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linger in anger and were quick to extend
forgiveness, as well. If Stephanie was anything like her color, she
wasn’t one to hold grudges. I felt like she was someone I might
enjoy getting to know better.
    Unlike Megan, whose aura was a muddle of
colors that was so muted it mostly resembled dark brown—a color I
religiously tried to avoid, due to the nature of these people.
Brown auras suggested deception and selfishness. They were people
constantly finding fault with others, and I didn’t need any more
drama in my life.
    My family had enough of that to last a
lifetime. I wanted . . . no, I needed this to be a
good move for all of us.
    “So, why don’t you tell us all a bit about
yourself?” Seth suggested. “Like how you can fight.”
    “You fight?” Another guy asked, glancing
over at me from an adjoining table that had been moved closer from
the center of the room.
    “Yeah. My dad trained me, starting when I
was four.”
    “What kind of fighting?” another girl asked,
interested.
    I shrugged, not sure how to explain it. It
wasn’t like I’d gone to a gym and learned a certain style. My dad
had taught me all kinds of safety techniques and ways to protect
myself—mostly geared to the magical side of things—like fighting
off a demon hell-bent on drinking my blood. Namely him. “I’ve
learned all sorts of styles from all over the world. My dad has
traveled a lot.”
    “That’s cool.” He turned back to his own
table, before taking another bite of pizza. That’s when I noticed
Jett staring at me.
    “If you’re so good at fighting, how about a
challenge?”
    Did this guy seriously want to test me? Or
was he just trying to get under my skin? “What kind of
challenge?”
    “I do a some fighting, myself. I say you
meet me down at the ring and we have a sparing match.”
    “The ring?” I asked, confused.
    “Are you crazy, man?” Seth piped up. “You
can’t kick a girl’s ass. It’s rude.”
    Jett shrugged. “She says she can fight, so
it shouldn’t be an issue.” His eyes turned back to me. “Unless
you’re too scared.”
    “I’m not scared. I just don’t want to hurt
you,” I replied, not backing down.
    “Oh ho!” Several of the guys called out.
“Burn!” someone else shouted.
    Jett smiled for the first time since I’d
arrived. I didn’t think it was possible, but it made him seem even
hotter somehow. “It’s on then.”
    “When and where?” I asked, feeling a
confident bravado wash over me.
    “After football practice this evening. Come
to The Ring—it’s an actual fitness place. Seth knows where it is.
He can get you there since he seems inclined to be your tour
guide.”
    “I don’t like this,” Seth practically
growled.
    “Why not?” Jett replied.
    “Because I brought her here to make friends
with everyone, not so you could beat her up!”
    Standing, I gathered my leftovers. “Don’t
worry, Seth. Nobody is going to beat me up.” Turning, I left the
group, not even looking to see if he was following.

Chapter Four
     
     
    Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath,
inhaling the fresh, salty sea air. I concentrated only on my
breathing, refusing to let some jackass get me riled up on my first
day of school. There was no way I was telling my dad about this.
He’d package me up and have me on the next flight to the middle of
nowhere. I couldn’t go back. It wasn’t an option.
    No. I simply was going to have to prove
myself “worthy,” it seemed.
    The sound of a door closing caused me to
open my eyes. Seth was standing there with an apologetic look on
his face. I knew he hadn’t expected for things to go down this
way.
    “You don’t have to do this, you know?
There’s no reason.”
    “If I don’t, then Jett will always be
looking down at me, and so will all his friends.”
    “I would never look down on you,” he replied
quietly. “Never.”
    For some reason, I believed him. “It really
is going to be okay. I’m confident I will win.”
    “He didn’t tell