“Are you saying Naomi has both the Master Destroyer and Master Guardian powers? How is that possible? Last I checked, I was the Master Guardian and Jason hasn’t complained about not being able control his people.”
“I don’t know, maybe she just absorbed it from being around you so much.”
“No way, it doesn’t work like that.”
“Uh, yeah it does. That’s how girls get power. From being around Guardians.”
He stopped the car, pulled over, and looked right at me. “Can you control me?”
I dropped my eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“Try.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Just tell me to do something stupid.”
I did not like where this was going. What if I could control him? Then what? He’d wage a war to stop us.
“Laugh,” I finally commanded.
Nothing.
Phew.
Puck frowned. “That means she did something. She took it from me. She could do that, couldn’t she? I’ve seen her take power from others. She doesn’t always have to take everything. She’s gotten very good at controlling her own abilities. Dammit. Why’d she do this?”
“If that is really what she did, and I’m not saying that she did, she probably felt like she had to. You know Naomi, she’d never intentionally hurt someone unless she felt like it was a necessary sacrifice.”
“But that sacrifice is my whole life. I love her more than anything, but I don’t know if I can move past this. Just like that, poof, my entire future went out the window. Every time I looked at her I saw not just what she was at the moment but who she would be, who we would be together. Our wedding, our kids, our whole life gone.”
“You know, you could just learn to live with it.”
He snorted. “Right. The Guardians won’t accept this. There will be war and if I were to just lay down and allow her to do this, it would look like I was betraying them all. I can either be the Master Guardian or I can be with Naomi, but at this point there is no way I could be both.”
“So choose Naomi.” It was the least I could do for her. They had to work this out. I couldn’t imagine a world where Naomi and Puck weren’t together.
“The Guardians never betrayed me, but she did. How could I turn my back on them and choose her?”
“Puck, she didn’t betray you. She betrayed the Guardians. You need to separate those two if you ever want to move past this.”
Puck’s phone buzzed and he glanced at it. He pushed the silent button and looked at me.
“She’s calling me already. Does she really think it’s going to be that easy?”
Then my phone buzzed. “I’m going to answer this.”
“I’m not talking to her.”
“You don’t have to, but I do.”
He nodded.
“What’s up?” I asked without any pleasantries. If Naomi was calling now, it was because there was a problem.
“Ruth’s been kidnapped by Julio. Kai’s on his way. I need Puck to come to back. I can deal with this on my own, but it will be much easier if he cooperates.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, Puck spoke. “So, does she want me to come groveling back?”
“No, but Kai just called her.”
Puck rolled his eyes. “Of course, Kai’s in the picture again. Is there anything else she didn’t tell me?”
“Would you shut up for two seconds? Julio kidnapped Ruth. Kai’s coming here and I’m going back to help them. Are you?”
He went silent. “Why’d he call Naomi and not me?”
“When’s the last time you talked to him?”
He nodded and pressed a number on his phone. Jordan’s voice came in through the car speakers.
“What’s up, boss?”
“We’ve got a situation. Gather the council and have them meet us at Naomi’s hotel in thirty minutes.”
“Can do. What’s going on?”
“Julio kidnapped my brother’s girlfriend. We’re going to Tombstone to rescue her.”
“Ouch. Why are we meeting at Naomi’s hotel?”
“Because she’s totally mutinied on me. Formed her own group or something. I don’t quite get it, but we need to work with her on this because Kai trusts her more than he trusts me.”
“What do you want me to tell the guys?”
“The truth, as much of it as you know. Emphasize that it’s important we work with her on this because of Kai, and that we’ll deal with Naomi when the crisis is over. Oh, and I want you to take the lead on this.”
“Can do. See you in thirty.”
On the way back to the hotel I asked the question that had been bugging me since I got the call from Naomi.
“Why did Julio go after Ruth?”
Puck laughed. “My guess is Julio has been looking for a reason to draw us out. He knows most of Naomi’s history. All he had to do was keep an eye on her friends.”
“So this is a trap?”
Puck shrugged. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter. I already stole Naomi from Kai. I won’t let him lose Ruth.”
We were the first ones to show up. Andrea was waiting in the foyer.
“How’s Naomi?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Stressed, I think. Kai’s not here yet. I’m supposed to point everyone in the right direction.”
Puck snorted. “You mean you’re supposed to make sure we don’t go wandering anywhere she doesn’t want us to.”
Andrea smirked. “Yeah, that too.”
Naomi
There is a small red rose in my garden that I often visit when I’ve done something wrong. It’s nearly thornless and has a sweet smell. I spill my darkest secrets to it in the hopes that I can gain the one thing its name can offer me. Forgiveness.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I shouldn’t have showed Puck what I was capable of. But I felt so helpless. I’d done to him exactly what I didn’t want him doing to me. He was right. This was never going to work. Tears pricked at my eyes again and I cleared my throat in an effort to get them to stop. In spite of our personal problems, we had bigger things to deal with. How could Julio take Ruth? He was playing dirty. I didn’t know how this was all going to play out, but it wouldn’t end well.
