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Defiance (Significance #3)(9)

By:Shelly Laurenston

"Great," everyone groaned at the same time. We couldn't help the ridiculousness of the moment. We all laughed.
  
Seven
I was peaceful, I was calm and warm and my body hummed with happiness. Like it always did when I woke up with Caleb. Woke up with Caleb…
Crap!
I jerked upright and saw it for myself. We'd all fallen asleep outside and it was morning. Caleb was automatically up with me, feeling my spike of horror. Yes, horror.
Caleb cursed in his mind as he helped me stand quickly and kicked at Kyle and Rodney's legs. "Get up. Get up!"
Kyle immediately realized the same thing, soon followed by Rodney. Kyle jerked the rope to close the skylight and we ran over the hills and ridges of the roof back to the terrace. Kyle jerked on the knob, but it was locked.
"Oh, man. Ah, man! We're dead!" he yelled.
"Move, Kyle," I said and pushed him out of the way gently. I took a slow, long breath and tried the lock. I remembered that it only worked when I got mad so I thought of Donald. It only took a second and the lock, and the door, was banging against the wall, the lock flew across the terrace and went over the edge. I cringed. "Sorry."
"No time for sorrys," Caleb said. "Let's go."
"Ah!" I gasped as I finally caught the scene of the city in daylight. "Look at that!"
"Babe," Caleb groaned. "I'll take you to the city one day, or anywhere you want to go, but not today. Today we have to get you back to your room before they come to wake you. If you aren't there, it'll be more than a cell for me."
That got me moving.
We all raced down the countless flights of stairs. It hadn't been weird yesterday when we made it to the top and none of us were winded. I hadn't thought about it, but now, it seemed strange. Hmm. Well, I was winded now and even felt like I should take a breath, but didn't dare. Rodney stopped at the end of the stairway and held a hand up to us.
"Let me go. I'll signal if it's all clear."
"But won't you get in trouble for being out?" I whispered.
"Nah. I'll just tell them I'm coming to see you." He winked at me and bumped Caleb's fist. "Later, Visionary."
I was too worried to rebut. I just waited. He walked into the hall and swaggered his way down the hall. He was a serious cowboy. I almost laughed. When he got near our room, he flicked his fingers toward us. I took Lynne's hand and started to go, but Caleb moved too. I stopped. "You're not coming. You still have to make it to your room without being caught."
"I am taking you to your room," he said stubbornly.
"But Rodney is right there," I told him. "You said you trusted him, so trust him. If won't be good for you, especially with what's happening today, to be caught breaking rules. Please." He scowled. "Baby," I added and he sagged against the door.
"Go, gorgeous, before I change my mind," he said with his dimple causing me difficulty.
I pulled his collar so he'd meet my lips. I realized this might be our last kiss before they put him in 'jail', so I put everything into it. The noise he made drove my pulse to overdrive. Kyle bumped us with his hand to get our attention. I sighed and leaned back unwillingly.
Caleb's hair was a cute mess of spikes and ridges. I ran my hand through it and giggled as he closed his eyes like it was the best thing he'd ever felt. Once again, I felt this awe inspiring empowerment come over me. I kissed his lips once more and took Lynne with me into the hall. Rodney opened her door first and she quickly went in and made a silly face at me as she closed her door.Then he opened mine. "I'll see you in about thirty minutes. We're meeting in the ballroom for instructions on what we're going to do today."
"Ok," I answered. "Hey, why would we have gotten in so much trouble if they caught us out of our rooms?"
"They're really strict about lights out. And no one is allowed out of their room before eight o'clock in the morning. It's to keep us from starting up romances with someone who isn't our significant. They started it when they realized the imprints had stopped, and people started to marry anyway."
"Oh." Well, I really couldn't blame them too much for that, I guess. "Alright. I'm going to take a shower. I'll be ready when you get back."
"Wear something nice." He wrinkled his nose. "I have a feeling your day of being the Visionary is just getting started."
'"So, no fun for me? That's what you're saying?" I joked.
"Sure you'll have fun. You'll be with me," he replied and winked again. "Bye, Visionary."
"Maggie," I corrected. "Please, it's hard enough without you, too. I need someone here to treat me normally. I'm still the same girl you rescued in the woods."
