Dentelle (8 page)

“I know. And don’t worry; I’m not gonna give you
any special treatment.”

“I’d unfriend you if you did,” I threatened with
an easy smile. As I stretched my legs out, the sun beat down on my skin. I
delighted in the sound of the raging Missouri River and the chatter of lively
voices down below; they were somehow reassuring. I hadn’t spotted any of my
friends yet, but a few faces looked familiar.

She tapped her painted orange fingernails
against the armrest. “Sounds like the Council is gung-ho to get your
relationship with Ash into high gear. The question is why?”

Leaning back into the rocker, I didn’t respond
right away. Instead, I studied the distant rolling hills, which I’d been told
was called the Rocky Mountain Front. Dakota had mentioned something about they
stretched a good 150 miles in front of the Rocky Mountains. “Jess, sit back and
listen,” I finally said, “I’ve got some things to tell you.” I proceeded to
tell her about my conversation with Michael. She was surprised there were
rumors circulating about Jason and me, because everyone in the Bellingham
Circle had been really hush-hush about our relationship. She was even more
shocked to hear why Michael thought the Senior Council might be encouraging my
relationship with Ash.

“Marriage and kids?” she stuttered.
“Unbelievable. If that’s true, we need a new set of leaders.”

 
In order
to gain a better understanding of how and why certain rules were in place, I
asked her to explain again why Amethysts and Guardians were banned from having
relationships. I hated broaching the subject since her mom had once been an
Amethyst and had given up her ability to be with Jessica’s dad – a Guardian.
Jessica didn’t seem upset in the least, just contemplative as she nibbled on
her lower lip.

To this day, no one, including Jessica, knew how
her mom had changed from an Amethyst to basically, an Innocent. It wasn’t
spoken of, and many members within the Network still looked down their noses at
the Nelsons. Whatever Mrs. Nelson had done, she’d lost the healing ability of
her Essence along with that defensive ability that burned a Guardian. That had
allowed her to follow her heart and be with Mr. Nelson. Even though they’d been
kicked out of the Network for a while, three children later – two Guardians and
an Amethyst – they were allowed back in.

Sometimes, in the back of my mind, I toyed with
the idea of doing the same thing Mrs. Nelson had done. I didn’t tell anyone
about these thoughts; they were too personal to even write in a journal. And I
knew it wasn’t right for me. No matter how much I wanted to be with Jason, deep
down inside, I knew I couldn’t go through with it. An Innocent had lost his
life once when I’d made a choice to ignore a premonition. That had been a
defining moment in my life, and I’d vowed never to lose another life again.

“Well,” Jessica said, tapping her boot against
the deck, “eons ago, before there wasn’t a rule against it, there were a few
Amethyst-Guardians marriages. But those relationships never worked out. Because
of their inability to have physical contact, the relationships became volatile.
All that dissention eventually led to nasty break-ups. Members of the Circle
were forced to take sides, people had to move or be moved. And then, of course,
there’s exactly the issue you’ve been talking about.” She looked over at me and
nodded.

“Huh? You lost me.”

“Kids,” she said simply. Standing up, she walked
over and leaned against the railing. “A Guardian and Amethyst couple only had
one day a month where they could be intimate. Not only are the odds stacked
against a loving, long-lasting, and faithful marriage, the chances of having
offspring are close to none.”

I slid out of the rocker and joined her at the
railing. Upon hearing a sliding door and voices coming from the balcony below
us, I lowered my voice. “Then that’s it, isn’t it?”

“Has to be. The Senior Council wants to ensure
our population is growing and remains strong, especially with the
ever-increasing Ray-pac attacks. We are going to need every advantage,
including our not so secret – secret weapons.”

“Amethysts.”

Jessica bumped me shoulder to shoulder. “You got
it. And ever since Amethysts have been marrying Innocents or other Amethysts,
the success rate for immediate Amethyst offspring has been extremely high. So,
with everything we’ve discussed, it just makes sense that Amethyst-Guardian
relationships are forbidden.”

“Still doesn’t seem right,” I said, kicking the
plank floorboard with my bare foot.

“Hey, there’s Max and Laci.” Jessica called out
to them and waved emphatically, so I followed suit. They were walking hand in hand
down by a huge marble water fountain. A moment later, Jessica said, “I agree it
doesn’t seem fair. And now that we have a living, breathing Dentelle in our
midst…”

“Oh, stop,” I groaned.

