Savior (21 page)

My face twisted in confusion as I remembered I'd heard that warning before. Before I had the chance to ask about it, Miss Mabelle’s cane hit the floor.

“Best be goin’ now,” she restated, this time with more persistence.

I followed her out the door as Cornelia’s last statement dwelled in my thoughts. There was no denying that I’d heard that phrase before, and that it had proven to be true. But
what
wasn’t what it seemed? I had a sense that Cornelia didn’t know – which was the only reason Miss Mabelle’s prompting got me to move – and that only the passing of time would give me the answer.

Theleo waited at the bottom of the porch steps, which told me that he had been the one who stirred the fire in the chimney, on his swift arrival. He wasn’t alone, though. Levitating above us were over a hundred men, women, and children from the prison they’d just visited, their bodies appearing as murky silhouettes against the moonless sky.

Despite the number of people Theleo was levitating, we returned to the village in what felt like record time. He was getting stronger, I noticed.

Vinnia greeted the new arrivals as usual, and the process to situate them began. After our housekeepers, Jameson, and me were deposited on Jameson's dock, Theleo, Eli, and the other defectors left for their outpost locations, never bothering to land.

Being ones who didn’t linger, Miss Mabelle and Miss Celia turned to leave immediately only to be stopped by Jameson.

“You set this up, didn’t you?” he called out to them, appearing to already know the answer. “You found her and knew she would have information we would need, didn’t you?”

They stopped together, side by side, motionless. Without the creaking of the dock beneath the weight of their footsteps, the village grew tranquil again, amplifying their lack of a response.

Miss Mabelle’s head jerked, though not far enough around to actually see us. “Can’t make no one do nothin’,” she spat. She didn’t like being called out.

“Well,” Jameson sighed. “Thank you for arranging it.”

By the time he said this, Miss Mabelle and Miss Celia were already on their way toward the next dock. Not bothering to stop or turn around this time, Miss Mabelle grumbled a succinct answer for both of them. “Yer welcome.”

As they left, we watched the docks rolling side to side beneath Miss Mabelle’s weight. Miss Celia had no problem keeping in step, and the steady, rhythmic tap of Miss Mabelle’s cane slowly dissipated.

“Think they’ll be able to find Kalisha?” I asked, feeling some optimism that Jameson and I weren’t the only ones searching.

“I hope so,” he said, exhaling in an effort to rid himself of the tension.

As our housekeepers disappeared entirely in the night, I turned and headed for the door to Jameson’s shack. I had only taken a single step when Jameson’s hand took hold of mine.

“Not yet,” he said, and gave me a mischievous grin.

“Not yet?” I repeated curiously.

He didn’t clarify with words, instead leading me to his boat at the edge of the dock.

“Where are we going?” I asked, noticing no one else was awake. A visit was out of the question this late at night.

“I told you,” he replied, softly, “I will let you know when I’m ready.”

“But you’re not ready now?”

“No,” he said emphatically, as he maneuvered the boat away from the dock.

Escorting me through the waterways, we worked our way toward a remote part of the village. When we first headed out, shacks lined both shores of the channel. They progressively lessened in number until we passed the last of those being constructed and became shrouded by the wetlands.

The moon reflected on the calm surface of the water and fireflies glimmered throughout the trees, lending a mystical feel to the bayou. The hint of moss and saltwater always present in the village was stronger here, giving the bayou an oddly fresh scent. I felt like we had entered an entirely different world.

As he navigated us around a cluster of cypress tree stumps, a structure came into sight.

“What is that? A…a platform?” I asked, peering through the shadows.

“I found it, while scouting a new perimeter. It looked to me like a-”

“House,” I replied absentmindedly, perplexed at finding one so remote and isolated.

The platform stood a few feet above water level, built on thick posts. The walls were no longer standing, allowing us to see directly across to the opposite side, where a vast stone chimney stood. It was the only remnant of what the house had once been. Only when we reached it and had climbed the ladder did I notice the other objects.

