Blood of the Rainbow (44 page)

Jared and Sara settled in their seats and listened while the pilot made announcements of their departure. Jared leaned across and kissed Sara. “You
are
her,” he said, staring into Sara’s eyes. “There’s
no
doubt in my mind.” Jared’s attitude turned sad and distant. Sara wondered what was wrong. Jared read the confusion in her eyes. His face brightened, and he kissed her again. “I will always love you, Sara. No matter what happens, remember that. I will always, love you.” Sara smiled, and he turned forward, holding her hand as the plane taxied down the runway, and lifted off the ground.

Chapter 18

On the flight home, Jared seemed preoccupied. Sara didn’t know why, but she suspected it had something to do with the Council and his father. Whatever it was, Jared wasn’t prepared to share it with Sara.

All Sara knew was that she loved him, and at last, it was beginning to look as if they may have a future together. Sara wished she understood why Jared had a distant and sad look in his dark eyes. She had many questions in her mind, but the one that concerned her most was what changed Jared’s mind. What made him decide to give in to his feelings? Sara wanted to know, but she wasn’t quite sure how to approach the subject. This wasn’t the only thing that was bothering Sara, but for now, the other one would have to wait.

Jared had been scanning through one of the books she’d bought. All of a sudden, he burst out laughing. It was contagious, and before she knew it, Sara was smiling and laughing with him. Not as exuberant as Jared, but laughing softly. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh this stupid book. You wouldn’t believe some of the myths they come up with for our ceremonies and rites. For example, this one here,” he said gesturing to the book. “They haven’t got a clue. They’re just pulling at straws and making things up to suit their needs. No wonder Granddad wanted to straighten things out.”

Now, that conversation was flowing between them again, Sara saw her opportunity. “Jared, can I ask you a question?”

He locked his eyes with hers and kissed the back of her hand. “What Angel?” His eyes had a weak liquid gold glow around the outside of his iris.

“Ah – Jared – eyes,” Sara whispered.

At first, Jared narrowed his eyes in confusion, which only intensified the glow. After a few seconds of studying Sara’s eyes, his face lit with recognition. “Oh!” he said and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, held it and then let it out slow. Then he opened his eyes again, smiling at Sara. “That better?”

“Yes.” Sara tucked her head slightly. She could feel her cheeks starting to warm. Despite how close they had become, he could still lock his dark eyes on hers and make her forget about everything. She tried to arrange her scrambled brain and ask her burning question. “You are really going to have to work on restraining that thing you do with your eyes. I don’t think it would be easy to explain to an…
outsider
,” Sara said, trying to choose the right word.

Jared softly laughed. “It’s easy to control when you know it’s a secret. It’s not a secret to you, and my subconscious mind knows that. But, you’re right. I’m going to have to learn to restrain myself when I’m around you.” Jared leaned across and kissed Sara. “In more than one way,” he said, smiling wryly at her. “I may have to start wearing special shades when I’m in public.”

Jared’s last remark did it for Sara. Her mind went totally blank. He kept looking at her in anticipation.

“What?”

Jared raised his eyebrows at Sara. “You said you wanted to ask me a
question.
…”

“Oh, yes.” Sara still wasn’t sure how to do this. In the end, she decided the direct approach - as outspoken as she could stand to be - was the best way. “Why did you leave like that?”

Jared’s confused look made Sara paraphrase her question. “What were you doing on the mountain before I found you? Well, I guess I should have said, before you rescued me.”

Jared chuckled.

“Unless,” Sara babbled on. “I’m not allowed to know.”

“I think I can tell you,
some
of it. I was…” he paused.

Knowing he couldn’t tell her everything, Sara could tell that Jared was searching for the right words he could use to tell her, what he could tell her. “…trying to speak with Granddad. I needed to ask him something. I had hoped I could ask him before he passed over, but….” Jared drew in a breath. Probably to keep from crying, Sara concluded from the pained look on his face. Finally, he finished his statement. “But, he never came round, so I could ask him.”

“And did you ask him? I mean, were you able to
speak
with him?” Sara asked, dubiously. She still wasn’t sure she believed in
all
their ways, but after what happened with the book, and the odd dreams, Sara’s position was changing.

“Yes, I did,” he said, seeming to hope the discussion was closed.

