His dark eyes were closing in on me. Icy cold shrills traveled up and down my spine. He just stared with daggers in his beautiful but sinister eyes. I could feel the wet drops of sweat that felt like icicles slide down my neck. Those dark eyes were filled with hatred but something more. A passion. Passion? It made no sense. How could someone so vile…? But yes, it was passion. I knew he was the enemy… or was he? I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I was afraid. The fear was intense almost suffocating. My breath was coming in puffs. I could sense my throat closing, aching. But my hands ached as well… for contact. My hands ached for his touch. My hands probably wanted to curl around his throat and rid him. I couldn’t be sure but I could feel my fingers curl.

“Ever.” The voice was faint but I knew it did not belong to those hateful dark eyes. “Ever.” The eyes were disappearing. I couldn’t see them. I wanted to see them.

My eyes fluttered open. I hadn’t realized, once again, I had been fooled. My symptoms of pre-alteration had begun with visions. The worst part was the visions not being probable. Other symptoms were actually worse but with time they’d adjust or so says my honoratus trainer. Science shows that a homo potens was pretty much a homo sapiens who altered into a stronger, smarter, faster, healthier, and much more appealing being. Eventually all humans would become homo potens, it was part of evolution. To become a honoratus potens the innovatus would have to pass an unbelievably difficult test called the Ordeal. Innovatus was what they would call the people before the Ordeal. To be a honoratus potens was the biggest privilege that could have been given to a potens. Being a honoratus potens meant working directly for the Rex. I was an innovatus but I didn’t think I would be able to pass the Ordeal yet I wished to do so with a passion to become somewhat valuable like my parents had been. My honoratus trainer, named Jagger, was deeply sure I could.

“Ever, are you alright?” Jagger was holding a white handkerchief in his hand. I glared at it for a moment feeling a bit of overwhelming odium. “Ever, calm down. You were sweating.”

I rolled my eyes and sat up straight. “Sorry, you know I still can’t control it.” The worst symptom was definitely the relentless detestation that became me. Every now and then I would get this horrible surge of hatred that I couldn’t control.

Jagger gently stroked the tissue across my neck. “You will. It’s only a matter of time before you fully shift.” The shift, oh what a joy. I had never dreamt of a bigger honor. Of all of the humans on Earth who dreamt of that privilege, I had been chosen. If only I had found myself worthy of such an honor. After passing the Ordeal and becoming an official potens there are jobs of which they can choose. The jobs include trainers, guardians, and healers.

I groaned pulling my hair back into a ponytail. Lately I had hated my hair being in my face. Before the pre-alteration I had loved my long blonde hair, except for the fact that it was blonde. Now, I wanted it to be short and dark. It would seem lately I liked everything dark. I’d spent everyday since my being an innovatus cooped up in my room. No one really knew why I did, except me and maybe Jagger.

“Maybe?” He answered my thought. I glared back at him. “Now, now. You know I can’t help it.” At least that wasn’t merely as embarrassing as the first time I saw him. I had found his cropped blonde hair, blue eyes, and big cheeks cute. Obviously, thanks to his flair, he knew. Flairs were what made potens’ so special. The flairs depended on the person but usually they were spectacular and envious. Jagger’s flair was mind reading. “That was very comical.”

“You nosey parker!” I squeaked. He just looked away as if he weren’t listening. I rolled my eyes.

I was never one to think of one’s physical features but it was sort of inevitable to notice a potens’s beauty. All of the Regalia were meant to be utterly breathtaking and sexy, it was part of the shift. I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of me being attractive. Embarrassed by my thought I looked over at Jagger who had narrowed his eyes at me. “You are attractive Ever.”

Right then I saw that someone was standing outside my window through the corner of my eye. Payback. “Oh, let us hope she is not assigned to you” I whispered to Jagger mockingly. He jerked his head to face me.

“Why do you have to be so cynical?”

I laughed with no humor. “Oh come on. I was just kidding, you know?”

The girl standing outside was suitably pretty. She had long brown hair, light blue eyes, and a smile that never left her face. How naïve. “Why do you have to be so unpleasant? She’s just upbeat and optimistic.”

I rolled my eyes. “And she has no idea what she’s getting into.”

Jagger glared. “Like you do.”

