Free Glimmer by Amber Garza Page A

Laney. I’ll always save you, you know that.”
    I bite my lip. It’s true that he’s always saved me, but I worry that one day I won’t be so lucky. What if Micah isn’t always here to rescue me? What will happen then? I know Micah loves being an E kloge Warrior and at times so have I . B ut in this moment I want to run from my calling. I want to shed my duty like a pair of old , worn - out sh oes. I never asked for this, and I don’t want to lose my life for it.
     
     
    “Micah, stop looking at that guy’s neck. He’s not one of us, okay?” I grit my teeth. The guy in line ahead of us in the school cafeteria looks around agitated. That doesn’t stop Micah though. He keeps moving in close to the guy, trying to catch a peek of his skin buried under his long brown hair.
    “ He looks like he could be. Besides, he has tattoos on his arms,” Micah whispers back.
    “So? ” I lower my voice even further. “ Not every follower of Zerach is a Warrior .”
    “Ah, but some are.” Micah smiles , and I can tell I haven’t deterred him at all.
    “You know, your quest to find the other eight is really annoying sometimes.”
    “Well, you r denial of our calling is even more annoying.” Micah raises his eyebrows.
    The cafeteria door opens , and a breeze blows in kicking up the guy’ s hair in front of us and exposing his neck. Which is, just as I suspected, completely devoid of the Ekloge Warrior ’ s mark.
    “I told you.” The truth is , I’m relieved. The thought of finding the others makes my stomach churn. I know what it’ll mean when we’re finally all together , and that’s something I’m not ready for.
    Micah sighs as we move forward in line. My stomach rumbles as I smell the greasy food.
    “What’s with you today, anyw ay?” Micah asks. “You’re really on edge.”
    “Oh, I just had a bad dream last night .” I ru n a hand over my long hair and glance around the cafeteria. Students sit at tables laughing and chatting, completely oblivious to the dangers threatening our town. Must be nice.
    “About what?” Micah’s chiseled features are etched in concern, and his chocolate brown eyes narrow. As he leans toward me , I catch the familiar scent of his bar soap and laundry detergent. He wears a t-shirt and jeans , and his muscles bulge through the fabric. I notice other girls glancing in our direction , appraising him . Not that I blame them. He is totally hot.
    I bite my lip, not wanting anyone to hear our conversation. Bending my head closer to Micah’s I say, “About the time you saved me from drowning.”
    “Why would you dream about that? It was , like, three years ago. ”
    I shake my head. “No idea.” Only I guess that’s sort of a lie. Micah doesn’t realize how significant that event was for me. Sure he knows I almost drowned, but not how badly it scared me. Part of being a Warrior is to be to ugh . A nd for the most part I am, b ut once I tasted death I realized how much I wanted to live. That was the day I started hating my calling. That was the day I started dreaming of being a normal girl.
    From across the room I catch sight of Sam Peterson . When we lock eyes, he immediately lo wers his gaze . I watch as he turns from me and slides onto the bench next to his friend Jake. He flashes Jake a lopsided smile, and his dark hair falls over his pale forehead. He must sense that I am still staring , because his eyes find me again. My insides churn the way they do every time I look into his eyes that resemble the sky on a stormy day . I venture a tiny smile , but he doesn’t return it. He never does, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I don’t know why. I’ve never been able to figure out why Sam intrigues me the way he does.
    “Delaney?” Micah cocks an eyebrow , following my gaze. When he sees where it lands, he frowns. That’s wh en my eyes settle on Sam’s arms. They are smooth and pale, devoid of our markings , proving that he isn’t a follower of Zerach . I glance