Asleep *FINISHED!/COMPLETE*

*Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

JASE

I knew Ellie needed some time and space after everything she had just been through, but damn did I hate having to give it to her.

It felt like a burning torch had lit inside my soul having to watch her leave the room- not getting a chance to make sure she was ok, which, clearly she wasn’t. Not getting a chance to explain anything, or see to it that she was safe and that she would remain so. Especially after the tidbits of conversation I had overheard between Oren and Claudia earlier.

My stomach churned with a sick feeling over what those two might attempt to do to her. The thought of something happening to Ellie settled an instant stone in my stomach and a vice grip around my neck, threatening to extinguish all the air from my lungs. Even if I would never let it happen, just the mere thought of an attempt made me want to run after her even more. But I had to give her some space and time to process.

Besides that, of equal importance, I had to clue in my family on what I’d just overheard and learned of the Stone’s intentions on coming for her. They needed to know what was going on and I needed their help in protecting her. She was special. Apparently to more people than just myself, but none of us knew why just yet.

I hadn’t realized I was still staring down the empty hallway until Kai gently squeezed my shoulder. I had initially run after her, but like good brother’s do, Kai stepped in and held me back, firmly but patiently waiting for my emotions to settle.

“It’ll be ok, Jase. Just give her some time.” Kai said in an unusually gentle way, his warrior illumine giving way to the love I knew he had for me.

We may have fought as if we were enemies from time to time, but we always had each other’s backs, and right now I was so glad that he had mine. I needed him right now. I needed all of them. Ellie’s life, and potentially the fate of this entire war, depended on it.

Although internally I was grateful, I gruffly acknowledged my brother, murmuring an “I know” and “thanks,” as I turned and headed back toward the living room.

I was thankful to see that Maven and Thomas were still there, but we needed everyone that mattered- at least those that were currently in our home- for this meeting. Including Anetta and Karis.

“You alright, son?” my dad asked, his concern genuine, though his voice still rang through with his commanding tone that meant there was business to be taken care of. I appreciated that more in that moment than I ever had before.

“I’ll be ok, dad. As long as she is. But right now we need to get Karis and Anneta in here. This can’t wait.”

I gave my father a grave look, and within minutes my cousin and our adopted family member, Annetta, who took care of us all daily in SO many ways, - were sitting in the living room, along with the rest of us.

Annetta rung her hands, her cheeks a bit red from anxious worry at the random summons. Karis looked irritated, which was unsurprising. Maven had taken a seat next to her on the couch, and Kai perched himself on the arm beside her, his warrior illumine barely contained now, clearly itching for a fight.

My father turned one of the wingback chairs to face the center of the room, his usual seat of choice, and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as if to say, let’s get down to business.

I didn’t need another cue, and went into what I had heard between Oren and Claudia while hitching a ride back to town in their trunk.

“Ok, so… I may or may not have… hitched a ride back in Claudia Stone’s trunk…” I confessed out loud to my audience.

There were many sideways glances that passed between my family at that, but no questions ensued- likely due to the fact that my Sight Illumine often caused me to do things that most would perceive as stupid or dangerous… So I continued.

“There are still so many things I don’t understand, like how Ellie has the same last name as Callen, and maybe she can shed some light on that when she calms down and is ready to speak to me again…”

I trailed off and shoved a hand through my dark hair, momentarily distracted by the irrational fear that she might not ever be ready to speak to me again…

“Son,” my dad said, pulling my attention back to what was most important. “What did you overhear?”

“Right, sorry,” I shook my head to clear her face from my thoughts and get my emotions in check.

Seriously, Jase? Pull it together. I internally chastised myself before continuing.

“So from what I could gather,” I went on, “Stone has been intentionally keeping Ellie and Callen apart for some reason. She was pissed that Oren had let her get away… I’m assuming from the orphanage they run? And both her and Oren were shocked that she’d found Callen so fast.”