I gave him a crooked smile. “Obviously more than she does. Besides I was to be here want it or not. I, at least, accept my future and wish to make myself someone of value.” For a moment I couldn’t stop my parents from entering my thoughts. I was ashamed of such a weakness.

“Pardon me, you do know. Someone of value isn’t always a Guardian though.” Jagger admitted after he saw my parents’ image in my mind.

I sighed. I couldn’t go through the same conversation again. Before I had even entered the pre-alteration I knew I wanted to be a Guardian. I changed the subject. “Haven’t you been hoping she isn’t assigned to you? I mean, if she is the relationship is doomed to failure. You know Rex’s hardly ever approve of trainer-student relationships.” I was never one to sugar coat things. The rules were simple; every relationship had to be approved by the Rex. It’s also highly discouraged to date or have any sort of relationship between a honoratus trainer and a student. The Rex was almost like the President used to be only the Rex was a much superior honor. Being the Rex was to control every living being on the planet. At that time the Rex was Sir Jaxxon. I had never met him in person but it was said that he carried an air, an aura that made women and even men want to concede to his every wish.

Jagger was already used to this after our 2 months of company. “I know that. All I can do now though is have faith that she is meant for me.” His blue eyes were clouded for a moment. Jagger was a nice guy and his Flair was a very admirable one. I wasn’t looking forward to being reassigned to some new honoratus trainer. I didn’t trust easily, ever. Being around people I didn’t know was extremely grim. It had taken Jagger two months to get to know me at least a bit and he was a mind reader.

I felt two warm hands find mine. “You’ll be fine. I am sure you are meant for great things.” His eyes were reassuring. I wished to believe in myself the way Jagger believed in me. He, of course, had nothing to worry about. Jagger had one of the paramount Flairs existent. I couldn’t imagine why he would decide to be a Trainer with his ability. “Always so impetuous Ever.” My eyes found his. “What you choose is for life unless the Rex reassigns you. When you choose you must not be hasty.”

I had been told that the shift was soon to come for the innovatus’. In a way I was excited and yet so nervous. The shift was said to be life changing and unforgettable but nothing else is said about it, it’s like it’s illegal or something. It had already been a week since Jagger and I conversed about my not being hasty when choosing. Jagger and I were two very different people; he would think things through using his reason and wisdom. I, on the other hand, would go for what I wanted.

All I ever wanted was to be as good as my parents had been. They were never respected by anyone because they had been together against the rules. Both of my parents had been powerful potens’ so their Rex had disapproved of their relationship therefore they weren’t supposed to be together. My mother had already gotten pregnant of me and it was too late then. Once a woman potens gives birth the woman loses her flair and is restricted to teaching the child. It was very difficult for them to deny I was theirs. I looked so much like my father. He had the same big caramel eyes, porcelain fair skin, and somewhat blonde hair I inherited. My mother had been a mind reader and my father had the ability to manipulate people when they were weak. Not only were their flairs amazing but they were also very well trained. I had to live up to what they were only better. Better because if it weren’t for their bending the rules, they wouldn’t have been sacrificed to the inimicus. Humans and innovatus were prohibited to know what exactly the inimicus was. Since they killed my parents, I was allowed to know. The inimicus was a group of potens like the honoratus potens only much more vile. The leader’s name was Jett. He was a honoratus potens, next in line to being Rex. The problem was he wanted to change things. He wanted to get rid of all the remaining homo sapiens because he thought them inferior. Obviously homo sapiens were not taking it lightly and the homo potens did not want their destruction either. The only option was to ban him from the Quarters forever. Jett obviously wanted to continue on in his struggle for annihilation of humans so he made his own Quarters. Since homo potens age extremely slowly he was still young and healthy. The honoratus potens could not take him in because there was nothing to charge him for. The death of my parents seemed completely accidental but I knew the inimicus was behind it. For some reason mind readers couldn’t get the truth from him, which didn’t make sense to me.

