To become Elite is to reach nirvana.

- Root, Serf King, 1851

Kyleigh didn’t hate her little sister.

Eleven years and seventeen days ago, they were born a few minutes apart, but Lesly had always been the littlest, both physically and intellectually. According to Mom, Ky had almost absorbed her sister in the womb. Yes — literally absorbed. As in gobbled up and swallowed whole, or so Ky imagined. Obviously Les had survived, a good thing since she would become Ky’s first vassal.

“Backpack, please.” Ky stood straight, arms out to her sides in a T-pose.

“Yes, Miss Ky.”

Les helped Ky into her pink and black striped backpack. The shade of pink (bubble gum, the kind you got from the gumball machine) perfectly matched the rose ribbon Ky wore in her light blonde hair. She’d planned it that way. Style meant everything on the first day of sixth grade.

Les shifted from foot to foot, her brown ponytail swaying from shoulder to shoulder. As always, given the nearly four inch height difference, she looked up at her big sister. “Can I get anything else for you, Miss Ky?”

Ky decided Miss sounded less formal than Master, yet still appropriate for an Elite, who could rightfully demand whatever title she wanted from her vassals. Ky wasn’t an Elite yet, but she’d certainly become one this weekend, just like her cousin and grandmother. Heck, she was already one of the tallest and smartest in her class. She could probably become an Elite all by herself, without the help of Dr. Coffey’s weird machine.

“You’ve fulfilled your duties, servant.” Ky used her most imperious tone, one she’d practiced innumerable times in front of her mirror, usually after watching an episode of Vassal Diaries.  Yes, she’d make an incredible Elite. Confident, yet kind. Wise, yet generous with her wisdom.

Lesly, on the other hand, exhibited none of these characteristics. In many ways, she was Ky’s polar opposite. This, in addition to their blood relationship, made her the perfect vassal.

Ky started toward her bedroom door, thinking on her bright future until a nervous sigh-groan interrupted her reverie. She turned to find Les picking her thumbnail, eyes downturned.

“C’mon. We gotta go.” Breaking character, Ky hefted her sister’s backpack and held it out.

“Miss Ky, do you think I’m pretty?” Les asked.

“Of course you’re pretty.” Ky practically forced the spindly girl into her backpack, straightened her side wisps, and picked a stray thread from her shoulder. “You’re wearing my cutest outfit from last year.”

“But Miss — ”

“We’re done with pretend. Don’t call me that at school until I’m actually an Elite.” Ky knew the forgetful girl would call her Miss or Master or Highness again in public, and it would be embarrassing, but it was a risk worth taking. Les did need practice. Besides, after this weekend, it wouldn’t matter since the title would be entirely appropriate.

“Ok...but...am I pretty by myself?” Les chewed on the corner of her lip. “I mean, without your clothes?”

“Duh!” Ky took hold of Lesly’s hand and dragged her along. “You’re the second prettiest girl in the whole school. You’re my sister!”

“Really?” Les asked, falling in step beside Ky.

“Without a doubt!” Ky lied, but only a little.

Ky was the prettiest in her class, or at least she had been in fifth grade. Les wasn’t a complete nerd, but nor had she developed much in the last year, and she still looked like an elementary schooler. Being nearsighted, twig-thin, and unnaturally pale didn’t help much either.

God had given Ky a double portion of genetic gifts, leaving nothing but scraps for her sister. What the hapless girl lacked most of all was self-confidence. This year, Ky decided she had enough confidence for both of them, and after accepting Les as her pretend vassal, she’d seen her sister’s courage (and contentment) grow. A much needed improvement — a vassal moping around all day wouldn’t be any good to anyone.

“Kyleigh Watts!” Mom met them at the front door, her arms crossed, an unlit cigarette dangling from her dry lips. “What did I tell you about wearing that shirt to school?”

“It’s fiiine, Mom.” Ky reached for the doorknob, but her mom blocked her.

What the heck!

She loved her Mom, duh, but Ky could hardly wait until she became the boss. Just one more week.

“It's not fine.” Mom pointed back toward the hallway. “Change into one of the nice shirts we bought last week.”

Ky placed her fists on her hips and glared up. Her mom wasn’t particularly tall, but she was an adult — another minor, soon-to-be-insignificant detail. “I already checked the dress code. It’s fine.”

It really was fine. Her t-shirt had a slight, smile-shaped opening under her collar but revealed nothing beyond her lower neck. Not that she had much to reveal. More than her flat-as-a-board sister but less than her friend Amanda. Unfortunately, becoming an Elite wouldn’t fix flat-chestedness, but time would.

“Listen here young — “

“No, you listen.” Ky stood on her tiptoes, nearly matching her Mom’s height. “Next week I’ll be an Elite, and you know it. So do you really want to fight about this? Now?”

At first Mom met Ky’s glare, but then she removed her cigarette and twisted it between her fingers. Ky didn’t need telepathy to know her thoughts. Next week, Ky would probably make her stop smoking, even though her Mom didn’t want to quit. Elites made the rules, and normals followed them, parental relationship notwithstanding.

It wasn’t the first time they’d had an argument over her clothing, but it would certainly be one of the last. A normal didn’t argue with an Elite, not if she valued her sanity. Normals served as vassals or, in less direct ways, as respectful citizens. In return, Elites helped maintain peace, prosperity and provided all sorts of other benefits, especially to immediate family — assuming said family didn’t piss off the Elite in question.

