Frank was standing behind her, and she found Hunter next to him, talking quietly to him. She was gaining more and more of an appreciation for the boy, and her opinion of both of the twins had changed drastically from when she first met them. Instead of unruly jokesters, she’d come to realize that they were both very thoughtful and kind.
She wished she hadn’t judged them so harshly for asking a perfectly logical question that they were merely curious about. It wasn’t their fault she’d been so touchy about it, and she realized she’d taken her frustration and anger out on them, if only briefly.
Sighing, she knew she couldn’t deal with her past actions at the moment. She’d make an effort later to get to know them more, instead of shutting them out. For now...they had bigger fish to fry.
“Let’s go; we’ve already spent a bit too much time here. The other group is not too much further.” Her face turned solemn as she remembered what she’d seen. Sure, she’d saved this group...and then still lost someone who’d come to receive her. Not to mention Marcelle’s group was practically trapped in the woods with a group of very angry mesmer.
It wasn’t an ideal situation, to be sure. So they moved forward through the grass once more, Jade swiping through it to create a path, albeit with a lot less spring and joy than before. Tevon and her birdcage floated in little wind bubbles behind her, cutting off any noise they might make. Granted, she was making plenty of her own, but still. Better safe than sorry, especially when it came to beings that could mesmerize you with their voices.
She hoped the doctors would be ready when they got there. She had to know if she could save the mesmer too.
Chapter Fourteen – Return
The sound of voices became more and more apparent as they drew nearer, though the tall grass mostly blocked them from view. It was the reason the giant tialon were able to hide within it. If it hadn’t been over six feet tall in places, there was no way they’d have been able to hide as they slunk closer.
From the images she received from her babies, she knew they were about two hundred feet from their receiving party. Someone in that group seemed to have noticed something, because everyone was alert and ready to receive a new enemy. After all, Jade was making a decent amount of noise by thrashing through the grain, and those behind her weren’t making any particular effort to walk quietly.
Looking at her sword, she shrugged and decided to do one last swing. Judging the angles based on her fellacai, she picked a spot that would bring their path to intersect right in front of the road where the group was circled up, negating the possibility of hitting them. Gathering her magic for a moment, she sent out a wind cleave that was three times as powerful as what she’d used to startle the birds, not to mention being narrowed into a three foot path.
Grain and stalks flew into the air as a path in front of them was forcefully created, and she heard a few gasps from both behind and ahead of her. It actually looked rather pretty, having the golden pieces falling in front of them like confetti. She began to walk confidently down her new path as she called out, “Don’t even think about shooting us.”
She’d noticed that several of the guards were on the verge of releasing arrows towards them, but at her voice, most of them dropped the tension a little sheepishly, though they still held them at the ready. Once again, she heard a familiar voice call out, “Jade, is that you?”
“Hey, we’re here too, you know! It’s not just her!” Tisha cried out indignantly, obviously miffed that the voice didn’t seem concerned about her presence.
She heard the order given quietly, “Lower your weapons; they’re the ones we’ve been sent to bring back.” She watched as, before the order had even been given, the one who’d called her name bounded forward to look down the lane of mown grain.
“Jade! Are you guys okay? I saw your fellacai!” Logan Bick’s light voice greeted her as he stood in front of the path she’d opened up. His eyes seemed a little too bright, as if he were trying too hard to be cheerful in order to mask a deep pain. She smiled weakly at him, noting the traces of blood still lingering on his fingers from when he’d straightened Christopher’s head.
Lavender and Carl fluttered over to her, obviously a little tired from the flight and the battle that they’d taken part in. As the group walked quickly forward, Jade nodded to Logan. “We’re all right. How many are wounded here?”
He looked a little surprised at her question as he asked hesitantly, “You...know?”
She nodded, gesturing to Lavender and Carl. “I was watching through their eyes and had them help.”
The man she assumed was the guard commander came over behind Logan. He obviously heard what she said, because it looked like a lightbulb clicked on over his head. “They’re the reason the tialon went crazy?”
Smiling, she nodded as she gave her babies a fond glance. “Yes, Lavender was able to put them under an illusion.” Gesturing to the group behind her, she suggested, “Why don’t we get everyone else settled and prepared to head back while I look at those who were injured?”
The man looked a little startled, then nodded happily. “Yes, that’s great! Your majesties are back, that’s wonderful! Come this way. Logan, help Lady Jade, will you?” Logan nodded and held out his arm now that she was close enough, and she took it, her mind flashing back to their jaunt through the city.
They started walking away as the commander was ushering her charges into the inner circle of guards. Quietly, she asked Logan as she pulled her captives through the wide berth they were given, “How’re you holding up?”
He sighed, raking his free hand through his hair and streaking blood through it unknowingly. “I’m honestly not sure. He was my trainer, you know? He warned us. It was his warning cry that made them target him. He was the only one who saw them at first. Then they were there so fast, and he was just...gone. What am I supposed to tell his wife?”
His wife? The words echoed over and over in her head as she realized she’d never asked about his family situation before. It was a startling realization that she knew so little about so many of the people around her. She knew the royal family, though she probably didn’t even have that down because people like Brodie kept popping up out of the woodwork. She knew Eric had an older brother. She’d met the entire Elliot family, she was fairly sure. She’d met at least two generations of Whitakers. She knew Stephen had a sister with kids. She’d met the father and son duo of the Stewarts in her underground base.
That was it. She knew nothing else about the families of those around her. There were also only a few people who knew what her family situation was. Mostly the royals, and she couldn’t remember if she’d told anyone else in what she considered her inner circle. Maybe Eric or Stephen? Did Kaylee, Jessica, or Raphael know? Family was one of those basic get-to-know-you questions on Earth, but why did people seem to shy away from it here? Or was it that she hadn’t gotten to know people in actuality?
Shaking off thoughts of her own inadequacy, she patted Logan on the arm. “We’ll tell her the truth, together. That he gave his life helping others.” She didn’t add that she was going to make sure the woman was taken care of, whoever she was. It was the least she owed her. She was also going to make absolutely certain that he got a proper burial. Logan unconsciously led her to the body first, though it was lying not far from the wounded. She was glad to see that he’d been straightened out, at least.