Dentelle (16 page)

Wide-eyed, tears pooled in my own eyes, blurring
my vision. I wrapped my arms around his solid, warm body and held him. Our
bodies quivered and our hearts pounded together, and neither one of us said a
word. Eventually, I broke away and pulled him over to the bed where we could
sit down. “Tell me exactly what happened,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Clinging to him, I listened as he recounted the
evening’s events. His voice cracked, and his eyes searched my face desperately
as he told of how he and Madison were summoned to an impromptu Council meeting
just as they were preparing to go four-wheeling. Once inside the chamber, the
Council had asked him point blank if he was in love with me. He’d informed them
he didn’t see how that was any of their business, and they’d shot back that it
was because former rumors had recently turned into accusations accompanied by
proof.

 
“That
can’t be. Like what?” I cried out.

“Pictures,” he said softly, pressing his lips
together. “Pictures of you and me together.”

“Pictures where? That doesn’t make any sense.
And that wouldn’t prove anything anyways. Someone could have taken my picture
when I was walking with Ryan or Trevon or Jessica, for that matter. Doesn’t
mean I’m involved with any of them.”

“I know, Alex. But these were pictures of us up
on the cliff with your arm wrapped around me. There were up close images,
focused on our faces. I personally think you’d have to be blind not to see the
love in our eyes, but still, I agree; that isn’t proof enough. They really
needed something more, and I think some of them were hoping to get it through
interrogating me.”

“Was your dad there?” I gripped him tighter.

“Actually, no. He felt the line of questioning
was uncalled for, and he felt he was too personally involved, so he was
excused.”

“Thank goodness for that. But how did they…I
mean who?” I couldn’t even form a complete question.

He sighed. “I passed Dakota in the hallway
before I went into the meeting room, so I’m guessing she had something to do
with it. But you never know for sure. At this point, the who is irrelevant; it
could be anyone. Technology coupled with shapeshifters lurking around any
corner make it easy to follow our moves. I just never expected there might be a
secret group trying to control your destiny or that they would go to such
extremes. Things are worse than I thought. Even me entering Ash’s room tonight
was foolish, but I asked Max for a favor and then shifted and came in from the
balcony. I couldn’t let you find out about this from someone else tomorrow. And
the damage has already been done.”

I tensed and looked around the room. “Oh no! Do
you think there could be cameras hidden in here?”

“No. Ash did a thorough check of your room and
his the first day. He was paranoid from the start, and I should have trusted
his instinct.” He clutched the blanket like he might rip it to shreds.

“What did the Council do?”

 
“They
reminded me that the rules regarding a relationship with an Amethyst, or you,
more specifically, prohibited all Guardians, other than Ash, from pursuing a
relationship with you. And since it appeared the accusations against me were
true, I was in violation and could face consequences. But in all fairness, they
said they summoned me because I deserved the opportunity to share my side of
the story and defend myself.”

“That’s not what they wanted,” I said angrily.
“If they already had what they thought was proof, then they were just trying to
pump you for more information. Probably so they could gauge how far our
relationship had advanced and what kind of damage control they were facing.”

“You’re probably right,” he said, balling his
hands into fists. “One thing – since it was an impromptu meeting, there wasn’t
a select group of spokespersons, so anyone could speak out. That was
advantageous for me, because now I have a pretty good feel for who might be
against us. And I’m hoping some of the other members, like my dad, Ahanu, and
Miss Palo, among others, will be investigating the allegations you made that a
secret alliance exists amongst their ranks.”

I felt nauseous. Lost. We were being torn apart
– our fates fixed by those in positions of power. But I wondered at their true
motives. Did they want to punish me for standing my ground in the Council
meeting? Or was this about separating me from Jason in order to push me closer
to Ash? Or did they just want to punish Jason to set an example – showing that
if you broke Guardian code there would be repercussions no matter who you were?
He rubbed his neck like he had a sore muscle, so I shot him a little Essence
and massaged his shoulders.