She clapped her hands together. “Well, it is
pretty awesome to be best friends with a Dentelle. In a way I can understand
why the Senior Council is so excited. You are making history – you’re legend,
and with your combined abilities, you have incredible power that could advance
our kind even further. Besides that, you just know the current Council members
want to be around when you have kids – just to see if you’ll bring more
Dentelles into this world. With you being, as you say, ‘everlinked’ with Ash,
the Council doesn’t want to let a golden opportunity slip through their hands.”

“What golden opportunity?” Ash’s voice startled
us as he opened his slider and stepped onto his balcony.

“Ash, it’s so good to see you!” Jessica
exclaimed, running over to greet him and grabbing him by the shoulders.

“Oh, Jessica, you wicked little thing you. That
energy burst is just what I needed.” He offered her a winning smile and she
beamed. “And besides that, it’s great to see your radiant face.”

She gave him a playful shove. “You’re such a
rake.”

I laughed. “Been reading more English novels?”

As Jessica shrugged and rolled her eyes, Ash
raised a questioning brow and asked, “What exactly is
your
definition of a rake?”

“Simply put,” Jessica said jovially, “a wealthy
guy with promiscuous habits.”

“Oh,” Ash said with a frown. He tilted his head
slightly as if deep in thought. After a moment, a smile crossed his lips, and
he said proudly, “Yep. Sounds about right.”

Sighing, Jessica and I exchanged disgusted looks
and she said, “Well, it’s good to know some things never change.” Glancing at
her watch, which looked like some kind of rhinestone accessory, she declared,
“It’s gotta be about dinnertime.” Just as she said that, a loud dinner bell
started ringing from somewhere down below.

“You have impeccable timing, Jess. But I think
what you really mean, is that it’s show time,” Ash said, throwing me an
empathetic smile. Sauntering over, he took hold of my hand and squeezed gently.
With a smile exuding confidence, he added, “We can do this. Just think of it as
entertainment for the masses. Only the joke is on them.”

Sprawled out across the second level, the
cafeteria style dining room was monstrous and impressive. Douglas fir timbers
with black steel columns elevated the ceiling to great heights, with the focal
point being an octagon center held together by ringed trusses. Rather than
small tables everywhere, there were long rows of wood-slab tables, which I
later learned had been salvaged from fallen cedar trees. The room was noisy and
busy as Guardians quickly claimed seats, some reserving whole sections for
their entire Circle. The pub-style tables next to the lofty windows, which
offered a panoramic view of the mountains, had already been snatched up by the
time we entered the dining room.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw Jason and
Madison waving us down from the corner of the room next to a flashing “Pasta
Bar” sign. Jason had already explained that the set-up was similar to a fancy
Vegas-style buffet, in which there would be several designated food stations
and we’d help ourselves to whatever looked good. Of course, I’d never been to
Las Vegas, so I didn’t have a clear picture in my mind. Glancing around now, I
had to suppress a giggle. With all the extravagance and flashing lights, it was
easy to forget we were nestled in a Montana valley. This was more like we were
in a flashy hotel smack dab in the middle of a metropolis. There were signs for
sushi, pizza, seafood, burgers, country-cooking, cowboy cut rib-eyes, and even
soup, salad, and potato bars.

As I followed Jessica and Ash through the crowded
room, flames from the wood-fired pizza oven burned bright. I could even smell
the freshly baking pizza dough. Occasionally, someone would bump into me and
jump back, clutching their arm or shoulder. Stunned, they’d look at me all
tongue-tied and wide-eyed. I’d just smile and mutter, “Sorry.” People might
know of me – the infamous Dentelle – but not many knew what I looked like, so
the hot sting came as a shocker. Besides that, Jason had informed me that the
burn acquired from touching me, was a little more sizzling than that from a
typical Amethyst.

My heart sped up as I made eye contact with
Jason. He was wearing that aqua-colored polo shirt that matched his eyes, and
simply made me want to devour him. But I knew I had to play it cool. I couldn’t
sit next to him or even flash him a smile. Of course, that only made my desire
to do so, that much fiercer. I held his gaze for a second, then turned and
greeted the rest of my friends. In all, there were 17 of us representing the
Bellingham Circle. From our close-knit group there was Jason, his parents, Max,
Madison, Jessica, Laci, Shelby, Trevon, Ash, and myself. There were also six
others who were part of our Circle but didn’t hang with us on a regular basis.
Because the Bangor Circle wasn’t represented, Michael, Sienna, and Izzy joined
us as well. Jessica and Izzy immediately hugged and started chattering.