Massive candles anchored each corner. Jameson strolled around lighting them as my confused mind tried to process his actions.

Standing there, surveying it, Jameson finished with the last candle and came to a halt. As the lid to his lighter snapped closed, he peered up through the hair that fell over his eyes and grinned as if he had just gotten away with something. Quietly, tenderly, he declared, “Happy birthday, Jocelyn.”

“Birth…?” I stuttered. “It’s my birthday?”

He slyly moved across the blanket to me, his crooked grin deepening.

I was stunned, several thoughts crossing my mind at once. The weather had been getting cooler, which meant fall had arrived, which meant school had very likely started, which meant…and then I froze. With everything going on around us, I didn't realize my birthday was approaching; and, therefore, I hadn’t remembered his.

He saw the guilt cross my face and slipped his arms around me, grinning lightly. “You have no idea, do you?”

“About what?”

“We…,” he started, breaking into a smile, the sight of it stealing my breath. Then he chuckled to himself as if he harbored a secret. “We share the same birthday, Jocelyn.”

The shock of this discovery jolted me, my mind returning to the very first day we met, exactly one year ago. “We…you…when we met…”

“Yeah,” he confirmed, summarizing my thoughts, because I was obviously having a hard time with it. “We met on our birthday.”

My lungs didn’t seem to be functioning any longer. It took several tries to get them to expand and draw in enough air so that I could reply, “No one ever told me.”

“Well, how often do you think about birthdays until one comes up?”

“Never.”

“Exactly.”

“But
you
did,” I pointed out, astounded. “So this is why you wanted to postpone dinner with Cornelia.”

His mysterious grin resurfaced, causing a flutter in my stomach, like a rabble of butterflies trapped inside me.

“Yes, I did,” he said, tenderly. “But tonight, let’s not talk about the future or the past. I want to remember tonight being about us, you and me.”

He slipped his hand behind my neck, pulling me to him then. His kiss showed me that he no longer felt a juvenile desire to be with me. There was a hunger to it, an urgency that made me think he was worried this would be our last time together. And his fear was valid.

We now lived in a world where we were wanted fugitives and our deaths were being masterfully planned by those ruling over us. Every day we lived, every second we spent together, was a gift. Because of this, I understood what he meant by wanting this to be
our night
. No one could touch us here. For this small window of time, we were free to experience our love, uninhibited.

I moaned, leaning into him. The heat coming from our bodies ignited from our touch and sent an insatiable heat coursing through me. He placed his hands inside my cloak, sensually gliding beneath the shirt and lovingly wrapping his arms around my waist. His touch sparked an electrical current and sent it fluttering across my skin, making me quiver with anticipation. He groaned in reaction but then his kiss lost its emotion just before he pulled away.

“What?” I asked, confused by his sudden change of heart. I was swarmed by the possibilities and began stepping back just as he started to speak.

“Jocelyn,” he whispered, his emotions restricting his ability to articulate his thoughts any louder. “From the second I saw you, my entire world changed. Everything I had been doing, accepting the position of Officer to the village, preparing myself to fulfill the responsibilities of the Nobilis.”

“I understand….”

“No,” he said, his voice still quiet. “Let me…let me get this out.”

I nodded, the lump in my throat expanding as I grew more terrified by his interlude. My mind was racing now, and I could only think of one possible reason for him to pull away from me: He had come to the realization that he couldn’t allow this, us, any longer. He had a job to do and, obviously, I get in the way of it.

That reasoning was logical, as was Jameson.

And it all made sense.

That would be the motive for taking me so far from the village. There was no privacy in the village.

Stop and listen, I told myself. Let him get it out. As much as it will destroy me, he deserves it.

“I never cared to look at girls before I saw you in Olivia’s store. There was no time, never any reason. I was preparing myself for my obligations, trying to become the Nobilis everyone expected. Even if there had been someone I felt…something for…she wouldn’t have been able to understand me or respect what I was going to have to face." He reflected tenderly, smiling to himself, and an ache began in my stomach.

