Dentelle (44 page)

“And that’s when,” Ash interjected proudly, “I
wept and put on an incredible show of a man who’s just had his heart broken in
two.”

“Which was totally overdone and hardly
believable,” Madison added, shaking her head.

I smiled at the memory and continued. “I told
them that if my links ever broke, Jason would be the only person I’d be
re-linking with. And I might have mentioned something about joining the
Canadian Senior Council if they didn’t accept that.” I stopped and took a deep
breath.

“You go girl,” Jessica called out.

 
“Believe
me. There is no way they’ll take a chance at losing a Dentelle to another
country,” Jason said adamantly.
“I don’t
want to lose you either.”

I wrapped an arm around him.
“I’m not going anywhere without you ever
again.”

“Hannah,” Dan called out with a laugh, “TJ is
pointing at the steaks. I think that’s what he wants for dinner.”

“Not happening. It’s peas, pears, and milk for
him.”

Ally stuck out her tongue. “Ugh! I hate peas
with a passion. Poor little guy. I feel sorry for him.”

“You should have seen his face when I shoveled
pureed spinach into his mouth,” Hannah said, making a face of her own.

“That’s even worse,” Ben added. “Child abuse,
for sure.”

“Vegetables are highly overrated,” Ash agreed.
We all laughed and then Ash brightened and said, “Ask Lexi what she did next at
the meeting.” I received several interested looks. I shook my head stubbornly.
“Oh, come on,” Ash coaxed.

Madison was more than happy to take over. “Oh,
Lexi was so mad she flashed in and out of invisibility and then lifted a few
water glasses off the table and launched them into a wall.”

“A few?” Ash said, shoving his shoulder against
hers, causing her to rock sideways. They were sitting on a sofa next to each
other, and I noticed he kept trying to hold her hand, but she kept swatting it
away.

Madison took a sip of her iced tea, and said, “I
kept telling Lexi she ought to shift into a werewolf or something. Really give
them something to talk about. I told her if she would then I would too. But she
totally ignored me.”

Ash laughed and sat forward. “Yeah, she’s good
at tuning people out. Did you really tell her that?”

“Yeah. Why?” she looked at him like he was
dense, and we all watched the exchange with interest. They were always the best
entertainment.

“Because I was in her head telling her to turn
into a vampire and suck the blood out of Carlos.”

“You were not,” she said, bopping him on the
side of the head.

“Yes, I was. Tell her, Lexi.” He looked at me
impatiently.

I nodded. “It’s true.”

“Ha! See, I told you. Now you owe me.”

Madison made a funny sound and screwed up her
face. “I don’t owe you anything.”

“Oh, yes you do. I only accept kisses as
payment.”

“Turn me into collections then,” she smirked,
but her eyes sparkled.

“Oh,
puh-lease,”
I said, speaking to them both at the same time.
“Get a room, will ya?”

Their heads snapped my way so fast, I thought
they were going to pop off.

Michael looked at them like they were both a
couple of idiots. “Lexi, I thought the telekinesis Flair was from your link
with Kieran?”

I rubbed the back of my neck as if that would
relieve the tension of hearing Kieran’s name. “It was.”

“But he’s dead,” Shelby said, her eyes blinking
rapidly behind her bright orange glasses. Her freckles were unbelievably
prominent now that summer was upon us.

“Yeah, so what gives? Why do you still have it?”
Trevon said, poking his head around Shelby. She always sat in his lap. I
imagined it was more comfortable, because he was such a big guy, he nearly took
up the entire bench by himself. She would have been squished sitting next to
him.

Leaning forward, I rested my chin on my hands.
“Don’t know. Not sure why. Maybe because I was still linked with everyone else,
so I didn’t lose the one I’d had with Kieran.”

“Oh, if our links ever break,” Madison said,
nodding her head slowly, her pupils widening, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you
somehow keep
all
your Flairs.”

“Impossible,” Sienna uttered.

“Oh, I think that’s exactly what Carlos was
worried about,” Ash said.

“I can’t imagine that could ever…” I started to
say.

“That would be totally badass,” Trevon cut in.

“And it would make Lexi one of the most powerful
people alive,” Michael mused.

