Sealed inside the towering city walls of Acadia, magic users known as Wielders are feared and hunted for the abilities they have been blessed with. They're living in hiding, terrified of revealing themselves to the Authorities that hunt them.
But w...
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"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."
-Sarah Dessen
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Marina's fingers were losing circulation, but she didn't care. Colson's death grip on her hand helped her keep pace with him as they weaved through the current of people moving down the sidewalk.
The clothes Colson had gotten for them the evening before concealed their identity - the hoods of their jackets pulled up over their heads. It was sprinkling outside, making it easier to blend in with other pedestrians who didn't want to get their hair wet.
He knew Acadia much better than she did, so she let him lead the way, still lost in a daze from the night before. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered his words, his thoughtfulness, his touch.
As Marina had sat against the wall in the back of the clothing shop they took refuge in, Colson went to the front demanding help from the owner of the store. He told the woman an elaborate tale of how his 'girlfriend' had gotten attacked by the Wielders the Authorities were chasing. The woman gave Colson the first aid kit from her office, but introduced herself to Marina before disappearing back into her shop.
"Those damned Wielders are always causing trouble," she said as she patted Marina's knee. "I'll be happy when every last one of them are dead. You two can stay as long as you need. I'll be up in the front if you need anything."
Marina took a deep breath before saying thank you, and kept it at that. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth again she would give the woman an earful. When she was gone, Marina turned her eyes on Colson, unleashing her anger onto him.
"The nerve of her," she whispered through her teeth. "Yet we are the monsters. Give me three seconds and I will turn her into an ice cube."
Colson chuckled as he crouched on the floor in front of Marina. He shook his head, a smile still plastered on his face.
"What's so funny?" she asked, almost offended.
"You," he replied. "You Wield ice, yet I swear you're made of fire." He opened the small first aid kit on the floor in front of him, and dug through its contents.
