Lark, page 20
His eyes harden, and I feel a pang of guilt that I might have hurt his feelings.
“Don't you dare apologize to him. He is the one who should be apologizing to you,” Jacoby interferes.
Grey remains standing in silence, and when I don't say anything else, he finally says, “Fine. If that is what you wish. I shall remain in Álfheimr tonight. I'll see you tomorrow.”
And with that he leaves the room.
Now I feel really guilty. How can I expect Grey to get along with Jacoby when I can't even seem to get along with Grey lately? I feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. How did everything get so screwed up between us?
“Aw, Lark.” Jacoby pulls me into his arms and the flood gates open up. “You're killing me babe. Why are you getting so upset?”
“I don't know. I wish I knew how to make everything better.” I manage to get out in between my quiet sobs.
“What can I do?” he asks soothingly as he rubs my back.
There is only one thing I can think of that could possibly make me feel better right now. A certain bubbly, strawberry blonde that I haven’t been able to spend any quality time with during the last few weeks.
“I think I need some girl time with my best friend.”
He pulls back and looks at me.
“Well, that isn't the answer I was hoping for,” he teases.
“Yeah, I just need a little mental break from all of this. One evening with no elves. No prophecy hanging over my head. No training. No babysitters. Just a night to feel...human.”
He seems to think it over, probably analyzing all the risk factors involved in a night free of my guards.
“Okay. Here's the deal. I am not sure I feel comfortable with you being away from me or Grey,” he reluctantly spits out the latter's name.
“I'm sure I could keep myself out of trouble for one night,” I throw out there before he even mentions following us on our girls only night.
“I'm not so sure about that,” he mumbles but I hear him perfectly.
“Please Jacoby? I just need a break,” I beg.
“Fine. But as far as anybody else is concerned, I was with you the whole time, understand?” he unwillingly concedes. “I don't want Mr. Intensity accusing me of slacking on my duty.”
“Really? Deal!” I feel a burst of excitement at the prospect of getting in some seriously much needed girl bonding time. I can hardly wait to get home and call Hannah!
“I hope I don't regret this.”
“You won't. I promise I’ll be extra careful,” I assure him as I throw my arms around his neck and plant a swift kiss on his cheek. He responds by squeezing me tighter. “Thank you!”
I am definitely ready for this day to be over. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. And with the promise of girl time, I see no reason why it won’t be.
Chapter 20
It is still dark when I awake the next morning. I lie in bed, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars scattered on my ceiling, not wanting to wake anybody else up yet, but unable to go back to sleep. I laugh at myself for acting like a kid on Christmas Eve, too excited to go to sleep. Tonight is my girl’s night with Hannah, and I guess I’m looking forward to the normalcy more than I thought.
As I expected, Hannah nearly busted my eardrums with her squeal of delight when I asked her if she could hang out Saturday night.
“Yay! Oh Mia! I’m so excited! I feel like we haven't had a girls’ night in forever!” she chirped cheerfully.
It had been so long since the last time we hung out, just the two of us that she was feeling just as deprived as I was. We decided to take advantage of my one, and only, employment perk and take in a free movie. I didn't care what we did as long as it had absolutely nothing to do with elves for one evening.
“I have to run some errands in the morning, but I'll pick you up before the seven o'clock show, okay?”
“Sounds perfect. Dessert afterwards?”
“Duh!” I responded with a smile. Of course we would go get dessert after the movie. It was our tradition. “See you tomorrow.”
I hung up the phone feeling excited about the prospect of one whole evening to just be a normal teen again. Unfortunately, I only get the evening free of elves. I still had to make a trip to Álfheimr this morning to check in with Alberico. It was part of the deal Jacoby and I made. I was desperate enough for girl time that I would have done pretty much anything, so spending the morning in Álfheimr was a pretty good trade for an entire evening to escape my reality.
