Dentelle #3 Guardian series

by Bowhay, Heather

  “Me, too.”

  Wistfully, we stepped further away from each other. And then it was back to the stands for our group so we could watch Max and the final contestants. Jason didn’t join us since there was a designated section for the participants. In the end, Max had a remarkable run and beat Jason’s time by a few seconds. The final contestant, Brittney, a buff girl from Detroit, flew through the course with a time of six minutes and eight seconds to win it all. If Max and Jason were bummed, they certainly didn’t show it. In fact, they both seemed happy for Brittney. I guess it was the first year a female had ever won the shapeshifting event.

  The rest of that day and all of Tuesday flew by quickly. Ash and I held our own in the 10K but did not medal. I really didn’t want to compete six different times, so I chose to have my personal scores from the 10K and archery contest with Ash apply to my individual events, as well. Besides, I’d still see plenty of action in the group events where participation was a must. Honestly, watching my friends compete was much more enjoyable than competing myself. More importantly, a side benefit from observing, was seeing Jason more often. Even if it was from afar, I’d take it.

  Emotionally exhausted from playing charades, I started counting down the days until our departure. My psyche was shot from always having to think about my words and actions rather than just being myself, and my upcoming showdown with the Council was nearing. Oftentimes, Rob and Ryan, the identical twin Amethysts, joined Jessica, Izzy, and me as we cheered on our friends. Jessica and Rob were definitely sweet on each other, and I noticed Ryan and Izzy hitting it off, as well. I couldn’t have been happier with the whole situation, especially for Izzy, who needed a little pick-me-up. I’d noticed she’d been spending quite a bit of time with Dakota, but that changed when she and Ryan took an interest in each other. Her meeting with the Senior Council had gone as we’d predicted – with instructions for her to move to a new Circle. Luckily, the Council wasn’t as hard-nosed as I’d thought they’d be, because they’d granted her permission to join any Circle that did not already have an Amethyst. She was seriously considering St. Louis, because her aunt, uncle, and cousins all lived there.

  Late Tuesday afternoon, we found ourselves highly entertained at one of the individual events which Madison, Ash, and Sienna had all entered. Essentially, it was a target-hitting contest based not only on accuracy but also speed. Guardians who had an offensive Flair that allowed them to hurtle things in the air were encouraged to join. Madison with her telekinetic abilities, Ash with his energy spheres, and Sienna with her lightning strikes were prime candidates.

  Sitting in a set of uncovered bleachers, I welcomed the rolling white clouds and the light breeze. The hot Montana sun had me applying sunscreen every 30 minutes, so I was happy about a day with moderate temperatures and shade. I marveled at a red-tailed hawk flying overhead, and then wondered if it was a real hawk or possibly a shapeshifting Guardian. One could never be too sure in this company. To no one in particular, I said, “I can’t believe I’ve never thought to ask before, but how many different kinds of Flairs are there?”

  Ryan ran his hand through his super sun-bleached hair and said, “I don’t think there’s an exact count, but probably about 50.”

  Gazing at me with a set of light brown eyes, which were hauntingly identical to his brother’s, Rob said, “Yeah, but there’s about 15 that are most common.”

  Jessica started counting on her hands. “Like shapeshifting, telekinesis, invisibility, energy handlers, fire starters, and trackers, to name a few.” Her eyes never leaving Rob’s bronze face. He grabbed her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her fingers. Afterwards, he whispered something in her ear, and she blushed but laughed with pleasure.

  Uh-oh, maybe this was already more serious then I’d thought. I’d noticed she seemed more giddy than usual when they were together, and she never stopped talking about him. According to her, he was intelligent, kind, extremely funny, and treated her as if the most important person in the world. I wondered what would happen if they fell in love and decided to get married. Who would move? Would they be allowed to move? I couldn’t imagine her in San Francisco hanging out on the beach and surfing all day. I knew for a fact that was one of Rob’s passions, so I couldn’t fathom him moving to Bellingham, either. Maybe he could take up kiteboarding. We had plenty of wind to keep him happy, but he’d want to purchase an expensive wetsuit. Remembering my swim in Bellingham Bay, I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself. Was it thoughts of the ice-cold waters or the crazed Ray-pacs that brought goose bumps to my skin? I couldn’t be certain. But suddenly, the Montana heat didn’t seem so bad after all.

