The Pendant

****A/N This is a repost of New Friends there were some serious errors that I edited and just did not feel right about leaving in the story so I have reposted this chapters***

Jade walked over to her fallen sword and picked it up as she brushed left over ash from her coat. She ran her fingers across her forehead trying to get some of the blood off her face careful to avoid using her thumbs. She shook her head and pulled her human face forward before she made her way to James.

“Are you hurt?” Jade questioned as she neared James.

“What? Oh no I’m good, you’re covered in blood.”

“Yeah I shattered Cletus’s nose.”

“You have nose blood on your face? Is that, did you eat nose blood?”

“Yeah.”

James winced at the thought, “Ok I’m not gonna lie that’s kind of gross.”

“Blood is blood. I’m a vampire it’s what I do. Do you have a towel?”

“For the blood?”

“No for the eyeball gew on my thumbs.” Jade held up her thumbs for James to see. They had a slimy and fleshy substance on them.

“You used your thumbs to oh gross Jade.”

Jade chuckled then shrugged, “It worked. He’s dead.”

“You stuck your thumbs in a vampire and ate his nose blood.”

“Yes. I think we covered this already. Do you have a towel or should I just use your shirt?” She stepped forward and wiggled her thumbs at him with her eyebrow cocked and smirk in place.

“You keep those away from me!” James staggered backwards trying to avoid Jade’s thumbs. “Nose blood eater!”

Jade chuckled and stopped her advance. James smiled at her and pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket. He tossed it to her then turned to gather up their bags. He slid the swords back in the baldric and slung them over his shoulder.

“Here you go.” Jade handed him the handkerchief after she had cleaned up her hands and face.

“Tell you what how about you hold on to that. Consider it a gift from me to you.”

Jade laughed and grabbed one of the bags from James. They walked in silence towards where they were told the Jeep should be waiting for them. As they approached the area of the Jeep Jade growled deep in her chest again. Her hand went to her bo staff clipped to her waist band.

James pulled away a branch to show a clearing. A thick man with black eyes stood next to the Jeep with his head tilted towards the sky. His brown hair danced in an unfelt wind. His thick muscular arms were bent at the elbows, palms upward, in front of his body. The legs of his baggie khaki cargo pants fluttered, his maroon muscle shirt showed off his broad and muscular frame.

Next to him, sitting cross-legged on the ground, was a thin Korean girl. Her long brown hair was pulled in a messy pony tail at the base of her neck. She had on oversized overalls and a teal tank top. She looked through silver framed glasses at a small metal device in her hands. Her thin fingers twisted a small screwdriver.

Jade leaped at the man with her bo staff drawn. She raised the staff above her above her as she neared his prone body. As she was about to strike his head snapped forward. He lifted one hand and twisted his wrist towards her. Jade flew backwards, landing on top of James.

“Hey Alex looks like they’re finally here.” The small girl looked up from the device she had been working on and gave Jade and James a wave.

“Get in the Jeep.” Alex looked at the crumpled pile of people and bags at the opening of the clearing. His voice was deep and raspy. It almost seemed to echo in the surrounding forest.

“Oh chill Alex. Hey I’m Gadget and this uptight pain in the ass is Alex. We are the rest of your team.”

Jade pulled herself up and offered a hand down to James. He took it and was heaved to his feet. They gathered their bags but did not make a move towards the Jeep.

“Liam never said anything about a team.” Jade said as she looked at the two outsiders.

“How the hell do you think the Jeep got here Vampy?” Gadget chuckled and set her little device in the Jeep. “Look Alex can’t keep this up forever, either get in the Jeep or fry when the sun comes back out.”

“Please forgive us but we just nearly got our asses kicked by two hillbilly vampires trying to find this Jeep. I was there and Liam didn’t say anything about other members of the team,” James added.

“Well shit man ok. Liam McCullen called and said to meet a Purity Jade Augustine and a James Warren Pratt. Purity Jade or Jade is a vampire and James is an archeologist and demonologist. We are suppose to be looking for the Necklace of Aello and bring it back before Timothy Highren can get his grubby hands on it. The windows of the Jeep are UV protected so you should be fine during the day. Can we please get in the Jeep? Alex is good but I don’t know how much longer he can keep this up.”

Jade glanced at Alex and nodded her head. “Sorry man.” She said as she passed him. James followed her close. He hopped in the back with her and shoved their bags behind the backseat. He pulled the door closed and a small thud could be heard outside of the Jeep.

“Man down!” Gadget chuckled. James looked out the window to see Gadget helping Alex to his feet. He swayed a bit but braced himself against the side of the Jeep. He pulled open the passenger side door and slowly got in.

His head rested against the seat and only slightly turned as Gadget got into the driver side. “Can we turn on the air? I’m dying here, I really need to lay off the snack packs or something.” His voice, once powerful and deep, came out more like a soft tenor. His eyes, now a whiskey brown, sparkled with unheard laughter. He turned around and looked at James and Jade, “Sorry for being so rude before and like throwing you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Jade said studying the man with mild curiosity. “So aside from Gadget and Alex do you have real names?”

