Page 19 of Into The Green

I nodded. "What is a fae name that means... 'protector'?"

There was a strained silence for a minute before Doyle answered in a weird, quiet voice. "Jasper."

My head snapped up, looking over at Doyle accusingly, but I saw nothing but honesty there. Then I looked over at Jasper who refused to look back at me. "Well, that name is... taken." A couple seconds later, Doyle broke through the awkwardness by declaring I call it Onyx. I looked down at its midnight fur and petted it. "That's perfect. Thank you, Onyx. My feet already feel better," I lied, but the darn thing fluffed up underneath me. I didn't care what Jasper said, he totally understood me. It wasn't a dog or beast. At least, not fully. There was something inside that thought and comprehended things.

The day wore on, my thighs and ass getting sore from the uncomfortable straddled position. And, despite not exerting myself, the heat was still merciless, making every inch of me sticky and disgusting.

But it was all for Jade. It would be worth it to have her back safe and sound.

"So what, exactly, is the plan once we get to your parents' land?" Doyle asked what we were both wondering.

I looked over at Jasper from under my lashes, seeing things there I hadn't seen before- tiredness and a bone-deep worry that I found incredibly troubling on his face. "We find Jade," he said simply.

It really wasn't an answer, but Doyle accepted it.

As for me, well, I needed more than that.

"Maybe when we reach your parents' land, I should stay behind with Onyx." At Jasper's silence, I pressed on. "We'll only slow you down. And I don't know anything about the... fae or anything so..."

"No," Jasper snapped through clenched teeth.

"Be reasonable," I insisted.

"No," he barked again, and I tried not to take it personally. I didn't have to be an emotion-sensing fae to know he was stressed out. Everything about him vibrated with untapped energy, with worry, with fear. "Not many people have accused me of being reasonable," he added.

"I don't have anything to offer. I don't have any kind of skills..."

Jasper sighed and turned fully toward me.

--

Jasper

"Do you know what 'celestine' is?" I asked.

"Aside from my name?"

I ignored that and went on. "It's another name for the gemstone celestite. It's the angelic gemstone," I added, knowing anyone else would pick up on the weight of meaning there, but then again, Cece didn't have a fucking clue about who she was, let alone what the stone she was named after meant.

"It's also a French baby name," she said with a casual shrug.

"No. It's a fae name. It means the person who has its name has the power to connect with the angelic realm, and ask for guidance or blessings. The namesake also has the ability to calm anxiety and general worry."

"Um, have we met?" she asked, smirking. "I am a ball of anxiety tied together with worry. And I'm not fae."

She wasn't wrong about one of those things. A dozen images of her anxieties and fears had flashed across my mind all day. "It's not for you," I explained. "When you have a power name, it only works externally. Like for me, I can't take my own nightmares away, just other peoples' nightmares."

"Again, you're overlooking the most important part of your argument.

"Which is?"

"That I am human," she said, shifting a little uncomfortably as if a part of her knew it was a lie, but the other part was desperately trying to cling to the comfort of it.

I stopped, patted Onyx's flank to make him quit walking too, then caught Doyle's eyes and gave him a chin jerk. He nodded and shuffled off. Cece's brows drew together at me then she swiveled her head to look for Doyle. Because he made her feel safe, I realized. He was who she looked to for reassurance. Not me.

And for reasons I was choosing not to analyze, that grated.

"He'll be back in a few minutes. Look," I said, trying to take the sharp edge out of my voice. "You're not human. You're at least half-fae. I know it. Doyle knows it. Jade knew it. And, my guess, even your parents knew it. Step-parents, more like," I corrected.