The Pearls

by Michelle Farrell

  “Justine has kind of been my little protector after we got sent to an all girls home. The girls there hated us, but mostly me. I never stood up to any of them, I was small and skinny, and they were bigger and meaner. One day the worst of the girls had bandages all over and bruises. Then Justine comes with a cast on her arm and said they fell. But that girl and any other never messed with me again. We stayed there until Justine had to leave. I had to stay because I was still a minor. But Justine got a job and an apartment by the home and I stayed there whenever I could. One day I just stayed and didn’t go back to the home. Justine made me stay in school though and as soon as I graduated we moved to away from the city. We both wanted out of the big city and to blend in. We got jobs and about eight months ago I enrolled in that music school. The rest well you all know it.”

  “You were never hurt? No one ever touched you?” Kaiden and Justine asked at the same time. Justine was so relieved that Zoe was never harmed.

  “No I ran. I never let anyone get close to me except for Justine.” Zoe was nervous and didn’t know why. Kaiden grabbed her hand and she immediately felt his relief and joy.

  “Ok well I guess I will go now.” Justine said. There was shakiness in her voice and her hands were all sweaty. She glanced back at Blake but he was lying back down with the head phones still on tight. She could hear the music playing in his ears so she knew she could talk freely. Gabe wrapped his arms around her a little tighter and nodded for her to continue.

  “Well My first family I don’t remember much but the fighting. The mom and dad were always shouting and throwing things at each other. Next thing I knew I was given to a new family. This one again, was full of fighting and violence. There was a lady who came to check on me once in a while and one day she came in the middle of one of their fights. I quickly found myself at a new home. This one I stayed with for two years. It was just a lady and me. It was nice she worked and I went to school. She had me in a daycare and there were lots of other kids to play with. I always stuck to myself though I didn’t like other kids. Well right after I turned seven this lady brought a man home.”

  “They got married sometime later and he didn’t want me around anymore. So they took me to a new home. There were lots of kids at this new home and I hated them all. They were loud and rude and way too hyper. I didn’t talk much, well I didn’t talk at all. There were two bedrooms for the girls and I got placed in the one by the bathroom. After a week of being there he started to come to my room. He knew I didn’t talk and knew I already had a couple different families. He knew I didn’t like the other kids so I wasn’t going to tell on him. He didn’t come every night but it was enough. He liked me to touch him more than he touched me.” Justine wiped a tear away and Gabe’s hold tightened and little more on her.

  “One day, a couple years later this small little girl with long white hair came to the house. She didn’t talk either and I thought she was a little angel sent to me. I was drawn to her, this invisible string just pulled me right to her side. She was a jumpy little thing and the other kids tried to mess with her. I thought she was sent to me, she was my angel, so I gave all the kids dirty looks, and they left us alone. The lady there put my angel in the other room. I stood over one of the girls in that room all night one night until she got up and left. Then I moved to that bed. One night I heard him coming for me and I was shocked that she heard it too. She stared at me and I hissed at her not to look. I didn’t want my angel to see what that man liked to do. I thought someone had hurt my angel too from the way she acted. But when he placed his hand on the door knob my angel was up out of bed and almost out the window before I blinked. The next thing I knew I was at the window with her and we jumped. ”

  Zoe was now starring at her eyes wide with understanding and shock.

  “When we were at the home for girls this Lacey girl had it out for my angel. One day she grabbed my angel’s hair and dragged her to the ground. Then this girl dumped her food all over my angel. I saw red and the next time I saw Lacey my fist were flying all over her face and body. My legs kicked and an anger I didn’t know I had was released on her. This girl hurt my angel and so I hit her till I heard my bones break. I walked away then and went to the nurse. Lacey came in right after and said she fell. I was so ashamed that I lost my temper I told my angel I fell too.”

  Justine had tears running down her face and was shaking. Gabe was trying all he could to calm her and make her feel safe.

