Chapter 3
Before I can say a word, the front door opens. We hear footsteps, and I’m expecting Rysden or Lox to pop back in. But it’s Kaldar that steps back into the room. I sit still as a statue, but he looks at Harper. “I’m leaving Jespar here.”
“Ooookay.” Harper draws out the word.
“If there are any problems, Jespar can connect with me.”
Harper doesn’t crack a smile. “Got it.” Her voice is deadpan, and I cringe. Is she even trying?
“When I get back later, I will check on the jaguars and then have the talk that needs to be had.”
Harper stares him down, and I will her not to say something stupid or out me. “You do that.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and only open them when I hear the front door close. Farrah turns to Harper before I can. “You do that?”
Harper shrugs. “I didn’t know what to say to him.
He was being all weird. Besides, I shouldn’t even be the one having to deal with him.
” She gives me a pointed look. Farrah lets out a sigh and sits back.
Then they both face me. “What’s the plan here, Kins?
” Harper asks. “Because I will do a lot for you but pretending to mate with a man is probably a little far, even for me.”
Farrah stares at her with wide eyes. “Probably?”
Harper shrugs. “I mean he is good-looking.” A twinge of something bubbles up inside of me; which is ridiculous.
I have absolutely no claims on the man. Harper is simply doing what I asked her to do.
“Do you want me to continue this charade, or are you going to pull yourself together and deal with this like an adult?”
“Harper!” Farrah says in shock.
“What? It's the truth.” Harper faces me. “You need to deal with this.”
I blow out a breath. “I know.” Everything suddenly feels like it comes crashing down on me.
And since I’m a verbal processor, it all just spills out.
“I have a spirit animal. And on the one hand, that’s absolutely amazing.
Veyra is incredible. But on the other hand, it’s a complete shock—one I’m still trying to recover from.
And then there’s the fact that she’s corporal, and she’s the mate of Jespar.
” I shake my head. “If all that weren’t enough, now I’m bound in some way to the king of the jaguars!
” I run a hand over my hair and pull on my ponytail. “It’s just...a lot.”
“Oh, Kinsley. I'm so sorry it’s so crazy.” Farrah comes over and sits next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder.
Harper on the other hand, gives me no such sympathy.
She sits back against her chair and eyes me.
I know that look; she’s going to say something I’m not going to like.
“What?” I ask, wanting to just get it over with.
She just stares me down. “If you have something you want to say, Harper, just say it.”
She gives me a slow grin. “There she is. I knew the feisty Kinsley was in there somewhere.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her. She leans forward. “You’re a banished, Kins.”
“Not anymore,” Farrah interjects. “As of last night, there are no more banished. Rysden signed the law into existence.”
Harper turns to Farrah. “Would you like us to kiss his feet when he comes back?” she asks dryly.
I shake my head. There’s no reasoning with her when she’s like this. Farrah, thankfully, is learning fluency in all things Harper. She grins. “I would pay to see Rysden’s face if you did.”
Harper shakes her head and turns back to me. “You’re a banished, Kins. You’ve been through too much to let something like this knock you down. Shoot. You survived the Spirit Trials too.”
“I didn’t finish,” I remind her.
“Yeah, because you had an injury,” Farrah points out.
“If you’d stayed in the water, we would have all died,” Harper says.
“You were leaking a lot of blood, and blood draws predators.” I don’t argue with her.
“So, you didn’t finish the last trial. You still survived the Spirit Trials.
And Terron gave you his blessing when we got back to land.
” My heart squeezes at the mention of Terron, and I can’t help glance at Farrah.
Her face reflects my own. The pain of his death is too fresh.
Terron was bonded to Eglon, a gryphon. They were one of the last bonded of their kind.
I nod at Harper’s words, remembering his kind words when I’d been unable to go on.
“The point is you’re made of tough stuff, Kinsley Ratchey.
You’re not going to crumble under this. If fate decided that you’re the perfect match, soul mate, bonded.
..whatever for the jag king, then you are. ”
I refuse to respond emotionally to her words. “But if I accept this, that would make me queen of the jaguars. I don’t even know the man, and I know nothing about the Jaguar Kingdom. I don’t even know anything about jaguars!”
“So learn,” Harper says without any mercy. “You’ve learned how to adapt and stay alive all these years in the banished community. You can do the same in another kingdom. Besides, it’s not like you're leaving behind family or anything like Farrah had to do.”
Farrah turns wide eyes on Harper. “Seriously?!”
Harper isn’t bothered in the least. “It’s true. You know it. I know it, and Kinsley knows it.”
“But you guys are my family,” I suddenly blurt out. “I finally found a place I belong, and now, you’re asking me to leave that?” My voice cracks, and I swallow hard.
Harper’s face shows the first bit of softening. “We’re not going to stop being a family just because we split up.”
I don’t look away from her. I love Farrah, but Harper’s been the sister I never had for a very long time. “Please don’t ask me to give it all up. I don’t think I can.” My words are a whisper.
Harper doesn’t look away. So, I don’t miss when she blows out a breath. “I’ll come with you.”
