by M. Leighton
“Sir, for reasons we’ve already discussed,” Jackson began, clearing his throat and sending a knowing grin in Jessup’s direction. “I’ve had to assume the role of personal Sentinel to the Princess. It might be best if I am privy to her concerns, as they will now be germane to me as well.”
“Good point, Hamilton,” Jessup said, looking back to me expectantly, as if the issue had been decided. “How can I be of service?”
I fumed. I wanted to say that he could kick Jackson out on his perfect butt, but I simply smiled a tight smile, all the while biting my tongue to keep it still. I’d talk to him about dealing with Jackson later.
“It is my fear that a prisoner has escaped Atlas,” I said, getting straight to the point. “I would like you to raise my parents on the com so that I might speak with them.”
Jessup glanced uncomfortably at Jackson before he spoke.
“Princess, I’m afraid that will be impossible at this time. I’d be happy—”
“Commander Jessup,” I snapped, interrupting his placating. “I demand that you let me speak with my parents this instant.”
“Princess—”
“Commander, I will not accept no as an answer. If you will not raise my parents, I will see to it that my father replaces you with someone more willing to accommodate my very infrequent requests.”
“Princess, I’m afraid I can’t—”
“You can and you will,” I demanded.
“But you don’t—”
“Commander Jessup, I don’t care—”
“Princess!”
It was Jackson’s thundering voice that startled my response right out of me.
“Atlas is under lockdown,” he spat.
At his words, I felt the blood drain away from my face. There was only one reason Atlas would be on lockdown, a condition I’d never known to arise.
“The Lore,” I whispered. It was true. The unthinkable had happened.
Jackson nodded sharply. Jessup seemed a little more sympathetic.
“I’m sorry, Princess,” he said.
“Do you know—” I started, but had to pause and swallow so that I could speak around the lump that was obstructing my throat. “What about my parents?”
I saw Commander Jessup slide a concerned glance to Jackson before he met my eyes and answered.
“They’re being held captive.”
An invisible fist punched me in the gut and my knees wobbled. I felt a hand on both of my arms—Jersey and Aidan, they were on either side of me.
“And Truly? What about her? Where is my sister?”
Once again, Jackson and Jessup shared a meaningful glance.
“She’s being held as well. Away from your parents, as leverage.”
The lump inside my throat grew, restricting airflow to my tight lungs. My eyelids burned with unshed tears, tears that I’d die before I shed in front of Jackson.
“Who? I mean, which one has escaped?”
“There are at least eight that we know of, but there could be more.”
“But how?” I asked, looking down at my bracelet. It was one of only four keys that could be used to access the containment area, as well as the only means through which Lore could be captured. “The bracelets…”
“The one meant for your betrothed. It was stolen.”
I looked up and to my right at Aidan’s shocked face. It was plain to see that he was thinking the same thing I was.
“Then there’s a traitor.”
“Yes, Princess. We’ve been betrayed.”
I felt faint, but I fought the haze that I felt moving over me.
“How can we free my parents?”
“The Lore must be captured and returned to Atlas.”
“But how?”
Just before everything went dim, I saw Jackson frown down into my face.
“You, Princess. You’re their only hope.”
And then I was falling forward, right into his broad chest.
CHAPTER FIVE
I was adrift in a blissful sea of tranquility, kept in the pleasant company of all the human fairy tales, people that I knew so much about.
Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, they, along with hundreds of others, felt like my friends in a strange way. I’d heard stories about them all my life, stories about how the Lore had come against them. Like most influential people, there were always those who sought to destroy the family line, to cripple the bright futures of those destined to make a difference.
On dry land, among humans, the histories were viewed as nothing more than fairy tales, and polluted ones at that, most of the truth of each life having been changed over time. And that’s the way the Mer intended to keep it. Since the spirits of the Lore were imprisoned where they could hurt neither descendants nor humans, there was no reason to scare people with the facts, with the reality of such vicious creatures and evil schemers.
But, alas, my dreamy state was not to be. Someone was calling my name, trying to drag me away from the peaceful harmony in the world of my companions.
“Madly,” the familiar voice kept saying. “Madly, wake up!”
I resisted, nothing in the world of that voice as appealing as what I’d found in my dream.
But then another voice chimed in. “Princess,” it whispered.
A tingling feeling spread across my cheek and I listened more closely.
“Madly,” it breathed near my ear.
This voice made me feel weak. It held such magnetism, such a soul-deep gravity for me that I willingly pushed away from my friends to find the person that went with it.
