Linked (6 page)

“To be
fair, for the most part we do choose who we link with, but occasionally the
Senior Guardian will override our decisions, especially when a new Seer is
found and that Seer needs a strong partner for their first link. Anyways, this
time my dad told Max he had to link with the new Seer; her name was Shannon.
Max flat out refused and said he was going to re-link with Maggie.”

“Yikes,”
I said.

“Yeah
well, things went from bad to worse real fast. Before my dad could talk some
sense into Max, he’d already re-linked with Maggie, who was supposed to be on
her way down to join the Florida Circle.” He gave me a knowing look.

“A
Senior Council decision?”

He
nodded. “But not everyone submits to their decisions – Max and Maggie being a
perfect example. Only now, time was running short and a replacement Guardian
needed to be found for Shannon. So, my sister Hannah had to get on the Network
and find someone—”

“Get
on the Network?”

“All
Guardian Circles keep a record of the Seers, Guardians, and Amethysts in their
area, so that if someone from another Circle needs immediate help for whatever
reason, they can search the database and know where to go. Anyways, Hannah
found someone in Alaska who also needed a linking partner, but before that
Guardian arrived in town, something terrible happened.”

“What?”
I barely breathed.

I felt
his arm muscles tense as he said, “Max and I took Shannon out to the Bellingham
airport to wait for the guy’s arrival. For some reason, Shannon had developed a
fever really early, so we wanted to get her linked as soon as the plane landed.
But by some freak chance of events, we ran into Ray-pacs out in the parking
lot. There were three of them.”

It was
my turn to shudder. “What? You can’t be serious.”

“Oh
yes. That was my first encounter with them. I was still a Seer myself and
didn’t have any abilities yet. All we had was Max, whose Flair at the time was
Self-Replicator.”

“What’s
that?” I interrupted.

“That’s
when you can create several images of yourself, but only the true self is capable
of attacking and fighting. Telepathically, Max let Maggie know we needed help,
but before she could arrive with reinforcements we had to fight. To make a long
story short, Max was unable to defend all three of us. As the Ray-pacs advanced
from different angles, he had to make a decision between Shannon and me.” There
was a long silence. “He chose me. While we fought back to back, a flying brick
smacked me across the forehead.” He reached up and ran a finger along his scar.
“I went down, and Max stayed with me. In turn, the Ray-pacs captured Shannon.”
The bald eagle flew overhead again, emitting a loud, squawking noise and
interrupting Jason’s story.

“How
awful,” I said gently and pressed his arm a little harder.

“Yes,
it was. But you know what was even worse?” He gazed at me with a haunted
expression, and I shook my head. “One of the Ray-pacs wasn’t linked, and this
big, greasy-looking dude linked with Shannon right there before us.” He cringed
and closed his eyes. “At that point she was lost to us. Once a Ray-pac links
with a Seer, their Essence mingles and the Seer becomes a Ray-pac – wild and
feral. There aren’t any second chances as far as we know.”

“So,
there is no way to convert a Ray-pac back into a Guardian?” My voiced sounded
shaky.

He
looked at me dejectedly, “No. Not that I’ve ever heard of.”

“What
happened next?”

“The
Ray-pacs had captured Shannon; she must have been what they needed – a person
to for that guy to link with. Then they bailed immediately before everyone from
our circle arrived.” He bit his lip. “Things were tense for a long time between
Max and my dad. On one side, my dad was furious Max had linked with Maggie when
he’d been told not to; on the other, he was grateful Max had protected me.
Personally, I think my dad harbored a lot of guilt for sending us out there
unprotected. But really, in his defense, how could he have guessed something
like that was going to happen? Ray-pac sightings in Bellingham were rare.” He
paused for a breath. “At least they have a good relationship today.”

“And
you seem very close to Max, as well.”

He
nodded and with his mouth set tight, he said grimly, “The choices we make
define us, but they also directly affect the people around us. That’s why logic
rather than emotion should be used when making a decision; the consequences
must be considered.”

“Whether
you use emotion or logic, it doesn’t matter, the consequences can still hurt
the ones you love,” I said in disagreement. He started to open his mouth but I
changed the subject. “Do you ever wonder about Shannon?” I asked.

