Beginning Excerpt: The Matching Ceremony
"Cassia Reyes, the Society is pleased to present you with your Match." I smile as Xander's face on the port screen immediately following the recorded message. It's a good picture of him. As always, his smile looks bright and real, his blue eyes kind. He is handsome. I'd never dared think that he might be my Match, of course, but now that it's happened I am interested. Intrigued. A little scared about how this might change our friendship, but mostly just happy. I reach up to touch the words Courtship Guidelines on the screen but before I do Xander's face darkens and then disappears. The port screen beeps and the voice says again, "Cassia Reyes, the Society is pleased to present you with your Match." My heart stops, and I can't believe what I see. A face comes back into view on the port in front of me. It is not Xander.
IN THE SOCIETY, OFFICIALS DECIDE. WHO YOU LOVE. WHERE YOU WORK. WHEN YOU DIE.
Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. so when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia know with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow-between perfection and passion.
Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.
