What is Hidden (31 page)

“Now cheer up,” I said wryly. “This somber, woe-be-gone prince does not suit you. I want my charming Aiden back.”

He laughed and pulled back, finally smiling. “And who am I to deny my lady-love her wish?”

Just like that, the suffocating tension between us crumbled, and we were simply Aiden and Evie again. A little battered, and a little broken, but all the better for it. At last, nothing more remained hidden.

I
want to thank everyone who
has helped raise my book baby: Alissa and the wonderful team at Cedar Fort, for being the fairy godmother to my Cinderella story; Kris, for helping me take that final step; Adair, for being my sounding board and cheerleader; and all my early readers who’ve stayed with me through the long journey.

Also a huge thank-you to the Internet, particularly my friends and supporters on Tumblr, the hard-working people at NaNoWriMo, the welcoming and helpful writing community, and all the YouTube users who made researching glass throwing so much easier.

And lastly, thank you to my family, for supporting and encouraging me through everything.

1. What masks—literal or metaphorical—do we wear in our lives today?
   
2. If you lived in their world, what would your mask look like?
   
3. Imagine you lost everything in one night—home, family, and belongings. Where would you go? What would you do?
   
4. Evie is forced into many unfamiliar surroundings and must quickly adapt. How do you react to strange or new circumstances?
   
5. Why do you think Aiden acted the way he did when he saw Evie’s face?
   
6. Do you think the Marking system is fair? Why or why not?
   

Photo by Stephanie Staples

L
AUREN
S
KIDMORE GREW UP IN
K
ANSAS, WITH
stints in Ohio and New York, and currently lives in Utah. She attended Brigham Young University where she earned a BA in English teaching and minored in Teaching English as a Second Language and Japanese. She then spent a year in Japan teaching and travelling. She hasn’t made it to Europe yet, but it’s on the list. She has been to thirty states in the United States so far. When she’s not exploring new places, you can probably find her on the Internet with fifteen windows open and looking at just one more thing before actually getting something done.

© 2014 Lauren Skidmore

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, film, microfilm, tape recording, or any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc. Permission for the use of sources, graphics, and photos is also solely the responsibility of the author.

ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-0891-6

Published by Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663
Distributed by Cedar Fort, Inc.,
www.cedarfort.com

Cover design by Kristen Reeves
Cover design © 2014 by Lyle Mortimer
Edited and typeset by Melissa J. Caldwell

1. Chapter One
   
2. Chapter Two
   
3. Chapter Three
   
4. Chapter Four
   
5. Chapter Five
   
6. Chapter Six
   
7. Chapter Seven
   
8. Chapter Eight
   
9. Chapter Nine
   
10. Chapter Ten
    
11. Chapter Eleven
    
12. Chapter Twelve
    
13. Chapter Thirteen
    
14. Chapter Fourteen
    
15. Chapter Fifteen
    
16. Chapter Sixteen
    
17. Chapter Seventeen
    
18. Chapter Eighteen
    
19. Chapter Nineteen
    
20. Chapter Twenty
    
21. Chapter Twenty-One
    
22. Chapter Twenty-Two
    
23. Chapter Twenty-Three
    
24. Chapter Twenty-Four
    
25. Chapter Twenty-Five
    
26. Chapter Twenty-Six
    
27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
    
28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
    
29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
    
30. Chapter Acknowledgments
    
31. Chapter Discussion Questions