Lucky
3933 Words
Jasmine’s Point of View
I sat down with Cherry on the comfortable couches in my office at the center, Bennett on the other side. The fact that she was assaulted and had narrowly escaped being raped had me beyond concerned, especially with the connection to the trafficking ring being made apparent by the men’s words and actions.
Another thing that had me concerned was her going home with a random guy. Granted, I didn’t know Cherry for very long before she got with Jacob, but from what I understood, she wasn’t the type to hook up like that. But who knew? It was a new world for her, being a single adult.
I still couldn’t believe Jacob would leave her like that. I couldn’t believe he would leave her at all, let alone over video call and telling her he’d never loved her. We’d all seen the exact opposite. Up until the day he left for Folochlay, he looked at her like she was the stars that shone in the sky above. None of it made sense, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.
I held her hand as she signed her statement, handing it to Bennett as if it were a dirty tissue she wanted nothing to do with. I know she wished it were Jacob here with her, but she kept her face stoic as she stood, shaking Bennett’s hand before walking out of the room without a word.
The chief turned to me. “Is she okay, Jasmine?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Yesterday was rough. None of it makes sense, Bennett.”
“Agreed. I think we need to find out what’s going on. Something doesn’t sit right with me. He would never in a million years leave her. I’ve never seen that boy settle down for more than five seconds, but the way he looked at her at your wedding… well, I know true love when I see it.”
I nodded in agreement. “But how do we find out if something is going on?”
Bennett scratched his bear in thought for a moment. “Well, for one, you’re royalty. You can ask the government there to track them, and chances are, they’ll agree for the sake of peace. For two, his mom is there. She can help look for him when we know his comings and goings. She’ll know if anything is going on once she finds him.”
“Oh, Bennett, I could kiss you!” I said, clapping my hands gleefully. “This is the perfect idea. And Cherry doesn’t have to know unless something is going on. We shouldn’t get her hopes up.”
“Agreed,” Bennett stated. “She doesn’t need any other stress at the moment.”
Biting my lip, I decided it was time for a change of subject. “So, where do we stand on the case?”
“For now, we’re trying to locate men who were looking to purchase the girls. It’s going to require international cooperation, though.” He gave me a meaningful look, and I nodded.
“Noted. We’ll make it happen. What else?”
“It looks like we have most of the people who were involved here in Lutna, but it obviously extends far beyond. These other people, the buyers, could be anyone, anywhere. That’s why it’s so important that the international police get back to us on this.”
“We’ll handle it, Bennett. Anything else we should know?”
“Yeah, it looks like most of the women were going to be sold in Folochlay. They’re a nation of fire breathers with a history of low tolerance for those of us who breathe water.” We both frowned as he continued. “So anything we can do to get them on board…”
“I’ll talk to them when I put in the request for Jacob.”
“Thank you, your majesty. I’ll get out of your hair now. I’ll see tomorrow.” He turned to leave.
I stopped him from leaving, placing a hand on his arm. “You don’t think that him leaving so abruptly could have anything to do with the traffickers, do you?”
The chief’s eyes were serious as he turned to face me. “Honestly? I’d rather him just be a douchebag than have had something happened to him. We have no clue what they’re capable of, the fire breathers. There are rumors, but for so long, we weren’t exactly welcome there. All I know is that some people can start fires, some can breathe it out. None of them burn.”
He gave me a meaningful look when he mentioned starting fires. We’d never talked about it, but as soon as he’d found out Jacob’s mom was in Folochlay, he’d put the pieces together. He’d even grinned a bit. He hated Raymond nearly as much as we did; he wasn’t complaining about the fate he met.
“Alright, Chief. I’m going to go ahead and get working on this. As always, thank you for your tireless work for the people of Lutna. It does not go unnoticed.”
With a grin, he turned back to me. “Thank you, Princess.”
After he left, I went to see the king. I found him in his study, with an oxygen mask on.
“Talun?” I looked on in shock as he breathed deeply into the machine, eyes heavily lidded.
“Oh! Jasmine, come in,” He said, taking off the mask. “What can I do for you?”
I stared at him for a moment, wondering how to best approach the situation. “There are a few things I wanted to talk to you about in regards to international alliances, but first, are you okay?”
Pausing for a moment, I watched him fidget nervously. I’d never seen him like this before. “Talun, are you okay?”
He sighed. “I’m going to talk to you and Caspian about it tonight, if you’re available for dinner.”
Nodding, I agreed to the dinner. “Yes, of course.”
“Perfect,” He said, smiling. “Now, please, take a seat. What can I do for you?”
