Birthrights

by Butler, Christine M.

  Jaxon gave him her best "uh huh" look with eye brows raised. He definitely meant cash register.

  "Email me the information so I can be sure to let Seth know," he said as he quickly walked out the door.

  Jaxon shook her head as she walked back around her desk. 'Crap,' she thought, now she was going to have to push up the opening sooner than she wanted. This meant she still had to get a picture of Caislyn. Art collectors are quite peculiar about the work they collect. Many collect for the piece, but some collect because of the artist. Maybe she could get a really good picture of her, and some brief information. Give them just enough to make her more mysterious. That would intrigue some of the collector's but the picture may bring some leads to Caislyn as well' she thought as she picked up her phone to call her friend. "Now if I can just convince Caislyn..."

  There was no answer on the phone, so Jaxon decided to make the short trip to Hidden Dimensions. As she walked in the store, she noticed a tall, blond woman looking in the window from the street.

  "Hi! It’s open. I know the owner, and I'm positive she will have whatever you are looking for," Jaxon greeted the woman, assuming she was just an interested customer. The woman looked frazzled at Jaxon's arrival. She quickly put her sunglasses back on and took a few steps to distance herself, waving her hands as if in a dismissal of Jaxon's comment. "No, no. I was just, um window shopping," she replied and turned quickly away.

  Jax stood a moment longer outside the door watching the woman scurry away. 'Huh', she thought, 'Some people are so odd.' She walked into the bookstore and heard the wards jingle her specific chime. Every time they sounded off she was reminded that she wasn't who she had thought she was. Her life was changing everyday, so quickly. She'd always felt a bit different but had thought it was a side affect of being adopted. Now, she understood. The feeling came because she was different. It was a terrifying thought, yet exhilarating all at once. Shaking off her internal dilemma, she proceeded to the back of the store where she knew Caislyn would be. "Hey you," she said as she came around the corner of some shelves. Caislyn looked up to her from her spot on the floor, surrounded by several books.

  "Oh hey. What's up?" she replied and then went back to her research.

  "What are you doing?" Jaxon asked her friend, knowing that she would have to breech the subject of the photos and the gallery appearance subtlety.

  “I'm trying to see if I can find out more about your birthmark and what my parents were looking at in this book before they disappeared. Call me crazy, but something tells me there's a connection."

  "Huh?" Jaxon responded as she plopped down on the floor beside Caislyn, "What do you mean? Between my birthmark and your parents?"

  "Yeah, see, I was going through the copies of my sketches and there was one that I did when my parents were taken. It showed a book on the pedestal clearly when everything else was blurred and in shadows. But I can't find that book. So I'm looking at all the other books that are cross referenced with that one trying to find out what they may have been looking for."

  "Okay. And that has to do with me how?" Jax questioned.

  "Because they all make reference to your birthmark, or rather the lineage of witches associated with that mark, and that Seer's Prophecy thingy. But I can't find that prophecy anywhere. I think my parents found something and they were taken because of it."

  Jaxon shook her head, "I am so confused." She held up her hand as Caislyn started to explain again. "You know what, don't worry about it. I think I just have to process it all, but I have to get back to work soon, so I kinda need a slight favor from you."

  "Oh?" Caislyn said still looking through the book in her lap.

  "Yeah, see Ronald really wants to do the show as soon as possible and I need a promo photo of you."

  Caislyn looked up at her friend, "A photo? Of me? Is that a good idea?"

  "Well of course it is. One, it helps with the sale of your sketches. Two, it could lead a suspect right to you. I mean the more temptation we give someone the better they may take the bait, right? With you there, you might be able to spot someone quicker than I could and it will give you a chance to see if anyone is a little too interested in your sketches." Jaxon smiled, hoping her arguments were convincing enough.

  "Oh whoa, wait. I'm not going to the show. There is no way. A picture, maybe, but I'm not going to be there! The point was to put the sketches out there and see if they generated a lead. If I'm there, I may chase them away, or even become a target myself. No. Absolutely not."

  Jaxon's smile waned. "Really? There's no way I can convince you, is there?"

  Caislyn stood and placed the books she had been looking through back on the file cart and started towards the counter. "Nope."

