by A. P. Jensen
Jordan rose and stretched, wincing at the aches. She looked around for Knight but he was nowhere to be seen. She started back towards the gold path and found it odd that Cibrian hadn’t come back for her. She saw movement to her left and jumped. About twenty feet away dressed in a black trench and jeans stood the Master of Haven. The breeze tugged at his blonde hair and his skin gleamed in the sunlight. Jordan was so terrified; she was incapable of moving a muscle.
Chapter Eleven
“Jordan, what a pleasant surprise,” the Master said and his perfect lips curved in a smile.
Her mouth worked but no sound came out. She wasn’t even sure she was breathing.
“One day you must tell me how you escaped. Right now though, you’re coming with me,” he said and held out his hand.
Jordan was glued in place. Impatience crossed his face and he looked beyond her to Tolly House.
“We don’t have time for this. Come here.”
There was a note of danger in his voice now and Jordan took a step back. The smile on his face turned cruel and her heart beat pounded in panic and alarm. His hand curled and she waited for the punishment but it never came. Menacing growling made the flowers wilt and shiver and the Master froze, eyes flaring wide as Knight crept through the grass.
“A Valor?” he whispered. “But who?” Those eerie eyes fell on Jordan and they were stunned. “You’re a Parker? That’s impossible.”
The growling grew louder and the Master hastily lowered his hands. His eyes moved between Jordan and Knight as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. When Knight shot forward the Master gave Jordan an unreadable look and mouthed, until we meet again. Knight leapt and in the blink of an eye the Master was gone. Knight hissed as he landed where a moment before a young man with blonde hair stood. He swiped at the vegetation with his paw and roared. Jordan turned in a circle, gasping for breath but there was no sign of the Master anywhere. She rushed back towards the gold path, adrenaline giving her strength and speed. She fell onto the gold path between the winter and spring scenes just as Cibrian called down from the floor above.
“Jordan, Aunt Kelly just called. She wants you to go home. Do you want me to come with-”
Jordan shoved the front door open and staggered onto the porch. She was immediately drenched in wet heat. The sun was nearing the horizon and the sky was darkening. Dark clouds stirred uneasily overhead. Knight prowled beside her, angry at being deprived of prey. Jordan stumbled down the front steps and limped to the foot of the hill and stared up at the sharp incline. Knight bowed his front half and looked sideways at her.
“Ride?” Jordan wheezed. “Okay.”
It was awkward clambering onto him but Knight was pure muscle. She lay over his back, clutching fistfuls of his mane as he ran. Seeing the Master in this world, in Cibrian’s house was another shock to her already shattered nerves. How did the Master know she was going to be there? Had Cibrian lured her?
If she wasn’t so terrified she might have enjoyed the ride but she tumbled to the ground as soon as Knight stopped, hands stiff with terror. A clap of thunder boomed overhead and Jordan covered her ears with her hands.
She was on her knees beside the bridge and she looked across at Parker property and saw a figure walking towards her. She scrambled back, a scream in her throat when she realized it was Mr. Parker. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans and his face was hard and furious. Lighting speared down from the sky and hit him. He didn’t even pause. Electricity fizzed over his body and gathered in his hands. The grass sparked with every step he took but didn’t catch on fire. Mr. Parker’s eyes glowed blue and by the time he reached the opposite side of the bridge, Jordan was trying to run back towards Tolly House.
“Come here,” Mr. Parker said, voice heard even above the sound of thunder rolling overhead. “Jordan!”
Mr. Parker’s roar equaled Knight’s and it stopped her in her tracks. Her body trembled with fear as she turned and saw him waiting for her, lighting highlighting the rage on every line of his face. She covered her ears as thunder continued to rumble.
“Get over here. Now.”
Jordan watched Knight leap over the stream and stand near Mr. Parker and sit on his haunches. He obviously thought nothing was amiss and didn’t mind the sound of hissing electricity on Mr. Parker. Jordan couldn’t go to him but she couldn’t run back to Tolly House either. She was caught between two sorcerers. Again.
