Dentelle (12 page)

Ryan ran his hand through his super sun-bleached
hair and said, “I don’t think there’s an exact count, but probably about 50.”

Gazing at me with a set of light brown eyes,
which were hauntingly identical to his brother’s, Rob said, “Yeah, but there’s
about 15 that are most common.”

Jessica shuffled her feet and started counting
on her hands. “Like shapeshifting, telekinesis, invisibility, energy handlers,
fire starters, and trackers, to name a few,” she said, her eyes never leaving
Rob’s bronze face. He grabbed her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her
fingers. Afterwards, he whispered something in her ear, and she blushed and
laughed with pleasure.

Uh-oh, maybe this was already more serious then
I’d thought. I’d noticed she seemed more giddy than usual when they were
together, and she never stopped talking about him. She’d even said he treated
her like she was the most important person in the world. And according to her,
he was intelligent, kind, and extremely funny. I wondered what would happen if
they fell in love and decided to get married. Who would move? Would they be
allowed to move? I couldn’t imagine her in San Francisco hanging out on the
beach and surfing all day. I knew for a fact that was one of Rob’s passions, so
I couldn’t fathom him moving to Bellingham, either. Although, I supposed he
could take up kiteboarding. We had plenty of wind to keep him happy, but he’d want
to purchase an expensive wetsuit. Remembering my swim in Bellingham Bay, I
shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself. Whether it was thoughts of the
ice-cold waters or the crazed Ray-pacs that brought goose bumps to my skin, I
couldn’t be certain. But suddenly, the Montana heat didn’t seem so bad after
all.

“There’s some really uncommon Flairs, too,” Izzy
said.

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Ryan said. “Like
Shields, and sometimes there’s a new Flair that pops up – one that no one else
has ever had before.” They all turned and looked at me.

“What?” I asked, scooting back several inches.

Jessica grabbed me by the shoulder. “Well, your
Flair is one of those rare ones. We’ve never heard of anyone else with a
defensive Flair that allows them to know exactly when and how a threat is
coming at them.”

“Really? How did I not know that?” I asked
bewildered. But the crowd started cheering, so we all turned our attention
towards the games.

“Okay, here we go,” Jessica said excitedly,
rubbing her hand across Rob’s back. “I heard there are 30 competitors. Just
wait until you see Madison in action.”

 
But
Sienna was the first of our friends to flaunt her Flair. There were 25 numbered
targets which had to be hit in order, and while Sienna’s bright, jagged
lightning bolts were extremely accurate her speed was not. Because our seats
were only a few feet away, we could hear the disappointment in her voice as she
finished the round. “Okay, that really sucked.”

“Speed isn’t everything, Sienna,” Izzy yelled.
“All your strikes hit the bull’s-eye.”

“Just wish I could have done it faster,” Sienna
called back and walked over to the sidelines.

I don’t know if Fate was out for a leisurely
stroll and decided to join in the games, or what? But somehow Ash and Madison
were the last two competitors, with Ash up first.

Jessica nudged me and gave me a funny look.

“What?” I whispered.

“Don’t you think you should be supporting your
man
?” she said quietly and gave me a
get-with-the-program look.

“Oh yeah. Good idea,” I mumbled. Jumping to my
feet, I yelled, “You got this, Ash. Kick some butt, honey.”

Jessica snorted and rolled her eyes
dramatically.

“I got this, babe. No worries,” Ash said,
tipping his cowboy hat.

“What’s with the hat?” Jessica said.

“Don’t ask.” I covered my face with my hands and
shook my head.

Madison, who was standing only a few feet away
from Ash, called out, “Oh, you should be worried – worried that you won’t hit
more than half the targets.”

“Watch and learn, Madison. Watch and learn.”

The next thing I knew, he was launching blue and
orange tinged energy spheres left and right. As he flung one orb with his right
hand, another one was already forming in his left hand. Showing off his
dexterity, he propelled shots from both hands, occasionally flinging two at
once. I had a feeling he didn’t utilize that strategy very often because
maintaining dual accuracy had to be tricky.

I overheard a young Guardian girl, a few rows
below me, say to her friend, “He is hot! Hot! Hot! That Dentelle is sooooo
lucky.”

Laughing to myself, I studied Ash. His powerful
arms were tan and defined as he threw his energy spheres. Wearing black cowboy
boots, a pair of his expensive, tight-fitting Diesel jeans, and a gray t-shirt
that emphasized his broad chest – I had to agree – he looked pretty damn good
from the back. Sadly, I pondered his single status. He couldn’t easily pursue a
relationship with someone while everlinked with me. That made me feel even
guiltier, because I really wanted him to be happy. He was a good guy with a lot
to offer; he just needed an adventurous woman who could keep up with him – and
by that, I meant his attitude and his love for extreme sports.