My eyes fluttered open to see a dark silhouette hovering over me. It was backlit by a bright halo of lights. I couldn’t make out any features, other than short hair and an undeniable masculinity. He was touching my face and I thought surely there had never been a more rapturous feeling.
Closing my eyes, I turned my face into his hand and breathed deep. He smelled of salt and sandalwood and something musky that seemed like it should awaken me every morning.
I heard a soft gasp and I turned my face back up, opening my eyes and shifting my head to the side so that I could see past the halo.
Jackson leaned over me. His hand had stilled against my face as if he was frozen and his blue eyes were hard and intense. They were trained on me and his expression said that he’d been delivered a spine-tingling shock.
I felt as if I had, too.
We stared at each other for no more than a few seconds, though it felt as if a wealth of communication transpired in that short time, and then he leaned back, straightening and speaking to someone I couldn’t see.
“She’s awake.”
And then I could see him no more.
I sat up to follow him with my gaze, only to discover that three other pairs of eyes were focused sharply on me.
Surrounding me in a semi-circle was Commander Jessup, Jersey and Aidan. Jackson had already turned to walk away.
I smiled a wobbly smile. Though I was a bit confused, I knew I should be feeling all sorts of things besides what I was feeling, which was an overwhelming desire to slide down off the table I was sitting atop and follow Jackson. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to peer into his eyes and examine the strange things he made me feel.
But I couldn’t do that. Not only was it inappropriate to feel such forbidden things, but my soon-to-be fiancée was standing not a foot from me, staring at me with all the concern in the world.
“Are you alright? You fainted,” he said, worry etched on his face and evident in his tone.
“Well that wasn’t very Princess-like, was it?” I teased, pushing my hair away from my face. I felt flushed and overheated.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. All of this would be a lot for anybody to hear,” Aidan said kindly.
“Yeah, lucky for you, you’ll have Aidan here to take care of all this hard stuff when you’re ruling the roost,” Jersey kidded.
I found that my eyes were drawn to Jackso
n where he’d stopped across the room to talk to another Sentinel. At Jersey’s words, his head snapped up and he turned to look at me, his face an inscrutable mask.
I laughed uncomfortably.
Aidan tugged my hair and assured me, “Well, we’re here to help, whatever needs to be done.”
Dragging my eyes away from Jackson’s, I smiled up at Aidan, reaching up to squeeze the hand at my hair.
“Thanks, Aidan.”
Aidan’s offer brought to mind things I’d been told right before I passed out so indecorously.
“Commander Jessup, was Jackson right? Am I their only hope?”
Just the thought of such an awesome responsibility, such tremendous pressure, made me want to run as far and as fast as I could.
Jessup nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid he was correct.”
“What does that even mean? How can I be the only one…”
“Who could save them?” he supplied.
“Yes.”
“Because you are in possession of the only bracelet that is not trapped inside Atlas. You hold the key to capturing the escaped Lore and unlocking the city.”
At his words, my head swam, making me feel faint all over again. It was just so overwhelming. Too much was happening too fast.
“And how am I supposed to go about accomplishing that? No one has had to use the bracelets like that in decades.”
“Princess, you alone hold the power to wield the bracelet. Only royal blood can imprison a spirit in the pearl, just like only royal blood can set them free.”
“You’re saying that whoever is doing this has forced one of my parents to open the cells?”
Jessup looked suddenly uncomfortable. “That or the traitor is of royal blood.”
My stomach dropped into my shoes at the shock of such a betrayal, the horror of it. I never would’ve even considered a royal. That must’ve been why Jessup looked so uncomfortable. It was treasonous to even suggest such a thing. And yet, he’d taken the risk because it needed to be said. And he was all too right—it could very well be a royal.
“How will I- I mean, I don’t know how to—” I stammered, more flabbergasted as the seconds ticked by.
“Fear not, Princess. Just as in the days of old, you will have the help of the Sentinels. And it is a gift of the fates that you are in the company of one of the greatest our race has ever seen.”
Once more, my eyes strayed to Jackson. His back was turned to me as he talked and gestured with another Sentinel. Just then, he threw his head back and laughed, a dark, rich sound that sent cold chills racing down my legs.
“Jackson,” I whispered.
“Yes, Princess. He’s arguably the best there is. In all my years, I’ve never seen a warrior such as him.” Pride, mingled with something I couldn’t identify, bubbled in my stomach. “And he is yours.”