  Sighing heavily, Jaxon followed her. "Fine. I'll have to come up with something to tell Ronald. I'm sure he will not be happy, so it will have to be good."

  Caislyn paused and looked at her friend. "Tell him it will add some allure, some mystery. Aren’t most of the artists always trying to push their work? This time, the artist is in the shadows. It will make people curious."

  Jaxon tilted her head as she thought about Caislyn's suggestion. "Hmm, that is a good point. But I'm not sure Ronald will see it that way." She started towards the door, "Well, I'm going to go back and see what I can do with him. Maybe that customer will come back now that I'm not here to scare her away."

  Caislyn walked with Jax to the door. "What customer?"

  "Some blond lady was looking in the window when I came up. I told her you were open, but she got all jittery and ran off. I know I'm pale and all, but geez you'd think that people would get the whole me being in the sunlight makes me not a vampire." Jaxon huffed and rolled her eyes, "Okay, I'm off. I'll see you later."

  Caislyn giggled at her friend as she breezed out the door and down the street.

  ***

  Black Tie Insights

  There were so many people in the gallery, Jaxon almost felt claustrophobic. She weaved in and out through the crowd talking to patrons and answering questions about the spectacular sketches adorning the walls of the gallery. She was trying really hard to keep herself aware of who was asking questions and about what. After all, the whole point of this was to see if it conjured any leads to help Caislyn find her parents. She was sure Caislyn would be waiting anxiously to know if she found anything.

  ‘It’s all so spy-like' she thought as she noticed Seth walking along the wall taking a huge interest in the sketches. She grabbed a glass of Chardonnay off of the server's tray as she walked by and paused a moment to watch Seth's reaction to the drawings.

  “Quite a tasteful display, don't you think?" Stacey asked her co-worker as she walked up.

  "Scrumptious," Jax replied nonchalantly, still staring at Seth.

  "So glad you finally agree with me. He definitely is, but I was talking about the artwork. You might want to mop up the drool before you mess up the artwork!" Stacey giggled. “Seriously, you did great tonight!”

  Jaxon straighten and looked at her friend, a slight hue growing on her pale cheeks. "Thanks, Stace! I really wasn't drooling over Seth though."

  "Uh-huh, sure. Why don't you go talk to him? It seems he may have a question about that sketch he's so into," Stacey replied as she sauntered away.

  Jax turned to look at Seth. He was standing before one of the sketches that Caislyn had done over 10 years ago. It was of a young man wearing armor and wielding a sword. There was so much detail in the face and body of the subject in the sketch that it was hard not to reach out and touch him to see if he was real. It was also one of the only sketches Caislyn said she had drawn but never actually saw the scene take place. She guessed it was because it was a past event and not a future one. Caislyn had explained to her that it was a rarity to draw the past, but it sometimes happened. At the present though, Jax was more interested in the shocked look on Seth's face than why Caislyn had actually drawn the sketch.

  She walked up to Seth and looked at the artwork and then
at him. Jaxon wasn't sure if he noticed her arrival or not as he seemed so intrigued, but she was curious as to why.

  "Wonderful detail, don't you think?"

  "Yes, I was just thinking that. Do you know who this is? The young man in this sketch?" Seth asked, still studying the piece.

  "No, I don't, and the artist doesn't either."

  "Really, well that seems a bit strange don't you think, to have such a detailed picture of someone you've never met?" Seth questioned turning his full attention to Jaxon. "Where did you say you met this new talent?"

  Jaxon tensed, her entire being going on alert. She couldn't decide if it was Seth's line of questioning or how focused on her he was at that very moment, but she could feel his determination. She took a deep breath and decided a general answer was best.

  "I don't find it strange at all. Many artists draw from their imagination and their interpretation of the visions they have created in their mind's eye. I'm quite sure I never said where I met her."

  "She's quite talented, this Ms. Vadoma. Is she here? I'd like to speak with her," he stated as he started looking about the gallery.

