Summer and I find the boys after walking another ten minutes in an awkward silence. Xavier, Trevor and Fang are discussing something with whispered voices, while Lewis is checking out the motorcycles. The blonde at my side doesn't say a word when she stalks off and joins the boys. I sigh; I have honestly no idea why she reacted the way she did when I asked her to be actual friends instead of just allies. Maybe I pushed her too far.
I shrug and walk towards Lewis. I reckon we have some lost time to make up for.
The moment Dana sees I'm not going to go to her, she barks in an offended way, changes into a sparrow and flies towards me. She picks my ear when she lands on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry," I apologize, "but I haven't seen him in a long time. The rest doesn't like him yet, so I'm doing my best to be nice."
She chirps indignantly.
"Are you talking to your sparrow-dog-eagle thingy?" Lewis asks when we reach him and he hears the last words of our one-sided conversation.
Dana flies off my shoulder, lands on the floor and transforms into her dog form. The beautiful grey hound with the two different eyes pulls up her lip and growls at the foreign man in front of her. I kneel immediately and pat her head.
"Easy there, hotshot," I shush her. "This idiotic boy doesn't realize how important you are to us. Don't listen to him."
Lewis narrows his eyes and makes a face. I wink at him, grinning widely.
"Say you're sorry," I tell him and he rolls his eyes.
"To a dog?" he asks. "Hell no."
Dana growls again and his eyes widen.
"What did you say?" I put my hand behind my ear, pretending I didn't get what he said. "I'm sorry, I think the infection is now attacking my hearing."
"Don't laugh with your... situation," he forbids me. I cock an eyebrow and point at Dana.
He rolls his eyes again. "All right, then. I'm sorry, Dana."
The dog stops growling and lies down at my feet, completely relaxed now. I smile when she closes her eyes. She might be an animal that's able to transform from a dog to a bird and other animals, but she sure as hell is the sixth member of my Circle. She's the one who brings joy to this mission, sometimes even peace. That's just as important as Xavier's intellect or Fang's strength.
Lewis whistles a long, high tone and I look up. The sunlight makes his hair gold with white strands of hair. He's just as beautiful as I remembered. "Where did you get these? Your father?"
He remembers. He remembers the years when he and my father went into the shed behind our house and discussed old pictures of motorcycles when I spent some quality time with my mother. He remembers my dad's passion for this vehicles and most of all, he remembers me. When I saw his face an hour ago, my heart skipped a few beats and I was unable to breathe. I thought he had forgotten about me, or he had left me when I was twelve because he hated me, or because I did something wrong. Only now I realize he must've had a good reason. Lewis is not the kind of person who leaves his friends after they made a mistake, but the one who helps them to fix the damage. He left me for a good reason, it has to be.
So I shake my head and smile. "We found them in the weapon shed in Macaria."
He raises his eyebrows. "How do you like it?"
"What?"
"Macaria." He walks around my motorcycle and swings one leg over the saddle. He closes his eyes and sighs. I know he's enjoying this. All we used to talk about was riding motorcycles. Even after my folks died.
I clear my throat. "It's an adjustment."
He laughs. "Isn't that, like, the understatement of the century?"
I join him in his laughter. "Quite."
He opens his eyes and finally looks at me. "Since when are you the girl with the short answers?"
I shrug, leaning against Trevor's motorcycle. "A lot has changed since we last saw each other."
His expression changes from happiness to sadness. "I think I owe you an explanation."
"You think?" I cross my arms over my chest.
He nods. "Where do you want me to start?"
"Why did you leave me?" I've been craving an answer for years. I've realized he must have had a good reason, because there's no way in hell he didn't, but I want the truth.
"I almost got someone killed," he answers, "they sent me away before I could explain."
"Who sent you away?" I ask, standing next to him and putting my hand over his. Our fingers intertwine and it feels so, so good. His hands are big and rough, with little white scars on his fingers. The hands of a man.
His eyes go from our hands to my face, but he doesn't respond. I decide to let the matter go. If he doesn't want to talk about that, fine. I have enough other questions that need to be answered.