As we were getting situated, Dakota appeared and
said rather breathlessly, “We’re so happy you’re all here.” She hugged Jason’s
parents and continued, “Mr. and Mrs. Walker, I was hoping you all wouldn’t mind
if I steal Lexi and Ash away. Izzy, you and I have to catch up later; it’s been
way too long.” She grabbed Ash by the hand and didn’t let go. Her long, black
hair flowed over her shoulders, and her equally black, almond-shaped eyes
sparkled with mischief. With her darker skin, slender build, and
perfectly-plucked black eyebrows, she really was beautiful. She’d also replaced
her sheer blouse with a more suitable black wrap-around one. “My parents and grandparents
would like to meet them, and then I’d like to introduce them to several people
tonight.” She smiled at me, “Really, it’s an honor to have a Dentelle, and,”
she winked at Ash, “her handsome partner here with us. I’m sure the
overwhelming attendance this year is because everyone wants to get a glimpse of
you two. So, what better way to make everyone happy, than to present you.”

Biting my tongue, I tried to smile politely.

“Oh come
now. You can do better than that,”
Ash said, invading my private thoughts,
which were thinking of all the ways I could strangle Dakota.

“I don’t
enjoy being paraded around and put on display.”

“I don’t
know. Might be kind of fun.”

I groaned inwardly “
You would think that.”

Grabbing my hand with his other free hand, Ash
said aloud, “Dakota, I can’t think of a better way to spend the evening than
with two gorgeous ladies – one at each side.” He looked at all our friends, “No
hard feelings everyone, but I can’t pass up this opportunity.”

Dakota laughed heartily and looked at me. “I bet
you have to keep your eye on him, don’t you, Lexi?”

I happened to glance at Dakota’s hand, which was
still laced with Ash’s, and saw she was caressing his skin with her thumb. What
a flirt! Next to me, Madison huffed, probably perturbed with Dakota’s presence.
Struck with an idea, I grabbed Madison’s arm and caught the conversation taking
place between her and Jason
. “Dakota is
almost as much of a nuisance as your ex and she’s gonna destroy Lexi.”

“No, she
won’t. Give Alex a chance. She’s strong-willed. No way she’ll let Dakota walk
all over her. She just needs to stop worrying about my feelings and play her
part.”

He looked straight at me, and I knew he was
talking for my benefit. Ultimately pissed at the world for even being in this
position, I suddenly had no trouble deciding it was time to stop being so nice.
Time to turn up the heat and prove I was a force to be reckoned with. Wrapping
my arms around Ash, so that he had no choice but to drop Dakota’s hand, I smiled
up at him and turned towards Dakota. “Oh Dakota, Ash may talk big, but I know
where his loyalties lie. Besides, when you’re the only Dentelle alive, and your
touch is as incredibly hot as mine, you just don’t worry about other women
posing a threat.” Gazing back at Ash, I moved a little closer and ran my finger
along his lower lip. “Isn’t that right, honey?” Then I added, for his ears
only,
“Now who’s walking out with the
Oscar?”

He was trembling slightly, but he smiled and said
in a velvet, smooth alto, “That’s right, baby. No one’s touch feels like your
touch. I couldn’t leave you if I wanted to.” In my mind, he said,
“Isn’t that the truth?”

“Well, all-righty then,” Dakota mumbled,
obviously not used to being upstaged. “On that romantic note, I guess we’re
off.” She looked at the rest of our group. “You all have a wonderful meal.”

Totally into my part now, and having no desire
to see the expressions on my friends’ faces, I turned on my heel, as I’d so
often witnessed Madison doing, and I held my head high as I followed Dakota. I
made sure I was the one dragging Ash behind me.

The rest of the evening wasn’t nearly as bad as
I’d anticipated. First, Dakota introduced us to Kohana, her linked partner, who
was broad and muscular but very short. Actually, he was about five inches
shorter than she was, but he watched her every move with adoring eyes. Going on
first impressions, I’d say it was obvious he held her in great reverence, while
she wanted nothing to do with him. He was at her beck and call, and she knew
it, even used it to her advantage. Proving my point, she immediately sent him
to fetch her a salad and a drink. No doubt their linked partnership had been
mandated rather than freely chosen, but Kohana was more than happy with the
arrangement. While talking with a group of her friends, Dakota flirted
unmercifully with Luke, a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Guardian, who belonged
to the neighboring Boise Circle. He immediately accepted her invitation to join
us after dinner and help take us on that tour of the property.