Puck and Sunday entered the conference room together. Puck sat on the far side of the table from me, but Sunday sat right next to me.
“I’m sorry I ditched you. I figured I’d be better off trying to get Puck to forgive you, instead of holding your hand. You okay?” she asked.
I looked up, surprised. Of all the things for Sunday to say, that was the last thing I expected.
“Did it work?”
She shook her head. “No, but I really did try. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was a Guardian.”
“It’s okay. I understand that. How are you handling all this?”
She snorted. “Fine. I’m sick of being stuck in between so many people, but otherwise okay.”
I wrung my hands. “At least everything is out in the open now, so that has to make you happy.”
She grinned. “It does, actually. I’m sorry about Ruth. She was your friend, right?”
“Yeah. She’ll be okay, but Kai’s freaking out.”
About fifteen minutes later, Jordan and the rest of Puck’s council joined us. Aside from Sunday, I was the only girl in the room. Elizabeth, Beth, Faith, and Andrea were out waiting for Kai to arrive.
I figured it would be best to start the meeting now, so that we’d have a plan of action by the time Kai showed up.
“Thanks for coming. This is a very serious situation that has been allowed to go on for far too long. Early this morning a friend of mine, Ruth, was kidnapped by Julio, who has been kidnapping women for years and stealing their power. Since Elizabeth and her group have left the area, the number of women affected has increased exponentially. This is a threat to all of us and it must be eliminated. We must work quickly to make sure we get there before Julio removes R
uth’s power.”
One of Puck’s council members raised his hand. “No offense. But Ruth isn’t even aware she has power, so I don’t see how this is so urgent. Shouldn’t we be focusing on our long-term plan instead of rushing into trouble where many of us could get hurt?”
I sighed and looked at Puck. “Do you believe me now? This is exactly the attitude that forced me to create my own group.” Then I turned back to the council member. “Get out. You are no longer welcome at this meeting, and since you are so worried about your safety you will not be part of the rescue group. Is there anyone else who feels like this is a minor issue?”
Jordan stood up. “Naomi is right, this is an unusual situation and requires full dedication. Any member of the council who does not want to be a part of this rescue mission has permission to leave.”
I glanced at Puck. Why was Jordan acting like he was in charge? Three more men left the room. Just then, Kai walked in. He paused for a minute and took in the number of people in the room, and then marched straight up to me.
“Give it back.”
I nodded and gripped his hands. I closed my eyes and found his power burning bright in the middle of my chest. I don’t know why I always stored his power right next to my heart, but it seemed appropriate. There would be a hole there now. Right next to the hole that was left from Puck. It seemed as though I was destined to have my heart broken. I forced his power back into his hands and he shivered.
“Now tell me everything you know about this bastard who stole my girl,” he said.
Wyatt and I spent the next few minutes explaining everything. Plans began to evolve and I noticed Sunday looked pale. I hoped she wasn’t getting sick.
When there was a lull in the conversation, she stood up. “This plan is flawed. If all we do is rescue Ruth, we run the risk of having to do this again and again. We need to eliminate Julio as a threat altogether. Also, we should destroy that rose.”
Jordan nodded. “She’s got a point. Julio knew what he was doing when he took Ruth. He wants a fight. We can split up, with the majority of us focusing on Ruth and a handful going after the rose and then after Julio himself.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said.
Puck spoke up. “There should only be a few of us on the mission to destroy the rose, that way we won’t draw any attention to us. Jordan, who do you want on your team?”
Jordan thought for a second. “You, Sunday, and Wyatt.”
Puck nodded and then addressed me. “Is that going to be okay? Will you survive without us four?”
“I should be fine.”
“Okay, then the rest of you will be on the team to rescue Ruth. Naomi, I’m assuming you will lead that team.”
“Unless Kai wants to handle it?”
Kai shook his head. “I want to be on your team, but I’m too emotionally involved to be in charge.”
We spent the rest of the evening going over the rescue plan again and again. Wyatt still had a few contacts down in Tombstone so we knew that Julio was planning on dealing with Ruth the next evening. He was making a big spectacle of it, which meant he really was looking for a fight. Either that or we were walking into a trap.
Sunday
They say the San Pedro Cactus is one of the fastest growing cacti in the world. It can grow several feet in one year. I wonder if it ever feels awkward and stretched out from growing so fast. I’ve changed so much in the last year that I can relate.
AT TEN THAT EVENING we drove out to a small airstrip where a private jet awaited us.
“Classy,” I said to Naomi.
“Yeah, we only use this when we have enough people to justify it. And when we need to get somewhere in a hurry.”
Once we landed in Tombstone, we all split up among various rental cars. We were all going to stay at Elizabeth’s house since she could easily put shields back up. I rode with Puck, Wyatt, and Jordan, since we needed to plan our attack on the rose.
“I say we blow it up,” said Jordan.
