by A. P. Jensen
“Bathing room,” Cibrian said from behind her.
Jordan glanced at him. “You people bathe in pools?”
“Whenever possible.”
Jordan thought of her room at Haven and the sink she used to bathe. “Cibrian, you’re spoiled.”
He laughed. “My dad is the president of Tolly Inc.”
“Is that supposed to make sense to me?”
“My dad is a tech genius. Phones, computers, the networks… All of that is controlled by my dad, Seth Tolly. Don’t you have a Tolly?”
“Excuse me?”
“Um, you’d call it a telephone.”
“You mean a cell phone?”
“Oh. Yeah. Well, here, we call them Tolly’s. Instead of a telephone we call them Tolly Phones because they’re made by our family.”
“Tolly Phone?” She went into the bedroom to find Levi prodding the ice figures around the bed suspiciously. “Levi, they call telephones here Tolly Phones.”
While Cibrian tried to explain Jordan sat on the furs covering the bed and let out a scream as she sank. The bed was hollow and filled with warm water. Jordan thrashed and spluttered and stood up, soaked. Someone cleared their throat and she looked up to see Heath and Mr. Parker standing in the doorway.
“What’s up?” Heath said, trying to hide a smile.
“Why is the bed filled with water?” she demanded.
“Most of the Wintra population have an affinity for water. Sleeping in their element comforts and rejuvenates them,” Heath said patiently.
Mr. Parker shook his head and left. Jordan winced as she hopped out of the bed and then stared down at her dry clothes and boots. She looked at the soothing blue liquid in the bed and put her arm in, letting her jacket sleeve get saturated before she pulled her hand out. As soon as her arm left the water, it dried as if the water had never been.
“Huh,” Jordan said.
Levi stared at the bed in horror. Cibrian clambered into his bed fully clothed and floated within the confines of the rectangle. Even his ears were submerged beneath the water and he breathed in and out with his arms stretched out on either side of him like a starfish. He was fast asleep and snoring within seconds.
Jordan walked out of the boys room and turned the corner into the other open doorway. A suitcase with her name on it sat at the foot of an identical ice bed. Warily, she lifted the white fur covering the bed and grimaced when her hand slipped into water. Jordan shrugged off her jacket and tossed it on the suitcase. She walked right up to the aqua wall and put a hand flat on the surface. Warm to the touch. When she pulled her hand away there was no smudge and the wall gleamed. Knight walked into her room and settled with a grunt beside the bed.
Jordan examined the fish swimming within the walls, watching their progress as they swam around her room. She couldn’t see through the wall to the next room which she didn’t understand but she was too distracted by the fish to really focus on that inconsequential fact. Jordan narrowed her eyes at the TV mounted on the wall and looked around for a remote. After searching the room for several minutes she realized there wasn’t one. She crept closer to the TV and peered at the bottom left side of the screen that read, Tolly Vision.
“No way,” she muttered.
“Knock knock,” Kelly said as she stepped into the room.
“Oh, hey,” Jordan said, spinning away from the TV.
“How do you feel?”
“Alright. You?”
Kelly shrugged. “The same. Yale usually isn’t such an ass, you know. He’s a good guy. He’s just worried about his son.”
Jordan didn’t know what to say so she clasped her hands behind her back and waited for Kelly to continue.
“Donovan won’t let anyone force you to do anything. You know that, right?”
Jordan tilted her head to the side as she considered Kelly. “Were you tested?”
“No. My parents were normal, very average power. My dad had Thishe and Undala blood and my mom had a strong affinity to the Darsana and Eliten power. No one expected them to have kids that had more than two elements. It just happened with Monica and I.”
Jordan frowned. “Your dad wasn’t a sorcerer?”
Kelly shook her head. “It happens once every hundred years or so… That my parents produced two daughters that turned out to be Grounders was unheard of. My parents weren’t into politics or the power struggles at the top, thank God. They let us choose our own path.”
“Where are they?” Jordan asked and Kelly’s smile dimmed.
