Nine Lives

Thirty-Two: Jack

Dahlia's own dagger is turned to her throat. Yet, she looks content, if not happy.

"Take her rings, Mercury," commands Artemis. The other one, Mercury, slides the rows upon rows of rings off of Dahlia's fingers. I've never noticed them before now, and one looks exactly like Alice's. They roll down her fingers and into Mercury's hand.

"So," she starts. "Merc. When'd you joined the good side?" An evil gleam shines in her brown eyes. The dull lights refract off of everything, causing the whole black and white world to look old and abandon. But when I stare at my hands, they're in color. Alice's dress is still mint green. Artemis's wings are still gleaming. Dahlia's blonde hair whips around her in a frenzy of blonde curls. Mercury's blue eyes shine coldly.

"Shut up," Mercury hisses, wings shaking violently.

"I thought you and your sister were having an argument. You were, weren't you? And then you tried to kill--"

"I said shut up!"

Artemis steps in, trying to help Mercury. She rubs her arm gently in a soothing way, whispering in her ear. "It's what she wants, she wants you to get mad. Okay?" Merc nods, huge owl wings flapping slower. Artemis stands back by me while Dahlia struggles against Mercury and Alice drifts back over to the corner.

"So. How you doin' Jack?" she says, partially mocking my accent.

"What's happening?" I ask. She flicks around the still snowflakes hanging in the air. "I remember you, but I don't. And I want to know why."

She sighs. "Jack, none of this is meant for Mortals, okay? But somehow, when we break the connection between our plane and theirs, you stay. You should be frozen. It worked before though, the side effect is that when you return, you can't remember anything." She fingers her own ring, a cast iron band. A feeling of nostalgia comes over me as I remember the only memory I had when I woke in my car. Flying. Not like in a plane, not like in a movie. But real, actual flying. The warmth of the sun on my cheek, air whistling around me. It caught me. It carried me down and it wrapped me in a protective bubble, shielding me from the wind. But I was with someone. I just can't place who.

"Artemis." She glances up from her ring. The raven girl's dark hair hangs over her face. And I feel something. My stomach lurches in a weird way, but a good way. Stars dance in front of my eyes. "I flew with you. We were up in the clouds . . . It was beautiful."

"Shh. Alice and Merc don't need to know about that. I'm a Shifter. You're a Mortal. Alice is a Shifter. It's not fair that we can't love, but that's just how it is. Sometimes, you try to jump the chasm but just end up falling into oblivion. That's just how love is. You'll always have in within your grasp, yet it's impossible to have." I consider her words. She's right. It really is. Even if you have the best realationship, it's still flammable.

"Not if you have someone else to hold onto," I counter, walking away. Alice still sits in the corner, blankly staring into something I just can't see. I hear fighting as Mercury and Dahlia fight and shout, it drains out though. All I can see is Alice.

I slump down beside her. "Hey, you okay."

"My first dance is frozen, I can't love the boy I love, I can't be loved, we're probably all gonna die. So no. Not really."

"Not that. When I came in, you were crying. What was that about?"

A tear forms in her dark eyelashes, hanging there, suspended above her cheek. "I--," she goes to speak, but chokes up. I pull her into a hug. It's just friendly though. I want to kiss her. To embrace her. I want to take on whatever she throws at me, and I don't care if love means falling into oblivion. I will always have her to hold onto to.

"I'm Mortal."

"What?" I say. I know it's probably true, I saw the ring on Dahlia. I just don't know if I want to believe it. "You can steal rings?"

"Not exactly, you can --it doesn't matter. Jack, I'm human. I can't Shift, I can make your life interesting. I'm worthless."

"No, no, no," I pick her up in my arms, she sits on my lap like a little girl. She really is small, just like the little black cat she is. Was. "You're not worthless. You're worth more than you could imagine to me. I don't care, what you are, Mortal or Shifter. You could be a freakin' mermaid for all I care. I just want you. I just want to be with you."

Alice smiles between tears. "Jack. Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"What's your favorite color? I know it's random, but, I never got to ask you." I think for a moment as I stare into her wide eyes. They're extremely entrancing. Hypnotic even.

"Green."

"What kind of green?" But I know she already knows the answer.

"Your eyes."

"Hmm. Can I ask you somethin' else?"

"Are you a cat person or a dog person?"

"Cat person. I am definitely a cat person." Alice smiles and glance over her shoulder. I can't see it what's happening, but her eyes grow wide with fear. The room's color returns. Horrified students shriek. Alice leans in, as if to kiss me, but stops before we touch. She's protecting me, like I protected her when the window shattered. She screams and cries as something hits her. And I realize what it is. Fire. And I remember something else, Alice is Mortal now. That means she only has one life. One to live or one to die. And she chose the latter. To protect me.