"Did you know about Macaria and... Amelia? I mean, when we were kids."
He squeezes my hand soothingly. "Yes."
My eyes fill themselves with tears, but I force them away. He knew? All those years of friendship, but he never told me about it? Even after my parents, who weren't my real parents, died, he kept his mouth shut. And when I had to go to Fenna and Cedric, he disappeared. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"The only reason I was in Zickenbridge, was to protect you," he explains, his thumb caressing my hand. "If I told you about Macaria, you would search for the portal and get yourself killed by trying to enter the city before you were eighteen."
I shake my head. "If you told me I couldn't enter Macaria, I would've listened."
Lewis doesn't respond. He merely cocks an eyebrow and grins smugly.
"All right, maybe I still would've tried, but you could've convinced me not to."
He still has the same expression on his face.
"Oh, stop it," I say rolling my eyes and I push his shoulder with mine.
He laughs and I'm happy he doesn't let go of my hand. I've missed the way he touches me. I've missed the embraces and the hands that grabbed mine when I was sad. Hell, I've even missed the knuckle wraps.
Well, I think, there's something I will never tell him.
"It's getting dark," Lewis notices. "We should go." He gets off the motorcycle, throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me against him. A friendly gesture that makes my heart skip a few beats. Skipping heartbeats and sweaty palms; that's the effect he has on me.
"Where?" I ask him, while he leads me to the rest.
"The place I live. You're running out of food and you're too weak to sleep under the stars tonight," he explains. "Your job is to convince your Circle."
I sigh dramatically. "How am I supposed to do that?"
Lewis shrugs, pulls his arm back and pushes me softly. "I don't know, it's your Circle." He's got a mocking tone in his voice and I turn around, sticking my tongue out. "Manners, Loft!" he yells.
I ignore his last remark because I have reached my Circle. Xavier and Trevor are throwing toxic glares at Lewis like he will turn in a Mushka and tear us to pieces. Summer and Fang are whispering under a tree at the other side. They're so in love and not afraid to show it, I become jealous of it. When Lewis and I were kids, he was the tough boy who everyone wanted to get along with. The fact he chose me to be his friend, was too much for some and he was thrown out of his little group of friends. Poor Lewis. First his friends and then his home.
Anyway, we became best friends and I developed some sort of feelings for him. I never really got over them and now I see him again, being a handsome young man and all that crap. What is a girl supposed to do, eh?
"We have to go with him," I tell everyone when Summer and Fang join the little meeting. "He can give us food and a good place to sleep tonight."
Trevor shakes his head frantically. "Nu-uh."
I cross my arms and raise my eyebrows.
"No, Jane, I'm not following a complete stranger into the woods."
I sigh and roll my eyes. "He's not a stranger, Trevor. I've known him since I was a child."
"Maybe," Fang interferes, "but you haven't seen him in years, according to Xav. How do you know you can still trust him?"
"I just know," I say, "why would he save our lives if he's the enemy?"
Xavier shrugs. "Lunar told us the goddesses saved your life by telling you about your situation, but they want you dead anyway, remember? We can't trust anyone."
"We can trust Lewis!" I argue.
Summer doesn't look at me when she clears her throat and starts speaking. "Jane is our leader. If she says she knows him and he's reliable, who are we to doubt that?" Her opinion surprises me, especially after her reaction only half an hour ago. Someone's suffers from serious mood swings.
No one replies to that so I decide to break the silence. "Fine. You don't trust him. But you trust me, don't you?"
The guys nod and I lock my eyes with Summer's, thanking her without words. She gives me a short nod and looks away.
"Then trust me when I tell you we can trust this man."
I turn to Lewis behind us and smile over my shoulder when he waves enthusiastically. He looks dangerous in the clothes he's wearing, but I know he has a heart of gold.
"All right," Fang says suddenly. "I'm with you and so is Xavier."
Xavier is about to protest when Summer pokes him in the ribs and says she's in, too. Trevor is staring at his feet and refuses to say anything.
"Guys, go help Lewis with the motorcycles. Trevor and I will be there in a moment." Xavier knows why I'm sending them away and he puts his hand on my shoulder when he passes me.