“Why did she go and find him, anyways? Something feels so off about all of this, Jase. If I’m being completely honest, I don’t know that we can trust her. If she’s in kahoots with Callen? There’s no way your girl up there is as innocent as she seems to be,” Maven offered up, unwelcomed.

Karis nodded her agreement, “I agree. Jase. I get you think this girl’s pretty or cute or whatever, and we all know how you love your little people projects, but this is our family we’re talking about. This is war, Jase. You are smarter than that.”

Barely controlled rage boiled beneath my surface as my fists clenched tightly at my sides, acting of their own accord. I honestly and legitimately snarled at the two girls sitting on my couch as I took a menacing step in their direction.

Two girls who I would normally protect with my life, I now instantly wanted to punch in the throat and tell them to never speak of Elliana that way again.

My dad and Kai both shot up simultaneously to stand in between myself and them, who actually had the sense to look a little shocked and mildly afraid.

But I was seeing red, my instincts fully taking over. And over what? An accusation that Ellie may not be on the right side of this war? This was insane. I was insane. But it was as if my very soul was now being pushed and pulled and driven by any and every thing that tied to that girl upstairs. Or the one that I prayed was still upstairs.

A quick check-in with my sight illumine reassured me that she was. It was as if her soul was an automatic beacon on my radar. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t question it either. It was a knowing within me, somehow perfectly tailored to my gift. One that I welcomed.

That knowledge of Ellie’s safety wasn’t enough to deter me though, and Kai was the first to step in front of me. And since he was already poised for a fight, his blood must have been running hot too. He shoved me back more forcefully than was necessary.

“What the actual hell, Jase?!” He boomed at me.

I shook my head to clear it once again. His actions had actually knocked a little bit of sense into me, but Kai looked ready to come at me again, clearly pissed.

I briefly wondered if he even knew why, since the rest of us present seemed to find so obvious, what he seemed so oblivious to. Maven’s cheeks blushed against her will behind Kai. I knew her, and there was no doubt in my mind she was pissed at him for jumping up to defend her, but she stayed silent- always afraid to step in and act as if she were actually a part of the family, when she sadly believed that she wasn’t.

Dad stepped up moments after Kai and stood in between us. His voice held all the power of a strong Commander’s Illumine when he silenced us all with one word.

“ENOUGH!”

“You,” he pointed at Kai, “Sit down and shut up.”

“You,” he pointed at me, and I withered under his stare, dropping my chin in minor shame.

I was acting like a horny teenage imbecile.

“Sit there. Now.” He pointed to one of the oversized chairs near the glass wall, and I did as I was told without argument.

“Jase. I get it. I think you were right about your suspicions we discussed the other day, but as for right now, to keep her safe, you need to focus.” My eyes were glued to the floor as my head hung in shame and confusion, desperate to understand and control this new fixation within me, and irritated with myself for acting so immature.

“Look at me, Jase.” I didn’t want to, but when my father used his Commander Illumine, few in existence could resist a direct order, though I gave it my best shot for a few short moments.

But I did as I was told and met my fathers eyes, no doubt showing all the emotions I was feeling swirling inside of them on full display. I was ashamed that my father had to use his illumine on me. I was better than that.

“First of all, let go of that shame,” he started, reading me all too well. “We are not Shades. We do our work in the light, and we are not ashamed of who we are, or of our purpose here on this earth. Regardless, and despite of, our shortcomings. We are not perfect, but we are not ashamed of who we are either.”

I inhaled a steadying breath.

“Second of all, you need to focus, son. This is important. We don’t know how important just yet, but of that there is no doubt. Now reign in your emotions and focus on what you heard. We need to know.”

I cleared my throat, attempting to shake off the embarrassment at my loss of control, and continued on with what needed to be said.

I shut my eyes and took one last steadying breath before speaking. This was too important to let my emotions get the best of me. I needed to stay focused. For Ellie.

