(see other post for the first part of this story)
“Uh I think I’m sick,” Leesha blurted out, suddenly terrified. “We should like turn around and go home ‘cause I need a Tylenol!”
Karol smiled in understanding, then tossed back a bottle of pills. Leesha groaned as she caught the Children’s Chewable Tylenol Tablets. “Forget it,” she muttered handing them to the nearest person who happened to be Sasha. “She needs them more than I do.”
Sasha rolled her eyes and stowed the pills in one of the many junk containers spaced randomly around the vehicle.
“Come on Lee-Lee you know this place, there’s nothing to be scared of,” an ancient voice assured her from a shadow. Already would tight Leesha jumped about a foot in the air and by the time she landed there was a monkey in her place.
Jayla flipped a switch illuminating herself and Jesse and rolled her eyes at Leesha. “Chill, Leesha. It’s just us.” Okay so maybe not everyone had been downstairs waiting for her that morning. Leesha looked down guiltily realizing that she had totally forgotten about her two newest sisters.
She quickly turned back into a human. “You come here every day just like me,” Jesse continued. “And you know these people so there is nothing that should make you scared.” Everyone but Leesha and Jayla tried not to shiver as the wise voice of an ancient warrior came from the little seven year old girl. Jayla had found Jesse, her secretly-a-werewolf brother Jaylin, and Kyle on her Elite Quest. Since Kyle and Sasha clicked instantly and it was custom for trainees to be mentored at least in part by their Seekers, Karol and Jim had offered to take in the four extra children in addition to their huge household.
Everyone accepted Kyle immediately, but the other three were harder to get used to. Jayla and Jaylin seemed unnaturally dark and extremely advanced in their skills while little Jesse seemed to know more than she let on. The grown up voice she possessed didn’t help at all. Jared and Simon had disliked Jayla and Jaylin from the start. When Jaylin had started sneaking out at night, their hatred intensified. After the twins revealed that he was a werewolf, they pestered Karol and Jim about it until they kicked him out.
In truth, Leesha thought that was a bad idea. Jaylin had never done anything wrong, he tried to be good. And he and Jayla were inseparable.
That dark night Jayla had had to make a choice. Jaylin was forced to leave, but Jesse needed to stay for her apprenticeship if she ever wanted to become a full fledged warrior. Jayla was torn until Jaylin promised it would be alright. Both had tears in their eyes as he whirled around and fled in his half wolf form.
Since then Jayla had clamed up, and they didn’t even know what her spirit creature was! Jayla and Jesse had only been there for about a month, half of that time had been without Jaylin, but already Leesha had come to rely on them in a weird sort of way. Sometimes she felt they were the only ones on her side in sibling fights.
“I’ll try to remember that,” she promised, hands beginning to sweat.
“Relax, Leesha,” Jayla murmured, toying gently with Jesse’s long honey-colored hair. “It’s not that bad, trust me. They just get you all hyped up so you won’t walk in there like you know what’s going on. It’s important that you be respectful, and this is the best way to Initiates to shut up,” she promised, not looking up. Her long black hair created a curtain separating her from the rest of the world.
“Here,” she added almost as an afterthought, tossing Leesha a small jewelry box. Leesha caught it without thinking, rather shocked. That was the longest speech any of them had heard Jayla make and the rare display of affection was shocking since she never seemed to care more about anyone than Jesse and Jaylin.
Slowly, Leesha unlatched the clasp. She was almost afraid of what she’d find inside, but trusted Jayla enough to open it. When she did Leesha gasped in awe. Resting delicately on a bed of jet black silk was the most detailed sculpture she had ever seen. The thimble-size gold monkey was perfectly flawless and hung from a simple yet elegant chain embedded with thousands of tiny diamonds that set off the pendant’s sparkling eyes. The perfectly sculpted figure was in Leesha’s favorite battle stance and managed to look absolutely focused. “I love it,” she breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the precious gift.
Jayla smiled in satisfaction. “Put it on then,” she urged as the van continued to wind its way towards The Council. Trying not to think about where they were going Leesha carefully scooped the monkey into her palm. She admired it for a second longer before reaching back to secure the clasp. As soon as it was fastened, all of Leesha’s fears melted away replaced by a simple confidence.
Jim frowned. “Where did you get that?” he demanded harshly. “It has the look of an ancient amulet.”
“Oh, I made it,” Jayla replied flippantly, turning her gaze stubbornly to the floor.
“You made this?” Leesha breathed before Jim could say anything else. “It’s amazing! How did you do it?”
Jayla looked up and met Leesha’s curious golden gaze evenly. “My brother taught me,” she whispered then glanced down quickly.
Jared and Conner leapt to their feet in protest. Sasha’s eyes widened in shock then narrowed menacingly. Kelly gasped theatrically then fainted. Jared caught her just in time then turned to resume booing with his twin.
Jayla sat silently enduring the protests, Jesse’s face buried in her shoulder until Jim shouted, “Enough!” He slammed on the car breaks causing Simon and Jared who were still on their feet to pitch forward and crash into the built-in cushions.
“Jayla,” Jim began in a calm voice, though his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. “I thought we had already discussed this, Jaylin can’t come back he is a werewolf!”
“I understand your rules,” Jayla replied coolly. “I have not seen my brother since The Banishment,” she promised, referring to the night Jim and Karol had forced Jaylin to leave. Jesse and Jayla insisted on referring to that night as ‘The Banishment’ despite the others’ protests. “He taught me the art of sculpting before he left. My father taught him while we were separated,” she added quietly.
Silence fell over everyone present. “You knew of Jaylin’s existence before you brought him back,” Karol whispered in horror. “And you knew he was a werewolf?”
Jayla stuck out her chin, gray eyes flashing defiantly. “There is nothing wrong with being a werewolf!” she shouted. Suddenly she was on her feet. “As long as Jaylin doesn’t succumb to the evil within he is the same as the rest of you!” Everyone stayed frozen, not sure what to do as Jayla clenched and unclenched her fists, shuddering in an attempt to control her rage.
“My apologies,” she hissed in a snake-like voice when she had calmed down considerably. “I am rather sensitive to that subject, but have no fear. No harm will come to Leesha because of the necklace.” She sat down again next to an unconcerned Jesse and calmly began to french braid the little girl’s golden hair as if nothing had happened.
Not knowing what else to do Jim took his foot off the breaks and they began moving again. “A bad day for an argument,” Leesha heard Naomi whisper to Sarah and Marian who nodded solemnly in reply.
Leesha clenched her fists and stiffly took a soda off the shelf. She absently stroked the monkey’s small head as she opened the can and began to guzzle it down. Suddenly Leesha felt a steady gaze boring straight through her being and snapped her head up. It was Jayla and Jesse, but neither looked angry as they should seeing as she had just caused them so much trouble.
It’s alright, a foreign thought intruded upon her mind. Leesha was so surprised she gasped outright and choked on her soda. She coughed violently, spewing root beer everywhere. “Sorry, just nervous,” she muttered when everyone turned to look at her.
As long as you wear the locket I can talk to you, and you can talk to me, the voice promised. It will help you in other ways as well, but they are better left hidden. This time Leesha managed to swallow her gulp of soda before coughing discreetly.
What?! she asked inside her head not knowing how else to communicate.
The voice chuckled and was joined by a second laugh, older yet smaller. It’s Jayla and Jesse! she realized suddenly. Remember. Jayla warned in a foreboding voice. Remember what I said.
It’s very important, Jesse agreed solemnly before the pair fell quiet.
Leesha pondered what they had said for the remainder of the ride. ‘Remember what I said’? Had Jayla meant the advice about speaking to each other or something she had said before that…
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