The Outskirts: Thé Crystal Keepers (Jace x OC)

The Crystal Keepers: 1

"I don't think this is a good idea." I whispered.
"Of course you don't. He's only nice to you."
Dalton whispered back.
The sky was getting bright, but the sun had yet to rise. We watched as Cole carried his saddle pad to his horse. He tossed it over Ranger's back, but the quilted pad fell through the horse to the ground.
Cole whirled around. "Really guys?"
I raised my hands in surrender. "I had nothing to do with this one."
Me and Dalton stood a short distance away, leaning against a tree trunk.
"Not bad?" Dalton asked.
Cole picked up the saddle pad and shook off the dirt. "Really good, actually." He swiped a hand through the horse. "That looks perfect."
"I moved Ranger last night after you conked out," Dalton confessed. The illusionary horse disappeared.
"Dalton!" another voice called. Taller than Cole and Dalton by a few inches, with dark tousled hair and brown eyes, Jace stormed over to us, his tan face flushed. "Where's my saddle?"
Dalton cracked a smile. "Isn't it over there?" he added pointing.
I followed his finger to where Jace's saddle leaned against a mossy log.
"Ha-ha," Jace said. "I already tried to grab it."
The saddle vanished.
"That's two really good seemings at once," Cole said "How long did you maintain them?"
"Since right before you two got up," Dalton said.
"Fifteen minutes or something."
Jace huffed. "Good for you. Maybe you and Skye can set up your own dazzle show. Now where's my saddle?"
Dalton looked around innocently, then craned his head back. I tracked his gaze up into a tree where a saddle straddled a high branch, and I snorted.
"That better not be real," Jace threatened. "I'll drop it on your head "
The saddle disappeared.
"Are you in on this?" Jace asked, turning to me.
"Not this time," I said, cracking a smile.
"Three seemings at the same time?" Cole asked.
"It's over by that stump," Dalton said, nodding toward the one he meant.
As we watched, the scarred old stump melted away to reveal Jace's saddle.
"Four," Cole said. "And they all looked great.
Dalton shrugged.
"Nice waste of time, Dalton," Jace complained.
"We're on the run."
"You'd do the same thing if you could work seemings," I said with a smile.
"I'd make those two walk off a cliff," Jace said, nodding to Dalton and Cole.
"You'd kill us?" Dalton exclaimed.
"Into a lake," Jace said. "I'd get two of the highest screams ever."
"We'd cannonball in and make two of the biggest splashes ever," Cole said. "Then we'd come for you."
"I'd be pretty scared," Jace said with a snort.
"You guys better hurry up and get ready. We're moving out."
I turned to reach for my saddle, but Dalton restrained me. "Wait for it"
Jace hoisted his saddle pad and saddle together, marched over to his horse, and flung them onto its back. The saddle fell through the illusion to the dirt. Me, Dalton, and Cole burst out laughing. Jace turned and glared.
"Pick up the pace!" Dalton called, speed walking the other direction. "The horses are this way.
We're heading out!"
Dalton grabbed his saddle. We walked together toward where Dalton had moved the horses.
Cole fell back with Jace.
I glanced at Dalton. Me, Cole, and Dalton had come to the Outskirts together from Mesa, Arizona. When we arrived, we knew nothing about this world. We'd never heard of shaping or the High King or even knew that a place like the Outskirts was possible. A slave trader had kidnapped dozens of kids visiting a neighborhood haunted house on Halloween and brought us to a bizarre new world. Shortly after our arrival, we were marked as slaves and scattered across the five kingdoms. We started out alone strangers in a strange land.
But we were gradually figuring things out. Me and Cole had managed to find our best friend, and Dalton had some crazy strong abilities. I was only just learning how to do seemings myself.
"That was amazing," I said. "But why go after Jace so hard?"
"He hid my saddle yesterday," Dalton replied.
"If he wants to make jokes, he has to take them too."
"Cole didn't hide your saddle," I said.
"I didn't want to make Jace the only target,"
Dalton said. "And I know Cole can take a joke."
"I don't know." I said. "I'm not sure you want to tangle with Jace."
"Whatever," Dalton said. "I can't let him think he's Mr. Big Shot. So if Jace teases—we tease him back. Well, me and Cole anyway. You're too busy drooling over him."
"Hey! I do not!" I said.
He snorted. "Sure.
I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, its probably not smart to prank him."
"What's the worst he could do?" Dalton asked.
"I mean really. Retaliate somehow? If he does, I'll get him again. It save me trouble down the road."
"What about when we leave Elloweer?" I said.
"We won't be able to make illusions in
Zeropolis."
Dalton sighed regretfully. "That'll stink. But all the more reason to get him while I can. If he respects me, he'll back off."
"Or he'll tease you harder until you cave," I said.
Dalton shrugged. "I'm not letting him win."
I rolled my eyes. "Boys."