This was it. I prepared myself, sealing away my emotions as I had done throughout my life, bringing back that protective barrier that kept me from getting hurt. Ironically, I had practiced the technique for so many years I was actually good at it.

“Even while growing up with my brothers and sisters, surrounded by the entire village, I felt alone. And then you came. You…this bright light I couldn’t seem to turn away from. And I wondered about you…how your lips would feel, what you thought of me, whether our family history would keep you from me. And all that time, after all that deliberation, I didn’t realize that
I
was the one who changed. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of me…or you…or your family. What no one understood was that I had never been perfect. You, Jocelyn, make me feel perfect.

“Now, everything I do, I do for you. Bringing the provinces together, building our army, helping others see that they can defy The Sevens…all of it…I do for you.”

He paused, readying himself to stress an additional point, one that was very crucial. “So if you don’t want this…If you’re not ready…I’ll understand. I’ll wait for you.”

I blinked.

The tumult of my emotions prevented me from immediately grasping what he was saying, and then it came to me with such speed it took my breath away.

He wasn’t breaking up with me.
He didn’t want to rush me
.

Once again, he was thinking about me, only me.

Every muscle in my body released in unison. My breathing began again and the pain in my stomach ebbed away.

“I will, Jocelyn,” he insisted, tender but firm. “I’ll wait for you.”

My head fell to my chest where I contained a smile, sighing in frustration at myself.

“What?” he urged gently. It was clear he was nervous about my answer. “I-I was thinking about you, about your worry over our future.”

When I took his hand, his forehead creased in confusion.

“I know,” I said softly. “I’m the first person you consider in every decision you make.”

“You are,” he admitted. “You are.”

“Oh, Jameson,” I said softly, reaching my hand out to him.

He exhaled, both eager and relieved. With it, his breath carried my name, “Jocelyn….” His voice was hoarse and staggered, filled with the same heated need he’d had for me a moment earlier.

He lingered only a second longer and then I found his lips on mine. His fingers gripped my waist and his arms enveloped me in a way that made me feel completely safe.

And then he froze, his lips resting lightly against me, his breath cut short.

Someone was nearby.

Through the chorus of crickets, we listened, and then it came again, the heralded message that caused my heart to pause.

“The ministry…the ministry was attacked!”

12  ATTACK

We didn't move an inch.

What we’d heard was improbable. The ministry couldn’t have been attacked. They retained an army of Vires trained from infancy to protect it; Vires who were brainwashed into giving their life for its preservation.

But I’d heard correctly. I knew this when staring into Jameson’s eyes. There, passion had been replaced with vigilance.

He frowned and I thought for a second that he was disgruntled about the news. But I was wrong.

“I’m sorry,” he said gruffly, clearly fighting against ending our night. “We’ll have to wait for another chance to take advantage of each other.”

He smirked back at me while stepping back, and taking with him the enticing warmth of his body.

He then offered his hand to me and I accepted. At that point, questions began racing through my mind.

“Theleo?” I asked, wondering if he and Eli might have retaliated with vengeance in mind.

Following my line of thought, Jameson stiffened. “He doesn’t have the force needed to survive an attack. I’d like to think he’d be smarter than that….” As a reassuring afterthought, he added with resolve, “He is.”

“Maybe someone from the inside then?”

“Possibly.”

We were down the ladder by then, leaving the blanket and candles where they lay. Our urgency to reach the village caused our boat to tip slightly, but once underway, Jameson deftly maneuvered it through the water.

By the time we reached the village boundary, we could see lights through the trees, which I knew were lanterns from the shacks roused by the news. Farther in, people stood on their docks, rubbing the tiredness from their eyes and conversing with their neighbors. There was a nervous energy pulsing through the air, which only strengthened as more and more people emerged from their shacks to discuss what this information meant.

News of this nature would travel fast through our world and the reaction our village had was only a hint of what was to come.

People would be terrified and exhilarated.