Anchor (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jannick filled my head, urgency laced his voice. We have to go. Now. Carlotta is in peril.
I froze. Oh no. He said we. He will be needing me, which meant it had to be serious. I scrambled from JJ's side in a panic. He reacted to the change in my mood instantly.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?" He asked, worry coating his voice.
"Yeah," I croaked, "Fine."
I tried to fake a smile, but I was not fine. JJ moved towards me, putting no space between us. He put a finger on my cheek.
"I know you aren't fine. Tell me. What is it?"
I opened my mouth to say it, to tell him everything, to tell him I was so scared, but Jannick's voice stopped me.
He can't know.
He was right. I couldn't put JJ in danger. It would make the situation worse for everyone involved, too.
"I... can't." I answered and a pain grew deep in my gut.
I wanted to tell him so bad. JJ huffed, obviously frustrated, but instead of getting angry, said, "Well, is there anything I can do? Can I do anything?"
His blue eyes were full of sincerity and desperation. So, I told him that he needed to help me come up with a cover story because that was true. I needed to go somewhere and I didn't know for how long, but my brother and mom couldn't know. Nobody could. That only confused him more, but he promised me that he'd take care of it. He helped me pack as well, though that was the least of my concerns, but he probably thought I was going somewhere mundane, on a trip. During this time, Jannick was frantic, urging me to hurry up and drive to the nearest secluded space so we could transport to the place where the banished lived. JJ and I both snuck past my brother and mother who were sitting in the living room watching TV. They remained absolutely oblivious to our calculated footsteps.
Soon, I was getting into my mom's car, asking JJ to explain to her I needed to use it; there wasn't another option. JJ nodded uncertainly and closed the driver door when I was settled in.
"You sure I can't go with you?" JJ asked shakily.
I shook my head as a tear rolled down my cheek. "Just let my mom know I took her car." I reiterated. "I'll be back." Truth was, however, I didn't know if I'd make it out of this alive. I didn't know if this was the last time I would see his face. My tears just made him more worried and I tried to pull it together. He peered into my eyes, most likely trying to decipher my behavior and what was troubling. I knew he wanted to say more than he did, but he sighed and said,
"Just be careful." He kissed me and I kissed him back earnestly, desperately as a knot formed in the pit of my stomach as the thought crept in yet again that this may be the last time I ever saw him.
I could feel JJ grow uneasy against my lips as I prolonged the close contact, but he did not pull away. It seemed like he wanted to savor this as much as I did.

My hands were clammy on the steering wheel as I started down the road. As soon as I was out of sight, Jannick materialized in his human form in the passenger seat beside me.
"Breathe, Natalie, breathe." He ordered in a steady tone.
It was this command that made me realize I had been holding my breath. I took an exaggerated breath and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him relax a fraction.
"Turn off here." He directed.
I swung a right and allowed my car to veer off the road, into the trees that surrounded the highway. Once we were safely hidden and not visible to the street, Jannick instructed me to stop the car.
Then he turned to me and asked, "Do you trust me?" His eyes were weary and tired, but genuine.
"Yes, Jannick, I do." I replied. I honestly did harbor so much trust in him. Him and his sister had been so gracious to me, so patient. They had been there for me when I thought Melissa abandoned me. I think trusted him more than I trusted myself.
He breathed heavily, opened the passenger door, and stepped out. He walked around to the front of the car, directly in front of the hood, facing away from me. I got out and instinctively stood next to him. He smiled faintly at my gesture of support.
"Okay.. what I am about to do is very risky. I've never done it. I'm not sure if I will do it right, but we're running out of time. Take my hand, please."
I could tell he was still shocked at my amount of trust in him by the look of surprise that crossed his face when I clasped my hand in his and squeezed tightly.
"Close your eyes and take a breath."
"I trust you." I encouraged audibly, and heard the wind swirl rapidly around us, taking us away from the Earthly world I knew.