Dentelle #3 Guardian series

by Bowhay, Heather

  I touched his forehead but registered shock when I felt nothing. I started screaming and shaking him. Eventually, I found my voice. “No. No. No. This can’t be right.” I held him, trying to untie ropes and deliver Essence at the same time. “It’s not supposed to be like this.” Tears poured down my face in a hot stream. I couldn’t feel any Essence in him. His eyes weren’t open because he was awake. They were open because he was dead.

  I freaked out and yanked the pipe out of his stomach. I placed my hands over the wound, and infused him with Essence. But he was unresponsive. I placed my ear against his chest but couldn’t detect a heartbeat; nor could I feel a breath. Essence flowed through me and into Jason with hurricane strength. I felt violent like a thunderstorm spawning into a tornado. Energy coursed through me and into Jason violently – that tornado now wreaking havoc across his body. I needed my energy to hit him hard, overwhelm him, jumpstart his heart.

  Nothing happened. Everything around us spun in fast motion. But nothing happened with Jason. I’d never felt more hopeless in my life. I was a Dentelle, and I couldn’t save the one I loved most in this world. It wasn’t right. If the Guardians conquered the Ray-pacs here today, and by the looks of things I imagined they would, how would I carry on without him? Did I even want to?

  Pouring my Essence into him, I gazed around frantically. I might be invisible, but everyone else wasn’t. I even caught glimpses of Trevon and Shelby and Jason’s brother Michael. And then I remembered that Sienna had been in one of the snapshots from my premonition. Of course, Sienna with her lightning Flair. I needed her to help me bring Jason back. If Sienna could send a bolt of lightning straight into Jason’s heart while I saturated the area with Essence to protect the rest of his body and heal any damage done by her electrical currents, then maybe we could start his heart. That’s how a defibrillator worked. It delivered a dose of electrical energy to the heart.

  I shot to my feet, remembering I’d read that a human brain started dying four minutes after a person stopped breathing. I needed Sienna to shock Jason within the next couple minutes in order for him to have the best chance of coming back. For once, luck was on my side. I went no further than twenty feet when I spotted her unleashing lightning bolts. Becoming visible again, I called out her name. Her eyes registered shock when she saw me, and she hurried my way, dodging a piece of sheet metal on the way. I told her I didn’t have time to explain the situation, I just needed her to come with me and do exactly as I asked.

  First, I had her burn through the rope with a couple lightning strikes, so I could get Jason free of the chair and get him lying flat on his back. Once she did that, I gave the next order. She was scared and shocked when I told her to zap his heart with lightning. Looking at me bug-eyed, like I was crazy, I screamed for her to do it, and she did. All the while, I continued blasting him with my Essence.

  Against all odds, it worked.

  Jason shot into a sitting position. Slack-jawed and wide eyed, his short blonde hair stood on end. He looked stunned and confused. But damn, he was a gorgeous, welcome sight. I expected him to ask what had just happened or say something about how he was feeling like he’d been hit by a train, but he didn’t. Selfless and focused solely on me, he pulled my body closer to his. “Alex, thank God you’re okay. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from Kieran.” He cupped my face in his hands.

  “Oh, Jason,” I cried, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Are you okay?”

  He nodded, his thumbs gently caressing my cheeks. “I feel…electrified. And I feel like….like I’m drowning in your Essence. Which is an amazing feeling.”

  Sienna cleared her throat. Reluctantly, Jason released me, and we glanced up at her. Rolling her eyes, she said, “I hate to break it to you, but we’re in the middle of a warzone. And while I’m happy for you, we’ve got some Ray-pacs to kill.” Blunt and to the point, always eager to inflict pain – that was Sienna. Before rotating on her heel and bounding away, she smiled down at us and added, “And this is all Kieran’s fault. So go slay the beast.”

  “Alex,” Jason said anxiously, “are you really linked with Kieran?”

  Taking a deep breath, I nodded. Turning crimson, his face contorted and his nostrils flared. He started swearing, which he rarely did, even slurring some of the words. His anger was lethal.

  “Listen, though,” I said, grabbing his chin. “I’m also linked with Ash, Dakota, and Madison. And now I’m going to link with you too.”