“They died the year I was accepted into The Academy. My sisters and I were raised by Mary Ann, our aunt.”
Jordan absorbed this and asked, “Did you choose your path?”
“I did. I chose your dad,” Kelly said with a weary smile.
Jordan thought of Ruth and how she’d come onto Mr. Parker. Did Kelly know her sister still wanted Mr. Parker? She remembered Heath’s question on the plane trip from Las Vegas. I’m guessing you never told Kelly about this. Mr. Parker needed Kelly because she was a Grounder but why did she stay with someone who didn’t care about her?
Before Jordan could think of something to say, a voice boomed, “Donovan Alexander Parker!”
Chapter Eighteen
There was an explosion of sound from the main room as voices rose. Kelly beamed with pleasure as if the strangers in the other room weren’t threatening to tear each other apart.
“Gideon’s here!” Kelly said and walked out of the bedroom.
In the distant living room Jordan was confronted by a bizarre scene. Mr. Parker and an older man who looked uncannily like him were shouting at one another. They both sparked with electricity, causing their hair to hover around them. The older man had a white goatee that seemed to be trying desperately to detach itself from his face and go to Mr. Parker. The older man kept swiping at his unruly hair while he shouted, shooting bolts of electricity that cracked the air like whips while Mr. Parker absorbed them.
A man with skin so dark it was almost purple dressed in Bermuda shorts, aloha shirt and straw hat stood off to the side, putting in his two cents when Mr. Parker and the older man paused to draw breath. He seemed unperturbed by the bolts of lightning zinging across the room. Cibrian came out of the bedroom, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
“Uncle G’s here?” he yawned.
“Oh yeah,” Kelly said and turned to Jordan. “Come on, it’s time to meet your Grandpa.”
“M-my what-” Jordan stammered, trying to dig her feet unsuccessfully into the smooth ground.
Clearly unfazed by the toxic levels of testosterone in the room, Cibrian sauntered down the stairs towards the heated argument. He sat on a lavender armchair and watched the two men as if he were watching a vaguely interesting show on TV. Heath stood a safe distance away in the kitchen, watching with great amusement.
“What do you mean “it’s true”? You’re telling me that you and Kelly have a secret child?” the older man roared.
“Always told Gideon you were a sneaky son of a-” the dark man sneered.
Gideon wagged a finger at his son. “If you weren’t such a rakehell when you were younger-”
“Dad, give me a break,” Mr. Parker said.
Heath snickered and tried to look innocent when Mr. Parker turned on him. Seeing Mr. Parker reduced to a naughty boy with his dad wagging his finger at him seemed to be too much for Heath. He giggled into his frosted glass.
“You cheated on Kelly?” Gideon said.
Mr. Parker narrowed his eyes at his father. “Not that you’re one to talk but, no, I didn’t cheat. This was before I got married. The woman’s dead now.”
Gideon deflated and sat on a nearby chair, staring at his son as if he’d never seen him before. His hair settled. “I feel like I don’t even know you anymore. Why didn’t you tell me?”
The man with the straw hat pulled off oversized sunglasses and Jordan saw that his eyes were a brilliant orange. Why was he dressed as if he was on his way to the beach? Just looking at hi
m made Jordan feel cold. Scraggly bright white dreads hung down on either side of his face. He looked like a bizarre reggae Santa Claus.
“I’m not surprised,” he said snidely. “Boy was always in trouble, always keeping secrets from his old man.”
Mr. Parker rounded on him. “Stay out of this Polly.”
Polly smiled and it wasn’t pleasant. “Why didn’t you tell your pop you had a kid? Why did he have to hear the rumors like everyone else? He deserves better than that.”
“You don’t know about the circumstances,” Mr. Parker said and he sounded suddenly weary.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!” Gideon glared at his son. “You said you wanted space and I gave it to you. You refuse to have anything to do with our world and now you throw this in my face. What am I supposed to think?”
“Do you have any idea how this looks?” Polly added, crossing his arms across his beefy chest.