My legs stretched out and my arms as well. I was trying to move them but they wouldn’t obey. “What the-“ my voice had been cut off because I couldn’t breathe. I closed my eyes trying to appease the pain but all I could see were both my mother and father dead. My father’s big caramel eyes filled with disappointment every time I failed at something. I could see my mother’s soft blue eyes accusing me of some sort of crime. Everyone at school staring at me with such hatred I could hardly stay in class. Their parents who hated me by association to my parents passed on their hatred. My body was jerking upward and I couldn’t control it. My limbs felt like they were being torn apart. My muscles were expanding in a way that I supposed it would break through my skin. Again, my parents were behind closed lids just staring at me with the disappointment they owned for having such a failure of a child. Suddenly, my parents were gone but the pain remained. Then there they were, the same pair of soft almond shaped dark eyes staring straight at me with no fear of misconception. I could not read those eyes but the more I wanted to understand them, the farther they disappeared.

A door opened and shut with a loud thud. I kept my eyes shut because I feared what would happen if I opened them. I knew for a fact that there were people surrounding me. There was no specific way of knowing but I estimated about two people standing beside me.

“What are you doing here?” I heard Jagger whisper. I fully hoped he wouldn’t know I was awake or at least he would let me listen in. Maybe he was too busy listening to the other person’s thoughts.

I heard a few footsteps then a very low thud as if someone was lying back against something. “It’s nice to see you too Jagger.” The voice was low, sarcastic, dry and husky. Something fascinated me about the voice. Maybe one of the things I liked most was the fact that he had a stronger British accent, unlike my soft one.

Jagger snorted. “You didn’t answer my question Van.” Van, ha! I got his name. Where had I heard that name before?

The man just chuckled. “What? Can’t you just read my mind?” This Van was mocking Jagger.

There was a long pause. Jagger sighed. “You learned to block,” he stated. I couldn’t recall blocking.

I could almost imagine the man smiling. “Of course I did. I couldn’t go around with an open mind for everyone to see now could I?”

Jagger hissed. “What do you want Van?” I had never heard Jagger sound so menacing.

“That’s no way to refer to your superior.” The man named Van breathed deeply. He was very annoying to Jagger, which made me dislike him. “I’m here to take over your job.” As he spoke the last sentence he sounded disappointed. Jagger’s job was I. Shit.

Jagger chuckled. “You what?” His laugh faltered. “You were reassigned? Gordon Bennett! What a low blow.” It definitely wasn’t time for me to open my eyes. I couldn’t understand this relationship and where I had heard from Van.

“Why don’t you save the rest of the facts about me you want to tell Ever for later?” I felt a tug at my sheets and then I had no sheets. “I know you’re awake. You’re a terrible actress.”

That was when I was forced to open my eyes. The light was blinding and the walls were white. I wasn’t at in my room at the Quarters anymore. Someone moved me and I couldn’t see why.

“You shifted Ever.” I hated the way Jagger read my mind and answered me.

I rolled my eyes at him and sat up straight. “Now what?” I asked as I placed a hand over my forehead. I had a terrible headache.

Jagger grabbed my face in between his two large hands and spoke. “Now you have been reassigned and he will tell you the rest.” He moved so I could see who my new honoratus trainer was.

I definitely had never seen Van before because if I had I was sure to remember. He had somewhat long dark hair, olive toned skin, and beautiful almond shaped dark eyes. The eyes. My eyes locked with his and I remembered them perfectly. Van had been in my hallucinations or were they really visions? His eyes were unkind, uninterested, and absolutely bored. This Van was absolutely eye catching, the most inhumanly beautiful person I had ever laid eyes on. He had a very prominent jaw line and a chin dimple. Along his dark green eyes, I noticed they were green; he also had long eyelashes. His long hair covered only the tip of his eyes. His physique was nicely built, not lanky but not huge, a very nice body. He was lean and sexy. His biceps were clearly visible beneath his t-shirt, and his abdominals as well even though the t-shirt did not cling too much to his body.

Jagger’s hand squeezed my arm. “Ever, meet Van.” Something struck me quickly. How did he know he was assigned to me when I, myself, did not know my flair? “Very well done Ever.”

I sighed at his mind investigating. “What is my flair?” I asked curiously to Van.

Van half smiled. “Guess.”

Van’s breath reached my nose even though he was terribly far away. His breath was sweet and hypnotizing. I felt Jagger’s hand squeeze again. I hated his invasions. “I can… see the future.”

