Dentelle (4 page)

“At this point,” Sienna said smoothly, “all that
matters is that Izzy is safe and we’ve eliminated a couple Ray-pacs.” Her voice
rumbled. “I just wish we could have killed a few more of them.” Sienna made an
interesting character study. She was completely unapologetic when it came to
taking the life of someone she believed to be evil. I wondered if there was a
story there…something that had happened to her – made her feel justified in
ending a life, albeit a criminal life, without a second thought. Without any
remorse, either.

“We’ve stopped them
for now
,” Hannah added. “But how long until they regroup and come
back for Izzy?”

“That’s true,” Michael chimed in. “We have to
assume they know where she lives.”

“Oh crap!” Izzy said. “Does this mean what I
think it means?” Frustration and angst were evident in the tone of her voice.

Max cleared his throat. “If you’re thinking the
Senior Council will transfer you to a new Circle, then yes. I’m afraid so. The
goal will be to keep you safe, not punish you, Izzy.”

“I know,” she said without much enthusiasm. “I
just love the people in Bangor, and I love the town. I really feel at home
there.”

“Moving on is difficult,” Madison said, her tone
soft and empathetic, a quality she rarely displayed. Most of the time, I didn’t
think she was capable of such compassion. Then her voice hardened, “But
sometimes we must do what is best for our safety and for the safety of those
around us.”

I shifted uncomfortably, my bottom numb from
sitting on the cold rock. I knew that comment was directed at me. There was
probably nothing she’d enjoy more than if Ash and I moved. Well, I wouldn’t let
that happen. No way was I leaving Jason, my friends, or Bellingham, for that
matter.

“I hear you. But it still doesn’t make it any
easier to accept,” Izzy responded to Madison.

Several sighs went up, and a heavy silence
ensued. A couple minutes later, I heard Izzy crying and Sienna comforting her
with quiet words. Leaning forward, I glanced past Jason and Hannah and could
see Izzy’s head resting against Sienna’s shoulder. Even if I couldn’t feel her
pain, I understood it quite well. The idea of moving to a new Circle was
devastating.

Michael cleared his throat. “I suppose it’s a
good thing the Guardian Competitions at the Ranch coincide with the Senior
Council Meeting this year.”

“Even better they’re only two days away,” Sienna
added.

“True,” Michael responded. “Once the Council
hears about this, they’re going to want first-hand details of Izzy’s attempted
kidnapping. You guys will already be there for the games, but my guess is that
Sienna, Izzy, and I will all be summoned too. At least we have confirmation the
Ray-pacs are kidnapping Amethysts, and we’ve gotten a glimpse of their
strategies.”

We talked further, predicting what Amethyst
directives the Senior Council might enforce in the upcoming weeks, and then we
discussed the games themselves. Apparently, the Ranch hosted Annual Games where
Guardians from different Circles competed against each other for titles and
awards in a variety of physical and mental competitions. I was having a hard
time looking forward to fun and games when I knew I had a scheduled battle of
the minds with the Senior Council.

A couple months before, the Senior Council had
“highly recommended” Ash and I consider moving to another Guardian Circle.
They’d used the argument that Bellingham already had an Amethyst, Jessica;
therefore, another, more prominent, Circle would benefit from having a Dentelle
with healing abilities. At that time they’d also changed one other rule: I was
allowed to pursue a relationship with a Guardian, but only if that Guardian was
Ash. They figured we were linked for life, therefore it made perfect sense he
and I should hook up. I found it strange they’d been so excited at the prospect
of Ash and I pursuing a relationship. They’d gone from forbidding me to date
any Guardians to trying to marry me off to Ash. And I couldn’t figure out why.
There was one major problem. I was in love with Jason, and they didn’t know
that. My relationship with him was still forbidden.

My blood pressure spiked as I wondered why
exactly they’d requested, or mandated rather, another meeting with me. Had
something happened? Were they going to insist Ash and I move? Or was something
else going on? I wasn’t sure, but I felt nauseated. I had a feeling it wasn’t going
to be a pleasant meeting, and I had no intentions of following their
directives. I just didn’t know what the repercussions would be if I told them
no.

