Dentelle (13 page)

Mr. Wright stood up. “This is a matter we will
deal with in private at a later time.”

Whatever, I thought. But I wasn’t done with
Carlos yet. Leaning over the desk, I gripped the edges and looked at him
savagely. “And you, Mr. Sanchez,” I said viciously, “will leave my parents out
of this! Don’t you ever think about messing with their minds or you’ll be sorry.”

“Is that a threat, young lady?”

Ash scrambled to his feet, put his arm around
me, and gazed hard at Carlos. “Oh yeah it is.”

Ahanu broke in with a firm voice. “Carlos, sit
down. We will discuss these accusations later.” He turned and gazed calmly at
Ash and I, motioning for us to sit down, as well. His wind-burned face was
somber but his aged eyes seemed to be offering me reassurance that everything
would be fine.

I was too worked up and couldn’t soften my
expression. Not even for him. Actually, I was so angry, I was practically
foaming at the mouth.

“Lexi, it’s okay. There is nothing to worry
about on that account. I assure you that is not how the Council works. Nothing
like that will ever happen to your parents without your knowledge and consent.”

“Damn right it won’t.” I scowled at Carlos, my
heart thudding so hard I thought it would burst. “And besides that,
I
wouldn’t dream of giving up my
education. Not for you or anyone else.”

Mr. Wright jumped in. “In regard to your
education, no one is asking you to give that up. In fact, we highly encourage
all Guardians to get their degree. We have connections all over the country and
could get you a full ride at any university of your choice.”

Mr. Moore sniffed. “That is a good point about
your parents, Miss Adams. And about Bellingham being one of the safest places
in the nation, too,” he added, scratching his head. He turned sideways and
looked quizzically at Mr. Wright. “But what about that other issue? The one
that tipped the scale in favor of relocation?” That comment brought a lot of
bewildered faces but also a few alarmed expressions. I took special note of
anyone with that uh-oh-I-just-got-caught-with-my-hand-in-the-cookie-jar
expression. By my calculations, they were the ones guilty of trying to mess
with my life.

“Oh man,
and I thought the fun was over,”
Ash said, unable to mask the excitement in
his tone.
“This guy is something else.
Seriously, if his brain was chocolate, it wouldn’t fill an M&M.”

I smiled inwardly at Ash’s comment. “Will you
please elaborate, Mr. Moore,” I said boldly.

Mr. Wright cleared his throat. “I think you’ve
said enough for now, James. Let me proceed with this, if you will.”

Mr. Moore nodded but looked rattled, as if he’d
finally realized he’d said too much.

Straightening his shoulders and taking a deep
breath, Mr. Wright continued. “Miss Adams, as you are aware, relationships
between Amethysts and Guardians are forbidden for a number of different
reasons.”

 
I bit my
tongue and nodded.

“But since you are what appears to be perpetually-linked
with Ash, it seems only natural you two would...umm, pursue a romantic
relationship, which is why we have given our approval for the two of you to...”

“Get to the point,” I said apathetically.

“Fine, Miss Adams. We’ve heard rumors that you
may be in violation of those rules.” He glanced back at Mr. Walker nervously
and then continued. “Stories are circulating that you and Jason Walker may
be…involved.” As he finished his sentence, he seemed to expel a rush of air, as
if this conversation had finally become too emotionally straining for him.

Standing up, I placed my hands on my hips and
said, “Well, that’s an interesting rumor. Now, let me tell you what rumors I’m
hearing about this Senior Council.”

“You’re
kidding? You have something else on them?”

“Sorry,
Ash. I haven’t told you ‘bout this one, yet. So get ready.”

I knew who my opponents were, and because of
Michael, I thought I knew the real reason they’d pushed for my relocation. If I
could get proof of their ultimate goal, I might stand a chance at winning this
game. But this was not a game of chess or Flairs. This was a game of life. My
life and their attempt to control it. Pulling my hair back, I tucked it over my
shoulder. “Rumors have it that this Senior Council wants us to relocate
somewhere there will be no other distractions so that Ash and I can be
persuaded to have children.”