Jordan saw movement behind Mr. Parker as someone ran towards them. Kelly came up behind Mr. Parker. Jordan opened her mouth to tell her not to touch him, that he could hurt her but she was too far away and no matter how loud she shouted, she wouldn’t be heard over the thunder. The first drops of rain hit Jordan as Kelly stood beside Mr. Parker and took his hand. Jordan screamed but no one heard her.
Kelly didn’t flinch as lighting traveled from their linked hands and encased her whole body. Her hair flapped as if she stood in front of a fan and then the lightning winked out of existence. Kelly turned sideways and wrapped her arms around Mr. Parker’s waist. Fire burned everywhere they touched and Kelly rested her face against him.
Jordan couldn’t watch Kelly kill herself. She staggered to her feet and rushed forward. She didn’t understand what Kelly was doing, why she was touching him when she could feel his power pulsing in the air from over one hundred yards away. As she approached, she felt blasts of cold and hot wind funneling from them. The grass bowed and shuddered beneath the power generated between the couple. Kelly didn’t move as rain turned into a deluge with lightning striking the sky. Knight pawed the ground and roared as if rejoicing in the power around him.
Jordan raced across the bridge as Kelly lifted her head from Mr. Parker’s shoulder and looked at her. She was smiling. Jordan faltered to a stop as Kelly stepped away from Mr. Parker. The power making her skin tingle stopped and the thunder overhead eased. Jordan stood in the pouring rain, staring at Kelly with a mixture of horror and betrayal.
“It’s okay, Jordan. He didn’t hurt me,” Kelly said over the rushing stream.
“Leave us,” Mr. Parker said harshly.
Although he wasn’t crackling with lightning his ire hadn’t abated in the slightest. If anything, he seemed angrier. Jordan looked to Kelly who turned away to head back to the house.
“Don’t leave me,” Jordan pleaded. She had nothing left. She wasn’t even capable of crawling away. She was drained and terrified of being left alone with a sorcerer who was capable of anything.
Kelly turned back, frowning. She heard the desperate edge in Jordan’s voice. She took a step towards the girl but Mr. Parker shook his head once.
“Leave us.”
“He won’t hurt you, Jordan,” Kelly said before she walked back towards the house, a speck in the distance.
Rain mixed with frightened tears as Jordan bowed her head and waited for whatever came next. She heard squishy footsteps and then Mr. Parker’s shiny shoes covered in mud and grass and probably filled with water. He crouched down before her and his hand shot out and cupped her chin. Jordan slapped his hand away.
“You have a death wish?” he asked in a quiet voice.
She didn’t answer.
“Why is it every time I come home you are never on property?”
She was afraid of inciting him to attack so she said nothing. He let out a growl and slapped the ground with his hand. Since Jordan was looking down she saw the water freeze around his hand. Grass blades and flowers encased themselves in ice.
“Are you testing me?” His voice was death itself.
She shook her head hastily but he wasn’t satisfied.
“Then what? You don’t have anything to keep you occupied on Parker property? You should be in bed, not gallivanting over every inch of Texas within a mile.” A pause in which he waited for a response and then, “What do you have to say for yourself?”
She shook her head and once more he reached out. She covered her face with her hands and screamed, “Don’t touch me!” Fear made her vo
ice quaver and his hand stopped an inch from her face.
“What did I tell you?” he hissed. “I promised no harm would come to you here.”
She lowered her hands and sapphire eyes dripped with tears. “How can you be sure?”
“Because I promised.”
“Sorcerers shouldn’t make promises they can’t keep,” Jordan whispered.
Mr. Parker’s eyes flared and then he looked beyond her. “How long did you and Cibrian talk?”
“Were you ever going to tell me you’re a sorcerer? That you’re just like William?” She couldn’t stop the accusation or the fear in her voice.
“I’m not like William,” he snapped.
