The Ascension (Entangled Series Book 3)

by Jill Sanders

  Chapter 10

  Last week…

  Jessica held onto Jacob as tight as she could without waking him up. She loved listening to the sound of his breathing as he slept. She loved that they had settled, once more, into a schedule together. Life almost seemed normal, but in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn’t.

  She’d told him. She’d never imagined she’d tell anyone. But it had seemed like the right thing to do. She’d told herself not to question it anymore. Especially when he tried to convince her that maybe what she’d seen was just her passing out, not her dying.

  They had met with the group several times since that night, but so far, no more major events had taken place.

  Actually, she’d tried to avoid going over there, but then they had learned that Ethan had some sort of magical healing powers. He’d healed Mike’s leg and his own arm. She’d seen the scar herself and had been impressed at the ability.

  “As far as superpowers go, that’s the coolest one,” she’d pointed out.

  She didn’t know why she was still hiding what she could do. Maybe because it had become a habit?

  When Jacob shifted in his sleep, she realized he was awake.

  “What’s wrong?” he said in a groggy voice.

  Taking a deep breath, she sat up. “I want to show you something.” She leaned over and flipped on the light.

  “Jesus.” He covered his eyes with his hands. “Can’t you show me in the dark?” he joked.

  “This is serious.” She got up and pulled on the shorts and tank top he’d stripped from her less than an hour ago.

  He continued to rub his eyes as he sat up. “Okay.” When he was done rubbing his eyes, he added, “Shoot.”

  She stood at the base of the bed, then took a deep breath and allowed her power to build.

  She held her breath and hand as she willed her cell phone, which was sitting on the nightstand, to come to her.

  The way Jacob’s jaw dropped proved to her that he’d been paying attention.

  He was silent for a while, blinking a few times as she turned the cell phone over in her hands. Then, to her shock, he reached over and took his cell phone up from his nightstand and held it out, the way one would hold a carrot out for a horse to eat.

  Without wasting a moment, she snapped the phone quickly into her hands from across the room.

  “Okay, you have to admit, that’s way cooler than healing powers.” He got up onto his knees and crawled to the end of the bed. “What else can you do?”

  She was silent for a while, then—she couldn’t help it—laughter exploded from her. She laughed so hard that her stomach actually hurt.

  “I… yes, it’s way cooler than healing powers,” she said between laughter. “You aren’t freaking out.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  “Why would I?” he asked, moving to the end of the bed on his knees.

  “Because”—she paused to take a deep breath—“I can move things with my mind.” A breath burst from her lungs. She’d never said it out loud. Never. It felt great.

  “So I saw.” His hands moved to her hips, pulling her closer. “What else can you do?” He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her one of those sexy smiles. The kind that melted her entire body.

  “Do you really want to know?” she asked softly. When he nodded his head slightly, she pounced.

  Seconds later, he was flat on his back, his arms and hands locked above his head as her mouth went to work on his. Her knees pinned him down, but it was more than that, her mind kept him from moving.

  She heard him moan with pleasure as she took her time enjoying every inch of his body. By the time she was on the edge of telling him how she felt, he’d already broken through the holding spell she’d had on him.

  His hands had once more claimed her, pleased her beyond reason. How had she fought the attraction for so long? How could she still be denying how she felt about him?

  Why couldn’t she tell him everything?

  She fell asleep holding onto him in the dark. When she woke, she was alone in the bed. She turned over and smiled at the note on the pillow.

  She knew he had to work—she had an early shift as well—but getting ready alone, in his house, was different. She’d moved a few things over there, but she still had to swing by her place to get a change of clothes.

  By the time she walked into work, she was in a foul mood. It had been days since she’d done laundry, which meant that everything she had was either dirty or wrinkled. She’d been late to work since she had to iron something to wear.

  The bad day turned worse when Joe walked in. The man was trouble in town, although he had been a decent guy when he’d helped her take Xtina home last week.

  Today, however, he had obviously been drinking before coming in for some coffee. She watched him splash something into his coffee from a flask he always kept in his jacket pocket. Then he sat down and started harassing the other customers. A few minutes later, she had to ask him to leave, which had earned her more foul words than she could count. It took her almost ten minutes to convince Joe that leaving quietly was the best option, even after she threatened to call Jacob. At the mere mention of the police, Joe had straightened up and apologized.

  She was exhausted by the time she got a text from Ethan, asking to meet everyone back at Xtina’s place. When she asked what was up, he replied that they had something big and it could only be dealt with in person. They wanted everyone at her place in an hour.

  Jess clocked out of work, jumped in the truck, and relaxed when the old beast started up quickly. As she drove to Xtina’s place, she wondered what was up now.

  When she parked behind Jacob’s car, she wasn’t surprised to see him waiting for her on the front porch.

  “Hey.” He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back and glanced around quickly. His smile disappeared. “What does it matter if they find out about us?”

  “It doesn’t, it’s just…” She sighed when she heard everyone talking inside. Pulling back, she shook her head. “Just not yet.”

  He stiffened and took a step back. “Fine,” he said under his breath. “You’re in charge.” He walked over and knocked on the door, and when it opened, waited for her to walk through first.