Mr. Parker shrugged. “When have I ever cared what other people think?”
“That’s true,” Polly muttered.
Mr. Parker opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he saw Jordan standing several feet away with Kelly and Levi. Polly and Gideon followed Mr. Parker’s gaze and Jordan met her grandfather’s eyes head on and waited for his reaction. She expected him to shout, to tell her she didn’t belong, that she had bad blood but he did nothing. Polly was the first to break the silence.
“I’ll be damned,” Polly said. “Is she really yours?”
Mr. Parker moved so fast he was a blur of movement. One moment Polly was standing and the next he was flat on his back with Mr. Parker crouched over him, a hand around his throat.
“Say that again,” Mr. Parker hissed.
“Donovan,” Heath called from the kitchen. “You can’t kill everyone who asks if Jordan is yours. Plus, Polly’s always been an ass. Don’t let him rile you.”
“Yeah. Don’t be so sensitive, Donovan,” Polly sneered up at Mr. Parker. “And it’s a legitimate question, considering all the women over the years that have claimed you as the father of their kid.”
“She’s mine,” Mr. Parker said.
He walked to the kitchen and Heath handed him a shot glass filled with dark liquid. Mr. Parker drank it in one gulp.
“Being in Wintra sure is nice, isn’t it?” Heath said with a smile so wide it threatened to crack his face.
Mr. Parker glared at him while Polly rose, scowling at his crumpled straw hat.
Gideon gentled his voice as he spoke to Jordan. “Do you know who I am?”
“You’re Mr. Parker’s dad,” she said.
Gideon gave his son a frosty glare. “She calls you Mr. Parker?”
“I didn’t tell her to call me that,” Mr. Parker said defensively.
“Well, what did you tell her to call you?” Only silence greeted this question. Gideon grunted and fixed his attention on Jordan once more. “I guess one day you’ll call him dad when he deserves it. You can call me Papa.”
“Who’s the boy?” Polly asked.
“This is Levi. He’s part of the family,” Kelly said.
Polly was incredulous. “Donovan’s a family man now? Hell just froze over.”
“Shut up, Polly,” Mr. Parker said but there was no heat in his words. He could barely believe it himself.
“What’s your name, child?” Gideon asked.
“Jordan.”
She glared at Polly who looked her up and down skeptically. Gideon approached and she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. She was startled when he reached out and cupped her face with warm, calloused hands. They stared at one another and Jordan realized his eyes, so like his sons were filled with emotion.
“I have a granddaughter,” he said hoarsely.
Jordan blinked. “I guess so.”
“This is a miracle,” Gideon whispered and leaned down and set his forehead against hers.
Jordan stiffened and tried to pull away but Gideon kept her still. A distant part of her was alarmed by his close proximity and touch. He was a stranger but… She closed her eyes and was engulfed in Gideon’s warmth. Comfort, strength and security flowed from him to her, warming her cold heart. Where Mr. Parker had held her at bay, this man was vowing silently that she would never be alone, wouldn’t be thrown out into the cold as long as he lived.
When he pulled away, still cupping her face, a tear trickled down her cheek. Her heart cracked open and emotion bubbled within her, unexpected and unfamiliar. She wrapped her hands around his wrists and he felt her shaking. Tears gathered in his eyes and he kissed her forehead and wrapped her in a hug. She buried her face in his chest and tried to swallow the sob that wanted to erupt from her mouth. Unlike Mr. Parker, Gideon didn’t shield himself at all. He opened himself up to her and vowed to give her all he had. She had no idea how to explain how Gideon communicated all of this to her silently but she couldn’t deny that she not only heard the message, she believed him.
“Dad?” Mr. Parker said, coming up beside them.
Jordan fisted her hands in Gideon’s shirt and prayed he wouldn’t pull away just yet.
“Thank you, Donovan,” Gideon said, voice rough.
“For?”
“My granddaughter.”
A beat of silence.
