By Kali Gargoyle
***
Earth
***
The trees flew by in a blur. She left the noise and crowded streets of downtown San Jose far behind her. The commute was Hell, but all things considered, it was worth it.
Jessondra took the last turn sharply as she sped down the street. The wheels of her Honda motorcycle sent leaves and dust flying into the cool spring air.
After pulling up to the curb, Jessondra grabbed the mail from the box and strolled up to her front door. Before she could reach the knob, the door flew open.
"Oops, sorry, Jess, but I'm in a hurry." The short brunette skipped past the blonde on her way to her small white car.
Jessondra just snorted in disgust and went inside. Two men sat on the couch in front of a big screen television, appearing to be in a trance. Jessondra had finished sorting the mail and dropped two piles into their laps.
The stack marked Blake was dropped into the lap of a tall, well built male who tossed the pile onto the table in front of him without taking his hazel eyes off the image before him.
Envelopes addressed to Skye were handed to the other one, who stood up and followed Jessondra out of the entertainment room.
When they stepped into the kitchen, Skye put his arms around Jessondra's waist and kissed her neck.
"How was work?"
Jessondra set her helmet on the table. "Same old, same old. Setting up suppliers and buyers. Getting hold of the special merchandise is the hard part."
Skye rested his chin on her shoulder and watched as she tossed Mia's mail on the table and shuffled through her own.
Jessondra leaned back against her boyfriend. "And how was your day?"
Skye squeezed her tightly. "Better, now that you're here."
Jessondra smiled. "Always the charmer, eh?"
"I can't help it, it's part of my nature," he smirked.
Jessondra turned and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Oh, get a room!"
They turned to see a black-haired girl standing in the doorway. She had the same long black hair and green eyes that Skye had.
Mia walked straight between them, pushing them apart. She had always been jealous that her twin brother chose Jessondra to be the object of his affection. Apparently, she thought he could do much better.
"Here's your mail, Mia," Skye said, handing his sister the letters. She snatched them away then grabbed a bottle from the fridge and left.
Jessondra sighed and sat at the table. She tossed her bills to Skye, who put them on an old desk that sat in one corner of the room. She tossed an envelope in the recycling bin before even opening it. Then she used her nails to open the last one.
Skye noticed her 'business face' and decided to get himself a drink.
Jessondra slammed her fist on the table. "Damn!"
Skye leaned up against the fridge. "What's wrong?"
"My top supplier just moved his collection. To England!"
"Too bad," Skye said, taking his seat.
"I hadn't gotten that book yet. I need that. I'm going to have to go get it."
"What?" Skye nearly spit out his drink. "Is that necessary? Your life's dangerous as it is, you don't need an international record."
"This is very important to me." She stood up and went to the phone. After punching several numbers, she pressed the receiver to her ear.
Skye sat back to listen. He knew there was no way to change her mind now.
***
Jessondra snapped shut her suitcase and turned to the door. In her way was Skye.
"You're not going to talk me out of this," she told him.
He stood with his arms crossed, his hair pulled back in a ponytail, dressed in all black.
"I don't intent to." He shifted his duffel bag onto his other shoulder. "It's Spring Break. What else am I going to do?"
Jessondra went up on tiptoe to kiss him. "You're such a sweetheart."
***
"Alright, I got it."
Jessondra sat up on the bed in their motel room and looked over at Skye, hunched over his laptop. "Who'd he sell it to."
"A shop in Soho." He closed the top of his laptop. "It can be easily recovered."
***
Mia shifted her slim form in the uncomfortable plastic chair. Blake stood, anxiously watching out the terminal windows.
"It's twenty minutes late," he growled.
"Maybe they hit traffic," Mia quipped.
"There!" Blake hurried to where the passengers unloaded. He smiled at Skye and Jessondra as they left the gate.
"Did you get it?" he asked.
"Of course," Skye answered. "Let's go home, and fill everyone in."
***
Later that evening, Jessondra crawled out onto the roof to sit with Blake.
"Nice night," she said.
"What're you out here for? I thought you'd be spending extra hours at the office after your trip."
"Nah, I'll do it tomorrow. If Skye doesn't get to it. I felt really bad that we had to leave the week of your birthday, but I got you something." She dug into her pocket and pulled out a gold necklace with a wolf head pendent. The eyes were small red stones.
"Is that what I think it is?" Blake's eyes widened and he was grinning.
"Yep. There was a poor young girl in London who was very unhappy with her gift. She was only too happy to let me take it off her hands." She placed the necklace around his neck. "Here you go, wolf-boy."
***
Jessondra lay beneath the large tree behind her house. She looked up into the leaves. She focused on the sunbeams passing through on their way to the ground, and the shadows of those that didn't quite make it.
With a little whistling, the breeze picked up. She kept staring straight up.
"What does my future hold?" she whispered into the wind. That same wind swirled up and around her. As she watched, images began to appear in the green above her head. Symbols that would have meant nothing to a passerby, but meant everything to Jessondra.
Satisfied, she gently closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.
***