Vala Heritage

by J. F. Jenkins

  They found a nice sized booth to camp out in. The business was slow which made for much easier conversation.

  “I’m hungry,” Zes said as he took a seat and picked up a menu, even though he probably had it memorized. Nothing on it had changed since they had first started spending time there nearly two years ago. The twins had been going there since they were young.

  “Is anyone a picky eater?” he asked Teague, but the boy was too lost in the atmosphere to notice anything.

  “There are shiny lights,” Teague whispered to Jewl.

  “I’ll take that as a no.”

  She motioned for Teague to get into the booth. “Sit down, figure out what you want to order, and then you can gawk.” Once he was settled, she moved in next, finding herself sandwiched between him and Anj. “Great.”

  “Oh, did you want some space?” Anj teased. “I didn’t realize you wanted to be alone with—”

  “Save it for the floor,” Jewl said.

  “I have a question. And this is probably going to seem like a stupid one, but if we’re all, you know, different, then why don’t we learn about how to do our different things?” Cheyenne asked.

  Zes put his arm around her. “That’s not stupid at all. It’s a good question, and you will get to learn all about... things. You’ll talk to your adviser about it when you plan for your next semester of classes. Vala doesn’t exist so we can become these amazing all-powerful beings. It exists so we can embrace who we are.”

  “And to make sure we don’t go crazy if we don’t grow up in a place where our abilities are considered normal,” Anj added. “Zes and I grew up in an average every day neighborhood. When his horns finally decided to grow in at five-years-old, we started to attend here. We learned how to maintain normal social lives as well as how to control what we do. My… abilities… developed at a young age, his didn’t come in until about twelve.”

  “And everyone is different with what they can do,” Zes said.

  Anj continued. “I, for example, have little power. I have no desire to learn anything complex and would rather focus on how to harness what I do have for my advantage and comfort. He,” Anj pointed to Zes, “is like a powder keg and has little control and no idea how much power is actually inside of him. They,” he pointed to Jewl and then at Halyn, “both know their limitations and strengths and are being directed to fine tuning them. There are some classes, but most of the learning comes through small groups and independent studies based on the goals of each student.”

  Cheyenne nodded and sank back into her seat. There wasn’t much for her to be embarrassed over. It was as good of a question as any, especially for someone who came from a home where magic was nothing more than a figment of the imagination. The girl was naive. Jewl almost pitied her.

  “Thank you. I was thinking about it all day today in class, but I didn’t want to ask in front of everyone,” Cheyenne said.

  Zes gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Come on, let’s leave them to order.” He was actually getting up to dance?

  The remaining members of the table sat in complete silence. This was surprising as Halyn almost always had something to say. Both she and Teague squirmed as though they were about to explode from sitting still for so long.

  “Can I go play?” Teague whispered into Jewl’s ear.

  She had to suppress an eye roll. “You don’t need to ask me for permission. You can do what you want. By all means, have fun. Knock yourself out. And I don’t mean that literally.” Jewl gave Anj a sharp nudge in the rib cage to get him to move so she could let Teague out.

  “I’ll keep my eye on him,” Halyn said, following him to the dance floor.

  And then it was back to the awkward silence. Anj appeared as though he had zoned out, his eyes more glossed over and more distant than usual. He was either thinking or in one of his deep trances. After another minute, he had a large and goofy grin on his face and he broke into deep laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Jewl couldn’t stand the sound. It seemed far too smug to be laughing about something simple.

  Anj stretched his arms out, his hand settling around her shoulders. He never made actual physical contact with her, but it was close. “I was just thinking,” he said, pausing to chuckle. “How many tricks do you think I could teach him off of a box of treats?”

  She groaned and shook her head. “You’re terrible.”

  “Oh, but you’ve been thinking the same thing since you met him. He’s not here. It’s just us. Please, indulge my curiosity and explain to me why you keep him around.”

  “I believe I’ve told you a couple of times it’s none of your business. Are you ready to go out and hit the floor?”

  He pretended to think for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I think I’d rather sit and converse actually. Besides, I would hate to go out there and out shine everyone. I don’t desire to crush anyone’s ego. Not yet, at least.”

  She shook her head, and then gave him a tiny smile. “If you want to know why I keep him around, it’s because I kind of have to. I would think even you would be smart enough to figure this out by now.”

  “I suppose, after your little adventure from a couple of days ago. But before that, what were you doing with him?” Was there more jealousy found in his voice? She hoped so.

  She raised an eyebrow as she tried to get a better read on what he was thinking. “He forced himself into my life. You should know me well enough that I do not make contact and friends with just anyone, Anj. This is heartbreaking after two years of knowing one another.” Two years? Or had it been more? It felt like a lot longer. She felt as though she had known him and his brother her whole life.

  “I wasn't sure if there were any more bombshell secrets you wanted to drop in my direction,” he said, as though none of it bothered him. He was bothered though. She could see it in the tense way he held his arms, which were still placed behind her possessively. “I understand. I suppose I owe you a bit of information in exchange for what you’ve told me.”

