“How did you get into my cabin? I always lock it up tight at night.”
“It’s another gift. There isn’t a lock on this planet that I can’t easily get past.”
“Then why didn’t you come in and kill me? I would have been unarmed and defenseless. Easy prey.”
“That’s what I thought at the time as well, but you woke just before I struck and, for some reason that I can’t explain, I hid back in the shadows. Then on your way to the bathroom, you sensed me. No one has ever detected my presence before—Human or Changeling—so I postponed your death to try and find out how you did it. But as I continued to watch you from the shadows, you talked to me. I tried to stay away several times, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill you and I couldn’t stay away either. At first I convinced myself that I was letting you live only to amuse me or because your death would upset the twins.”
“How many times did you come to watch me?”
He debated on how much to tell her but, given the turn in their relationship, he decided that he needed to confess everything and said, “I was in your home almost every night.”
“But we met over a year ago.”
He nodded. “Somehow one day turned into two, which turned into weeks, then months. I was fascinated by your nightly routine.”
“You’ve been coming into my house just to watch me? Why would you do that? I’m not very exciting to watch.”
He sat down next to her and said, “Oh, I beg to differ. You’re quite entertaining. In fact, you became my obsession. You talked to me each night. Even though it was a one-sided conversation, no one has ever just talked to me and shared their inner thoughts and desires. Your words were like music to my ears and I became addicted to the sound of your voice.”
“But I was talking to someone else and said things I wouldn’t have told even my best girlfriend.” She shook her head in disbelief and added, “This can’t be true. If you were in my house I would have seen you.”
“It’s my gift.” He decided it was easier to show her than try to explain, so he said, “Look at me.” When their eyes were locked on each other, he instantly disappeared.
She jumped out of the bed and scanned the room, calling “Where did you go?”
She spun when a voice whispered from the other side of the room, “I’m still here. Find me.”
She had no idea what was happening, but decided to play along. As she walked around the room, she sensed a familiar tingle in the air. She closed her eyes and followed that feeling. When she knew she was near, she opened her eyes and found herself looking into a dark, empty corner. She jumped back when she reached out and touched something solid, but invisible.
From the darkness in front of her, she heard a male’s voice start to hum a tune. When the melody registered in her mind, she covered her mouth with her hand, gasped, and staggered. She grabbed the edge of a nearby chair and whispered with her voice shaking, “Casper?” The one in the shadow was humming the theme song to the cartoon Casper, the Friendly Ghost.
Jax started to speak as he walked out of the darkness. While his body slowly came into focus, he said, “You tell everyone that your favorite color is the green of a dense forest but, in reality, you love the color pink. You don’t want anyone to know because you think pink makes you seem like a weak, ditsy woman. Your favorite number is twelve. That’s because you think it’s cool that it has another name ‘dozen’. You like to make and eat raw cookie dough when you’ve had a good day, but you rarely ever make the actual cookies. You’re hopelessly addicted to bad disaster movies and you like to watch sappy romances when you’re lonely. They always make you cry, by the way. You rarely drink liquor unless you’re homesick and then you only do shots from a bottle of Jack your brothers gave you when you moved away. But once drunk, you could out dance a stripper.”
She backed away and he continued to walk toward her. “When you’re sad, you like to curl up on the couch hugging a pillow and listen to old ballads and any chocolate within arm’s reach is doomed.” He chucked while adding, “On especially bad days, you have an unnerving desire to sing along to a song about muskrats in love.” He involuntarily quivered.
He continued while closing the distance between them. “You hate doing dishes but, for some reason, you love to vacuum. You’re at peace when surrounded by nature and it provides you endless inspiration for your artwork. To watch you paint is awe inspiring. You actually come alive with a paintbrush in your hand and the resulting passion is intoxicating to be around.”
Penny’s backward momentum stopped abruptly when she butted-up against the edge of the bed.
He scanned her body and said, “You’re obsessed with collecting sexy negligee’s—a habit that I’ve grown to dearly love.” With a wicked grin he asked, “Do you want me to list my top 20?”
She gasped and asked, “You saw me? But some nights I slept…”
A leering smile lit his face. “Naked. That was my favorite choice for evening wear. Next in line is that little pink number with the white lace.” He let out a low growl. “When we were camping out, you wondered why I didn’t react to seeing you naked. That was partially because I made sure that seeing you naked was part of my everyday routine.”
Penny felt dizzy and sat down on the edge of the bed. She thought about all of the times she spent with Casper as she took long baths, painted topless, and walked around the cabin in nightwear inappropriate for anyone but a lover to see. As her mind swirled, suddenly her mind filled with images from several nights where her loneliness was fueled by seductive movies. She jumped to her feet and all color drained from her face. She screamed, “Oh my God! You were there and watched me when I…” In a flash, she ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
While splashing water on her face, Jax came to the door and said, “Penny, please come back out here and talk to me.”
