“I had a feeling,” he replied as he glanced at the people around us.
“What?” I asked, trying not to laugh.
“She appeared to be too fake.” He pointed at Kelly, and she frowned. “Besides, there was something about you that day at the mall. You weren’t a heartless killer, you genuinely cared about the people in the camp, and you were far from the ruthless ruler Lilliana said you would be.”
My focus turned to Kelly. Her jaw was set, and she refused to look at me. Still, it was odd to see my own face sitting across from me in a limo. Were my eyes really that dull? Did I always look like I was lost in thought? I was starting to see everything Shawn had pointed out to me when we were in Dallas.
“You can take the necklace off now,” Mona said to Kelly, and she gratefully pulled it from her neck. Her body fluttered, and there she was, my beautiful fire-were.
“Oh, thank God!” she squealed. “I couldn’t take much more, Dawn. I really couldn’t. It wasn’t the soldiers or your family. It was Helen and Rose, always with their nitpicking. Nothing I did was right to them.”
“Sounds about right,” I mumbled. The last thing I wanted to talk about were the other two Wardens. I turned my attention to Mona. “Where are we going?”
“You want your life back?” Mona asked, sadly. She wasn’t ready to let me go.
“I want both,” I replied with a weak nod. I had grown to love Prudence in a way I couldn’t explain. I was not prepared to leave her behind. There had to be a way I could incorporate her grace within my own powers. Like Mona had said, I had managed to unlock gifts nobody thought I possessed.
“That is not possible,” Mona moaned. “You can be either Prudence or Dawn, not both.”
“I will make it work!” I objected loudly, and Mona’s eyes flared.
Tension passed between Mona and me. There had to be a way to maintain both personalities. Why did I have to choose?
“Will you two stop! There is far too much to do and too little time in which to get it done,” my mother interrupted, nodding at Mona. I had a feeling she was putting my step-mother in her place. “Marshall, you are welcome to join us. I’m sure Dawn has many uses for a friend like you.”
“Of course, ma’am. What about my sister? The others from the camp?” he asked, his voice excited.
“Your sister is still sedated. I do apologize, we have tried to rehabilitate her, but it’s taken a little longer than expected. She will remain here for now, until such time as she has been found cured.” My mother spoke sadly as if she truly wished she could provide him with good news.
“What about Wesley?” I asked, squeezing Aaron’s hand in the process.
“Wesley will be returning with us. First, we have to break the bond between Lilliana and him. We cannot afford for her to track his location. The compound is not ready for an attack.” The response came from my father.
“How do you plan to do that?” I asked. I had a feeling I was going to be less than pleased with the answer.
“We feel he should sign a contract with another. Your Claim on him was careless, and we as a council agreed on another to hold the contract.” My father looked down at the floorboards. Why was he forcing himself not to look at me?
What were they talking about? They didn’t want him to will his soul to me. Why couldn’t I be the one who Claimed him? Not that I wanted to, but it still hurt to have my father say I was careless.
“Who?” I asked meekly. Honestly, I was afraid of who they had chosen. Whomever it was, they were going to have the ability to feel everything he felt. They would know if he was in trouble, or if he was being hunted. They would need to guard him against his nightmares and make sure he didn’t fall victim to Miranda’s advances again.
“Krista,” my mother stated. “She is pure in heart and mind. We feel the contract should be written differently. The way you took control of him was without his consent. We would feel better if he willingly allowed her to take care of him.”
“I’m sorry, Dawn. I had no idea this was why they asked me to come,” Krista sniffed. “I don’t want to take your boyfriend away from you.”
I saw her glance at my hand in Aaron’s. Wesley was not my boyfriend anymore. He had left me for Miranda. Really what did it matter who had the contract, as long as he was safe?
“Wesley isn’t my boyfriend, Krista. I understand what my father is saying. Miranda has no ties to you, so she won’t know.” I looked away before she could see the tears in my eyes.
Aaron leaned over and pressed his lips to my ear. “I can help you forget the pain.”
I turned my head to look at him. There was a smile on his beautiful pale face. I knew he meant well, but I wasn’t quite sure how he could uphold such a promise. I was always in pain. If it wasn’t Wesley, it was him or Adam. What sorts of manipulation had the Incubi taught him?
I watched as Marshall began to chew on his bottom lip as he looked at Krista. I could tell he wanted to say something, and I prayed to myself it wasn’t what I thought it was.
“Are you the one John killed?” he suddenly asked, then latched his mouth shut. A red tint appeared on his cheeks. He was just as shocked as everyone else was.
