Birthright

by A. P. Jensen

Chapter Fifteen

  Levi grabbed Jordan’s hand and hauled her towards the staircase with Knight following close behind. They walked down the stairs between the winter and meadow scenes. Jordan was careful not to touch Knight who paced beside her. Jordan choked on the awful smell coming from above. Luckily, the rose petals disappeared over their heads and didn’t cover the meadow or snow with ash.

  Neither spoke as they walked onto the porch and started uphill, out of the crater that surrounded Tolly House. Jordan took deep breaths of warm air that smelled of grass and flowers and tried to calm herself. Her heart pounded. She could feel the after effects of power, which made her fingertips tingle. She stomped through the high grass and didn’t look at Levi. She knew he was furious with her for losing control. They crossed the bridge onto Parker property. Levi grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him.

  “What the hell was that? You could have killed somebody!” he snapped.

  Jordan yanked her arm away. Knight brushed against her and lightning speared through the circle pendant. Flames slithered through Jordan’s hair like angry snakes.

  “You did it deliberately?” Levi’s voice was cold.

  Jordan paced. “She talked about my mom.”

  “She obviously wanted a rise out of you and you delivered. You can’t punish people just because you want to. Ignore it.”

  “I’m not like you. I’m not a robot that can turn off everything I feel.” She took a deep breath that did nothing to calm her. “Everything is bubbling up inside me. I’m so angry and scared and this place,” she flung her hands wide. “Knight, William, Mr. Parker, you. I keep waiting to have some kind of normal in my life, something solid, but it keeps slipping through my fingers.”

  He stood several feet away from her with his arms crossed, making sure she kept her distance from him. It caused a single tear to course down her cheek.

  “He changed me.” It was a realization that grew steadily in her mind.

  “It’s worse,” Levi agreed. “I don’t know if you would’ve stopped.”

  “I know you should leave. I have nothing to offer, but I want you to stay. I trust you. I can’t do this without you.”

  He looked over endless land. “I don’t think I can.”

  “Why?” It was a cry from her soul.

  “I don’t belong here.”

  “I don’t either!” she shouted. “You think I feel at home in the room they gave me, eating as much as I want, being fawned over by Kelly? You think I just fell into this house and realized this is my happily ever after? No!” She clutched his shirt in both hands. “You reached out to me in Haven. You needed me as much as I needed you. We’ve been honest with each other.” Tears dripped down her face. “And I’m telling you now, I need you. Please. Stay with me.”

  Levi looked beyond her to the house made of glass in the distance. With his power, he sensed Mr. Parker standing on the porch, knew he could probably hear every word of their conversation. He stepped away from Jordan’s grasp.

  “I can’t do this,” he said and walked away.

  Jordan didn’t have the strength to chase after him. She sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands and sobbed as if her heart was breaking. Knight stood over her protectively. She looked small between his front paws. He whined and Levi didn’t look back though the sound of Jordan’s sobs followed him across the pasture. Levi approached Mr. Parker who wore a pair of aviator sunglasses that shielded his eyes, but Levi was sure he was glaring at him.

  “I want out,” Levi said and stepped onto the porch and headed towards the front of the house.

  “Where will you go?” Mr. Parker asked.

  “Not sure,” Levi said without looking back.

  “I’ll drive you to the airstrip. Wherever you want to go, my jet will take you.”

  “I don’t need your help. I can drive the Beetle,” Levi said.

  “I’ll take you. The car’s still at the gate.”

  Levi followed Mr. Parker to the garage. When he saw the shiny Ford truck, he admired it before he got in. Mr. Parker gunned the engine and sped down the driveway so fast, Levi shot him a wary glance. Levi took in his surroundings, wanting to memorize the property.

  “You’re hurting her,” Mr. Parker muttered.

  “She’s used to it.”

  Mr. Parker’s hands tightened on the wheel. “You care for her, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “You followed her all this way to leave her and go off on your own?”

  “I just wanted to see if she was okay. There are a lot of you and if you’re a sorcerer, you should be able to keep her out of trouble.”

