by Claire Adams
"Lonely? No, I'm fine. In fact, I have to go get ready for my tournament," I replied.
"You're going to play? That's great. Owen tried forever to get your sister interested. I mean, good luck," Artemis bit her lip at the mention of my sister.
"It’s okay," I said, facing the group. "My sister and Owen were over before the rest of it. You can stop treating me like the sad little sister. Owen doesn't. He and I have known each other for years and our friendship had very little to do with Sienna. I don't know what Anya told you, but I'm not here to be taken care of or pitied and that's not why Owen invited me."
They all nodded, but I could tell by their looks I had more to prove than my playing ability.
I left the ballroom as fast as I could and was glad the desk clerk Dave had given me a map. I found the conference room just in time for check-in. Dave had saved me a seat.
"Quinn, over here," he said. "Sorry, can I call you Quinn?"
"Do you really think I'm going to make you call me Ms. Thomas?" I asked. I slipped in to the chair next to him.
The conference table was set up with two rows of six computers, one down each side of the table. There were headphones, controllers, and keyboards for each of us. The rules were posted on all four walls and Dark Flag was paused until the overseer started the game. We each had the same quest and points were awarded for speed, dexterity, creativity, and skill.
"What's your avatar name?" Dave asked. "I'm Davon the Orcan. Though you can't really tell yet 'cause, like I said, I'm still evolving."
"I'm human," I said. "My avatar's called Arrowa because the first weapon I earned was a quiver of poison tips."
"Seriously?"
I looked up from my monitor and realized half the room had stopped to look at me. "Yeah, wait, what's wrong?" I asked.
"What's wrong? You're all over the chat rooms. No one's seen a player evolve as fast as you. No wonder Light Slayer is trying to recruit you to his clan," Dave said.
I sat back in my chair and let the compliment spread through me like honey. Arrowa was fully evolved before I even ran into Owen's avatar during the game. I had done that on my own. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was not just here on Owen's good will. Anya was wrong, and I was going to prove it.
#
The quest was to retrieve a spell from a Green Witch named Ayaan. She turned out to be very fast and very combative. The strength of Dave's Orcan avatar helped him, but only for so long. From the corner of my eye, I saw his screen go black after fifteen minutes. One by one, other competitors leaned back in their seats. They watched the progress of the tournament on a projected screen at the far end of the conference room, but I did not dare look at it.
I could not defeat the Green Witch in combat, though I was able to disarm her long enough to make her listen. We struck a deal – I gave her one of my poison tipped arrows so she could create an antidote and in exchange she gave me the quest spell. I was so engrossed in the deal that I did not hear the applause.
"Congratulations, Quinn. That was amazing," Dave said. He helped me out of my chair and raised my hand up in victory.
I was so shocked that I hugged him. Over Dave's narrow shoulder, I saw Owen in the doorway. His jaw was tense but when he saw my eyes he smiled.
"This calls for a celebration," Owen said to the room. "Ayaan the Green Witch would like to invite you to happy hour." He gave out the number of the villa and the twelve newbies erupted with excitement.
"Are you going?" Dave asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I've got to pack too. By the way, thanks for getting me that room."
"No problem," he said, his head cocked to the side.
I lost Owen in the rush of excited people. Dave stuck close though, and we made our way together through the Wynn's opulent lobby to the elevators and up to the villa. It was already crowded, complete with waiters serving drinks and two bartenders. I was glad my suitcase had been stashed on Tony and Milan's bed in the second room.
"Whoa, you were serious," Dave said, following me into the bedroom.
"Light Slayer and I grew up together," I said. "But that has nothing to do with my playing. Arrowa was evolved before he and I started playing together."
"You don't have to convince me," Dave said. "Remember? I was sitting next to you. I saw you play and that's not something you can learn."
"Thanks," I said. I zipped up my suitcase and led Dave into the main room to get a celebratory drink.
Owen was at the bar with Anya. She had both arms around him, her hands tucked into the back pockets of his pants. His hand was light on her shoulder, but even that casual touch ignited a fury of jealous in me. I pushed away the ridiculous feeling. Of course, they were perfect for each other. She was the opposite of Sienna in every way and just what Owen needed.
Dave waved a champagne flute in front of my eyes. "Snagged these from a waiter. I may not have made it to the second round, but at least Davon evolved a little farther. Let's celebrate," he said.
I forced a smile and clinked my champagne flute against his. "Definitely a reason to celebrate. Thanks for saving me a lucky seat," I said.
"Now isn't this cute," Anya interrupted. "Two newbies. You're the Orcan, right? That's perfect for you, Quinn. A human and an Orcan make a great team in Dark Flag. Come on, Owen, let's leave these two to strengthen their partnership."
Owen did not move. "I didn't get a chance to congratulate you, Quinn. Actually, the tournament committee gave me something to present to you. Can I steal you away for a moment?"
He laced his fingers through mine and pulled me into the second bedroom. Before he could say anything he blinked at my suitcase closed and ready to go. "Are you leaving?"
"Yeah, actually, I got a room for myself. It was feeling a little crowded around here. Plus, I got the feeling that you and Anya might want a little space."