I really don't mind though. I was actually hoping I would have a chance to see Grey and try to make peace. Jacoby seems to think I don't owe him an apology and a part of me is inclined to agree. After all, I’m not the one who has been giving mixed signals and jerking him around for the last six months. And I won’t even go into the issues surrounding the bittersweet kiss that I wish I could just erase from my memory. But I can't stand the way things are between us right now, so if I have to apologize to make things a little easier, then it's a small sacrifice. The problem is I don't know what to say. Things are so weird between us now. I've rehearsed my speech to Grey a dozen times, but whenever I see him the words leave my head and all I do is make everything worse.
I definitely need a breather. I get out of bed as quietly as possible, throwing on some jeans and a t-shirt. I tip-toe quietly down the hall to Maddie’s room to check on her before I go. She is sleeping soundly. I brush a blonde curl off of her forehead and tuck it behind her ear before leaning over and kissing her softly on her forehead.
“You have no idea how lucky you are Maddie Rose. Enjoy your simple, uncomplicated life where the biggest challenge you face is potty training. Because you never know when you may wake up one day to discover that creatures of mythology are real, prophesies determine fates, and boys undoubtedly will mess with your head and your heart. Trust me, growing up is not all it’s cracked up to be.”
She rolls over and sighs deeply in her peaceful sleep.
“See you later, baby girl,” I whisper.
Instead of trying to sneak back out of her bedroom and down the stairs I transport myself outside to my car and fist pump the air when I do so without any of the usual negative side effects. I don’t feel dizzy at all! I really must be getting stronger. I briefly consider transporting somewhere else just to see if I can do it again so easily, but while it is definitely one of the perks to being half-elf, I still love to drive, so I unlock my car and climb in.
I don't think about where I’m going. I just drive with all my windows down, hair blowing wildly in the wind, allowing myself to fall prey to highway hypnosis. Soon, I find myself on the familiar back road that I love, surrounded by the tall grass and nothing but sky as far as I can see. This is my happy place. A place where everything is still simple. But I can't fool myself for long. Life is anything but simple these days. Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed with emotion and tears sting my eyes as I pull over to the shoulder to collect myself.
So much has happened in the last few weeks. I find out I’m an elf princess, meet my father, get kidnapped and find out I’m blessed by the Sun goddess. What does that even mean anyway? And why does everyone else seem to think it's such a big deal? So I can light up like a firework on the 4th of July, what good does that do? At most it only distracted Dugan long enough to allow Jacoby to transport us out of there.
My little car feels claustrophobic so I step outside and take a deep breath, inhaling the intoxicatingly sweet fresh air. I stand facing up towards the sky with both arms outstretched wide, palms up, letting my skin soak up the sun. The warmth both calms and rejuvenates me. The energy feels like it's just bubbling under the surface, the force of it is almost too much for my body to bear. I do the only thing that feels natural. I push the energy out and away from me with as much force as I can muster. The beams burst forth all at once and I am bathed in warm, bright light. I bask in the warmth, feeling the power being absorbed and reflected. I stand still, letting myself enjoy the sensation for a few more moments.
Even after the beams of sun are gone, I still feel the power pulsating through my veins as I drive back home.
I stop by Starbucks for a Mocha Frappuccino. As I sip on it, I decide that nothing will complement its creamy yumminess more than one of my favorite chocolate-coated granola bars.
As soon as I get in the house, I head to the kitchen to grab one before leaving for Álfheimr. Mom and Paul are already sitting at the table eating breakfast and reading the paper together. Paul reaches out and squeezes Mom’s hand gently, causing her to look up at him and smile lovingly. They are obviously very much in love with each other, but now that I know my dad, a piece of my heart breaks because he is pretty great too. I wonder what would have happened if Alberico would have told Mom everything? If she actually had a choice, who would she have chosen? How does one choose between two great men? I decide that maybe she was lucky that she never had the choice to make, after all. She is blissfully happy now and that’s all that matters.
“Mornin’,” I greet them as I head over to the pantry.
“Mornin’ sweetheart. Where did you venture off to this morning?” Mom asks me before taking a sip of her coffee.