Sara’s insatiable curiosity however wasn’t satisfied. She pressed him. “What did you want to ask him? Was it about… me?”

“Yes,” Jared answered, guarded.

Ok
,
if this keeps up, it will take me all the way to Dallas to find out what I want to know.

Sara was getting impatient. Maybe it was time to ask what she wanted to know. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath and hoped her trembling voice didn’t sound too pathetic. This was extremely difficult for her. “Did you change your mind about us… because of what he… told you?”

“Yes.”

Sara sighed. “Jared, you sound like you’re on the stand and I’m the prosecuting attorney. Can’t you answer with something other than, yes?” Sara thought she saw a faint smile on his lips. Was he enjoying her anger?

“Yes,” he said, stifling a laugh.

“Arghhh!” Sara groaned.

Jared laughed and turned in his seat. “I could if you would just ask what you want to ask and stop, hesitating and beating around the bush. What do you want to know?”

“All right, if that’s the way you want it. I don’t want to know,” Sara said, turning away and pouting, tired of his childish games. Sara wasn’t beating around the bush. At least, she didn’t think she was. Considering her courage had turned to jelly, she thought she was being relatively straightforward.

He smiled. “Don’t do that.”

Even, though Sara’s head was turned away from Jared, she could still hear the smile in his voice. He took her chin in his hand, turned her face to his and softly kissed her. “Sara,” he said, sincerely. “Angel, I can’t tell you everything. I’m doing the best that I can. I know what you want to know, and I know this must be very difficult for you, so let me ease your pain. Yes, what my Granddad said to me is why I changed my mind about making love to you.”

Sara had to stay extremely close to him to hear. He was keeping his voice low. What he had to say was for her and her alone. “Granddad told me; even when we foresee a future event, it doesn’t mean it will always turn out that way. He said I would just have to be patient, and allow this to play itself out. Some things, he said, are predestined by choices we’ve already made in the Spirit World. Those are the things, no matter how much we want to, that we can’t change.”

The sadness slipped back into his tone. “We might prolong them, but, eventually, they catch up with us in the end. Sometimes, when we resist and try to make things go the way
we
want them to, we end up doing more damage than good, and make things harder on us, and the other person involved. Like me, fighting my feelings for you.”

“And he told you, that you shouldn’t fight those feelings?”

“He said I shouldn’t try to change things, or push things in a different direction because I wasn’t happy with the outcome. So, I’m just going to be very careful and love you, as I know you should be loved. The way you deserve to be loved, devil-be-damned.”

Sara couldn’t help but smile. “I see.”

“I think I should warn you,” he continued.

“Warn me?”

“I only know one way to love – all the way.” Jared brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, lay down his book and closed his eyes. That was Sara’s cue, not to ask any more questions for this interrogation session.

For the time being, it was enough for Sara. Maybe she didn’t need to know what he’d asked his Grandfather about, and better still, maybe she honestly didn’t want to know. Sara watched him for a few minutes as sleep overtook him and his face relaxed. She touched his cheek and closed her eyes too.

 Although Sara hadn’t planned it, Jared was right. She was tired, and the next thing she remembered was being gently shaken awake. “Put your seatbelt on Angel, we’re about to land.” Jared lightly brushed her cheek.

Sara yawned and stretched, and then fastened herself in. It actually wasn’t necessary. The pilot must have been well seasoned. Sara barely felt it when the plane’s wheels hit the runway, until it started clicking across the different sections in the pavement.

Sara glanced at her wrist watch. It was half past eight at night in Dallas. Although they’d been in the air for three hours, technically with the time difference, they’d been in the air for six hours. It would be half past six, back in Arizona. The sun would be starting to drop behind the mountains. Sara wondered what they would be doing.

It took them another half hour to get processed, and find their luggage. Steve and Carl were waiting for them at the terminal.

“I’m sorry to hear about your Granddad,” Steve said. He gave Sara a hug and patted Jared on the shoulder. Although Jared was jealous of Steve when he first introduced him to Sara, Jared didn’t seem bothered now. Sara was thrilled. Steve was a close friend to Sara.

“Yeah, man, me too,” Carl added, shaking Jared’s hand and hugging Sara.

“Thanks.” Jared said.