“More
than you’d think,” he said softly. His brows furrowed and he rolled onto his
side and faced me. My hand dropped to the mat, and I left it there. “Even
though I knew there was no danger of Kieran linking with you yesterday Alex, I
was still terrified. When you two disappeared into the forest, I felt like I
was reliving that awful day four years ago when the Ray-pacs robbed Shannon of
her life. I couldn’t handle that again, especially not with you.”

My
heart reeled. “That’s exactly how I feel about you.”

“That’s
what I’m afraid of.”

Later,
we walked back to the house where he grilled a couple mean steaks and some
veggies while I put together a salad. We ate outside and stuck to a
light-hearted discussion as we watched the sunset. After we cleaned up the
kitchen and did the dishes he said, “So, hot tub or a movie?”

As
much as I would have enjoyed seeing him in nothing but swim trunks, I didn’t
think my heart could take an evening in the Jacuzzi where thoughts of romance
bubbled around me in the hot water. “Movie,” I said with resolve.

He
frowned slightly, seemingly surprised by my choice. “Okay, I’ll meet you in the
movie room. There’s cabinets full of blu-rays, all alphabetical by title. Pick
one out, and I’ll be there in a minute.”

The
home theatre room was a good size, probably about 25 feet deep with a large
movie screen about eight feet across. There were four rows of theatre style
seating, each with five cocoa-colored plush chairs in a row. The recessed
lights let off a dim glow, offering a subtle ambiance to the room, and the
carpets and walls were done in neutral tones of beige, ivory, and burgundy. I’d
just chosen a movie when Jason appeared and looked down at my choice.

He
stopped short, raised his eyebrows, and grinned. “I never took you for an
action-flick sort of girl.”

“Oh
really,” I slapped the movie into his hand. “What kind of girl did you take me
for?”

“Maybe
mysterious with a deep plot. Or,” he tapped the movie against his head,
“romantic with a hint of comedy.”

“I can
be those kinds of girls too.” I placed a hand on my hip. “But really, at heart
I love action, speed, and loud music.
Fast & Furious
is one of my
favorites. The opening scene with the oil tankers rocks – lets you experience
the danger without actually living it.” I paused and bit my finger. “After
yesterday, I can definitely say I’ve lived it. I don’t know about you, but I’m
ready to just watch it. Besides,” I winked, “I’ll watch any movie with Paul
Walker more than once.”

“You’ve
got to be kidding.” His face scrunched together in disgust.

“Oh
no. Paul Walker is a hottie.”

He
frowned, “No, I meant…oh, never mind. If this is the one you want to watch,
I’ll put it in.”

As he
fiddled around with the projector system, I said smoothly, “Ya know, you kind
of remind me of Paul Walker. Blonde, tall, pretty boy face,” I giggled, because
he was blushing profusely. “And how strange, you both have the same last name.”
When he turned around with arched eyebrows, his eyes penetrated straight
through to my soul. I clasped my hands nervously behind my back but refused to
look away. “Personally though, I think your aqua-marine eyes are more
incredible than his baby blues.”

He
moved impossibly fast and stopped before me. “You shouldn’t say those things.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose.

“Why?”
I prompted.

“You
know why.” His voice was deep and his breathing ragged and his eyes were still
closed.

“No, I
don’t, where there is a will there is a way. So, make me understand.”

His eyes
popped open, and he snapped his fingers. “Popcorn. Come with me.”

Popcorn?
Seriously? He wasn’t ready yet, but I could see I was affecting him. I’d just
have to keep working on him. Shaking off the feelings, I followed him to the
kitchen where we used an air-popper instead of microwave popcorn. My heart
melted. “Now, if we only had licorice,” I said wistfully.

“Ask
and you shall receive.” He opened the cupboard door. “Red or black?”

I
smiled broadly. “You’re just full of surprises Mr. Walker.” He gave me that
watch out or you’re gonna be in deep trouble look, which I returned with a nice
sassy smile. “Definitely red. When Ally whips out those nasty black vines, I
make her sit at the other end of the couch with Ben between us.”

