Dentelle (14 page)

“Lexi,” Ahanu said in a firm but soft voice, “I
truly hope the accusations you are making against some members of this Senior
Council are false. But I tend to agree with you that something isn’t right.”
Rising from his chair, he turned and addressed the members. “Until we can get
to the bottom of this issue, as well as discuss the other arguments Miss Adams
has made against her relocation, I move that at the present time, we rescind
our decision. She and Mr. Merrick shall remain in the Bellingham Circle until
such time as we are all in complete agreement as to what is best, not only for
the Network,” he peered over at Mr. Wright and Mr. Sanchez, “but also for Miss
Adams. Please raise your hand if you agree.” I breathed a sigh of relief when I
noted that a good majority of the Council raised their hands.

“Are you saying Miss Adams is not bound by
Amethyst or Guardian rules at all?” Ms. Johnson squawked, barely able to
contain her disapproval.

Ahanu raised his head and spoke loudly. “I am
not saying that at all. I believe Miss Adams takes her oath to protect the
Innocents and support her fellow Guardians with conviction.” He turned and
nodded once.

“Absolutely,” I replied. “I am committed to our
cause and will continue to honor my oath to serve and protect the Innocents and
to heal and offer my Essence to fellow Guardians.”

Mr. Sanchez slapped the table, his bright red
face stretched to the limits, like a balloon ready to pop. “Are you saying she
is also free to date anyone she wants?”

“Let me comment, here,” Mr. Wright interjected,
and Mr. Sanchez actually relented and held his tongue. Mr. Wright turned and
looked at the entire Council. “I believe until we establish these ‘Dentelle’
rules as Miss Adams has requested, she should continue with our original
directives when it comes to dating. As we do not know the full extent of her
abilities or the potential risks involved were she to become romantically
involved with another Guardian, or an Innocent, for that matter, I suggest she
wait until we have discussed the matter further. But in the meantime, since she
and Mr. Merrick are linked and
seem
so tight, they should be allowed to continue pursuing their relationship. All
in favor please raise your hands.”

My heart sunk as I witnessed almost the entire
Senior Council, including Ahanu, Miss Palo, and Mr. Walker vote in favor of
this proposal. My expression must have given a glimpse of my weeping soul,
because Mr. Sanchez smiled viciously and Ash tried soothing me.

“They’re
just scared, Lexi. They’re scared of the unknown. You and Jason will just have
to stay incognito a little longer. Until we come up with a plan or until our
link breaks.”

“I know.
But it just sucks. And Mr. Wright isn’t scared. This is his and Carlos’ way of
maintaining control.”

“At least
we don’t have to move. You shook them up good, and you can bet there will be
some heated discussions as soon as we leave the room.”

“There, you see, Miss Adams,” Mr. Wright said
sweetly, turning towards me, the traces of a smile upon his lips. “We aren’t as
selfish as you claim. We do want what’s best for you, and your happiness is
important.”

Choosing to ignore him, I gritted my teeth and
smiled kindly at the Senior Council members. Pleasant but businesslike, I said,
“Thank you all for hearing my arguments today. I know I have given you much to
think about and consider, and I would be more than happy to meet with you again
and possibly answer questions or offer details as to what it’s like being a
Dentelle. I would be more than willing to assist you in writing fair rules for
Dentelles.”

“Absolutely not!” Ms. Johnson shrilled, leaning
forward so fast she hit her chin on the mic. “Senior Council members are the
only ones allowed to make decisions or establish rules. All of us have either
endured a vigorous election process by our peers to get here, or we’ve been
specifically appointed to the Council because of our dedication and outstanding
contributions to the Network.”

Tapping my foot, I said coldly, “I was only
trying to be helpful. But that’s all right; you can take it or leave it.” With
a bright smile and wide eyes, I added, “If you change your mind, you’ll know
where to find me – in Bellingham,” I said haughtily, gazing at Mr. Wright and
then Mr. Sanchez. “But for now, it looks like our business has concluded. And
if it hasn’t, I’m truly sorry, but Ash and I are late for the archery finals.
So, until next time…” I waved once, grabbed Ash’s hand, and we marched out of
the room. I thought maybe I heard Mr. Moore cry out and say something about a
pain in his leg.

