ORDER OF SEVEN Read Online Free PDF Page A

out on meeting Baron, not after spirits have spent two-thirds of my life keeping us apart. This is just getting interesting. And finally, finally , I might get some answers. I follow Nodin upstairs, shivering as the fall breeze blows against my cold, wet clothes.

•◊ 4 ◊•
    THE ARC
    I’ m barely breathing when I enter the apartment, but I only see Ben sitting on the couch.
    “Hey, Benstein.” I haven’t seen him in about six months, when he was here to celebrate his seventeenth birthday.
    He stands to greet me and seems taller. A Pearl Jam T-shirt hugs his fit physique, shaped by years of karate. Short, sandy blond hair frames his face. How do guys do that? Perfect hair and long eyelashes with zero effort? He even has gorgeous olive skin. I had a crush on him in eighth grade for about ten minutes, but it felt icky to crush on a guy who was like a brother.
    “Hey, Devi-licious.” He opens his arms for a hug, but stops short when he realizes what a wet mess I am. “What the hell happened to you?”
    “Got caught in the rain.” Until tonight, I didn’t think Ben knew many details about what I do.
    “Aw, poor Devi.” Ben reaches a palm in the air, opting for a high-five, which I have to jump to meet because I’m five-foot-four. “Why don’t you make sure she has a more dependable car?” he asks Nodin with a mischievous smirk.
    Nodin rolls his eyes.
    The two of them are always competing for Brother of the Year. Most of the time it’s playful banter, but a few times Ben has come to my rescue in ways Nodin couldn’t. Like the time Nodin told him about a guy who’d spread a rumor through our high school that I was screwing my way through the male student population. Ben came in town that weekend and the guy didn’t return to school until the following Thursday, looking like he’d gone a few rounds with Tyson. Nodin had no part in it. He’s not the physical type.
    Ben denied it, but I’m not stupid. Although I appreciated him wanting to stick up for me, I felt bad. The guy whose ass he kicked wasn’t exactly lying.
    Well, screwing my way through is a bit of an exaggeration. I did mess around with a few―many―and yes, I slept with two―okay, three―guys. I don’t have the luxury of forming lasting relationships. Relationships mean intimacy, and intimacy means no secrets.
    The biggest part of me is a secret, how can I ever be completely present in any kind of relationship if I can’t be honest? Or during the calling, when I can’t explain where I’m running off to in such a hurry, or why. The calling may rule my life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t crave the fireworks of a first kiss, the adrenaline rush of skin against skin, or the empowerment of feeling wanted—all thrilling enough to actually feel despite the eclipse of my ability.
    “Where’s Baron?” Nodin asks.
    “He’s out on the balcony on the phone,” Ben says.
    “Ah,” Nodin says. “Devi, I put some clothes in my room for you. They’re on the bed.”
    “Okay.” I’m grateful I can change before meeting Baron.
    A pair of sweatpants and a UTPB sweatshirt is on the bed. I peel off my wet jeans and light green Boho top—very disappointing since I picked this outfit special for this occasion—and change into the dry clothes. I hang my wet stuff in his bathroom, and take a look at myself in the mirror.
    “Crap.”
    I do my best to towel dry and comb out my long hair. I can’t blow dry it; Nodin doesn’t own a hairdryer. I scrape smudged mascara from under my eyes in an attempt to look halfway decent. I survey the finished look: baggy oversized sweats, no makeup, and stringy, wet hair. My feet are cold so I slip back on my Mary Jane flats. Nodin makes fun of me for always wearing this same pair of shoes, but I love them. They’re cute and look good with everything, with the added benefit of being damn good tree-climbers.
    I walk out of Nodin’s room and am instantly cognizant of a strange hum in the air. The pressure in