“Strong
feelings on that topic I see.” He laughed and pulled out a huge Costco tub of
red licorice.

“Ohhh,
you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” I grabbed the container. “Let’s go
watch the movie. Seriously though,” I looked over my shoulder, “You’re the
best.”

I
think he enjoyed the movie as much as I did, because he chewed his licorice as
fast and furious as I did. Afterwards we talked about the special effects and
our favorite parts before heading to bed. As I slid into the soft sheets, I
studied the hand-sewn quilt that was being used as the main comforter. The
soft, cream-colored quilt popped with multi-colored flowers. Each block
radiated petals made from different fabrics, each one different, but all of
them beautiful. Flipping the quilt down, I noticed a piece of white fabric sewn
into the corner with a handwritten message.

To
my beloved daughter, Janet Elaine Walker

December
1960

I’ve
spent many wonderful hours cutting pieces of fabric from my mother’s original
flour sacks in order to make your Dresden Plate quilt. When you were little
you’d always cuddle up in Grandma May’s old Dresden Plate quilt, and even
though it was tattered and torn you loved it dearly. I decided it was time for
you to have a quilt of your own, one to snuggle in and eventually pass on to
your children.

All
the quilting was done by hand, every stitch with love. I particularly enjoyed
placing the petals and designing the floral patterns. Often during these times
I thought of you and what an amazing woman you’ve become. You bring sunshine
and laughter to all the lives you touch. You’ve brought so much joy to your
father and me. Without your father’s support and encouragement, I could not
make the quilts that I do. His love is equal to mine in every stitch.

God
Bless You! Love always, Mom and Dad

Louise
and Eugene Boughey

I
wiped a tear from eye. What an awesome gift. Snuggled in Jason’s mom’s quilt, I
fell fast asleep. Unfortunately, I woke up at five o’clock and couldn’t fall
back asleep, so I tackled the crisp, early morning with a long walk. When I
returned, Jason’s door was still closed, so I hopped in the shower. Since it
had been slightly chilly and overcast during my walk I decided to wear jeans. I
pulled on my worn, turquoise hoodie that had
Montauk
written across the
front; it was one my parents had bought for me while on a trip to the east
coast.

The
kitchen counter held a note from Jason:

ALEX A.K.A. EARLY BIRD,

WENT FOR A RUN. CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WERE UP
BEFORE ME! HOPE YOU SLEPT OKAY. BE BACK SOON. RELAX. READ A BOOK.

-JASON

How
endearing, he’d left me a note. Funny how he’d written in all capitals; I
tended to do that as well. Carefully, I folded the note and slipped it into my
pocket with a smile. I ate a piece of toast and had a glass of orange juice
before plopping myself down on the piano bench. Rolling my neck side to side, I
flexed my fingers and loosened my body before sitting up straight. Pianos
relaxed me; I’d been playing since I was six years old. I began with
Beethoven’s
Moonlight Sonata
and followed it with Schubert’s
Ave
Maria
. Eventually, I played a more contemporary song: Adele’s,
Someone
Like You.

As I
executed the final notes, I heard Jason clapping from across the room. In a
silky, soft voice he said, “Very nice. My mom will be happy to know there is
someone besides her who will appreciate having the piano here at the Retreat.”

I
turned in surprise. “I didn’t know you were there,” I said, flushing. “I
usually don’t play for other people, just my family.”

“You
should,” he grinned. He was leaning, with his arms crossed, against the wall
right in front of the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. He looked hot and
sweaty, and unfortunately for me, that was all it took to accelerate my pulse.
“Besides,” he added, “I’m not just
any
other people. According to you,
I’m ‘the best.’ So, you should play for me anytime.”

“What?”
I asked confused.

“Oh!”
He feigned hurt feelings, pouting his lips. “It was just last night in the
kitchen when you told me that. How can you forget so soon?”

I stood
up and laughed. “That was because you found a whole tub of red licorice you
nut.” Amused, I grabbed a pillow off the couch and hucked it at him. “You
better go take a shower before you stink up this lovely room.”

He
ducked, and the pillow smacked the wall behind him. “Nice try, better luck next
time,” he taunted and dodged out of the room before my second pillow could hit
him.