Birthright

Chapter Twelve

Jordan wasn’t sure when she drifted off, but her eyes opened at ten forty five. On silent feet, she walked to the closet and changed into jeans, shirt and a dark hoodie. Knight watched her from the bed, stretched and cocked his head to the side as she crept to the door. For a moment, Jordan debated leaving him behind before she realized he would raise hell if she tried to lock him in. 

“Quiet,” she hissed and listened before she opened the door.

Moonlight filtered through the glass walls of the house. She crept down the main staircase and was pleased to note that despite Knight’s size, he drifted through the house like a ghost. She walked to the front door, eased it open and paused. No alarm, no voices. Jordan stared down the long driveway lined with trees and imagined the Master watching her. 

Jordan shook herself and started down the steps with Knight by her side. She was grateful for his presence. She pat him absently and saw her pendant flare with light, a beacon in the darkness. She retracted her hand quickly and moved beneath the trees for cover. She fingered the circle pendant as she walked and found herself thinking of Heath. He was a good guy and she liked her pendant. She wondered if it would help contain her power when it returned. Her thoughts drifted to Kelly and she shook her head. She had a lot of questions for Kelly, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. Why hadn’t Kelly told her that she was a Grounder? Jordan refused to think about Mr. Parker. 

Before long, her body ached with each step. She felt bruised from head to toe, her head pounded and she was practically sleepwalking, she was so exhausted. Knight nudged her and bowed his head again. She clambered onto his back and took the opportunity to rest. Levi would be here soon and then she would be safe. He would get her away from here and take care of her. 

The pendant flared with light. She closed her eyes and tried to find their mental link, but Levi was still blocking her. She grunted irritably and put the pendant inside her shirt so it wouldn’t be as noticeable. She listened to the splash of the stream on either side of them. The night was pleasantly warm and she rocked from side to side with the rhythm of Knight’s gait. When Knight stopped, Jordan roused and saw the wide iron gate with the large P. She looked closely and saw that the P was flanked by two Valor’s facing each other on their hind legs, mouths open in a roar. The road was narrow here with the fast running river running on both sides. 

Jordan lightly patted Knight’s side and felt his muscles bunch. He cleared the seven-foot fence easily. Dirt stirred as Knight landed lightly on the other side. Jordan sat up, hands braced in front of her and tried to see the highway, but there was only dirt road stretching in front of her. 

“Almost there,” she whispered.

Beyond the gate, the stream flared out with trees scattered here and there. Knight took five steps forward and froze. He sniffed the air and growled. Fear rippled down her spine and she dug her hands into Knight’s fur as seven figures rose from the high grass and encircled them loosely. 

“It’s true,” a woman said. 

“That’s impossible. It hasn’t been done in centuries,” another woman said. 

They wore jackets with the hoods drawn up, shadowing their faces. Their hands flexed at their sides as if ready to grab a gun from a holster. The air crackled with power and Jordan’s heartbeat accelerated. One hooded figure stepped forward and the murmurs ceased.  

“Are you Donovan Parker’s biological daughter?” the man asked. 

Jordan didn’t answer. She was too busy trying to find a way out of this. Going forward wasn’t an option. The highway was nowhere in sight and these people clearly weren’t able to go over or around the gate. They had to wait on the opposite side.