  His mouth froze in an open state, and the last profanity on his lips split in half. He tilted his head sideways and looked me over like I’d lost my mind. “What? Are you kidding me?”

  “Incoming fireball,” I yelled, slamming myself over him so we were stretched out flat on the floor with me lying on top of him. Even though he was a bloody mess, and his hair was all electro-static, he still looked amazingly hot to me. Being this close to him was crazy good even with all the fighting going on around us. I grabbed his hands, interlocking his fingers with mine. “Jason Walker, will you link with me?”

  “Serious?”

  “I’d never joke about this.”

  “Is it forever?”

  “Yes,” I assured him. His eyes dilated, his pupils expanding so far there was only a thin ring of blue left surrounding them. I stretched, so our arms were extended out above our heads. Then I leaned in and kissed him gently. The heat that rose between us went from warm, to hot, to intimately sizzling in a matter of seconds – mixing Essence, kissing, passion, love and linking all at the same time. It was beyond ecstasy, beyond rapture, and beyond my wildest dreams.

  “Alex, I love you.”

  Hearing his voice in my mind sparked a thousand thoughts, a thousand dreams, and a thousand emotions. Tears of joy, tears of relief and disbelief, and tears of love cascaded down my cheeks. I was linked with Jason, and there was nothing that could ever hold us back again. “I love you, too.” Although I hated to, I pulled my lips away from his and sat up. “We better join this fight. Because I plan on winning so we can spend the rest of our lives in each other’s arms.”

  “We stick together,” he said, squeezing my arms.

  “Agreed.” As we stood up, I realized I had another new Flair. “Oh, sweeet!” I said aloud. “You just gave me the Flair I’ve been dying to try.”

  “What’s that?” he asked curiously, rubbing his head.

  “Shifting!” I grabbed his hands. “What about you?” He stepped back, and shook his head slowly side to side. “What?” I asked with concern. “Are you okay?”

  “You aren’t going to believe this but I think…” His aqua eyes sparkled.

  “I’m coming for you, Lexi. You and Jason. Do you see me?” I shivered and spun around. Kieran was marching his way toward us. He started letting loose small, zinging energy spheres. Instinctually, I sprang to the side to avoid one and then vaulted several feet to avoid another one.

  “Jason, you need to get out of here or one of Kieran’s energy spheres is going to get you,” I started to say but noticed he was dodging around them like he knew where they were going to hit. “Seriously?” I said. “That’s your Flair?”

  “Oh yeah,” he responded. “But it’s so much better than that. You aren’t going to believe it.” I could hear the smile on his lips as he spoke and wondered what he was so revved up about.

  But right then Ash’s voice entered my mind. “Lexi, get ready. Kieran’s going down, and you’re going to witness the whole thing. If you have a weak stomach, you better close your eyes.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said, keeping my eyes glued on Kieran while dancing my way around his attack. Kieran looked savage and predatory like he had the first time I’d seen him in the forest in Bellingham. I stared into his one unblinking, soulless amber eye. The other one was swollen and bloodied, and his cheek was crusted over with blood. I hoped it was the last time I’d ever have to see his ugly, evil face.

  “You’re mine, Lexi. We’re meant for each
other,” Kieran roared in my mind. “I will be a king among Ray-pacs and you will be my queen.”

  “I’m no one’s queen. But I am, and always will be, a Dentelle,” I said with grit. Showing my superiority, I lifted him off his feet so he couldn’t come any closer. His lips curled into an ugly sneer and his face scrunched up with rage as he treaded air.

  I spotted Ash. It was like he had one of his energy spheres attached to a lasso. He was spinning the thin, cutting disc round and round above his head. It glowed orange but was tinged blue around the edges. Bronco colors, I thought. How fitting. The long rope-like lasso glowed as well. It kind of looked like an LED yo-yo on a lighted string. But Ash’s toy could slice through anything. And that’s exactly what he did with it. Extending the glowing rope outwards, it stretched further and further, until the two-foot round disc wavered a couple feet from Kieran’s head.