“You
should have hit Carlos, too.”

“Oh, I
will…when the time is right.”

“This is awfully risky,” I said nervously, tracing
Jason’s jawline. His skin was soft, and he smelled like aftershave – a rich
combination of sandalwood and birch leaves.

“Clandestine meetings always are.” His
blue-green eyes reflected a turmoil of emotions.

Having snuck a few miles away from the Ranch, we
sat side by side, atop a tall vertical cliff face. The turbulent Missouri River
roared below us, and the view from our vantage point provided grand vistas of
the canyon and the surrounding country – from the green grasslands and rolling
hills to the distant mountains.

Resting my head against his shoulder, I relished
in the sensation of his Essence – so soothingly familiar. Tender and true. Just
what I needed after my confrontation with the Senior Council. Regardless of the
risk, I couldn’t turn down a stolen moment with him. I’d needed to see him and
share what had happened as much as he’d needed to see me and hear about it.
When I’d told him I was staying in Bellingham, all the muscles in his body had
gone slack as if an overwhelming sense of relief had just washed his worries
away. What brought him to his feet with clenched fists and a bright red face
was the idea that a group of Guardians were conspiring together, hoping to
manipulate Ash and I into marrying and having kids. That’s what ignited his
rage. Had Carlos or Mr. Wright been present, I think Jason would have
instigated a fist fight.

After much discussion, he finally calmed down.
We decided he should approach the subject with his dad – maybe gain a little
inside information. In order to level the playing field, we needed to know if
the Council was investigating my allegations, and if so, had they found out
anything or identified who was involved. Mr. Walker still had no idea Jason and
I were in love, so Jason needed to tread carefully. We hated lying to his
parents about us, but if they knew the truth, it would place his father in a
compromising situation and could jeopardize his position on the Senior Council.

“I still think this is dangerous,” I said,
staring over the canyon. The sky was ablaze in red and orange hues, and the sun
was barely peeking over the Rocky Mountains. It was sinking fast, now. I
frowned; our time together was limited.

“No,” he said. “You’re what’s dangerous.”

“Me?” I laughed. “How do you figure?”

I could feel his head shaking next to me. “Alex,
you were phenomenal in the archery competition,” he said, admiration clearly
evident in his voice. “I knew you were good, but I had no idea you were
that
good. What’s that all about?”

I smiled at the memory. A couple hours before,
Ash and I had run across the rocky terrain and through heavy timber, launching
arrow after arrow at moving targets. The event had been scored on speed and
accuracy. It had also been ten times more challenging then the simple target
archery from the first round a couple days before. While Ash and I hadn’t won,
we’d been all smiles when we came in second. The majority of my shots had hit
the targets dead center. Since the points from this competition also counted
towards my individual archery score, I’d ended up with the highest score there
and would be receiving a gold medal the following day.

My shoulders drooped a little as I thought about
my family. At times like this, I wished they were Guardians and belonged to the
Network so they could share in these moments. Especially this one, because my
dad had been the one who’d encouraged me to take up archery when I was a kid.
Despite my melancholy, I smiled. He would have been proud today. Actually, I
felt a bit of pride myself. Well-earned after my embarrassing screw up in the
kayak when I’d put us in last place. Being a Dentelle wasn’t easy. Not only did
everyone around me have high expectations, but I felt compelled to live up to
those high standards, too. When I didn’t, I had a hard time not feeling like a
total failure. I just needed to remember that failure was inevitable. No one on
earth can run from it. But it also makes us wiser and breeds persistence, which
will eventually lead us to success.

“Persistence and skill,” I finally answered
Jason’s question, a big smile spreading across my face. “Skill that only came
after years of practice.”

“Years of practice? When the heck did you start
shooting?”

Leaning into him, I smiled. “I started target
practicing with my dad and uncles when I was around eight. You know they’re
bowhunters, right?”

“You mentioned that before. I just didn’t know
you were a hunter, too.”

Abruptly, I sat up and pummeled his shoulder. “I
am not a hunter. I am just an archer who loves shooting for the sport.”

