Collecting the Pieces of the Shandhi Sword (Book 2 of Mark Series)

Chapter 32

I was in the library when the rest of my group were finished with their meals and made their way to me, watching my necklace go back and forth, back and forth, trying to find the next piece of my second sword, which was going to be the base.

But for some reason, nothing seemed to work, and none of the pieces of my sword seemed to appear on the map like it had in the past...

"Cone on, you stupid piece of shit," I seethed and bared my teeth in warning while I narrowed my eyes and growled, gritting my teeth. "Will you fucking work so that I can finish this piece of shit on time so that I can bring my pack to safety?"

Carter snickered when he made his way to my saide and sat down in a chair that was beside me. "Are you cussing at inanimate objects now, Princess?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he bit back a small smirk. "I mean, that is very unlike you."

I growled and bared my teeth while I looked at Samuel, who moved to the other side of the table so that he could stay as far away from me as possible. "Why isn't this working?" I asked with a small snap in my voice, and he flinched and tucked his head closer to his chest, looking down. "I thought this would work to collect the other piece of the sword like the base and not just the metal part."

Samuel furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he looked at me and then at the necklace. He watched as the necklace swung back and forth, back and forth, not landing on an area where it could be placed.

His eyes became glazed over while he watched the necklace, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was contacting his "team" or because he was becoming entranced in the movement of the necklace swinging back and forth.

Carter leaned forward in his chair and snapped his fingers in front of Samuel's nose. "Hello?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question when Samuel didn't even flinch or react to him. "Is anyone home? Princess asked you a question, Samuel. Wake up."

I growled a warning at Carter, and he looked at me with wide eyes, pausing mid snap. "He is not a fucking dog, Carter," I snarled and bared my teeth. "Stop snapping your fingers in front of his nose to wake him up."

"But it's fuuuuuunnnn," he complained but obliged and sloughed back in his seat. He folded his arms across his chest and pouted "I mean, how else are we going to find the next pieces of the sword if we can't get this magic to work?" He gestured to the necklace, and I looked at it and then at him, pressing my lips into a thin line.

Malena cleared her throat and shifted in her seat when we looked at her. Her cheeks grew red, and she looked at us with a nervous expression on her face. "The next piece is the base, right?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she looked between us.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye and raised an eyebrow in question. "Yes, it is. Why?" I asked and raised the eyebrow higher while I turned to look at her further. "What does that have to deal with anything?"

Malena cleared her throat and shifted in her seat again. Her cheeks turned a different shade of red, and she instantly looked down, becoming very nervous about the attention that she was receiving from us. "Well, would using the base of your other sword help you find that one?" she asked and looked at me again, even though I could tell that she was nervous about it.

I hesitated before I set my jaw and looked at Samuel, who was watching the map and necklace with a blank look on his face, and I couldn't help but still wonder if he was somehow talking with his group. "Will that work?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, but he didn't answer and didn't seem to be seeing anything while he "watched" the necklace moving across the map.

I bit back an annoyed sigh before I shook my head. "Samuel," I growled out, baring my teeth, but he still didn't pay attention to me. "Samuel," I said again, praying that he would answer me or at least know how I could get the next base of my sword because right now, I was at a stand still.

Carter looked at me and then looked at Samuel before he looked at me again. "I guess he is asleep, Jaz," he said with a small smile on his face. He stood, walked over to Smuael, and waved a hand in front of Samuel's face, but Samuel didn't blink or move.

He bit back a small snort and looked at me again. "Yep, he is asleep. Can I get a sharpie and draw all over his face?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line, and I couldn't help but feel slightly amused. "Very funny, Carter," I grumbled, and he gave me a cheeky grin before he turned his attention back to the dazed male.

Carter snapped his fingers in front of Samuel again, and again, nothing seemed to be going on in the nerd's head. He looked at me and shrugged before he grimaced, not saying a word.

Finally, there was this feeling that told me to follow a path that I didn't understand and to leave the group and my necklace behind. I wasn't sure why I had to toss my necklace away from me and not take it with me, but I wasn't going to fight this feeling because I couldn't help but pray that this wouldn't harm me or my group.

"You know what, fuck this thing and screw this stupid shit," I seethed and tossed the necklace onto the table and the map, praying that no one would touch the necklace or move it from it landed. I growled and gritted my teeth before I bared my teeth at the necklace, my whole body tense and shaking.

"Jaz!" the group exclaimed, except for Samuel, and jumped back away from the table when I threw the necklace down onto the map, shocked and amazed. They looked at the necklace before they looked at me, their eyes wide.

I growled again before I twisted away from the group and walked away without saying a word, leaving them behind and in a stunned silence.

They stayed put and stayed silent before Carter cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, and I knew that he was going to break the stunned silence first.

Sure enough, he didn't disappoint when he called out, "Come back, Princess! Where are you going? What are you going to do with the necklace? Why are you leaving it behind?"

"Anywhere but here," I said, biting back a small snap before I growled and bared my teeth, clenching my hands into fists while my whole body grew tense and started to shake. "Don't touch the necklace or the map. I'll be back later and will pick the necklace up, then."

And with that, I left without saying another word and ignored the rest of the calls from my group, grateful that no one followed me or tried to take me back to the table and to collect my necklace.

Oh, Goddess, please let this work, I silently prayed while I flayed my fingers on either side of my body before I clenched them into fists while I continued to follow this path and pull.

Please...