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 fter Jade had finished explaining, KatE frowned.
"That's odd, you know. Darren has my triangle on his back too."
"You do?" Jade's eyes swung to Darren, who shrugged.
"I have a scar on my back that's a triangle, yeah."
"How long have you had it?"
"No idea. I didn't even know it was there until KatE uh... found it."
Feeling slightly left out, Maya chimed in.
"I have a triangle scar too, see?"
She twisted around and tugged her singlet top down a little, revealing a triangle with the point towards her shoulder.
"Yeah, mine's just like that," Darren added. "Except it points down. How'd you get yours?"
Maya frowned.
"I don't know. Just always been there."
Jade's eyes widened, as Sarah pushed her sleeve up to reveal a triangle scar on her arm.
"I noticed mine when I was about 12," Sarah said. "Though I don't know how I got it either."
Jade's eyes swung to Darryl. Knowing what she wanted, he obediently removed his t-shirt, and presented her with his back. It only took Jade a few moments to determine that Darryl's "fire" symbol actually had a line through it. Close examination revealed the very very faded remains of the water symbol behind it. Jade closed her eyes, and lent her forehead against Darryl's back. "How did I miss it?" She thought, pressing the middle of her forehead against Dazz's mark. "And what does it mean?"
Almost like she was hearing a voice in her head, Jade knew the answer.
Guardians... the voice seemed to whisper. Jade frowned.
"Guardians?"
Guardians. They will watch the backs of the chosen four through love.
"Maya and Sarah?" Jade thought, amused.
Sisterly love can be just as strong, and often more so than a partnership
Jade thought the voice sounded slightly scolding, and flushed. Then she stood up, straight.
"I just remembered," Jade announced. "My parents are going away for the weekend this weekend. How would you," she swiftly counted, "five like to come over for dinner? You can stay the night at our place, so we can drink a bit... And I'll invite Kat too, give her a better chance with my brother..."
KatE grinned.
"Sounds good to me, I'll be there."
Darren and Darryl nodded as a matter of course, and Maya and Sarah conferred briefly, before agreeing, more to watch first hand Kat and Marc than any other reason.
"Where is Kat, anyway?" Maya and Sarah asked at the same time, and as one the six people turned to observe the show.
Kat had spotted Marc at the same time he'd seen her, and the two had smiled at each other. At that moment, Irene had brushed past Kat, and thrown her arms around Marc's neck, leaning up to kiss him. His startled look and quick break of her kiss, she didn't seem to notice, as she took his arm and started talking about what she'd down the previous night.
"Irene," Marc interrupted. "We broke up."
Irene ignored that, and slipped a finger under his turtle-neck.
"Aren't you hot in all that, sweetie?" she cooed. "How about we take it off, hmm?"
"I don't think so, Irene."
"Good morning, Marc," Kat said, softly, and he turned to her.
"Who's this, Marc?" Irene asked, pressing lightly against his side.
"You've met me before, Irene," Kat informed her.
"Oooh, that's right, Caitlyn, wasn't it?"
"Near enough," Kat laughed at her, and turned back to Marc, pulling his wallet out of her bag. "You left this at my house last night."
The corner of Marc's mouth twitched as he considered her boldness. Irene was swiftly moving from slow-burn to volcanic fury.
"Hey, thanks," he accepted, doing Kat honour by slipping it into his pocket without checking it. "I was looking for that this morning."
"No problem," Kat gave him a cheeky grin. "Maybe we'll do it again some time."
"Oh, we will," Marc promised, and Kat grinned again.
"Well, see you in English," she casually, toying with the end of her scarf.
Irene reached out, and grabbed the end of the scarf.
"That's a lovely scarf," she said through gritted teeth. "Where did you get it?"
"Oh, just this shop where I used to live," Kat replied, loosening it around her throat. "They had hundreds of them."
Irene noticed the top of a red mark on Kat's neck as she tugged the end of the scarf out of Irene's hands and rewound it.
"See you around."