“What’s wrong with her?” Mr. Parker put a hand on Jordan’s head.
“We understand one another.” Gideon said and there was satisfaction in his voice.
“But you didn’t say anything,” Mr. Parker tried to look at Jordan’s averted face.
“Leave her be, Donovan,” Gideon snapped.
Before Jordan realized what was happening, Gideon scooped her up in his arms and walked away from their audience. Voices faded. Gideon set her down and she opened her eyes. They were standing on the small island with the stone bench and white lilies. The koi splashed around them. She sat on the bench and Gideon knelt in front of her.
“Welcome to the family, honey.”
Jordan wiped away the tears that slid silently down her cheeks.
“Why do I sense William Stan’s power in you?” Gideon said.
The past weeks crept up on her all at once and tears flooded her eyes and she couldn’t stop them. She opened her mouth but a sob came out instead of words. All talking stopped across the room and she saw Mr. Parker start to approach but Gideon held up a hand and he obeyed the command for space. Gideon gave Jordan several minutes to compose herself. He held her hands in his and for some reason, it gave her the strength to speak.
“He thought I could save him,” Jordan shuddered. “I was there when he died.”
Gideon didn’t react.
“M-Mr. Penn forced him to take me in. I didn’t even know I had a dad,” Jordan said and her heart throbbed with pain. “I don’t know if I can d-do this.”
“You can,” Gideon said firmly. “And you will. You wouldn’t be here unless you were meant to be.”
Jordan took a deep breath. He let her hand go so she could wipe away the tears. Her eyes were swollen and her nose stuffy but she felt… better.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Parker said, making an impossible leap from the shore to the island. He glared at his dad. “Why is she crying?”
“She needs to,” Gideon said calmly and stroked a hand down her hair.
“You’re not angry,” Mr. Parker said, stating the obvious.
“Why should I be?”
Mr. Parker shrugged.
“I can feel William’s taint on her. What happened to her power?”
“She told you-”
“Her power, Donovan?”
Mr. Parker ran a hand through his hair. “I had to break the soul tie. She’s been Quiet since.”
“She’s being Declared tomorrow, right?” Gideon asked in an undertone. “I wonder what the Gem will think of her.”
“I don’t know.”
“Who knows about William?” Gideon pressed, squeezing Jordan’s hand.
“Kelly, Heath, Penn,
Levi, Cibrian.”
“We better keep it that way.”
“Yale’s already yapping at my heels. He wants Jordan to be tested,” Mr. Parker said.
Gideon scowled. “Yale can kiss my ass. That test is old school.”
“Exactly.”
Gideon crouched in front of Jordan again. “You’ll probably hear lots of stories about your dad. Most of them are true, sad to say. He’s not as stupid as he looks though. Do you want to come to Paradice with me?”
“She’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Why not?”
“She doesn’t need more exposure. After what happened with William I’m not taking any chances. I’ve had too many visitors in Texas,” Mr. Parker said.
Jordan turned her head as Knight exited from the bedroom. He prowled towards her, sapphire eyes fixed on Gideon. When Gideon saw the Valor, he went very still.
“It can’t be,” Gideon whispered “I never thought I would see one in my day. Donovan? Did you-”
“No. It was Jordan,” Mr. Parker said.
“Our blood runs strong in your veins,” Gideon said with a broad smile. “Have you named him yet?”
“Knight,” she said quietly.
Gideon blanched. “Knight?”
“Don’t ask,” Mr. Parker muttered.
Knight leapt on the island and nuzzled Jordan’s back. She scratched him under his chin as Gideon bowed his head respectfully to the creature.
“Do you know what this means?” Gideon asked Mr. Parker without taking his eyes from the Valor.
“No.”
“Something’s coming.”
“What do you mean?” Jordan asked.
“Guardians wake to protect our bloodline. Valors have saved countless lives in wars past. There hasn’t been a need for them and they’ve almost faded from history. Guardians awaken when someone of our bloodline calls to them, when they sense there is danger. How did you do it?”