  Less than five minutes after they had walked in, they heard several more cars arrive.

  “Looks like we have company,” Xtina said, opening the front door before she heard a knock.

  “Come in,” Xtina said in a clipped tone. Jess knew instantly that something was wrong. Then she felt the world tilt when she saw who walked in.

  Rachelle had the gall to call out to her and move towards her like she’d just come back from a long vacation instead of abandoning her child and disappearing for over ten years.

  She had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

  She rushed from the room, making sure to keep an outward appearance of calm. There was no way she was going to show those people her pain.

  When she stepped into the kitchen, she wasn’t surprised to see Xtina follow her. Brea was seconds behind her.

  “Are you okay?” Xtina moved to her and, in a rare show, grabbed her up in a hug. “I’m here,” she whispered into her hair.

  Jess enjoyed it for a moment, then pushed her away and started pacing. She needed to move. She needed to run. She needed to hit something.

  “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?” Jess turned and stopped pacing. “My parents, who abandoned me twelve years ago, just walked in the room, acting like they had just made a run to the grocery store.” She turned around and kicked the counter, then hopped up and down on her other foot as pain shot up her leg. “Damn it.” She jumped a few more times.

  “Have a seat,” Xtina suggested.

  “How about a glass of wine?” Brea asked.

  “A shot of whiskey is what I need,” Jess said, sitting down at the table, no longer feeling the pain in her foot.

  As Xtina got the drinks, Jess glanced over at Brea. “Are those your parents?�
��

  “Yeah.” She shook her head.

  “But, I thought…” Jess started as Xtina set the shot glasses in front of them.

  “Yeah,” Brea interrupted, “so did I.” She downed the whiskey quickly.

  Jess held up her whiskey and thought of the perfect toast. “May we get what we want, may we get what we need, may they get what they deserve.” She downed her own drink.

  “Where do you get those?” Brea asked out of the blue.

  “Well, that one I changed for the occasion.” Jess picked up her wine glass. “It’s a hobby and I have a coffee table book.” She shrugged and sipped her wine.

  Jacob felt like punching something. He watched Jess disappear into the kitchen, then turned to her parents.

  “The Sorensons, I presume.” He took a step closer. It took all his willpower not to throw them out, or better yet, throw them in a cell and let them rot.

  He must have fazed out as everyone in the room filled the air with normal talk. That was until Mike motioned for them to sit. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

  Jacob’s bark of laughter caught everyone in the room off guard.

  “Sure, offer a drink and be civil to the people who left their thirteen-year-old daughter to fend for herself,” he said, then felt so disgusted that he stormed out the front door.

  He was a little surprised to see Ethan follow him outside.

  “You’re pissed,” he said.

  “Damn right I am.” He turned towards him. “I want to punch something.” He crossed his arms over his chest and held in his temper.

  “Yeah, I felt that way about an hour ago.” Ethan looked back towards the window. “Still do.”

  Jacob shook his head. “Do you know the kind of hell they put her through?” He ran his hands through his hair. “I was here, I remember.” He closed his eyes and remembered now how Jess had gone from a carefree child to a tormented soul in the weeks following her parent’s disappearance. He hadn’t known what was going on with her at the time, since he’d been too busy with his own childhood, but looking back on it, it was obvious the kind of hell she’d gone through alone. He could even now understand how everyone had risen to protect her, everyone except him. “The entire town rallied behind her, so she was never really alone, but…” He shook his head remembering how well it was hidden that she was alone. Even he didn’t know what had happened to her until years later. All anyone in town knew was that her family had moved, and she’d moved in with Carla. “Even the pain of finding out I was adopted, abandoned by my real parents, doesn’t scratch the surface of what Jess has gone through, knowing that they left her.”

  “Our family may be screwed up, but at least we’ve found each other now,” Ethan said, leaning against the post. He turned his head towards Jacob. “That is, if you’ll have us.”

  Jacob’s eyes were still glued to the window. “Beats facing this shit alone.”

  When they walked back into the house, some of his anger had disappeared. Thanks to Ethan.

  They walked in at almost the same time that Jess walked back in from the kitchen. He noticed the wine in her hand and grabbed a bottle of beer from the tray Xtina was holding.

  “You okay?” he asked her quietly. She nodded in reply. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but the way she was holding herself, he knew better.

  He sat in a room packed with people he trusted, and people he didn’t, listening to them explain why they had done some stupid stuff in their past.

  “The night she was chosen.” Jess’s mother was talking about her sister, Misty, the night she disappeared.

  “Chosen?” Jacob stepped forward. The part of him that was a cop chose that moment to sneek peek. He watched them closely, noticing instantly that Rachelle was hiding something. An uneasy feeling settled over him. He sat silently as Jess’s mother told them of how her family had been there before the Native Americans.

  Then Rachelle shocked everyone in the room. Everyone except him and Jess.

  She took a deep breath after setting her family’s book down on the table before them. “Apertum,” she whispered, and the book opened before everyone’s eyes. Without her touching it.

