Ember panicked at the man’s voice. She tried to shove her way out of his grip, but was unsuccessful. He had her tight.

“Let me go!”

Ember thought about using her power, however knew she’d already grabbed the attention of the rest of the group and wasn’t sure if she’d be able to manage taking all of them before they could do something like shoot her.

She saw the man that appeared to be the leader of the group walking away from the bonfire and towards her.

“Well, what do we have here?” the dark haired man said as he stopped in front of Ember. Everyone else stayed in place, staring at the scene unfolding before them.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Shouldn’t we be asking you that?”

“Am I the one holding an innocent teenaged girl captive?”

The dark haired man, the leader, sighed. “I’m Zane. The man holding you is Elison. You’re turn.”

“Ember. Why the fuck are you holding me? What is this group? Are you a cult?”

“I’m not telling you that.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not some fucking super villain from a bad movie that gives away his plan. Now, what are you doing eavesdropping on us?”

“I was cold and smelled fire. Was hoping to warm up.”

“You’re, what, ten? What the hell are you doing out here in the snow.”

“I’m fifteen thank you very much!”

“You didn’t answer the other question.”

“I was looking for truckers along the road to murder so I could take their money,” Ember spoke in a deadpan as she met the man’s eyes seriously.

“Funny. Tell me why the fuck you’re here and I’ll consider not killing you.”

“No.”

Ember only laughed as Zane reached up and slapped her. He was holding back a lot. She’d has worse from her mother who was clearly physically weaker than this tall, well-built man in his prime.

“Oh, please, leave some marks. I’ll have a lot of fun showing them to the police.” Ember was going to do no such thing as, legally, she didn’t exist.

“What makes you think you’ll survive long enough to go to the police?”

‘Because I can kill you with a gesture. I fucking own you. You’re alive because I choose to let you live.’

“You could hardly hit me. How do you think you’re going to kill me?”

Zane practically growled in anger and frustration as he brought his hand up quickly again, only, this time, as he did it a nearby rock shook and shuddered, before flying past Ember’s face. Her eyes went wide, knowing that no natural force would cause that.

‘Are there others like me?’

“You have powers.”

He looked at her suspiciously. “Why the hell would you jump to that?”

Ember opened her mouth, ready to share that she too had powers, but decided, no, she’d hold that back. They didn’t need to know her secret just yet and she’d more threatening if she simply used it as a surprise later on. After treating her this way there was certainly no way these men would be allowed to survive.

“My mother was like you.”

“What?”

“My mother. Before, uh, before the accident. She had powers.”

“And you don’t.”

“Um, nope. Take after my dad I suppose.”

He looked at her. “What could your mom do?”

“Mind reading,” Ember said, trying to simply say something quickly to not be caught in her lie. “You know, like, telepathy.”

“Where's your dad?”

“Dead.”

Zane looked up at the man holding her in place and met his eyes. They had some sort of silent conversation between the two of them, with Zane giving mystery man some hard looks and shaking his head.

“Come on, Zane. She already knows we exist and has nowhere to be—“

“We don't have room for a useless human teenager.”

“Pleeasssseee, can we keep her? She'll die on her own,” Elison said from behind, loosening his grip on her arms.

Zane looked like he was deep in thought for a moment, before sighing angrily. “Fine. But you're fucking taking care of her.”

“Awesome!” The man holding her shoulders finally released her. Ember spun around to get a look at Elison. And, damn, he was handsome. Zane was an okay looking guy, but, Elison could walk into a modeling agency and have ten people begging to sign him. Fuck. His blonde hair was perfectly combed back, he had a rugged look, but it was balanced with some clean-cuttedness leaving him just looking tough.

“Uh, how old are you?” she asked after a moment.

“Twenty-three.”

'Only an eight year difference. I can swing it.'

Zane grimaced. “He's not going to sleep with a teenaged girl.”

Ember flipped around, blushing. “I wasn't thinking about sleeping with him!”

“You were, too.”

“Was not!”

“Fuck, just come on.”

She was led into the camp, which was much larger than Ember initially realized. There was the one large bonfire, but multiple campsites with tents scattered around.

“What are you guys?”

“We are the Fallen,” Zane said. “We're gifted people, given these powers for a reason.”

“What reason?” Ember asked, having to walk quickly to match Zane’s brisk place.