 
“
Don’t worry about that right now,”
Ash
said.
“We’ll find a way to stay in
Bellingham. You know I always come up with a plan.
”

I smiled.
“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

Turning to my left, I realized Jason was looking
at me with wide eyes. He touched my nose and then quickly swiped his hand away.
In a soft, reassuring voice he said, “We’ll figure it out. I promise. There is
no way we are going to be separated again.”

“Okay,” I whispered back and ran my hand down
the side of his cheek. I was lucky to have him. And I was lucky to have Ash. It
was just weird sometimes.

“See,”
Ash
said,
“With all of us working together,
we’ll outsmart, outplay, and outlive the Senior Council of Tyrants.”
Despite Ash’s positive attitude and attempt to make a joke, I shivered. What a
mess things were right now.

Eventually, daybreak embraced the horizon,
lighting the sky with hues of indigo and violet. I forced all negativity to the
back of my mind and welcomed the splendor and hope of a new day. A peaceful
calm settled upon our group. I was glad, because it seemed sacrilegious to
speak while Mother Nature shared dawn’s glory with us. Temperatures hovered
around 45 degrees, which wasn’t bad for an elevation of 1,532 feet at five
o’clock in the morning. I was warm in my fleece hoodie and content sitting
between Jason and Ash – two amazing guys: one, the love of my life, and the
other, my friend for a lifetime.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Jason.
His eyes were wide with wonder and awe, his expression serene. He must have
sensed me studying him, because he turned my way and winked. After flashing a
brilliant smile, he mouthed the words, “I love you.” I nodded slightly.
Wrapping my fingers around his arm, I giggled inwardly and delivered a fiery
burst of Essence that left him quivering. Raising a brow, his eyes dropped and
focused on my lips. After what felt like an eternity, he slowly raised his
glance and met my eyes. Biting his lip, he shook his head side to side, before
turning and focusing on the magical spectacle before us. With a smile of guilty
pleasure, I did the same.

As a fusion of pink and orange airbrushed the
sky, incredible views of the ocean, islands, and pine forests opened up before
us. The moment of anticipation had arrived – the moment right before the sun
graced the horizon. Taking a deep breath, my eyes widened as the blazing red
disc appeared, followed by magnificent beams of yellow and orange. As the fiery
mass continued rising in the sky, I bundled my fears together and allowed the
sweeping rays of light to carry them away over the Atlantic Ocean. Morning had
arrived, and it was beyond spectacular. Impressive barren peaks and island
chains were showcased in the distance, but the vibrant lichen-covered, pink
granite summit we were sitting on was equally inspiring. A light breeze blew
directly off the ocean, fresh and revitalizing.

I turned around and was taken by surprise when I
found another hundred or so spectators had joined us on top of Cadillac
Mountain. I hadn’t even noticed their arrival. What was even more amazing was
that not a single word was spoken. People snapped pictures, but a respectful
silence continued for several more minutes.

Madison was the first to speak in our group, and
I was surprised but delighted by her words. “I feel bad Jessica missed this
sunrise. She lives for stuff like this, and I know she would have loved it.”
While I tended to judge Madison harshly and pick away at her faults, I
certainly appreciated how deeply she loved those who were important to her.
Another quality meriting respect, was her ferocity for protecting those she
loved.

“I’m glad she wasn’t here,” Max said honestly,
rising to his feet and running a hand through his jet black hair. “Just think
if the Ray-pacs had discovered her, too.”

“That’s true,” Madison said. “We want her kept
safe. She’s the best of all of us.”

Sienna jumped to her feet and pulled Izzy up
with her. Looking at Madison, Izzy said, “Why didn’t Jessica make it out for
this visit?”

Madison stood and stretched. She looked amazing
in a form-fitting, hot pink Icebreaker shirt and a pair of comfy-looking Denali
pants. Even without make-up she was beautiful. “You know Jess…she had a prior
obligation to some charity benefit, but she’s planning on joining us at the
Ranch. Now that you’re going too, you’ll get a chance to catch up with her.”

“We should head back to our camp and gather our
things,” Michael suggested, wrapping his arms around Sienna. “What time did you
guys say your flight leaves for Montana?”

“Five o’clock tonight,” Max replied.

Later that evening, we were saying our good-byes
outside the Bangor International Airport, when Jason’s brother pulled me aside.
“Lexi, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure,” I said, a little bewildered as I
followed him a few feet away. People scurried past, pulling their suitcases.
Horns honked as cars weaved in and out of the drop-off lane.