Grinning so broadly, the wrinkles reached her
eyes, Jessica said, “Move over superman, this planet has a new superhero!”

 
“Jess,
you’re such a fanatic,” Madison said.

Max pointed his pronged fork at us. “You guys
better keep your voices down.”

“The girls can’t hear us,” Laci said.

“Well, even so, it’s a good idea. Oh, and five
minutes on the burgers,” he added.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see what
happens,” Jason said, glancing at his watch. “Full moon in two weeks.” I
thought it was cute. He and Max were the only two guys I knew that still wore
watches. Ash was all fashionable with his leather wrist bands and rings, and
even Trevon wore some fancy black striped stainless steel bracelet.

“There’s bound to be some kind of excitement,”
Michael commented, making his way back to the grills in order to give Max a
hand since Dan had disappeared with TJ on a dirty diaper mission.

“Anything else happen?” Hannah asked, stretching
her legs out. Having lost all her pregnancy weight, she was once again toned
and fit– not that she’d had much to lose anyway. Her plan was to start back
part-time for the sheriff’s department in a few months.

“Quite a bit, actually,” Izzy spoke up. “You
tell them the details, Lexi.”

Nodding, I scooted myself forward on the couch
because I’d need to call the girls over for dinner in a couple minutes. We
already had the salads, fresh cut fruits, cheese sticks and condiments in the
ice chests along the sideboard table, and there were bowls of chips and other
snacks at their table. “The biggest concern right now is Neo,” I said bitterly.
“He’s still out there hunting Amethysts. And now, that we know Amethysts can
really be robbed of their Essence, and left for dead,” I glanced at Izzy, and
we shared a knowing look, “the Council wants to put together a team of
Guardians to track him down. In one month we’re having an official Council
meeting, and everyone is supposed to bring ideas to the table for how best to
track and kill him and his pack.”

Jason tensed and ran a hand through his hair.
“And since Lexi has seen Neo and can identify him, they want her on that
mission, which I am not happy about. She deserves a break.”

“I understand how you feel,” I said, rubbing his
leg. “But I feel like it’s my duty, and since I have seen him, I’ll be able to
identify him. It makes sense, and it’s a way I can use my abilities and give
back. I don’t want another Amethyst to experience what Izzy went through.”

“I know. And I get that. It just drives me
insane how they expect you to be subservient. They could at least ask. With you
having so many abilities, they’ll always find
reasons
you need to be involved, but there will be times when you
have to say no.” His lips were tight, and his eyebrows were drawn together. He
was so passionate, and I loved him for it.

I kissed his cheek. “I hear you. I do. And I
agree. I won’t let them push me around when I don’t want to be pushed. When I
need to say no, I will do it and stand my ground. But this Neo thing…this is
something I want to do.”

“I know,” he grumbled. I noticed all eyes were
on us. “But when you go, I go.”

“Count me in, too” Ash announced, obviously
uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Well, I’m not staying here and missing all the
action,” Madison countered. “Besides that, my link with Lexi is the reason she
even has the tracking Flair,” she added proudly.

“Well, I can’t wait to see you shapeshift,” Ben said,
jerking forward. “That just rocks.”

“Good thing this Council meeting isn’t for
another month,” Ally said. “Because with the wedding a couple weeks away, I’m
going to want you around to help. Even if you’re some hotshot Dentelle in high
demand, you’re still my best friend and you’ve got responsibilities here, too.”

I got up and went over to her. “Spoken like a
true best friend,” I said, tears gathering in my eyes. “You know I wouldn’t
miss your wedding for the world, Ally. I love you. And I’m still the same old
me. I always will be. Promise.”

“Well, if you start to forget it, I’ll make sure
to beat you over the head and remind you,” she said with a smile.

“Of course you will.” Grabbing her hand, I said,
“Come on, help me get those girls dried off so they can eat some hamburgers.”

“I’ll help, too,” Jessica chimed in.

Before long, we had all the girls settled in
around one table. Ava Rose loved the whale plates and napkins. I’d even found
the coolest water bottles with Orcas on them, and we filled them with lemonade
or 7-up, depending on what each girl wanted. Once they were happily munching
away, Ally, Jessica, and I dished up our plates, opting for Max’s perfectly
grilled steaks rather than burgers.

