The Protectors: Book 1 in the Protectors Saga by Paige Dooling Page B

falter.
Suddenly the idea of just blurting out the truth didn’t seem like
such a good idea, but she was too into it now to stop, “well, he’s,
um…he’s a gnome.”
    Even though Avery had told Jade to keep her mouth
shut, the look Jade was directing towards Avery, like Avery had
just told her she had ridden there on a unicorn, compelled Avery to
ask, “So, what are you thinking right now?”
    Jade stood silent for a moment just shaking her head,
which wasn’t like Jade, she usually had something to say about any
and everything.
    “Honestly, Avery,” Jade said after a few seconds, “I
don’t even know what to say to that. I mean, obviously gnomes don’t exist , but up until this minute I thought you knew
that.”
    Avery rolled her eyes and thought that if Jade ended
up calling her naïve again she was going to have to slap her, “I
know they’re not suppose to exist,” she barked, getting
agitated, “but, I mean, just look at him!”
    Jade glanced over Avery’s shoulder towards Gumptin, a
deep scowl forming between her brows as she looked him up and
down.
    Gumptin stared unflinchingly back at Jade, giving her
a small little wave.
    Avery continued on, stopping Jade from further
protesting the believability of Gumptin’s existence, “Jade, you’re
gonna have to wrap your head around the whole magical creature
thing, because that’s just the start. He came from another world,
which, I guess, as it turns out, happens to be our world as well.
Well, one of our worlds.” Avery felt herself getting off track and
quickly tried to remedy that, “Anyway, he came from this other
world to get us…you, me, Bunny, Sasha, and Skylar, and take us
back. You see, apparently we were some hard core warriors and we
were killed by this evil Emperor. Although, I don’t actually know
how hard core we were if we ended up dying, but, whatever,” Avery
shook her head, realizing she was straying from the point, “it
doesn‘t matter, because this planet really needs us back to stop
the guy that killed us.”
    From the start of Avery’s explanation Jade hadn’t
moved a muscle. She just stood with her arms folded, keeping her
mouth shut like she had agreed to, until now, “Did he drug you?”
She asked seriously, “Because if he drugged you I’ll kill him.”
    Avery’s mouth opened, but she had no idea how to
respond to Jade’s question. So, instead, Gumptin spoke up.
    “That was one of the most pathetic explanations of
anything I have ever heard in my life, and I am over a thousand
years old.” He said.
    “Hey,” Jade shouted gruffly, arms still folded, “you
don’t get to speak until I find out exactly who you are.”
    Gumptin rubbed at his forehead with his little
fingers, “This is why I wanted to avoid dealing with you until the
last possible moment.” He said more to himself than to Jade or
Avery, “Fine,” Gumptin sighed, “I am Gumptin, I am a gnome, and
Wizard and I was your mentor back on Orcatia, the planet you were
originally born on. You…are Jade Kai, a Protector with the ability
to control the power of water and one of the most aggravating
individuals I have ever known. You were killed on Orcatia by the
Emperor, a powerful dark Warlock who controls an army of over
twenty thousand vile creatures. You were sent to this planet to be
re-born. Your memories will not be returning to you, and, now you
must come back with me to Orcatia to save the planet from certain
destruction.”
    Avery was in awe. The only thing she couldn’t figure
out, is if it was because Gumptin had summed up in a few sentences
what would have most likely taken herself an hour to explain, or
because for the first time in Avery’s life, she was witnessing Jade
completely dumbstruck. Jade had no retort, no sarcastic comeback;
she could only look at Gumptin like he had just appeared out of
thin air.
    “Well?” Avery asked, nudging Jade out of her
trance.
    At Avery’s question Jade shook herself out of her
mesmerized state and