Forged by Greed

by Angela Orlowski-Peart

  “Why?” Jasmira whispered.

  Penelope knelt next to them.

  “Let’s talk after school. It’s… complicated.” Jatred turned his head to the side again as if trying to hide his emotions.

  “Keep your mental shields up,” Penelope said with her mind, eyeing the room.

  “I am.” Jatred regarded Penelope. He attempted to smile at her, but only managed a sour look. “You can hear what I’m saying only because I let you.”

  Penelope nodded, chewing on her lower lip.

  “Can you get up?” Jatred turned to look at Jasmira.

  “I will in a moment. I’m still a bit shaky. J, what happened? How did you get these bruises? They look awful.” Jasmira stared at his face.

  Jatred touched his cheek and shrugged. “It’s nothing. They should fade in a moment. Crystal roughed me up a bit.”

  “What?” Both girls shouted in unison with their minds.

  “Calm down. It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later. Can’t talk here. Besides, I gotta go to third period. Pen, Bogdan said you have a debate with him tomorrow in Social Studies.”

  Jasmira sighed. “Changing the subject, huh? I feel for Bogdan. You can’t beat Pen in debates.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Jatred smiled and pushed his hair away from his face.

  “No, no. We are so not pretending everything’s cool. You and I have to have a talk.” Jasmira stood up slowly. She glared at him, planting her fists on her narrow hips.

  Penelope stood up too, shrugging. She readjusted her white knee-highs and dusted off her metallic-pink Balenciaga skirt. “I still need to finish this research for my AP psychology course.” She pointed to the books on her desk. “Are you gonna be okay?” Penelope shot Jasmira a concerned look.

  Jasmira nodded and smiled sadly at her best friend. She glanced at a human girl who climbed one of the sliding ladders used to retrieve a book from the upper shelves.

  “Let’s go, J.” Jasmira pulled Jatred toward the heavy door. “Pen, I’ll call you after third period.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Human World. September 9, noon.

  “No, this can’t be!” Jasmira shouted. “Why is she doing this? We aren’t hurting anybody or doing anything stupid. We stay out of everybody’s way.”

  Jasmira looked horrified, her body tense, panic buzzing in her head. Images and sounds of her past with Jatred raced through her mind: the black wolf chasing her through the woods, the Summer Goddess holding her arms out to her, the Space Needle against the watercolor of the sunset, Jatred rollerblading on Alki Beach, his legs lean and tanned, the rain drops on the Hood Canal cabin window. All these beautiful memories were about to remain just that—memories. With no new ones to add to them.

  Jatred grabbed her hands and pulled her close, settling her on his lap. “Shh, come here.”

  She fell quiet, feeling resigned. Her head hung low, her eyes fixed on a round dark freckle just above her knee. Jatred hugged her tight. The warmth of his body seeped through the fabric of her yellow t-shirt. He gently ran his thumb across Jasmira’s cheek. Her face was wet with tears. They locked eyes and sat in silence, holding onto each other.

  “J? Maybe we can just wait it out…” He trailed off. “I don’t know.”

  Jasmira made a small high-pitched noise and put her face into her hands. A large blue opal ring shone on her finger. Jatred squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his cheek to her hair. He felt her body shudder in short, uncontrollable sobs. His hands lightly glided up and down her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and now her wet face touched his.

  “It will never be the same without you,” she said.

  “I can’t… I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered.

  She sobbed quietly. They sat on a wooden bench overlooking the peaceful pond in the Seattle Arboretum Japanese garden. A few brown ducks swam toward them, anticipating a treat. The afternoon sun bathed the park in a golden glow, bringing out the brilliance of the late summer colors.

  Jasmira sat up and turned her face to look at the water.

  “Thanks for bringing me here. I love this place.”

  “It’s your favorite spot,” Jatred said quietly. “This is where you told me the first time that you love me.”

  She looked at him, astonished, her lips parting. “You remember it?”

  “I remember everything. I’ll always remember everything. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.” He cupped her face in his hands.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped from her chin onto her shirt. They left small wet dots on the yellow fabric. Jatred managed a half-smile but his throat felt tight.