  “There’s some really uncommon Flairs, too,” Izzy said.

  “Oh, yeah, definitely,” Ryan said. “Like Shields, and sometimes there’s a new Flair that pops up – one that no one else has ever had before.” They all turned and looked at me.

  “What?” I asked, scooting back several inches.

  Jessica grabbed me by the shoulder. “We are pretty sure your Flair is one of those rare ones. We’ve never heard of anyone else with a defensive Flair that allows them to know exactly when and how a threat is coming at them.”

  “Really? How did I not know that?” I asked bewildered. But the crowd started cheering, so we all turned our attention toward the games.

  “Okay, here we go,” Jessica said excitedly, rubbing her hand across Rob’s back. “I heard there are 30 competitors. Just wait until you see Madison in action.”

  But Sienna was the first of our friends to flaunt her Flair. There were 25 numbered targets which had to be hit in order, and while Sienna’s bright, jagged lightning bolts were extremely accurate, they weren’t fast enough. Because our seats were only a few feet away, we could hear the disappointment in her voice as she finished the round. “Okay, that really sucked.”

  “Speed isn’t everything, Sienna,” Izzy yelled. “All your strikes hit the bull’s-eye.”

  “Just wish I could have done it faster,” Sienna called back and walked over to the sidelines.

  I don’t know if Fate was out for a leisurely stroll and decided to join in the games, or what? But somehow Ash and Madison were the last two competitors, with Ash up first.

  Jessica nudged me and gave me a funny look.

  “What?” I whispered.

  “Don’t you think you should be supporting your man?” she said quietly and gave me a get-with-the-program look.

  “Oh, yeah. Good idea,” I mumbled. Jumping to my feet, I yelled, “You got this, Ash. Kick some butt, honey.”

  Jessica snorted and rolled her eyes dramatically.

  “I got this, babe. No worries,” Ash said, tipping his cowboy hat.

  “What’s with the hat?” Jessica said.

  “Don’t ask.” I covered my face with my hands and shook my head.

  Madison, who was standing only a few feet away from Ash, called out, “Oh, you should be worried – worried that you won’t hit more than half the targets.”

  “Watch and learn, Madison. Watch and learn.”

  The next thing I knew, he was launching blue and orange tinged energy spheres left and right. As he flung one orb with his right hand, another one was already forming in his left hand. Showing off his dexterity, he propelled shots from both hands, occasionally flinging two at once. I had a feeling he didn’t utilize that strategy very often because maintaining dual accuracy had to be tricky.

  I overheard a young Guardian girl, a few rows below me, say to her friend, “He is hot, hot, hot! That Dentelle is sooooo lucky.”

  Laughing to myself, I studied Ash. His powerful arms were tan and defined as he threw his energy spheres. Wearing black cowboy boots, a pair of his expensive, tight-fitting Diesel jeans, and a gray t-shirt that emphasized his broad chest – I had to agree – he looked pretty damn good from the back. Sadly, I pondered his single status. He couldn’t easily pursue a relationship with someone while everlinked with me and while pretending to be my boyfriend. That made
me feel even guiltier, because I really wanted him to be happy. He was a good guy with a lot to offer; he just needed an adventurous woman who could keep up with him – and by that, I meant his attitude and his love for extreme sports.

  As the last mini-orb flew through the target, the clock buzzed and flashed a time of 42.35 seconds. We went crazy in the stands, jumping up and down and high-fiving each other. Ash had the fastest time, and the scoreboard showed 23 of his spheres had pierced through the yellow center and the other two shots had sliced through the neighboring red circle. Ash was in first place. I screamed until I was hoarse and laughed as he swaggered to the sidelines. Turning toward the crowd, he fluttered his hands and then fired several energy spheres high into the air above us. Moments later they exploded in an impressive array of colors, like a mini fireworks show. The spectators went wild.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that!” Izzy exclaimed.