“Oh sure! I’m Alexander Mercy and she’s Myong-sun Choe.”

“Hm.” She watched him looking for any signs of the power he had shown only a little while before. She had heard of people like him when she was in the hospital but never had the opportunity to meet one. She remembered hearing Liam talking to a staff member before she slipped. “At the risk of sounding rude what are you?”

“Me?” Alex asked with a smile on his face, “I’m well a warlock. I study the Wiccan ways and have an affinity to the five elements, the points of the pentagram.”

“Earth, air, fire, water, and spirit?” James asked as he studied the young man. “Isn’t that really rare?”

“Yup! I guess I’m just a special one.”

“That’s for sure.” Gadget said as she drove the Jeep through the deep forest.

“Hey! That’s not very nice, at least I’m not a geek.”

“I’m not a geek!”

“Ok I give up what are you?” Jade asked as she turned her focus from Alex to Gadget.

“I’m Korean!”

“That much I had gathered but what is your purpose on this team?”

“Oh, heh, yeah I’m the technology expert. Any and everything that has to do with technology is my specialty. I’m currently working on a nero-molecular regeneration device.”

“Oh…” Jade glanced at James who shrugged and gave her a smile.

“So how old are you two?” James asked trying to break the silence that had filled the Jeep.

“I’m 27 and Gadget here is 26. How about you guys?”

“I’m 4 years dead.” Jade said blandly, “I was 24 when I died. So I’m either, 4, 24, or 28. Take your pick.”

James laughed, “I’m not nearly so complicated, I’m 36.”

Alex nodded and gave them a smile, he was no longer sweating and the color seemed to have returned to his face. “So how long have you two known each other?”

“About a week.” Jade said her eyes scanning the area surrounding the Jeep. The large trees soared past as they drove along the dirt path. She could pick out animals in the trees and was amazed at the serine beauty that surrounded her. The colors, the quiet, the wildlife, none of this she would ever be able to see in her dark, dirty, city.

“Oh wow. You guys really hit it off. Gadget and I have known each other since preschool. I knew her before she went by Gadget.”

“Oh,” was Jade’s reply. She glanced over at James who rolled his eyes. She gave him a smirk and returned to looking out the window, still amazed at the difference. She made a silent vow to make sure she traveled more when this was all over.

“Hang on guys, the road gets kind of rough here. I mean it’s not a real road anymore.” Gadget giggled as she pulled the Jeep of the road and into the forest.

The Jeep bounced and rattled as they sped through the woods, sending Jade and James all over the back seat. James reached for his seatbelt just as Gadget turned the Jeep. He slid across the seat and slammed against Jade. He gave her an apologetic smile as he pushed himself off of her.

Gadget turned the Jeep in the other direction and Jade’s hand shot up and grabbed the handle above her window. She slid a little but managed to remain on her side of the backseat. James quickly clicked his seatbelt in place before Gadget drove over a small creek and up the other embankment.

Jade glanced over at James then spoke, “Hey Gadget you think you could slow down?”

“Huh? Why?”

“James gets motion sickness.” Jade said and Gadget slammed on the brakes. Jade’s head hit off the back of her seat. “Son of a bitch!” She growled as she sat back in her seat.

“This is wonderful!” Gadget chirped as she reached across Alex and into the glove box. “Here put this on your head!” She pulled a small jogging band from the glove box and passed it back to James. “Make sure the little metal disks are on your head.”

James nodded and slid the band on his head. Jade chuckled, his curly hair stuck out of the top of the band like an unkempt bush. He glared at her. He ran his fingers through his mess of curls in an attempt to tame them.

“What am I wearing?” James asked as he poked at the cloth band.

“Anti-motion sickness band. The little electrodes actually work with your brain functions to stop the urge to vomit.”

“Oh.” James said. He noticed Jade was doing her best to not look in his direction. “Do you have another one? I think Jade might need one.” He smirked when she looked at him in shock.

“Oh sure. Here you go.” Gadget tossed another band in the back and Jade looked at it.

“Thanks, I’ll hold on to this.”

“No no Jade I think you should put that on.” James smirked, his blue eyes twinkling.

She glared at him and slid it over her head, mouthing fuck you as she did. For the first time in her unlife she was glad she could not see her reflection. She felt her hair around the band and winced. The sea air, the jungle air, and now this band was doing wonders on her hair.

James snorted trying to hold in his laugh when he looked at her. He turned his head to face out the window as Gadget started the Jeep back up. To his amazement he felt fine. There was no sickness associated with the ride. He looked over at Jade, who sat slumped in the seat looking straight ahead, agitation and boredom etched into her features. He poked her in the side causing a growl from deep in her chest to erupt from her lips. Alex cast a quick glance behind him to make sure everything was ok.

When Alex turned back around James poked her again. She glared at him. He gave her a goofy smile and thumbs up. She cocked an eyebrow at him and pulled her headband off. He sat back and stretched his arm along the back seat, letting his head bob to some unheard music. He looked back over at her out of the corner of his eyes, trying to repress a smile. She took another look at him and smirked before looking back out the window.