Zane took a deep breath. “Humans are a mess. They’re, well, helpless. Yet, they still manage to constantly destroy each other, the world, and everything. They’re like toddlers without a guardian. They need someone to lead them and care of them.”

Ember's eyes lit up at the words. “So, you're trying to take over the world?”

Zane sighed and gave her a look, clearly unhappy with her phraseology. “We prefer take our rightful place.”

'Oh, I like the sound of that. Well, I suppose fate is smiling upon us as you've just found your Goddess.’

“Where are we going?” Ember asked as they wandered the camp.

“Taking you to your roommate.”

“My roommate?”

Ellison chimed in at that. “She gonna stay with Echo?”

“Who's Echo?” Ember was annoyed that no one was consulting her about these decisions.

“Shut up. And, yeah, that's what I was thinking.”

“Who's Echo?”

“A person.”

Ember stomped her foot and stopped moving. “I'm not moving until you tell me who Echo is!” she screeched, drawing lots of glances.

Zane grabbed her arm tight, the skin of her arm managing to go even paler where his fingers squeezed, sure to leave bruises. “Are you a child? Stop with the fucking tantrum.”

'Oh, yes. You will not survive long in My new world very long at all. “I'm not throwing a tantrum, I'm trying to figure out who the hell you're sticking me with. For all I know it could be a goddamned three headed killing machine that's gonna eat me!”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Oh, what, I'm supposed to just accept that a group of magical terrorists that wanted to kill me not five minutes ago aren't going to feed me to some three headed beast?”

“Yes. Because there are no such things as three headed beasts.”

“How do you know that?”

Zane lifted his hand and massaged the bridge of his nose. “Ellison, just take her to Echo. I need a drink.”

Ellison took Ember by the hand and led her to one of the tends. “Sorry about Zane. He's kind of, well gruff. Echo's not a killing machine. ...well, that's not true. She's not a three headed one, though. She's a bit older than you I think.”

“Oh, just a one headed killing machine. I feel so much better now.”

“Echo,” Ellison called into one of the tents, “You decent?”

“Yeah,” a female voice spoke from inside.

Ellison, holding Ember by the wrist, led her into the tent.

“Echo, this is, um, Ember, right?”

“Yeah.”

“This is Ember.”

Echo did not look like a killing machine. She was a bit taller than Ember, with a larger build, darker, straighter hair, and of Latin descent. Very pretty, but clearly with a harsh edge to her.

“And?” Echo said.

“She's staying with you.”

"What?" Echo looked outraged. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"This is Ember. We found her listening in on our meeting from earlier."

"So why the hell is she here?"

"Well, her mother was telepathic She already knew we existed and didn't have anywhere else to be."

"Well, why can't she stay with her mother? Or her father? She has no reason to be here."

"They're both dead."

"Fine then, foster care!"

"Fuck no!" Ember interjected. "I'd rather sleep on a bench."

"Where were you staying before you showed up here?"

Ember was silent for a moment, considering not saying anything at all. "Well, I was, ya know, wandering."

"Wandering?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Fine," Echo agreed after a bit. "She can stay here."

"Like it was ever up to you," Ember huffed. "Why do you have your own tent? Surely not everyone has a private tent."

"Not everyone does. But, I'm an underage girl here by myself. So, I went and bought my own damn tent."

"No one else is underage?"

"Everyone else here underage has a family they stay with."

"Oh. Okay."

"Play nice now girls," Ellison said, as he left, leaving the two girls to stay alone.

They stood silently and awkwardly next to each other for a moment.

"So, why were you listening in on our meeting?"

"I didn't mean to. I was wandering the highway and it was cold and I smelled fire, so I followed my nose."

"Why were you wandering the highway?"

"Christ, for someone who doesn't want me here you sure ask a fuck ton of questions."

"Please refrain from using any word stronger than hell around me."

"What, you don't like fucking?"

"I have nothing against the act, it's the word I don't like."

"Why?"

"It's crude."

Ember laughed loudly at that.

"Really? You’re going to laugh at me after I’ve allowed you to stay with me?"

"I just think it's hilarious that you can't handle a simple word."

"It's inappropriate."

"Is it just fuck you don't like?"

"No."

"What other one's bother you?"

"I'm not telling you now. Now, shh. I'm trying to read."

"Aww, pull the stick out of your ass. So, do we always stay in tents?"

"We?"

"Yeah, we."

"What makes you think that you're staying?"

"My charm and looks?"

