The Dragonfly Prophecy

by Jacquelyn Castle

  While Paige was in the bathroom, hogging my vanity and most of my make-up, I started pulling my hair in all different directions to see how it would look best with my new dress. I had a hard time believing this was my last day being a kid. Tomorrow I would wake up and be eighteen. An adult. My parents would have loved to see me on that day. Just as they would have on graduation, my wedding and all of those other important milestones that parents look forward to. They were robbed. We were robbed. But I had something no norm had. I would see them again, consequences or not. I was sure of it.

  ˜ * ˜

  Aunt Fay, who looked beautiful as always, drove me and Paige to Chatfield’s, one of my favorite restaurants since I was little. Chace’s car was right in front of the entrance with Tracy’s mom’s car, among an overflowing parking lot. I was hoping that Aunt Fay kept her promise and only invited my closest friends.

  She couldn’t do it. We walked into a room full of people. Some I knew well, some casually, and some not at all. “Happy Birthday!” they screamed in unison as a barrage of balloons poured over the crowd.

  “Sorry, honey, you know that ‘small’ is not in my vocabulary!” Aunt Fay quipped.

  I couldn’t be mad at that. It was just her way and she always meant well. “You’re out of control!” I laughed as I gave her a giant squeeze. “‘Thank you’ just doesn’t seem to be enough these days.”

  “Enjoy yourself, Lexi. I promise, tomorrow I won’t do anything except have Maria whip up your favorite dinner. You have my word,” she said as she crossed her heart with her thumb.

  “Yeah and I’m holding you to that one!” I giggled.

  “Promise!” she quipped as she started to walk off and then doubled back. “When you’re finished saying hello to everyone, come get me, will you? There’s someone I want you to meet.” She walked away and blended in with the rest of the partygoers.

  “Well, it looks like this is one hell of a birthday for you, Sweets!” Chace said as he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close to his side. “I’ve been dying to hold you all day, Lex. You look amazing, sweetheart, just amazing.”

  I could feel myself blushing at his compliment. I always felt so wonderful around Chace, but this time I felt a little different. I was so consumed with William’s mysterious absence that I didn’t feel the closeness I always felt with Chace. I hoped he didn’t sense it.

  “Thanks. Paige helped me pick it out. You should have come with us; we had a lot of fun!” I said, trying to distract him from my lack of affection.

  “I’m sure you did. But there’s something to be said for a little girl time now, isn’t there? I know Paige is a little pissed that you haven’t been spending as much time with her as you have with me. Best friends can be like that, you know,” he said with a wink. “You should go mingle, birthday girl. I’ll be hanging around here gracing the rest of the girls with my presence,” he joked.

  Across the room I could see Aunt Fay’s arm, draped in the finest of creamy silk, waving me over. I waved back and started to squeeze my way through the jamming bodies on the dance floor toward her. Halfway there, something in my head told me to double back. I turned, took two small steps around Aunt Fay’s old friend, Hanna, and her daughter, and almost tripped over Chace. “I thought you were going to hang with the girls,” I prodded.

  “I am. Right after I say hello to your aunt.” We walked to the area of the room where Aunt Fay was enveloped in a group of people.

  “Lexi, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” she said as she put her arm around me. “This is Mark Simon. He’s the man who saved your life.”

  I swallowed the tension that built up in my throat at the sight of this very tall, handsome and polite Marine. I didn’t know if I wanted to hug him or punch him for saving me. If he would’ve stayed out of it, I’d be with my parents. But he hadn’t, and he’d given me the chance to see the beauty of my life in this world.

  I broke away from Aunt Fay and threw myself into Mark’s arms. I started to tear up at the emotional reunion. “Thank you so much. I... I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you risked your life to save mine. I can’t find the words...” my voice trailed off as he interrupted me.

