The Jaded Assassin

The Water’s Edge

Jaessa POV

As soon as the door closes, I shift into my wolf form, Tara, who sprints towards the edge of the pack clearing, towards the surrounding woods.  Tara runs until she reaches the bank of the river my parents use to bring me to when I was young.  She curls up on the moist ground, settling in as I try to grasp the reality of my parents words. 

“My mother was a witch.  That means I’m a witch.  I can’t be a witch!”  I try to reason through my distorted thoughts, to myself. “I have to be a witch, because she was...” 

“I’m not sure why this comes as such a shock.”  Tara tells me, and my thoughts freeze, mid-point. 

“Tara, did you know?”  I ask my wolf, suddenly. 

“In a way, yes.  I could sense the witch in us.”  She responds as though she is bored with this discussion. 

“What!? Why didn’t you tell me?”  I demand from her.

“I felt it was obvious.”  She replies simply, “Besides, you’d work it out eventually if our fathers didn’t spill the beans first.”  

Now I’m fuming, at my own wolf, for concealing our identity to me all this time. 

“You can be mad all you want, just hurry up and get over it.”  She scolds.

I roll my eyes internally, but she fully catches my attitude, “Just get over it, huh.  Why didn’t I think of that.”  I snarl.

“Yes, get over it.  We have work to do.”  Tara replies.  

I’m about to retort when a rustle in the woods catches our attention, and Tara goes on guard, before relaxing as my fathers appear through the underbrush in the form of their own wolves.  

“We thought you might be here.”  J.T. mind-links me gently.  

I glance to Stone, the wolf of Jaden, who just stares back at me, unmoving.

“Sweetheart...” J.T. begins, and I instantly feel bad for causing him grief.  He has such a kind heart, it’s so hard to stay mad at him. “We understand if you’d like your space, but we felt the need to check on you.”  He soothes.

“I’m ok.”  I quickly reply. 

His wolf gives me a sympathetic look before he asks, “Are you sure, sweet pea?”  

No, but I will be.  “Yeah, I’m sure.”  I reassure him, “I’m sorry if I worried you.”  I quickly add. 

“Oh baby, we understand how you have to be feeling right now.”  J.T. continues to offer comfort, “We love you so much.”  He promises.  

“What’s going to happen now?”  I ask, looking to the wolf of Jaden.

I hear my father’s voice through the mind-link, “I would like to take you to the Black Hills, your cousins are familiar with magic, and wish to help you learn how to master your gifts.”  Jaden informs me. 

“So I’m being sent away?”  I ask, feeling rejected. 

“No, no, definitely not.”  J.T. rapidly interjects.  “We would never send you away, this is not us trying to discard you in anyway.”  He vows, “We just want you to have access to the best training, so you can be complete in your gifts.”  J.T. explains.

“What do you think?”  I privately ask Tara.

“As I told you, get it together sis, we have work to do.”  She smirks inwardly to me.  

“When do I leave?”  I ask my fathers.  

“As soon as you feel ready.”  Jaden answers.

“Can we go now?”  I ask, suddenly motivated to get started. 

“And miss your birthday party?”  J.T. asks in shock. 

“There’s no sense in leaving right now, our family will be here for the party, but you may return home with them upon their departure.”  Jaden answers.  

“Ok.  Can we go home now?  I’m pretty sure I need a shower.”  I request as Tara stands to her feet, belly covered in mud from the river bank. 

I can hear J.T.’s smile in his voice as he says, “You bet!  I’ll race ya!”  

I giggle through our mind-link as Tara takes off in a sprint, leaping over my dad’s head and tearing across the ground, as he bounds after me. 

Once we reach the cottage, I dart around back, slipping through the gate to the privacy fence before shifting into my human form, before wrapping a towel around my body and rushing inside, up the stairs to my lofted bedroom.  Crossing my room, I enter my private bathroom and turn the shower on high with as much heat as my body can stand before dropping my towel and stepping into the shower, sliding the glass door closed. 

Once I’m scrubbed clean, I french-braid my hair as Eva taught me, so that when it dries, the curls will be more manageable.  I brush my teeth before wiping the moisture from my mirror, taking in my reflection.  I’ve never been one for much make-up, and thankfully my fair skin is usually blemish-free.  I do apply some mascara and a light layer of eye-liner to make my hazel eyes pop, before I’m content with my appearance. 

After I towel-dry my body, I return to my bedroom, entering my walk-in closet, and pull on a pair of skinny, rockstar-ripped jeans and a black tank-top before donning my socks and black Converse shoes.  While I’m in here, I decide now is as good of a time as any to pack my suitcase, so I retrieve it from the top shelf, before pulling my clothes down from my hangers, and carefully fold and pack everything I feel I’ll need, leaving behind a couple outfits as I’m not sure how many more days I’ll be here before my cousins are ready to return home.  

I find myself both nervous and excited, so I decide to distract myself by going to my vanity where I take out a bottle of polish remover, some cotton-balls and q-tips, and my black gel polish before I get to work on a personal manicure.