As the last mini-orb flew through the target,
the clock buzzed and flashed a time of 42.35 seconds. We went crazy in the
stands, jumping up and down and high-fiving each other. Ash had the fastest
time, and the scoreboard showed 23 of his spheres had pierced through the
yellow center and the other two shots had sliced through the neighboring red circle.
Ash was in first place. I screamed until I was hoarse and laughed as he
swaggered to the sidelines. Turning towards the crowd, he fluttered his hands
and then fired several energy spheres high into the air above us. Moments later
they exploded in an impressive array of colors, like a mini fireworks show. The
spectators went wild.

“I’ve never seen anything like that!” Izzy
exclaimed.

“That was
amazing! How did you do that?”

“That’s
the big secret I’ve been keeping. Been working on it for a while now.”
He
bowed and then blew me a kiss.

Enjoying my role as lead actress in that moment,
I blew a kiss back. And as the noise level lowered, I shouted, “You’re my
hero.”

Ash shouted back, “Oh no, babes. I’m your
cowboy.”

Finally, the crowd quieted down in order to give
Madison time to prepare for her round.

Izzy, who was sitting right below me, turned and
grabbed my leg. “He’s a riot. How do you handle him?”

“Ash, Izzy
thinks you’re a riot and wants to know how I handle you,”
I teased.

He flashed a sexy smile towards the stands.
“Just tell her your whip works every time.”

“I most
certainly will not.”
Looking at Izzy, I said, “Let me just say, it ain’t
easy!”

Madison took center stage, stretching her long,
toned arms above her head and to the sides. Sporting pink cowboy boots, a
matching sequined tank, and a pair of faded black jean shorts, she looked more
like she was preparing for a Cowgirl photo shoot than a battle she intended to
win. She set to work arranging the strange cannonball concretions which she’d
be launching at the targets. The peculiar-looking ovoid and spherical rocks
were apparently hard, compact masses of sedimentary rock that had formed by
mineral precipitation. There were tons of different shapes and sizes all over
the ranch. When I’d first found some, I’d thought they might be fossil eggs or
bones.

“Best of luck,” I overhead Ash say.

Glancing down her nose, she batted her almond
shaped green eyes. “Oh no, Ash, luck is what the Seven Lucky Gods granted you
today. I’m all about skill.”

“Ouch!” Ash whistled. “But fascinating that
you’re up on Japanese mythology. About this skill business…we’re gonna need
proof.”

She brushed her hands together, “Stop talking
now. It’s time
you
watch and learn.”

And with that, 25 cannonball concretions rose in
the air simultaneously and rocketed towards the targets. Madison’s hands
flashed before her as she commanded the precise movement and speed of each
stone. How? I don’t know. Her thick black hair fluttered in the breeze;
although, I wasn’t sure if her quick movements weren’t the force behind the
breeze, as well.

I fastened my hands tightly together. She was
impressive, and part of me actually wanted her to win, but I’d never admit that
to anyone. Finally, the last stone ripped through the center of the furthest target
and the clock beeped, displaying a time of 38.68 seconds. The scoreboard also
showed she’d sunk all 25 cannonballs directly through the gold-centered
targets. We were on our feet, cheering louder than we had for Ash, because not
only had Madison swiped gold from under his nose, she’d beaten the Ranch’s
all-time record by two seconds. Basking in her glory, Madison bowed and waved
to the crowd. Ash set off a series of firework spheres above her head, and
something about the way she bit her lip told me she was secretly pleased. It
wasn’t long before we were out of the stands, crowding around her and offering
congratulations.

After we all settled down, a satisfied smile
passed her lips and she asked Ash, “So, did you learn something about skill
today?”

All casual in his stance, with his thumbs looped
through his belt buckles, he said, “I have to admit; that was impressive.”

“She’s a good teacher if you want some
pointers,” Jessica piped up. Interlocking arms with Rob, she said, “I’m
starving. Let’s get something to eat.”

We all agreed and began our trek back to the
lodge. A moment later I heard Ash say, “You think you’re as good a teacher as
Jessica claims?”

“Of course. Nothin’ but the best.”

“Great!” he quipped but left her side and rushed
up next to me. After looping arms with me, he turned over his shoulder and
called out, “Sign me up for private lessons.”

“What?”

“Yep. Just you and me. Free of charge, too.”

Looking at Ash, I shook my head.
“I thought I told you to hide your crazy.”

He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.
“Hey, you only live once, right?”