“Needed some caffeine,” I say as I hold up the clear plastic cup. I take a big bite of my granola bar and join Mom and Paul at the table. “I’m going to the movies with Hannah tonight and I’ll probably sleep over at her house if that’s okay?”
“That’s fine with me,” Mom said.
“What movie are you going to see?” Paul asked.
“I don’t know yet. I told Hannah it was her choice.” I get up and throw away the empty cup and the plastic wrapper from my granola bar. “I’m on my way now to meet Jacoby at the library.”
“Jacoby?”
Mom isn’t a fan of Jacoby’s. I don’t think she has anything against him personally, she’s just a big fan of Grey’s so she doesn’t really understand why I’ve been spending so much time with another boy.
“Yes, Mom, I told you, I’m tutoring him.” It was the easiest explanation I could come up with for why I’ve been spending so much time with him at the library.
“What ever happened between you and Grey? He was such a perfect gentleman.”
“I told you, Grey and I are just friends. Jacoby and I are just friends for that matter.” I tell her, completely exasperated by this conversation.
“Will you be back before dinner?” She changes the subject.
“Yeah, we’ll probably grab some lunch after we finish studying then I’ll be home for the rest of the afternoon. Hannah and I aren’t meeting up until seven-ish.”
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
“Okay, cool. Thanks, Mom. I’ll see you later.” I hug her good-bye. I do this every time I’m about to leave now, just in case. “I love you.”
“Love you too, honey.”
Then I hug Paul too.
“See you later, kiddo.” He smiles kindly, his eyes twinkling with affection.
I drive over to the library and park near the back like I’ve done every day for the last month. Nobody ever parks back here so it’s always deserted which makes it the perfect location. I scan the parking lot and make sure nobody is around before locking my car door and transporting to Álfheimr.
Once the room has stopped spinning, I check the clock in my room and realize that Alberico is probably at breakfast. My mouth is already watering at the thought despite the fact that I just inhaled a granola bar and a Mocha Frappuccino. Nothing could keep me from enjoying an elfish breakfast though. Elves do breakfast up right. Well, really any meal but I am especially fond of breakfast. I’m actually surprised I haven’t gained at least twenty pounds since I’ve been freely enjoying all the deliciousness.
Before I make my way down, I decide on a wardrobe change. Alberico will undoubtedly be surrounded by his council and other important elves, so I should probably look the part of a princess. I enter my massive closet and browse through the endless rows of flowy dresses, finally deciding on a pale yellow dress with long sleeves that flare out at the wrists. The bodice is laced and ties at the neckline. I don't really know what to do with my hair, but since I will likely be doing some training later anyway, I pull it to the side and braid it. I notice that Freya has a vase of freshly cut yellow roses on my bedside table so I pick a few buds and slip them in my long braid. Once I deem myself presentable enough, I take a deep breath and head down the hall.
I literally run into Grey.
I seem to do that a lot.
But at least this time I didn't land flat on my back.
“Hey, I was hoping I'd run in to you,” I tell him.
“You were?” he seems surprised and I detect a hint of amusement in his indigo eyes.
“Yes, well, not quite so literally,” I tease him, earning a small smile in return. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Does anybody know you are here yet?” he asks as he looks around.
“No, I just got here.”
“Where's Jacoby?”
“I'm guessing he is still sleeping.” Jacoby likes to sleep in whenever possible and on the days he doesn’t get to sleep in, he naps. The boy sleeps all the time. I left him a message when I was driving around earlier letting him know where I would be in case he came to check on me like he is supposed to when it was his turn to 'play babysitter' as he likes to call it.
“He doesn't know where you are?” he says sternly.
“I know where I am and that’s all that matters.”
“Why are you being so difficult?” he exhales, exasperated over my stubbornness.
“You're one to talk,” I snap, and immediately the guilt washes over me. “Sorry. I actually came here to try to make things better between us.”
At that his eyes soften and he reaches for my hand.
