Birthright (Birthright Series)

by A. P. Jensen

  She rushed through the bedroom to the main living area, past the koi pond to the balcony doors. She yanked them open and welcomed the blast of frigid air. Tears of fear and self-disgust froze on her face. She couldn’t cry, the cold wouldn’t allow it. She walked onto the balcony and fell to her knees close to the edge and looked down at the canopy of trees. She fixed her eyes on the Garden of Wintra as if she had x-ray vision that could pinpoint William through the canopy. She bowed her head and tried to cool the fire within.

  “Jordan?”

  A coat dropped around her shoulders and Levi pulled her back from the edge. He turned her around and slipped her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up. She couldn’t meet his eyes.

  “You’re blocking me,” he said.

  She said nothing.

  “It’s okay, Jordan.”

  “It’s not okay. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “Look at me."

  “No.” She was afraid what he would see if he looked into her eyes.

  Levi let the silence stretch. “Are you sure you saw William?”

  Her hands closed into fists at her sides. “I’m not crazy.”

  “You didn’t answer the question.”

  “No.”

  “No?” Levi repeated.

  “I made sure his heart stopped beating.” Jordan finally met his gaze. “Tonight, he was far away and most of his face was in shadow but I swear it was him. It doesn’t make sense.” Her eyes were haunted. “I should be back in Haven, on the Ever After pill.”

  “No. You just need to learn how to control your power.”

  Jordan’s eyes were glassy. “What if I killed those people in Wal-Mart?”

  “You didn’t.”

  “How do you know? If Mr. Parker hadn’t taken my power, if he hadn’t stopped me I could have-”

  Levi grasped her shoulders and then yanked his hands back with a hiss of pain. His hands were red and raw. Jordan backed into the corner of the balcony, waving her hands in front of her face like someone trying not to cry. Her hair hissed with flames and her eyes flickered between sapphire blue and black. Jordan braced her legs and bowed her head, eyes shut as she tried to reign in her power which made her body glow. Levi watched through narrowed eyes because the heat radiating off of her was so strong. Just when he was about to run back into the room to get help, Knight padded onto the balcony. Before Levi could haul him back, Knight walked up to Jordan and rubbed against her, seemingly unaffected by the fire racing over her body. The fire leapt from Jordan to the Valor and he purred as if enjoying the heat. Jordan dropped to her knees and buried her face in Knight’s fur. The Valor didn’t move as he absorbed Jordan’s power with a loud belch and shake of his mane. The flames vanished from them both.

  “Jordan?” Levi said warily.

  “William did something to me. I know it.”

  A chill ran down his spine. “What are you talking about?”

  “The day he died William tied our souls together but I can feel him even though Mr. Parker says he broke the bond. My power was strong before but now I keep… overheating. I’m like a battery getting recharged every hour. It’s worse than before.”

  “Maybe you should talk to Mr. Parker,” Levi said uneasily.

  Jordan’s blue eyes flashed. “Did you see the way he looked at me? I don’t think so. He didn’t even come back with us.”

  “Maybe he went to the hospital or something,” Levi stopped when he saw Jordan’s anger fade to guilt. “Or maybe he’s sleeping it off. He must be feeling like shit after taking on so much of your power.”

  Jordan scratched Knight’s head. He purred and his tail swished. “I don’t know if I should be here.”

  “You definitely can’t go back to the real world. Who knows what you’ll do.”

  She shot him a killing look. “Thanks.”

  “Let’s get some sleep,” Levi said.

  “I can’t.”

  Levi jerked his head at Knight. “Keep the Valor by you. Seems like he can help you just as much as that pendant.”

  She glanced at the pendant resting against her chest. “I can only channel small amounts of power into it. If I’m overheating I don’t think the pendant can stop me.”

  “Maybe that’s why Knight’s your Guardian.”

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Levi, Cibrian and Jordan stood on the platform of the balcony, watching mayhem take place below. The Garden of Wintra was gone. In its place was a crater filled with thousands of seats surrounding a platform in the middle of the crater, crowned with eight thrones. As the sun crested over the city it bounced off a stage that sparkled like diamonds.

