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Chapter One

Landon

Dubai

This place was surreal, a tiny slice of winter inside an eternal su the e of longing for the crisp, clear skies over the Colorado Rockies Aspen would be opening later this month, but ere half a world away in the Middle East and weren’t even due back stateside until Christmas

I caught sight of the ca down the slope behind me and increased my speed Most days I had no proble me off Maybe it was because we’d just finished our live show a couple of days ago, orthat happened—the incident that had nearly killed one of my best friends and put another one into police custody Hell, maybe it was the inability to some into the bathroom, but I just wanted a few moments to myself

Shiftingthe run, careful to watch the bite against e of the lift track The entire run tookto help , especially considering it was ninety degrees outside

“I alot how fast you are,” Paxton said as he skidded to a stop next to me

“I’ve practiced a few tied We’d been docked in Dubai with our Study at Sea program for the last five days, and I’d been here almost every day It had been my only opportunity to use o, and there was no chance in hell that I was passing it up

“Want to go again?” Pax nodded toward the lift as the ca we’d be doingfro to be able to keep up with me

“How much time do we have?”

He lifted his jacket sleeve and checked his watch “About an hour Enough tiet in another run Leah starts to freak if we’re not on board two hours before departure, so this has to be my last one”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you’re busy irlfriend in Istanbul and miss the ship”

A slow smile spread across my best friend’s face “Yeah, well, it was more than worth it What do you say? One more?”

I looked up the hill at the separate runs Ski Dubai offered and nodded “Yeah, ain for a feeeks”

We headed over to the short lift line and waited our turn, sticking out like sore thuainst the rented navy and red suits everyone else wore

I was nore it This whole documentary—International Waters—was for Nick, and ninecompared to the rest of his life in that wheelchair Theas the rest of us Originals—those who had started the Renegades—and would put hins and stunt setups So cameras it was

“Hey, Nova,” a girl ahead of us said with a soft sigh in my direction