By the time I rolled into bed, I was asleep
before my head hit the pillow. Luckily, I slept hard all night long, too,
because the next day were the group competitions. The Bellingham Circle
performed decently in paintball and capture the flag but nowhere near medaling.

The football game, turned out to be another
story altogether. Once we caught our stride, we were unstoppable. In the
unlikeliest of all situations, Madison and I teamed up countless times for an
embarrassing number of touchdowns. As it turned out, Madison, with her amazing
accuracy, was an all-star quarterback. She could launch the football directly
into the hands of whomever was receiving. Surprising even myself, it turned out
I had a knack for catching the football. More importantly, I found that
carrying it down the field and scoring wasn’t even a challenge. With my
defensive Flair, I knew exactly who was coming at me, when they were coming at
me, and from what angle they were planning to take me down. Of course, with
Jason, Ash, Trevon, and Max as the main players on our offensive line, rarely
did anyone get close to me.

In reality, the guys on the other teams were
probably afraid they’d get burned; although, a rule was made that I would be
considered down and the play would be over when someone tapped me. Still…if
people were afraid of a little heat, that was their problem. Or maybe they were
just afraid of a Dentelle? Hah! If that was the case, then maybe it was time to
start playing the Dentelle card, especially with the Senior Council.

In the end, we were ecstatic, because we walked
away sporting the first place trophy. Seeing how I was the diehard football
fan, I couldn’t have been happier. We even called ourselves the Bellingham
Broncos. That was a day I’d never forget. We’d all worked together as a team,
and we’d come out on top. That boost of fun and laughter with friends ignited
my spirits. Now, hopefully, I could ride that high into the Archery finals and
into my meeting with the Senior Council.

“Miss Adams and Mr. Merrick,” declared Mr.
Wright, the Council spokesman, a balding man with glasses and sharply slanted
eyebrows that reached the bridge of his nose, “this Senior Council has
concluded it would be in your best interest to relocate to a new Circle as soon
as possible.” His statement was made with an air of authority similar to the
President of the United States.

I stared straight at Mr. Wright, whose glasses
seemed to magnify his beady eyes. But it was his smug expression that had a
scowl threatening to warp my face. It took sheer willpower just to keep my lips
set in a grim line. Already outraged, I chose not to give him the satisfaction
of a quick response. Why show deference when I had no plans of submitting to
the Council’s judgments?

Sitting up a little straighter, I slowly scanned
the room – a room in which over 100 Guardians sat staring at me and Ash from
their individual leather chairs. Their seating was stadium style in a u-shape,
facing the front of the room. Opposite them in the front of the room, Ash and I
sat in a long curved leather booth. A custom-crafted wood table followed the
curve of our booth, offering something of a barrier between us and the Council.
Of course, it was intended to be used as a conference table – not as a way to
separate two opposing sides. But that’s how I viewed it.

Located on the ground level, directly in front
of the stadium seats and also facing us, were six executive-style rolling
chairs. They were occupied by today’s elected chair people. Jessica had
informed me that all the Senior Guardians rotated through as chair people every
few months, so discovering who held the most clout was going to be a matter of
deduction on my part. The overall feel of the meeting room was overwhelmingly
business-like; although, the lodge’s rustic décor extended into the large,
round chamber with an impressive three-tiered antler chandelier.

“Miss Adams…” Static erupted as Mr. Wright
adjusted the tabletop microphone in front of him. “Do you intend on
responding?” he asked with an edge to his voice.

Good. He was irritated. Narrowing my brows, I
glanced from one chairperson to the next, intentionally meeting each of their
eyes – four men and two women. I’d already sized them up, and gut instinct told
me only Miss Palo from Houston and Ahanu, Dakota’s grandfather, were
sympathetic towards my cause. Not one smile had cracked the stony faces of Ms.
Johnson from New York or Mr. Wright from Chicago, so I assumed they’d be most
uncompromising of all. Some off the wall comments by Mr. Moore of Jacksonville,
had me thinking this might be his first time as a Council chair, so I doubted
he had much influence. Luckily, everyone in the room had nameplates; although, they
only displayed last names, reinforcing the fact we were here on formal
business. Lastly, and much to my chagrin, Mr. Sanchez, or Carlos as I’d been
introduced to him earlier, held the sixth spot. Despite his easy smile and
attempts at friendliness, I glimpsed something cunning in his murky eyes. A
glint of deception? A flicker of greed?

“Do you need me to repeat the decision of this
Council?” Mr. Wright asked irritably, fiddling with the volume on his
microphone.

“Yes. Would you please?” I heard myself saying
briskly with surprising confidence. “I want to make sure I heard you
correctly.”