Van beamed but the smile did not reach his eyes. Although the smile was somewhat phony, it did not cease to amaze me how gorgeous it was. He had large bright white teeth. “Ding ding ding ding. For getting it right, you get to keep me for a whole month… when you pass the Ordeal of course.” He spoke of it as if it were a done deal. If only he knew how terribly I wished him to be right.

I heaved my eyebrows. “Right.”

Van rolled his eyes. “We should start training I guess.” It seemed like Van was not easy to handle. He was in for a lot because I wasn’t easy to handle either.

Jagger squeezed my arm in reassurance and then hugged me tight against his chest. “You will do great.” He hugged me tighter and whispered. “Be careful.” I wrapped an arm awkwardly around him and then nodded.

Van lead me down a hall I did not know formed a part of the Quarters. The hall was filled with large rooms and portraits that stared right at you. I kept speed with Van and I could feel his body heat bouncing off of me. Van was not lie Jagger at all. Van was very… captivating. Being close to him was difficult because my hands would wander towards him instinctively.

“Here we are,” he stated in his nonchalant tone of voice. We stopped in front of a pair of large copper doors. There was an immense design of a lion on the doors.

I wriggled my brow. “Where exactly is here?” I had not noticed my tone was harsh.

Van opened the doors with a slight push. “Home.” He kicked off his boots and threw himself on the couch while I stood outside. “Would you like me to hand you a pillow so you can camp out or would you rather come in?”

My eyes narrowed. “This is not my home.”

In his dark eyes I watched an emotion flash quickly. He jerked himself to sit straight. “Is that right?” He scoffed. “As long as I am your trainer you will stay here. I’d like to keep you close.”

I folded my arms. “And where do you suppose I slumber?” Although the room was quite big there was only one bed.

Van smiled. “Of course you will sleep on my bed with me. Unless you’d prefer the couch or the floor.” I rolled my eyes. “We’re both adults here. Besides you do not appeal to me.”

Even though I did not like his attitude since the beginning, the fact that I did not appeal to him stung. “It’s nice to know I’m a minger. I’d very much enjoy the couch” I said and walked out of the room.

I did not know exactly where I was going but I wanted to escape him. Before I even drew a corner a very strong hand grabbed my arm and forced me back. “You do not storm off like that. Do you understand?” Van said.

I struggled. “Do not treat me like a child! Let go of me this instant you bloody muppet.” I hated him! I hated him! Who did he think he was to be groping me in such a manner?

“I will stop treating you like a child when you cease to behave like one.” His voice was firm.

I sighed. “What is wrong with me just taking a walk?” I asked through gritted teeth pulling away from his nice warm touch.

Van paused and pulled me to face him. “What’s wrong is that we only have 48 hours to train for the Ordeal. I can practically smell your craving for victory.” He looked away in disappointment but I couldn’t understand why. “If you want to pass the test you must train.”

I nodded.

“What did Jagger mean by block?” I asked as I sprawled across the couch. I had been thinking about it since he had said it.

Van found my eyes. “Blocking is a way of keeping out the flairs that could affect or have control of your mind in any way.” He sat down on the kitchen counter. “For example, since I can block Jagger cannot read my thoughts.”

“That’s amazing.” I smiled at the thought of keeping Jagger out of my head. “I want to learn to block.”

Van chuckled. “It’s not simple. It takes a strong potens to accomplish blocking.” Anyone would have thought him cocky for what he said but he didn’t say it that way. Even though I knew he didn’t mean it that way it annoyed me. I would be strong enough to block.

His small blue eyes traced my face. A small smile crept up his beautiful full red lips. He nodded my way. Everything was too slow, I couldn’t see why but there was more to happen. The man was somewhat like Van. His beauty was so inhumanly beautiful it was intoxicating.

“Ever!” I heard Van shout before I felt his hand meet my cheek. I pushed him with all of my might as a response.

“You plonker!” I shouted. I felt two small trickles of sweat run down my spine.

Van was just standing because my push had hardly made him move. “Sorry. You were having vision I suppose.” He sat down and ran his fingers through his hair.

I nodded as I patted the spot he had slapped. The spot was burning and I could feel my heart beating on it.

“Please pardon me. I’ve really never seen anyone else have visions other than myself.” He looked away horrified. “It seemed like you were having a seizure.”