  “We stayed in that home until they made me leave. I stayed close to the home because I didn’t want anyone messing with her. One day she showed up and I felt relieved that my angel didn’t leave me she didn’t forget about me. After a while she stayed and she became my sister. I tried to get rid of the dirt, but it was always there. I tried to drink it away and my angel was always there picking me up off the ground. Then one day there is a man at the diner. I felt him walk in and I thought it was my angel. The feeling was the same. When I walked out she wasn’t there. There was a man who had eyes just like hers and I knew he was there to take my angel away from me. I hated him. When she showed up and locked eyes with him I knew she was leaving me. The next morning I wake up to her beautiful song that pulled at every emotion inside of me. I stood there in shock listening. The song called to me to stand up strong and wipe the past away, to forget and forgive. Then there is a knock at the door and it is the evil man to take my angel away. He came inside and asked her to play her song again. She did, but the song changed. This time the emotions were different there was no heart break and fear in it. The song was full of hope and promise and the next thing I know the evil man and I are humming it. That scared the shit out of me. Next thing I know he is fulfilling all that hope and promise and I get to keep my angel, my sister.”

  Zoe unbuckles herself and launches herself between Gabe and Justine. She grabs Justine and weeps openly letting the tears fall.

  “Oh Justine I never knew I am so sorry. I will never leave you, even if you weren’t a Dragon too, I would have taken you with me. I love you so much, you are my sister, and I will always be your angel, if you want me to be. I am so sorry” Zoe sobbed and held Justine tight.

  Justine started to laugh and held Zoe just as tight. She pulled away from her a second later and said “Zoe thank you. I always want you as my sister and my angel, you saved my life and I owe mine to you. I love you too, now get off my man!” Justine laughed and nudged Zoe.

  “Oh” Zoe climbed off and Gabe pulled her back down to his chest. He crushed her in a hug and whispered “Thank you for saving her and keeping her safe for me.”

  Zoe blushed and returned the hug she whispered back “Thank you for bringing her out of her shell. The thought of you brought it out a little, but having you hear brought her out all the way.”

  Zoe climbed to her seat and buckled back in. She leaned over and kissed Kaiden on the cheek and told him she loved him.

  “I love you too my angel.” Kaiden looked thoughtful for a moment and said “She is quite an angel isn’t she? You don’t mind if I steal that do you Justine?” Kaiden asked

  “Nope I don’t because now she is your angel. And I have my love.”

  “Well I guess now it is my turn.” Gabe took a deep breath and kissed Justine’s forehead she was still crying a little, but starting to relax. “Well I got to stay with my parents until I was about five. I remember flying with them just like Kaiden said, but my parents were smaller Dragons. I remember being cradled by a black Dragon and her arms were a lot like human arms. I don’t remember my parents well though. Just little things here and there. Mary was my mother’s friend and my mom knew she was a good woman. When the time came for them to leave me, they left me with her, and told her everything. They put a lot of money in her bank account and gave her all the journals. I have never gone a day without thinking of them and knowing what I was. My mother gave Mary strict instructions to keep me out of big cities and move me somewhere remote. Well Wyoming is very remote and the nearest town is about three hou
rs away. I was home schooled and not a lot happened. I have always been kind of recluse and stuff, I really only had Mary to talk to. As I got older I stared to read the journals. I knew all about the red eyes and stuff before the journals. But hearing about Aldrich really set me on edge. I knew he had a lot of children and that they were sent out to kill all the other Dragons. When I was thirteen I asked Mary if I could learn to fight. She immediately said yes and hired some trainers to come out. She greeted each and every one with a shotgun to the face. She had to look at their eyes before she let the near me.”

  “When I was sixteen she hired Mateo. He is the one who gave me the Sai. He was my best teacher and he is a local guy. He came out three times a week until I left at eighteen. I really miss that guy. I think I will call him when I get home just to let him know I am still alive. I haven’t had any contact with him or Mary since the day I left. Mary knew what I had to do and she knows that I will only come home if I have my Justine. She is going to love you baby.”