  “No thanks necessary, Lexi. I would have done it for anyone and you would have, too. I’m glad to see you’re nice and healthy now. The last time I saw you...well, let’s just say you didn’t quite look yourself. Here’s to Lexi. A beautiful young woman with an amazing life ahead of her!” he said as he raised his glass of champagne.

  I smiled as big as I could and thanked everyone for the lovely toast. Chace stood quietly behind me during the whole thing. And then the figurative throat punch came at me. I finally got why he had followed me. He knew Mark. He was the replacement when Chace couldn’t watch over me. The most critical time in my life, when I almost died and Chace had a substitute? What happened to the ‘I’ve always loved you and will always protect you’ line? What in the hell could have been more important to him than my life?

  The two of them acted like they didn’t know each other, of course, so Chace introduced himself to Mark in front of everyone. “Thanks, man! She means the world to me... actually, to every one of us, and we owe you big time.” I thought that was a little too dramatic, but no one else seemed to think so. They shared a man hug and slapped each other on the back. Aunt Fay smiled at Chace.

  “Yes, Mark,” she joined in. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, please let me know. You’ve given me such a gift that I can never repay, but at least I can try.”

  Mark hung his head low and stared at the floor. “You don’t owe me anything. I should have gotten to her faster. I should have had a better reaction time. I could have spared her from all of that pain and suffering. I failed. I know I failed.”

  Chace and I stared at each other, probably thinking the same thing. If Mark was riddled with guilt, he was going to blow his cover right there just to relieve himself of it. Chace dove in for the rescue. “Spoken like a true Marine!” he said as he put a manly grip on Mark’s shoulder. “They do make you struggle for perfection, don’t they? And that was perfect! You saved her life! You saved her and you managed to come out alive yourself. Surely, there’s some kind of contentment in all of that for you. Don’t minimize what you did. It was a tremendous gift to all who know and love Lexi. You’re a hero!” Chace said as he peered at Mark with a stern look in his eye.

  “Well, we are trained to be perfectionists,” Mark conceded, realizing he had the attention of everyone around him. “I’m sorry, Lexi. I didn’t mean to make it all about me.”

  “You’re kidding, right? You’re apologizing to me? Mark! Let’s just have some fun and celebrate you giving me the gift of having another birthday!” I whispered. I knew it sounded corny, but the guy needed something uplifting.

  “Close one!” I whispered through my gritted smile, while I breezed past Chace with Mark on my arm. “Let me introduce you to some of my friends.” I walked with him toward Tracy and Maggie while we talked about the day of the accident on the way. Mark told me pretty much the same things as Aunt Fay had, only it was from his own recollection. It was sad to hear about it all over again, but I think he needed closure.

  The rest of the party was filled with average, everyday stuff for a change. We danced, ate, laughed and celebrated. Aunt Fay had an awesome birthday cake made for me. It had four tiers and each one depicted something I had a passion for. The first tier had horses, with little people on their backs, riding around the cake. The second tier, raised a few inches off the first, looked like a miniature pond with ice-skaters skating in figure eights on it. The third layer from the bottom was decorated with a law scale and a little pink judge that sat behind her bench, which was surrounded by kids of all nations with different flags on their backs. The top tier was adorned with gardenias that looked so real, but were made out of sugary icing. It was so beautiful I didn’t want to eat it. But I did anyway. I mean, how many times do you turn eighteen?

 
; When the shindig was over, and I said my goodbyes to all of my friends, Chace offered to drive me home. I agreed, since there was no one I would have rather spent my last day as a kid with. I waited a few minutes for him to bring up the whole Mark episode, but he didn’t mention it at all. So I brought it up.

  “What was that little snafu with Mark all about?”

  “I’m not so sure. He’s been a little wild and all over the board these last few years.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked curiously.

  “Just that over the last few years he’s been acting very odd. He’s not always where he’s supposed to be, he’s not as reachable as the Commission would like. You know, things like that.”

  “Why don’t you just read his energy and find out what’s up?”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can’t?”