A snort escaped my throat. “This is only one of the many barmy things you have done in less than an hour,” I stated in an annoyed tone.

Van looked up at me with apologetic eyes. “You cannot tell me your visions.”

“What?” I hadn’t expected him to take me off track.

“We see the future but we cannot make others change it.” He met my gaze and I could see how much he hated this. In his eyes I saw something, it was something I had never seen before. It seemed like in his eyes a mixture of plants and trees were swaying angrily. I convinced myself I was insane. “If we see something we would like to change we have to do it ourselves.” I heard a growl erupt in his throat. “No matter what it is, you can’t even tell me.”

My jaw dropped. “What if someone is going to die?”

“You can try to save him or her,” he stated with a straight face.

“On my own” I finished. It impressed me how he handled such a cruel way of living without a single complaint. Van obviously dominated the blasé attitude fairly well.

Van stood up and took his shirt off. I stood my ground even though I could feel my knees buckling. He had an amazing body and I couldn’t resist it. He threw the shirt over the bed and took off his pants. My eyes widened.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. Van didn’t answer and placed his jeans on the bed as well. He grabbed a pair of torn up jeans and put them on. My heart resumed its normal rhythm as he put them on.

Van turned towards me with a grin. “I am getting ready to train.” He opened a screen door that was next to his bed and I heard a thump as if he had landed on his feet.

I ran to the open screen door and he was standing in what looked like a personal piece of forest. “What is this?”

Van turned towards me. “This is my own little training center. Come on.” He walked forward passing a few trees. When I lost sight I jumped and landed on my feet as well. I tried to look for him but he obviously ran for it. What was I supposed to do?

“Use your flair” I heard in the distance. I hadn’t used my flair. The only piece of it I had used wasn’t forced.

I closed my eyes. Nothing happened. I sighed. “I don’t know how,” I shouted back. When I opened my eyes I saw Van standing before me with a smirk.

He sighed. “You have to learn to use your flair when you need it.” He climbed up the nearest tree and sat in it. It was amazing and frustrating how he scaled with such agility.

I ground my teeth together. “I don’t know how,” I repeated.

Van chuckled. “You are so fierce.” He jumped from the tree landing on his two feet. “Maybe you should channel that towards something useful.”

My hands curled into fists. “Aren’t you supposed to show me? Or is it too much for you?” Two could play that game.

A warm hand caressed my face. “Close your eyes.” He pulled his hand away from my face. “Think about what you need desperately. You need to know where I am going to go.” His voice was already fading.

“Now what?” I asked irritated.

He breathed in my face causing goose bumps to take over my skin. I wanted to barf. “Now you push it.” Van stopped making sense.

I squished my face. “What? I push it?”

Van put a hand around my wrist. “Yes. Don’t be so bigoted. Feel the need and push it. It’s almost involuntary.” The hand around my wrist was not reassuring, it was more menacing. Suddenly, I couldn’t feel his hand anymore.

I did what he said. I needed desperately to know where he was going. The need was so intense in me. I could almost feel the need vibrating in my body and almost as if pushing a button I pushed it.

There he was. Van was sitting at the top of an oak tree that stood in front of a large silver pole. Van wore a smirk that made him look sexy but so annoying. He was also still shirtless making it impossible not to gawk at his amazing figure.

I opened my eyes and the first thing I searched for was a large silver pole. The pole caught my eye quickly. I ran as swiftly as I could manage. Exactly the way I imagined. Van was sitting at the top of the oak tree wearing a sexy but annoying smirk on his face. I ran my fingers through my hair and rolled my eyes.

“Well done.” Van jumped off the tree and landed once again on his two feet. “We should work on speed you’re pretty dozy.” He rolled his eyes and moved forward. It would seem like nothing satisfied him.

Van made me run through his little forest back and forth until I was gasping for breath. Sweat trickled down my breasts and I was as exhausted as hungry. Of course Van only made me stop when he was starving which made me increasingly angry. Van and I were obviously going to have difficulties during the next 44 hours. It was becoming clear to me how many problems Van must have gone through to be so messed up. I never knew what I was going to get. Sometimes he was okay but then he would get infuriating.

A/N

I fixed some things and added some things! Hope you all like it! I edited it! Pleeeeeease Review!