double check. He knew it was Ava. There was no way around that truth. He nodded his head.

  Suddenly, Mac rushed forward and wrapped his big arms around Cale. He hoisted him into the air as he jumped up and down. He was shouting. Not words, not even a song. Just shouting out of some gladness Ava didn’t understand. Rory joined in, hopping along with them. Karma and Cameron shared quiet looks. Ava just stared, bewildered at the show of happiness. I didn’t think affection could be this loud.

  Finally, when Mac released his boys, he picked a steak up right in his hands and tore a big chunk out of it. With his mouth still full, he yelled, “Tonight, we eat!”

  Cale and Rory snatched steaks of their own and the others –Karma and Cameron–sat without even looking at the food. The pile of grilled vegetables steamed before Ava, all hers. She tried to remember her etiquette as she ate, despite the sound of the boys scarfing down their food.

  Mac sat down and put an arm around her. “Welcome to the family.”

  Ava stiffened before she pulled away. “Look, I don’t get what’s going on here,” she said, looking around the table, her eyes landing on Cale. “I just met this dude today.”

  Mac froze, then gave Cale a stern look. “She hasn’t said ‘yes’ yet?”

  Cale’s face flushed. He was mid bite, his mouth stuffed with meat. “We haven’t talked about it.” He swallowed and chased the lump in his throat with water. “I haven’t had the chance.”

  “Talked about what?” Ava asked. She was starting to get frustrated. Maybe it’s time for me to get my money and get out of here.

  “Go now,” Mac said. “Now, Cale.”

  Cale fought the sudden surge of panic, reasoning with himself. You’re a red dragon. Be brave. Be brave. She’ll say yes. Despite his self-motivating, the tightening of his gut held on to reality. He wasn’t sure of that at all. There was a good chance she’d forbid him from seeing her. And that would be it. Cale would have to obey. He’d never have a rider.

  “Ava, can I talk with you inside for a second?” he said, scratching his head awkwardly.

  Ava stood up quickly and walked towards the sliding door. She stepped into the kitchen, hoping he was ready to give her the cash he’d promised. She’d had enough vegetables to fill her up anyways. No reason to stay any longer.

  “Look, this is getting weird,” she said. “No offense. Your family seems really nice, I just–I should get home, you know?”

  Cale chewed the inside of his mouth for a minute before speaking. When he did, the anxious, flitting eyes Ava had already grown accustomed to were still. Deathly still.

  “Ava, this will sound strange, but I need you to hear me through. Can you do that without running off?”

  Just the fact that he mentioned she might want to run set her on edge. Mentally, she was stretching, tying her shoelaces, preparing to get out fast.

  “Sure,” she said. “Just hurry up.”

  Cale took a deep breath. Then another. “Last night, I saw you boxing and, even though I’ve never seen you before, I was drawn to you–to your character. And because of that…” He stalled. He ran a hand through his hair and began to pace. How do I explain this?

  Ava started to relax a little. So far, it doesn’t sound that creepy. Sounded like he had a crush. She could handle that. That was normal enough.

  “I don’t know how else to say this, so I’m just going to put it out there,” he said. “I’m a dragon.”

  Ava blinked at him. “A dragon.”

  He nodded.

  “You mean in some computer game or something? Like, you have to fight a wizard and get to the temple of doom? That kind of dragon?”

  Cale almost laughed. He tapped his fingers against the countertop before an idea popped into his head. “Mom,” he shouted. “I need you for a second.”

  Karma came in and closed the sliding door behind her. She walked over, her eyes analyzing their body postures, the dilation of their pupils.

  “Okay, my mom here is a blue dragon, so her job is to protect knowledge. And her core is made of water. Show her, mom.”

  “Show me what?” Ava asked.

  But Karma took in a shallow breath, opened her mouth, and shot out an icicle. It flew through the air, landing in Cale’s hand before it could shatter against the counter. He stretched it out towards Ava, who could not keep from touching it, just to see if it was real.

  “How did you do that?” The ice was cold against her fingertips. “Do you guys work at a carnival or something?”

  “My mom doesn’t need a rider to access her core or to switch forms. If we were near a body of water, she could change for you in a second. But I’m a red dragon, and I have to have a rider. I can only choose one, Ava.” He swallowed, his mouth dry. “And you’re it.”

  Ava chuckled uncomfortably, almost embarrassed for him, but still curious enough about the icicle to keep from racing out of the kitchen. Still, she made sure there was no one between her and the exit.

  “You look so serious saying it,” she said. “Are you rehearsing for some play where you have to practice being committed to your characters? Was the ice a prop?”

  Cale frowned, color draining from his usually lively face. “I am serious. If you reject me, I’ll never change forms. And I’ll never have another chance at choosing someone else. It’s a big deal for m
e. And for my family.”

  “Yeah, well this has been interesting, I’ll admit that.” She was hot suddenly, wishing she didn’t have to wear such a warm outfit. She eyed the door eagerly. “I don’t know how to say this nicely, but can I have my money now?”

  Cale reluctantly reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. He handed it to Ava and she crouched and stuck it into her shoe.

  Cale’s shoulders slumped and his eyes hung low. “Do you need a ride home? I can take you,” he offered, his voice monotone.

  Ava thought about rejecting it, but figured she’d be safer braving it with weirdo dragon dude than catching the bus and walking home in the dark. And there was no way she was going to call T. He’d ask too many questions. He’d want her to giggle and chat with him. Even the thought of the fifteen minute drive from the Anders’ house to her own made her cringe when she imagined enduring T’s good intentions.

  She followed Cale to Rory’s truck and climbed into the passenger seat. Cale put it into drive and hit the gas, progressing carefully, following every traffic rule to the tee. Ava could tell he was upset from the way he chomped down on his jaw, yet she had never met anyone who tried to control their emotions so entirely. He hardly even swerved, his hands perfectly steady on the wheel.

  “Hey, it’s cool if you’re into that kind of dragon stuff. Everybody’s got a thing, you know?” She was trying to ease his embarrassment, but it didn’t appear to be working. The back of his neck grew red, as though he was going from upset to angry. Is he looking for a video game buddy? Someone who shares his interests?

  Cale followed her directions wordlessly–a mixture of rage and disappointment choking him–until he pulled up at her house. He took a breath and fought his feelings down, trying not to do anything reckless. Even his hands were shaking. He kept them both on the wheel so Ava wouldn’t notice.

  “Look, I didn’t mean to offend you, okay?”

  “I’m not offended,” he said as calmly as he could. “Just upset.”

  “Well, I don’t know what you expected.”

  “You don’t understand.” He gripped the wheel tighter, until his knuckles went white. “I Chose you, Ava. Because you’re strong and talented and because you’re smart and you’ve got more courage than anyone I’ve ever met.”