  "No, she isn't. But you know that already. Ronald told you that Ms. Vadoma isn't the type to stand in the limelight. She was quite pleased at the opportunity to sell her work, but doesn't like all the fame that comes along with it. She opted out of appearing at the show tonight. Ronald and I felt it would add some mystery to her work and be good for sales," Jaxon fibbed. Caislyn was adamant about not coming. Jaxon had told Ronald that Caislyn had come down with something and wouldn't be available.

  Seth smiled at Jaxon. "I must have forgotten. Her work is splendid. I haven't seen anything like this in many years. I'm just curious as to what motivates her sketches and where she gets the ideas, or visions, as you put it. Usually there is a theme with artists and their work. These seem so random. You know, Jaxon, I'm quite pleased that you were able to produce such results in such a short time. You do live up to your reputation."

  Jaxon stumbled slightly over his quick change of topic. "Um, thanks." she said not to eloquently. She took a sip of her Chardonnay to give her a moment to think. Seth confused her. He was arrogant without a doubt, but there was so much more going on in that mind of his. His looks went right along with his arrogance. His hair was clean cut, with the front just slightly longer so that it would occasionally fall across his brow, giving one a sense of vulnerability. Jax bet that there was nothing vulnerable about this man. He was slim built but you could tell even underneath his tailored black suit, that he was well defined. He moved with grace, an air of power. There was something else, something dangerous lurking beneath the surface. To Jaxon, he felt like a predator stalking its prey. Waiting for the opportune moment to strike. That thought gave Jaxon a slight chill down her spine, but she continued her quick assessment of him.

  He didn't tower over her like most others do. Jax was only 5'4" and though she was wearing 4 inch heels, it only put her a few inches shorter than him. She could almost look straight into his eyes, but she wouldn't dare. His eyes would ensnare you. They were hauntingly mesmerizing, and a bright shade of green that she had never seen before. Sometimes Jax wondered if they would glow in the dark, and at the moment he was using those eyes to watch her mouth as she sipped her wine. Without thinking, she nervously wet her lips and glanced at those gorgeous eyes. They seemed to darken with the slight movement of her tongue and her heart skipped a beat.

  'Oh yeah, that's great,' Jax she thought to herself, 'seduce the corporate boss. I have such a great sense of business ethics!' She turned from his penetrating stare and walked to another of her friend’s sketches that was hung upon the wall of the art gallery.

  "So, are any of the other sketches here as alluring to you as that one?" she asked trying to get him back onto the topic of Caislyn's art. She was hoping his interest could lead to more information. Seth had connections all over. It was possible he might know something about Caislyn's parents

  "There are many alluring features that I see at this very moment" Seth remarked, his eyes not leaving Jaxon.

  Jaxon felt herself blush slightly. This was not going in the direction she had hoped. 'Great, the one possible lead I get tonight, and I'm throwing it to the wolves! What is wrong with me?' She straightened herself up, smiled coyly at Seth and walked away to go see what the patrons of the show thought of the art. She tried to make her exit as much of an art form, until she stumbled right into the solid body of a very well muscled man. Her cheeks flared with heat and color as she looked up at the man she had just run into. “Oh, I am so sorry, I didn’t even see you there.”

  The man before her began to chuckle. “It’s because I am so easily missed.” He grinned as he gestured to his very large stature. “So, how did you manage to do this?” He turned the attention from himself to the artwork around him. “I mean, I knew Cais sketched sometimes, but she never showed me any of it. This is incredible. I had no idea.”

  Jaxon was slightly confused by the man’s obvious attention to Caislyn’s work. “You know Caislyn?”

  He smiled at her, then eyed her suspiciously. “You don’t remember me from the new moon rave?” Recognition swept across Jaxon's face as he introduced himself. “Gregore,” he said simply. “I was the one who let you guys in the rave. I’ve known Cais since grade school.” He turned and smiled at a particular moment she had sketched of a young boy being picked on by a girl and there was another girl in the picture who appeared to be vehemently defending the boy. “She caught that moment perfectly. I have never forgotten it, but to see it like this, hanging on the wall. It’s amazing. I wonder why she never told me she had drawn it?”

  “Does this particular sketch have meaning to you, then?” Jaxon questioned.

