Jade's Awakening (Delacourt Saga Book 1) (9 page)

She stood on the sidewalk. The pine trees swayed in the breeze. She realized she could walk away or stay.

"David’s death, your dad's kidnapping, Wyle's death, that's just the beginning, Jade. They want you dead. Nina and I have already relocated your family."

She was silent. Wyle was dead? Jade's lips quivered when she realized she hadn't thought of everything. "Thank you for protecting my family." She took a deep breath and smelled the pine. It seemed to clear her thoughts. She finally met his gaze. "If you tell me to leave you again, I won't. I can't stand wondering if I've left you to die." She looked away.

"I had to protect you."

She was silent. She wondered if their last kiss was a dream. Maybe it was all in her head.

"I've contacted other shapeshifters and we've congregated at a secluded place I own on Lake Chelan." He showed her a photo on his phone.

Jade was silent as she looked at the photo of what looked like a mountainside castle. She didn't want to inflate his ego by telling him his lake home was spectacular. She responded with, "Does it have running water?"

"Yes. I know you don't want to be around me, so I'll stay away. It's a pretty big place. We need to get ready for them when they finally find you."

"All I know is that I need a shower."

* * *

Jade sat in silence as they drove to Seven's home.

Nina was barely able to see over the dashboard but managed to drive the truck to the private airport. They walked onto a small plane.

"It's over six hours driving. We couldn't do that to you after your long bus ride." Seven leaned towards Jade.

"This is much nicer than the bus." She said. She imagined she smelled like a farm animal. She wanted to stay angry but couldn't help the gasps that escaped her as she looked at the terrain below.

"Do you want to know what I bugged, Jade?" Nina leaned over towards Jade.

"Not really." She kept her eyes on the nature below and pressed her forehead against the airplane's window.

"Don't be mad. It was to protect you," Nina said.

"What was it?" Jade turned toward Nina and realized Nina had cut her hair into a short buzz. She wanted to know why, but kept silent.

"It was in the leather journal and the beef jerky." She sat back and laughed.

Jade felt a smile creep over her lips and shook her head,

"I learned that from those mystery shows I love.” Nina smiled then added, "Did you ever try that white dress on?"

"No."

"It's a fairy dress, so it may not accept you. If it doesn't, don't worry about it."

Jade frowned, "This sounds like an important detail you should have told me before."

"It's a precaution, but I'm ninety percent sure it will accept you."

Jade rested back in the leather seat and accepted she would have to do the best with the information that came to her in dribbles. She wondered if the dress would accept her.

"What if it doesn't accept me?"

"Then you're not the one for the legend. You're just another amazing supernatural. Bex would probably still want to kill you. She holds grudges. We'd still need to keep you safe.”

The flight was short and the drive to the house was beautiful. The roads wound through ancient forests that seemed to hold secrets.

"This is beautiful," Jade finally said.

"Thanks," said Seven.

The sunset created a dramatic backdrop for the stone home which sprawled alongside the mountain. A bird perched on the wall that overlooked the lake.

"Why aren't you here every day?"

"It's my getaway. I can't "getaway" to it if I live here the whole time." He smiled. "You said you wanted a shower.”

"Yes." She almost screamed.

He walked her to the front of the house and through the spacious living room.

They climbed the stone stairs in silence.

"I don't have any staff that lives here. They come and go as they please. So help yourself to whatever." He stopped at the guest door and slowly opened it, revealing a large room in many shades of blue. The curtains were a pale blue, and the bed was an inky blue.

"This is beautiful." She picked up one of the dozen pillows on the bed and rubbed her face against the velvet. "I haven't had a good night’s sleep in forever."

"Enjoy. I'll leave you alone the rest of the night. The other shapeshifters will be coming here. It's my fist real Alpha meeting in over a year, so it'll be mainly talking and catching up.

Jade walked to the window and pulled the curtain back. "Do these stairs lead to the lake?"

"Yes."

She wondered if the ice would break between them. She wanted to rush to him and hug him but her time on the bus made her doubt a lot of things.

Seven smiled. He was about to close the door, then poked his head back in. "It's good to see you again, Jade." He closed the door behind him.

Jade was alone in the room. She stripped down and stood on the cold stone floor. She turned the hot water on as she unpacked. She found the most scented toiletries and dumped them in the water. She had to get the stink of the long bus drive off her.

She sat in the hot tub and washed away the fear, guilt and shame. She took a deep breath in and relished in the steamy fragrant aroma that filled her lungs.

She stepped out and picked up a lush towel. She wrapped herself in it and walked over to her duffel bag. She emptied it out. All her clothes were dirty. The only thing she had that was clean was the white dress that Nina gave her. She touched the dress and felt a surge of energy.

Jade held her breath and slipped into the hooded dress. She waited for a burning sensation or an electric charge. She looked down and saw the dress cling to her skin in all the right places. She smoothed down the skirt and looked at herself in the tall mirror. She looked like a queen.

She opened the door to the balcony and found the sky was already dark. The night sky was freckled with stars, which were reflected by the still lake. She walked to the steps that connected her balcony to the main back yard. She held the hem of her dress up as she stepped down them.

Seven stopped talking to the other shapeshifters. He looked at Jade. His breathing deepened.

"I can't see her face, but I imagine she's beautiful, Seven," Murray said.

"She is."

Jade continued walking until she found the wall she'd spotted earlier in the day. She trailed her fingers along it as she strolled near the lake. She was quiet, listening to the voices of the shapeshifters.

"So Seven, if she's supposed to be the new Fairy Enthrall, how could it ever work between you two?" he asked.

Seven exhaled, "I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

"If you help her, you're only going to lose her. You're a better man than me. I'd lie to her and keep her to myself. Let the dumb fairies find a new Fairy Enthrall."

"I can't lie to her."

"Sure you can. You do it all the time. You're an actor. Hello."

"It's not like that."

Jade heard Seven's voice. She looked up and saw him. She pulled her hood back and faced him. She kept her gaze on him and smiled.

"She's beautiful," Murray said. He walked up to Seven and patted his back. He walked towards the others, leaving Seven standing alone.

Seven walked towards Jade.

Jade's skin tingled in the mountain breeze. She knew the hardest part of being a half shapeshifter and half fairy was ahead of her. She hoped she would be smarter and able to live up to the legend. She would be the first half shapeshifter and half fairy Enthrall. She didn't know why she was chosen for this. Honestly, she wished she wasn't part of any legend. She wanted to just be Jade. But here she was, in the middle of a supernatural storm. She couldn't let Bex continue ruling with death and fear.

Seven stood in front of Jade. "Hi." He took a step closer.

"Hi." She felt her heart thump. She looked into his eyes and felt her face shift. She looked down and covered her cheek.

"Don't ever be embarrassed for being who you are. You are beautiful, Jade. I love you, just the way you are."

"I love you." She bit her lip and looked down, bashful for finally saying the words she had been feeling in her heart.

He tipped her face up to his and shifted his face, too, matching her colors and skin. He pressed his lips against hers.

She kissed him back with a passion she had never felt before. The syrupy chocolate feeling overtook her senses and she loved it.

"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, Seven, but I'm so happy right now in this moment." She knew that life was complicated because of the Faction and Bex, but in his arms, all her worries seemed meaningless.

"Don't worry about tomorrow, Jade." His eyes were dark with emotion. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her once more.

"I won't." She leaned in and kissed him, forgetting tomorrow.

~
The End
~

* * *

Coming
this summer
… Jade’s Descent. Find out what happens to Jade in this second installment of the Delacourt Saga Series.

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