“Look. I don’t know who Callen is to Ellie, and I plan to discuss that with her as soon as she has had some time to process, but clearly he is no friend to her, at least not if you had eyes and ears to witness what occurred in his office building earlier today. I believe she is a victim in whatever this thing is that’s going on with the Shades… particularly as it pertains to the Stones. We all know what they’re capable of, and until we have factual information on who she is and what part she has to play in all of this, she will be under my protection, whether you decide to stand by me or not.”

My eyes darted around the room, briefly making contact with every occupant, daring any of them to question or challenge me on that sentiment.

“As I was saying earlier, Claudia was pissed that Ellie ‘got away,’ which tells me she was with her against her will. Not to mention, the day I found her barefoot and attempting to steal some basic supplies from the general store, she was terrified when she spotted what I am quite certain was Oren’s jag idling nearby. One of the main reasons why I decided to bring her here, Karis,”

I gave my cousin a pointed stare before continuing, “Claudia also said that that Ellie must, and I quote, ‘submit to the Shades… or be eliminated.’” I tried not to let equal parts anger and terror sound in my voice when I spoke those words.

‘Well,” dad said as he cusped his hand over his chin, rubbing his jaw pensively, “clearly she is a part of this war, whether she likes it or not. And clearly she has some sort of value to the Stones… and the Shades. Otherwise Claudia wouldn’t be after her. And honestly, she probably wouldn’t even still be alive if she didn’t have something they wanted…”

“Did Claudia mention anything about Callen’s connection to the girl,” Kai asked curiously, interrupting our father’s outward thoughts. It wasn’t lost on me, though, that his voice held traces of irritation and possibly even a flare of jealousy when mentioning Callen’s name.

“Yes, let me think,” I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to remember their exact words.

“Oren asked Claudia if she thought Callen recognized her or knew who she was… something along those lines, and Claudia assured him he didn’t. She said something about a… a Shadow Caster?”

My father’s hand dropped from his face, and his jaw set in a hard line as he snapped his head in my direction.

“What did you just say?”

Something in his tone almost made me hesitate, my mind briefly glitching when trying to recall the information at his abrupt change in demeanor.

“She said something about a Shadow Caster… Do you know what that is?”

My father stood and paced the floor, which was unusual for him, even in a tense circumstance.

We all sat in anxious silence watching him pace and mutter to himself, working through his thoughts.

“I haven’t heard a reference to a Shadow Caster since…” He continued to pace, rubbing his hands together anxiously, “since…”

Thomas Cross, the leader of the Seven and the Illumines world wide, answering only to the Boss himself, audibly swallowed down a pang of emotion as tears filled his eyes.

As I stared at his unusual behavior, some sort of memory started to form as I watched him. A tinge of familiarity was tingling at the back of my mind, but I couldn’t quite get the memory to surface. Until Kai stood up and said,

“Mom.”

Silence descended upon the room as we all processed and tried to make connections that we simply couldn’t, given the limited amount of information we’d uncovered.

What even was a Shadow Caster? I had never heard of one before, and my father, who knew more about our world than every person in this room, seemed to be reeling at just the mention… and what did a Shadow Caster have to do with her death? We all knew that she… that she passed in battle… her illumine burning out when she need it the most… before my dad or any reinforcements could arrive. But no one had ever mentioned anything about a Shadow Caster.

And if this Shadow Caster had come for my mom… who was somehow also connected to the Stones, and apparently, Callen… who all also wanted to get their hands on Ellie for whatever reason… did that mean this thing was coming for Ellie?

I honed in on my Sight and made sure she was still here. Still safe. And then I suddenly remembered the most vital piece of information that currently threatened her safety. And we had to keep her safe. That, I knew to my core.

“Dad,” I stood up abruptly. “Claudia made it clear that they had one objective in whatever their plan is… to get Elliana back. Oren is coming for her.”

I let those words hang in the air as I practically sprinted upstairs to check on Ellie. She needed to know what was happening, and I needed whatever missing pieces she might be able to fill in while we tried to decipher the mystery that was Elliana O’Dellan and who, exactly, she was to our world.