Several people looked stunned. Others did not.
That clued me in to a possible secret society within the Senior Council. I
wondered which idiot had brought Mr. Moore into the loop. Because that had been
a huge mistake. I noted Ahanu and Miss Palo were the only two of the six Chairs
that looked confused.

“What? Are
you making this stuff up?”
Ash said.

“Apparently, if my ties are broken with the
Bellingham Circle, and I’m separated from my parents, there will be nothing
holding us back. No interferences. No previous relationships. In fact, I’m sure
the Senior members, of whichever lucky Circle we chose to join, would conveniently
encourage marriage and kids.”

“Why would we want that?” Miss Palo asked,
aghast. “You’re still so young and need to experience life. There’s no reason
to jump into parenthood.”

“Exactly my thoughts, Miss Palo. But I’ve been
told that some members of this Senior Council are dying to find out if my
immediate offspring will be Dentelles or not.”

Everyone started talking at once and the noise
level rose significantly. Ready for a breather myself, I sat back down and
rested a hand on Ash’s shoulder. For the first time in his life, he looked
totally speechless but finally muttered,
“Kids?
Now that’s messed up.”

Ahanu held both hands in the air, and after a
good minute, the room quieted down. “Miss Adams, at this point these are all
just rumors. But in light of our discussion today, I do think it would be wise
for this Council to reevaluate the matter of your relocation.”

“I disagree,” Ms. Johnson declared. Shifting in
her seat, she waved her finger at me and said, “Miss Adams, I think you’re
being selfish when you should be thinking about the greater good of our
Network. First off, I still believe you would be safer out of the Pacific
Northwest. And secondly, since you and Mr. Merrick are going to be linked for a
lifetime, I think the move would be beneficial for your relationship. Marriage
and kids would come naturally.” She stopped, swiveled in her chair, and looked
up at the other members behind her and began speaking directly to them without
the mic. “Ultimately, our goal is to protect the Innocents, but with the
Ray-pac population on the rise and Amethysts disappearing under our noses, we
need to be strong and unified. A union between Miss Adams and Mr. Merrick could
only be advantageous for the Network.”

“I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing!”
Miss Palo exclaimed.

Mr. Sanchez cleared his throat. “Well, I find it
interesting that Miss Adams never answered the question of whether or not she
is involved with Jason Walker – involved in a way that would be in violation of
Guardian code and might explain why she is really so dead set against leaving
Bellingham.”

 
“Funny
you
should be the one to bring that up
again, Mr. Sanchez,” I said, tightening the grip on my water glass. “And if I
recall, that was a rumor, not a question.”

“I thought
the reason we’ve been playing charades is to make them think we’re already
involved? I’m so confused. Why don’t you just lie and tell them we’re madly in
love with each other and they can stop messing in our lives?”

“Because
we’re in so deep already, and I’m tired of playing games. Eventually, it’s
gonna come out for real that I’m with Jason. Then what? And even though we’ve
been acting like a couple, this Council still wants us to move. Besides…I have
another argument I plan on throwing at them.”

 
“We’re
waiting, Miss Adams. Are you trying to come up with a good cover story?”

That did it. I wanted to decimate Mr. Sanchez. I
slammed my water glass onto the table, and it shattered into pieces. That
brought a few raised eyebrows. “Oops,” I said cynically, “I sometimes forget my
own strength.” Blood oozed from a cut in my hand, so I held it up for show and
allowed the red stream to pour onto the table.

Mr. Moore said, “Oh my, can someone get her
bandages? She’s bleeding all over the place.”

“Oh, don’t bother,” I said with a wave of my
hand. “I got this.” Leaving my hand out on display, I healed the cut, and the
bleeding stopped immediately – the wound sealing right before their eyes. My
anger was still bubbling on the surface, and I was afraid another explosion
might be looming. As calmly as possible, I walked around the table and leaned
against it. “I would like to remind each and every one of you that I am not an
Amethyst. And…I am not a Guardian. I. Am. A. Dentelle.” I sauntered over to the
Council table and pounded on the large book sitting in front of Mr. Wright.
“Can you please tell me where in this Guardian Code book it shows the rules for
Dentelles? More specifically, where they must live or who they can or can’t
have relationships with?”