"Ok," he conceded after a pause. "And although you are not the same girl I rescued in the woods, not by a long shot, I'll try."
"Good enough. See you in a bit."
"Yep," he agreed, and waved as his cowboy grin flashed and I shut the door.
"What have I gotten myself into?" I muttered before going to take another hot shower and then to figure out what to wear to my first official day as leader of the Virtuoso.
It wasn't long after I hopped out of my shower that I had a knock on my door. I looked at the wire clock on my wall and knew it couldn't be Rodney. He was way too early and I would be late if I had to entertain visitors instead of getting ready.
I peeked through the crack and smiled as I opened the door wide to let Gran, Maria, Jen and Rachel in. I heard Gran's thoughts first.
She looks….rested.
Rachel pulled me into a long hug. I sunk into it. She was the closest thing I had to a mother now and she was so good at it. She leaned back a little and smiled sadly, like she could have heard my thoughts. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm ok," I answered and swiped at my wet hair. "But I do have to get ready." 
"That's what we're here for," Jen said and picked my hand up to look at my nails. "Do you have some clear polish?"
"What? What are you-"
"We're your ladies in waiting," Maria chimed. "Isn't that what they're called, Gran?"
"Something like that, Miss 'I Read Too Many Novels'," she answered and hugged me to her. "Pretty girl, the council wants you to be prepped and pampered in good hands this morning…since you're certainly in withdrawal from Caleb…from being away from him all night," she said wryly and quirked a brow at me.
"Oh, yeah." I cleared my throat and turned away from Jen and Rachel's smirks. "I do feel just terrible," I said flatly and with a double dose of sarcasm. They all laughed and Rachel shook her head.
"I knew he wouldn't stay away." She smiled in pride. "That's my boy."
"So they sent you here to dress me?"
"Yep," Gran continued and went to my suitcase. "Put this on." She handed me a dress; a knee length blue sun dress. "Can you imagine!" she gasped and put a hand over her heart. "The Visionary dressing herself!"
"You don’t have to do this," I told her.
"Oh, shush. I want to. I just don't like them telling me that I have to because they think the label Visionary also means incompetent. You should be truly insulted, child. Even the Queen puts her own clothes on."
I laughed. "I'll try not to be insulted. I'm glad you guys are here." I caught the croak in my throat and swallowed it down.
"Whatever happens today, Maggie," Rachel started and I saw her tearing up. I had to look away. "We're here. You will always be our family."
"Even if we have to kidnap you and be a rogue clan," Gran muttered under her breath.
"Gran!" Jen chastised in a whisper. "They'll kick you off the council for saying stuff like that."
"Let 'em!" She huffed. "I've about had it with those old coots anyway. They lay one more ounce of insult or hurt on my girl," she rubbed my hair, "and I'll hog tie 'em all and we'll road trip it on out of here."
I giggled against my tightly closed lips. Then Rachel giggled. Then we all laughed.
"What's 'hog tie them' mean?" Maria asked. "Are you saying they're pigs?"
"In the truest sense of the word!" Gran cackled and went back to picking out some earrings for me. "Coots and pigs, the lot of them!"
"Well, I just don't understand what the fuss is about," I said. "I know I'm your…I mean I'm a…"
"Our leader?" Gran said and grinned at my discomfort.
"Yes. That. But, even leaders put their pants on one leg at a time like everybody else. I promise that I will try with everything in me to be what I'm supposed to be and figure out what I need to do. But I think the biggest reason that they were being punished by God, or whatever it is that controls your power, is because of this kind of stuff. I shouldn't be put on a pedestal just because of a mark on my neck. I should be put to work. Working on figuring out why the Visionary is here and what needs to be now."
"Spoken like a true leader. Do you really have to still question why you're the Visionary?" Gran said knowingly and plopped some silver teardrop earrings into my hand."I hope I don't let you down," I mumbled
"Not possible," Rachel said as she brushed my short hair. "We love you, Maggie. And we believe in you."
"I love you, too," I said truthfully.
It was the first time that I saw Gran stunned. She stared at me and then broke out in the biggest smile. "Child, you are a gift from God. I don't doubt you for one minute."