Heirs of War (1)

Chapter Three

Tate stifled a chuckle as he watched Rhaya approach. She rolled up to the bench he was seated at, as oblivious to him as she was to the people gawking at her for roller skating to class. He wasn't surprised. He knew from his brief trips to Dhara over the years that Rhaya was all too accustomed to drawing stares. Not only did she march to the beat of her own drum, but she definitely stood out in a crowd with her striking pacific blue eyes and raven black hair that fell to her shoulders and bangs skimming her brow line.

He watched her from his peripheral vision, waiting to see if she'd notice him. Pick up on his vibes, as she liked to call it. Raemann referred to her natural born gift as vibes, only encouraging her idea that she could read people's auras. Tate knew it wasn't that simple, but Raemann wasn't ready to admit it might be time to go home. Knowing him, he'd wait until she started shooting fire from her fingertips to even think about returning to Anscombe. Rhaya's Cyneward was all too comfortable with his new life on Dhara, but then again, he'd always marched to the beat of his own drum as well, never one to keep time with his fellow warriors.

Rhaya traded her skates for a pair of teal tennis shoes, matching the flowers on her top. She tied the laces of her skates together and slung them over her shoulder, then pulled out her phone. Either she was ignoring him or her gift wasn't as strong as he thought.

He stood and cleared his throat. "So, the rumors are true."

A smile crept onto her lips as she tucked her phone back into her messenger bag. "I was starting to think you weren't going to speak."

Ah, so she was simply trying to be polite and let him come to her.

Rhaya looked at him directly for the first time. He saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes—and maybe something else, but he couldn't be sure. "What rumors?"

"I keep hearing about this chick who roller skates around campus, but I thought the guys were just pulling my leg." He spread out his hands and grinned at her. "But I guess they weren't."

"Nope, I'm as real as can be." She squinted against the glare behind him, trying to get a better view of his face. "You've heard about me?"

"Yeah," he adjusted the book bag on his back. He tried not to squirm under her scrutinizing gaze, knowing she'd be able to sense the anxiety in him. He kept his face a mask of calm and hope it translated to any emotions she could sense coming from him. "I get it though. The skating. I mean, the bookstore's right around the corner—"

"You know where I work?"

Great, now he sounded like a stalker. He dropped his hand that had been gesturing vaguely in the direction of Raemann's shop. "You don't remember me, do you?"

One of her thin dark brows disappeared under her bangs. "Should I?"

Answering a question with a question so he would reveal more about himself. Damn, she was good. Unfortunately, she also seemed to be onto him. "I'm Tate. I used to work in your Dad's bookstore last summer."

"Right...I remember you," she said vaguely as she fixed the laces on her shoe. "Didn't you quit after a few weeks?"

Tate turned his head to hide the flush in his cheeks. Of course, she'd remember that. It wasn't so much that he quit as they needed a ruse to keep her from traveling like she wanted to. Rhaya wanted to see the world after graduation, but they needed to keep her safe. Keep her close to the door home.

"I hated doing that, but the timing wasn't right. I had a lot on my plate at the time." Not a lie, seeing as how he had been forced to take summer school with Zelene instead.

She nodded and spared a glance to her cell phone. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime, Tate. I've got to run to class now."

"Not rolling?" he joked, flashing his hundred-watt smile again. "I'm sure we'll cross paths again soon, Rhaya. And I think the guys in my dorm were right when they talked about you." He paused at her questioning look. "I always thought you were pretty hot."