  Encircling the amphitheater were the Ice Tunnels and beyond that, massive stands stretched towards the sky, each a different color. The rays of light illuminated thousands of people already in the stands, hours from the Declaration Ceremony. The crowd squeezed between buildings and horded over the seats. Men dressed in intimidating black surrounded the stands and controlled the crowd.

  “Who are they?” Levi asked Cibrian, gesturing to the men in black.

  Cibrian squinted. “Lafita. Warriors.”

  Jordan watched the Lafita direct different races to certain stands.

  “Why can’t everyone sit where they want?” Jordan bellowed over the noise.

  Cibrian rubbed his ear. “It’s to prevent any fights. There’s a lot of bad blood between the races. Some races get along better with others. Wintra’s population is mostly Undala and Thishe who get along pretty well. The Eliten, earth people, keep mostly to themselves and the Darsana are always willing to fight anyone.”

  Jordan frowned down at the crowd and watched the black haired, dark skin men and women elbow their way through the crowd as they made their way to the orange stands. Once again, they proudly displayed their skin and its obvious resilience to the frigid air. There seemed to be more Lafita posted around the Darsana than any of the other races.

  Darsana favored black and orange in what little clothing they wore. Thishe wore lavender and white and some of the women had shawls over their heads. The Undala looked like the ocean in glimmering shades of blue while the Eliten dressed in green or brown.

  Snow fell but didn’t settle on any of the buildings. Like the rose petals in Tolly House, an invisible shield stopped the snow from making contact with the city. Someone came to stand on the balcony beside them and Jordan looked up at Mr. Parker and tried not to react. He was still dressed in the same clothes from last night. Obviously, he just got back. She didn’t ask where he’d been. People began to point in their direction. There were indistinguishable yells as people recognized Mr. Parker as if he were a celebrity.

  “Let’s go inside,” he said.

  Kelly waved them to silver platters full of muffins, sausages, biscuits, eggs and coffee. Cibrian and Levi began to snatch the best pastries while Heath tried to manipulate them into taking the ones he didn’t like. Jordan couldn’t eat. She stood apart from everyone with Knight at her side. Her stomach pitched and rolled. No one commented on what occurred in the garden last night. Was it her imagination or was Kelly intentionally avoiding her gaze?

  The front door crashed open. Everyone turned to see Gideon and Polly enter the room. Polly was dressed the same as yesterday in Bermuda shorts and an aloha shirt with big purple flowers on it. Gideon was dressed in some kind of military suit with a rich orange cape. Two Lafita filed in, dressed in black military garb lined in orange. The buttoned down shirt they wore had two swords crossed over their hearts. On their left upper arm each of them wore colored bands. One man had a green and orange band, the other an orange and blue band.

  “My granddaughter,” Gideon boomed with a smile.

  “Can’t shut him up,” Polly muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

  Jordan gave Gideon a weak smile. “Morning, um-”

  “Papa,” he supplied.

  Jordan swallowed. “Papa.”

  Polly made his way over to the breakfast trays an
d started stuffing his face with doughnuts. Heath renewed his efforts to get Polly to eat the pastries he didn’t like. Cibrian helped.

  “Nervous?” Gideon cocked his head to the side. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Being nervous is understandable. That business with William and then coming into our world and meeting Donovan… He shouldn’t have waited so long,” Gideon said with a scowl in his son’s direction.

  When Jordan said nothing Gideon waved his hands.

  “What’s done is done. New day. You’re here now and that’s all that matters. You only have to go through the Declaration Ceremony once in your lifetime. You’ll probably end up at The Academy.”

  “Why?”

  “Even if you’re not a Grounder, you’re a Parker. Parker’s always make headlines, good or bad. The best place to do that is The Academy. My great grandfather was like Donovan. Brilliant, eccentric. He could have done anything but he chose to live on the sidelines. He turned his back on our world and spent most of his time in Ignorant territory. Built a school in Texas that no one thought the Gem would acknowledge but…” Gideon shook his head, “it’s become the most prestigious school in our world.”