  “No. He has a blocking ability that prevents anyone from getting into his head, so to speak. Every once in a while, I would catch him off guard and read him. The only thing I was able to find out for sure was that he had very strong feelings for two women. I guess his love life is a lot like yours,” he joked.

  “Shut up!” I said playfully. It was a sensitive subject, but at least we could laugh about it. It definitely beat the alternative.

  I watched Chace’s lips form a perfect smile before he turned his eyes back to the road. He was so beautiful, inside and out. I was so frustrated that the one part of my life that I really wanted to remember was the only part I didn’t. Regardless, I knew that those months leading up to the accident were spectacular with Chace. The more I tried to remember them, the more irritated I became. It still bothered me that I didn’t know why he was with me all the way up until the accident, but not during. I knew that if he hadn’t told me by this time, he was never going to offer up any information. But I had to know, so I took a chance that he’d be in a generous mood and share the details.

  “What were you doing that was so important that Mark had to watch over me? I almost died and you were off doing what?” I asked with a slight agitation in my voice.

  “It’s not like it was planned, Lex. I always felt horrible about being away from you when you needed me. I had no control over it, though. There was a big uprising in the other world and they pulled out some pretty good weapons, none of which had ever been seen by our guys. Our gifted ones were struggling with new entities that had unexpected abilities. They were some kind of demon, but not all the same, so it was hard to tell who was capable of what. I had to go. We couldn’t risk losing anyone. And we definitely would have in a battle like that, where they couldn’t size up their attackers.”

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered, feeling like a selfish loser. “I know it wasn’t intentional. That just came out all wrong. Really, I didn’t mean it, Chace. I don’t want you to feel guilty about it.”

  He forced a smile. “You got it.” It was apparent he wanted out of the conversation and I guess I did, too. If he had to go off to save the world, I guess he was saving me, too. The rest of the ride was quiet and when we did talk, it was only about the fun we had at my party.

  Chace reminded me to read the manual before I went to sleep. Between him and my orientation, I knew almost everything that was in it, so I figured I could skim it quickly and go to bed.

  We pulled up to the gate and Chace shut the car off. “You coming in?” I asked, with my fingers already wrapped around the door handle. Chace’s expression turned serious and he shook his head. “What’s up?” I was afraid to hear the answer. It seemed that none of the news was good lately.

  “It’s just... I feel something is off with you today. I noticed it this morning on the phone.”

  “C’mon, Chace, is nothing sacred? Can you stop feeling me out all the time?” I growled. “Sometimes I just want to keep my own thoughts in my own head!” I said annoyingly. I didn’t want to be grouchy, but I was extra tired and it was starting to irritate me that I had no privacy.

  “I don’t try to feel your energy,” he snapped. “I just do.” I was a little taken aback by his curtness. It wasn’t like him. After a few awkward seconds, he sighed and continued. “Whatever, Lex, I’m just really worried about you. Your energy shifted and I can feel something coming. It’s not a good feeling.”

  “Nothing’s wrong! It’s been a hell of a weekend, you know. A marriage proposal, a late night storm by the Commission, a birthday bash, and turning eighteen tomorrow,” I said sarcastically. “Don’t you think that’s enough to screw up my energy? Now, I’d really like to go inside and go to bed. Tomorrow’s the big day, you know. I might even let you drive me to school if you’re nice,” I quipped.

  “Yeah well, I guess all of the excitement may have thrown your energy off. I just worry about you, that’s all. And yeah, I’ll take you up on that offer. What an honor it would be to drive the birthday girl to school!” he joked.

  I knew my answer hadn’t satisfied him. Chace wasn’t that easily dissuaded and he wasn’t going to drop it. I didn’t feel anything different, but it was apparent that Chace’s intuitiveness into my energy was far better than mine. I hoped with all of my heart this ‘bad feeling’ he felt was just my bad feeling about William’s whereabouts.

