"Did you find her?" Hay Lin asked, already knowing the answer. Will shook her head and Taranee sighed.
"We over heard one of the guards say they had taken her to Cavigore." Taranee said. A tense ripple issued through the group as the guardians tried not to imagine what would happen to their friend at the prison. Irma sniffed.
"I shouldn't have left her. Hello, safety in numbers."
"Then you would've been captured as well." Will said comfortingly. Irma shook her head.
"I should have drug her back then."
"Then we all would have been captured." Hay Lin said, putting a hand on Irma's. "You are not to blame." Caleb nodded.
"If I know Jess, she's probably already trying to escape. We should head to the Infinite City. That's were she'd go." Cornelia nodded in agreement. Will shivered as a harsh wind hit them.
"We should get moving. If those soldiers come back, we're sitting ducks," she said, and Caleb put a comforting arm on Will's shoulder.
Jess wasn't sure when she had fallen unconscious . All she knew was that several hours later she woke with Alex's gorgeous ocean blue eyes staring at her. She smiled. "Good morning." He whispered.
"How long have I been out of it?"
"A couple hours." He touched her cheek gently and she closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his fingertips on her bare skin. She shifted uneasily and felt a spark of pain in her shoulder. A fuzzy memory surfaced as she remembered Cedric's arrow. Alex nuzzled her hand. "Or you alright?"
"I'm a little sore, but I'll be fine." He nodded. His lips were just inches from her own, and Alex was thinking about how easy it would be to kiss her right then and there. A sudden noise brought them out of the brief tender moment, and Alex swore under his breath. "Will!" Jess squealed as the little red head came down the steps.
"Jess!" Irma said with a giggle, "I'm glad you're ok. Hay Lin here was so worried." Hay Lin clicked her tongue indignantly. The girls all shared a tender embrace and Jess giggled, glad to be back with her family once more.
Family!
The thought made her suddenly remember the fact that she would be moving to her new foster home in a few days. Even though they had been in Meridian for about a week, since time worked differently on earth, it had only been about day. She felt a pang of sadness at having to leave the only family she had ever known.
"Can we go home now?" Taranee asked.
"Sure," Will said. "Do you think you can walk?"
"Will…I'm not going back."
"What do you mean, silly?" Hay Lin asked.
"I don't have a home to go back to, remember? I'm going to stay here with Alex and help with the rebellion."
"But Jess, we need you."
"It's either leave here and never seen you guys again, or stay here and get to help with the rebellion. I'll be fine. Please don't worry."
"Jess, please. At least come back with us for a little while. Oh yeah, that reminds me." Will handed Jess her backpack, and Sunny popped her head out of the hole at the top. "Jess come home. Please." Will pleaded.
"You should go with them, Jess." Alex said, tenderly brushing her hair out of her face. "You don't belong here. I'll see you again, I promise." Caleb smiled. Jess sighed.
"Fine. I guess I should at least say goodbye."
"Not if I've got anything to say about it." Will muttered.
"So, you're telling me that Alex stayed behind and rescued you from Cedric?" Caleb asked as they headed back to the portal.
"Don't act so surprised." Jess said.
"I am. Alex isn't that 'all for one' type. He's never looked out for anyone in his life. He'd leave a man in the field any day, if it meant risking his life to save him. It's mostly because he never had anyone look out for him as a child. He was an orphan." Just like Jess, Will thought. "He must see something in you. Maybe he can sense that you're an orphan too." Jess smiled, her fingers trailing over her lips were the taste of Alex's goodbye kiss still lingered.