  “You do. And just because I didn’t tell you about where I came from right off the bat, doesn’t mean I’ve lied. I just omitted details about the area. I didn’t make stuff up in its place.”

  “For the most part, though, you told me you grew up in the city,” he said flatly.

  “I did, the city of my home nation. There is more than one on the planet.”

  “Fine, fair enough. Picky miniscule details that, in the end, make little difference correct?”

  “Correct. So do I get to finally hear something?” She sat up in anticipation, but she should have known better than to get her hopes up as she watched him shake his head at her.

  “Not tonight.”

  Around in another circle they went. Everything about them felt cyclical.

  “Of course,” she said, trying to find something else to change the subject to. “It’s not like you to sit out this long. Are you sure you don’t want to dance?” She glanced out at the floor at the others, who all looked like they were having a wonderful time.

  Zes and Cheyenne were off toward the back corner, acting like complete dorks. Neither of them knew what they were doing, but they were enjoying it. How can two boys who are identical be so different? She brought her attention to Teague and Halyn, finding them in the midst of a rather impressive tango.

  “It looks as though you may have some competition now for the best dancer in town.”

  “You lie. That’s not possible. Who could possibly be better than me?” Anj asked.

  “The new boy.”

  The look on his face made it all worth it. It went from a state of disbelief to a state of complete shock as his magic flashed on so he could see for himself the skills the other teen boy had. His face even paled slightly as he watched the two of them move on the floor. Halyn was not the most superb dancer. It would be interesting to see what the boy could do with someone who was actually trained.

  Anj watched them for a moment longer. “I suppose a song or two can
be arranged. I wasn’t planning on doing much tonight, however. I feel a bit rundown.” He chewed on his lower lip. “I’ve been having some rather strange sleep, even for me. Perhaps I’ll tell you on the floor.”

  Another sharp nudge to the ribs was given, and he leapt up from his seat to let her out of the booth.

  Jewl flashed him a small smile. “I knew you couldn’t turn down such an obvious challenge. After all, you can’t be usurped.”

  “Exactly, let’s go. I want to be back right when the food gets here.”

  “I’m sure you’re starving,” she said and stood up. Sleep and food went hand in hand for him. If he wasn’t sleeping well, then he wasn’t eating well either which worried her. Still, despite all of his groaning, he needed to do something fun to distract himself from whatever was bothering him so much. If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have agreed to join her.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “Huh?”

  He grabbed her nearest wrist so she could lead him out to the dance floor with ease. “Your body language suggests you’re annoyed. Then again, you’ve been suggesting you’re annoyed for a while. Never mind, it was a stupid observation.”

  There was a good spot on the floor if she got them over there before someone else claimed it. It had just the right amount of room for anything they might do and she wanted to keep him as far away from Teague as possible. She risked a glance in his direction, hoping he didn’t catch it for fear of him thinking it would be an invitation to come over.

  “Your body language suggests you’re tense,” she said in an effort to continue their conversation. The goal was to get him talking. Something was off and she couldn’t figure out what.

  “There are a lot of things to be tense about,” he said, pulling her in closer to him. “I don’t need to rehash them all with you, at least, not here. All it will do is remind me of how worried I am, and I know it will just make you pissed off again. We’re supposed to be having fun, remember?”

  Jewl gave him a firm poke in the chest. “Yes, which is why I asked you to dance.” He dipped her and she couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh. She quickly covered it up with a small cough in hopes he missed it, but she was pretty sure he hadn’t. He was smiling ever so slightly.

  “And here I thought it was because I was devastatingly handsome.” He teased, and then trailed both of his hands down to her hips before taking a firm hold.

  “No, that’s not why.”

  “Are you saying I’m not handsome?” His lower lip pushed out slightly and outside of their blank gaze, he had somehow managed to give her wide and pathetic looking eyes.

  Don’t pout at me. Please don’t, it’s irresistible. She pulled away from him in an attempt to be coy and hard to get. “I’m saying you aren’t devastating.”

  “I suppose that’s a good thing.” He opened and closed his hands at her, like a child who was trying to beg their mother for attention. “You’ve moved too far away. It’s a little difficult to dance with someone you’re not—”

  Jewl had stopped listening to him. Her eyes trained on something she caught moving out of the corner of her eye. Movement on the ceiling, taking the form of a black, shadow-like figure, crawling over them. It was faceless, much like Teague’s images on his wall.

  Anj stopped mid-sentence when she literally jumped back into his arms again. “Jewl, are you okay?”

  “Of course,” she whispered, nuzzling her face into his chest. If there was one place she always felt safe, it was with him, not because he was physically strong. He was far from being muscular. It was a different kind of strength, not even magical, something about his attitude. She knew he would fight to the death for her, just like she would for him. Whatever dark creature she imagined would surely stay away from her if she clung to his side.

  “Yes, which is why you’re completely covered in goose bumps right now and are practically cowering against me.”

  “I’m cold. And I think I’m going crazy, okay? Can we just be still for a minute or two?” she whispered against his chest. Rubbing her arms, he obliged her request without saying a word.