"See you," Marc replied with a smile as Kat turned and walked back towards KatE, Jade and the others.
"You were *WHERE* last night?" Irene demanded quietly.
"Actually," Marc replied coldly. "That's none of your business, Irene. I dumped you on Sunday. Any input or right to information you had about my life ended on that day."
"So you just jumped into bed with that TRAMP!" Irene screamed, her voice quickly getting loud enough to draw stares.
"You're dumped, Irene."
"You can't do that to me!"
Marc lowered his voice further.
"I already have. Now, I need to go and prepare for English. I didn't get much work done last night, for some reason."
With that final parting shot, Marc shook off Irene's arm, and walked determinedly away towards the library.
"Marc Bradshaw, come back here RIGHT NOW!" she screamed.
He ignored her, and from behind her, Irene heard sniggers, and someone say the word "fishwife". She looked around, and noticed people staring at her, including That Girl! Many of them were laughing, too, sniggering behind their hands. Irene gave Kat a look that would have withered a cactus, then turned and stormed into the building behind her.
"Ah... you have an enemy there, Kat," KatE murmured, still sniggering.
"I know. But I already did," she added. "Queen of cups'n swords. Couldn't see her laying down quietly, could you?"
Jade suddenly guessed what the tarot reading had been about, and grinned.
"But did you see the look on her face?" Jade sniggered, and the seven on them burst out laughing. From an upstairs window, Irene glowered, watched, and plotted.
Tuesday ended without any more hiccups from Irene and the party was to be held Friday night. Jade had gone home alone and Marc had gone to Kat's place again on the guise of helping her with English. Jade didn't really mind though she silently admitted she wish she could get to know Kat better. If they were going to be on the fighting field together she was going to have to get to know her and her style. A sinking feeling reminded her that she also needed to get to know Sarah as well. She kicked herself for not seeing the signs earlier, for not registering that Darryl's mark was simply in the wrong spot. Feeling dejected she headed to her room and her book of shadows. She heard the phone ring and ignored it allowing the answering machine to get it. It was loud enough for her to make out Irene's voice. The phone rang another ten times before Marc came home for dinner. Jade could here him press play on the machine and noted with a slight satisfaction that he didn't listen to the ones from Irene in full. He came up to get her to let her know that KatE had called and that dinner was ready. He did notice that she had closed her book of shadows over her arm when he entered and left musing over that since she had never done it before. They sat and ate dinner and Jade checked with her parents about the party, which was no problem and said very little after that. She headed back to her room and looked at her work desk. It still had the carving of the dryad. She had finished it but hadn't really known what to do with it afterwards, she knew she couldn't well put it in the shop. She decided to give it to Marc and took it and left it on his bed then went back to her room closing the door behind her.
Wednesday Kat woke up early to the sound of the phone ringing. It took her a few seconds before she registered what the sound was and traipsed out to answer it.
"Hello?" Kat said still waking up
"Good morning little wench"
"Excuse me?" Kat was now a little more alert but couldn't quite place the voice
"I can't get Marc on his phone so I gathered he stayed at your little house of prostitution"
"Oh brother. Irene I don't know how you got this number but don't call it again, I'm not interested in hearing your winning."
Kat hung up and grumbled. What a way to start the day she thought sarcastically. The phone rang again. Kat let it ring for a bit, then answered the phone.
"I thought I told you to stop calling!" Kat answered thinking it was Irene again
"Bad time to call?"
"Oh Marc, I'm sorry, just that I got a charming phone call from Irene and..."
"Irene called your house?"
"Yes, just a moment ago."
"What did she say?" Kat told him what happened and Marc was furious.
"When's your first class?" Kat asked trying to distract him
"Midline" He replied
"Same, want to meet before then and go to school together?"
"Yes, in fact that's why I was calling in the first place, want me to come over or you to come here?"
"My dad's not home" Kat pointed over
"I'll be right over then" He teased
"You can't I still have to have a shower first"
"And?"
