I loved how he picked up on my feelings without me having to announce them to the world. He knew when I was in pain and when I was scared. He always knew when I was in serious trouble, sometimes even before I did. He looked back at me when I lifted my head. I gave him a grateful smile, letting him know that I was okay. He was not only my protector; he was my big brother and very best friend.
I knew this was for more than just Jayce and me. It was for literally everyone, because I was the key, the one who risked having the elements destroyed. This wasn’t something I was prepared to live with. The elements were my friends and I needed to protect them. Meriel was hurt and Garrison had been killed because of me. Lakylee never would have been in the forest that night if she wasn’t searching for me, and if I hadn’t escaped from Daray, none of this would have ever happened. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt. I’d figure out how to find Daray to get this sorted out peacefully. Together, we could find a way to keep him and the other nightwalkers away from me as well as the people I cared about most.
We came to an opening in the forest and the unicorns slowed their pace. I felt overwhelmingly tired by this point. I wasn’t used to staying up all night. It had been well over thirty-nine hours since I’d last slept. I was really starting to feel the effect.
The unicorns headed off to the right side of the clearing. Lowering their shimmering heads, they began feeding on the greenery. Kaleb hopped down and then lent me his hand for support so I could dismount. Kael followed as we moved further into the field where the grasses and wildflowers were quite tall.
Kael dropped his large body to the ground. “Guys, I’m beat.” He let out a yawn as he sprawled his large body across the grassy field. Once settled, he completely disappeared out of sight.
Kaleb nodded his head in agreement as he watched his sidekick vanish. A second later he flopped down in the tall wild grass. I heard his voice clearly say, “Wow, the sky’s just amazing, look at them… they’re so…” and his sentence trailed off with a big yawn.
The tall grass and wildflowers managed to hide their large bodies quickly. Pieces poked up all around concealing them, it was really good camouflage and I hoped it would be enough to keep us safe. At least we were out of sight from any animals passing by. I wasn’t sure it would do anything to protect us from the immortal animals, but I was sure it would be enough for the mortal ones.
The guys made the ground appear so comfortable. I looked over and watched the unicorns for a moment as they strolled nearby, feasting on the lush greens. They seemed so peaceful and content. If danger was anywhere near us, I didn’t think they’d remain quite so relaxed.
I couldn’t put my mind at ease with so many doubts racing through it. I just wasn’t sure it was safe to rest here. It was the middle of the night and we were in a clearing with very little protection. After all, this was a vast forest where anything could sneak up from behind or even come at us head on. We were open on all sides. Thick trees surrounded the entire area, yet we stopped in a clearing. Why did the unicorns decide to rest here, of all places? I understood that we were in a desperate situation, but seriously, were grass and wildflowers the only protection we could muster?
My body was suddenly so fatigued that it felt like I was carrying the world on my shoulders. The weight of all the stress pushing against me made me want to hit the ground. I couldn’t lift my arms or move my legs and I didn’t have any strength left to fight with myself over my doubts. My body was completely exhausted. Come what may, because there was no way I was going any further tonight. I silently fell to my knees and then laid down in the tall greens.
The smell of the flowers was magnificent. The aroma of lilies, poppies and daisies, the sound of the grasses whistling as they moved gently back and forth, and the light breeze rusting the leaves of the trees, was my perfect lullaby. I rested my head near a small patch of clover. I hoped there was a four-leafed one somewhere in the patch because I was betting on its luck. We needed some good luck to keep us safe tonight.
I gazed up at the sky. The stars sparkled just as they did every night. They were happy and in love. Was I ever going to get to go to the stars? I thought before drifting off to sleep.
The morning sun woke me as it shone down brightly upon us. Another beautiful day had arrived. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen in the bright blue sky. Birds chirped happy songs in the distance.
I sat up and took notice of the tiny patch of clover. Sure enough, right in the center rested a lone four-leafed clover. I’d placed my bet right. We’d made it safely through the entire night. As I sat there contemplating whether or not I should pick it and keep it with me, one of the unicorns placed her shiny white head down and began nibbling. I watched as she ate my clover.
“Oh, well, there goes my luck,” I laughed.
Kaleb and Kael were also awake and sitting up in the tall grass.
“You? Luck? Now that’s a funny one,” Kael said, letting out his boisterous laugh.
“Shut up, Kael,” I retorted. It was too early to deal with his ridiculing. I’d just opened my eyes. I needed a few more minutes to find the inner strength that enabled me to ignore his wise cracks. Right now, his comments penetrated straight through me. I already knew that I was the unluckiest person, probably the unluckiest one on the entire planet. If something stood the chance of going wrong, it most likely would if I was involved. I didn’t need a big oaf to tell me about it. I lived it. I knew the outcome, but things were going to change. It was my time to shine.