  “That was fantastic! How did you do that?”

  “That’s the big secret I’ve been keeping. Been working on it for a while now.” He bowed and then blew me a kiss.

  Enjoying my role as lead actress in that moment, I blew a kiss back. And as the noise level lowered, I shouted, “You’re my hero.”

  Ash shouted back, “Oh no, babes. I’m your cowboy.”

  Finally, people lowered their voices, giving Madison time to prepare for her round.

  Izzy, who was sitting right below me, turned and grabbed my leg. “He’s a riot. How do you handle him?”

  “Ash, Izzy thinks you’re a riot and wants to know how I handle you,” I teased.

  He flashed a sexy smile toward the stands. “Just tell her your whip works every time.”

  “I most certainly will not.” Looking at Izzy, I said, “Let me just say, it isn’t easy!”

  Madison took center stage, stretching her long, toned arms above her head and to the sides. Sporting pink cowboy boots, a matching sequined tank, and a pair of faded black jean shorts, she looked more like she was preparing for a Cowgirl photo shoot. She set to work arranging the strange cannonball concretions which she’d be launching at the targets. The peculiar-looking ovoid and spherical rocks were apparently hard, compact masses of sedimentary rock that had formed by mineral precipitation. There were tons of different shapes and sizes all over the ranch. When I’d first found some, I’d thought they might be fossil eggs or bones.

  “Best of luck,” I overhead Ash say.

  Glancing down her nose, she batted her almond shaped green eyes. “Oh no, Ash, luck is what the Seven Lucky Gods granted you today. I’m all about skill.”

  “Ouch!” Ash whistled. “But fascinating that you’re up on Japanese mythology. About this skill business…we’re gonna need proof.”

  She brushed her hands together, “Stop talking now. It’s time you watch and learn.”

  And with that, 25 cannonball concretions rose in the air simultaneously and rocketed toward the targets. Madison’s hands flashed before her as she commanded the precise movement and speed of each stone. How? I don’t know. Her thick black hair fluttered in the breeze; although, I wasn’t sure if her quick movements weren’t the force behind the breeze, as well.

  I fastened my hands tightly together. She was impressive, and part of me actually wanted her to win, but I’d never admit that to anyone. Finally, the last stone ripped through the center of the furthest target and the clock beeped, displaying a time of 38.68 seconds. The scoreboard also showed she’d sunk all 25 cannonballs directly through the gold-centered targets. We were on our feet, cheering louder than we had for Ash, because not only had Madison swiped gold from under his nose, she’d beaten the Ranch’s all-time record by two seconds. Basking in her glory, Madison bowed and waved to the crowd. Ash set off a series of firework spheres above her head, and something about the way she bit her lip told me she was secretly pleased. It wasn’t long before we were out of the stands, crowding around her and offering congratulations.

  After we all settled down, a satisfied smile passed her lips and she asked Ash, “So, did you learn something about skill today?”

  All casual in his stance, with his thumbs looped through his belt buckles, he said, “I have to admit; that was impressive.”

  “She’s a good teacher if you want some pointers,” Jessica piped up. Interlocking arms with Rob, she said, “I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat.”

  We all agreed and began our trek back to the lodge. A moment later I heard Ash say, “You think you’re as good a teacher as Jessica claims?”

  “Of course. Nothin’ but the best.”

  “Great!” he quipped but left her side and rushed up next to me. After looping arms with me, he turned over his shoulder and called out, “Sign me up for private lessons.”

  “What?”

  “Yep. Just you and me. Free of charge, too.”

  Looking at Ash, I shook my head. “I thought I told you to hide your crazy.”

  He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Hey, you only live once, right?”

  By the time I rolled into bed, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Luckily, I slept hard all night long, too, because the next day were the group competitions. The Bellingham Circle performed decently in paintball and capture the flag but nowhere near medaling.