“Marshall, I don’t think this is the time for that sort of conversation,” I mentioned with a shaky voice. He was new to the group, and I didn’t want him to start off on the wrong foot. John was not a subject we breached when it came to Krista.
“No, Dawn, it’s quite all right. Yes. I spent eighteen years in Purgatory. Not the best place to get stuck in, trust me.” She smiled at him. I knew in a way it had to bother her, then again Krista was strong – she just looked fragile.
“That sucks.” He gave Krista a sad face. “Good to see you found your way back.”
“Why do you say that?” She cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips.
“You are far more beautiful than John mentioned.” Marshall blushed again, and I bit my lip to fight the giggle that wanted to come out of my mouth. Marshall was obviously hitting on Krista. My father hid a smile, and my mother rolled her eyes and looked out the limo window.
“Why, thank you, Marshall.” She reddened and put her hand up to hide her smile.
I rolled my eyes in response to the exchange. When the moment passed, I turned my attention to Mona.
“Where are we going?” I asked calmly, wishing to change the subject to anything other than Marshall and Krista.
“To an old friends’ home. She is going to make you look like yourself again,” Mona replied, looking at her fingernails and frowning.
“I can do most of that on my own,” I stated. Mona was aware of what I could do. It didn’t make sense she would want someone else to perform the magic in my place.
“Maybe, but I have yet to meet anyone who can make their own hair grow,” she laughed, pointing at me. “Besides, I promised Kelly a girls’ day out for being such a good sport this last month.”
“So, why are my mother and father here?” I looked at my parents with innocent looks on their faces.
“They have some errands to run in town.” Mona looked at my mother. I could sense the tension between the two. After hearing the conversation between Mona and my father, I had a better understanding of what it was.
The limo parked outside an old house in the middle of nowhere. I was ushered out of the back seat, and down the cobblestone path to the front door. Mona rang the bell, and we waited. The moment I saw a face in the doorway, I wanted to turn and run. How was this crap even possible? Standing in front of me was Kyle, the stylist from the mall in New Mexico.
“I knew we would meet again, Miss Warren,” he stated, stepping out onto the patio, taking my hand in his, and kissing the back delicately. I heard Aaron growl behind me, and my interest was piqued. He may not feel love, but does he feel jealous?
“I should have known. Kyle.” I looked at Mona as she shrugged.
“Please do come in. My grandmother awaits you in the living room. Can I get you anything to dr
ink?” I knew he was talking to everyone around me, but he wouldn’t look at them, his eyes stayed locked on me. It was quite uncomfortable.
I did not understand the reason for the sudden change in the way men looked at me. I had assumed many theories which could assist in allowing me to gain an understanding. Instead, they made me laugh out loud when I tried to look deeper. The only thing that made sense was the power. That was one emotion I could understand. I had been pulled into Edmund’s the few times we had been together. I was quite sure there would be plenty more in my future.
“Maybe they just see something in you; you have never seen yourself.” Aaron’s voice was in my ear again before his lips gently brushed my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to regain control of my breathing. There was something about him that was drawing me in. It wasn’t power that much I knew. It was something else, similar to the claim I once held on him. Maybe it was our history, or perhaps it was something different and alien to me.
“I’m sure in a little bit, Kyle.” Mona walked into the living room and sat down next to an older woman.
“Mona?” The woman asked when she saw my stepmother.
“Who else would come to see you with a trail of children?” Mona laughed, taking the older woman’s hand in hers.
“Goodness.” The woman looked at the five of us and smiled. “Do let me guess who they are.”
“Of course,” Mona replied as the older woman stood. She walked in front of Krista and touched her face.
“This must be the Wind Warden. I can tell, she’s full of hot air.” The woman laughed and wrapped Krista in a warm hug.
“How did you know?” she asked as the woman pushed back to look at her face. I must admit I have always been in awe of Krista’s innocence.
“I have my ways,” she winked.
Krista smiled sweetly as the woman moved to Kelly and grabbed her hands.
“Dear me, you are an old one.” She laughed softly as she stared into Kelly’s eyes. “Fire-were - oh, I do like that, Dawn, keep thinking of such names.”
My mouth dropped open as the use of my term of endearment for Kelly was said out loud.
Gran’s abilities were quite extraordinary. Sure, a telepath could probably pull that information from an individual with ease. Still, something told me she was not this. Gran was something far older than any of us would have expected.
She touched Marshall on the shoulder and then instantly pulled him to her in a huge hug.