“Ouch! Okay. Stop already.” He laughed and moved
back a few inches. “So your dad and uncles must be pretty good, too?”

“Are you kidding?” I slapped him playfully one
last time. “They suck. But don’t tell them I said that.” I pulled my knees to
my chest and clasped my hands around my legs. “They’re not bad; they’re just
not great. For some reason, I really took to the bow. There’s something
amazing…something tranquil and Zen about shooting an arrow 150 miles per hour
and connecting with a bull’s-eye 100 meters away.” I focused on the streaks of
yellow weaving between the red and orange hues. “After you train your body,
then you train your mind. Then you practice, practice, practice.” I averted my
eyes back to his face. “And just so we’re clear, I’m a purist – instinctive
shooting only.”

“Huh?”

“Ah hah, Mr. Walker,” I teased, “So there are
some things you don’t know.” I bumped my knee into his.

Biting his lower lip, he shook his head slowly.
“There’s a lot of things I don’t know, Alex. But I can honestly say, I’m soooo
looking forward to the ones you’re going to teach me.” He winked and my mouth
dropped. “Now, tell me what you mean.”

I sighed and glanced down at the raging Missouri
River, which cut its way around large rocks and twisted through the canyon’s
sharp bends with ease. “Okay. Well, first off. I prefer recurve bows. That’s
where the bow limbs curve gracefully towards the archer but then turn away at
the tips. That’s to increase the speed of the bow and the smoothness of the
release. They use them in the Olympics, too. When I say I’m a purist, all I
mean is that I don’t use any other gadgets, like a sight, to help me.” I pulled
my arm back, as if I was shooting my bow. I took careful aim at a red columbine
growing out of the cliff face across the ravine. “I want my shot to be 100 percent
the result of my effort and technique. As an instinctive shooter, I allow my
subconscious to guide my movements. It really takes a lot of practice and some
serious concentration to get to that stage.”

I stopped talking and stretched my legs out, accidentally
scraping myself on a pointed rock.

“Do your uncles know you’re better than them?”

Laughing, I rubbed my leg. “Oh yeah. They’re
jealous, but proud, too. Here’s a funny story for you,” I said, leaning back.
“One time, I think I was around 12 years old or something…we were all talking
smack about who was the best shot. My Uncle Jerry started bragging he could hit
a target with his eyes closed, and pretty soon they were all convinced they
could do that. In order to prove their prowess,” I giggled, “they decided to
conduct a little experiment – something they’d read about in one of their
hunting magazines. I tagged along just for fun. I mean, I knew they were all
going to make fools of themselves, and I didn’t want to miss it.”

“Sounds like a competitive group.”

I snorted. “Oh no! More like cutthroat. Still
are, and lucky you, you’ll get to meet them all someday.” I winked.

“That’s what scares me.”

“Oh, please. They’ll love you.” I kissed my
finger and touched his lips. “Anyways, they had to set up the workshop so it
was completely dark. And I mean pitch black. Seriously, you wanted to be
holding onto something just so you didn’t topple over. Then they illuminated a
piece of wrinkled aluminum foil with a dull flashlight. The idea was to shoot
from 20 yards out and hit the foil, which doesn’t sound difficult, but let me
tell you – it was. They took turns shooting, but none of them could hit within
ten inches of the foil. Apparently, if you could hit within six inches of the
foil, you could consider yourself an instinctive archer. Well, none of them
even came close. Finally, I asked if I could take a shot. They humored me, but
I could tell they were laughing under their breath. Not one of them thought I
had a chance…”

“Oh, I know where this is going,” Jason
interrupted with a laugh. “I bet you stepped up, hit the foil dead center, and
completely destroyed their egos.”

“You got it.” I shook my head at the memory. “It
was hilarious. And to be honest, I was shocked myself. To this day, they still
try and coerce me into going hunting with them, but I always decline. I just
can’t kill a wild animal, not even for the meat.”

Jason sighed. “I understand how you don’t have
it in your heart to hurt another living creature. But, Alex,” his eyes rounded
and he looked deadly serious, “someday you might be in a position where you
need to do more than just defend yourself. If your life is in jeopardy, you’ll
have to kill in order to stay alive.”