She slid down to the floor in front of the closed door and said, “Those nights were private and you had no right to watch. I’m mortified.”
Jax sat down on the opposite side of the door and said, “You have no idea how hard those nights were on me…no pun intended. I wanted to help you address your needs so badly that I actually lost my ability to remain invisible. If you had opened your eyes my secret would have been revealed a long time ago. Since those nights, I’ve longed to know what it would be like to share your passions and, now that I’ve experienced it, I underestimated the sensations a thousand fold.”
“That wasn’t the only time you materialized, was it?”
“No.”
“The night I got drunk after talking to my brothers…you carried me to bed, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Without thinking, as if on instinct, I raced to your side so that you wouldn’t fall. I was so impacted by your touch, I had to force myself to stay away for days.”
“That’s when I sensed that Casper was gone. He was away for several weeks and I missed him terribly.”
“I went away to try and erase your effect on me. It didn’t work and I had to come back. I assumed that you would have remembered seeing me but, to my luck, you told Casper that he had carried you. My secret was safe and I returned to hiding in the shadows.” After a brief pause he added. “Do you want to know what else I’ve learned by watching you?” Without waiting for a response, he said, “You have an uncanny ability to calm people around you. Not only do you trust unconditionally, you also instill instant trust in complete strangers. Although you want everyone to think that you’re independent, you desperately want someone to take care of you as well as have someone to care about. But you seem unable to find anyone that touches your heart—although many would offer their services if you would let them, especially when you’re sad and out in public. Your pain attracts men like flies to fly paper.” He growled protectively.
While looking down at her hand, she asked, “Is that why you gave me the ring?”
“Yes. When others approached you, it bothered me more than words can express. You were mine and no one else was a
llowed to touch you.”
“You think of me as yours? I don’t understand any of this. Why didn’t you come forward right from the start? I would have let you into my home willingly.”
“That’s why I stayed hidden. You’re fearless when it comes to Changelings and your draw was too strong. You’re Human and I fought with all of my might the unwelcomed feelings that you stirred within me.”
“I thought you despised me. Until this trip, I had no idea that you actually cared about me at all.”
“That’s because that’s what I wanted you to think. I’m very good at projecting hate or nothing at all. It’s another of my gifts and I’ve had a lifetime to practice. But you broke down that wall. The night in the moon room, I felt your desire for me and my protective shield almost completely broke down. I know that you think I was teasing you, but it wasn’t an act. If Susi hadn’t come home, the night would have ended much differently. But I’m Ice—a cold blooded killer. Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that someone like you could ever genuinely care for someone like me.”
Hearing the pain in his voice, she opened the door and said, “I do care a great deal for you… so much it scares me. I know that you’re a killer and my instincts tell me to stay away. Even after being repeatedly warned about keeping my distance and the Logan incident, I secretly couldn’t wait to see you again. Then again, none of this was much of a secret since I blabbed to Casper all about my crush on the neighborhood bad boy.”
“I’m really sorry about that, but I loved hearing that you cared for me. I’ve never heard anyone refer to me with such affection. After all that you’ve been through, I hate that I have, once again, brought you pain. It’s the last thing in the world I wanted to do. Do you hate me now? I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
She paced in front of him and said, “I wish I could say yes, but that would be a complete lie. I can’t hate you, but I’m extremely furious with you.”
“Do you want me to leave? I could stay in a separate room or a separate hotel if that would make you happy.”
Penny stopped, turned to him, and said, “Just the thought of being in this hotel room without you makes me nauseous. If you left, I know that I would be forced to chase you down. In the time we have been together I’ve learned that I can’t do this without you at my side. No one else will do.”
“Please tell me. How can I make it up to you?”
“First, I want you to stay where you are and listen to me.” For the next thirty minutes, she scolded him for the lies and deception. When she started to repeat the same arguments over, she stopped and asked, “Is there anything else that you haven’t told me?”
He said hesitantly, “There is one thing that you need to know. The family planned on telling you after we got back home, but now seems a better time.”
Fearing what he was going to say, she stiffened and prepared for the worst. She took in a deep breath and said, “Go ahead. I’m ready.”
“It’s your blood.”
“What about it?”
“It isn’t normal for a Human.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Do you recall when Sam fixed your arm after the flat tire?”
“Yes.”
“He took in your blood. Even that small amount impacted him for hours.”
With an expression of complete confusion, she asked, “Impacted him? What did it do to him? Did it make him sick?”
“Just the opposite. He said it gave him incredible focus of mind and it honed all of his senses. Susi was also the benefactor of other changes that left her smiling for days. And then when he took your blood the day before we left on this trip—”
She interrupted him and said, “Wait. Sam didn’t take my blood then.”
“After you got the news about your family, you went into shock. You started to get hysterical and Sam took your blood to help put your mind to sleep. It’s one of his gifts. But you were a mess and he had to take a lot more than he had initially planned.”
“What did it do to him?”
“He said it was like life returned to his body. His pulse went up, he got color in his skin, and he even could stand in the sunlight.”