“You can lose control like him, right? You told me the only thing that stops a sorcerer from becoming like William is a soul tie with a Grounder. Do you have a soul tie with Kelly?” she challenged.
He looked at her for a long minute before he answered. “No. I don’t have a soul tie with Kelly.”
She was relieved. The thought of someone going through that pain, of having the essence of you ripped out made her blood chill. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone, least of all Kelly. She was one of the only good people she encountered in her life. She shouldn’t be marred by pain and suffering.
Mr. Parker blew out a breath in a white cloud. “William had a soul tie with a Grounder and he still lost control. That’s why he was so desperate to tie you two together. I won’t create a soul tie to Kelly unless I know she’s the right Grounder for me.”
“William already had a soul tie to someone else?” Jordan was horrified. “What happened to her?”
“She died when he severed his tie with her.”
“He killed his Grounder and then made a soul tie with me?” Jordan was numb with shock.
“You’re soaked through. Let’s get you into a bath,” Mr. Parker said and rose.
Jordan didn’t move. When he reached for her she shook her head.
“I can’t live in the same house as you. I just can’t. I’ll always be wondering if you’re going to lose control.” Jordan’s eyes were filled with horrible knowledge. “I felt William’s power. It was relentless and evil. It consumed him.”
Mr. Parker’s face was expressionless and they stayed silent for several minutes as the rain fell around them. Knight watched patiently, fur sleek and wet.
“Are you sure I’m your daughter? I couldn’t save William so I’m not a Grounder,” Jordan murmured.
“Anyone who wasn’t a Grounder would have died the moment William channeled his power through them. What Kelly does for me- she absorbs my power like you did for William. You’re a Grounder.” There wasn’t an ounce of uncertainty.
“I don’t have all the elements,” Jordan said stubbornly. “This is a mistake.”
“It’s not a mistake, Jordan. I wish it was.”
She got to her feet and faced him. Water dripped off the sharp planes of his face and black eyes tracked her every move.
“You never wanted me.” He didn’t correct her. “Mr. Penn forced you to take me but I can do this on my own. You don’t have to do anything.”
Mr. Parker’s eyes flashed up to the sky where lightning appeared for a moment. “I offered you my protection, my name. I won’t take it back.”
“Now you want to be noble?” Jordan spat and his brow rose. “I needed you when I was seven when mom died. I needed you when I was being passed from home to home like I was a disease. I needed you when I was cornered and beaten. I don’t need you now.”
He didn’t seem affected at all by her tirade. “You need me. Less than half of the sorcerers on this planet have a Grounder. Every one of them is going to come looking for you. You won’t be able to escape them.”
Her worst fears were confirmed. She didn’t move fast enough to avoid Mr. Parker’s hand. He grabbed her arm and started dragging her across the pasture. Her boots were caked with mud and she was shivering and numb. Her legs were too heavy to lift and Mr. Parker shot her an irritated look before he put an arm under her knees and picked her up. She struggled but he was determined to get them back to the house and she was so tired. Rain filled her boots and weighed them down. By the time Mr. Parker shouldered into his office and walked up the stairs to her room Jordan thought she would freeze to death.
Mr. Parker took her into the bathroom and set her on the lip of the tub and turned on the taps. He grabbed several bottles of oil and poured them carelessly into the hot water. The smell of peppermint and lavender filled the air. Mr. Parker left without another word.
She undressed, water pooling everywhere and tumbled into the tub and scooted beneath the faucet. It took several minutes for the shivering to stop. Her hair was caked with leaves, mud and grass. She cried silently. She was overtired, over exhausted and over this world she’d been dumped into. She wanted to stay in the tub for all eternity and ignore the world outside her bathroom door but she didn’t have a choice.