  “Well when I left I drove straight to the tip of North America. I have been driving through every state and even Canada waiting until I felt your pull. I was saving the west coast for last. I had a formula. I was going to go east to west, up and down each state and so on. As soon as I hit Northern California I felt you. And I have been watching and waiting till I could come to you.” Gabe had his hands on the sides of Justine’s face and pulled her down for a very intense intimate kiss.

  They were all so wrapped up in their stories that they didn’t pay attention when Blake slipped one of the headphones half way off and pretend to sleep. He was listening to all their pasts and secrets.

  Chapter 25

  Once all the sharing was done Kaiden started to hear a lot of rumbling stomachs. He didn’t ask, but the city Gabe had told him to stop in, was coming up soon so he decided to just stop there.

  Kaiden stopped at a little diner and pulled around back. They got out and let Blake out too. Blake looked at all of them in confusion and asked “You guys ok you girls look like you have been crying?”

  “We are fine Blake but thank you for asking.” Zoe answered

  When they entered the restaurant they all made a bee line straight for the bathrooms. The good thing about Wyoming, Zoe found out was that it was used to travelers and almost everywhere had a nice bathroom. They washed their faced and brushed their hair out. Both of their eyes were rimmed in red from crying but they didn’t care.

  “Justine you know I really do love and cherish you. I thought, but I never knew for sure, and now that I do know you were hurt, I am so sorry. I am also so glad you jumped out that window with me.” Zoe had tears in her eyes again. She was trying her hardest to hold them in and not let them fall.

  “Oh Zoe, I love you and cherish you too. That window was the best decision I ever made.” Justine grabbed Zoe and pulled her into a hug. “Let’s go eat I am starving.”

  They left the bathroom and found the boys in a booth towards the back. Blake was in the middle sandwiched between Kaiden and Gabe and they slid over a little more to let the girls in.

  “I hope you don’t mind but I ordered you what we had at our first breakfast.” Kaiden whispered to Zoe.

  “I don’t mind at all thank you.” And she leaned over to kiss his cheek but he turned his head just in time and caught the kiss on his lips.

  “You order for me too, my love?” Justine asked.

  “Yes I did and Kaiden helped he has a great memory.” Gabe blushed.

  The food came out soon after and they all ate in silence. Gabe was excited to finally be home. Wyoming was a welcome sight for him and he didn’t realize how much he missed it until he got to sit down and look outside. Gabe was also thinking about all that he had learned about the others on their little sharing conversation. Justine had been hurt in a way he wasn’t sure how to deal with. All he could think of was to give her unconditional love and take it slow.

  After they ate and were settled back in the car, Blake once again tied up in the third row, Gabe got into the driver seat and drove towards the store instead of back on the highway.

  “I need stop at the store to get something that I forgot before.” Gabe told them.

  “No problem babe. I would like to get Mary some flowers anyway.” Justine replied

  The store was not far from the restaurant and Gabe parked in a spot close to the front.

  “Be right back.” Justine said

  Kaiden and Zoe stayed in the car with Blake. Justine came bouncing to the car with a huge bouquet. It was all wildflowers and roses and lilies. Justine had a smile plastered to her face once she got in and buckled back up. Gabe was right behind her and handed a bag to Kaiden.

  “Would you please put those on our guest? I really don’t want him to see where we are going. Never know if we might need to come back here and this might be a good place to come back to. Since we can’t leave to Ireland until we find them all, my home would make a good staging area. It is not huge like your house, but there are four bedrooms.” Gabe told Kaiden

  “Good point.” Kaiden said

  Kaiden grabbed the bag and took out what was inside. It was an eye cover people used to sleep with. Kaiden turned and faced Blake. Blake noticed and hovered his hands over the headphones, silently asking if Kaiden wanted him to remove them. Kaiden nodded and Blake took them out.