  “This school is in Texas?” Jordan asked.

  “Yeah. I think my grandfather’s idea was to force our people to interact more with the Ignorant. It worked. Texas has the elite of our world buying property there.”

  Gideon’s eyes, so like Mr. Parker’s, searched her face. Jordan looked back at him, wondering how different she would be if she grew up knowing him. She was on the verge of telling him what happened at the temple when the front door opened again, distracting her. Gideon’s face darkened as Mary Ann shoved the Lafita out of her way as if they were harmless teenage boys. The men gave way, looking stunned and a little out of their depth as Mary Ann shrugged out of her coat and handed it to one of them. Mary Ann’s eyes fixed on Gideon and she danced down the steps towards him. Today she wore a lavender tunic over leggings.

  “Long time no see,” Mary Ann said in a sweet voice.

  “Not long enough,” Gideon said through clenched teeth. “I thought you didn’t leave that cursed house of yours.”

  Mary Ann’s dazzling smile widened. “I can’t miss the Declaration Ceremony with so much new blood on the scene. I think this year’s going to be more interesting than the others. What could possibly drag you from your all-consuming duties and bikini clad people of Paradice?”

  “Damn it, Mary Ann-”

  “It’s no wonder your fifth wife divorced your sorry ass-” Mary Ann said scathingly.

  “Well, well, look who’s graced us with her presence?” Polly sneered as he strolled up, jelly smeared on the corner of his lip.

  A wicked twinkle entered Mary Ann’s eyes. “Still tagging along after Gideon, Polly? Get a life.”

  A blush rose in his dark cheeks. “I’m Gideon’s personal security,” he blustered.

  “More like Gideon felt sorry for you and he can afford to pay you to follow him around like a puppy. Neither of you has changed,” Mary Ann said.

  Polly was so enraged, a trickle of steam drifted up from his nostril. “How dare you!” he choked.

  “I dare,” she said with a shrug. “What are you going to do? Eat me?” she glanced down at his protruding belly.

  Before Polly could commit murder, the front door slammed open once more to admit a man with a square jaw, violet eyes and black hair. He shoved his way past the two Lafita. He wore a scarlet shirt and matching coat that cascaded down to mid-calf. His eyes were fixed on Mr. Parker and he didn’t seem to notice there were other people in the room. Mr. Parker braced himself when he noticed the man stalking towards him. Heath stepped between the two men, holding a placating hand out towards the newcomer.

  “Now, Bertrand-” Heath said.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Donovan?” Bertrand spat.

  Mr. Parker’s expression was unreadable. “Nice to see you too, Bert.”

  “How dare you show your face here after everything that’s happened? I had to deal with everything by myself- as usual! Now you show up here for the Declaration Ceremony as if you’re God’s gift to the world-” Bertrand tried to push Heath out of the way.

  Gideon, Heath and Polly started forward. Cibrian goggled while Mary Ann and Kelly watched the proceedings with weary and exasperated expressions. It was clear that they knew who the hostile man was and the hate blazing from his eyes wasn’t a surprise to them.

  “Bertrand, get a hold of yourself. You guys aren’t in school anymore, beating the crap out of each other. You’re the Sentinel for God’s sake!” Gideon yelled.

  “He just waltzes back here after all this time-” Bertrand bellowed.

  “I’m not here by choice.” In contrast, Mr. Parker’s voice was even and soft.

  “Ever since you were a kid all you did is cause chaos! Your glory hound relationship with the reporters was too much to stay away from, wasn’t it? What do you want?” Bertrand shoved Heath who took three steps back, impressed rather than upset.

  “I’m just here for the Declaration Ceremony,” Mr. Parker said.

  “What for? You’ve never cared for tradition. Don’t tell me that you want to be the Guide for Autumis. I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you don’t get it,” Bertrand hissed.

  “There was a time when you thought differently.”

