When Lightning Ignites [COMPLETED]

Chapter 26: Everything She Wanted

Julie was hiding out in her room the rest of the weekend since she didn't want to see Jamie right now. He probably was out with Melissande, but she didn't want to take any chances.

Her dad knocked on the door. "We need to talk."

She looked up, smiling a little at him. She wasn't sure when she had started to forgive him, but a tension inside her had eased, and it felt good to know that he agreed with her about Jamie and Melissande. "What's up, Dad?"

He smiled at her. "It feels good to hear you say Dad."

Julie's smile fell a bit. "Yeah, well."

"It's okay. I understand." He came in and sat down at her desk chair. "Look, I'm going to come out and say this." He swiped a hand through his hair. "The elders came by today and are requesting that you leave the island right away."

"What?" Julie gulped. It was everything she'd ever wanted since setting foot here, yet it felt a bit like a slap in the face to be kicked out.

He held up a hand. "They're leaving it up to you, but even though Melissande is wrong, they listened to her. They think you're tearing everything apart here, and if you are going to continue with what you're doing, they want you somewhere else."

It felt like her breath had been knocked out of her. "But, I didn't do anything. How can they take me from my family?"

"No, you misunderstand." Lir shook his head. "They don't want to take anything from you. You are Fey. They had Muriel, Luke, and some others testify to them that you're in control. They know you don't want to be here and know that they're hanging onto someone that doesn't want to be a part of the island, who is causing issues, and will leave as soon as possible anyway. They see no point in keeping you here."

"But, what about high school? How can I leave without graduating?"

Lir smiled at her. "I'll get you a tutor in New York. You can finish up your studies and still graduate. Plus, I can get you into the Academy."

Julie leaned back on her bed, her mouth gaping open. She closed it with a snap. "The Academy?"

It was the best dance studio in the country. It was her dream since she could walk, the one her parents had denied her on her birthday.

"Yeah." He smirked. He knew what this meant to her. "I know we've wanted you to be serious about your studies, but your mom and I knew that dance would come first. You will probably go to college someday, but not until you're too old to dance. Am I right?"

Julie smiled at him. "Yeah. And that will be a long time from now considering I'm Fey."

"You'll have to be careful, but we will talk about all that when the time comes."

A grin split her face almost in two. She might smile for days, weeks, or even years. "But what about you and mom? Jamie can't leave here yet, and she can't come."

Her dad nodded, frowning. "Yeah. We're hoping that Jamie might be able to focus a bit better now that everything is out. He has already improved, but he still has trouble and gets distracted. I hope his relationship with Melissande helps and doesn't make it worse."

"I wouldn't hold my breath." Julie matched his frown. "So where does that leave me?"

"Your mom can't go. They won't make an exception. I'm the only one here that has a hope of helping Jamie if things get out of hand." He looked at her, guilt stretched over his face.

"So..." She raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to have to go on your own. I know it's a lot, but we'll set up an apartment for you in a safe building. With guards."

"Wait, what?" Julie tried to hide her grin. They were going to let her live in New York and go to the Academy on her own?

He took her hand, getting her attention. "Don't look so excited. It's a lot to expect you to take care of yourself. We are going to get a housekeeper to make sure you have food and other things and a tutor. I'll expect they don't report you having any wild parties or anything."

She laughed. "Yeah, that's what you need to worry about."

"I'm serious. You need to be careful. We don't know who those men were targeting when they took you. If they're looking for you, you could be in danger. You have to be smart. No wandering around by yourself, coming home from practice late on deserted streets. This city is bigger and has more places to get lost than Atlanta. You have to agree to be responsible." Lir folded his hands in his lap, his face etched with worry. "I wouldn't agree to this, except I think the request is more of a demand and Jamie needs to stay here. We can't all leave the island right now, as much as I want to."

Julie pulled her hands up, making a small stream of electricity zap from fingertip to fingertip. "Don't worry so much, Dad. I have a built in Tazer. What's the worst that's going to happen?"

His frown deepened. "You're way too confident in this. You know that there are ways around that. You have to promise you'll be careful. I don't want to risk losing you while I'm trying to help Jamie out."

Julie stared at her dad. He looked like he was being torn in two. "Dad, I'll be careful. I promise. If I come back late, I'll take a cab or something. I promise I won't walk around by myself. I'll be okay. I can even take my moped."

He leaned forward and squeezed her knee. "We'll want you to check in with us, and your mom will probably want you to text her whenever you leave your apartment and where you're going. You need to do this. This isn't about us being nosy. It's about your safety."

She gulped but nodded. "Okay." She grinned. "At least I'll get a break from Rory and Luke now." Her heart seized up even as she said it. It was because she was excited—that was all. It wasn't because she was going to miss them.

Lir chuckled, getting up from his chair. "You already agreed to start dating them both. You don't think they're going to stick around here, do you?"

"Wait, what?" Julie jumped off the bed. "They're going too?"

"Sure, they're going to be your neighbors, one to each side." He smiled while pointing a finger to each side of her. "They're part of the reason I think you'll be okay. They'll watch you like bodyguards."

"And you're okay with this." Julie felt like all the breath was knocked out of her lungs. There was only going to be a thin wall between her and them? How was she going to avoid them?

Her dad shrugged, a mischievous grin on his face. "Why not? You're going to end up with one of them anyway. This way they can stop each other and any other boys from bothering you while you're there. I doubt I have to worry about you getting much alone time with either of them."

♦