  The football game, turned out to be another story altogether. Once we caught our stride, we were unstoppable. In the unlikeliest of all situations, Madison and I teamed up countless times for an embarrassing number of touchdowns. As it turned out, Madison, with her amazing accuracy, was an all-star quarterback. She could launch the football directly into the hands of whomever was receiving. Surprising even myself, it turned out I had a knack for catching the football. More importantly, I found that carrying it down the field and scoring wasn’t even a challenge. With my defensive Flair, I knew exactly who was coming at me, when they were coming at me, and from what angle they were planning to take me down. Of course, with Jason, Ash, Trevon, and Max as the main players on our offensive line, rarely did anyone get close anyway.

  In reality, the guys on the other teams were probably afraid they’d get burned; although, a rule was made that I would be considered down and the play would be over when someone tapped me. Still…if people were afraid of a little heat, that was their problem. Or maybe they were just afraid of a Dentelle? Hah! If that was the case, then maybe it was time to start playing the Dentelle card, especially with the Senior Council.

  In the end, we were ecstatic, because we walked away sporting the first place trophy. Seeing how I was the diehard football fan, I couldn’t have been happier. We even called ourselves the Bellingham Broncos. That was a day I’ll never forget. We’d all worked together as a team, and we’d come out on top. Good times with my friends ignited my spirits. Now, hopefully, I could ride that high into the Archery finals and into my meeting with the Senior Council.

  CHAPTER 6 – THE SENIOR COUNCIL

  “Miss Adams and Mr. Merrick,” declared Mr. Wright, the Council spokesman, a balding man with glasses and sharply slanted eyebrows that reached the bridge of his nose, “this Senior Council has concluded it would be in your best interest to relocate to a new Circle as soon as possible.” His statement was made with an air of authority one would only expect from the President of the United States.

  I stared straight at Mr. Wright, whose glasses seemed to magnify his steely eyes. But it was his smug expression that had me an inch from scowling back. It took sheer willpower just to keep my lips set in a grim line. Already outraged, I chose not to give him the satisfaction of a quick response. Why show deference when I had no plans of submitting to the Council’s judgments?

  Sitting up a little straighter, I slowly scanned the room – a room in which over 100 Guardians sat staring at me and Ash from their individual leather chairs. Their seating was stadium style in a u-shape, facing the front of the room. Opposite them, Ash and I sat in a long, curved leather booth at the front of the room. A custom-crafted wood table followed the curve
of our booth, offering something of a barrier between us and the Council. Its intended use was as a conference table, but to me it was a fortification separating two opposing sides.

  Located on the ground level, directly in front of the stadium seats and also facing us, were six executive-style rolling chairs. They were occupied by today’s elected chair people. Jessica had informed me that all the Senior Guardians rotated through as chair people every few months, so discovering who held the most clout was going to be a matter of deduction on my part. The overall feel of the meeting room was overwhelmingly business-like; although, the lodge’s rustic décor extended into the large, round chamber with an impressive three-tiered antler chandelier.

  “Miss Adams…” Static erupted as Mr. Wright adjusted the tabletop microphone in front of him. “Do you intend on responding?” he asked with an edge to his voice.

  Good. He was irritated. Narrowing my brows, I glanced from one chairperson to the next, intentionally meeting each of their eyes – four men and two women. I’d already sized them up, and gut instinct told me only Miss Palo from Houston and Ahanu, Dakota’s grandfather, were sympathetic toward my cause. Not one smile had cracked the stony faces of Ms. Johnson from New York or Mr. Wright from Chicago, so I assumed they’d be most uncompromising of all. Some off the wall comments by Mr. Moore of Jacksonville had me thinking this might be his first time as a Council chair, so I doubted he had much influence. Luckily, everyone in the room had nameplates; although, they only displayed last names, reinforcing the fact we were here on formal business. Lastly, and much to my chagrin, Mr. Sanchez, or Carlos as I’d been introduced to him earlier, held the sixth spot. Despite his easy smile and attempts at friendliness, I glimpsed something cunning in his murky eyes. A glint of deception? A flicker of greed?

  “Do you need me to repeat the decision of this Council?” Mr. Wright asked crossly, fiddling with the volume on his microphone.