Free Madly & the Jackal by M. Leighton

flesh and bone and scales.
    “Yes, but it’s only part of our problem.  We have to make sure we aren’t seen by Sentinels either. We have to make it as convincing as possible that the whale strayed into the shield by accident.”
    “That shouldn’t be a problem.  Once he triggers the alarms, it’ll disorient him for a while.  They’ll probably think there’s something wrong with him.”  That brought to mind a horrible thought.  I swallowed hard.  “What will they do with him?”  I was almost afraid to ask, but I had to know what I was getting the poor whale into.  What if they killed him?
    “They’ll swim him around inside until the med unit arrives then they’ll examine him.  Once they determine he isn’t a threat, they’ll tag him and release him.”
    “Tag him? Why?”
    “In case he disrupts the system again.”
    “But they won’t try to hurt him or anything?”
    “No, of course not.”
    I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure I could’ve done it if I’d thought the whale would die, even though it would’ve been a justified sacrifice.  I had my doubts it was a sacrifice I could make knowingly, though.
    Taking my hand in his, Jackson asked, “You ready?”
    I nodded and closed my eyes to concentrate on our visibility.  When I felt the power that surrounded me pouring through my blood and working through my bracelet, I looked up at Jackson.  “Okay.  We should be good to go.”
    Jackson squeezed my fingers reassuringly.  “I’ll fix this, Madly.  Trust me.”
    I tried to smile brightly, but felt it falter.  I reminded myself that if there was anyone who could fix it, it was Jackson.  I was fairly certain there was little he couldn’t do if he set his mind to it.
    Clinging to that knowledge like a lifeline, Jackson and I stepped out of the cave and into the vastness of the ocean.  Within a fraction of a second, our tail fins had reformed and we were speeding through the water.  Jackson kept me close to his body as we moved, whether for my comfort or my safety I wasn’t sure.  Either way, I appreciated it.
    We swam for quite a distance before I began to feel oriented, recognizing several landmarks as we passed.  I wondered about the magic used to keep the cave entrance and canyon cloaked.  I’d never encountered magic like that before, magic that could be concealed from my bracelet, from my senses.  I concluded that it had to be ancient magic, put in place by the older generations, possibly even someone from the High Council.
     When Jackson stopped suddenly, all thoughts of that curious magic left my mind, replaced in an instant by the task at hand and the inherent peril of it.
    “What’s the matter?” I asked in a hushed voice.
    Jackson didn’t respond right away.  His sharp blue eyes scanned the waters around us like an eagle scans the sky.  I looked out, trying to see what he saw, hear what he heard, feel what he felt.  Although nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me, I knew Jackson was sensing something.  His tension tickled my nerves from head to toe as if he were strumming them like guitar strings.
    “Madly, don’t ask questions.  Swim that way,” he said, pointing off to our right.  “Don’t stop.  Don’t look back.  Don’t worry about me.  I’ll find you.  Just swim.  Now!”
    Grabbing me around the waist, Jackson gave me a push for a head start before he turned and darted off like a bullet, cutting through the water in the other direction.
    Confused and a little afraid, I did as he instructed.  I ignored the thought that there was only one portal in the shield and that it did not lie in this direction.  I ignored the thought that the further Jackson was from me, the harder it would be to maintain his invisibility.  I ignored the thought that I wouldn’t know when to summon the whale or if I still needed to.  I ignored all my screaming instincts and did only what Jackson asked. 
    I swam.
    Straining with all my power to keep