The Definer

Chapter 19

Jake paced the lounge room beside Mitch who was desperately trying to calm Hailey. I snuggled closer to Dean. I hated seeing my friends this way. Usually, we were happy and laughing and I had destroyed that. I felt terrible.
"I don't know what to do!" Jake said suddenly, stopping in his tracks and turning to Dean and I snuggled up on the lounge. "We have had all night to decide if we want to be a faerie, from the little girls' fairy tales or a monster from our scary stories."
I coughed subtly as if to say, Dean is sitting right there and you basically just called him a monster.
"It's alright." Dean whispered in my ear before kissing my temple.
Jake must have got the message because he immediately added, "Sorry, I'm just really stressed."
"Do you mind if I put in a suggestion?" Dean asked.
"Sure. Go ahead." Jake urged.
"I would go faerie. They are strong, highly respected, fast, powerful, smart and don't have nasty food habits." He explained.
"They don't live forever though." Jake retorted.
"That's what I'm going to do." Hailey said, speaking for the first time in a while. "Be a faerie. I've wanted to be one since I was little. Dream come true."
She looked up at us for the first time and laughed a fake and unamused laugh.
"Then I will too." Mitch announced.
We all turned to Jake expectantly.
"And you?" Dean asked gently.
"I need to talk to you Jess." He said suddenly and marched off to one of the three bedrooms.
The room that we stayed at in the palace was much bigger than Dean's whole house. I followed quickly after him. Dean stood up as well.
"I think you should stay here." I whispered apologetically.
He nodded and sat back down.

I rushed through the door behind Jake and closed it behind me. As soon as I turned around, he grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, his face only centimetres from mine.
"Why have you been acting like it never happened?" He asked.
"What?"
"The kiss. It was pretty hot until you mentioned you were with Dean."
I sighed. I had completely forgotten about that and I wish I still didn't remember.
"You forgot about it. It really meant that little to you." He whispered.
"Jake, I-"
"Don't! Just don't." He said and pushed off of the wall.
He walked around the room and raked his fingers through his chestnut hair.
"Will you stay human forever?" He asked changing the subject.
"I don't know." I responded.
I detached myself from the wall and sat down on the soft puffy bed.
"If you become a vampire, then I would want to be a vampire but if not... I'll be a faerie."
"Be a faerie." I said. "I've seen them in action. They're strong and courageous... Just like you."
He looked at me for a moment. His face was covered in a strange look- uncertainty. It was not a very common look for him. I stood up and walked over to him. I cupped his face in both my hands.
"Hey, everything is going to be okay. Once you have developed your powers enough to be able to protect yourself, you can go home and things can go back to normal." I whispered.
He leaned his forehead against mine. "You won't be there though, will you?"
"No, but you don't need me. You, Hailey and Mitch can go back to being the weird and awesome group of friends that goes out every weekend and refuse to be separated."
"Are you going to die?" He asked.
I gulped and nodded slowly. "I think I will but I will die protecting everyone I love and I will be among ones who care for me."
Tears pricked his eyes. "You can't do it. You can't leave us. You can't leave me."
I looked deep into his brown eyes. "I'll never leave. I'll always be with you." I promised.
Dean walked in suddenly. He looked a little taken aback by the fact that Jake and I were standing so close together and our foreheads pressed together.
"What's going on here?" He asked.
I refused to rip my eyes from Jake's in case he did something stupid. Dean gulped and rushed out of the room. That was it. I couldn't stand there doing nothing. I took a step away from Jake.
"Get dressed in something nice. It's going to be a big day." I said and ran out the door after Dean.

"Dean! Dean wait!" I called down the empty palace halls.
I saw him at the end of the hall, turning down a corner. I quickly followed after him. As soon as I turned the corner, I ran into him unexpectedly. He grabbed my arm and pulled be over to the wall.
"What was that?" He asked, almost unsure of whether he wanted to know the answer or not.
"We were just talking about something." He gave me a questioning look and I couldn't keep it from him anymore. "Jake kissed me in the forest that day with my friends... When the tevits came."
"And did you kiss him back?"
"Of course not. I mean not really." He gave me a stern look. "I just didn't exactly pull away."
He sucked in a deep breath. "Is that what you want?"
"What?"
"To be with him?" He asked sadly.
"No. I want to be with you. Only you. I made that clear to him."
He let out the air he was holding in his lungs and looked at me carefully. "Ariana offered me a mission that could put me into the running to be a part of the PVCPT. It's one of the longest and most dangerous missions that I have ever done. I wasn't going to do it because I didn't want to leave you but... I think I might now. You have your friends, Ariana, Mark and if you are desperate, Emane and Aleric."
"Is this about Jake and me? Because it was nothing... I promise."
"I think I just need to get away from here. Just for a little while." He sighed and looked down at his feet. "I'll leave tomorrow. You can work with your friends while I'm gone."
I looked down at my own feet. What if something happened at the palace while he was gone? What if his mission was dangerous? What if he didn't come back?