"I’m pleased for them," Jade finally said. "They waited because Brenna was always determined she wasn’t just going to fall in and do things the way they do them in the raven’s kingdom. Soulmate or not, she’s human, and she didn’t want to be rushed into a permanent relationship."
"But the wedding was always inevitable," Lauren insisted. "The thing is, even though there will be a royal wedding in their kingdom, Brenna intends to make the same commitment in our world. She’s bringing them to Beaumont where they will hold a ceremony. Of course, she can't officially marry three guys who are, strictly speaking, illegal immigrants, but she can arrange a party. I don’t know the date of the wedding, but I know she’d like you there. I’d guess she’s going to ask you to be her maid of honor."
"Oh, Lauren, you know that means—a bachelorette party! You, Brenna, and me. I’m not sure what we’ll do in Beaumont, though. Since ravens don’t have clothes, I suppose strippers aren’t going to do the trick."
Lauren chuckled, and Jade imagined the eye-rolling taking place at the other end of the line.
"So Beaumont is going to be full of bird people who aren’t used to wearing clothes. Is this going to be a nudist event?" Jade smirked. She wasn’t going naked to anyone’s wedding.
Lauren laughed. "Oh, Brenna is fairly determined to do things the conventional way, as far as possible. You know she’ll invite her parents. I’m sure she’ll insist on clothes. It’ll take some planning."
"Well, I’m honestly looking forward to it."
"There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about."
Flinching, Jade braced herself, ready to confess all, although she didn’t know where to start. She had to face Lauren sometime, even if it was over the phone.
"Over the last few days, since I’ve been back, the Spartans have told me that something strange happened while the construction crew was in Beaumont."
Jade gulped. "What happened?" she dreaded the answer.
"Some people passed through the veil without the Spartans' knowledge. That isn’t so strange; people sneak by all the time. But this group were special. They're not completely human, which also isn’t strange. But they were demigods, lost and now found, which is unusual and exciting."
Jade breathed slightly more easily. Lauren couldn’t have been referring to her and the guys sneaking through the forest and the Labyrinth as they were all definitely human.
"Long story short, you might remember Philip, you met him last year. He dropped by to see the Spartans recently. He told them a bunch of demigods made their way to through the veil, by accident, and he met them. He was very excited about it."
Of course, Jade remembered Philip. There was a reminder of something else she'd never told her best friend.
Considering they usually found it easy to talk to each other about everything, Jade had found it impossible to confess what happened between her and Philip the previous summer. Jade and the god had grown close, like friends. There was an instant attraction between them as they shared an irreverent sense of humor. And while it culminated in getting handsie one intimate afternoon, Jade had always known Philip was out of her league. She, a mere mortal; him, an immortal god.
"These demigods just slipped through to another dimension when walking in the forest, like what happened to Brenna?" Jade asked.
"Yes exactly. Philip and my guys were excited. It turns out the world has been on the brink of disaster for a while now, so they've been tracking down demigods to literally help save the world."
"Wow. That sounds serious." Guilt churned in Jade's stomach. She was less interested in how these demigods were going to prevent the apocalypse than relieved Lauren hadn't discovered the sly way Jade had betrayed her trust.
"Yes, I had no idea. I didn't find out much about it as Philip didn't stay for long. He had urgent saving the world stuff to attend to. He wanted to inform my guys because the demigods passed through Beaumont."
"Right?"
"Yeah. That's what I thought."
Jade wondered if she should confess. Correction. She knew she should confess her actions, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Not over the phone. What if Lauren hung up, and they never saw each other again?
"What’s this got to do with the construction crew?" Jade couldn’t quite put all the pieces together in her mind while still carrying on this conversation.
"I don’t think it has anything to do with the construction crew. It’s a coincidence that while they were in Beaumont, and you and I were in Beaumont, a group of demigods pass through, right by us."
"It’s a lot to take in." Jade’s head whirled, and she sensed a severe headache coming on. She hadn't seen any strangers, and Beaumont was a very small town.
"Yes, it is. I wondered if you knew anything? I certainly don't."
"I know many things. Most of it is irrelevant to anything."
Lauren let out an audible sigh. "You went off on your own most of the time. Then suddenly the construction crew left, and you never told me how you did it. I was too relieved to care. Now, I’m wondering if it had anything to do with the mystery characters that Philip wants back. There are so many questions."
"I have no idea. If I think of anything, how can I get back to you?"
"Well, you can’t really contact me. I’m going home now. I’ll send you a message when I have a date for the royal wedding, and we’ll try to talk then. Otherwise, if you think of anything, just remember it, and we’ll meet up this summer. It’s only a few weeks until summer break."
"Okay, see you soon." Jade sighed with relief. If Lauren was on to her, and that was totally possible, she hadn’t pushed her into owning up.
"Speak to you soon, Jade."
"Give big kisses to the Spartans from me."
"I will."
After that conversation, there was no way Jade could focus on papers. She lay back on her bed, holding her phone and thinking about calling Karl because she never took Nic's number.