Mr. Wright’s mouth dropped. “Well, there isn’t a
specific section about Dentelles. This was written before…”

“My point exactly. This was written before I
came into existence.”

“That is just a technicality,” Mr. Sanchez broke
in. “We’ve already decided the same rules apply to you as apply to –”

“To what?” I countered angrily. “To Amethysts?
Or to Guardians? Which is it? Because I don’t think you can have it both ways
or either one of those ways, for that matter.” Glancing back at Ash, I said,
“And just so we’re clear on another point, you don’t know that Ash and I are
forever linked. That could change at the next full moon.”

Mr. Sanchez rose. “That’s hardly likely since it
hasn’t happened in the last six months. And we decided months ago you would
follow the Amethyst rules – with the exception you and Mr. Merrick can pursue a
relationship. I hope you understand that if you are romantically involved with
another person, he would be in violation of policy and would be disciplined
accordingly.”

That comment brought my anger to violent levels.
He seemed so sure, like he had evidence of my relationship with Jason. I wasn’t
sure if he wanted to catch me in a lie or just wanted to strike back with a
debilitating blow. With my adrenaline running at a full sprint and my blood
pumping out of control, I grabbed the book, walked over, and slammed it on the
table in front of Mr. Sanchez. “You are unbelievable!” I seethed. “Until this
book contains clear-cut rules which have been specifically designed for
Dentelles, I don’t see how I am under any obligation to follow ones written for
Amethysts one day and Guardians the next. Or the ones that are being sloppily
thrown together to coalesce with this underhanded scheme of yours.” I turned on
my heel and walked back over to Ash.

 
“Wow! Guess who’s mastered the art of
intimidation.”

“Yeah?
Well, sometimes it takes supreme arrogance and harassment to deal with big
bullies.”

Mr. Wright spoke into the mic and the room
quieted down. “Miss Adams, while you have brought up several worthy arguments against
your relocation, we have already made our decision. And while it is obvious we
still have some kinks to work out, you and Mr. Merrick should still plan on
relocating in two months’ time.”

“I don’t agree with that decision,” Ahanu
declared in a loud, firm voice.

“Neither do I,” said Miss Palo.

Suddenly, everyone was on their feet, wanting to
voice their opinions. Some members were shouting, others were shaking their
heads adamantly. Tension began mounting like a geyser about to burst.

“Well,
looks like you’ve split the entire Senior Council. Way to bring the chaos right
to their feet.”

I was still shaking from Mr. Wright’s comment
that Ash and I should be prepared to move in a couple months. What a pompous
ass. There was no way I was leaving Bellingham. And there was no way I was
going to allow Carlos to screw with my parents’ minds.

Picking up a broken shard of glass, I banged it
against the microphone and said loudly, “It’s obvious you are not united in
your thoughts.” People stopped talking mid-sentence and stared at me. Stepping
back, I scanned their faces with a hardened expression. “It seems to me there
are some underhanded dealings going on between some of your members, and you
may want to get to the bottom of it. And until you do,” I said, clasping Ash’s
hand, “we have no intentions of moving.”

“You heard the lady,” Ash reiterated. “And when
she speaks, I listen.”

“No, you
don’t.”

“Sometimes
I do.”

I snorted. “And you might recheck your rules and
regulations, too, because I’m pretty sure you can’t make a newbie, such as
myself, who has no family members in, or even aware of, the Network’s
existence, just pack up and move. Besides that, I
am
a Dentelle, and as I see it, there are no rules indicating where
I must live or who I’m allowed to date; although, I’d be happy to help you
write a few.”

“This is a Senior Council meeting,” Mr. Sanchez
declared angrily. “You can’t talk that way here – with such blatant disrespect
for our…”

“Oh? Well, I just did, Mr. Sanchez. And you know
what, despite all the blatant disregard for my feelings and my life here today,
I do respect the Senior Council – well, eighty percent of you anyways. But I
think some of you were blindsided – presented with several so-so reasons of why
my relocation would be beneficial. I believe I’ve clearly shown why those
points are invalid. What this really boils down to is that there are a few in
this room who want me out of Bellingham, away from parents, and away from
anyone who may hinder Ash and I having kids. In my opinion, your decision was
made in haste and needs to be reversed.”