The Dragonfly Prophecy

by Jacquelyn Castle

  “What? Where are you going? You can’t leave!” I said sharply.

  “I have to. The secret of the psychics being aware of the gifted ones and the alternate universe is out. I don’t want to make any trouble for you or for my new sisters.”

  “Chace! Do something!” I demanded.

  “Wait, you’re not leaving, Paige, and neither is anyone else. Let’s get something straight. The Commission is there to help us, not make our lives miserable. They just want us to be protectors of our universe. We are the only ones who can do that. Some of the laws are pretty old and have only been followed because that’s how we were all trained. Mark, they aren’t going to do anything to you. Yeah, you broke a few laws, but not any that would have jeopardized our world. I’ll think it’s time I suggest that the marriage ban be lifted. A lot of gifted ones found ways around it anyway and it just makes the Commission look outdated. I’ve already said I would change the inter-universal family law, too, so we can travel freely whenever we want. Anyone who abuses that will be dealt with individually.”

  Mark’s eyes popped as he jumped to his feet. “Man, you have no idea how happy that would make us. All of us! I hope you can really do it.”

  I looked at Mark with that ‘duh’ look. We knew Chace could and would do whatever he promised.

  “Girls” he turned to the group of gypsies, which now included Paige. “Stop running. You’ve helped us enormously and we may not have made it out of there without you. The Commission will give you a few laws to abide by and maybe even the opportunity to work with us. My guess would be that all you’ll have to do is promise to keep the other world and the gifted ones a secret. You’ve already done that. Well done!”

  We all jumped around and yelled so loud that Aunt Fay came bursting into my room. “Lex, you okay? What is it?” she screamed before she realized I had a crowd of awfully strange people in my room. Mark motioned me to pull my hair over my ear to hide the light I still had implanted.

  “Ooooops! Sorry, Aunt Fay. We were just...” She held her hand up to stop me from talking.

  “Nope. No explanation necessary, sweetheart. I was a teenager once, and if you want to stay up all night with your friends, it’s fine with me. Happy birthday, Lexi. Oh, and Chace, your father is looking for you.” She waved to all and shut the door. She was such an awesome aunt it was scary.

  “I’d better go fill him in and report all of this to the Commission now,” Chace said. You need a ride?” he asked Mark.

  “No, man, I’m good. I need a little down time to myself. I’ll take the train.”

  “You can take my car. Actually, I insist! It’s just down the block at Butler’s Pantry. I’ll hitch a ride to school with Paige tomorrow,” I volunteered.

  “Sounds good, Lex, thanks. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”

  “I’ll pick you up in the morning, okay?” Chace asked. I looked at my clock and realized we had only been gone a little less than an hour. It was that time thing again. I had to get used to that.

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll see you in the morning,” I answered. He left without so much as a hug or a kiss goodbye—and it was my birthday! He was either really pissed off at me or was still keeping our relationship, whatever it was now, under wraps until the laws were changed.

  “Let me get that out of your ear.” Mark motioned me over to him.

  “Is it gonna hurt?”

  “Not nearly as much as it did when it was implanted. Ahhh, you’re pretty tough, Lexi. I was impressed by your abilities for such a new phyter. Maybe the defectors were right and I have some competition on my hands for the number two spot,” he snorted. His distraction was pretty good and I didn’t feel a thing when he removed the light. He put it in the box alongside the tiny device he had put in there earlier. “These will keep our analysts busy for a while,” he joked as he dropped the box back into his pocket. “I’d better go get this stuff to them now. They’re probably salivating just waiting for it.” He smiled and kissed my cheek.

  “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon, Lexi. Stay sweet.” He walked toward the door.

  I ran to Mark and grabbed his arm. “Thank you. You saved my life not once but twice. How do I return the favor?”

  “You don’t, Lex. It’s what we do. Take care of yourself, phyter. You’re a very special girl,” he whispered. And then he left.

  Vera walked toward me and gently put her hands in mine. “If there’s anything you ever need, dear, please remember we’re always here for you. Paige, we hope you’ll stay with us and be part of our family. We’ve been through a lot with you two and, depending on what happens with the changing of the laws, we’d love to stay in your lives and maybe even work alongside you. We should go now. It’s late for us old ladies and we’re tired,” she joked with a wink, which was completely out of her character. “Paige, see you tomorrow?”

  “Definitely!” Paige replied.

  “Thanks again for everything. Because of all of you, we were able to save Chace, and probably the rest of the world. I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough.”

  “My dear, you just did. Please, say no more. It has been a great gift to us to meet you and work with you.” Vera squeezed my hands tightly and then let go. “Good-bye for now, young lady.” The gypsies filed out of my suite like they were floating on a cloud.

  “This is so surreal, Lex. An hour ago, we were in the fight of our lives in a world we never knew existed, defending ourselves against things we never thought possible. A quick debriefing by the big Kahuna, a few explanations, a couple recommendations, and then everyone leaves like it was a normal night! It’s trippin’ me out! What the hell? Am I supposed to actually fall asleep now after a night like this? Can you? Don’t you find that weird?”