  “I need to put this on you and you probably need to lie down. We do not want you to see where we are going.” Kaiden told him

  Blake just nodded his agreement and slid the eye cover on, then slid the headphones on. He laid back down and closed his eyes before the car even began to drive away.

  Kaiden and Zoe were back in the middle seat and were snuggled close. Their bellies were full and they were feeling pretty sleepy. Kaiden was back in the position of being stretched out over half the seat with his legs in the aisle. Zoe snuggled in close to him and soon they were fast asleep.

  Gabe drove north through Wyoming from Rock Springs. He made the drive pretty fast and simple. He knew the route and was eager to get there soon. It was about two in the afternoon when they pulled up to his home.

  The house looked like a log cabin to Justine. There were lots of windows and flowers around the house. The house did not look that big from the outside. She could feel the love of the home and it melted her heart. She knew right then that Gabe was very much loved and protected. The hills surrounding the house were gorgeous and abundant. She could see some Gazelle not far off grazing in the tall grass. She turned and woke Zoe and Kaiden and they all started to get out of the SUV.

  Once they were all out and walking toward the house a short woman with Dark brown hair came out of the house pointing a shot gun at them.

  “Stop right there!” She yelled

  Gabe moved to her side so quickly they didn’t even notice. “Guten Tag Mary.” He said as he scooped her up in a bear hug.

  “Oh Gabe you’re home. How I have missed you so. You found Justine then huh? Let me guess which one she is?” Mary looked between the three of them and her eyes settled on the grey eyes of Justine.

  Justine walked forward then “Hello Mary. It is really good to meet you.” Justine said as she handed Mary the bouquet she had gotten her.

  “Oh my Justine you are one beautiful girl. Let me look at you. Oh Gabe she is perfect. And look at those eyes.” Mary glanced behind Justine and remembered the other two people. “Gabe, who else have you found?”

  “Mary this is Kaiden and this is Zoe.” Gabe ushered them forward and she stared them in the eye.

  “The Pearls!” she whispered. Fear radiating off her. “You brought them here? Gabe are you being forced to bring them here? Are you here to kill the human who knows too much?”

  “Mary no, please they are not like that, Kaiden is going to be a great King. He is not going to be like mama and papa’s King. This man I consider a friend and hopefully soon my brother.” Gabe looked between Mary and Kaiden.

  Kaiden smiled at Gabe’s words and held h
is hand out toward Mary. “Ma’am I have heard that his parent’s King was a bad man and I am here to assure you that I am not. Zoe here was Justine’s roommate and they have kept each other safe over the years and I am just here to keep you all safe. You have kept your promise and kept a Dragon safe and I am here to offer you solace too.” Kaiden said

  “What does he mean Gabriel?” Mary asked still unsure

  “Mary, can we go inside? Oh, we also have a hostage that I need to take to the safe room and tie up.” Gabe said

  Mary paled and whispered “What hostage?”

  “A half-blood, Aldrich’s son is tied up in the back seat.”

  Mary gasped and ushered them inside while Gabe went to the SUV to get Blake.

  Inside the home was all stone and wood. The furnishings were a perfect mix of light and dark and felt like a home. The house smelled amazing, like strawberries and peaches. In the living room the windows overlooked the backyard and the view was picturesque. There was a pond not far from the home, a green house in the back yard and lots of planter boxes filled with greens. There was a big open area too and a workshop not far from the open area.

  Mary offered them coffee and tea and they all sat at the table waiting for Gabe. They were all unsure of what to say to each other so they sat in silence. Mary darted off to the back room with a look of surprise. She came back quickly and handed Justine a book.

  Justine opened the book and looked inside. It was a book filled with pictures. Justine looked up to Mary, she was smiling down at her trying to encourage her to continue but Justine was confused. Justine looked back down and then closer at the pictures. The breath caught in her throat as she realized who the pictures were of. The man in the photo had jet black hair like hers, the woman had grey eyes like hers, the nose on the man was like hers and the mouth on the woman was like her own. She looked back to Mary and she was just still smiling down at Justine.