“Before
what? You rip them all to threads,”
Ash said with a laugh.

“Something
like that.”

With a look of disapproval and a slight shake of
his head, Mr. Wright covered his microphone and whispered something to Ms.
Johnson. Her lips tightened and she shrugged. Finally, he removed his hand and
said, “Okay, Miss Adams. Here it is again. This Senior Council has concluded it
would be in your, and Mr. Merrick’s, best interest to leave the Bellingham
Circle and relocate.” He took off his glasses. “Do you have anything you’d like
to say?”

“Oh plenty,” I said loudly, raising my voice.
“Would you please explain how leaving my family and friends would be in
my
best interest?” I tapped my hand on
the table, squared my shoulders, and looked around the room.

Mr. Wright readjusted his glasses. “It’s really
very simple. In a more heavily populated and prominent city, your skills and
Flairs, along with Mr. Merrick’s, of course, could be fully utilized, and in a
larger Circle you would both receive exceptional training.”

“Our
skills would be utilized? Like they aren’t right now? And what the heck does he
mean by prominent and exceptional? It’s like he’s insinuating the Bellingham
Circle is subpar,”
Ash raged.

“He’s an
idiot. But I’m going to play it cool for a while.”

 
I took a sip of my water and addressed the
crowd. “Unfortunately, Mr. Wright, you are totally wrong.” There were a few
snickers. “And I disagree with your conclusions. First of all, while Bellingham
may be smaller than some of the grander cities you speak so highly of, our
Circle of Guardians is also smaller, but the work load is still great. We cover
a large area which extends into the San Juan Islands, takes us south to Seattle,
and draws us as far north as Canada at times. You do recall the tragic loss of
several Guardian lives in B.C. just recently, I presume?”

Around the room, several heads bobbed up and
down, and I noted solemn expressions, including one on Mr. Wright’s face.

“We have been assisting our friends up north
quite often. So, I have found that my healing talents and my linked skills are
already
heavily utilized between several
different Circles in the Pacific Northwest, not just Bellingham. And with all
the Ray-pac activity last year, we faced our share of battles, all in which my
gifts were invaluable. Frankly, I think it would be a disservice to remove me
or Ash from that area. We are needed. We help ensure the safety of our small
community and of the bordering counties.”

“I completely agree,” Ash interjected and
launched into a spiel that supported all of my arguments.

After he finished, Ms. Johnson pursed her thin
lips and swiped her gray hair away from her face. Turning on her mic, she said,
“Miss Adams and Mr. Merrick, we appreciate your dedication and concern when it
comes to your community and your friends in the Bellingham Circle,” she stopped
and glanced back a few rows at Jason’s dad, then turned and continued, “but
that doesn’t change the fact that Bellingham already has an Amethyst, and your
capabilities would be invaluable to a Circle that doesn’t have one.”

“I’d like to jump in here,” Mr. Sanchez
announced, scooting forward. “Miss Adams, you yourself referred to the Ray-pac
activity in your area. True?”

I nodded but my heart rate spiked, because I
knew exactly where he was going with this line of questioning.
“Why do I feel like I’m on trial here?”

“Because
basically you are. Don’t let him rattle you, though.”

Mr. Sanchez fingered his goatee. A slight smile
appeared on the side of his face but only long enough for me to catch a glimpse
of it. “And isn’t it true that in your last encounter with the Ray-pacs, one of
them escaped? The one who was after you in the first place and now knows about
your dual abilities to heal and link?”

Despite the air conditioning drumming cold air
into the room, a series of hot flashes descended over my entire body. I’m sure
my face flushed as I responded, “Yes.”

“Your immediate safety is yet another reason we
decided you should relocate. Since you were at Acadia Park last week, you know
that a group of Ray-pacs attempted to abduct Miss Izzy Baxter of the Bangor
Circle. Out of concern for her safety, we have also instructed her to transfer
to a new Circle. We want all the members of our Network to be fully protected
and in the safest environment at all times. I do not see how your situation is
any different from hers.”

“Yes, your safety is paramount,” reaffirmed Mr.
Wright.

“Oh crap!
Now what?”

“I’m
thinking. Give me a minute,”
Ash responded.