“We’re gonna be late.” Ky pressed sideways against her Mom’s hip, then smiled inwardly as her mom relented, giving access to the door. Had Ky’s strength already improved? Quite possibly.

“Just be careful, sweetie.” Mom kissed them both on the tops of their heads.

“Bye, Mom.” Ky waved as she raced with her sister toward the bus stop.

She didn’t look back because she didn’t want her mom to see her grin.

*****

Ky scowled as she marched toward the back of the bus. Someone, a freckle-faced girl with way too many bracelets (charms were so fifth grade), sat in the rear seat. The back bench had always been Ky’s, but apparently this newcomer didn’t know.

“Excuse me,” Ky said. “You’re in my seat.”

“I don’t think so.” The girl played with a silvery charm on her bracelet. “This seat is for Elites.”

“Duh,” Ky said. “That’s why — ”

The new girl looked up, her eyes glowing emerald. The illumination of her irises didn’t last long, but it was long enough to silence Ky, her breath catching in her throat.

“I’m sorry,” Ky said. “I didn’t know. C’mon Les.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and was about to turn away when bracelet girl spoke.

“You can sit here though.” The Elite patted the spot beside her. “There’s plenty of room. My ascension has only just begun.”

“Oh...ok.” Ky swallowed hard and she sat beside the girl who smelled faintly of wood and honeysuckle. Ky wished she could trade places with her sister. She’d nearly contradicted an Elite after all, an Elite on a bus for middle schoolers...

None of it made sense. How could this girl already be an Elite when testing for her grade didn’t begin for a few days? If she were in seventh grade and had tested positive the year prior, she would’ve already completed her growth sequence and transitioned to a school for Elites.

Ky’s mouth worked before she could stop it. “How…”

“The answer is obvious if you think about it.” The girl played with her bracelets, which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be encrusted with small gemstones. “Spontaneous ascension.” She sighed as if she were discussing the weather. “They say I’ll probably become a Mega, maybe even a Titan.”

A chill crystallized along Ky’s spine, making both thinking and breathing difficult. Elites were one thing, but Megas were on an entirely different level. And Titans! Well, she might as well be sitting next to God herself if it were true.

Titans didn’t interact with humans for a multitude of reasons. She’d never seen one, nor heard of anyone seeing one. Yet here she almost upset one? The potential of evolving from an Elite into a Mega was slim, and from a Mega into a Titan virtually non-existent, but if it were true...

Her life could be snuffed out, legally, in an instant.

The girl placed a warm hand on Ky’s exposed knee. “Titans don’t murder people.”

Shit. She had to be at least a Mega if she could already read thoughts. Elites had some empathic capabilities, but she’d never heard of one reading thoughts.

“I can’t read thoughts.” The Elite’s breath smelled like peppermint. “Well. Not usually. But you’re projecting, and our skin is touching. This is kind of cool though. Tell me your name, but don’t say it. Think it.”

Kyleigh...

“Kyleigh!” Bracelets said, not even waiting for confirmation. “My name’s Paisley.”

“Um.” Ky tried to move but her arm wouldn't listen. “This is my sister. Her name’s —”

“I don’t care about your dimwitted sister. You’re the one I’m interested in.”

“She’s not dimwitted.” Ky gathered her resolve and removed the Elite’s hand from her knee, like tugging a bowling ball from a pool of molasses.

Paisley blinked, her freckled nose scrunching as if she’d experienced an unpleasant odor. Then she smirked, and layered an arm over Ky’s shoulder, pulling Ky’s head against her wavy auburn hair.

“I like you. I want you to be my vassal, at least until I become a Mega. Then I’ll make you my Elite’s vassal.”

For a normal, an opportunity to serve an Elite came once, maybe twice in a lifetime. But to serve, even indirectly, a Mega! Most normals never met a Mega, much less served one. Heck, most Elites didn’t interact with Megas.

Still, it was not something Ky wanted for herself.

“I can’t.” She tried to extricate herself from Paisley’s embrace, but failed, her limbs turning to jelly as she fought against her own nervous system.

“Why not?” Paisley placed her free hand on Ky’s knee and Ky could feel her resistance fading. The girl had only barely begun her evolution, yet she pushed into Ky’s emotions like a bulldozer through a lake of warm butter.

“Because she’s going to become an Elite next week, and I’m going to be her vassal,” Les said.

Paisley’s arm jerked upward, and Ky regained control of her limbs. Les held the Elite’s hand in the air, a determined look on her bespectacled face. Ky had never seen her sister behave in such a direct manner, and she could only stare in confusion.

Ky caught a similar look of surprise on Paisley’s face as the Elite retracted her hand and folded it in her lap like a scolded puppy.

“You should’ve told me earlier.” Paisley looked away, staring out the window as they drove through a neighborhood.

Why hadn’t Paisley simply forced her will upon Les too? No human could stop an Elite from choosing vassalship. Paisley must’ve tried, but she’d likely extended herself too far on Ky, exhausting her abilities on someone who’d soon become an Elite herself.

That must’ve been it. Plus, Les was destined to be Ky’s vassal and everyone knew a claimed vassal couldn’t be stolen, not even by a Mega. Ky must’ve already been imparting some of her immunity onto Les.

Showed her, Ky thought, hoping Paisley heard it. Next week, this seat belongs to me and my sister. You may have a head start, bracelet girl, but I’ll grow twice as fast.

Just watch.