What would she say? She couldn’t sort through her thoughts; they were such a jumble. Not only her thoughts, though—her emotions, too, were all mixed up in a big confused mess. She needed to sort them out before talking to Karl.
It’d been a few days since she’d seen Karl, and the portal to other dimensions was a four-hour drive away. With the benefit of time and distance separating her from Karl and Nic and the forest, Jade wondered what the fuck possessed her to act as she did.
Being an impulsive adventurer was one thing, but deceiving her best friend was completely out of character. Jade hadn’t owned up to Lauren not just because she feared the reaction, but because she felt embarrassed and deeply ashamed of her behavior. Taking Karl and Nic to the woods, meeting up with Philip, and not even having the guts to tell Lauren afterward.
And then there was something else that nagged at her. She hadn’t wanted to think about it while she was in Beaumont hoping the guys would call her. Since they hadn’t, and it’d become obvious they didn’t care much about Jade, after all, this small thing had become a very big thing. Why did she have such wanton sex with total strangers?
She’d been in another dimension, and it had played tricks with her mind, sure, but that wasn’t enough of an excuse to lose her mind completely. She’d behaved so out of character–it was as if she’d been under some sort of spell, enthralled by the men.
She’d betrayed Lauren’s trust by taking them into a place that they weren’t entitled to visit without the Spartans' permission. She’d jeopardized her best friend’s safety and told secrets that weren’t hers to share.
With the guys' casual attitude to sex, maybe they did that all the time.
And Jade hated herself for the fact that every time that thought occurred to her—those two guys with someone in a threesome—she found it a turn on.
She should feel jealous and possessive. Instead, she actually felt confused. And she worried about possible diseases.
In the cold light of day in Riverside, Jade looked back at her behavior and shud
dered. She didn’t much like the woman she could become when under the spell of lust.
Chapter Sixteen
The very next day, Jade got herself checked out at the clinic because she'd heard oral sex and fingers were enough to pass some diseases. And anyway, it was always a good idea. She prepared for the worst results and a heap of medicine. It came as a pleasant surprise when she found out she was all clear and a model of good sexual health.
She worked hard at school, pushing herself to work harder and achieve better results than ever before. A mere pass wasn’t good enough for her.
Three weeks after their adventure, Jade was sitting in the college library when her phone began vibrating in her pocket since it was in silent mode. She was reading through a book only available from the archives, which meant it couldn’t be removed from the building, and Jade had half a page of notes written. She probably should’ve read this book at least a year earlier.
Nic sent Jade a text.
Hi Jade. This is Nic. Thinking about you. What are you doing right now?
For a solid minute, Jade considered ignoring the message. It’d been three weeks of hell trying to get over him and Karl. If she replied, she’d open herself up to more pain. She didn’t need to let those men in her life again.
Eventually, Jade replied anyway.
Preparing for finals. Four exams in five days. :(
Where are you studying?
Jade wondered about replying. What did it matter to Nic? Did she hope he'd track her down?
Riverside Community College.
In what?
His sudden interest struck Jade as suspicious, but she allowed it. She was suspicious of him, too. Just what were his long-term intentions toward what he'd discovered?
And most significant of all, deep down, tucked behind her self-respect and well beyond her inner strength, Jade took guilty pleasure in the fact that Nic wanted to know more about her.
Psychology.
Smarter than I’ll ever be. This is your BA?
BSc. Yeah. Going for my PhD eventually.
A doctor. Sexy.
Jade rubbed her eyes then narrowed them. After three weeks of zero contact, did he really intend to pick back up where they left off? Despite herself, Jade grinned. Her temperature rose, and she was certain she was blushing.
What have you been doing for the last three weeks?
If Nic couldn’t justify his answer, she was going to…
Well, Jade wasn’t sure what she was going to do. It wasn’t like she was going to stop talking to him—it felt too damn good to stop. Maybe she’d figure out something scathing to say, depending on his answer.
I’ve been trying to get three months worth of work done in three weeks.
All work and no play?
Yes. Play later.
To Jade, wondered why so much work and why that would stop him contacting her. She didn't ask but replied:
Good luck.
The conversation died. Jade kept her eyes on her phone for the next few minutes, but it didn’t chime with another text.
He'd moved on.
He hadn't mentioned Karl, and she hadn't asked.
Three days later, Jade stepped out of an exam to find a new message from Nic waiting for her.
Hope your exam went well. Thinking of you.
Jade smiled. She’d been thinking of him too. Every day. She couldn’t help herself.
Two out of four done. How's work working out?
She received no reply.
The day following the conclusion of Jade’s exams, right when she’d just began packing up to leave for Beaumont, she received another text from Nic.
I’m in Riverside. Can I take you out for coffee?
Jade didn’t have to think twice before she responded. But she did. She thought about reminding him that she may be barely legal, but she was old enough to go to a bar if he wanted to take her out for a real drink.
She thought about how this could be the answer to her dreams. Maybe Nic had tracked her down to sweep her off her feet. It was just as likely a reason as any, right?