Michael’s blue eyes were direct, and he ran a
hand through his blonde hair like he was worried. His hair was a darker blonde
and a bit longer than Jason’s. Earlier in the day, I’d noticed that his softer
facial features, fair skin, and light blue eyes bore more resemblance to
Hannah. With olive-toned skin, a chiseled face, and aqua-marine eyes, Jason
didn’t even look like their sibling.

 
“This
afternoon, Jason talked to me about your relationship. You knew that he had,
right?” I nodded, and he continued. “First off, I want you to know your secret
is safe with me. I haven’t even told Sienna. I agree with Jason that the less
people who know, the better. That being said, I want you to know that I love my
little brother more than anything, and I would do anything for him. Knowing him
like I do, I can see that he is head over heels in love with you.”

“I feel the same about him,” I said
passionately.

Michael cracked a smile. “I know. I can tell.
And while I support you guys one hundred percent, I’m concerned about how
you’re going to keep your feelings hidden. I hate to say it, but every time you
look at each other, it’s even more obvious than the nose and two eyes on your
face.”

“Is it really that bad?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes, but I can read Jason’s emotions
pretty well, so I might be a little biased. I don’t know.” He shifted his feet.
“What I wanted to say is that there’s bound to be drama at the Ranch. There
always is when that many Guardians get together. I’m concerned other people
will notice, and then even more rumors will start up.”

“We’re planning on keeping our distance at the
Ranch,” I reassured him. “Actually, until we can figure out a solution or a
plan of how we can be together, we intend on keeping our relationship a
secret.”

“I know. But a lot of people are curious about
you, so you’re going to be watched, scrutinized, and even approached by those
who are bold enough to start a conversation with you. If the Senior Council
gets wind of your relationship, I can only imagine the repercussions. I don’t
want to see anything bad happen to either one of you.”

I crossed my arms. “It’s so unfair. I don’t
understand why the Senior Council has so much power. It’s like they’re the
Supreme Court, but instead of hearing arguments between the petitioner and the
respondent…”

Michael raised his brows, “The who?”

 
I huffed,
“That’s similar to a plaintiff and defendant. Anyways, it’s like the Senior
Council represents themselves and the petitioner doesn’t even stand a chance.”

Michael blinked and smiled. “Oh yeah, you and
Jason are perfect for each other.”

That stopped me short, and I cracked a smile. A
little boy walked by, rolling his Avengers suitcase behind him. I stopped to
catch my breath, but only for a moment. “Besides that, I’m not an Amethyst, and
it drives me nuts they treat me like one. I should have different rules, ones
that allow me to date Guardians,” I said, feeling like a rebellious teenager
and clenching my fists. “I’ve been given the green light with Ash, of course. I
realize we seem to have this everlink thing going on, but why were they so fast
to promote our relationship?” I stopped and rubbed my temples. All this stress
was causing a headache and I needed to take care of it.

“Umm…offspring.”

My eyes popped open and my hands fell. “What?” I
said a little too loudly, and a lady walking by turned and gave me a dirty
look. Her flowery perfume hit the air, and I covered my nose.

Looking uncomfortable, Michael glanced down and
then peered up at me. “That’s one of the rumors we’ve heard. I don’t know if it’s
true.”

I swallowed hard. “So, people I don’t even know
are talking about me and they’re saying the Senior Council wants me to have
children?” Dumbfounded, I dug my heels into the pavement. Anxiety rolled over
me and sat like a rock in the pit of my stomach. “I’m only nineteen years old.
Are you kidding?” Before Michael could respond, I sputtered, “Could this get
any more screwed up?”

He gave an elegant shrug. “I’m sorry, Lexi. I
know this is all totally overwhelming. But remember, you’re the only living
Dentelle.” He reached his hand out like he was going to comfort me, but then
dropped it when he remembered he’d get burned. “If we had a magazine dedicated
to Guardians, you’d be on the front cover every week. So, of course everyone is
talking about you.” I was still too appalled to reply. “Even though we agreed
to live by the Guardian code, I do think the Senior Council goes overboard.
Especially with you. And especially if they’re giving you the green light with
Ash so you can have kids right away.” He sighed and glanced over at our group.
Sienna was watching us with a rather puzzled expression, so he grinned and
waved.