“They asked me again if I was romantically
involved with you, and I refused to answer,” he continued. Clenching his jaw,
he said, “But then Carlos commented that if you and I were involved, then that
meant you and Ash were putting on a very convincing show here at the Ranch. And
if that was the case, then he wondered if you were to be trusted or if they
needed to reevaluate the decisions they’d already made in regards to you
staying in Bellingham.”

I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. “I
knew this charades crap was gonna get us in trouble,” I said, pressing a hand
against my forehead.

“I wasn’t about to let Carlos attack you that
way – make it seem like you were some deceitful person not to be trusted. Next,
he’d be saying you were dangerous and manipulative too.” He shifted on the bed,
turning to face me more directly. “I’ve been thinking about this – all the
craze where you’re concerned. They’ve never been this concerned or interested
in anyone before. I think some of them are jealous or nervous that you have so
much power.”

I made a face. “No…”

“Yes, Alex. You are the only living Dentelle –
ever. No one knows what other abilities you might possess. And it is possible
some people want to keep you close…maybe even control you – if nothing else, be
a part of your world.” His brows furrowed and he gave me an imploring look.
“You could become the most powerful person in the Network. A leader, even. I
think some of the members feel threatened. Afraid of the changes you might
bring.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, there are greedy people in every
organization, even ours. And those are the ones we have to worry about.”

“That sounds so crazy. I’m just a girl who wants
to love you, save people, go to college, and enjoy life. Normal everyday
Guardian-Amethyst-Dentelle things. I don’t want to usurp anyone or lead
anybody.”

“I know, babe.” He touched my cheek briefly and
pulled his hand away.

“So, what did you tell the Council members?”

He looked at me with new resolve and my heart
skipped a beat. “I told the Council that while
I
might be in love with you, that didn’t mean you felt the same
way. At that point, my only goal was to get Carlos off your back.”

His eyes bored into mine with such intensity, I
wondered what he hadn’t told me yet. “What else did you say?” My voice wavered.

“I lied. I had to,” he said. “They forced me into
it. I told them you and Ash were tight and always had been. I admitted that I
had feelings for you and wanted to explore a relationship with you, but you’d
turned me down. I told them you’d said there might be a spark between us but it
didn’t matter because you and Ash had a good thing going.”

“Oh my.” My eyes widened. “You made it sound
like I was innocent in all this. Like you’d been actively pursuing me and I’d
rejected you?”

“Yeah, well. I needed to smooth things over –
find a gray area. Because eventually, when we figure this all out – and we will
– we are going to want to be together publicly. But for right now, I just
couldn’t have them messing with you any more than they already are. I also
didn’t want them judging our love. Not when they are the ones who have forced
us to keep it hidden. But by setting the stage this way, they don’t know your
true feelings or that we’ve outright lied to them. They just know there is the
potential for a relationship between you and me but only if something comes between
you and Ash. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, I guess so.” I tugged gently on the silver
chain around his neck and stared tearfully into his pained eyes. “What I
understand is that you love me too much – so much so – you’re sacrificing
yourself.” Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I tasted salty pain as my tongue
brushed against my lips.

Tears fell down his face as well, and I leaned
over and kissed his wet cheeks. This time I tasted love. “Love is supposed to
conquer all – right all the wrongs,” I whimpered. “But by admitting your love
for me, you’re being sent away.” I held his face in my hands, but I was shaking
so fiercely I could hardly hold on.

“Shhh,” Jason whispered. He drummed his hands
against his legs. “I wish I could pull you tight. Hold you. Comfort you like
you always comfort me. I’m sorry I can’t be everything you need me to be.”

I gasped and blinked rapidly. Staring at him, I
said, “Jason Walker, you are everything to me. You are my heart and my soul. As
long as I have your love, I will never be alone.”

“No matter the distance or the obstacles, I will
always love you, Alex.”

“Where are they sending you?” I swiped at my
tears.

“Bangor.”