  “Just peek in and leave?”

  Levi finally looked at Mr. Parker, face dark with anger. “Why are you all over me for? She’s not my responsibility.”

  “She loves you.”

  Levi averted his face. “She’s lonely and I’ve been around her for a few months. No biggie.”

  “And what kind of life do you expect to have?”

  “I’ll have a life without responsibility. I’m better at looking out for myself.”

  “That’s a lonely life.”

  “But it’ll be my own.”

  “One day it won’t be enough,” Mr. Parker said and there was weariness in his voice. “I’ve tried it.”

  Levi, alert for undertones, said shrewdly, “I guess that’s when you got Jordan’s mom pregnant and left her behind.”

  Mr. Parker took his gaze off the road to pierce Levi. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Levi shrugged and looked out the window. “Don’t get in my face when you abandoned your own kid.”

  Mr. Parker slammed his foot down on the brake and Levi’s face rammed into the windshield since he wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

  “Son of a-” Levi yelled.

  Mr. Parker reached over, grabbed a fistful of Levi’s shirt and yanked him forward. His eyes were black pools of rage and he was breathing hard. Levi’s breath misted in front of him as the temperature in the car dropped sixty degrees.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mr. Parker said in a deadly voice.

  Levi swallowed and unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth. “I know Jordan’s been fighting to survive her whole life. All this protection you’re offering now- you’re fifteen years too late, buddy!”

  Mr. Parker pulled Levi so close, their faces were only an inch apart. “I did what I had to.”

  “Fine. I’m doing what I gotta too. Always look out for number one, right?” Levi said, egging him on.

  A crack appeared on the windshield and quickly spider webbed across the glass. Levi knew he was in grave danger when Mr. Parker’s eyes glazed with rage.

  “I did what was best for her.”

  Levi shoved at Mr. Parker and got nowhere. “Don’t you mean best for you? I saw what William did to those people. I can see it in Jordan’s eyes when she thinks no one’s watching. She’s broken. She’ll never be the same and she may never be free of him and you did your best, huh? Well, pat yourself on the back, buddy-”

  The car vibrated and there was a wrenching sound as metal crumpled. Mr. Parker wasn’t aware the roof of the truck was caving in. His seething eyes were fixed on Levi.

  “You have no idea what I’ve been through-”

  Levi’s face twisted in disgust. “What you’ve been through? No wonder you’ve never met her before! You’re a selfish ass!”

  “What?”

  “She almost died and you’re talking about your problems-”

  “I thought keeping my distance from her would-”

  “You were wrong.”

  “I know that!” Mr. Parker yelled, veins popping in his neck.

  “You’re telling me you abandoned your daughter because you thought that was best?” Levi’s voice was full of scorn. “And now you show up with the big house and the fancy rooms and you think that’ll make up for all the years she needed you?” <
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  Mr. Parker blinked and everything in him shut down. He released Levi and stared blankly at the cracked windshield. He leaned his head back and took deep breaths.

  Levi tried to see out of the windows, which were so damaged, everything seemed distorted. He looked up at the ceiling of the car, which looked like Godzilla trampled over them.

  “I don’t know what to do with her,” Mr. Parker muttered.

  “You can stop being such a hard ass.”

  Mr. Parker let out a wheezing laugh. “I’ll try.”

  Levi listened to Mr. Parker’s breathing even out. “What do you think about her?”

  “She’s mine. I never expected… I don’t want this.”

  “She can tell you don’t want her,” Levi said.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Whatever. I changed my mind.”

  Mr. Parker turned his head. “What?”

  Levi’s heart pounded. “I’ll take you up on your offer, but I have a few conditions.”

  Mr. Parker didn’t look happy. “What are they?”

  Levi took a deep breath. “No hitting, ever. No using your power to control us. If you break either of those rules, we’re out. Whatever you find out about our pasts, you can’t use it against us. If you decide at some point that you changed your mind about taking us in, tell me first and I’ll take care of everything else.”