  “There is no other way?” Jasmira creased her forehead.

  He shook his head, grimly. “I’m afraid there is no way. At least not now. The Goddess is furious.”

  “I will talk to Amber then, she can—”

  “No,” Jatred interrupted. “That will only make matters worse. The Goddesses hate each other. Amber can’t make Crystal change her mind.”

  Jasmira took his face in her hands.

  “For a moment I thought she tried to kill me. She made it clear—this was just a warning. I don’t want her to hurt my uncle or anybody else if she can’t break me.” Jatred didn’t want to look at Jasmira’s face, to see the fear in her eyes.

  They sat in silence. Jasmira leaned forward and touched her forehead to Jatred’s.

  “There is something the adults don’t tell us. I can feel it. I just don’t know what that is,” he whispered.

  “What?”

  Jatred looked away, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t you ever feel there are some things we’re not told? It’s like everyone… I mean, the adults, the Goddess. They all keep some kind of a secret. I’m sick of being treated like a child.”

  “You think this has something to do with the Amulet? And with our coronations? It’s only about three more months before the Amulet must pass from Winter to Summer.” Jasmira’s brows arched. The tears left dry shiny tracks on her face.

  “Maybe. Ever since I can remember, the Amulet has been stashed away in the vault in my house. We can never do anything with it. But it’s impossibly powerful, I’m sure of it. It’s just… I don’t think we know all that much about all this stuff. Uncle says I have to wait till I’m seventeen, when I’m an adult, to learn more.”

  “That’s what Grannie says to me too. Weird, isn’t it? Like we couldn’t handle the truth now.”

  Jatred’s phone shrilled in his shorts pocket. He took it out and looked at the screen.

  “It’s Bogdan,” he told her. “I told Erik I can’t play basketball tonight.”

  “You’re not gonna talk to Bogdan?”

  “No. I’m sure this can wait—whatever it is.” Jatred put the phone back and smiled.

  “So now what? We can’t even see each other?”

  Jatred didn’t answer. He felt miserable, his shoulders slumped again. She put her hands on his back and wrapped her legs around his waist. She propped her feet on the large rock behind the bench. He held her close, and they sat motionless, embraced in a perfect union.

  “I can’t let you go. I just can’t, I can’t, I can’t,” she kept repeating, like it was a mantra that could erase the pain.

  He kissed Jasmira gently on the lips, and then pulled away to look into her eyes. The tears spilled down her cheeks again. She kissed him back, first softly then hard and deep. Taking a shaky breath, Jatred pressed her closer to him.

  “I love you so much,” he whispered with his mind. “I’m not a human. I’m a wolf, and you’re my mate for life.”

  “I am yours in this life and in any other life that might be. We’ll be together again; I know we will.” He heard her sad voice in his head.

  His vision blurred. Two silent tears spilled from his eyes, leaving shiny streaks on his skin, matching the ones on Jasmira’s face.

  CHAPTER 15

  Human World. October1st, early afternoon.

  The rain was fallin
g in sheets. Jasmira’s hair was plastered to her face in long black strands. Her True Religion jeans and hoodie were already soaked through, and so were her light-blue Converse shoes. She sat on the grass, oblivious to the rain, hugging her knees to her chest. She started to rock back and forth. Her back shook from irrepressible sobs, and she squeezed her eyes shut. In her mind, she saw Jatred. There was a sad smile on his face, coming and disappearing, while she held his hands.

  During the last few weeks they had seen each other between classes, but had to act as if they had hardly known one another. After school they had kept away. The risk was too real, too serious. The Goddess was ruthless, and they both understood she wouldn’t hesitate to take extreme measures to separate them.

  Jatred was furious and wanted to stand up to Crystal, but Jasmira knew better. She calmed him down each time, putting on a cheerful face, despite the turmoil she felt inside.

  “I love you so damn much,” he whispered to her today, right when she left her AP English classroom. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her close and feel her warm skin against his. But they had to be careful, so he only added with his mind, keeping up the mental shield, “I don’t care about anything. I have to be with you.”