"Good luck," he whispers and I grin. "You'll need it."
"Thanks," I say sarcastically.
When they're far enough, Trevor starts talking.
"I've got a hunch you like him. Am I right?" he asks me. He looks up and I see how his green eyes are narrowed.
I roll my eyes. "Really, Trevor? That's what bothering you? A hunch?"
"That's why you trust him, isn't it? Because you fancy him!" His voice gets louder and he almost yells the last sentence. I take a step back. Not out of fear, but because Trevor has always been the calm and collected member of this Circle. I'm not used to him yelling at me.
I frown and match the volume of my voice with his. "What's wrong with you? He just saved my life and he offers us a safe place to spend the night!"
"Fine," he says, holding up his hands like he's surrendering. "Don't admit your feelings for him. We'll go with him, but don't come crying when he breaks your heart again."
Again? Trevor wasn't even near me when Lewis left! He doesn't know anything about the pain I went through. I survived the heartache all by myself.
"Trevor..." I don't know why he's acting this way, but it concerns me. He's not himself ever since Lewis came into the picture and I need to know why. "Tell me what's bothering you. For real."
"He is!" he hisses and he points an angry finger at Lewis who is talking to Summer. "Can't you see he's... he's..." Trevor stops talking.
"He's what?" I ask, but he merely shakes his head.
"Never mind. I'll get over it," he whispers and he walks to the motorcycles, leaving me alone under the blossoming tree. I punch the tree with my healthy arm and I don't pay any attention to the blood that's running over my knuckles.
How am I supposed to be a leader when even my followers doubt me?
oO0Oo
"My people aren't far away," Lewis announces when I join them. I've bandaged the wound before he could see it. Lewis knows I had a hard time convincing Trevor and he saw me talking to him. The last thing I need is a fight between Trevor and Lewis because the latter thinks the former hurt me. "We don't need the motorcycles."
"We can't leave them," Fang says and I agree with him. "We need them to find Adam."
"That will be a bit of a problem." Lewis ruffles his hair. "Alright. We'll take them with us, but we're not allowed to take them in our camp."
"Why not?" Summer asks. "Do you have a law against motorcycles?"
Lewis shrugs. "Something like that. Our leader, Sloane, doesn't like anything made by normal human beings."
"Why is that?" Xavier snarls, putting his helmet on his head a little rougher than necessary.
"I don't know. No one does. Besides, even if I did, you would be the last person on earth I would tell," Lewis shoots back and the boys stare at each other dangerously. They look at each other like two dominant dogs that have to decide who's the leader of the two.
"Stop that!" I say before the bickering gets out of hand. "We have no time for your childish behaviour. Let's go and get some sleep, alright?"
Xavier huffs, shuts his visor and swings a leg over his motorcycle. The vehicle comes to life with a loud roar. Fang and Summer follow his example and I'm just about to do the same, when Lewis taps on my shoulder.
"I'm not a coward," he begins, ignoring Xav's meaningful huff, "but I'm not climbing one of these."
"You'll have to," I tell him, "we need you to show us the way, remember?"
"Yeah, but I have no helmet."
"Take mine." My hands fumble with the clasp.
He shakes his head. "No, Jane, don't do that."
"Lewis..." I frown. "Why are you so afraid of motorcycles? When we were kids, you used to love them."
He nods and looks at his shoes. "I loved talking about them and watching pictures, but I never thought I actually had to sit on one."
I laugh. That's so Lewis. A big mouth, but a tiny heart. I whistle loudly and Dana comes rushing towards me.
I take the tiara from my backpack and put it on my head. I make eye contact with the dog and demand, "Dana. Horse."
I've never tried to turn her into a horse before, but she seems to understand what I'm saying. Her legs become longer, her head bigger and her ears shorter. In a few seconds, she's a grown, gorgeous horse. Her body is jet black, just like her eagle form, but she has a white spot on her head that looks like a flame.
"Hop on," I tell Lewis.
Dana doesn't have a saddle, but I figure Lewis has enough experience with riding saddle-less horses. I have no idea what he has done the last few years, but judging by the scars on his fingers and his lightly tanned skin, I know he has been busy. Apparently with riding saddle-less horses and curing people from toxic stones.
