The Thought Keepers: Ability

Chapter 7: Getting All the Tea

Everyone began their assigned tasks, preparing for the Council to arrive in the morning. Carson went to check on the wards, or as Jade explained, the set of protective crystals around the house's perimeter that keep out shadow energies. After today, it was clear those were not working properly. He would have to cleanse the crystals with salt, water, incense or sunlight, depending on the type. 

Dante disappeared to do his part also, checking the bedrooms for any remnants of the shadows. I hadn't seen him since the argument with Jade, and I figured he was trying to avoid her as much as possible. I couldn't really blame him.

I followed Jade up the winding wooden stairs as she led me towards the sun room. The layout of the house was an eternal mystery, but from the circular shape of the walls in the stairwell, I could tell this was the turret on the right side of the house. The wallpaper was blue with amber patterns of mystical suns and eyes. The hallway gave the impression of a stairwell to heaven, or at least to some kind of secret paradise.

"Hey Jade," I called, startling her from her thoughts. My curiosity about her fight with Dante was overwhelming, and I really wanted to break the awkward silence.

"Hmm?" She fixed her attention on me, stopping halfway up the staircase. Dark hair spilled down her shoulders in long waves, swinging around with a slight turn of her head.

I called her without knowing what to say. As much as I wanted to ask about what happened, I knew that it wasn't my place. I didn't feel the same immediate closeness with her as I did with Carson. Instead of blurting out my true thoughts, I asked something simple. "How old are you?"

She looked surprised. "Oh, I'm actually the oldest here. I'm sixteen now, but I'll be seventeen in February."

"Really? I'll be seventeen in November," I said. "Guess we're the same age."

"Cool," she said, biting her fingernail. For someone so outspoken, Jade was suddenly quiet as a mouse. I wondered if it was the fight with Dante weighing on her mind, or something else.

"Are you and Carson dating?" The question slipped out before I realized because the thought lingered in the back of my mind. The way he touched her was caring, and the way he spoke to her was personal. The two of them were close, and there was no hiding the connection.

Her smile was incriminating. Although it was embarrassing for me, it was nice to see some life return to her face. "We don't like each other that way. It's been so long since we've lived together that we're practically siblings."

"How long have you known each other?" Honestly, I didn't know where all these questions were coming from.

She had to think about it. "I was twelve when I came to live with him. My parents split up, and my mom wanted me to stay here so I wouldn't be alone at home while she worked."

I felt a pang of sympathy for her. I knew how it felt to be dropped off at someone's doorstep, to have parents that couldn't take care of you. It felt like being abandoned. "And Dante? You said he hasn't been here that long."

"Yeah, he came a few years ago. I don't think he's gotten used to us in that time. And we're still weird around him too." Jade looked regretful. "Sometimes I push him, hoping that he might open up. But that just makes him hate me more."

"Well, you can't force him to like you," I said. "He has to do that on his own."

Jade smiled while praising me. "You're good at comforting people."

The compliment made me feel warm inside. "Thanks."

"Let's get you some medicine," Jade suggested, noticing the way I kept holding my arm. "And then while Carson's busy, I can give you a proper tour. It should be safe by now."