"Hah! No. If I have my way, Zane is kicking you out tomorrow.”

Ember narrowed her eyes. 'Try if you like. If you actually get me kicked out, though, you won't survive twenty-four hours,' she thought.

"Fine. I suppose I am being rude. Let's start over. Hi, I'm Ember."

"What are you doing?"

"Umm, starting over. I thought it was obvious."

"I'm Echo."

"Tell me about yourself, Eck."

"Eck? Uh-uh. That ain't gonna work."

"Fiineee. So, Cho, tell me about yourself."

"That's not gonna work either."

"What can I call you?"

"Echo, miss, ma'am, I don't care. Just not Eck or Cho or anything stupid like that."

"Ohh, ma'am. Kinky."

"God, how old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"You're too young for that."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Ha! You're not any older than me!"

"Clearly more mature."

"I don't know about mature. You're definitely more, what's the word, repressed."

"I am not repressed."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Yes ma'am." Ember winked at Echo.

"I fucking hate you."

Ember sighed. "So, guess that's a no to starting over then."

"Ya think?"

"Well, let's at least get to know each other a bit better then."

"Fine," Echo said. "What's your power?"

"I don't have one."

"You don't? I thought you said you came from a family with power."

"No, my mom had power. My dad didn't."

"Usually it just takes one parent to be able to inherit it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Are you sure you don't have power?"

"I wish I did. I'd totally love to fly around and shit."

Echo looked at her like she was less than a bug on the ground once Ember had completely gone ahead and confirmed just how powerless she truly was.

"You know we're a group with the sole mission to take over your type, right?"

Ember just shrugged. "Well, I figure me being here won't affect that at all and if I do somehow manage to get on y'alls good side and y'all do manage to win, well, at least I'll be treated a bit better."

Echo snorted. "Yeah, sure. We definitely care about your type."

Ember looked at her. "If 'my kind' is so weak, why the hell do we run the world while you have to hide in shadows and tents?"

Echo moved with lightning speed and pinned Ember to the ground in half a second. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

"I thought you didn't like that word."

Echo lifted her hand and backhanded Ember. "If you fucking say another word to suggest that scum like you is better than us, so help me god, you will not live another day."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. It's bad enough I'm stuck with a human. Let alone one that thinks she can compare to me."

Ember shook her head. While she definitely agreed those of them with power were above humans, this girl had no subtlety. She would never be anything more than what she is now. A pawn. A part of the movement, but never able to move up or down. The key to any politicking is subtlety and being able to play the game. Admittedly Ember wasn't doing too good at that tonight, but still. She at least was being slow and testing the waters before doing anything stupid and rash. She was holding her cards close to her chest. No need to bring out the big guns now. If she did, they'd want her to do more. To put herself in danger. She figured she'd let others do that part. She would stick along for the ride and once most everything had been taken care of, then she would take her rightful place at the top of the tower.

"Can you show me your power?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's hardly a reason."

"I just don't want to!"

"Fine."

"Where's your stuff?"

"My what?" Ember looked at Echo in confusion.

"Ya know, clothes and all that."

"Oh, uh, I don't have much. I think I dropped my bag..."

"Well, you're not getting any of mine."

"Like your big ass clothes would fit me."

Echo flipped around, jaw opened in shock at the comment. "My ass is not big."

Ember just smirked.

"Well, at least I have an ass."

Ember grit her teeth. She had an ass. It was a good size for her height, too.

"Yeah, well, um. Fuck you."

Echo laughed. "Ha! You're out of comebacks fuzzy head!"

"My head is NOT fuzzy!" Ember screeched, reaching up and trying to run her fingers through her blonde curls, only to get them stuck in one of the tangles.

"You are! You are, you are so fuzzy headed! It's like a blonde cat got all staticy and laid on your head. Ha!"

"Bitch."

“Hmm, at least my hair isn’t a neon, fuzzy mess.”

“It just has personality.”

“Sure. Now, I’m tired. Go to sleep, fuzzy head. One more word and you’re in the snow again, regardless of what Zane says.”

“Fine.”

“That was another word.”

Ember grumbled softly to herself, but laid down on the floor and curled up. After a moment, a blanket landed on her.

“It’s hot in here,” Echo said, clearly trying to make excuses for why she gave Ember a blanket.

Yeah, there was no way she was kicking Ember out. Ember smirked. She was in.740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOccKDkZLQ