Chapter 3: Jasper: The Stuff Fairytales Were Made Of

We were the stuff fairytales were made of… Where we came from that meant a lot. When arranged marriages were the norm, falling head-over-heels in love with someone before you were married was an anomaly. We lived a different life than the humans, after all we weren’t humans to begin with. Witches, I guess is the term most humans would refer to us as, we possessed the gift to use magic, but were far from how humans portrayed us in their pop culture.

Unlike the movies, witches do not possess the ability to use every kind of magic they want. When a witch is born, they are born with a gift. This gift was the type of magic they could use. Some are born with defensive or offensive magic, they are put into the protection agency. Where they will grow up and learn how to defend our civilization from other monsters, as well as humans. Others possessed what we called common magic, and by its name is what most children are gifted with, and this is what was portrayed in most human culture. The ability to use magic to do everyday tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, sewing, healing, childbirth and other mundane tasks. These children go to trade schools, where they learned how to use their magic to keep our society running. The last type of gift was the rarest of all, and that is elemental magic. Children born with elemental magic are treated like a higher power, they are the ones that grow up and rule our society. Children possessing elemental magic could specialize in many different things: music; fire and wind; earth and water; art; and science are the major fields. Elementals, as they are often called, is exactly what Annea and I are.

Because Elementals got the treat of being raised in their family homes, Annea and I grew up next door to each other. We both came from very long lines of elemental magic, so it was only natural we would be friends. I honestly cannot remember a single moment that Annea wasn’t a part of. She held my hand in the hospital when I had to have 19 stiches in my head, I carried her home when she had jumped down from our treehouse and broken her ankle. As kids I don’t think we realized how special our relationship was.

One brisk autumn night when we were fifteen though, I found her in our old treehouse sobbing. This was the place we had shared so many secrets and fun. But as we had grown up, we had out grown it. I don’t think either one of us had been up here for years. Her father had just announced that he would be leaving to negotiate treaties with the other supernatural communities. This was a very dangerous job, few that ever left to do this managed to come back alive. Annea was devastated, her and her father had a very close relationship. Other than me, I think he was her best friend. I crawled up next to her and pulled her into my lap, and let her cry it out. I knew nothing I said would ease the pain she was feeling. She fell asleep in my arms that night. And that was the moment I knew she and I were meant to be.

She must have realized it too, because the very next day as we were walking home from lessons together, she asked me to go see a movie on Friday, as a couple. I immediately and whole heartedly answered yes. That was all it took, for us and everyone else around us to realize we were meant to spend the rest of our existence together. It was the perfect fairytale romance, best friends and in love. I was devastated when I lost her, we were only seventeen.

She and I had gone into the human world for Ecnad, to the city of Chicago. Ecnad was the first time in our lives that we were able to leave our protected society and enter the human world on our own. It was a rite of passage, every witch when they turned seventeen got to enter the human world for two weeks. They could chose to go alone, or with a group of friends. Annea and I chose to go with our closest group of friends, Clark, Leo, Quincy, and Bella. They were also elementals, myself, Clark, Leo, Quincy, and Bella shared the specialization of music. Annea on the other hand had one of the rarest specializations, alchemy.

It was said that only one in every fifteen thousand witch births was a true alchemist child born. This mad Annea a very rare commodity, and as soon as we got back from Ecnad she would go right to work in her permanent job as assistant to the king. It was an amazing honor for her, and we were all so proud of her. But it was also a very stressful life that she had ahead of her. That’s why we had to make this the best two weeks of her life. The gang and I had planned all sorts of things for her. Annea’s favorite things were animals, she loved to watch them play. So on the first day we were there we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Annea was thrilled, she spent the whole day watching the otters play, and I spent the whole day watching her. She was the most beautiful girl I knew. Her blonde curls bounced down her back carelessly, her green eyes sparked like jade in the sun, and her skin was flawless like a perfect porcelain doll. I loved her and she loved me. That’s why before we had left I had asked her father for her hand in marriage. He whole heartedly agreed, and declared we would be married as soon as we returned from Ecnad. Which left popping the question up to me during Ecnad.

I had everything planned perfectly. On the last night before we left to return home all of us would dine at the Russian Tea Room for supper. Then once we had finished the others would head back to our hotel while she and I went for a walk. We would walk to Grant Park and wonder our way to in front of the Buckingham Fountain. Then at the perfect time I would get down on one knee and beg her for her hand in marriage. The others knew the plan and were just as excited as I was, so when the time finally came they had a hard time keeping their mouth shut. When Annea and I left for the park, they couldn’t stop smiling and giggling. Thankfully Annea didn’t notice. We arrived in Grant Park right on schedule and just as the fountain finished its dance of water, I dropped to my knee. I could tell she was startled at first, but it only took her a moment to shout out a yes before collapsing into my arms with joyful tears. I slowly slipped a beautiful platinum banded ring with a red bloodstone gem surrounded by diamonds onto her finger. And it was set, we were to be married upon our return.

The ring had a long history in my family. My great-great-great grandfather had been fire elemental and my great-great-great grandmother had been an earth elemental. The story was that he had believed that the bloodstone was the ideal gem to symbolize the two of them. He had found it the day they met, and had it crafted into a ring just for her. It had been passed down through the patriarchal line, my father and mother gave it to me to give to Annea right before we left. 

She giggled all the way back to our hotel, we walked hand in hand down the street so excited. As we entered the lobby we were approached by one of the concierge men. He congratulated us on our engagement and handed me a key to a new hotel room. Pulling me aside, he told me how my friends had arranged for Annea and me to have our own king suite with a Jacuzzi the last night of our stay. I was slightly mortified, and didn’t know what to tell Annea. We hadn’t ever kissed, let alone slept in the same bed. I was terrified as I approached my smiling bride-to-be, and told her about the situation. As we talked, her smile dropped for a minute only to be quickly replaced by another more deviant smile, one I would have never imagined on my innocent Annea’s face. She grabbed my hand a pulled me to the elevator, she made a quick stop in her room for a white shopping bag marked Macy’s, then it was off to our suite for the night.

Opening up the door to our room, I felt a slight ping of excitement, would Annea and I become one tonight? Annea lead me to the bed and told me to sit. She quickly hurried to the tub and turned the water and the jets on. She said I should get in the tub when it was full and she would be out as soon as she heard the water turn off. And with that she scampered off to the bathroom. I was confused, I didn’t have my swim suite with me, so how was I supposed to get in. Did Annea want me to get in naked? The tub filled quickly as the thoughts swam in my head. Right as it reached its full point I decided to undress and slip into the tub, hopping the bubbles would hide anything that might rise when I saw Annea. I turned off the water and slipped in. Just as she had promised I heard the bathroom door open, and out stepped a side of Annea I had never seen before.

She wore a skimpy all white bikini. My jaw dropped, and I fumbled for words. She just smiled and walked towards me. Seductively, she climbed in. I still struggled for words as she slid next to me. She laid her head on my shoulder as I stammered out “You look beautiful”. Annea simply smiled, I could tell she was a nervous as I was. I lifted her head with my hand and looked deep into her eyes. I moved in to kiss her, never leaving her gaze praying she’d give me some sort of go ahead sign. She didn’t move at first as my lips pressed up against hers. But then out of nowhere she kissed back with passion. Her hands trembled as she touched my chest, her fingers exploring the hills and valleys of my upper body. When I didn’t return the favor she gently took my hand and laid it on her breast, and nodded at me, giving me permission to do what I had longed to do for as long as I could remember. I gently caressed her breast, and felt her moan into my mouth as we kissed. She pulled back, her eyes sparkling with sexual energy, “May.. Maybe we should go to the bed?” Annea stuttered out. I nodded at her, unable to form words, imagining what was going to happen next.

Our lips were locked until we fell onto the bed.

 “We can stop,” I said quickly as things started to get out of hands.

“No, no,” Annea reassured, “I’m just afraid you won’t like what you see.”

“You’re beautiful,” I replied as I took her in my arms. We laid together kissing for quite some time before she got adventurous. Her hands glided across my body, exploring every inch. I deepened the kiss as I fumbled for her with her top, then her bottoms. Quickly I removed them, wondering if she was ready for what was going to happen next.

I rolled on top of her and began to kiss her breasts, she moaned, and her breathing quickened. Annea smiled and pulled herself closer to me, begging me to keep going. Her body was warm and inviting, every piece of the puzzle finally fell together. Every piece of us fitting together perfectly.

In the morning I rolled over to see my beautiful bride, tears streaming down her face. I panicked. We had went too far last night and I knew it, I could tell from the look in her eyes she regretted it. What was I thinking? We weren’t married yet. I had no right to her body. What kind of monster was I that I had stolen my dear Annea’s innocence just weeks before our wedding? The guilt consumed me as I took her in my arms. Hoping to provide even the smallest bit of comfort.

“I can’t believe we have to go back today,” Annea cried into me. I was shocked. For sure I thought she would hate me.

“Is what we did okay?” I asked her. A bit of hope began to swell in me.