"Let's go," he says and I nod, putting my helmet on. Dana starts to gallop away with Lewis on her back and the duo is followed by our motorcycles.
oO0Oo
After approximately thirty minutes, Lewis stops Dana in front of an ordinary stone wall, covered in ivy. He jumps off her back and claps her side. When we descend our vehicles, he points to a little cave a few feet to our right. I have to look very closely before I actually find the entrance since long strands of ivy are hanging in front of the dark gap. It's the perfect hiding spot.
"Put your motorcycles in the cave. No one will find them there," he says.
We do as he says and while we're pushing them to the cave, Fang matches my pace and walks with me.
"How do you know him, exactly? Lewis, I mean."
I shrug and a small smile touches my lips. "I never had any friends back in Zickenbridge. I don't know why people disliked me, but they did, and I figured I didn't need any friends, because I had my parents. They were the only ones to smile when I walked in a room or to say I had a good sense of humour. They were warm and loving. Dad had this huge love for motorcycles and I always enjoyed myself when I went with him to the little stable in our backyard. He had a boy who helped him with the motorcycles. The boy's name was Lewis. You would think I became friends with Lewis there, in my own backyard, but no. He didn't even look at me at that time. When my parents died he quit the job. I couldn't blame him, of course, because it was his job and his boss died."
"How old were you when they died?"
I breathe deeply. I can already smell the nearby fall. I can't believe the year is almost over. "Nine," I say, trying to collect myself. "Anyway, my mom and dad died and I had no one left. The kids from school started laughing at me because I was all alone. The teachers never did anything about it, besides looking for a foster family and eventually finding one. I ended up with Fenna and Cedric Fugger, a young friendly woman married to an old, horrible, mean and smelly man. Cedric never really got over the fact I entered his house and he needed to go back to work so he could feed me. Fenna, on the other hand, is an amazing woman. We grew close in a matter of weeks. The day I met Lewis officially, she was at the hospital with Cedric because he hit her when she refused to fulfil his wishes or something like that. She doesn't like talking about that day. Anyway, since they were at the hospital, I went for a walk through Zickenbridge. I crossed some kids from my school and they started yelling at me, calling me names and some other crap. I was used to it by then and I merely ignored it. But one of the boys, Lewis, told them to quit. That caught my attention and I stopped to stare at him. I hadn't seen him in ages, not after my parents passed away, and we never even had a decent conversation. And then, out of nowhere, he suddenly stood up for me."
"He didn't know you at all and he stands up against his friends? That's... chivalrous," Fang whistles, long and low, while we put our motorcycles against the wall of the cave and walk back to my long lost friend.
I nod. "Tell me about it. His friends dumped him and ever since that day, we were best friends. He was there for me when Cedric hit Fenna and she didn't want to talk about it. I was there for him when his former friends were giving him a hard time for choosing me over them. We were very close."
I want to tell him more, but Summer and Xavier join us and I don't want to tell the story again. I trust Fang will do that for me.
So, instead of repeating Lewis' and my history, I ask: "Where's Trevor?"
"Right there," Summer says, pointing at Lewis. He and Trevor are talking to each other, but I can see it's not a pleasant conversation.
"Let's go before they rip each other's heads off," I say, quickening my pace so I can prevent possible physical injuries.
"Can't decide whether or not I would help Trevor," Xavier growls softly. Dana, back in her dog form, touches Xavier's hand with her nose and I know she's with him on this one. Why is it so hard for them to trust Lewis? Sure, he's made a few mistakes, but he's only human, for God's sake!
"Oh, grow up," I reply, reaching Lewis and Trevor.
"- better be telling the truth," Trevor says to Lewis who cocks an eyebrow, but swallows his retort when he sees me.
"Sure, Trevor, whatever you want," he replies and smiles at me. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for bed, yeah," I say and he grins. Trevor refuses to meet my eye and he removes a smudge from his flawless shirt.