  Mr. Parker saw his uncertainty, but also saw the courage and determination that kept him alive and whole when he was in Haven.

  “I would never hit or use my power against either of you unless your life was in danger or I had no choice. Once I become your guardian, Levi, you’re under my protection and I can’t revoke you. If you sign yourself over to me, it’s for a lifetime. And for the record, I’m the last person to judge anyone for past mistakes,” Mr. Parker said.

  They stared at one another for a long minute. Levi stretched out his hand and Mr. Parker took it. With one firm shake, their pact was made. Mr. Parker finally noticed the cracked windshield. He let out a stream of curses. There was a screeching sound as the glass expanded, shimmered and solidified. Mr. Parker almost scraped his nose on the ceiling of the car as he looked up. There was a loud popping sound and the truck bounced as metal realigned itself. Before Levi could take a breath, Mr. Parker sped up to the gate and braked with a squeal of tires.

  “That’s the ugliest car I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Parker sneered.

  “Mimi took us from Nevada to Texas and she’s still going,” Levi admonished.

  Mr. Parker pushed open the gate as Levi drove the Beetle through and followed him back to the house. Mr. Parker winced when Levi parked Mimi amongst his luxury cars. It wasn’t until Mr. Parker watched Levi walk around the house toward the glass dome that he realized he’d been outmaneuvered for the first time in his life. Levi was too street smart to leave his camouflage clothes behind. He wouldn’t survive a day on the run in a pink shirt.

  Jordan hadn’t moved. She stared into the rushing stream through swollen eyes, leaning on Knight for support. She heard footsteps and then Knight growled.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked without turning.

  “Staying,” Levi said.

  “I don’t want you to stay.”

  Levi sat as close as he dared with Knight hovering over her like a protective mama lion. “I was an ass before. I needed to see if your dad was legit. I think he is.”

  “I don’t know or care what you’re talking about,” Jordan mumbled.

  “You’re the only person I’ve ever had a connection to. I don’t like it,” he said irritably.

  “If you don’t like it, get a steppin’!” she snapped.

  A reluctant smile tugged the corner of his mouth. “You’re one crazy chick, you know that?”

  She stared straight ahead, ignoring him as much as possible.

  “On our drive to Vegas, I planned what we could do, where we could stay, where I could find under the table work.” He tilted his head back to look up at the bluest sky he’d ever seen. “When I thought you were gone, I just drifted, trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself. As much as I don’t like the connection between us, I know what it feels like to be alone. I’d rather be here with you where I don’t know what’s going on than in the real world without you.”

  Jordan didn’t soften. She stared mulishly ahead.

  “I wouldn’t even be out of Haven if it wasn’t for you. You could have left without me, but you didn’t. We promised we’d watch out for each other.”

  “Why’d you say it?”

  He leaned back on his hands. “Hard to break old habits. I’m good at cutting myself off from other people.”

  “You are,” she agreed. “I don’t want you to regret staying. I don’t know what comes next. That’s why I didn’t look for you. My life’s messed up.”

  “I’m staying,” he said firmly, watching her profile.

  “You saw what William did,” Jordan whispered.

  Levi shook his head to banish the vivid memories. “I did. I’ll do everything in my power so another sorcerer doesn’t hurt you like William did.”

  “I was so angry when Ruth talked about my mom,” Jordan hesitated. “Ever since the soul tie with William, I haven’t felt like myself. Even though Mr. Parker says the soul tie is broken, I can still feel him in me.” She chanced a glance at Levi who frowned. “I know that’s impossible, but even what I did today, before William, I never would’ve tried to punish someone for saying something. I dream about him every night, I feel like he left a taint on me I can’t wash off-”

  Levi braved Knight’s wrath and grasped her hand. Jordan fell silent and looked at him with worried eyes.

  “Don’t borrow trouble.”

  She shook her head. “But what if-”

  He squeezed her hand. “We’ll deal with things as they come. Together.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Well, well. Look who it is.”