"Me and Anya? What about you and the skinny desk clerk? What's with that?" Owen asked.
"Are you kidding? I'm not the one with my hands all over a Green Witch. Do you have any idea how awkward I've felt?"
Owen rubbed his forehead. "Let me guess, Anya's been making you feel like a third wheel. I thought you knew me better than that, Quinn. I'm not with Anya and I don't want to be. So don't use that as an excuse. If you don't want to stay here, you don't have to."
"I love it here, but I haven't earned my place. This is your party," I said.
Owen took both my hands and pulled me closer. "No, this is your party. You're the one that just won your first tournament."
My cheeks got hot. "Thanks. So you understand how that makes it even more important for me to strike out on my own, right? I have to earn my place, especially in Light Clan. Otherwise, I will never earn any respect in this world."
Owen picked up the room key that I had left on top of my suitcase. "Does that mean I'm not allowed to visit?"
"No, of course not."
"You're not going to let that scrawny Orcan carry your suitcase, are you?" Owen asked.
"You're not going to let that Green Witch put you under a spell are you?" I asked.
Owen's lips curved. "Here, let me help you." He picked up my suitcase and headed out of the suite.
Anya caught him at the door. "After the newbies have all gone for their naps we're heading over to the Venetian. You coming?"
"No thanks," Owen said. "I'm not in the mood for gambling tonight."
"Who said anything about gambling? We can always grab a bottle and ride a gondola," Anya said.
Owen unhooked her hands from his collar and headed towards the elevators. "Goodnight. Tell the Clan I'll see 'em in Dark Flag later."
I stepped into the elevator first. "You don't have to do this. Go have fun with your clan," I told him.
When I turned around, Owen's lips seared across my words. I heard my suitcase drop to the elevator floor as his hands encircled my waist. He smiled through the kiss, his lips moving across mine like warm honey. Our mouths opened just as the elevator stopped
at another floor.
Owen stepped back just as four people joined us. We did not say another thing until we reached the door of my new room.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
I nodded and opened the door. He came inside and shut the door behind him then caught my waist. He pulled me against him as he leaned back on the door and our lips met again. I was off-balance, dizzy, and pressed against his body for support. Everywhere we touched, heat ignited.
His hands brushed back my loose hair, his fingers tips tickling my neck. I gasped against his kiss and felt him smile again. He kept the sensation going as his fingers trailed down my bare shoulders. I gasped again and this time, his warm tongue traced my bottom lip.
I moved up on my tip toes to answer his exploration and the friction between our bodies pulled a low groan from him. Owen's hands slipped to my waist, and he pressed me hard against him.
"Not enough," he whispered against my lips. "Not enough."
He stood up and bent me back, his kiss devouring me. I opened to him, hungry for his delving tongue. My fingers found the open buttons at his neck and pulled his shirt open. Underneath, his neck was hot, his skin burning to be touched.
Owen held me as he pushed us farther into the room and shed his coat. Our lips did not stop and neither did my fingers until I had stripped him of his shirt. He arched against the feel of my hands on his bare stomach and chest, his agate-blue eyes ablaze. I ran my fingertips up to his shoulders and down his arms, leading his hands to the straps of my tank top.
He peeled it down to my waist, his lips meeting mine again as he reached for the hook of my bra. I reached for the beaded necklaces, but he stopped me, his voice ragged against my lips.
"Leave them. Just them," he said. His hands dropped to the button of my jeans. He undid them and slid his hands around to the back of my waist, dropping lower as his pulled my jeans off. They dropped to the floor, and I stepped out of them.
The moment away from his body was too long, and I pulled him close again. I felt him hard through the fabric of his suit pants and the heavy contour melted something deep inside me.
"More?" I asked, the back of my knees meeting the edge of the bed.
Owen nodded, taking off his pants. I lay back on the bed and he slipped up and over me, the heat of his body and our desire making me arch towards him. His lips crushed against me and I opened to him. As his tongue slid against mine, his hand mimicked the intoxicating friction between my legs.
I dragged my hand down his wide shoulder, across the tense hold of his arm, to where his fingers swept in small pulsing circles. When he felt my hand press his wrist, he slipped inside my panties and pressed into me.
I arched against the exquisite pressure. His lips left mine and he panted against my neck, the sweet motion driving him harder as I melted against his touch.
I pressed up against him, pulling myself free of my panties, leaving nothing between us. Owen kissed me again, breathing words of ecstasy as he pushed inside me. I cried out at the sudden and shattering pleasure that pulsed through me and around him. He held firm until my shockwaves subsided, then rocked gently with them.
The rhythm built, his hands cupping my cheeks, his blue eyes awash like the sea. Owen looked down at me, our eyes locked together as he surged into me, a crashing wave of pure bliss.
PART 3
CHAPTER TEN
Quinn
The rest of the tournament weekend passed in a neon-lighted blur. I assumed that was the way many weekends there ended up for the tourists all around me. I just felt like I was in a different world.
When Owen and I woke up together in the same bed, we laughed. And then, we did not talk about it again. Even on the nearly four-hour trip back to UCLA, we never mentioned it once.
"Do you like living in L.A.?" Owen asked after one particularly long pause.