  “You know, the weather is cooling down. You should start dressing warmer,” he said, continuing to hold her close to him. He swayed their bodies slightly in an attempt to keep them dancing.

  “Yes, I know.”

  He cupped her chin with his right hand and raised her eyes to meet his. The blue glow around his eyes was faint as he used his sight spell to see her. “Promise me you’ll always carry a sweatshirt on you for a while? I’d feel better about it, especially since I’m not going to be around over break. Which I was meaning to ask you—”

  “I think I’m going to pass this year.” She knew exactly what he was going to ask, and as much as she wanted to spend the Thanksgiving holiday break with him back at his home, she found herself wanting to be alone much more.

  Holidays with his family were always awkward anyway. The last one she attended with the boys had resulted in Anj being sequestered to the kitchen for socializing and her and Zes bonding in the basement where no one could see them. Jewl was not a welcome guest in their home, but their mother had a lot of biases. An average girl was not going to be good enough for her precious baby to date.

  “I already knew that actually, but I thought I’d try,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his latest foresight. “And as for your other request, I’ll be sure to do so if it’ll help you sleep better at night.”

  “It won’t, but thank you.”

  Jewl tried to maintain eye contact with him, but he soon averted his eyes downward and they returned back to their usual glossed over state. He brushed at his hair casually to hide them once more. “I think I’m feeling less crazy now.”

  “Good because I need to borrow your sanity for a moment.” He gave her a small spin, looking as happy and normal as ever, but there was a lot of tension in how he held her. She wasn’t the only one shaking now. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you told me the other night. You know, about your past and where you come from? I don’t think anything happening with you and this new boy is a coincidence. You were chosen for a reason, and there’s no point in denying it. I won’t bother with asking you to explain it either. I know you never would even if you did know.”

  “Is there a point to all of this?”

  “Yes, I wish I could explain it without breaking any rules. They have so many of them.” Rules that had caused Anj a great deal of anguish. She learned long ago whoever was giving them to him was being completely serious when they meant they could never be broken. The idea alone of rebelling terrified him too much.

  She put a finger to his lips to silence him. “Whatever cryptic warning you have for me, you know I’m not going to follow it anyway. Thanks, but I can take care of myself just fine.” She was also a firm believer that no matter how many warnings were given, no matter how much someone tried, the future could not be thwarted. There was no point in telling her what was in store. All she would do was anticipate the moment.

  “I know you don’t like it, but don’t you understand, it will make me feel better?” His tone of voice was more rough and his movements much more sharp as their dance heated up.

  “Then consider this me bursting your happy bubble.”

  Anj’s hands flew up in frustration. “You broke that a long time ago, darling. I think the food is here.”

  It hadn’t arrived yet, but that did not stop him. He sat in the far corner of the booth, pulling a knee to his chest, and hugging himself tightly. Once the food did get there, he spent more time chewing on his lower lip than eating.

  ****

  Teague giggled with ‘Sparkles’, Cheyenne and Zes ran off to no doubt find a dark corner of the dorm to make-out in, and Jewl returned to her room in silence before she could be roped into something else. The first thing she did when she got in was go to her calendar and count the days until Thanksgiving break. There were far too many of them.
r />   Chapter Eleven

  Thankfully, the days passed quickly. It didn’t take long for the students to vacate the campus as soon as the last class got out. Jewl wasn’t looking forward to spending break completely alone, but the idea of spending the weekend with the twins as well as Cheyenne made her feel sick to her stomach. Cheyenne would no doubt get shoved onto Anj, which Jewl hated to see. He belonged to her. Then she and Zes would be sequestered to the basement until after the obligatory family socializing was complete. Finally, she would be ditched altogether so Zes and Cheyenne could do whatever it was they did.

  The two had grown even closer and it wasn’t rare for Jewl to return late from studying to find them all over each other somewhere in, or near, the dorm. Every time she caught them she felt her skin grow hot with anger and jealousy. Was it because the two brothers looked so much alike that watching Zes with Cheyenne was like watching Anj cheat on her? Or was it because she was jealous of her lack of intimacy in her own life? Or maybe because it was so difficult for her to get Anj to be as emotionally devoted to her as Zes was to Cheyenne? The boy would do anything for her, and probably never kept a thing from her.

  She had at least expected the twins to come and say goodbye before they left for the long weekend. But as it grew later into the evening and they didn’t show, her heart sank. Changing into her favorite pajamas and getting ready to snuggle into the couch with her favorite stuffed animal for a movie, she tried not to let her disappointment get the best of her. Good thing she didn’t because not soon after she sat down, there was a knock on her bedroom door.

  As she gripped the handle to open the door, her heart pumped faster and her stomach tied into knots. She hoped it was Anj. In her gut she knew it was him, and when she opened the door she wasn't disappointed. What she hadn’t anticipated was his reaction upon seeing her. Then it dawned on her that her favorite pajamas were cotton short-shorts and a tank top. And she wasn’t wearing a bra.