Her eyes grew wide and she asked, “Without getting burned?”
He nodded and said, “I’ve never seen anything like it. The ability stayed with him for a long time before the effect started to finally wear off.”
“But why would my blood cause this?”
“We don’t know.” After deliberating on whether he wanted to tell her everything, he decided no secrets so he added, “You need to know that for Changelings, especially those like Sam and Susi, your blood is worth more than gold. Many long to be more Human, even if for a short period of time, and would do whatever it takes to get it. This means the effects from your blood must remain secret or you’ll be hunted.”
“You’ve taken my blood. Did it have any effect on you?”
“For me, your blood is like pure warmth. I’ve tasted thousands of Humans and Changelings and nothing comes even close to comparing. Sam described it well. It’s like it brings life back to our bodies.”
Dumbfounded by the thought, she replied, “I don’t know what to say.”
“For now, put it out of your mind and know that, even after we return home, I’ll be there to protect you. You’re a part of me now and I won’t allow anyone—even from the Changeling world—to harm one hair on your head or they’ll see just how deadly I can be.”
He spoke with such resolve, she got goose flesh and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. As she rubbed her arms, she tried to shift the subject and asked, “I’m afraid to ask, but is that the last secret?”
“Yes.”
She asked, “From this point forward, do you promise me that you’ll never lie to me again?”
He nodded. “I promise.”
“Do you also promise never to tell anyone the things you heard me say or do?”
He replied, “Your secrets are safe with me and I’ll never betray your trust again.”
“Okay then.”
He asked in astonishment, “Are you actually forgiving me?”
“I’ll be honest with you. It’s going to take me some time to adjust to these revelations and to learn to trust you again. But Casper, Ice, Jax - - whatever your name is. As I’ve learned recently, life is too short and none of us know what tomorrow will bring. I’ve lost my family, but no amount of embarrassment will make me say goodbye to the best friend that I’ve ever had.” With her voice breaking, she added, “I just couldn’t bear it.”
He replied, “I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere until you force me to leave.”
She reached out to him and commanded, “Get up.” He took the hand she offered and she led him to the side of the bed. She pointed and said, “Go sit with your back against the headboard.”
He had no idea what she was planning, but wasn’t about to question her. He did as instructed and, once he was in place, she said, “Although Casper never responded to me in any way, his presence alone was a great source of comfort. He’s an important part of my life and I need him so badly my heart aches. I was about ready to insist that we race home so that I could feel the tingling sensation of his presence. Now he’s come here to my rescue. So…” While waving her arms she said, “…do your invisible thing. Become Casper.”
Calling on his own form of magic, he instantly disappeared.
She got on the bed and, once she felt where he was, she crawled onto his lap. She wanted to lie against him so she reached out to determine where his head was. When she heard a grunt, she realized that she had accidently poked him in the eye. She quickly apologized by saying, “I’m sorry.”
With a slight chuckle, he replied, “It’s okay. I have a spare.”
“I just needed my best friend to hold me.”
Seeing her uncertainty of how to approach her task, he helped her get into position and lean against his chest. He then wrapped his arms a
round her.
Being in the presence of Casper had always been pleasant for Penny. That sensation was increased a thousand fold when she physically touched him when he was invisible. As her body filled with the tingling, she melted onto him.
After Penny’s body finally relaxed, Casper whispered, “Do you want to know what I learned is your greatest gift?” After a short pause, he said, “Your greatest gift is that you bring out the good in everyone—even in someone like me. I’m a better man because of it.”
Penny’s heart warmed at his words.
After several quiet moments, he pleaded, “Talk to me, Penny.” Casper had missed hearing her voice.
At first she didn’t know what to say but, as she began to talk about the day’s events, the mental flood gate opened. Jax closed his eyes and silently listened as Penny openly shared all that was on her mind—her continued anger at him, her embarrassment for all of the things he had seen her do at night, her growing relationship with his family, the death of her family, and her fear of a future alone.
Chapter 29 - Sharing
After several hours in Casper’s arms, Penny released her captive audience and allowed Jax to return to his fully visible form. Since neither of them had eaten all day, they sat at the food table Jax had previously prepared. Opening up to Casper again helped Penny to start tearing down the self-imposed mental cage she had built around herself and gave her a burst of energy. Jax was thrilled that she hadn’t rejected him and he enjoyed watching her eat until she couldn’t force down another bite.
As Penny cleared away all of the empty food containers, she asked, “Does your family know about how you feel about me?”
“Ben can sense my feelings and yours, so he knows. The twins are clueless to everything. Every time I call home I have to convince them that I’m not going to kill you.”
Penny was touched by the twins’ concern for her and she said, “I love those two fur balls as well.” After a moment to ponder on all of the questions she wanted to ask Jax, she said, “Obviously you know a great deal about me, but I know so little about you. Would you be willing to share with me things about yourself?”
Knight Shift Page 27