I got my bearings and decided I was now civilized enough to deal with the guys, so I got up and moved closer. I stood above them and shook my head as the two muscle heads wrestled on the ground, taking turns jabbing one another in the stomach. They laughed out loud as they pretended to meet the blows.
I was grateful Kaleb and Kael had bonded so closely. Kael would never replace Garrison, but was the perfect person to fill the void he left behind. All his joking around was good for Kaleb. I found his jokes quite annoying first thing in the morning, but I was also always cranky when I first woke up. All in all, it was a good thing he was with us. Kael was a part of our family now.
My stomach interrupted playtime as it let out a loud grumble. They stopped and looked up. “Wow, sorry guys, but I’m totally starving. We need a plan. Where are we going?”
“You could always go home,” Kaleb suggested.
Home? I couldn’t think of any other place I’d rather be. “You may be onto something there, Kaleb.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. No service. It really hadn’t surprised me because we were standing in the middle of a forest.
The boys started getting up, making it clear that we were going to start hiking. One problem, which way was home? I was totally confused as to where we were.
‘We’ll lead you out safely before we part ways.’ The larger unicorn informed me as she gracefully began heading back into the thick trees.
“Thank you.” I took a last glance around. Stunning pink, red, purple, orange and even tiny white flowers covered most of the clearing. Patches of clover appeared scattered all over. Small bushes and wild ferns filled the open gaps between the trees.
The tranquility must have appealed to all of us. Its magnificence matched the beauty of the unicorns; perhaps this was why they’d stopped in the first place. I turned my head away from the beautiful clearing. I would always keep its picture fresh in my mind. It would be my tranquility place for whenever I needed somewhere peaceful to go. No matter how bad things got, I’d always feel better coming back here, even if it was just in my mind.
The five of us made our way with the unicorns taking the lead. The forest was full of bright greens, deep and dark greens, accompanied with gentle nature sounds, creating an utterly peaceful serenity. The sun was bright and warm as it cut through the trees, casting away the lurking shadows. Everything seemed better today, mostly because we no longer had the threat of running into any nightwalkers.
Thoughts of Jayce lingered in
my mind. I daydreamed about the two of us, lying in the beautiful green ferns, sharing our electrifying kisses amongst the sweet smelling wildflowers. I missed him more and more as every second passed.
Loyal Kaleb came over and placed his arm around me. I felt so badly that he was burdened with my pain. “I’m sorry,” I whispered so the others couldn’t hear.
He didn’t say anything. He just squeezed a little bit harder and I knew that he was with me no matter the outcome.
Kael looked back. “What’s going on here?” he asked. “Am I missing something?”
“Nope, nothing at all, Kael. Kaleb was just keeping me company for a while.” I let go of Kaleb so he could catch back up with his buddy.
Kael and Kaleb raced ahead of us, roughhousing their way through the thick bush. With the ruckus they made, I doubted anything would be brave enough to come within two hundred yards of us.
The unicorns steadily led us in the direction we needed to go. I positioned myself so I could walk between them. I was still completely amazed by their sheer beauty. Unicorns had always been chalked up as nothing more than a myth, but these two were living proof. They gave me a new sense of hope knowing that there was goodness left in the immortal world; it was just hidden. However, having this kind of goodness on our side made anything possible.
We managed to make our way to a road.
‘This is where we must part ways. We’ll always be in your debt, Shanntal. Thank you so much for releasing us from the dark spell and showing us the way back into the light where we belong.’
I couldn’t help myself. I walked right over to the largest unicorn and wrapped my arms around her neck. “I’m so happy I could help. I hope to see you again soon, and thank you for everything.”
‘You are very welcome. I’m glad I had the pleasure of meeting you in person.’
I smiled at the glorious animal standing before me and found myself wondering, what kind of names did unicorns have?
‘Oh, sweet girl, you know me. We met once before in your dreams. I knew you were coming to save me. We all did.’
“Gabriella?” I asked.
‘Yes, I am Gabriella,’ she said, shaking her flowing white mane.
“Wow!” was all I could say.
Gabriella turned and wandered away. I quickly proceeded over to the other unicorn, gave her a big hug and thanked her for everything.
I walked back towards the guys, but turned to take a final look at the unicorns as they departed. “Thank you again for helping me. I’m so glad I got to believe in you!” I called out to them before heading out of the forest with Kaleb and Kael. The three of us strolled down the road enjoying the warmth and freedom of the beautiful sunny day. A little ways down the road, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Perfect!” I announced to the guys.
They both stopped to look at me.
“We have service!” I said, waving my phone, accompanied by a little dance. I was going home today!
I dialed and Uncle Dane answered the phone on the second ring.
“Hi, Uncle Dane. It’s Shanntal.” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face even if I tried. It was so nice hearing his voice.
“Hey, kiddo! What’s going on?”
“Well, actually I was just calling to check and see if you were home. I’m on my way with Kaleb and Kael. I need to speak with you when I get there. Are you going anywhere today?”
