A/N: Sorry for the wait. We kind of lost inspiration on how we wanted this chapter to go, so that's why it took so long. My sister just picked it up again and wrote this chapter. Hope you all enjoy!!!
Chapter 2
Papa is gonna be so angry. Jaenelle knew she should have said something, but she also knew that he wouldn't have allowed it, had she said anything. He would have pulled some remote piece of Protocol out of some book and she would have lost this friendship with Mercy. Jaenelle was hoping to drop back into her room with no one knowing she had gone wandering for a few hours.
As the girls left the Web and landed on her balcony Jaenelle saw Mercy start rubbing her arms. At about the same time she felt the bone chilling cold seep through her. Oh no, things were not going her way, might as well get this over with. As she took the step towards her room the doors iced over and opened. All the more terrifying for his calmness, Saetan stood there in all his wondrous rage. Her head bowed and she began to shuffle her feet. She knew she was in for a lecture, the kind that filled her with doubt and regret for making those who actually cared worry about her. She wasn't used to having people worry about her. In hindsight, she could have dropped a note on Papa's desk on the way out. Suddenly she felt the rage deepen and ice crawled over the balcony. She felt Saetan drop to the level of the Black and it startled her. She understood he was mad but she was there and safe. What was making him rise to the killing edge? Her head snapped up and her eyes focused on the back of Mercy's head. When had her friend moved in between them?
"Witch-Child, come over here please." Saetan all but snarled.
"Papa, it's ok. Can we warm this place up a bit?"
"Jaenelle, can you get us out of here? You know, however you got us here?" Mercy whispered to her as she dropped lower to a fighting stance and kept her eyes on Saetan.
Saetan took another step closer. "She's not going anywhere. Get out of the way of me and my daughter." Jaenelle could tell he was barely keeping his anger in check.
Jaenelle cringed, knowing what was coming next. She tried to get out an explanation before anything could happen, but Mercy's temper overrode what Jaenelle had told her before and exploded over her words.
"You're her father?!?! I know exactly who you are then, and you'll have to kill me before I ever let you touch her again!"
Enough was enough. Jaenelle grabbed Mercy's arm and placed herself between the two of them before Saetan lost his control also. "Mercy, I told you before he's my father by choice, not by blood. Saetan, Mercy is one of my friends who helped me through those terrifying years. I forgot that I never told you about her, it was because she wasn't from Kaeleer and when she didn't show up I was honestly sure she'd forgotten about me."
All of a sudden, with the timing they were well know for, the patio doors flew open after a perfunctory knock and Gabrielle, Karla and Morghann were there. Leaning on either side of the doorway, like fire and ice, were Gabrielle with her pale blonde hair and harsh but beautiful Dea Al Mon features and Morghann with hair like flames fanned about her and a wonderful smile that was deceptively gentle. In between the two was Karla, who embodied ferocity. She was intense and a force to be reckoned with. "What's with the temperature change over here Uncle Saetan?" Karla snapped, obviously annoyed that she wasn't invited on the adventure this morning. She walked past Mercy and Jaenelle to place her head on Saetan's shoulder and lean against him, giving him her support without a word.
"Yeah and who's that with you Jaenelle? Is that where she's been all morning?" Morghann added. "You missed all our lessons! And you didn't get to see Uncle Saetan fire yet another dance instructor."
Gabrielle seemed to be the only one truly focused on Mercy and not just the fact that there was another person here. Staying by the door she studied her. "She's a witch, and if I'm not mistaken a fairly strong one. Where has she been hiding that she's stayed safe and none of us knew about her?"
This startled everyone in the room and the temperature jumped back up to normal. Saetan had been so worried about his young ward he'd overlooked that detail.
"Oh, I knew I wasn't wrong. I knew it all those years ago. I could feel the potential in her, but her world knew nothing about witches and Jewels so I was sure I had to be mistaken." Jaenelle rambled.
Mercy was completely confused. She relaxed her fighting stance and took a step forward so she was standing next to her friend. "What are you talking about? I know all about witches and I know I have none of their powers. I'm a walker, remember Jaenelle, I told you all about that."
"You're also what we call a witch. You have the power within you, and I can help you find it. You have a place in my world. I'm not little anymore. You can stay here, I can protect you. You told me you had no one who loved you. I love you. I can't be traveling all over, I've promised, but you can stay with me, here."
A/N: The next chapter should be out within the next couple of days, a week at most.