  Jordan followed his gaze and saw Cibrian walking towards them. He obviously showered and changed. Jordan tensed as Cibrian crossed the bridge, but when he got closer, she saw the sparkle in his eyes.

  “You!” Cibrian declared and leaned down and kissed her. “You’re borderline psychotic. You know that, right?”

  “So I’ve heard,” she said dryly as Cibrian dropped on her other side. “No one got hurt?”

  He waved a hand. “Nope. It’s about time someone told my mom off and you’re just the person to do it. She’s obsessed with Uncle Van.”

  “What?”

  Cibrian’s mouth twisted. “My mom and Uncle Van went to school together. Dated a bit.”

  “Eww,” Jordan grimaced. “Ruth and Kelly both dated Mr. Parker? They’re sisters!”

  Cibrian gagged. “Aunt Kelly’s, like, six years younger than my mom. My mom wanted to marry Uncle Van, but she’s not a Grounder so… you know.”

  “That’s messed up. And they live next to each other too,” Levi said.

  “Awkward,” Jordan said with a grimace.

  Cibrian rubbed the back of his neck. “Even though Aunt Kelly’s been married to him forever my mom still thinks she has a chance because they’ve never had a kid. You gave her a reality check though.”

  “Are the roses okay?” Jordan asked, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

  “Ash stopped falling about ten minutes ago. That was pretty wicked.” He ran a hand through his hair to make sure it hadn’t been burned.

  “She knew what button to push,” Jordan said.

  “Mom was out of line. It’s gonna be a while before she comes at you like that again.” He looked between them. “Your auras seem more settled. Are you staying, Levi?” When Levi nodded, Cibrian let out a triumphant hoot. “Oh, yeah. The Academy is going to be ours this year.”

  “The Academy?”

  “It’s the best school in the country,” Cibrian said proudly.

  Levi sneered. “Rich kid school, probably.�
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  “Don’t be hating on us rich kids. We do have souls, you know? Anyway, both of you are in that category now.”

  Levi was dumbfounded by that statement. “Cibrian, you’re weird, you know that?”

  Cibrian ignored him and thumped his hand in the grass. “I can’t wait until we get to school and start everything. We’ll learn how to kick ass and-”

  “Let’s go back to the house,” Jordan suggested.

  Her mouth was dry and she was hungry and tired. Finding out that Levi was staying took a load off. Cibrian danced around them, imagining the things they would do at The Academy while Jordan nearly sleepwalked, she was so emotionally and physically drained. Kelly was in the kitchen when they walked in and the smell of pizza made their mouths water. Kelly let out a yell and launched herself at Levi.

  “Oh my gosh! This is great! Donovan just told me the news,” she gushed, reaching up to clasp his face between her hands. “We don’t have much time, so what’s your favorite color?”

  Levi was silent for several beats before he answered, “Neutrals.” At her crestfallen expression he added, “It’s easier to blend in with my surroundings.”

  “That’s right,” she said and patted his chest absently. She took a step back and mentally took his measurements. “I’ll get right on it.”

  “Get on what?” Levi called after her.

  “Wardrobe. Pizza and soda’s on the table,” Kelly yelled as she headed upstairs.

  Jordan and the boys popped soda cans and took several slices. Knight ate two pizzas and settled nearby to see if they would finish the other two.

  “What’s this?” Levi asked, reaching out to touch Jordan’s circle pendant.

  “Heath says it’ll help me when my power comes back.”

  Cibrian leaned forward. “Wow. I’ve never seen one like it.”

  “Anything’s worth a try,” Levi said and scarfed down a slice of pizza.

  “I’m gonna nap,” Jordan mumbled.

  Levi and Cibrian nodded and Knight helped her upstairs to her room. She hesitated before leaving the door unlocked. She climbed onto the bed and sighed as she slipped beneath the duvet. Her mind was beginning to shut down and she didn’t want to fight it. The bed dipped as Knight settled at the foot of the bed and his solid weight pressed against her was comforting. She drifted into the first dreamless sleep in months.