"That's my girl." He swings his arm over my shoulders and leads me to a small, narrow inlet between two rocks. "I'll go first," he says when he pulls his arm back and walks in. I only hesitate a second before I follow him, Trevor right behind me. He might not agree with me, but he'll never leave me alone. Not like Lewis did.
I shake the thought out of my head.
oO0Oo
The last sunbeams of the wonderful sunset make me blink fast so my eyes adjust to the sudden change of lighting. It feels like we have been less than two minutes in the small opening between the two rocks, but I realize it was longer when my eyes are seeing all sorts of weird shapes. When they fade away, I look at the rest of my Circle. Xavier and Fang are laughing at Trevor, who is trying to get a spider out of Summer's hair. When the animal is gone, Fang locks the terrified blonde in a tight and consoling embrace, kissing the top of her head.
"They're so cute together!" a young voice behind me squeaks. I turn around and see a young girl – she's about fourteen – swoon at the romantic moment between Summer and Fang. She has an angelic face, very dark brown eyes and her hair is light brown, almost blonde, but what catches my eye are the highlights in her great mob of hair. Blue, red, yellow, green, purple, she has it all. "I want a boyfriend, too!"
Lewis groans. "I don't want you to want one," he says. "It's bad enough Chase fancies you; no need to encourage him."
The girl blushes. "Chase doesn't fancy me."
"Yes, he does. Just like most of the guys. You're lucky I'm here to protect you."
"But Leeeeeeeeeewis –"
"But Joleeeeeeeeeene –" he copies her and she pouts. "Behave, so Jane doesn't think you're the spoiled little brat you secretly are."
I laugh when Jolene turns at me and smiles hugely. "So this is the one and only Jane Loft, huh? Isn't this the girl you told me so much about?"
Lewis shuts her up with one look.
"Hi," I say, offering my hand for her to shake. She takes it. "I'm Jane. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Jolene, Lewis' best friend."
"Are you now?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow at her. "He always tells me I am his best friend. Maybe we should dump him and become each other's best friend. What do you say?" I wink at her.
"Maybe we should!" she shouts joyfully and I can tell this girl will be one of my favourite people in a matter of time.
"Yeah, yeah, why not, Loft? You're here for, what, five minutes and you steal my best friend? Way to go," Lewis huffs.
"No need to get jealous," Jolene replies, "I'll always help you do your laundry and make dinner for you."
He throws a handful of mud at her. She ducks away just in time and hits the boy next to her straight in the face.
"Blech," the boy decides when he wipes it off his face. "What was that for?"
"Your girlfriend's stuck-up attitude," Lewis says, while he locks Jolene in a tight grip. I laugh at the sight. The young girl is struggling to escape Lewis' grip, but he's too strong and talks to the boy instead of letting her go.
"Did she finally admit her unconditional love for me?" the boy asks dramatically and he puts his hand over his heart. "I've waited for this for five years."
"Oh – shut – up – " Jolene gasps when she stomps Lewis's toe and throws him over her shoulder. "Stuck-up, huh?"
Lewis laughs heartily when the younger girl lets his arm go and joins the boy.
"Hi, Chase," I hear her say and they hug.
He likes her. I can tell by the way he looks at her and his face lights up when she looks at him.
Lewis gets up from the ground and claps the dust of his trousers. "Jolene, Chase, go tell Sloane we've got guests, will you? And warn Reya she needs to make some extra beds. Jane and her friends are sleeping at our place tonight."
They nod and run off.
I turn to Lewis and cock an eyebrow. "Do you live together with a younger girl?"
He rolls his eyes and pushes my shoulder. "We live together with whomever we like here. We're outcasts, people who have been kicked out of their society. We have a leader, but every single person here is a warrior. We're an army, and that's all that counts for our leader. We're free to choose our own family."
"With 'we', you mean all of the Ejaculate people?"
"No, not everyone. Only our tribe," he responds. "Come on, then, Sloane wants to see us."
"Who's Sloane?" I ask. We start walking and when I look over my shoulder, I see the rest follows us reluctantly. Fang is in the middle of a story and I realize he's probably telling mine and Lewis's.