Steve looked from Sara to Jared and then back at Sara. “You’re looking more
settled
now, than the last time I saw you,” he said, a wry smiled spread across his lips. Sara blushed crimson.

Jared cleared his throat and smiled at Sara. If it hadn’t been for the color of Jared’s skin, he would probably be blushing too. “We both are. Thanks for bringing my car.”

That didn’t help Sara’s condition. She was practically glowing now.

“No problem, man,” Steve said, fishing in his jean pocket for the keys and holding them out to Jared. “Not all of us can ride around in style. It was nice while it lasted.”

Jared pushed Steve’s hand away. “No, go ahead and enjoy your glory a while longer. Sara and I will ride in the back seat on the way home.”

Jared picked up Sara’s left hand, and kissed it, deliberately flashing her engagement ring in Steve’s face.

Steve’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! Man you work fast! Congrats – when’s the big day?”

Carl shook Jared’s hand. “Well, I knew you were going to do it, I just didn’t know when.”

Poor Lucy,
Steve thought. “Have you told Luce yet?”

“No, I guess we’ll tell her tonight – if she notices,” Sara replied. “As soon as she finds out, it’s a matter of time before my mother will know.”
And I’m not looking forward to that response.

“We haven’t set a day for the wedding yet,” Jared said. “When we do, we’ll let you know. Let’s get going. I’ve got something to do tonight.”

“I’ll say,” he said, smiling accusingly at Jared and Sara. Sara tucked her head in Jared’s shoulder, still blushing.

Steve popped the trunk of the car and Jared put their things in it. Sara crawled in the backseat and waited for Jared while he pushed the luggage cart back. When they were alone in the car, Steve turned in the driver’s seat, so he could see Sara. “Did you have a nice trip, barring circumstances?”

Sara smiled. “Yes.”

“Did you like Arizona?” Carl asked.

“Yes,” Sara said, still smiling. She realized she was starting to sound like Jared.

“And?” Steve prompted.

“And what?” Sara looked at him, raising both her eyebrows in mock confusion.

“And… you’re not going to tell us anything else that went on down there – are you, you little tease?” Steve said.

Sara grinned, “Nope!”

Steve turned back around, disappointed. “I think Jared is having a bad influence on you.” Steve wanted to hear some juicy stories that Sara wasn’t going to tell him. Carl and Sara laughed as Jared was getting in the back seat.

Jared furrowed his brow and half smiled. “Did I miss something?”

“No, you didn’t, and we’ll never know what it is that you didn’t miss,” Steve said. Everyone laughed but Jared. Jared looked at Sara, then out the side glass for a few seconds, and then back at Sara. “Steve, can we just go now?”

“Absolutely,” Steve said, starting the engine.

Jared turned Sara’s face toward his, staring into her eyes for few seconds, closed his eyes and kissed her passionately. Sara knew the reason he’d closed his eyes. If he hadn’t - kissing her this way - he wouldn’t have been able to stop his eyes from glowing, and judging by the amount of passion he’d been putting in his kisses, Sara knew Jared’s eyes would be deeply crimson by now.

Jared kissed the side of Sara’s neck, and put his lips close to her ear. “You’re even more dangerous now than you were before,” he breathed in his deep, seductive tone. Sara’s insides fluttered as he sat up and she rested her head on his shoulder. Jared sighed and laid his head on top of Sara’s. Sara dozed, listening to the sound of Jared’s strong, steady heartbeat.

Sara woke up and lifted her head. A bright light shone in her face, despite the fact that Jared had shielded Sara’s eyes with his hand. He kissed her forehead. “Where are we?” Sara asked, yawning.

“Just outside Kilgore, Texas.”

“Why are we stopping?” Sara was anxious to get home. Not home to Lucy’s, but home to Wisteria Hall. That’s what she considered home now.

“I think Steve and Carl needed to go to the little boy’s room. Do you want anything? A Coke or some chips or something?”

Sara spent a few seconds, thinking about her answer. What she genuinely wanted would have to wait until they got home. “I guess I could drink a Coke and maybe a pack of salted peanuts, to go in it.”

Jared eyed her suspiciously. “I’ll get you the Coke and the salted peanuts, but I won’t let you put the peanuts in your Coke.” His tone was stern.