Sure, Jade didn’t want to be tied down with just one man, something she kept reminding herself. But a small, niggling, hard-to-ignore part of her brain also began to wonder… well, if that was actually true. Maybe it was just some way to reassure herself that it was okay to be single, and soulmates weren’t essential for happiness.
Nice, but not essential.
Sure.
A one-word reply hardly did justice to everything Jade thought and felt. God, Jade didn’t even drink coffee. Nic knew so little about her, and she knew so little about Nic.
A drink would be great, she continued.
Where can I pick you up?
How about we meet at Java Lava by RCC campus in about an hour?
Sounds good to me. I’ll find it.
Jade set her packing aside. A couple of hours wasn’t going to set her off-schedule. She wasn’t leaving for a couple of days. A quick break would be good.
Nothing more than that.
Chapter Seventeen
A favorite student haunt, Java Lava was across the street from RCC’s central campus. Since it was late in the exam season, many students had already finished their exams and gone home for the summer, and those that remained lived in RCC’s library, confined to a cubicle as they crammed for their remaining exams.
Ignoring the tables for two that were in the central area, she opted for a table for four by the rear wall in the corner. She settled in with a green tea latte and waited, making sure to sit facing the door.
Nic showed up right on time, and he wasn't alone. As they walked past the cafe window, there, right beside him, was Karl. Karl stepped to one side allowing Nic to enter first.
The feeling in the air changed. The atmosphere grew thicker and sweeter, and Jade’s heart skipped a beat. It was as though she’d awoken to a new sense long dormant although it wasn’t so long ago that she’d been held in the arms of those men.
She wondered if it was a coincidence, or if what they’d shared had changed her in some way.
She gave a little wave when they spotted her but remained seated as they made their way toward the back of the room. Her legs transformed to jelly.
"Jade."
"Hey." Nic sat across from Jade and looked pointedly at Jade’s latte. "I was the one who was supposed to be buying you a coffee."
Karl sat next to Nic.
"I forgot to mention that I don’t drink coffee." Jade grinned. "So I took it upon myself to get some tea. You’re more than welcome to get your coffee buzz going, though. I’m not a hater—I’m just a divergence from the norm."
"Give me a second, then. Do you want anything else? A biscotti? Something sweet?"
"Nope. Thanks, though. Gotta watch my figure." She was kidding, of course. Jade couldn’t help herself—she flirted with everyone, male and female, which had definitely caused problems in the past a time or two. But for once, Jade suddenly felt self-conscious about her juvenile banter. Was she pushing too hard? She hadn’t seen these guys in more than a month. What if they thought she was annoying?
"Karl?"
"Surprise me. I'm not watching my figure." Karl winked and shot her a grin, partially laying her fears to rest.
Jade watched as Nic made his way to the coffee bar and ordered.
She didn't know what to say to Karl after he turned up unexpectedly and after zero contact. She could've contacted him, of course, and he could be thinking the same thing.
Eventually, Karl broke the silence and forced her attention back to the two of them. "There's so much to say, Jade, I don't know where to begin."
"Pick any point in the story and start from there."
"I've sorted out the company. There were a lot of tough negotiations and legal stuff to go through, but now I am a free man."
"Oh." That sounded a bit much to explain via text message. She could almost see herself forgiving him. "I didn't know you weren't free."
&nbs
p; "I was only free up to a point but bogged down with responsibilities. Within a few days, when the final details are sorted, I'll be free to travel the world at my leisure."
"That sounds good."
Nic returned to the table. He placed a boring, regular coffee in front of Karl and a chai latte for himself.
"You’re not a guy who likes specialty coffee, I take it?" Jade asked as she sipped her latte. Nic obviously knew more about Karl's tastes than she did, and there was absolutely no need to feel uncomfortable about the fact.
"I’m very straightforward." Karl drummed his fingers along the sides of his cup.
Nic looked thoughtful. "I’ll admit that I wasn’t in Riverside by coincidence—I came to see you." He glanced at Karl. "We came to see you."
Jade blushed. She felt it spread across her cheeks and work its way down her neck. "You’re just saying that to get on my good side."
"No, really." Karl’s fingers stopped drumming. He slid his palms around his cup instead, lacing his fingers together. "I wanted to make it a point to come see you, in person. I didn’t want to just text and talk on the phone."
"We haven’t talked on the phone."
Karl cocked his head to one side and didn't reply. He grinned. Jade didn't know whether she wanted to slap that handsome face or kiss it.
"As I said." Nic grinned. "We’re here because we have something we need to talk about."
Jade fought a losing battle to keep her excitement contained. Nic and Karl had come all the way out to Riverside to ask her a question. Although Jade had no idea where exactly they had come all the way from. "It’s not about business, is it? Because I’m in no place to bail you out if that’s what you’re looking for." She winked. She was sure they couldn’t have mistaken Jade for a rich kid.
Karl laughed. "No. I, um, well, if I’m being honest, I have plenty of money in the bank now because I sold the business."
Jade choked on her latte. She set the drink down and ran her wrist across her lips as she sputtered. "You did what?"
"I sold it. I've got a new life plan."
"What?!" She couldn’t help repeating herself. "Hold on, what about Beaumont woods?"
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