  Gregore smiled. “Yea, that boy is me and that feisty girl there yelling, that’s Caislyn.” His smile grew bigger as he talked. "She had just rescued me from Jenny, the girl who I turned down for the school dance. She didn’t take it well and tried to beat me up on the playground.” Gregore did laugh now, “I was a much smaller boy, as you can see, so she was doing a good job of it. Then this little girl walked over and I swear she commanded this amazing power to put a person in their place. I had never met Caislyn before, she was a couple years behind me in school. After that day, we became the best of friends though.” Gregore was lost in his revere and didn’t really notice that Jax had put a ‘sold’ sign on the piece until she had walked away. He hung his head and Jaxon picked up on his mood. He was disappointed that someone else had purchased a piece of his history with Caislyn. Before Jaxon could say anything, he was walking away.

  As Jaxon made another round through the gallery she felt the hairs on her neck prickle up. There was something about Seth that always warned her when he was near. She turned to see him standing so serenely behind her, just admiring the view. The view happened to be her. "Jaxon, you know its getting late. The show is over in a little while and I'm sure Ronald wouldn't want you walking home alone. Why don't you let me give you a ride? We can discuss these sketches and just what it is I find so alluring."

  The only reaction Jax could muster at that moment was a dumb-founded blink. Mentally shaking herself to find some coherency in her brain, she said the first thing that came to mind, "Ronald doesn't think my walking home is alluring, I mean, um, a problem." She physically shook her head that time and tried again as Seth stifled a chuckle. "What I mean, is that's a really nice offer but I need to make sure everything is handled properly at the close of this show. It is my project after all, so I sort of feel like it’s my responsibility to make sure that everything is correct."

  "I understand," Seth replied with a charming smile. "I applaud your sense of work ethic, Ms. DeLaney. I'm sure Ronald does as well. Maybe soon we will all be able to meet this new talent you have conjured up. Hopefully she will continue producing such fine work. I'd love to talk with her about that more someday soon."

  "Uh, yes, thank you. I'm sure she'd love to talk with you too
." Jax said as she watched him watching her.

  Seth couldn’t help feeling the energy that played between he and Jaxon, despite how hard he tried to deny it. He thought his seductive game would get him closer to her, but now he was worried what it would do to him in the end. He put those thoughts aside so that he could speak clearly. “I could wait around, until you are ready to leave. I really don’t like the thought of you walking home alone in this city at this late an hour.“

  Jaxon smiled, “I must politely decline. I may work for you in some capacity, but I don’t know you, certainly not well enough to climb into a car all alone with you. Besides, I can take care of myself, thanks.” It took every bit of self control she had in that moment not to throw herself at his mercy and let him have his way with her, or was it her way with him? Her feelings around him were growing very confusion. One moment she would feel guarded and that he was dangerous, in other moments he was like walking sex waiting to take her no matter who was there to witness it. The energy that seemed to pulse from him through her nearly made her rethink her answer. Then she stepped back, “thank you,” she said politely and walked away from him. The distance helped tremendously. She positioned herself near the exit door so she could thank the many patrons who had come out at this late hour to see the new exhibit. They had also been very generous in their spending. Caislyn was going to be one happy auto-sketcher, and Jaxon was in line for a big bonus with the sales they had made.

  When the last person was gone, Jax locked up the store and went to work organizing all the sales receipts, bids, and shipping information while it was still fresh in her mind so that she could go through it in the morning without the headaches. Then she went back to the display wall where the young Caislyn stood chiding a female bully and earning a lifelong friend. She pulled the sketch from the wall, packed it carefully, and set it out on her desk to be shipped in the morning via the gallery’s courier. After seeing Gregore’s face and hearing him talk about Caislyn, she had to send it to him. He was obviously in love with her, even if Caislyn had never realized it. Knowing she was doing a good thing, Jax closed up shop for the night, locked up the gallery and headed out into the night for her apartment that was a few blocks away. She had walked this path many times before over the past six months, never going the same way, always varying her trip so that anyone following her couldn’t establish a pattern. These were things she had learned during her recovery after she moved from Raleigh. She held her purse tightly in her hand as well, hoping she wouldn’t have to use the blades she had hidden inside, but comforted by the fact that they were there.