  “Good night,” I said as I took his face in my hands. I stared deeply into those eyes and lost myself for a minute. “I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I do love you, Chace. You know that. It’s just that I never thought of getting married until I was older and had it all figured out. But my plans for... everything are screwed up because I’m gifted. It’s so much for me now and I don’t want to take such a big step lightly. Especially knowing there is much more at stake than just getting married too young. We'd have to live in secrecy like your parents did and you know firsthand all of the trouble that comes with that. I hope you understand.” I whispered.

  He said nothing and his eyes never broke their stare into mine. Chace took my hands from his face and threw them over his shoulders. He pulled me so tight into him that my bottom was lifted off the seat. In an instant, his pouty lips were on mine in a kiss so filled with passion that every other emotion escaped me. “I understand completely. I love you, Lexi. I always have. I always will. Nothing will ever change that.”

  I smiled a little. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew something I didn’t. I didn’t bother to ask. He wouldn’t have told me anyway. Just as he felt my energy was off, something told me that his was, too. Not that I could feel it in a gifted sort of way, but more of like that women’s intuition thing. The way he spoke to me, his choice of words, his mannerisms, all screamed volumes to me. It could have been that I was just hypersensitive to him because of the recent events, but that was doubtful. I’d have to learn to be patient. I knew I’d find out, eventually.

  Chapter 20

  And Away We Go

  I thanked Aunt Fay again before calling it a night. I was exhausted and really needed a good night’s sleep, but it was doubtful that I would get one. At least I had hoped I wouldn’t. If William wasn’t in any danger, he would be coming for his nightly visit in a few hours. His absence weighed heavily on my mind and I missed him like he had been gone for weeks. I went through the usual routine of opening the window, getting ready for bed and snuggling under my comforter. I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

  ˜ * ˜

  “Lexi girl. Wake up.”

  “William?” I sprang from my sleep.

  “Over here.” His voice came from the shadows at the foot of my bed. I wasn’t down by the river rocks, like I had always been when we met. This rendezvous wasn’t in the usual in-between stage of awake and asleep. I felt a different closeness. More like I had when I was in his world. Something was wrong. It was very wrong.

  “What are you doing here? In my room, I mean?” I questioned alarmingly. My eyes fixed on the clock on my dresser that said 11:30. I didn’t have to be gifted to know this wasn’t right. This was the first time I didn’t jump into William’s arms. I had bigger fish that n
eeded cooking.

  “I just had a great idea and I wanted to share it with you.”

  “Wait. Wait. Wait. Before you tell me why you’re here now, tell me why you weren’t here yesterday.”

  “I saw you had a very busy evening and I didn’t want to disturb your sleep. You needed your rest, love.”

  “What do you mean busy?” I prodded, trying to figure out exactly what he knew, and if I had to cover up anything to prevent any potential lawbreaking.

  “I knew you were out with Chace celebrating your birthday with a very romantic evening. I’m not mad at you because you had no control over it. You love him as a friend and I get that, I do. But he doesn’t. He thinks it’s more. He wants more. Chace has his own ideas. He’s only proposing to you because he knows you’re in love with me and you’ll get to my world with his blessing or not. It’s all about power, Lex. He’s not used to losing and he would be damned to be licking his wounds over a loss to—”

  “Since when do you know so much about Chace?” I interrupted. Clearly William didn’t understand my turmoil. Either he didn’t know, or he didn’t believe that I returned Chace’s feelings and that maybe I wanted more, too.

  “I’ve been doing my homework on him since you’ve been back. I know what his plans are and they don’t have your best interest at heart. I can’t blame him for wanting you, but he’s not fighting fair for you, either,” he said loudly.

  “Just think about it. If he really loved you, why would he put all this pressure on you now? Talk about crummy timing. He couldn’t have picked a time in your life when you were more vulnerable than you are right now. Why? He knows you want to go back and be with your parents and me, where you belong. Why would he do that to you if he loved you? Why wouldn’t he let you go and be happy? He could visit you anytime.”