“Not gonna work. The rose actually caught fire a few years ago. It burned for hours, and when we could finally get back into the cave the rose seemed untouched. Weirdest thing I’d ever seen,” said Wyatt.
I let them talk it out and didn’t say anything. After a few minutes Puck asked me for my opinion.
“I’m going to take the power from the rose,” I said.
“You can’t do that, Sunday, it won’t work. The rose will just take your power.”
“No, it won’t. I’m not a Shade. I’m a Guardian. Julio fell into the rose and didn’t have his power taken from him. I’m going to suck all the power right out of that thing.”
“Then what?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t thought that far. Maybe I’ll put it into a painting or something. The point is removing it from the rose.”
“You know, this is the best idea yet,” said Puck. “Are you sure you’re willing to risk this? We don’t know the repercussions.”
“I don’t like it,” said Wyatt. “It could hurt you.”
“We already know I can release the power if I have to. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Jordan snorted. “Um, you would accidentally steal the power from all the girls you ever meet.”
“That would be a problem, but like I said, I can get rid of it if I need to.”
We decided the boys would be lookouts. Jordan would put anyone to sleep who came into the room, and if he missed anyone, Wyatt would mess with their memories. Puck would take care of the rest and assist me if I needed it.
Once we were at Elizabeth’s, most people scattered to various bedrooms. We all needed our sleep and our energy for the next day. Speaking of. I could really use some kissing time. The question was, with who?
Naomi cornered me before I could find either one of the boys.
“Can I talk to you?”
“Sure.”
There were very few places where we could find privacy, so we went outside.
“Is Puck still mad at me?” she asked.
I snorted. “Did you really just ask me that?”
She nodded, her eyes full of sadness.
“A better question would be, how long do I think he’ll be mad at you.”
“Okay, then, how long?”
“Months. Years. I don’t know. You hurt him pretty bad.”
She sighed and sat in a porch swing. I sat next to her and pulled her close to me.
“You’ll be okay. Let everything fall out first and then see where you are. He still loves you, but he’s very upset right now.”
“Are you going to be okay tomorrow? You guys are tackling some pretty big things.”
“Yeah, I think so.” I didn’t want to tell her what I’d be doing. She wouldn’t approve and she’d be pretty upset with me.
We talked for a few more minutes, then the back door opened and Puck stepped out. I jumped up and snuck past him into the house. Maybe they’d talk tonight.
The living room was mostly empty. Andrea sat in a chair with her headphones in and her phone in her hands. She didn’t look up when I walked in. On the couch sat Wyatt. He grinned at me, and I sat down next to him. Jordan was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“In bed. We’ve got our work cut out for us tomorrow.”
I snuggled next to him and he put his arm around me.
“Why are you still up?” I asked.
“Because I knew you were outside talking to Naomi. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine. Naomi’s not though.”
“Hopefully they’ll work through it.”
I looked at him and nearly lost myself in his sea blue eyes. He leaned toward me and Andrea cleared her throat.
I glared at her. She just giggled.
I dragged Wyatt off the couch, out of the living room, and upstairs.
“Which room is yours?” I asked.
He pointed two doors down. “But I’m rooming with Jordan.”
I pursed my lips. “That’s a problem. I’m rooming with Andrea, so we’ve only got until she comes up. Come on.”
I pulled him into our little room and dropped most of my shields; I kept Custos’ power buried. Wyatt shivered.
“You know how much I love this, but Sunday dear, everyone in the house can probably feel your power right now.”
I blushed and pulled it back toward me. I’d forgotten about everyone else. Kissing Wyatt always came with the free flowing of power, which is what I loved about kissing him. I’d still be able to let down a few shields, but he was right. Everyone would become quite aware of our make out session if we dropped our shields.
He pulled me close to him.
“I’ve missed you. I feel like I haven’t gotten any time with you since we got back.”
I grinned. “I know. There are always other people around.”
“People like Jordan,” he growled.
I put my finger up to his lips to shush him. “We agreed, no talking about the other one.”
He rolled his eyes and moved my hand away from his face, then intertwined our fingers.
Once again his blue eyes captured me. “If I could, I would take away all your memories of him.”
“You promised to never remove my memories again.”
“That I did. As long as you don’t take any of my power. But if you do, I’m playing dirty.”
“I didn’t think your powers were that refined.”
“I’ve been learning. I actually spent a lot of the time practicing back in the cave. I can remove specific people from memories without damaging anything else.”
“That’s scary, you know that.”
He shrugged. “Good thing I promised to never remove your memories.”
“Yeah, good thing. You know I didn’t come up here to talk.”
I pulled him close and planted my lips on his. Funny. He stopped talking after that.
Naomi
There is a dark pink rose that I keep in Alejandro’s greenhouses. It has a sweet, soft scent and enormous blooms. They make nice cut roses. For the last few months I’ve kept them in my room because someday I hope to achieve what they promise. Redemption.
The Thorn Chronicles-Books 1-4: Kissed, Destroyed, Secrets, and Lies Page 74