  “You can’t hurt me,” Kieran screeched, returning fire at Ash. But in that instant, Ash slackened the rope even more, and the disc sliced right through Kieran. It zipped back and forth, chopping through Kieran several times. I would have closed my eyes at the gruesome scene, but all of a sudden a knife-cutting pain surged through my body. Almost as if Ash had lanced me with his death disc, too. I could feel that my link with Kieran had been severed, but the pain was building…excruciating. I stopped, gasped for air and crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain.

  Jason fell with me, covering me. I don’t know why. Maybe protecting me from some other danger or possibly comforting me. Either way, his touch relaxed me, and allowed me to focus on healing myself or at least blocking out some of the pain. I was surprised. I mean, with all my super-powered energy, how could I be so susceptible? No wonder Dakota had barely survived her break with Kohana. It was all I could do to hold it off with my Essence. Maybe it was because I’d been linked with a Ray-pac. At this point, I didn’t care. Kieran Black was dead. And I was free. I cried. But this time it was with relief.

  Just when I started feeling rejuvenated, ready to stand on my own two feet, intuition told me something big was about to rain down on us. Jason must have sensed it too, because he grabbed me, flung me over his shoulder and started to run for it. “Hold on tight,” he said. Over his shoulder, I watched as a massive shower of chairs, tires, metal scraps, pipes, and oil drums pelted the ground behind us. He kept running, and the ride was bumpy; his shoulder blade jabbed into my stomach. But that was the least of my worries. There was no way he could dodge every piece of debris even though he knew exactly where each one would land. It was impossible, just like it would be impossible to avoid getting wet in a thunder shower. A group of telekinetic Ray-pacs had to be teaming up on us. The sound was deafening. Others, Guardians and Ray-pacs alike, were getting pummeled, punctured, and knocked over. It was insanely messy – a bloodbath. Soon the path behind us would be an industrial junk yard, and we’d be at the bottom of the pile.

  Then, out of nowhere, Laci was there. With her invisible shield, she repelled the junk and protected us. Not just Jason and I. There was Ash, Madison, Mr. Nelson, Trevon, some Guardians I recognized from the Houston Circle, and a few others who looked familiar. Jason set me down carefully but pulled me close to his body. Wrapping his arms around me, he leaned forward and rested his cheek against mine. His face was soft and smooth, but the sight before our eyes was rough and chaotic. We watched in awe as a spray of metal and junk came within two feet of us and then reversed directions, scattering in disorderly flight back throughout the building. Goosebumps popped all over my body. I noticed the smell of oil getting stronger. The scent was deceiving because it didn’t smell like tar or gasoline; it was mellow…softer – a sweet crude oil.

  I glanced at Laci and realized she was exerting a lot of energy to maintain the shield – one that kept growing as more and more Guardians crowded inside with us. Shields were rare, and I wondered if she was the only one here. Her normally bouncy curls were damp and frizzy. She was sweating profusely, but her blue eyes were clear and determined. “Laci needs my Essence,” I said to Jason and hurried to her side. She jolted in surprise as I touched her shoulders and walloped her with Essence.

  She smiled but didn’t turn her focus away from the scene in front of us. “Thank you! I needed that,” she called out.

  Jason sidled up next to me and draped an arm over my shoulder. “We stick together. Remember,” he whispered in my mind.

  As one of the oil drums soared through the air, the lid flew off, and the black liquid poured out of the drum spraying in an arc like a sprinkler. A fireball shot right through the jet streams of petroleum, and they ignited in a fiery aerial display. It reminded me of the 4th of July fireworks over Lake Union in Seattle – more specifically, the ones that resembled weeping willow trees. Except that’s where the beauty and similarity ended. When the burning tendrils reached the warehouse floor, the explosion was massive. I could even feel the heat through Laci’s shield. Huge clouds of thick black smoke began filling the room. Hissing and spitting sounds accompanied the explosions that tore through the compound.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Ash shouted.

  Laci nodded. “Stay tight. Compact. And move fast. We’ll head for that left corner door,” she yelled, and we all started running. Once outside, we cleared away from the building. The full moon was still shining brightly, which was good, because it was dark – only a couple hours until sunrise. The battle was already mostly over – with a Guardian victory imminent. I learned there were members from the Houston, Bangor, Tulsa, and Bellingham Circles, so the Guardians had actually outnumbered the Ray-pacs. The injured Guardians were gathered in one area so Amethysts could heal their injuries. We needed to work quickly and get out of the area before the fire engines and police cars arrived.