"Yeah, but sometimes I wonder if I would like anywhere that gave a buffer between me and my parents," I said. "How about you? You still live in the same town you grew up in and your parents are just down the street like mine."
"When they're in town," Owen said. "My parents are different."
The Redds had money, and not the kind families got from high-powered careers. They had inherited money, old money, and it seemed to be a self-replenishing supply. Every year, Owen's parents made a big show of offering him a yearly stipend, which he immediately turned down. Then, they flew off to another jet-set location and it would be months until they appeared in Nevada again.
"Haven't you ever been tempted to be like your parents?" I asked. "It would put you in the same position as Anya." The words soured even as they came out of my mouth.
Owen scrubbed at his stubbled chin. "I've never been tempted because that's not what I want. It’s not really what they want for me, either. My parents are happy that I want to be my own man. Sometimes, when I think about taking a desk job or some other conventional thing, I hear their voices in my head telling me life's too short to go any way but my way."
I sighed. "That sounds like a luxury to me."
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I know it looks like it’s been easy for me. I don't have anything to complain about. It’s just I've worked hard to build my own career out of nothing. The fact that it looks effortless is something I'm proud of, but I also think it takes away my credibility."
"Oh, you seemed to have plenty of credibility at the tournament," I said. I slapped his knee. "No wonder you seem to have a never-ending fountain of self-confidence."
"Me? You're the one that burst on to the scene."
"That was Arrowa. I'm just plain old Quinn about to go back and scrape by with bottom grades in her nursing program." I crossed my arms and looked out the window.
"Who knows, maybe you'll get kicked out and have a chance to make it on your own," Owen said.
The thought was appealing, more than appealing. By the time Owen parked the car and we walked across campus, I had thought of a dozen legitimate ways to get kicked out of the nursing program. My parents would be angry, but I would be free. Free of them and Sienna's shadow and free to finally take a look around and decide what I wanted for myself.
"Quinn?" Owen caught me with my hand on the doorknob of my dorm room. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. "I know what we haven't been talking about is a really hard thing to talk about. Just know this."
He kissed me. Light and simple, but he let it linger until I had no doubt our thoughts were the same.
"Who needs to talk?" I asked. "We seem to be doing fine."
"Quinn, is that you?"
My blood froze as the door opened and my father stood staring at us. Owen's arms dropped away and all the blood drained from my face.
"Father? What are you doing here? Is Mother okay?" I asked.
"I'm right here," she said. My mother came into view, her arms crossed and one foot tapping. "The question is where have you been and what on earth have you been doing?"
"Certainly not studying," my father said. He stepped aside and all but ordered Owen and I inside the room.
I was surprised when Owen followed me. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas," he said.
"What are you doing here, Owen?" my father asked. "Please tell me you know why this is a cause for concern."
"Frankly, I don't," Owen said.
"I don't know what you think you are doing to our family, but Quinn is in danger of losing her place in the nursing program. Anything you do is harmful to my girls, to Quinn, don't you see that?" my father asked.
"I'm losing my place in the nursing program?" I prayed my hopeful tone had not been heard.
"No," my father said. "Your mother and I drove here and convinced your advisor otherwise. You are on probation, but you will be able to work your way back up. We'll discuss it as soon as this thoughtless, careless, waste of space leaves."
"Father! You can't talk to Owen that way," I protested.
"No, it’s okay, Quinn. I understand. Your father needs someo
ne to blame and it should be me," Owen said. "Better me than Sienna or you or anyone else. Listen to them, don't lose what you have here before you know what you want."
His words hurt, but I still followed him to the door and grabbed his hand. He squeezed mine before pulling free. "See you around."
"I'm sorry, Owen. This is horrible," I said. I stood frozen as he winked at me and left the room. Then my anger boiled to the surface. "How dare you blame Owen. You know he was never anything but wonderful to Sienna and to me."
"There is no you and Owen, Quinn," my mother said. "That is a ridiculous and terrible thought. You need to get yourself together."
"And that is why we waited to talk to you," my father said. "Because you are now on probation and because we pay a large part of your tuition, you will be coming home every weekend so we can ensure you are studying."
"I'm not a child," I said.
"Then stop acting that way and get serious about your career," my father said.
They left before I could even begin to explain the ideas I had for my own life or my own career. Under the harsh fluorescent lights of my dorm room, it seemed like I only had one choice and it had been made for me.
#
"The problem is that I really did love nursing when I started," I said. "It’s just that it was always overshadowed by Sienna and then it didn't seem like my choice. And, well, the rest kind of unraveled by itself."
Darla sat on my bed and nodded. "You're good at nursing. I know you'd make a spectacular nurse, but who says that's a good reason for staying in a profession? It’s better to be having these thoughts now than three, four years out of school. Rent, car payments, bills, it could get real ugly, then trying to drop a good nursing paycheck and reach for your dreams."
"What dreams? What if I'm just escaping and the whole gamer world is the easiest path?"
"Easy? I die like fifteen times every time I try to play. If you've survived this long, won a tournament, then maybe you should keep going," Darla said. "What I can't believe is that you agreed to go home weekends."