"She's our leader. That woman is one of the wisest, bravest and nicest people I've ever met. She took me in when I had nowhere to go. She's like a mother to me."
I frown a little. "What happened to your mom?"
He shrugs. "She didn't want anything to do with me once I got kicked out of Macaria. Dad died a few years ago."
"Oh, Lewis," I breathe. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," he replies. "I'm okay. Especially now you're back."
He winks and I feel how my cheeks heat up.
"Where are we, exactly?" Summer interrupts us. She has her round weapons in her hand; she trusts me, but she's not so sure about Lewis.
"My home," Lewis responds. "It's an old and deserted village that somehow survived Angry Amelia. Our leader discovered it fifteen years ago and over the years, people stumbled across it and were allowed to live here. They got children, and others just found it accidentally. Sloane has a big heart; she even has mercy for the murderers and disloyal."
"So you're a group of criminals living together?" she asks bluntly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Summer!" I hiss.
Lewis holds up his hand. "It's quite alright, Jane. Many people think of us that way. You see, Summer, the thing is we only get one chance. If we screw it up, we get thrown out again. This time without mercy. Everyone gets his task when we arrive here. If we don't do it, we get punished."
"Punished?" she asks, startled.
He grins. "Punishment as in doing the annoying chores who no one likes to do. We're not from the middle ages!"
Summer has never been an attentive student in history class, and I snort when I see her confused face. Lewis looks at me and together we laugh at Summer's hilarious expression, just like the good old times.
"We're here," Lewis announces and my eyes fly to the environment. We're standing in the middle of a square, with at least thirty men and women staring at us. The children peek through their parents' legs and hide behind them when we catch their gaze. Before us, there's a gigantic tree with, a few feet of the ground, an instable looking cabin built on the strongest branches. There's a grey circle painted on the door.
"Sloane will be right down. Be polite and be precise. She's a kind woman, but she needs to see you respect her."
I nod and Lewis disappears in the crowd. I see a flash of bluntly coloured hair and I know he and Jolene are reunited. The crowd makes a circle, and within seconds we're in the middle of everyone's attention.
"Jane Loft, daughter of queen Amelia," a loud, magisterial voice says. I jump when I hear my name; I've never heard it spoken so powerful. A tall, fierce woman appears through the door. She puts her hands on the railing and I see her tattoo-covered arms. Her hair is shaved and her eyes are black with eyeshadow. She wears a worn-off grey tank top which was – probably several years ago – white and long trousers with at least five weapon belts around her thighs. She looks lethal, but her voice sounds reassuring. I can understand why Lewis and the rest of the Ejaculate people of this tribe follow her. "Trevor June, son of Henry. Summer Fox, daughter of Lily Fox. Xavier Le Vainqueur, one of Macaria's best and most admired Finders. And at last, but not at least, Fang Graham, the strongest man in Macaria. Welcome."
Well, that's some new information. I didn't know Xav was one of Macaria's best and most admired Finders or Fang was the strongest man in Macaria. Hell, I'm fighting for my life here, but apparently I don't even know who I'm fighting with!
I clear my throat when no one replies. "Thank you for having us, Madam. We're passing through because I'm looking for my brother, Adam. We're running out of food and we're weakened, so we hoped you had some spare food and beds for us."
Sloane nodded. "Very well. You can stay here for as long as you like. My people will treat you well."
I bend my head. "Thank you."
I make a move to walk back to Lewis, when I hear Sloane's voice again. "Jane, can I talk to you for a moment? Lewis and Jolene, bring the rest to your house and give them something to eat and maybe a bath. They look disgusting."
The crowd laughs softly and even I can't help a smile. It's been awhile since we've seen a bath up close.
"Of course." Lewis bends his head and winks at me before turning around and leading my Circle away from me.
oO0Oo
I walk to the ladder dangling from one of the thickest branches and climb it. When I get to the top, Sloane offers me her hand and I take it gratefully. She has a strong grip, but her palm is soft and dry. She wears a ring on each finger and has a piercing through her right eyebrow. Her gaze is fierce, yet calm and reassuring. I already know she's a leader I would follow until my death.