  That’s where I was reunited with Jessica. With arms wide open and her ponytail swinging side to side, she ran toward me and engulfed me in a monstrous hug. “You’re alive! I knew you would be,” she rushed on. “But I was so worried when I found out you were with Kieran.” She squeezed me tighter and pulled back. Shaking her head, tears fell down her face. “You might be shoeless and a complete disaster, but at least you’re all in one piece.” Digging her fingers into my arms, she shook me. “You’re in crazy trouble, you know that? I promise I won’t be too hard on you though, because you’re gonna get your butt kicked by everyone else.”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” I said, casting my eyes downwards.

  “I’m just glad you’re finally safe. Now, let’s get to work and get out of here.”

  “Have you seen Izzy?” I asked, glancing around anxiously, wishing we had a little more light.

  “No worries,” Jessica said, perking up. “She’s in a safe location with Ava Rose, and they’re going to meet us in Houston. That’s where we’re heading for now, and then we’ll catch a plane back home after we get everything sorted out.”

  We worked alongside each other, healing the injured and giving energy boosts to those who were spent. When I spotted James lying motionless in the bushes, I assumed he was dead. I didn’t feel an ounce of grief for that child abductor. When I noticed his key card, an idea hit me. Knowing we had little time, and remembering the Guardian journals Kieran had mentioned, I asked Ash if he would try to find them. I explained where Kieran’s bedroom was on the twelfth floor. Happy to comply, he and Madison went on a quick search. I noticed they were hand in hand as they dashed away, and I smiled.

  As the flames from the burning compound began lighting the night sky, we heard sirens in the distance. That was our cue to exit. Even though the Guardians had fared well, we’d still had some casualties. I was deeply saddened when Shelby told me Kathy and Collin from Bellingham had been killed as well. There were tears, hugs, and then lots of rushed good-byes as the sirens drew closer. Then the Tulsa Circle headed north and we headed south with the Houston group. Almost everyone from Bellingham was present, including the Nelsons and the Walkers. Nervously, I asked Jason about the absence of his sister, Hannah. I sighed
in relief when he informed me she was already in Houston, awaiting our arrival. She hadn’t been allowed to join the battle. Apparently, there were strict rules for new mothers. But because Houston was safe, and her ability to clear Ava Rose’s memories of Oklahoma City was necessary, she’d been allowed to go there. So, it was destination Houston for all of us.

  And while I still had to deal with the fall-out from all my lies, the nightmare was finally over. Kieran was dead. Izzy and Ava were safe, and Jason and I were linked.

  “Have I mentioned what a stunning Dentelle you are, even in that filthy, ripped up dress?” Jason chuckled, a radiant smile emanated from his handsome face. I laughed. It felt so good to laugh.

  CHAPTER 23 – LAUGHTER

  I laughed a lot more over the next couple weeks. I cried some too. But it was all good. The best laughter, though, came from six little girls squealing in delight as they raced down a huge blow-up water slide. An Orca killer whale water slide, at that. Our tight-knit group of Bellingham Guardians, along with Ally and Ben, were celebrating Ava Rose’s ninth birthday on Towhead Island. In addition, we’d brought five of Ava’s best girlfriends, and we’d been joined by Michael, Sienna, and Izzy. They were just visiting for the weekend while the Senior Council settled on a safe place to relocate Izzy. Sienna had also thought it would be therapeutic for Izzy to spend time with friends, especially me. After the traumatic experience we’d endured, we’d formed a special bond, and it was important to stay in close contact.

  We were all seated comfortably, relaxing in the outdoor living space while the girls splashed each other in the pool area at the bottom of the Orca slide. A few feet away, Max, Michael, and Dan, Hannah’s husband, had just fired up the two grills. Steaks and hamburgers were on the evening’s menu. Earlier in the afternoon, Jason had made good on his promise to take Ava Rose out on the yacht in search of Orcas for her birthday. We’d cruised over to the west side of San Juan Island and into Haro Strait. With clear blue skies, temperatures in the high 70’s, and smooth waters, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.