  “I don’t think I find anything weird anymore!” I quipped. “You can hang out here tonight if it makes you feel better. I can give you something to wear to school in the morning.”

  “Ugh! No thanks! I absolutely despise your taste in clothing!” she laughed sarcastically.

  “Happy birthday, Lex. Love you, mean it!” she said as she gave me a hug and a peck and took off after the gypsies.

  Chapter 27

  Back into the Fire

  I sat alone in the quiet of my room for a few minutes. Finally, I had the answers to all of my questions. I knew who I was and where I had been. I knew who I loved and who loved me in return. I knew all of my friends and most of my enemies. Paige was right; it was surreal.

  I looked out at the rocks along the stream and remembered how I felt each night William and I met there. It hurt my heart that it was all for another purpose and that he wasn’t who I thought he was. I didn’t know if he was full of it when he said he really did love me and that everything he ever told me was true. It didn’t matter. The lies and deception were something I wouldn’t get over anytime soon.

  There was still enough of the night left to catch a few hours of sleep. With all of the excitement, I didn’t think I’d get any. I hoped for just a little rest so I could make it through the next day. I was too tired for makeup removal and bed fluffing, so I shimmied out of my catsuit and kicked it off my foot onto the floor. It landed with a loud thud. The sound started the flashback of William slipping something into my pocket. I picked it up from the floor and ripped through each secret compartment until I found it. A small, very detailed gold locket. No matter how hard I forced it, it wouldn’t open. It was probably sealed shut. It didn’t seem special in any way and I had no idea why he had given it to me. My next thought was to get rid of it, since it could have been some kind of tracking device or maybe even something more dangerous. I had to give it one more try before I called Chace. Obviously, I hadn’t learned anything or I would have called him first. I pulled out my tweezers and forced the locket open. Inside there was a picture of a very pretty little girl who must have been about eight or nine. She had blonde ringlets and a beautiful, bright smile. Her eyes were warm, green and sparkly. I knew those eyes all too well. This had to be Ev
angeline. I felt anxious, sad and bewildered at the same time. A sudden overwhelming urge to see her came over me that I just couldn’t fight. I didn’t know why and it scared me. I called Chace.

  “Did you not see me enough for one night?” he said as he answered the phone.

  “Are you on your way to the Commission?”

  “Almost. I stopped in to give my father all the details and called an emergency meeting. I’m heading there now. Why, what’s up?”

  “I forgot all about this so I didn’t mention it in the debriefing.”

  “Jeeze, Lex, what is it?” he asked quickly.

  “When William paralyzed me, his eyes turned back to normal for a second while he put something in my pocket. I didn’t remember it until just now so I checked to see what it was. It’s a locket with a picture of his sister in it. I don’t know why but I have to see her. I just have to.”

  “I’m coming over. It could be another trick. I’m sure you thought of that already.”

  I didn’t know if he meant that sarcastically or not, but I wasn’t about to get nitpicky. “I’ll meet you outside.” I hung up, threw on the clothes I had in a ball on the floor, and snuck down the stairs.

  Chace showed up the minute I opened the front door. He got out too fast for me to jump in the car and rushed over to me, lifting me in the air.

  “I’m so glad it’s over and you’re here. Safe and sound,” he whispered as he squeezed me in his arms.

  “I guess this means you’re not pissed off at me anymore?”

  “Pissed off? I was never mad at you.” He pushed himself back and lightly grabbed my shoulders. “Listen to me, Lex. It could have happened to anyone. They pulled you in because you were an easy target. They thought you wouldn’t know enough to use your gifts and they lured you in with William. Speaking of Mr. Badass, where’s the locket?” Chace held his hand out.

  I pulled out locket and dropped in Chace’s outstretched hand. He held it up to his eye and turned it a few times. “It’s clean.”

  “I have to go see Evangeline. I don’t know why, but I have to go.”

  “Where is she?”

  “England. Essex, England.”

  “But is she here or there?”

  “Oh, she’s here, in our world. I can’t get into any trouble, you know. There are no defectors and William is gone, dead maybe, I don’t know.”

  “You know, even though we’ve never had defectors here, it doesn’t mean they’ll never come. Just like this failed attempt at a takeover, we have to expect the unexpected. I’m going with you. Anything that has to do with William makes me edgy.”

  “That’s fine, I don’t care. I can’t wait, though. You have no clue what this urge is doing to me! Can you take me with you and we can stop at the training facility? I’ll use one of those rooms to go to Essex. What’s the sense of traveling by plane anyway?” I said jokingly.

  “Nothing wrong with that, other than you won’t be able to get up for school in the morning,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  We jumped in the car and rolled slowly out the driveway with the lights off. We were both so exhausted, and I knew it wasn’t the best time, but I had to let it out. Chace had to know how I really felt about him and he had to hear it from me. It was the least I could do after screwing things up so bad.

  “You know how much I love you, Chace, and I don’t want you to think that just because William turned out to be a monster, you’re the rebound.”

  Chace laughed, but then stopped short when he saw I didn’t find the humor in it. He looked back at the stoplight, which was still red.

