Read Online Jack James and the Call of the Tanakee by J. Joseph Wright - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J. Joseph Wright
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peered around the tree, catching sight of Argus standing next to a parked car, checking his hair in the side mirror. “I just—I don’t like him.”
“What?” she sounded incredulous. “Jack, you’re the True Soul. You’re supposed to see the good in everyone.”
“I know, I know,” he agreed, though he didn’t enjoy it. “You’re right. It’s not fair of me to not like him, but I don’t. Why do you have to hang out with him, Amelia?”
“Jack, you’re jealous, and that’s not a good thing for the True Soul to be.”
“I can’t help it,” he admitted. “I don’t want you to see him anymore, Amelia.”
She stiffened her lip. “You can’t tell me who my friends can and can’t be, Jack,” she spun on her heel, then eyed him over one shoulder. “No matter how powerful you are with that machine.”
She stomped on the sidewalk, but she might as well have been stomping on his heart. Straight to Argus she strode, taking his hand and steering him west on Pioneer Street with Ayita scampering close behind. She didn’t look back. Argus did. All grins. Then his cheerfulness disappeared when Takota walked up next to Jack. Instantly, the kid’s face tightened into a wrinkled sneer, aimed at the Tanakee.
“Is she right, Takota?” Jack said. “Is Argus really a nice guy and I’m just jealous?”
“I’m not so sure,” his protector answered. “That kid gives me a bad feeling.”
SEVEN
THAT NIGHT BEFORE BED, Jack did something he normally didn’t do. He placed the O/A on the nightstand and got on his knees.
“God…or Eteea…or whoever you are, it’s me again. I just wanted to ask for some guidance. I’m feeling like I might not be worthy of all this power I’ve been given. I mean, I trust Amelia. I trust her judgment, so when she says that Argus kid is all right, well, maybe he is. Maybe I’m just feeling these feelings about him because I’m jealous of the time he’s spending with her,” he sighed. “I’m so confused. Why do I feel so bad?”
“MOM!” Lily screamed from somewhere downstairs. “Pud took my cupcake!”
“Ah-hahaha!” Pud roared as Lily chased him. Throughout the entire house their mad game of cat and mouse played out, much to everyone else’s irritation.
Takota walked into Jack’s room shaking his head.
“This is pretty much a nightly thing now, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Jack stood and laughed.
“Hey, what were you doing?”
“Nothing,” he said. “We should probably get to bed soon, don’t you think? We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“That’s right,” answered Takota. “What’s happening, again?”
“The town of Willow is putting on a parade, and we’re going to be the Grand Marshals.”
“A parade!” Pud dashed in, around, and out of Jack’s room again, evading Lily at every turn. “I love a parade!” he darted down the hall. In a flash of blinding light, Cheyton appeared in his path. Pud, with nowhere to go, skidded to a halt just before the two collided.
“Pud,” Cheyton reprimanded. “Give Lily back her cupcake.”
“Oh, all right,” he handed the treat to the blonde, curly-headed girl. She changed from upset to angelic in the blink of an eye.
“Thanks, Pud,” she said, and turned to go downstairs. Then she stopped and looked at him. He was dejected. Head down. Lower lip curling. She approached him, broke the pastry in half, and shared it with him. Pud’s eyes widened and his face lit up.
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” he gobbled it down.
“Come on,” she put an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s get some milk.”
Ever since they’d fended off Davos, the Tanakee had been spending most nights at the James residence in a state of constant vigilance. Even though they could transport dimensionally at will now, and even though they enjoyed their time at Wind Whisper Woods, they felt it necessary to stay as close to the James family as possible. The sleeping arrangements took some
“What?” she sounded incredulous. “Jack, you’re the True Soul. You’re supposed to see the good in everyone.”
“I know, I know,” he agreed, though he didn’t enjoy it. “You’re right. It’s not fair of me to not like him, but I don’t. Why do you have to hang out with him, Amelia?”
“Jack, you’re jealous, and that’s not a good thing for the True Soul to be.”
“I can’t help it,” he admitted. “I don’t want you to see him anymore, Amelia.”
She stiffened her lip. “You can’t tell me who my friends can and can’t be, Jack,” she spun on her heel, then eyed him over one shoulder. “No matter how powerful you are with that machine.”
She stomped on the sidewalk, but she might as well have been stomping on his heart. Straight to Argus she strode, taking his hand and steering him west on Pioneer Street with Ayita scampering close behind. She didn’t look back. Argus did. All grins. Then his cheerfulness disappeared when Takota walked up next to Jack. Instantly, the kid’s face tightened into a wrinkled sneer, aimed at the Tanakee.
“Is she right, Takota?” Jack said. “Is Argus really a nice guy and I’m just jealous?”
“I’m not so sure,” his protector answered. “That kid gives me a bad feeling.”
SEVEN
THAT NIGHT BEFORE BED, Jack did something he normally didn’t do. He placed the O/A on the nightstand and got on his knees.
“God…or Eteea…or whoever you are, it’s me again. I just wanted to ask for some guidance. I’m feeling like I might not be worthy of all this power I’ve been given. I mean, I trust Amelia. I trust her judgment, so when she says that Argus kid is all right, well, maybe he is. Maybe I’m just feeling these feelings about him because I’m jealous of the time he’s spending with her,” he sighed. “I’m so confused. Why do I feel so bad?”
“MOM!” Lily screamed from somewhere downstairs. “Pud took my cupcake!”
“Ah-hahaha!” Pud roared as Lily chased him. Throughout the entire house their mad game of cat and mouse played out, much to everyone else’s irritation.
Takota walked into Jack’s room shaking his head.
“This is pretty much a nightly thing now, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Jack stood and laughed.
“Hey, what were you doing?”
“Nothing,” he said. “We should probably get to bed soon, don’t you think? We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“That’s right,” answered Takota. “What’s happening, again?”
“The town of Willow is putting on a parade, and we’re going to be the Grand Marshals.”
“A parade!” Pud dashed in, around, and out of Jack’s room again, evading Lily at every turn. “I love a parade!” he darted down the hall. In a flash of blinding light, Cheyton appeared in his path. Pud, with nowhere to go, skidded to a halt just before the two collided.
“Pud,” Cheyton reprimanded. “Give Lily back her cupcake.”
“Oh, all right,” he handed the treat to the blonde, curly-headed girl. She changed from upset to angelic in the blink of an eye.
“Thanks, Pud,” she said, and turned to go downstairs. Then she stopped and looked at him. He was dejected. Head down. Lower lip curling. She approached him, broke the pastry in half, and shared it with him. Pud’s eyes widened and his face lit up.
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” he gobbled it down.
“Come on,” she put an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s get some milk.”
Ever since they’d fended off Davos, the Tanakee had been spending most nights at the James residence in a state of constant vigilance. Even though they could transport dimensionally at will now, and even though they enjoyed their time at Wind Whisper Woods, they felt it necessary to stay as close to the James family as possible. The sleeping arrangements took some
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