At those words, my heart leapt in my chest.
Not that way, you ninny! That would be positively scandalous!
Determinedly, I pushed those thoughts aside, putting Jessup’s last declaration out of my mind.
You would never want that anyway, I reminded myself.
Taking a deep breath, I hopped off the table.
“So when do we start? How do we know?”
Jessup sighed, his brow wrinkling in worry. “Well, it will only be a matter of time before the loosed spirits find their descendants and awaken them. And with the shield down, their powers will be fully functional. Hopefully we will be able to spot their activity and set them up for capture before lives are lost.”
I thought of all the kids in my school. I had no idea which ones were which, though history tells us that they are each marked in some physical way by their heritage. Though I didn’t know them well, I found that I still didn’t want to see harm come to any of them. And that’s what would happen if I couldn’t stop it in time.
“Right now, Princess, I require your help in ensuring your safety while we figure this out. I’ll need your word that, for the rest of the night, you will stay in your rooms. We will have additional Sentinels dispatched to you, but until we can formulate a plan, I need to know that you are safe.”
Everyone who knew me knew how much I hated restrictions. I liked to come and go as I pleased, and, until recently, that hadn’t been much of a problem. I’d always taken pride in outwitting and outrunning my Sentinels.
In fact, it was for that reason that, since arriving at Slumber, they’d been very careful to assign me Sentinels that blended in so seamlessly that I rarely knew who they were. And that’s the way I liked it. But these circumstances were different.
“Yes, sir. You can count on me.”
“Good. Thank you, Princess. I know this is a difficult and very stressful situation, but Sentinel Hamilton and I will meet with the High Council and determine the best plan of action for a quick and satisfactory resolution to this debacle.”
“And I appreciate that, but as this so directly involves me, I’d like to be present for the discussions.”
“I understand your position, Princess, but I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
“Commander Jessup, you—”
“I’m sorry, Princess. This is simply beyond my control. These are measures that were developed and written into law by those who dealt with the Lore in old times, and they are non-negotiable.”
I could tell by his expression that, though he showed me much respect, he would not bend on the law. With a sigh, I abandoned this battle, realizing that at some point in the future, it could help me to win a larger war.
“Then I will wait in my room to hear from you. You’ll let me know what the Seers found?”
He nodded, his bow a fractionally-greater gesture, this time involving a bit of his body.
“Yes, Princess.”
When Jessup straightened, he stepped back and three Sentinels materialized, seemingly from out of the shadows, to escort me back to the dorm.
Though I felt an almost physical tug that urged me to find Jackson, I resisted, keeping my eyes trained forward as I ascended the building to the human world outside.
CHAPTER SIX
I was standing by the window in my room, ear buds pumping loud music from my iPod into my ears, as I awaited word from Commander Jessup. Night had fallen beyond the glass and I was getting more anxious as the minutes ticked by.
I had given my word not to leave my room and the hallway outside was littered with Sentinels disguised as students, Sentinels there to ensure that I didn’t change my mind.
Jersey had long since ceased to provide any kind of distraction. She had quickly found that it was too frustrating to keep repeating herself, so she was reading from her human history book and listening to her own tunes.
I was listening to a song about love being like an ocean that would take me down to the depths and steal my heart away. It seemed to mirror the one thought that kept creeping up in my head, the one thought that I kept pushing away—Jackson.
Although I knew it was wrong in so many ways and that it was pointless to think about him at all, my mind kept coming back to him—the strange things he made me feel, the disturbing way he seemed to almost hate me.
I asked myself why I even cared, but I couldn’t find an answer and I couldn’t stop the hurt that I felt at his coldness.
My God, she’s beautiful in the moonlight.
The words sounded inside my head in a deeply familiar voice, one that I was finding inescapable. But where had it come from, that voice? My music was so loud…
Warm fingers on my bare shoulder caused me to jump. I whirled around ready to give Jersey a tongue-lashing, but all thought left me when I saw Jackson looming so close behind me.
My stomach fluttered excitedly, which only irritated me, so I struck out with that emotion instead of all the other things he made me feel.
“Ever hear of knocking?” I spat, jerking one ear bud out of my ear. “You scared me half to death.”
Jackson’s lips thinned.
“I did
knock. Several times in fact. You just didn’t hear me,” he sniped, pulling the other ear bud out with one quick yank.
Though I probably owed him an apology, I refused to give it.
“How did you even get in here? The door is locked.”