“Oh, Jasper! I’m so happy we are finally one. Last night was amazing, I just wish we could stay here wrapped up together,” I exhaled a sigh of relief. I shared her feelings, I wish we could stay here together too, but we had a duty to our country and had to return. We rolled out of bed and dressed each other. We walked down to the lobby together, where the others stood waiting for us. From the looks on their face I knew they knew Annea and I were one now.

The guys bantered me for details, while Bella and Annea jabbered about wedding details. We were all so wrapped up in our conversations that we didn’t realize, we had wondered down an alley. Out of nowhere nine guys, clade in all black surrounded us. They demanded our valuables. We all quickly emptied our pockets and handed them our wallets, I quietly slipped Annea’s engagement ring off though, hiding it. They could have everything but that. We started to back out of the alley, when the leader of the group came forward.

“We want her too,” his rough voice grumbled pointing to Annea.

“No,” we all said surrounding Annea. There were more of them then there were of us though, and we were quickly out numbered. The last thing I remember is Annea’s terrified face as the darkness swallowed me whole. 

************************************************************************

 “Clark! Clark!” I yelled trying to balance myself as I wobbled down the hallway. It was eleven and time for our regular meeting, but he was still asleep. “Clark! Get your a*s out of bed!” I yelled again as I fell through his door. Eliza and Clark bolted up with sheets wrapped around them. Looking at them I sighed. Unfortunately, both of them had been in belai form, rather than human form. Belai, was the form most witches kept when they were around each other, humans that have seen it often compare it to moving water.

“Oh, Good morning Jasper,” Eliza said as she quickly switched back to her 20 year old human state. Eliza is Clark’s wife of 14 years now. The public doesn’t know that though, they think that Clark and she just got engaged. Normally when she pops in for a night she lets us know. Tonight, however, was not one of those nights though

“How many times have I told you guys to never, ever, be in belai form while we are on the road? What if it would have been and elder that walked in and not me? I’d rather not have to go to court over something as simple as this!” I exclaimed as I gathered myself off the floor and turned around so they could get dressed.

“Sorry Wy, we didn’t intend for this to happen like this. It just happened, ya know?” Eliza blushed apologetically while frantically trying to dress. I felt bad for her, I know she was new at having to hold her human form and having my brother as a husband wasn’t the greatest influence.

“No Liza, he doesn’t know. Annea was killed on Ecnad nearly seventeen years ago. He’s never gotten the chance to have what we have,” Clark jabbed; I could feel the fiery glare on my back.

“That was low Clark,” I replied trying to let it roll off my shoulder. What he was saying was true, and everyone knew it, but it still hurt to bring it up. “Meeting is in ten minutes. Hurry up; you’re welcome to come if you’d like Eliza.”

“Thanks Jasper, we will be right out,” Eliza said smiling at me. I smiled back at her and turned to leave, stumbling slightly as the bus rounded the corner. We had been on tour for eight weeks now; you would think I would be used to walking around on the bus.

“Meeting now in session,” Leo said as Clark and Eliza sat down on the couch snuggling like newlyweds. I look around at the rest of the band. There’s Bella our keyboardist, Quincy our bassist, of course Clark our drummer and Leo our manager. Looking around I also see something I already knew, I am the only one who is single. Bella has her husband Tristan, Quincy has his wife Kim, Clark and Eliza, and Leo with his wife Eva. We’ve been through so much together all of us. They were at Annea’s funeral; all of us were at the hospital when Kim and Quincy first child was stillborn; we watched as Eliza got her degree and was accepted into our circle, we helped Tristan find a way to ask Bella to marry him when they were promised to each other. Every major moment we’ve been there for one another. I couldn’t imagine life without them.

“What do you think Jasper?” Leo asks, even though is obvious I haven’t been listening to a word he just said.

“Excuse me?” I replied, trying to hide that I wasn’t listening.

“I asked, what do you think about adding more stops to the Forever Yours tour and having another contest to find a new opening act?” Leo asked again a little annoyed.

“I think it’s a good idea. What does everyone else think? I answered proudly. I always love doing these contests I love watching the kids’ faces light up when we tell them they won and get to perform with us. It gives them a chance to make it big and escape whatever is bothering them. If they are good our record company usually signs them after the forth show they play with us.

“I’m all for it,” Bella throws in. Everyone else nods in agreement.

“So what state are we thinking about for this contest?” I ask Leo.

“Well your next couple of shows are going to be in Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, so why don’t we open it up to those three? Everyone murmurs in agreement. “So it is settled, I’ll make the announcement later.”  With a last bit of wisdom from Leo the meeting in adjourned.