"See you in half an hour" she replied laughing and hung up the phone. As an after thought she picked up the handset and went through the caller id numbers, jotted down Irene's number and made a mental note to not bother answering the phone when that number showed.
***
Kat and Marc entered the school grounds hand in hand. Whispering followed them, which made Kat nervous. Marc told her not to worry about it reminding her that she was attending a country town school and that by now they were probably on the top of everyone list of latest gossip. Kat smiled at him and said she understood but deep down she didn't like it. She was a little disappointed though that by lunchtime there was something else that was the main gossip. She went to her locker first before meeting up with Marc at lunch. The smell that was coming from it however made Kat decide she would leave it closed. Her sixth sense told her that it was wiser. She found Marc sitting next to Jade with everyone else around the table. There was no room for her but as she got closer Jade looked up and shifted herself onto Darryl's lap to make room. Before Kat could sit Irene slid into that spot and slid her arm around Marc and kissed him. Marc pushed her back and then spotted Kat. There was an awkward silence. Before Irene could say anything Jade grabbed her lunch and got up.
"Kat great to see you, quick grab the empty table beside you"
Kat put her stuff down on the table and soon everyone was sitting at the new table including Marc who instantly had his arm around Kat. Irene was left at the other table sitting alone. They ignored her and Irene warned them under her breath that ignoring her was a very bad idea. She would have Marc back.
***
Thursday night Jade was in the shop doing Tarot readings. Her parents had left already for their trip away so Marc and Jade were running the shop when she wasn't reading. She had finished the last reading for the night but stayed in the tarot room. She didn't feel like talking to Marc. She had left the statue in his room and he had said nothing off it. Jade was feeling a little alone.
Your preparing, that is all, it will pass. The voices said to her.
"Oh thanks, lots of help you are." Jade replied.
She reached over to the ruin cards she had made a few years ago. She liked ruins but she liked the calming of shuffling so she had made the cards. She placed the deck on the table, made sure the door was closed and then closed her eyes. One by one the cards lifted off the table and started spinning in the air. Jade breathed deeply as the breeze swept her hair back and the cards started to go faster and faster. She then opened her eyes and watched for a little while with a strange smile on her face. She loved shuffling this way. She brought her hands palm up and then turned them over and put them on her lap. The cards fell. She picked up the cards that were face down and put them aside and then focussed on those that were face up. Othila, Nauthiz, Berkana. Jade felt a chill. Othila, the ruin of separation, Nauthiz, the ruin of constraint, necessity and pain. Berkana, the ruin of rebirth. Jade mused over this for a bit. Why was she getting this? She asked her little voice but all she got was silence. She went to pick up the cards and found that Odin was hiding under all three. Odin was the ruin of the unknowable. Jade felt out of sorts. She put the cards away and sat there in the silence. She felt so alone. Slowly it started dawning on her; the lack of answer from her guide was in fact the answer.
"Why are you going to leave me?"
Because your path is going to take you somewhere we can not go
"But it will be so quiet, so alone. Will you return?"
We do not know
Jade was in near tears now. The whole week she had been feeling separated from everyone was all part of the 'big plan'. Darryl was no longer who she thought he was and she had felt betrayed though she didn't know why or how. Marc was so caught up with Kat he never spoke to her. Now she knew that her guide, the secret voice that she had always heard wasn't always going to be there. Feeling like someone had pulled the rug out from under her feet she grabbed her bag and left the store. Marc called out to her but she ignored him. She headed home, packed some stuff, left a note for Marc saying she would be back in time for the party and left for Uncle John's. He was in the next town over and Jade drove with the window down letting the breeze hit her full in the face. It stung but Jade didn't care. She pulled up in the driveway and grabbed her overnight bag and didn't even make it to the front door before it opened.
"Come in Jade, the kettle just boiled"
Jade wasn't surprised by this. She went off to the room she normally stayed in and noted that the bed was made in the Japanese spread that she was always used by her when she was over. He came in holding a cup of tea for her and a kitten.