Hope bursts to life in my chest. “Really?” She nods. For the first time all morning, I feel like I can finally take a full breath. The panic that’s been riding me hard all morning finally loosens its grip on me.
“Found sisters, remember?” Harper says.
I reach out and take her hand and squeeze it. “Yes.” The word is a whisper. I remember the day she told me that we were found sisters—not sisters by blood but sisters because we found each other and chose each other.
“Can I be a found sister?” Farrah’s voice breaks the silence, and I turn to her. She wipes a tear away from her cheek.
“You’re one of us,” I say, reaching out and taking her hand with my free hand.
“Another found sister,” Harper says, echoing my thoughts.
“Oh boy.” Farrah wipes her eyes again, and I blink several times to keep from doing the same thing. I’m usually the first one to cry with these kinds of things, but I think I’m still kind of in shock over the whole thing.
I squeeze each of their hands. “Thank you. And you’re right, Harper. I can do this. I will talk to Kaldar like a reasonable adult.”
“Good.” Harper nods approvingly. “Because I really can’t pretend with this guy any longer. I mean, does he not get how very not into him I am? I mean he should be able to pick up on whatever it is you’re giving off.”
“I’m not giving off anything.” I stand and push my chair in and help pick up the table and wash the dishes. When we finish, I dry my hands on the towel. “I’m going to go check on Veyra.”
Farrah joins me. “I’ll go with. I want to check up on Solace.”
“Better make sure they’re done with all that matey business,” Harper calls out behind me.
She makes a good point. Veyra?
Yes.
I smile at her response in my head. I was going to come check on you. Is now a good time?
Yes.
“She said now’s a good time,” I tell the girls.
“I think I’ll stay here. It’s safer,” Harper says from her position at the table.
“How is Solace feeling?” I ask as Farrah as we head outside.
“She seems to be doing well.”
“How long does she have left?” I ask as we make our way to the stables.
“She thinks just a few weeks. Wolf pregnancies are so fast.” She glances at me. “I wonder if jaguar pregnancies are.”
“I have no idea.” We head behind the stables where Solace and Shade have been staying.
I'm not sure why they don’t stay in the stable, but maybe it’s a wild animal thing.
When I don’t see Veyra and Jespar, I walk into the barn.
I wander up and down the main aisle and look into each of the stalls.
When I don’t see the jaguars, I head back outside.
“Are they not in there?” Farrah asks when I walk around to the back.
“No.” I reach out to Veyra. Where are you?
She doesn’t take long to respond. In the trees.
I glance towards the forest. “Did she say where they are?” Farrah asks, as she comes to a stop next to me.
“She said in the trees. I’m going to see if I can find them. I won’t be long.”
Farrah falls into step next to me, and we walk over to the trees. “Do you remember when Rysden made us climb these trees?” she asks with a laugh.
“And then made us take ice baths!” I shudder, remembering. “Those were terrible.”
“Yeah, but we survived,” she reminds me.
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure we have Rysden to thank for all of that.”
“And Lox, Jamik, and Hector,” she reminds me.
“Yeah.”
We walk into the trees a little ways. “I don’t see them anywhere,” Farrah says cautiously. “You don’t think they’ll like attack us, right?”
I pause and look over at her. “Do Shade and Solace ever attack you?”
“Well, no, but...I don’t know. I’ve just never been around jaguars.”
“Me neither,” I admit.
I finally cave and reach out to Veyra. Where are you?
Look up.
I stand still and look up. It takes me a minute, but I finally locate Veyra. Are you okay?
I am an apex predator; you need not worry about me.
Why are you up there all alone?
I am not alone. My mate watches nearby.
I turn around in a slow circle. I don’t see him.
You aren’t supposed to see him, but he can see you.
I stiffen at her words. “What?” Farrah asks, gripping my arm. “What is it?”
“Uh, nothing. She was just telling me that Jespar is nearby. We can’t see him, but he can see us.”
“Well, that’s not creepy at all,” she says, gripping my arm tighter. “Where’s Veyra?” I point out the tree she’s currently sitting on. “Where? I can’t see her?” I move closer to the tree and point her out. Farrah turns to me and gives me a look I can’t quite read.
“What?”
“How did you see her?” she asks.
“I didn’t at first. She told me where she was.”
“No, I mean, I can hardly see her from here; and you saw her from back there.”
I look back at Veyra and then Farrah and shrug. “I don’t know.”
She continues to study me, and it makes me nervous. “What?”
“I just wonder if your bond is stronger, or maybe you’re just better at using her abilities.”
I look up at Veyra. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” I reach out to Veyra. Are you going to stay up there?
Yes.
Okay. Are you sure you’re okay? Why aren’t you down here with Jespar.
The matings of our kind are rough; I am resting now.
I’m not exactly sure how to respond to that. Okay. I'll let you rest now.
Do you need my assistance? She surprises me by asking.
Uh, no. No, I’m good thanks.
You seem very uncertain.
I can’t help my smile. That would be me. I’m pretty sure that sums up my entire life.
She’s quiet a moment. Hmm. We will change that.
I blink. “What is it?” Farrah asks.
I turn to her and shake my head. “I’m not exactly sure.”