Taking a breath, I worked up my nerve. Years of being the princess and I still got anxious asking the king for things, even though I knew it was perfectly within my rights to do so. “I think we need to reach out to Folochlay.”
His eyebrows raised. “Oh?”
“Yes. For one, there’s the matter of the trafficking investigation. The police there are dragging their feet, and I think us reaching out directly and letting them know this is a massive international ring may help put the wheels in motion there.”
He brought the mask to his mouth and took a few breaths before nodding. “Yes, you’re right. We can call as soon as we’re done talking.”
“Thank you, Talun,” I said, smiling with relief. “Onto the other matter. Yesterday, Jacob called Cherry and told her he isn’t coming back home. I think that something must have happened to him. I was thinking - we need to make sure he isn’t in trouble. Cherry believes that he never loved her, because he told her that he didn’t. I don’t believe that.”
Shocked, he shook his head. “Neither do I. He’s madly in love.”
“Exactly. Which is why I think something is wrong. Now, Folochlay won’t just look for a random citizen, but if we tell them he’s a member of the advisory board who’s abandoned post…”
He broke into a smile. “Brilliant. Brilliant, Jasmine. This is why you’re going to be a wonderful queen, you know that?”
Blushing, I smiled back at him. “Well, I only hope I can live up to Elenor’s legacy.”
He put a reassuring hand over mine. “Don’t worry, dear. You will, and Caspian will live up to mine. I always told Caspian that he chose well when he started dating you. I couldn’t be more proud of my son and daughter in law. Now, let me go ahead and make some calls. I’ll let you know as soon as we know anything.”
“Thank you, Talun.”
“Don’t worry about it. Jacob’s like a son to me. If something’s wrong, we need to know. And if not, I want him dragged back here so that I can chew him out. You don’t abandon your family like that.”
Leaving the office, my heart pounded. If Cherry found out I was doing this behind her back, would she ever forgive me?
Cherry’s Point of View
The following day, JJ ran up to me, grabbing my legs with tears in his eyes. “Mama, why doesn’t Papa come home?”
I tried not to show my own tears that blurred my vision. “Papa’s trip is going to be longer than we thought. He’s got work to do over there, but he’ll call as soon as he can.”
JJ’s tears dried, and I wiped a trail off his cheek. “I just miss him, Mama.”
“I know, sweet boy. I miss him too.” I pulled him into my lap. “What do you say we watch a movie?”
“Yes, Mama. Cartoons!” I laughed, and his sister climbed onto the couch beside us. Grabbing the remote, I turned on their favorite movie, smiling as they tried to sing along with the music.
Later that night, I put in a few calls for Landon, and before I knew it, his band had an invitation to play at Roux. Within minutes, I got a call from his number.
On the other end, Landon’s deep voice rang out. “Hey, gorgeous. My manager just got a call from Roux. Thank you”
Gorgeous. How did I feel about him calling me that in the harsh light of day? Maybe the attention was exactly what I needed. He knew I’d just gotten out of a serious relationship. He knew I wasn’t ready for anything. What harm could a distraction do, especially if he knew he was a rebound?
“Cherry, we’ve got to celebrate.”
“Yes, we absolutely do. I need to be here with my children, though. Maybe this weekend?”
“Fair enough. Or - what do you say I cook you all dinner? As a way to say thank you?”
I hesitated. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. Maybe after we get to know each other a little better, but for now, I still haven’t figured out what to tell them about their father. But, you can cook me dinner this weekend, while they’re at their grandparents.”
When he laughed, I could practically hear his smile. “Of course. I didn’t mean to overstep. Your kids come first, always. I’ll see you Saturday. My place, or yours?”
His place. A mystery, versus my place, which was nice but loaded with memories. Memories I’d rather forget right about now. Memories I may as well replace.
“How does my place sound?”
Caspian’s Point of View
My father called, asking Jasmine and I to meet him and my mother for dinner. There was a gnawing feeling in my gut, but I pushed it aside, knowing that there must be something important he wanted to talk about. We asked one of the palace staff to watch Lilliana, and after making sure she was settled in for the evening, we made our way to dinner.
At the high-end steakhouse, they’d reserved a private room for us, and I was surprised to see my father eating a salad, of all things. He was a carnivore through and through, had never been the healthiest eater. The surprise must have been evident on my face, because he wiped his face with his napkin and cleared his throat.
“As I’m sure you’ve guessed, there’s a reason I asked you here tonight.” My mother reached out, putting her hand on his arm, uncharacteristically quiet. “My health has taken a turn for the worse. I’ve been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and while it hasn’t progressed to a stage where I’m unable to rule, that day is coming. I’d like the two of you to take over within the next month.”