“Mia,” he whispers. “I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I should have kept my feelings in check. I need to do a better job at keeping them under control. It's just so much harder than I ever dreamed possible.”
He pulls me closer to him and rests his chin on the top of my head for a minute. Or maybe an hour. I don't know how long we stand there, but eventually he pulls away. “I should go.”
Without another word, he turns and walks away from me. I think about following him for a second but force myself to continue down the hall to meet my father for breakfast.
It's amazing how different he is when it’s just the two of us versus when other people are around. But I suppose he has always been like that. He is all sweet and attentive when it’s just us, but as soon as somebody else enters the room he becomes distant and impassive towards me. It's frustrating. And so different from Jacoby. Jacoby is constant. He is the kind of guy who would kiss you in the middle of a busy street and not feel remotely embarrassed by the public display of affection.
I am suddenly not in the mood for breakfast after all, so I make my way back to my room. I'll just spend a few minutes on the balcony, soaking up the fresh air before I go see my father.
Lately, it seems that I have been drawn to the outdoors, especially during the day. It's almost like I am addicted to it. When I have been indoors for too long I start to feel on edge, but once I step outside I feel calm and more at peace. The fresh air and sun are a source of comfort and energy for me now. I've always been more inclined to stay indoors. I never really was the outdoorsy type, until now. I idly wonder if perhaps this has something to do with discovering the truth behind my heritage or the blessing of the Sun goddess?
“Daydreaming about me, Lark?” I turn to see Jacoby leaning casually against the door frame. I guess he got my note.
“Ha. Don't you wish.”
“Actually, I do,” he smiles.
“I'm surprised you’re up this early.”
“You and me both,” he laughs. “Are you sure you don't want me to come with you tonight?” He reverts to speaking in my head since there are probably elves close enough to hear us. “It would make me feel better if I knew you were safe.”
“Jacoby, please! You promised! I want to spend some time with my best friend. It's just one night.”
“Fine!” he relents, but I know he really doesn't want to.
“Come on. Let's go see Alberico.” I drag him behind me.
Fortunately, Alberico doesn't have any new updates for us. The plan remains the same: attack the Dökkálfar next Saturday. As nervous as I am about the upcoming battle, I’m relieved that I will be able to head home early today.
“You seem like you are in a hurry to leave today.” Alberico notes. “Do you have big plans tonight?”
I look at Jacoby before I respond, “Nope, not really.”
“Okay, well I will see you tomorrow.”
“See you.” I turn around just as the door opens, and I run smack into the heavy frame. “Ow!”
Alberico and Jacoby immediately rush to my side, looking me over as Finnegan enters and frantically starts apologizing. But not to me.
“I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he says, his eyes crazed with panic.
“Shouldn’t you be apologizing to my daughter?” Alberico states calmly, giving Finnegan a pointed look.
“My apologies, Mia,” he says, bowing before me, but when he looks up to meet my eyes, the look is anything but apologetic. I am taken aback by his obvious disdain at having to bow before me. I know that he has never been openly friendly with me like his wife, Isobel, has. I hadn’t really given it much thought up until this point since most of the elves are wary around me because of the prophecy, but this is different. He really seems to have a genuine hatred towards me.
“It’s okay. It was an accident.” I reply as Jacoby places his hand underneath my arm.
“C’mon Lark, we need to get going,” he says as he ushers me out the door. “See you tomorrow, Your Majesty.”
“Bye, Dad.”
“Good night to you both.” Alberico smiles distractedly, then a perplexed expression crosses his face as he eyes Finnegan.
***
As expected, Hannah decides we are going to watch the latest book-to-movie adaptation. Though predictable, it was exactly which movie I would have chosen for the night. We are a little obsessed. Any time we see a preview for a movie that we think we might enjoy, we immediately go to Amazon.com to see if there was a book first. Then we devour the book right before the movie comes out. It’s sort of our thing. This movie is based on a series of books about vampires and it’s the last installment. We’ve been waiting to see it though so we could avoid the insane crowds and actually get good seats.
