I must have
looked pale because Laci called out, “You need some food Lexi. We’re almost
done with sandwiches. Drink some water.”
Jessica handed
me my water bottle, and I took a small sip. After placing it on the narrow
table in front of me, I looked down at my dirty clothes. “How many Ray-pacs are
there?” I asked.
“We don’t know
for sure,” Max replied. “They tend to travel in packs – anywhere from six to
twelve in a group, and now we’re thinking this new pack has set up a home base
in B.C. Today’s Ray-pacs are part of that group, and Kieran is probably the
leader.”
I raised my
chin. “Are you expecting another confrontation with them?”
“Sometime, yes,”
Max answered.
“Thought so,” I
said, biting my lip. I thought about everything they’d told me so far and said,
“So an Amethyst’s role is to supply the Guardians with extra Essence when they
need it, as well as to heal Innocents when necessary.” I received several nods
and then exhaled slowly. “It’s time I tell you about my grandmother’s journals,
because I think I have an ancestor who was a Guardian.” That brought a lot of
interested looks, so I told them about Grandma Rose and Gilbert. But when the
opportunity came to tell them about my premonitions, I didn’t take it. For some
reason, I still felt compelled to keep that secret, which was frustrating but
felt right.
Jessica hugged
me. “You definitely belong with us. Amethysts are so rare,” she added, “not
many Circles have them, and now we have two.”
“I still have a
couple questions,” I said, wiping my forehead. “First, what’s the deal with an
Amethyst being able to touch a Guardian and it doesn’t hurt? But then,” I
glanced at Jason, “when it’s the other way around, it’s painful.”
“That,” said
Jessica, “is thankfully our one defense! But it’s also our nemesis because it
makes living among Guardians lonely at times.”
“When I first
touch you,” Laci said, handing me a ham sandwich and apple slices, “it’s
extremely warm. After only a few seconds it’s burning hot, like I’ve just scorched
my hand on the stove. The longer I stay in contact, the more painful it becomes
until it’s unbearable. Unless we are unlinked, then there’s no pain. But,” she
smiled brightly, “you can touch us and share your Essence anytime, and we’ll
never cringe or turn away. It’s soothing and exhilarating.”
Jason, who’d
been watching me solemnly, bit his lip and averted his eyes. Knots formed in
the bottom of my stomach, but it was my aching heart that hurt the worst. Now I
understood why Madison had said a relationship between him and I was
impossible. The walls began closing in around me, squeezing, until eventually I
knew they would crush my heart.
“So you see,”
Jessica was saying, oblivious to my emotional devastation, “we are very
valuable to our Circle of Guardians. But what’s troubling is that we’ve heard
reports of a few Amethysts disappearing from Circles on the East Coast. We’re
not sure if the Ray-pacs have finally found some way to steal their Essence…”
her voice trailed off as she took notice of my distressed face.
Only she had no
idea, that at that moment, I didn’t care what the Ray-pacs could do to an
Amethyst. I didn’t care if they’d found a way to steal the Essence from an
Amethyst and leave her for dead, because that’s how I already felt – dead. A life
in which I couldn’t be with Jason would be like living in an empty void.
“Oh Lexi,”
Jessica said and hugged me, “don’t worry. We’ll protect you. You’re one of us
now. We’ll work together, and you and I will supply our Guardians with enough
Essence to fight off the Ray-pacs when they come back…”
“Or when we
attack,” Max interjected angrily. “They have to be destroyed. I have a hunch
there was another Ray-pac in the woods – with a Flair for tracking. That’s how
they found you both. Probably picked up Jason’s link at Nooksack Falls and then
later escaped with Melanie.” He looked from Jason to me and back again. “If I’m
right, they’ll be tracking him again.”
“Why him and not
me?” I asked with renewed panic, remembering Kieran’s threat that he wouldn’t
allow Jason to live the next time.
“Because they
can’t track Amethysts, only Guardians because of our link,” Max answered and
looked at us. “You two will need to lie low this next week. I’m sure our
parents will want you to stay out at the Retreat where you’ll be safer–”
“Why will we be
safer there?” I asked crossly.
“What you don’t
know,” he said, setting his sandwich down, “is that the Ray-pacs are
susceptible to water; it is their biggest weakness. Their abilities lessen when
around water, but their Flair is completely lost when in the water.”