Jasmine and I looked at one another, shocked, while my mother continued her silence.
“I know this is a surprise. I’m making some lifestyle changes, and the doctor said that if I continue following the plan he’s set out for me, my prognosis is good. I do need to eliminate as much stress as possible, which is why we are turning over the crown.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Jasmine asked, holding my hand under the table. My head was spinning, and the only thing grounding me was her thumb rubbing slow, gentle circles on the back of my hand.
My mother shook her head. “You two taking over is more than enough. It is expected for you to move back into the palace when that time comes, though. You’ll have your own wing, of course. And we do expect that we will stay in the palace.”
“Of course, mom. It’s your home,” I said, gripping Jasmine’s hand tightly. “But dad, if you need anything else, please let us know. We’re here for you.”
He nodded, cutting off the topic of conversation. “Now onto the matter of Jacob. We’re working with the Folochlian government to try and bring him home, but since we don’t know where he is and he hasn’t committed any crimes, we’re going to work directly with his family over there, as well as a private investigator, to track him down.”
“Oh, my dear Jacob, I just know something terrible must have happened to him, he would never abandon post or his family, they’re his treasures that he holds most dearly to him, I fear something terrible is going on that we absolutely must stop…”
“I agree, Mom. But for now, let’s keep this under wraps. Cherry doesn’t need any more stress on her right now.”
With that, we all agreed - no mention to Cherry until we knew what was going on.
Cherry’s Point of View
The week flew by in a frenzy of studying to obtain my status as high priestess. I had decisions to make - what to study, and why. I was exhausted when I closed the leather-bound book, still at a loss as to my future specialty, and how to best serve my kingdom.
Sighing, I walked down towards the sea, stripping my clothes before diving beneath the waves. If anything could bring clarity to my future, it was the goddess, the one who always brought healing amidst troubled times. The moon shone high above me, the stars twinkling in the night sky as I made my way out to the open sea.
“Show me,” I whispered, and in my trance-like state, I saw myself with a poppet in my hand, wrapping twine around it before submerging it in a glass of water and putting it in the freezer.
Protection. Defense. You must bind her.
“Bind who?” I asked.
Images of the woman I’d seen Jacob with flooded my vision, followed by chilling words.
Don’t let her hurt your children.
Was she crazy enough to go after them? I wasn’t willing to take that chance.
Back on the shore, I ran to the study chambers in the castle, rummaging around to find what I needed - twine, a poppet, my herbs, candles, incense and salt - before heading back to the beach. The moon was waning - perfect for what I needed to do.
I started by cleansing the area. With the salt in my hand, I began to walk in a circle, sprinkling it as I went.
Creature of salt, where thou art cast
No spell or adverse purpose last
Not incomplete
Accord with me
As I do will
So mote it be.
I repeated it three times, until the earth part of the cleansing was complete.
Next, I grabbed a candle, lighting it.
Creature of fire, this charge I lay
No evil in my presence stay
Not incomplete
Accord with me
As I do will
So mote it be
Once again, I repeated the spell three times before picking up my next object - a scrying bowl. I walked to the water, filling it, before walking back to my circle.
Creature of water, where thou art cast
No spell or adverse purpose last
Not incomplete
Accord with me
As I do will
So mote it be
Last but not least, I grabbed my incense, lighting it before walking in the circle thrice.
Creature of air, this charge I lay
No evil in my presence stay
Not incomplete
Accord with me
As I do will
So mote it be
Once I was satisfied that the area was appropriately cleansed, I grabbed a candle, calling on the Earth first.
Guardians of the Earth,
Heed my cry
Guide my magic on this night
Repeating the same with fire, water, and air, I was finally content, feeling the energy surrounding me. It built up as I walked the circle, over and over again.
Oh great Goddess of the sea
I ask that you work with me
Protect my children from all plights
Bring safety to my home tonight
I repeated the chant until the energy rose, heat pouring off of me in waves. I stripped out of my clothing, the warmth of the magic I was raising almost too much to handle.
Setting my shirt down on the sand, I sat on it, grabbing the poppet and herbs. I began to wrap the poppet in the twine, chanting as I did so.
No harm shall come to my children,
No harm shall come to me.
Drowneth those who wish to harm
This I charge of thee!
Stuffing the herbs into the poppet, I set it in the center of the circle, dousing it with a protection oil I made with Lanaira before burning it, leaving it charred.