I bit my lip, my eyes darting between the metal
art pieces. “Listen,” I finally said, letting my mouth run away from my
thoughts. “My situation is totally different from Izzy’s. First of all, I am
not an Amethyst. Since I am linked, I have the strength and ability to fight
back. Secondly, I am comfortable in Bellingham and know the terrain well, which
is advantageous. Besides that, we already have extra patrols and Trackers at
work, which makes it the most secure place for me to be. And,” I said pointing
a finger at Carlos while fixing him with a penetrating glare, “If you remember,
which you should, because you were there, we had over 200 Guardians sweep the
entire Pacific Northwest for Ray-pacs in January. So…the way I see it,
Bellingham is by far the most protected city we have right now.” I tossed my
hair, the way Madison always did when she knew she was right. Drumming my
fingers against the booth and tapping my foot against the table, I said,
“And…we haven’t even started talking about how Bellingham borders the Pacific
Ocean, which is a great weakness for Ray-pacs but also a means of escape for
me.”

I slid back, crossed my arms, and watched as
many of the Guardians started murmuring amongst themselves. Their fancy leather
chairs swiveled, so they could easily converse with neighbors or in small
groups. Carlos looked at me with a shrewd eye, as if he was reevaluating my
potential as an adversary. When I exchanged glances with Mr. Walker, he nodded
slightly and smiled.

“You tell
‘em,”
Ash said.
“That was some
serious butt-kickin’.”

I looked over at him and smiled.
“Yeah, I’m boss. And you know it.”

“Huh?”

“Sorry.
Middle school lingo…where if you’re really good…you’re either boss or pro.”

Something caught my eye, and I glanced to my
right but realized it was only the flames flickering in the river rock gas
fireplace. Its location seemed odd, until I realized it was situated for the
enjoyment of the Council, rather than those who were summoned to meet with
them. The fireplace was all about ambience and not heat. On a summer day, with
the outside temperatures hovering around 85 degrees and the air conditioner
working overtime, I was surprised it was even on. It certainly wasn’t bringing
any comfort.

Ahanu cleared his throat and raised a hand in
the air, and the room quieted down. The chair people turned in their seats and
looked at him. “I believe Miss Adams has offered some very valid points, all of
which will need to be taken into consideration.”

Obviously feeling left out, Mr. Moore ran a hand
through his Donald-Trump-like hair and said, “I’m not sure if we can do that
since we already voted it through.”

“Permission
to fire a BB sized sphere at Mr. Dimwit Moore.”

Biting my tongue and holding back a laugh, I
said,
“Granted.”

Ash looked over at me with his mouth hanging
open
. “Really?”

“Yeah, but
you have to wait until the meeting is adjourned. And do it discreetly so you
don’t get caught.”

“Discreet
is my middle name.”

I slapped his leg.
“Not even close. It would be something more like…ostentatious.”

“Whatever.”

Sweet Miss Palo from Houston, with her big green
eyes and freckled face, said, “Why of course we can, Mr. Moore. It wouldn’t be
fair if we didn’t.” She looked at me, “Do you have anything else you’d like to
add, Miss Adams?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” I said, flashing
her a grateful smile. “There is another small issue here that seems to have
been forgotten. I come from a family who knows nothing about my abilities, or
about our Network, for that matter. And I can guarantee you they would not
allow me to pack up and move across the nation, especially when they are paying
for half my tuition at Western and expect me to graduate from college.

Mr. Sanchez laughed sourly. “I believe you are
19 years old. Are you not, Miss Adams?”

“Yes, I am,” I said stubbornly.

“Well, then you are an adult and your parents
can’t stop you.”

Anger brought me to my feet. “My family is the
most important thing in my life, and I would never consider doing anything that
would sever that relationship.”

He smiled, a wolf’s gleam in his sharp, dark
eyes. “There are always ways they could be…shall we say, persuaded. Persuaded
to support you fully on whatever issue you want them to…”

“How dare you?” I seethed. So, I’d been right.
He was some kind of mind manipulator. “You mean like the same way you attempted
to
persuade
me when you came
slithering into my brain?”

That sent the room into an uproar. Even Mr.
Wright and Ms. Johnson turned and gawked at him. I thought I heard someone
mention the word “unethical.” I’d had no idea if he’d really tried to access my
brain or if I’d imagined it, but I figured it was true. And regardless of
whether he’d changed his mind or I’d blocked him with my Essence, he’d done it,
and now I’d exposed him.

“I did no such thing! I can’t even touch you.”

“Oh, I think you did. It just didn’t work. I can
understand your frustrations, though. Failure sucks.”

Ahanu and Mr. Walker were on their feet in a
flash. But Mr. Walker got his words out first. “Carlos, if this is true you are
in serious violation of our ethical code and will face the consequences.

“Oh crap,
Lexi! You better slow down. Carlos looks ready to kill.”

“No,”
I said viciously,
“he’s enemy number one.
No way am I gonna sit here and let him manipulate me again. I might have been
totally winging it when I started spouting off, but now that I know Carlos was
trying to force his way into my mind…”