“With the
exception of Kieran, however,” Madison blurted out. “For some reason he’s
immune, which is why he was able to shapeshift in the thunderstorm.”
“Yes, Kieran is
a rare exception,” Max said. “With all the rain in the Pacific Northwest, this
is not a Ray-pac destination hot spot. However, lately our summers have been
very dry and warm. They’ve obviously perceived the nice weather as an
invitation to explore the region.”
“That’s why you
told me to run and hide in the creek,” I said, glancing at Jason, who nodded.
“Anyways,” Max
carried on, “After some down time at the Retreat, we’ll need to keep you both
separated when you get back to town. That way if they find Jason he won’t lead
them straight to you. Their Tracker might look intently for the next few days
but won’t have much luck with both of you on the island. Knowing this is our
stronghold, they’ll need time to gather reinforcements and formulate an air
tight plan before making any serious strikes against us. I would imagine
they’ll be back, and if the rumors are true from the East Coast, they might
really be more interested in capturing Lexi. We’ll need to be better prepared.”
“Staying at the
Retreat works perfectly,” Jessica added. “They’ve been placed on mandatory
leave at work because of the bank robbery incident.” She picked at her
sandwich.
My mind couldn’t
keep up with their plans. I was confused and irritated that my screwed up life
wasn’t even mine to control. Again. I didn’t want the Ray-pacs anywhere near
Jason, but I wasn’t too keen on being separated from him either. At least I’d
have a week with him at the Retreat first. They could count me in on taking out
the Ray-pacs, though. I’d so whatever it took to get them out of Jason’s and
everyone else’s lives. Suddenly, the storm around my brain cleared, and I
realized all might not be lost.
Walking to the
back of the boat, I gazed through the sliding doors at a crimson sun sinking
into the horizon. Exactly one half of the sun sat perfectly balanced on the
edge of the ocean. Without turning around, I took a deep breath and said
nervously into the glass, “Do Guardians ever have strong enough Essence to be
Healers as well?”
I was surprised
by the stone cold silence that followed. Finally, Jason said curtly, “Why would
you ask that?”
The tone of his
voice caught me off guard, and before I could respond, Madison put in her two
cents worth. “Isn’t it obvious?” she said impatiently.
“No,” Jason and
Max both said at the same time.
For some reason
I didn’t want to turn around and face them. The strange warning feeling I got
when I wanted to reveal my secret, was sharper than ever.
“You’ve just
told her it’s impossible for her to have any kind of relationship with a
Guardian because her touch is physically painful. You’ve basically said, ‘You
can heal us, but we won’t be coming near you anytime soon.’ Don’t you see?
She’s searching for other possibilities. How do you think she feels right now?”
“Oh,” Max
mumbled apologetically.
“I am sorry,”
Madison said in a softer, almost sincere voice. “I know how confused you must
be. I talk a lot with Jessica about how isolated she feels.”
Without turning
around, I said loudly enough for everyone to hear, “You’re right Madison. I was
just trying to cover all the bases. Make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Sorry
if I upset anyone. ”
“Don’t feel
bad,” Laci said. “You’re not exactly off track in your thought process.” My
muscles tensed, and I waited for her to carry on. “Fortunately we’ve never
known anyone like that in our lifetime, but we know a few Guardians with
Amethyst abilities have existed, right Max?”
“Ages ago,
according to historical accounts,” Max said, his voice a gentle protest.
“Historical
accounts?” I asked in confusion.
“Yes, we have
volumes of records and personal accounts that previous Guardians have collected
and written down during the course of their lifetimes. These volumes give us
the knowledge and details of our ancestors. All Guardian Circles keep current
records, so they can be passed along through the generations. Ours are kept at
the Retreat if you’d like to read them.”
“I would,” I
said. Tapping the glass gently with my knuckles, I added, “Why is it fortunate
you’ve never known one?” I waited breathlessly. My heartbeat hammered in my ears.
“Well, I just
meant because the life of a Dentelle is so tragic; it would be really sad to
witness something like that,” Laci said.
I went
completely still. I was a Dentelle. I had the ability to heal, yet I also had
premonitions. That set my wheels in motion. Now we were getting somewhere. I
just didn’t know where. Opening the slider a few inches, I let the sea breeze
wash over me. The salty air heightened my senses. In an interested but not
overly demanding voice, I said, “Something like what?”