"This is one of the newborns. I have a feeling she will make you feel better, in fact keep her, I'm sure your parents won't mind." Jade started crying as she took the kitten. It meowed softly.
"Oh Uncle John, my worlds falling apart." He hugged her tightly as she cried.
***
Marc got home and saw Kat sitting on his doorstep.
"Hello."
"Hi."
"Been waiting long?"
"No. Just thought I would drop by."
"Glad you did." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her before opening the house and letting Kat in. Marc showed Kat the way to his room. She sat on the bed and picked up a note.
"Marc, Jade's left a note, she's gone to Uncle John's" Marc sighed. "Something wrong?"
"Jade left the shop tonight before closing, she looked upset but when I called out to her she ignored me. Something's bothering her and I don't know what or why. She always goes to Uncle John's when she is really upset. He has a... a gift of knowing what's going on."
"Hmm. Sounds like she will be okay then."
"I hope so."
Kat lay down and then rolled over. She cried out in pain before reaching under the covers to find a wooden statue, the same one Jade left.
"This is pretty. It looks like, like me!" Kat exclaimed.
"What does?" Marc asked and came over to look. Kat handed him the statue.
Marc turned the figurine over, and smiled.
"It's one of Jades," he smiled. "She's been snooping in my room again."
"Snooping?" Kat queried, watching as Marc cleared a space on a shelf near the end of his bed, and placed the figurine on the shelf.
"Yeah... sometimes if Jade's lacking inspiration for her carvings, she comes and looks through my drawings and carves from them."
"I didn't know you drew."
"Kat, we have art together," Marc teased, adjusting a light so it shone on Jade's carving.
"Yeah, I know that, but I didn't know you drew for pleasure," Kat laughed.
"Mmm, pleasure," Marc teased again, deliberately running his eyes over Kat's body.
"Behave," she scolded. "Show me your drawings."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Marc grabbed a scrapbook off his desk, and handed it to Kat, before standing on a chair to move the light more easily.
"Marc?"
"Mmm?"
He jumped off the chair and slid it back under the desk.
"When did you draw this?"
"Oh... Of all the luck," laughed Marc. "Shove over."
Kat wriggled closer to the wall, and Marc lay beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders.
"I drew that after you came and scolded me."
Kat laughed.
"So I made an impression then."
"Oh, most definitely," Marc smiled. "I couldn't stop thinking about you for the rest of the week."
Kat smiled at him, and they kissed, once.
"These are really good baby."
"Mmm, thanks."
Marc trailed his fingers lightly up and down Kat's arm.
"You're beautiful."
Kat smiled at Marc.
"I love you."
Marc's heart seemed to skip a beat, then he smiled. He shifted his sketchbook onto the floor, and pulled Kat into his arms. He held her tightly, and she curled up against him.
"I love you too."
A while later, Marc stirred.
"Did you want dinner?"
"Mmm, no," Kat murmured. "I just want to lay here."
Marc smiled down at her and kissed her once.
"It's amazing, what we have, isn't it?"
Kat's eyes slowly opened.
"So quickly, you mean?"
"Partly, yeah."
"Some things are just meant to be."
"Yes, some things are."
"What are you thinking?"
"I just wonder what part our relationship will play..."
"In what?"
Marc paused.
"In whatever Jade has been studying."
Kat looked at him quizzically.
"Just... A couple of times... I don't know, maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's because I'm dating you now, maybe she just wants space, I don't know."
"Marc, what's bothering you?"
"Just... Jade's behaviour, closing her book over her arm, not answering me, running off with the car, hiding that from me..."
Marc's glance flickered towards the tiny statue. Kat frowned.
"I don't know, love, maybe she's just in a thinky mood."
Marc smiled.
"Maybe, love."
He rolled backwards off the bed, and stood.
"Come on, I'll make you dinner."
"Okay."
Marc left the room as Kat got up. Kat hesitated for a moment, looking at the tiny figurine of herself. Then she turned off the light, and followed Marc downstairs.
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