"Thank you," I say and she smiles at me. Her skin is lightly tanned and her dark eyes remind me of someone, though I have no idea who. When she leads me into the cabin, I see the person she reminds me of. It's Chase, the boy who fancies Jolene. He's got the exact same eyes. They have to be related. Chase's leaning against a bookshelf and stares outside. I wonder if Jolene is walking by at that precise moment.
"Chase, darling, I believe you have met Jane and her friends?"
He wakes from his daydream and looks at me. "Yeah, we met a few minutes ago."
I smile at him and he nods friendly.
"Take a seat, Jane," Sloane says, sitting in the chair opposite from the one she's pointing at. It's an old, brown leather fauteuil where the stuffing comes peeking out at some places. I take a seat and it surprises me how comfortable it is. The whole room is quite calming. The walls are made out of rough wood, as is the floor, but the desk in the middle of the room is beautifully detailed and painted in a soft grey colour. It's the same colour from the circle on the door. Behind me and behind Sloane's chair are windows, and each of them are open, allowing the chilly wind from outside to blow in. The wall on my right is covered with bookcases.
"I can't thank you enough for letting us stay here," I start after two minutes of silence. She called me to her cabin for a reason, and I bet it isn't for a tea party.
She folds her hands and put them in her lap. She leans back and studies my face. She still has the warm expression on her face, but she seems like she's trying to figure something out. "You truly are Amelia's daughter. You're just as beautiful."
I blush and smile awkwardly.
"Why are you looking for your brother? He left Amelia years ago, right after she told him the truth. If you ask me, he cannot be trusted."
I breathe deeply. "I'm dying." She raises her eyebrows and Chase takes a seat on the arm of her chair, a concerned look on his face. "Someone poisoned the stone of my bracelet I wore to complete my Festival. When Amelia started the test, she somehow activated the toxin. By now, the stone has created a huge wound that got infected a few days ago and if the infection reaches my blood, together with the poison, I will die." I take off my arm protector and roll up my sleeve, showing them the wound. I need them to trust and believe me completely. "The goddesses told me Adam could help."
Chase shakes his head. "Who does something like that?"
I shrug. "I wish I knew. I think someone who hates Amelia or something. Some people even think the goddesses did it." I knowingly don't mention Lunar's name, because he's Amelia's spy and I don't want to blow his cover in Palsa. I don't want to ruin the life he built for himself and his daughter. When I think about Camille, goosebumps covers my entire body and I feel anger boiling up in my stomach. I've never met someone I hated this much. But she came with her father when he needed her the most, so I guess she earns a little respect. Then again, she hit me straight in the face, and someone like that deserves anything but respect.
"The goddesses?" Chase asks, and to my surprise, he doesn't seem shocked. "That would explain a lot."
"You mean because they take a piece of our powers and use it their selves so they can restrain the mortals and avoid them to form an army and defeat the goddesses?" I ask, remembering what Lunar told us.
Sloane nods and toys with one of the knives at her thighs. "Exactly. They're terrified of you."
"Why me? You said yourself Fang is the strongest man from Macaria." I blink and shake my head. This is unbelievable. Why would the goddesses be afraid of me? I'm not really a threat to anything, except maybe Mushkas.
"You're Angry Amelia's daughter. If they couldn't restrain her, how could they restrain you?" Sloane asks me, raising an eyebrow. She's looking at me with an expecting gaze and I look at my hands.
"If they poisoned my bracelet, it's their fault I didn't complete my Festival. It's their fault I will have all of my powers."
She shakes her head. "Not if you're dead."
My eyes widen and I look at her. "They want me dead so they can control me? But, I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Yet," she says. "You haven't done anything wrong yet. They're just afraid you'll end up just like Amelia and start a rebellion or something."
"I would never do that!" I argue and Sloane sighs.
"You know that. I know that. But the goddesses don't care. They think it's better to be safe than sorry. It's easier to control a ghost than a powerful young woman."
I shake my head and bury my face in my hands. "Why would we want to destroy the goddesses?"
Sloane shrugs. "Some people think they can rule the Magical World better than the goddesses. At some points, I agree, but there's a reason why the magical species still exists, and that's thanks to the goddesses. Without them, no one would've survived the Second Big Bang."