“Our historical
accounts only make reference to a few different Dentelles ever existing,” Max
jumped in. “But in two of the cases we’ve read about, the Dentelle and Guardian
died when trying to link. For some reason,” Max added, “the linking process
kills them both – the Guardian immediately and the Dentelle within hours of the
attempt. In one instance, the Dentelle tried linking with several different
Guardians, but all of them died as well. Despite their formidable Essence, no
Dentelle has ever survived linking that we’ve heard of. And the ones who didn’t
try linking still died in the end. No one understands why.”
“Like a freak of
nature,” Madison added.
Mentally, I
should have been passed being surprised anymore. But I wasn’t. At one time,
when I’d first had the snapshots of myself being attacked by the mountain
lions, I’d actually welcomed thoughts of my own mortality. I’d seen it as an
escape from a life I wanted no part of. But Jason and Jessica changed that.
Jason made me realize, made me remember, life is a precious gift not to be
taken for granted. Jessica helped me understand that there is no such thing as
a “normal” person. Everyone is different, each with his or her own strengths,
weaknesses, and problems. I’d been grasping for an ideal that didn’t even exist.
Once I realized that and embraced the special talents I’d been gifted with, I’d
gotten my life back on track. Even though I was devastated I couldn’t be with
Jason, I wasn’t ready to say good-bye forever. Dying was not high on my list of
things to do anytime soon, but this time it appeared inevitable.
All of a sudden,
I felt the snapshots bursting from the recesses of my mind. I gripped the
sliding door and closed my eyes as the swirling colors shattered the darkness
behind my eyelids:
Glowing amber
eyes staring straight at me
A wood cabin
on fire in the middle of a snow-covered forest
Kieran
clasping hands with me and leaning forward until our foreheads touched – all in
an attempt to link
Myself and
another person, maybe Kieran, slipping through the cracks of an icy lake
My eyes shot
open, and I stared at myself in the glass. My reflection was clear, just like
my snapshots had been.
I was destined
to link with Kieran. I would destroy him before dying myself, but in the end
I’d save my friends. Instantly, a plan began formulating. There was no reason I
couldn’t link with multiple Ray-pacs and take several of them down with me.
When the time was right, I’d allow them to capture me. Kieran would be coming
after me anyways, so I just needed to remain elusive until it was my time to
link. Then I’d take them all by surprise.
Max interrupted
my thoughts with a question, and I masked the shakiness in my voice as best I
could. I couldn’t reveal my plan to my friends, or let them know I was a
Dentelle. They’d be devastated, too. And they’d never go for it. So keeping my
premonitions a secret was paramount. This would be my way of joining them,
protecting them…
A short time
later our discussion wound down. They officially welcomed me into the Bellingham
Circle of Guardians and Amethysts, and we headed back towards Squalicum Harbor.
We’d only be on land long enough that I could pack a few things for my stay on
Towhead Island. Jason and I would remain all week with everyone else joining us
on the weekend.
Excusing myself
from the salon, I found my way to the upper deck where Jason stood alone
manning the helm. Darkness loomed on the horizon, but deep, red hues still
radiated across the sky – beautiful and dramatic. They were not nearly as
heart-stopping as his stunning aqua-marine eyes which suddenly dipped and gazed
right at me.
“Hi,” he said
quietly.
“Hi yourself,” I
murmured back.
“Are you okay?”
he asked, his chest expanding as he took a deep breath.
I gazed at him
with a confidence I didn’t feel. If anyone could see through me or ferret out
my secrets, it would be him. His bright eyes studied me as he fiddled with the
silver chain around his neck. “I am now that I’m with you,” I said softly.
He sighed and
stared into the gentle waves just beyond the bow. “Alex, you and I, we’re not
meant to be together. Not now and not–”
“Shhh,” I said,
moving next to his side. I pressed my finger against his lips and rested one
hand on his shoulder. “Please don’t say it. I can’t handle any more tonight.”
He nodded slowly and looked at me with such sadness that my heart broke in two.
“I know that my touch soothes you, and I understand now why you can’t touch me.
But right now, I need to touch you and feel your warmth. And I need to share my
Essence, because I know you could use it…”