“Nope, should be around all day. Can’t wait to see you.”
“Great! I’ll see you soon then. Love you,” I said before hanging up.
I was looking so forward to going home, almost to the point I couldn’t contain my excitement. I wanted to start running, just so I could get there as quickly as possible.
“So?” Kael said.
“So, he knows we are on our way and sounds very pleased. I’m sure it won’t be a problem for us to stay there. So, let’s go.”
“Wow! Someone’s pretty excited to get home,” Kael said, sounding hurt.
I knew exactly what he was getting at. “Kael, you and Kaleb will be staying with me. The three of us are a team now. Wherever one goes the other two follow.” I smiled at him and then over at Kaleb. I was glad to have them both on my team.
Kael grinned at me and then charged Kaleb, almost knocking him to the ground. He let out his renowned laugh and we headed home. A short while later we arrived on my road. I could see the tall evergreens standing proudly in the front yard.
Excitement coursed through me. I couldn’t contain it anymore. I wanted to race the rest of the way, burst through the front door and tell them everything was going to be okay. I’d never leave them scared or worried ever again, but the truth was, I didn’t know how things were going to turn out. Jayce wasn’t speaking to me and I was trying to keep my distance from the elements and other shifters. Daray was still missing and I’d just betrayed Lakylee.
Argh! Why did everything always have to be so complicated? I wanted simplicity, I longed for it. How did my life get so turned around? Was I ever going to be able to fix it?
We made our way onto the front lawn and I stopped upon reaching the front door. Did I need to knock or could I simply walk in? Suddenly, I felt unsure and my excitement was replaced with insecurity. I hadn’t been home in a while and it almost didn’t feel like this was my home anymore. After the fight and how I’d left here, I felt more like a houseguest now. I lifted my arm to knock when the front door swung open. Auntie Steph stood in the doorway, wearing a smile reaching from ear to ear.
“What took you so long?” she asked, reaching in for a hug.
“Trust me, we came as fast as we could,” I said, hugging her back tightly and forgetting about my previous inhibitions.
“I’m happy to see you all. I’ve missed your faces.”
“Hiya, Steph!” Kael said.
“Nice to see you again,” Kaleb said, a bit more politely.
“Well come on in, we’ve been waiting for you all day, it seems like.” She moved off to the side allowing us to walk in. She hugged each of us as we entered.
Now I felt ridiculous for thinking I didn’t belong here. This was my home and these people were my family. Of course I belonged. Uncle Dane sat on the couch not bothering to get up as we entered the room. Then, I noticed that someone was sitting beside him, but I couldn’t make out who the other person was because Uncle Dane was blocking most of my view. I walked over closer so I could greet them; my uncle, who was grinning ear to ear, looked up at me. My heart stopped as soon as I recognized the other person. It was Jayce.
“Jayce? What… what are you doing here?” I asked stopping in my tracks. I felt dumbfounded; was my mind playing tricks on me? I waited to jolt awake from this dream.
“Well, hello to you too,” he said.
My heart raced as the butterflies built up. He looked so perfect as he sat there in front of me. He was everything I wanted, all that I needed, but it wasn’t safe for him to be here and he knew this. It didn’t make any sense. Why was he here?
Jayce stood up from the couch and moved closer to me. I noticed the little nod he gave to my uncle, so I shifted the direction of my stare towards Uncle Dane and watched as he quietly retreated out of the living room. I looked around and noticed that everyone else had also gone into the kitchen. They stood close enough to see and hear what was happening between Jayce and me, but not one of them spoke a word.
Great, now I felt ambushed. They all seemed fine with the fact that Jayce was here, but how could they forget that this was a very dangerous situation for him? My emotions were conflicted. I was so happy to see him and at the same time angry he was here. Then, I realized, he was choosing me over the elements, and I wasn’t able to live with that decision. I couldn’t be the one who broke them up. He needed to leave.
“Jayce, I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?”
“I’m here for you, Shanntal.”
“Jayce, you can’t be. The elements…”
“I need you more than anything else. Don’t you und
erstand? I need you more than life, you are my life.” He moved a stride closer.
I melted with his words, but reality sank back in. “Jayce, you must think about the elements. You can’t leave them, they need you.” I sat down on the couch. I didn’t like feeling so exposed with everyone watching and eavesdropping.
Jayce sat down beside me. He reached over and took my hand. He twined his fingers through mine. A tingling sensation ran through my entire body.
“I can’t put you in harm’s way,” I said, pulling my hand out of his grasp. It was breaking my heart to push him away, but it felt like I was doing the right thing. I was trying my best to keep him and the others safe.
“Everyone knows you mean more to me than anything else. They understand because they feel it. They love you dearly, as well. The elements know they cannot fight for you, but I can and I will.” He pulled my hand back towards him and held it firmly on his lap.
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