"What would happen if no one did the Festival anymore?"
"I have absolutely no idea. The goddesses assume we'll form a powerful army to destroy them, I think we'll only get smarter and better at surviving. It's a matter of perspective."
"If I survive this and I do my Festival, will the goddesses let me live? Will they stop hunting me when I give them a piece of my powers?"
"Let me tell you something about the Festival," Sloane says, her voice lowering and expression hardening. "It's not just a feast where you get sorted into a Blanga. It's an important gathering to determine the rest of your life. It's held when your powers aren't developed yet, and it's easy to take them away. When you're eighteen, it's the easiest. When you're nineteen, it's nearly impossible. I know it may sound weird, but it's the way it is. If you survive this and you do your Festival, it will cost the goddesses more powers to complete it than it gives them strength. When you're nineteen, your powers are fully developed and you become more powerful than the rest."
"So..."
"You didn't do your Festival, which makes you the strongest of your Circle," Sloane says slowly, letting her words penetrate my brain. "You'll be smarter than Xavier, gentler than Trevor, fiercer than the general Rabidity member, stronger than Fang and more seductive than Summer."
"And that's what the goddesses fear? That I'll be like them? Except from the immortality?"
The Ejaculate leader nods and Chase smiles weakly. "Don't forget the goddesses can make you immortal, if you want it and they see a potential goddess in you."
I raise my eyebrows. "Can they do that?"
"Sure they can," he answers. "They just don't. I guess they've never crossed anyone who seemed qualified enough for them."
We fall silent for a few moments. Then I clear my throat and ask: "If you don't mind me asking, Miss, but how did you become Ejaculate?"
She smiles kindly. "I ran away when I found out the goddesses would take a part of my powers at my Festival. My friends and I spoke the Holy Text and searched for a new, pure life. We found this settlement, and started this Ejaculate society."
"How did you find out?" This woman is so very interesting and such an example for everything I stand for. A strong opinion, the guts to stand up for yourself and self-respect. I envy her.
I see a joyful glint in her eyes when she thinks back at that time. "I was Sapience. We're supposed to be curious enough to find those things out."
"You said you ran away before your Festival. That means you left your family and most of your friends behind when you were seventeen. How did you survive?" I ask.
"Again, I was Sapience. If we don't know something, we figure it out," she explains. "It was a hard time, especially when all of my friends died one by one due to natural causes, but I got through it, and made a new life for myself and my loved ones."
She looks very proudly at Chase and he smiles back, his hand on her shoulder.
"If you don't mind me asking," I start, my curiosity taking the upper hand, "but are you related? I mean, you have the same eyes."
Chase nods. "Sloane is my mother."
My lips form a silent 'o'. I should've known. The same eyes, the way she looked at him, the way he sits on the same chair as her,... it's actually very obvious.
"Listen, Jane," Sloane says as she scoots a little closer. "I know you think you're doing the right thing, but... I really don't trust Adam. Like I said before, he bolted when your mother told him everything and he never returned, not even to ask about you, his baby sister. That doesn't sound like a loving person."
I shrug. "I know. I mean, I don't even know his last name. The only thing I'm sure of is he's my brother and I need to find him. He's the only one who can save me. If I don't take this risk, I will die."
She nods and leans back. "Then I'll send five of my best soldiers with you. But before you leave, stay here for the night and freshen up a bit. We can wash your clothes, bind your wounds and take care of that nasty injury. We have loads of food and beds for you to sleep in."
"Thanks again, Miss," I say politely and I stand up from the chair. I bend my head and smile. "For everything."
"No need to call me 'miss'. You can call me Sloane." She stands up, too, and holds out a hand for me to shake. I take it. "I like you, Jane Loft. You've got the mind of a queen and the heart of a leader. You'll make a fine successor, one day."
I smile gratefully.
"I'll take you to Reya's," Chase offers and I nod gratefully. I have no idea where I'm supposed to find my friends. A guide would be very welcome.
With a final nod at Sloane, I leave the cabin together with her son.