I sat at the table closest to Ava’s, tuning out
the talk at my table and instead listening in and enjoying every minute of the
girls’ conversation. Radiant and tanned, Ava’s face lit up each time one of her
friends talked about this being the best birthday party ever. Her cheeks were
rosy and full of life. With her blonde curls and fair skin, she easily could
have been mistaken for Laci’s little sister, or daughter even. I was just
delighted to see her so happy. And Ally was right, spoiling Ava had been very
therapeutic for me. I was relieved Ava’s foster mom had allowed Ava and her
friends to come whale-watching and then stay overnight with us on Towhead. I
hadn’t thought she’d go for it, especially after Ava’s disappearance, but in
the end she’d relented. She’d even commented about how she knew Ava was in safe
hands. I sighed. She most certainly was now.

One of the girls said something I couldn’t hear,
and they all started whispering conspiratorially. A couple seconds later, they
all burst out laughing. I closed my eyes and smiled. Just the sound of their
giggles and chatter made my heart sing. Laughter, sweet laughter.

“What are
you thinking about?”
Jason asked. He was sitting at a different table,
because I’d nestled myself in between Izzy and Ally.
“You look all dreamy-eyed and content.”

I met his eyes and blushed.
“Laughter.”

“What?”
He
gave me a questioning look
. “What about
it?”

“Well,
Laughter is a funny thing. I was just thinking about how over time it kills
fear, heals wounds, and cleanses the soul…”

“Nice. I
like that, and I agree.”

“I was
also thinking about right here and now, surrounded by you, my friends, and Ava
– how laughter in the moment fosters hope, conveys happiness, and inspires
love.”

His eyes softened even more, and I could see
within them his love for me
. “Your
laughter does all those things to me.”
He paused and a slow grin spread
across his face.
“But so does your touch
and your kisses, and your…”

“Stop
right there.”

“I love
you, Alex.”

“And I
love you, Jason.”

********* Three Weeks Later *********

Jason and I were sitting on a plaid blanket,
relaxing on a sandy bar and enjoying a picnic lunch. Above us raged the amazing
Sholes Creek Falls – our waterfall. The same place where, in a way, it had all
begun. Only now the horrors were over; the world was a safer place, and Jason
and I could enjoy ourselves without worries. We intended to explore the entire
Mt Baker National Forest, too. Working with the B.C. and Seattle Guardians, we
kept heavy patrols around the Pacific Northwest, and there hadn’t been a
Ray-pac sighting in our area for months.

 
A spray
of the cold mountain water splashed against my bare legs, sending a wave of
goose bumps across my flesh. I leaned back and admired the splendor I found
there. Vibrant green moss enhanced the textured brown cliffs behind the
waterfall. White waters plunged gracefully from above, before crashing into the
giant pool before us. The lush greenery and sparkling rocks enhanced the
magical feel of our secret spot. The water roared in our ears, but we didn’t
mind. Speaking telepathically was nicer at times, and definitely more intimate.
My eyes drifted from the waterfall to Jason, and I sighed.

Leaning back on his elbows, he was stretched
out, wearing only his swim trunks. I was having a hard time focusing on
anything other than his chiseled chest and tight abs when I looked his
direction. He’d asked earlier if he should leave his shirt on, thinking maybe
the scar left behind from that nasty pipe would bother me. I’d told him the
scar didn’t faze me in the least. In fact, it only heightened his sex-appeal.
No, the only reason I could think of for him to leave his shirt on was so that
I didn’t attack him; I neglected to mention this to him. My problem was that he
looked delectable, and I’d been starved for him for way too long.

 
“Hey, you.”

I squealed and switched my gaze to his handsome
face. I could tell by his amused expression he’d been perfectly aware I’d been
devouring his body with my eyes.

“Well,
Ally and Ben are happily married and off in Europe on their honeymoon. Do you
think their marriage will last?”
he asked.

 
“Absolutely. They’ve been in love since like
grade school. They wouldn’t know what to do without each other.”
I gazed
into his hypnotizing aqua-marine eyes. They were deeper and more beautiful than
the pool under the waterfall
.