Releasing my circle, I thanked the guardians and the goddess before dressing and heading back to the cottage. Under the rose bush by the door, I buried it, my knowledge solidified that the thorns of the roses would add an extra layer of protection.
I didn’t know what that woman was planning, but she would be in for a world of trouble if she dared come near my children.
***
Saturday arrived before I knew it, and after Elenor took the twins, Caspian and Jasmine made themselves scarce, knowing I had a date. Jasmine looked concerned, but she bit her tongue, knowing how much I needed anything to make me feel good after the brutal way Jacob had left things.
I’d been sick all week, just thinking about it. I wanted nothing more than to curl into a hole and hide, but I refused to let myself do that. I had overcome so much already, and I would overcome this, no matter what it took for me to do that.
Before I knew it, Landon was knocking on the door, and I let him in. He carried two large paper bags, filled with food and wine.
“Someone came prepared,” I grinned as he sat the bags down.
He wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “Just my way of saying thank you. So, thank you.” He bent and kissed me; a simple, sweet kiss filled with patience.
“Hey now, that was my way of saying thank you for saving me the other night. Now, we’re caught in an endless cycle of thanking each other,” I teased.
“Oh? I can think of a few things you can do to thank me,” He said with a wink. “So tell me, what’s been going on in Cherry’s world the past week?”
I took a bite of the chicken he’d made, savoring the perfectly seasoned flavor. “Well, it’s mostly been dealing with the investigation and studying for my upcoming promotion to high priestess. The investigation has been weighing heavily on my mind.”
“Oh?” He arched a brow. “An investigation into what happened the other night?”
“No,” I shook my head. “Well. Kind of. I got wrapped up in an investigation into this s*x trafficking ring. We’ve got just about everyone over here who was involved, but we’re working on the international aspect of it now.”
“What?” His mouth dropped in surprise. “How’d you manage to get into that?”
“It’s a long story, but I was taken by them a few years ago. The only reason they even found me is because the same man who had me took the princess.”
“Holy smokes, that was you?” He said, a look of shock flashing across his eyes.
“Yeah. I don’t really like to talk about my time there. Recently, there was a break in the case, and it’s cracked the whole thing wide open. It’s so much bigger than we ever would have thought.”
He reached across the table and took my hand. “How are you doing with it? Really, I mean?”
I blinked back tears, refusing to show how emotional it made me. “I’m hanging in there. It’s just been rough.”
Nodding sympathetically, he squeezed my hand. “I don’t mean to pressure you; I know your husband just left. Which was a shitty thing to do with everything going on. But if you ever need anything, even if it’s just someone to vent or cry to in the middle of the night, give me a call.”
Taken aback, I looked at him. “Thank you, Landon. That means a lot to me.” This man who had so recently been a stranger actually seemed to care. After the lack of that with Jacob, that could have been worth millions to me.
Feeling a change of topic was in order, I decided to get to know him a little better. “So, Landon. hardly know anything about you.”
He grinned playfully, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “What would you like to know, gorgeous?”
“Hmm,” I said, tapping my index finger on my chin. “I know. Tell me about your family.”
“Well,” He started, taking a sip of his wine. “I never knew my mother, I have a sister who rarely calls me, and my father passed a few years back.”
“Oh, Landon, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
He shrugged. “I’ve come to terms with it. Tell me about your family.”
“I grew up in foster care. The only reason I’m even in this life now is because the psycho who took me also happened to take the princess. I fell into this life. It’s okay, though. It worked out for the best,” I said, smiling. It was true, even if things were rough at that moment.. “Now, I know a little about you. Tell me more.”
Laughing, he scratched his head. “Well, I work in real estate, selling properties. But I mostly focus on higher end areas, so I have a lesser work schedule with a bigger payout. It works well for me.”
“Huh. Seems like it’s too good to be true. You sure it isn’t some pyramid scheme type of thing?”
He chuckled. “No scheme. Just a bunch of snobby clients who don’t understand what it’s like to have nothing.”
Taking our empty dishes to the sink and rinsing them before putting them in the dishwasher, I finished my glass of wine as I rolled my eyes. “Snobs are the worst. Believe it or not, the royal family is the opposite of snobby. Very down to earth, in fact. I may be the most snooty person here.”
A snort escaped him as he laughed. “You don’t strike me as snooty.”
I leaned in close to him, brushing my nose with his before pulling away. “Maybe not, but I have high expectations.”
He met my lips then, a soft and sweet kiss, before pulling away. “Guess I’ll have to stay on my best behavior.”
“Yes you do.” I was right. Landon was an excellent distraction from Jacob.
- Writer