My jaw dropped. “Guess they couldn’t get us much
further apart than that. At least you’ll be with your brother.” Shaking my
head, I bit my lip. “How long do you have?”

“Two months.”

I traced the scar in his eyebrow. “Okay, we’ve
got two months to figure out how we’re gonna either change their minds or outsmart
them,” I said stubbornly.

He finally cracked a smile. “I’m counting on
it.”

“They think they can control this situation –
dictate our feelings. Well, they’re just a little too late for that,” I said.

“No, they’re a lot too late.”

I grinned. “Our souls are bound together
forever.”

For a few minutes we just sat there, reminiscing
about the times we’d spent together – up at the waterfall, on Towhead, and out
in the San Juan Islands. I rested my head against his shoulder and listened as
he described all the places we still had yet to explore. At some point he
stopped talking and we rested peacefully next to each other until I remembered
Madison.

“Hey, what’s the deal with Madison? She doesn’t
have to move, does she?”

He swallowed and nodded. “Since we are linked,
Madison has a choice. She can either move to Maine and stay linked with me or
she can stay in Bellingham and they’ll find another Guardian for her to link
with.”

“She won’t leave you.”

He shook his head. “No, she won’t. And not
because she thinks there’s a chance for a relationship between us, either.
Madison might be arrogant at times, but she is one of the most loyal people
I’ve ever known. She will not abandon a friend in need, and she believes I need
her right now.”

“You do,” I said.

“Yeah, I guess I do. I certainly don’t want to
link with someone else unless it’s you. But this is tearing her apart. She
loves her family more than anything and won’t want to leave them. Also…” he
stopped and glanced at the bedroom door, “I think maybe she’s realizing her
heart has another reason to stay.”

I squeezed his thigh and shook my head. “I know,
right? How weird was that?” The image of Ash and Madison kissing popped back
into my mind.

“Does it bother you?” Jason asked.

I lifted my head and smiled. “No. Of course not.
It was just unexpected. I knew she’d sparked a flame in Ash, but she treats him
so horribly, I never thought she might feel the same way.”

“Love works in mysterious ways.” We looked at
each other and laughed for the first time in hours. Then his face turned
serious. “Alex, we’ve got to figure something out. There is no way they are
separating us.”

“I know. Even if we have to leave the Network –
go out on our own…” I started to say.

His face looked grim. “That’s a possibility. But
let’s not cross that bridge until we have to.”

“Let’s hope we don’t have to,” I said. “But let
me just say, I have every intention of launching the next blindside. I will not
be victim to one set off by this Senior Council again.”

“You are a strong and resilient woman, Alex. I
love that about you.”

“Good. Because I’m only gonna get stronger and
crazier.”

He laughed. “I’m counting on it.”

Despite our heavy hearts, we found comfort in
each other, talking and trying to figure out a plan of attack. The hard part
was going to be acting normal the next day, pretending I hadn’t just learned
the man I loved was about to be moved across the country.

I rubbed my eyes, certain they were swollen and
red. I must have looked horrendous, but Jason didn’t seem to care, so neither
did I. Glancing at the clock, I realized the morning ceremonies were only five
hours away. Dang, I couldn’t wait for us to be off this Ranch and back in
Bellingham, where we had the support of our friends. It was going to take a lot
of collective thinking to stop this move from happening. I still held out hope
my link with Ash might break.

Eventually, we said tearful good-nights, and
Jason snuck back out through Ash’s room. I didn’t get a good look, but from
what I could see, the furniture had been righted and Madison was no longer
around.

As I crawled into bed, Ash said,
“You okay, Lexi?”

“Not
really. You?”

“Not so
great.”

“That was
some fight you had over there.”

“Yeah,
well, Madison needed to blow off some steam.”

Or blow up some furniture, I thought to myself.
“At least the make-up session appeared to be
going well,”
I said, because I wanted him to know I’d seen them. There were
enough secrets, and I didn’t want to have any between me and Ash.