  His eyes moved to Jess’s, and she glanced over at him and for the first time that evening. He could see something other than hurt and pain behind them.

  “The spell was one of the first written. One of the first put to paper,” Rachelle said.

  “Spell?” Jess’s voice sounded hollow, but he knew it had already dawned on her. She was just like her mother. Except, last night she hadn’t used words to snap the cell phones to her.

  Rachelle’s eyes met hers. “Yes,”

  “Are you saying I’m almost like a witch?” Jess walked forward.

  He knew what she was thinking. Sure, she’d known she was different, but he could bet that she’d never once believed she was a witch. He, too, knew she was different, like Xtina and the others, but not once had he thought she was a witch. That label had a lot more baggage than the word gift they had been using.

  “No,” Rachelle said, her eyes going to the book. “I’m saying you are a witch.”

  Chapter 11

  It seemed like hours later when she let herself back into her own apartment. Jacob had tried to convince her to return home with him, but she needed the alone time and gave him a lame excuse.

  They had made plans with everyone to have breakfast the next morning in town. She leaned against her front door and cried, then she got angry, then she just went numb.

  She sat on her sofa and stared into the darkness. Her mind raced over everything she’d learned tonight. Her mother had told her about the book, the one that had been handed down from generation to generation. But when Jess asked to see it, to take it and study it, her mother had turned her down quickly.

  Rachelle had said something about Carla knowing about the book. Carla knew everything, maybe even more than her mother did. Jess stood up and looked to her front door. Why hadn’t she told her?

  Taking a deep breath, she marched across the hallway and banged on her grandmother’s front door.

  Carla opened it wrapped in her bright green bathrobe and frowned at her.

  “What is it? Is something wrong?” Carla glanced around.

  “You knew.” Jess stormed into her apartment.

  “Knew what, honey?” Carla shut the door behind her.

  “You knew that I’m a witch,” Jess blurted out.

  Carla looked as if she’d been slapped. “You’re not.” She shook her head. “It can skip—”

  “Venit.” Jess held out her hand and the nearest vase flew smoothly into her hand.

  Now Carla looked as if she’d been punched. “Oh, honey.” She rushed forward, only to stop when Jess held up her hand.

  “You knew, and you didn’t say anything.” She took a step away.

  “No.” Carla shook her head. “I mean, I knew it ran in the family, and I knew about your mother, but we thought…” That was when Jess realized that there were tears rolling down Carla’s face. “We’d hoped.”

  Jess moved forward. “What?”

  Carla’s eyes met hers. “That it had skipped you.”

  “But, it didn’t.”

  “We thought, I mean, that’s why your parents left.”

  “What?” Jess shook her head. “They left because they hoped it would skip me?” she asked.

  “Yes, at least that’s what Rachelle said…” Carla sat down on the sofa. “She told me that she’d found my mother’s diary when she was younger. That there was something in it about connections.” Carla shook her head. “I never learned, you see. My mother knew that I wasn’t… That I didn’t…”

  “That you weren’t a witch?” Jess supplied.

  “Yes.” Carla looked down at her hands. “I was such a disappointment to her. She believed that she’d broken the heritage because she’d gotten pregnant with me at such a young age. My mother believed that it took being a full-powered witch to have a witch.
Then I got pregnant with Rachelle when I was just sixteen. My mother believed I’d never gotten my abilities because of her, and that…”

  “The line was broken.” Carla nodded in agreement. “But…” Jess blinked remembering the love of her grandfather, a man who had died when she’d been six or seven. “What about grandpa?”

  “Oh, he was your grandfather in every sense, other than by blood. I met him after I had your mother. I loved him very much. It broke my heart when he died. But, before him, I was a disgrace to my family.”

  Jess sat down next to Carla and took her hand in hers.

  Carla patted it. “I was so young when I had Rachelle. So, naturally, my mother, your great-grandmother took over the role of guardian until she died, when Rachelle was five. Then, when Rachelle changed after puberty, everything changed. I didn’t know anything about being a witch, let alone how to raise one.”

  “Changed?” Jess shook her head.

  “Like you, your mother didn’t come into her powers until puberty. She was almost sixteen. She’d been a very quiet child, but after, she changed. She became popular. Kids that had once picked on her, became her best friends and followed her around like lost puppies. Even your father.” She shook her head. “He was the star quarterback one day, and the next, he was glued to your mother’s side.”

  “Why did you let them leave me?” she finally asked.

  “I didn’t have a choice. You should know, your mother isn’t… well, she wasn’t… I should have done a better job raising her.”

  “What did she do?” Something deep inside Jess already knew. Memories surfaced of how her mother had treated her back then. How she’d barely noticed her daughter, too preoccupied with her own life.

  Even her father had been focused only on her mother. As if she’d cast some sort of spell on him that made everything else fade into the background.

  “Rachelle has always been very strong willed.” Carla leaned back and closed her eyes. “You add power to that and… you end up with a lethal mix. It was one of the reasons she hid our relationship.” Carla sniffled again. “I was an embarrassment to her after George, your grandfather died. The fact that I went back to work, and moved into town, embarrassed her.”