The room was empty. She walked to her closet and got out sweats and paced the room. She was swaying with exhaustion but she couldn’t rest, couldn’t settle. Her father was a sorcerer and Kelly was his Grounder, voluntarily. She’d seen the Master of Haven in Cibrian’s house and he’d known exactly what Knight was, the Parker Guardian. The Master was obviously a part of Mr. Parker’s world. Levi was alive and would be here in about eight hours. She checked her clock. He would be here around midnight. She had to leave, there was no other choice.
Jordan got into bed and ten minutes later there was a knock on her door. She pretended to be asleep as Kelly came in with Knight. He settled on her bed, smelling of vanilla shampoo and Kelly set a cup of peppermint tea on the nightstand before leaving. Jordan lay there, mind on overdrive, waiting for eleven o’clock. Kelly came in again and left food on the nightstand and once again Jordan played dead. She didn’t want to talk to Kelly, couldn’t ask why she was a Grounder for Mr. Parker. She obviously loved him yet he didn’t return her affection. Mr. Parker never showed any emotion and channeling his power had to be painful but she did it willingly. Why?
Chapter Twelve
Jordan wasn’t sure when she drifted off but her eyes opened at ten forty five. On silent feet she walked to the closet and changed into jeans, shirt and dark hoodie. Knight watched her from the bed, stretched and cocked his head to the side as she crept to the bedroom door. For a moment Jordan debated leaving him behind and then realized he would raise hell if she tried to lock him in the room.
“Quiet,” she hissed and listened before she opened the door.
Moonlight filtered through the glass walls of the house. She crept down the main staircase to the front door and despite Knight’s size; he drifted through the house like a ghost. She walked to the front door and turned back to survey the house and make sure no one was guarding it. She eased the door open and paused. No alarm, no voices. Jordan stared out at the long driveway lined with trees and suppressed a shiver. She imagined the Master watching her, tracking her and shook herself.
She started down the steps with Knight by her side. She was grateful for his presence and patted him absently and saw her pendant flare with light, a beacon in the darkness. She retracted her hand quickly and moved beneath the trees for cover. She fingered the circle pendant as she walked and found herself thinking of Heath. He was a good guy and she liked her pendant. She wondered if it would help contain her power when it returned. Her thoughts drifted to Kelly and she shook her head. She had a lot of questions for Kelly but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. Why hadn’t Kelly said she was a Grounder? She refused to think about Mr. Parker.
Before long, her steps slowed. Her body ached with each step. She felt bruised from head to toe, her head was pounding and she was practically sleepwalking, she was so exhausted. Knight nudged her and bowed his head again. She clambered on his back and took the opportunity to rest. Levi would be here soon and then she would be safe. He would get her away from here. He would take care of her.
The pendant flare
d with light again and she closed her eyes and tried to find their mental link but Levi was blocking her again. She grunted irritably and put the pendant inside of her shirt so it wouldn’t be as noticeable. She listened to the splash of the river on either side of them. The night was pleasantly warm and she rocked from side to side with the rhythm of Knight’s gait. When Knight stopped, Jordan roused and saw the wide iron gate with the P. She looked closely and saw that the P was flanked by two Valor’s facing each other on their hind legs, mouths open in a roar. The road was narrow here with the fast running stream running on both sides.
Jordan lightly patted Knight’s side and felt his muscles bunch. He cleared the seven foot fence easily. Dirt stirred as Knight landed lightly on the other side and Jordan sat upright, hands braced in front of her, trying to see the highway but there was only dirt road stretching in front of her.
“Almost there,” she whispered and noticed that after the gate, the stream flared outward again with trees scattered here and there.
Knight took five steps forward and then stiffened. He sniffed the air and growled. Fear rippled down her spine and she dug her hands into Knight’s fur as seven figures rose from the high grass and encircled them loosely.
“It’s true,” a woman said.
“That’s impossible. It hasn’t been done in centuries,” another woman said in muted tones.
They wore jackets with the hoods drawn up, shadowing their faces. Their hands flexed at their sides as if ready to grab a gun from a holster. The air crackled with power and Jordan’s heartbeat accelerated. One hooded figure stepped forward and the murmurs ceased.
