A mysterious past, an unrequited love, and a desperate need to find himself, fifteen-year-old Kalyn has enough to occupy him without being on the verge of a massive societal upheaval. Join Kalyn and his friends as they explore what it means to come...
Flooded with elation, I am inspired to join in the celebrations. For once, I don't just feel that mine is a token invitation, granted by mere association. I am a part of this. This morning belongs to me as much as any other.
Köv may be unimpressed, but I have an Incarnate. To me, that is all that matters.
I dash home, rising above the mud and the scabs and the bruises. After the cold of the night, my veins course with fire. I can barely catch my breath between bouts of triumphant laughter bubbling to the surface. I am sure that I look unhinged. I can't manage to care. I have an Incarnate.
I burst through the front door, for once unconcerned for whom I might disturb, but the others are already awake. Or at least Corsa and the twins are... They have been waiting for my return, cups in hand, and spring to their feet at my arrival.
"Kal!" Corsa proclaims.
I embrace the woman, and feel the worry, the tension, drain out of her even before she sees my Incarnate. It occurs to me, then, that her worry was more for my safety than any other outcome. Still, I have more than myself to offer this morning.
The evidence of my success brims from my every pore. I can hardly stand still while she squeezes me. I shake loose, and Corsa grasps my shoulders to look me full in the face. Excitement is dawning with her realization.
"You got one?" The question is repeated, less questioning this time, and she hugs me again. "You got one! Oh, Kal. I am so proud of you!" I worry I will be crushed in another hug when the twins intervene.
"Let us see! Let us see!" Their voices blend as they babble and bounce. I pluck my Incarnate from where it has burrowed itself into a fold of clothing, and Arri takes a step away from me.
"Eeeeewey. It looks sliimy." The cry is at once fascinated and horrified.
"It's not slimy," I say with a hint of paternal defense for the squirming creature. "It's a lizard." When she refuses to take it, I offer the reptile to Alvi, who gives it a cursory poke before pronouncing it "cool" (though his tone of voice suggests utter indifference). Corsa laughs, somewhat self-consciously and rallies.
"That's great, love, but what are you doing home? Shouldn't you be out with your friends?"
"I have to change." It is only then that she seems to recognize the state of my being. The scraps and scabs, the dirt. Her eyebrows raise before being wrestled into control. "Rough night. No, you're right. Get washed and dressed, but HURRY!" But the command is unneeded; I race upstairs before she can finish.
The water is cloudy with grit by the time I am finished, and I feel new. Whole. I dress in my best (admittedly nothing spectacular, but today it is more than enough) and grant my Incarnate the place of honor on my shoulder. My hair is still damp and clinging to my head when I rejoin my family downstairs. Enos has awakened, apparently unconcerned with the events of the night. When he sees me, however, he nods his approval. I am thoroughly swollen with pride as I step out onto the road.
"Ouch!" The pain is so unexpected that I forget myself. I reach for the source of the injury and find my Incarnate's jaws locked tight onto the skin of my neck. I pry him free with a quizzical look.
"What was that about?" I chide the lizard, whose eyes seem to focus everywhere but mine. With some trepidation, I let him return to his post, but he scampers along my shirt. I continue onward with uncertainty.
By the time I reach the party, my excitement has resurfaced. Live music colors the air, and people stroll from place to place with a sense of gaiety. As expected, Mab's house is the hive. I straighten myself as I prepare to see the queen.
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