“You mean like a Ray-pac.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “And don’t worry, if
it comes down to it, I will do what has to be done.”

 
“Good.”
He seemed satisfied and grabbed a few broken chunks of rock and threw them into
the canyon below. He turned and looked at me, but his shoulders seemed to
stiffen. “There’s something else I’ve been wanting to get off my chest.”

I frowned and looked at him suspiciously,
because he seemed agitated. “What?”

“I know there’s nothing between you and Ash, but
I also know there could have been – or might be – if I wasn’t in the picture.”

“No, I...”

“Let me finish.” He placed a finger against my
lips for the briefest of moments. “And even though I know it’s all an act here
at the Ranch, it’s still difficult watching you two together. I mean, you
really work well as a team. And he’s such a master womanizer. If I hadn’t
instigated this whole charades ordeal, I’d be seriously throttling him.”

Gnawing at his lips, he paused and bowed his
head. Eventually, when he spoke, his voice cracked. “I guess I always have some
insecurities where you’re concerned, Alex. I’m sorry, but I have to ask – I
don’t have anything to worry about, do I?” He was wringing his hands and
actually trembling.

My heart melted in that moment. His
vulnerability tugged at my soul. But I loved him even more for it, because to
me it was a strength, not a weakness. There was no acting here, just genuine
honesty inspired by love. I grabbed his face in my hands and looked deep into
his eyes. “No, you don’t. Not ever. I love you, Jason Walker. And I miss you.”

He slowly expelled a breath and smiled. We sat
silent for a few minutes before he said, “You’re amazing. You know that?”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“Amazing, dangerous, beautiful, and mine. Please
don’t you forget it, either.”

“Believe me, I won’t,” I said. “I am so looking
forward to being back in Bellingham,” I continued. “It’s a lot easier when we
only have to hide our relationship from a few people. And even if your parents
find out, I can’t imagine they’d tell the Council.”

He exhaled a deep breath. “I know they wouldn’t.
They really care about you. But I don’t want to put my dad in a position where
he’d have to lie.”

“I know; me neither.” I slumped back down.

“Home sweet home,” Jason murmured. “Can’t come
soon enough.”

“That’s for sure. Hey,” I said, ready for a
change of subject, “tell me what you’ve been doing all week and what’s been
happening around here. Besides that, please explain how you persuaded Madison
and Ash to stand guard while we met up here.”

He made a face and laughed. “I shouldn’t even
tell you that. But I will.”

Turns out Madison owed him big time. Apparently,
she’d talked both he and Max into pulling some sort of shapeshifting prank on
Dakota that had involved small rodents and lots of screaming. Just listening to
his narrative was uplifting and had me forgetting about the complications in
our lives – for a little while anyways. He was in rare form. It wasn’t often he
got carried away, but soon he was telling me about all kinds of incidents
taking place around the Ranch. A few cat fights (literally), some break-ups,
and a bit of animated rivalry among some of the Circles pretty much summed up
the week’s entertainment.

Since Ash and I were always in the center of our
own drama, we rarely heard about other people’s misadventures. Somewhere in the
midst of all the Guardian activity, there had been a major rockslide in nearby
Missoula. The few Guardians who’d had premonitions of the impending slide, had
immediately gathered others and raced to the scene. Luckily, they’d arrived in
time to prevent any loss of life, and only a few people were injured. While we
Guardians might be immersed in fun and games, life continued and tragedy still
struck. It was a good reminder that no matter where we were or what we were
doing, our pledge to protect the Innocents trumped all else.

Eventually, Ash and Madison prompted us to say
our good-byes. The sun had disappeared over the horizon, but the sky was still
on fire. We were grateful they’d been so generous with their time. After a few parting
words, along with a brief hug, on my part, we headed our separate ways. I knew
I wouldn’t see Jason at dinner, because Ash and I had promised to join Miss
Palo and the Houston Circle. We would have enjoyed sitting with the Bellingham
Circle more but felt we owed it to Miss Palo after her support. With all the
cunning adversaries already plotting against us, we needed friends and strong
alliances with people who held a vote on the Senior Council. Building a strong
network of supporters could be paramount to our future happiness.