  She took him by the wrist and led him outside to the school garden. There, she made him listen, as she reminded him of the Winter Goddess’s ultimatum.

  “It’s hard for me too. But it’s the only way right now. I miss you terribly. It’s like a part of me is gone,” she told him, holding back the tears.

  Now, sitting in her backyard, she let herself break down and cry, permitting frustration to take charge. She lifted her face to the gray sky and allowed the rain to wash the tears away. A shiver ran through her. Another feeling resurfaced—anger. She clenched her jaws and dug her fingers in the dirt. Her face set in an ugly mask of rage.

  The air around her pulsed in short thin waves, the edges of her hair, clothes, and body momentarily distorted. With a throaty roar she shifted, leapt forward, and sprinted toward the woods.

  ***

  Human World, November 15, late afternoon.

  Amber glanced at Jasmira and drummed her long red-painted nails on the table. She leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs. Jasmira’s elbows were propped on the table, her face buried in her hands. Her long hair was braided into a loose plait. A few thin long strands curled around her face.

  “So you want him back.” Amber lifted her brows and reached into her tiny purse. She pulled out a red lipstick and a compact case with a mirror.

  Jasmira watched her from between her fingers. Holding the mirror in front of her face, the Goddess traced her lips with the lipstick. She pressed them together and slowly parted them, examining the effect. A new shiny coat of red contrasted with Amber’s fair skin. She closed the lipstick and the compact, dropping them unhurriedly into her purse.

  “You know, I can’t help with this in the Human World. He’s not my Shifter, so I don’t have any powers over him here,” she spoke in a level voice. “But you could try the Amulet.”

  “What?” Jasmira sat up straight.

  “The Amulet is still in the Winter’s custody. It will revert back to us during the upcoming winter solstice, but until then, Jatred is its protector.” Amber leaned forward and looked straight into Jasmira’s dark eyes. “You need to ask him to show it to you. When he does, you have to make sure to hold it. Or better yet, put it on. I will be able to guide you, but it has to touch your skin. I will make Jatred forget about the Amulet’s existence until you are safely away with it.”

  “But how? What does the Amulet do?”

  “It’s ancient and holds amazing powers. Nobody understands completely what the Amulet can do, but this is for sure—it can get a Winter Shifter to the Summer Realm, with my help of course.” The Goddess’s face was unreadable.

  “And then what?”

  “He’ll see how powerful the Amulet is. And how powerless Crystal is without it. I can give Jatred my protection, but he must agree to it. This way you two will be able to stay together, and Crystal won’t have authority over him, just in time for the ten-thousand-year mark. You need to be together before that time, and the best way to do so is to bring Jatred to my Realm. There, I can help—without Crystal’s intervention.”

  Jasmira looked away. “But I don’t know if Jatred will ever submit to you, my Goddess. He might not be fond of Crystal, but he is a Winter Shifter after all.”

  Amber smiled, and it wasn’t a friendly smile. Jasmira heard the Goddess’s voice clearly in her head, “Get the Amulet. Leave the rest to me.”

  Jasmira nodded, transfixed by Amber’s eyes. There was something strange in those eyes; something that made Jasmira’s anxiety disappear. For the first time in weeks she felt relieved, as if a huge burden was lifted from her shoulders. She had finally been offered some help and guidance. A sense of gratitude rushed through her.

  She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly tired. When she looked at Amber again, the Goddess smiled, her head tilted to the side. Her blond hair was short and sleek today and barely reached past her ears.

  Amber adjusted thick-framed Prada sunglasses on the top of her head. “I need to go. Be strong, my daughter.” She got up and lifted Jasmira’s chin with her finger. “Everything will be fine. Just do exactly what I told you to.” Those mesmerizing eyes bore into Jasmira’s once more. Jasmira felt happy, even giddy with joy. How strange. Why was so worried before? She felt as if floating in a cloud—relaxed, free of reservations, and happy.