  Bertrand swelled with rage. “You dare bring that up to me?”

  “It wouldn’t be your choice if the Gem chose me to be Guide. You have no say even if you are the Sentinel.”

  “I’d sooner die than watch you become an authority figure anywhere-”

  “Then roll over and-” Mr. Parker said.

  “He’s here for his daughter, not to torture you, Bertrand. He’s not even interested in being a Guide,” Heath cut in.

  Bertrand took his hot gaze off Mr. Parker and looked at Heath. He was breathing hard and the clenched fists at his sides trembled.

  “Daughter?”

  Most of the men glanced in Jordan’s direction. Bertrand followed their gaze and saw the girl staring at him with haunting blue eyes. Something about her pulled at him and he felt his anger draining away.

  “You had a daughter with Star,” Bertrand’s voice was curiously flat.

  There was a beat of silence. Everyone looked astonished that Bertrand would know this information.

  “We’re here for the Ceremony and then I’m gone,” Mr. Parker said.

  “As usual,” Bertrand said without taking his eyes off Jordan. “Where’s Star?”

  “Dead.”

  “Are you a Grounder?” Bertrand asked Jordan.

  “Too soon to tell,” Mr. Parker answered for her.

  “She just Awakened?”

  “Yes.”

  Bertrand forced gentleness into his voice as he spoke to her. “Come. Your dad and I don’t get along but I have nothing against you.”

  Jordan didn’t trust a man that could go from rage to calm in the blink of an eye. How did he know that she looked like Star? Even Jordan didn’t have a clear picture of her mother after all these years. When she made no move forward, Bertrand’s eyes went from coaxing to impatience in a moment.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he snapped.

  Gideon and Mr. Parker looked at one another behind Bertrand’s back and there was a silent message passed between them.

  “She is like you. She doesn’t listen worth a damn,” Bertrand muttered.

  “Leave her be,” Mr. Parker said.

  “Why?”

  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  Bertrand’s violet eyes narrowed to slits. “What are you hiding?”

  Mr. Parker folded his arms and said nothing.

  “I’m not doing this with you, Donovan. You think I’ll be able to see something if I touch her, don’t you?” Bertrand said with unexpected insight.

  Bertrand started towards Jordan, face twisted with resentment. Jordan bra
ced herself as Bertrand shoved Heath out of the way, eyes fixed on Jordan. Distorted shouts met Jordan’s ears and she closed her eyes and gathered power in her chest. After last night, her power was close to the surface, waiting for any crack in her armor. Bertrand’s image blurred with another man with blonde hair and black eyes, another man that wouldn’t leave her alone, that would do anything to get his hands on her.

  Power so intense it made her eyes water filled her body. Hands grabbed at her and she reacted instinctively, throwing her power out like a whip before she realized the hands on her were childlike and comforting rather than large and deadly. She blinked furiously and saw Mary Ann blowing on her flaming as if they were marshmallows on fire. Shock and horror allowed Jordan to cut off her power. She stepped forward and closed her hands around Mary Ann’s and the fire winked out. Mary Ann’s hands were raw and peeling. Jordan backed away, hands tucked under her arms as if that would keep her from hurting anyone else.

  “I’m sorry,” Jordan said miserably.

  “It’s alright,” Mary Ann said calmly, flexing her hands carefully. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you when your body was going up in flames. Stupid mistake.”

  “I didn’t mean to- I can’t-”

  “There’s a tea I can drink that will take away the burns. Don’t worry. If you can, I think you should stop the Valor from killing him.”

  Jordan suddenly became aware of the utter silence in the room. She looked across the room and saw Bertrand flat on his back with Knight standing over him, jaws clamped around his throat. Blood pooled around Bertrand. Mr. Parker took a step forward and Bertrand’s body jerked. He let out a muffled yell as fangs sank deeper into his throat. Jordan pushed through the motionless onlookers. Knight hissed, eyes feral as they met hers. She could see blood on Knight’s muzzle, see it dripping from his mouth.