“I can’t,” Jewel whispered, sinking to the floor. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Please Peri, I just need a little more time.” If she could just hold them off until her mother was back, then they would see. They would understand.
Peri studied her, concern etched on her face. She took a step toward Jewel and knelt, only a couple of feet away.
“We want to help you, Jewel, but you have to let us in. This secrecy—Dalton going off on his own because of whatever the hell you have going on—it isn’t good for you. For any of us. This is not the time for us to have any division.”
Jewel looked into Peri’s eyes and saw they were glassy with unshed tears. She hurt for Jewel. She cared that much. And Jewel knew Peri was right. But the promise of her mother’s return was too powerful to resist. She just needed the strength to finish this.
Taking a shaky breath, Jewel met Peri’s gaze again. “Soon,” she whispered. “I’ll explain soon.”
Based on the disappointment on Peri’s face and the tear that escaped and ran down her porcelain skin, it wasn’t the answer the high fae wanted, but it was the only one Jewel could give.Not yet, she pleaded silently.Just give me a little more time.She leaned her head back against the door and took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she tried to reach out to Dalton, needing a measure of his strength, but he wasn’t there. He’d shut down the bond on his end. Another crack in her heart formed. She was sure it might shatter before it was all said and done. And it would be her fault.
“I’m sorry.” Jewel opened her eyes. Peri was gone. Jewel sucked in a deep breath and banged her head against the door several times. She felt like her lungs were closing up, and she couldn’t draw in any air.
Attempting to calm herself down, she pictured her mother’s face and thought about the last conversation they’d had when Jewel had left Dalton after the bond had been broken.
“The good in both of you is fighting a battle to overcome the darkness inside. But there is a reason the Great Luna created true mates. Yes, I know the history of the wolves. But that’s not the point right now. The point is, she created true mates because they are stronger together than apart. Where one is weak, the other is strong. Where one is temperamental, the other is constant, and so on and so forth.”
Her heart beat harder in her chest as more of her mother’s wisdom filled her mind.
“Jewel, you are the catalyst to many things. You are not the only one of your kind that will be challenged, but you are the first. You cannot walk through the fire alone. When the smoke and heat overwhelm you, you need to have someone by your side who can carry you out. Please, go back to him.”
“A single strand is weaker than a braid.” Jewel repeated the words she’d said alone in her room after the discussion with her mom. “A braid might survive friction or fire, where a single strand would be destroyed.” She blew out a breath and, for the first time in a very long time, allowed herself to remember the last time she had talked to her mom, held in her arms.
“I chose the lesser of the two evils. That’s what a parent does, my precious Jewel. We sacrifice, even though it’s going to hurt. In the long run, it will cause you less suffering, but you will suffer for a time. You can’t see the whole puzzle, and though you may be angry with me at first, in time you will see what I am choosing is for the best.
“I’m going to do what’s best for you. That’s my job, to always do what’s best for you. No exception, without fail, if it’s in my power. You have and will always come first. Never forget that.”
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as Jewel squeezed her eyes closed, trying to keep from seeing her mother’s face in those last moments. She refused to let the rest of those words enter her mind. If she did, her resolve would falter.
Jewel hastily wiped away her tears and pushed herself to her feet. She just needed a shower and bed. She would feel better tomorrow, and when she met with Celise again, she would ask how much longer it would take. Jewel was running out of time.
“I’m doing this for you, Mom,” she said into the empty room. “You didn’t deserve to die. I wasn’t ready for you to die.” She shook her head, pushing that thought away because it would only bring forward her mother’s final words.
“Shower, bed,” she told herself.
As she went about her tasks, she couldn’t help but reach out to her mate again. Still, there was nothing. Jewel was beginning to think he was truly fed up with her. That he was done. The tears returned in full force, and she allowed herself to weep. There was a hole where Dalton should be. She missed him. But she also missed her mother desperately. She’d never thought there’d be a day when she’d have to pick between two people she loved. But here she was. She’d made her bed, and here she would lie.
Once out of the shower, she calmed down, and a thought hit her as she put on her sleep clothes. If Peri was here and obviously aware that something was seriously wrong with Jewel, she would step in. “Shit,” Jewel muttered as she realized she wasn’t running out of time. She had already run out of time. It was gone. Peri would bind her. Now that she thought about it, she was shocked the high fae hadn’t done it tonight.
Dropping the sleep clothes, Jewel grabbed a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, socks, and shoes. She would have to leave now. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to see Celise again, and she could kiss seeing her mother goodbye.
Once dressed, she grabbed a black jacket, pulling the hood over her strawberry-blonde hair. She slipped out of her room and hurried down the hallway to the stairs leading to the back door. Jewel slowed her steps as she reached the door and took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She smiled at the guard.
His brow rose. “Everything okay?”
She laid her hand on his arm and let her healer magic flow into him. “I left my phone on the bench in the garden.” Which happened to be on the other side of the grounds, with lots of trees for coverage. “And I’m going to take a little more time. I’d like to pray to the Great Luna, and I feel closer to her under the moonlight.”
The male, thankfully unmated or her magic wouldn’t have worked, nodded. “I understand.” He pushed the door open and held it for her.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” And she meant it.
“Take as long as you need.”
Jewel smiled. She didn’t nod or agree because she didn’t want to lie to him. She did need fresh air, and she did need to say a prayer to the Great Luna that she wouldn’t be found by Peri and get her grown ass handed to her. She started off at a slow stroll, but once she was out of the male’s view, her steps quickened. By the time she reached the backside of the property, Jewel was panting like an out-of-shape racehorse. The gate was overgrown with vines, making it nearly impossible to see. She placed her hand on it and once again reached for her power. The vines obeyed, shrinking enough for her to open the gate.
She closed the gate and instructed the vines to cover it even thicker. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Jewel took off at a sprint. Her hood flew back, revealing her face to the cool night air that caressed her cheeks. When she was far enough away from the pack grounds that she could no longer see the mansion, she paused for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and reached for the dark magic that allowed her to flash. She hadn’t used the ability when Dalton had accompanied her because it made her feel tainted. It wasn’t something she should be able to do. And she hadn’t used it coming and going earlier tonight because she didn’t want to risk Celise being outside their meeting place and seeing her ability. Something in Jewel’s gut told her not to let the sprite know about all her abilities. At the moment, Jewel felt so drained from her meeting with Celise that she hoped she could still do it. She needed the ability now more than ever. It made her stomach churn to think of using an ability granted by Volcan, but there was no other choice. With a surge of determination, she released the power,thought of her old home, and flashed. A moment later, she was standing on the sidewalk in front of it. It was dark, the grass on either side of the sidewalk overgrown, and there were tears in the screens on the windows. If anyone lived there, they weren’t taking care of the place.
Jewel followed the pathway to the stairs. The old wood creaked as she ascended the steps to the entrance. First, she peered in the window. There was no furniture to be seen, so she walked to the door and, with a hesitant hand, grasped the doorknob and turned it, feeling a sense of unease wash over her. As the door creaked open, she was hit with a wave of disappointment as the familiar scent of home had been replaced with a musty, damp odor that permeated every inch of the house. The air felt heavy and stagnant, making it difficult for Jewel to take a deep breath without feeling suffocated. She longed for the days when the house was filled with warmth and laughter instead of this cold and lifeless atmosphere. She shut the door behind her and looked around. “What the hell am I doing?” she muttered. How had she allowed her life to become such a mess? The truth was, it had always been a mess. From her mom being the town laughingstock fortune-teller to her own friendless existence—until she’d met Peri and her merry gang of healers and werewolves.