  She watched Amber stroll out of the coffee shop. It was a sunny day, and the air outside was too warm for mid-November. Jasmira noticed a few brightly tinted leaves drop from a nearby tree in a manner that could only be described as gentle. Most of the trees in the city were stripped clean of their colorful coats by now, but a few still held onto their last few leaves.

  She took a pen and a note pad from her purse and started to write a poem. Her letters were round and carefully arranged. She wrote continuously, pausing only from time to time to look up, as if for inspiration.

  Jasmira scanned the page and crossed out several words. She tapped the pen on her temple and chewed on her upper lip. A moment later she started to write again. When she finally finished, she reclined back in her chair, and lifted the pad to her eyes. Her lips twitched when she quietly read.

  But if you fall

  I will be there

  To pick the pieces of your shattered soul

  “Shattered,” she murmured to herself. “Shattered soul? Isn’t that too serious? No, I think he will get it.” She continued to write.

  And put them back together

  I will solder them into a whole

  With the heat of my love

  I will stay. I will hold the time still.

  The place buzzed with people. Lively conversations were punctuated with adult’s laughter and children’s high-pitched voices. The espresso machine cut through the noise with its loud blare of steam. Jasmira tilted her mug to look inside. She sighed and pushed it away. Her half-drunk coffee was cold. There was a thin brown circle of dried coffee on the inside of her mug, and the surface of dark liquid was about two inches below the mark.

  Jasmira thought about going to Jatred’s house right away, but decided this would be irrational. She wanted time to think this plan over.

  Tomorrow. Right after school’s out. I just need a simple excuse for him to invite me over. And then I’ll have to persuade him to take me to the vault in his basement. He told me the Amulet was there, locked inside the safe. As soon as I touch the Amulet, Amber will make Jatred forget about it, and I will take it with me.

  Jasmira smiled to herself. Her wonderful Goddess would help defeat Crystal, and all will be right with the world again.

  She got up, put the pen and note pad inside her purse, and walked to the door. A familiar face swam into her view when the door opened. Trent, a fifteen-year-old Summer Shifter walked in and smiled broadly at her.

  “Jasmira. Wh
at’s up? Are you leaving?” An excitement rose in his voice.

  “Yeah, I gotta get home and study for my test tomorrow. What are you doing here?”

  “I live just around the corner. I thought I’d get some blueberry scones. Have you ever tried them? They’re the best.”

  She grinned and, standing on her tippy toes, rubbed the top of Trent’s head. “They’re good. But I need to run. See you tomorrow at school.”

  He pushed the door open for her. “Too bad you can’t stay a bit.” He smiled sadly.

  “Maybe next time.” Jasmira returned the smile and stepped outside.

  CHAPTER 16

  Human World, November 16, early afternoon.

  “I hate this as much as you do.” Jasmira shook her head. She lifted her eyes to Jatred’s. “I think of you all the time. It feels like a part of me is gone… taken away by force.”

  He hooked his arm around her neck and brought her close to his chest, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair. “Maybe one day it will be different for us.”

  They stood in silent embrace for a long while, until Jasmira took a deep breath and entangled herself from Jatred’s embrace.

  “So you want to see the Amulet, huh?” He smiled sadly. “Why?”

  She bit her lower lip, but then quickly shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. “Curiosity, I guess. It’s gonna be past to the Summer very soon anyway. I will become its Protector, so I just would like to see how it looks, that’s all.”

  Jatred barked a short laugh. “I suppose that’s okay. With you getting the Amulet in a month anyway, I don’t see why not. Come.” He took Jasmira by her hand and led her to the basement.

  They passed heavy-duty metal shelves lining the walls. Several large plastic containers occupied some of the shelves. Each box was labeled. Two pairs of skis and two snowboards were arranged next to a case marked ‘SNOW EQUIPMENT JACKETS’. The container to the left had a label that read ‘CLIMBING EQUIPMENT’. A sticker on the other one indicated ‘DIVING EQUIPMENT’. The opposite wall provided a space for two speed bikes and a tandem kayak with paddles.