  “Lex, you keep forgetting I already know that. Energy, remember? I know you how you feel. He was just a detour, that’s all. Now stop worrying your gorgeous little self about it. But you still have to answer my question.” He smiled. I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  “Chace Preston, you’re one in a million, you know that?”

  “I know.” He laughed, “They tell me that all the time.”

  We pulled up to the UN building and that knot that made itself home in my stomach was starting to creep up to my throat. I knew Chace would explain it all and everything would most likely turn out fine. Still, I worried what they would think of my role in all of it. I didn’t want to be branded a trouble-making phyter. We ran through the dark halls and into the room where the big guys sat high on the balcony.

  “Welcome back, Ms. Blane. We didn’t expect to see you back here so soon,” Peter said.

  “She’s with me this time, Pete. We’ve had a hell of a run-in with the defectors. I’m here to brief you all on the episode. I want her to stay.” He squeezed my hand. I leaned into his shoulder in a subconscious effort to hide.

  “That’s against our policy, Chace,” another voice came from the balcony.

  “I haven’t forgotten. I’m also here to talk about the policies. They have to be updated. This latest maneuver could have been the end of our world and it would have been because of these outdated laws. The whole thing could have been avoided if we were allowed to communicate freely with other gifted ones. Some of the policies are actually working against us. It’s a whole different world than it was when they were written. So there really is no need for the marriage ban either. Modern day gifted ones wouldn’t conspire to rule our world. Why would they want to? There’s too much danger in the other world these days and we need each other to stay safe. And the secrecy thing? I’m all for that, but there are psychic people who know about us and they’re our allies. I’m alive because of them. You can’t punish them for helping us. As long as they keep our secret, we should let them work with us. It would make this world a much better place, don’t you agree?”

  “Well, it sounds like you’ve had a lot on your mind lately,” Peter answered. “What happened over there?”

  Chace told the entire story beginning from the day of my accident. None of the people on the Commission said a word until he was finished. They nodded their heads, turned their eyes to me at times, let out a few grimaces, but never said a word.

  When he was through, the Commission members came down from their seats in the balcony. Some flew, some jumped and some just took the stairs. When they reached us, they doused us both with warm hugs and friendly smiles.

  “It sounds like you’ve had one hell of an initiation, Lexi. Go home and get some rest. I’ll call a meeting of all involved tomorrow. Please advise the psychics who assisted you and invite them to join us. I would like to learn more about them since they already seem to know about us. We’ll talk about the rule updates in the morning, Chace.

  “And you, Miss Blane. You have made us all very proud! You perfected your gifts quickly and were able to use them without fail. Your mentor has done you well,” Peter gushed. He had that Santa Claus twinkle in his eye, letting me know he knew my mentor was more than my mentor.

  I smiled at Peter. He was always very accepting of me, even now when I brought such trouble to his doorstep.

  “Agreed, but it will have to wait one more day. It’s Lexi’s birthday.” Chace took my hand. I guessed he was through hiding his feelings for me. He knew the Commission would do just about anything to keep him happy as long as he didn’t abuse it. Those laws were changed already, the minute he spoke the words.

  “It is! How silly of me! I wish you a very happy birthday, Lexi Blane,” Peter acknowledged. The rest of the Commission tribe wished me a happy birthday before Chace and I left the big room and headed straight out to the city lights.

  We were exhausted, physically and mentally. It didn’t change my overwhelming compulsion to get to Evangeline.

  ˜ * ˜

  Our arrival in Hoboken wasn’t soon enough for me. By the time we got there, I was trembling with the insatiable urge.

  “Calm down, honey. We’ll get you there,” Chace said reassuringly. We bolted up the stairs and he flipped on the lights. He led me over to the room that would soon be Essex, England. In an effort to save time, Chace did all of the eye scanning and dat
a entry on the three-dimensional globe. I waited impatiently while he found Evangeline’s exact location. The room changed from what appeared to be the Amazon to a park-like backyard in England. Chace picked up my trembling hand and we walked inside.

  Chapter 28

  Is This the End or Just the Beginning?

  The sun was shining brightly on the pond that stood between us and the house. I looked at Chace, who nudged me to continue on alone. The urge took me straight to the path that led to the little girl’s bedroom. I climbed the ivy-covered trestle outside her open window and quietly let myself in.

  A beautiful piano melody was coming from another room. After a few notes, I realized the tune was the one I’d never learned, but played for Aunt Fay. I froze. It didn’t feel right anymore and I wanted to run back to Chace. The urge kept coming at me with such a brutal force that I couldn’t leave. I walked around the pretty pink room and noticed the pictures she had of her family. William was in most of them and I wasn’t sure how I felt at the sight of his face. I didn’t know what I would say to her. I didn’t even know why I was there.

  I took a seat at her vanity and waited for her. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before the music stopped and the footsteps came up the stairs. Even though I felt like lunging for her, I stayed in my seat, hoping not to startle her when she walked in and found a stranger in her room. I started to fear that this uncontrollable urge was some sort of heinous, subconscious payback for William’s part in ruining my family. I would never forgive myself for intentionally hurting her. I had to leave before I found out. I managed one foot out the window when the little voice called, “Lexi?”