“I am so sorry for your losses, dear. To live in that place, held against your will. All those horrible things she made you do.” Marshall looked around, trying not to make eye contact with the woman. “Still, you are young but amazingly strong. Your ability will come in handy in the not-so-distant future.”
I watched Marshall start to shake the moment she let him go. He glanced at me, gave me a half-smile, and then put his face in his hands. Krista was there in a second, pulling the boy close to her and rubbing his back.
Gran was standing in front of me now. She looked at me with adoration, her pale gray eyes searching my face.
“You were only a babe when I first saw you. A tiny little thing.” She touched my face and smiled at me. “You have grown up so fast and so strong. All the gifts bestowed upon you are flourishing without issue. Your mother and father have done well with you.”
“I did help, you know,” Mona pouted from the couch.
“Oh, dear Mona. Yes, you did.” The older woman smiled at my stepmother and then looked back at me.
“You look so much like your father.” She kissed me on the cheek and moved to the last person in line.
“Hey there, Gran,” Aaron said as he pulled the old woman in for a hug.
“Beware of this one. The little scamp! The Incubi brought me this beaten and bruised boy. Told me to make him better. It took everything in my power for him not to turn into one of those braindead drones that follow Lilliana. He had this secret blood in his system, thank god for that. Made it easy to reverse the change to follow it instead.” She shook her head and looked at Marshall. “Oh, dear me, boy. I mean no offense to you by that.”
“It’s quite fine, ma’am, I know exactly what you are talking about,” Marshall said, holding onto Krista’s hand.
“Gran was the one that took care of me,” Aaron said, smiling at me.
“Saddest thing was watching the love he had for you fade away.” She reached over and took my hand and placed it in his. “You two would have been one hell of a couple.”
The woman gave our hands a squeeze and turned back to look at Mona.
“Care to tell me why you chose today to make a visit?”
“We are here to make her look like herself again,” Mona grumbled.
“What’s wrong with how she is now? I personally think she looks stunning,” Gran said, looking back at me and winking.
“She cannot look like Prudence anymore. We need her to look like her old self,” Mona said, crossing her ankles.
“Did you just say, Prudence?” Gran’s eyes shadowed, and her lips pursed as she looked at me.
“I did.” Mona gave Gran a hard stare. I had already learned that expression meant there was far more to this story than what they had initially told me. “Can you please help me restore Dawn’s previous appearance?”
“Of course, dear. I can do what I can, but I cannot promise a miracle. It will take far greater power to separate one from the other.” Gran shrugged and turned toward Kyle.
“I only ask for assistance in the areas my magic will not touch,” Mona said, shrugging.
Gran frowned at Mona’s response. Like me, she must have known the skills Mona possessed.
“Take care of the fire-were. Give her a fresh look, something that will make her appear as if she was gone.” Gran pointed at Kelly, and Kyle took her by the arm, leading her into the other room. “Dawn, you come with me. This is going to hurt a little.”
I followed Gran into an adjacent room with a large bed and heavy curtains on the windows. I sat down on the edge and looked at the older woman as she entered with Aaron on her tail.
“Why did you bring him?” I asked. I had no idea Aaron would have any involvement with the transformation.
“I need an accurate image of what you were before this whole mess happened. I cannot pull that from you because you never saw yourself through another person’s eyes.” Gran reached for Aaron's hand and pulled him close to us. “He has seen you through the eyes of a lover. I will be able to accurately pinpoint exactly what has to be done to rewind time.”
“Rewind time?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Precisely. I will be able to identify the last time Aaron saw you. I hope you do not mind having your image rewound.” Gran sat Aaron down on the bed next to me.
“Do as you must,” I said to her as I felt my eyes grow heavy. “I fear I must sleep.”
“Yes, dear. Sleep is calling to both of you. When you awake, you will find you appear as if this whole mess was a dream.” Gran stroked my hair and laid me down on the bed. Aaron’s eyes were already fluttering as he fell on the pillow next to me.
Chapter Four
Rewound
“Why do things always seem to happen in dreams?” I asked myself as I looked at the green field before me. The sky was gray, and the air smelled of freshly fallen rain.
“Anything can happen in dreams.” I heard Aaron’s voice behind me and felt his arms wrap around my waist.
“I fear you are growing fond of me again.” I laughed as he buried his face in my hair.
“My fondness for you only goes so far. I am drawn to you because of how I felt for you. That doesn’t mean I still feel that way. Besides you heard Gran, she watched the love fall away,” Aaron said, gripping me tighter.
“So, what you are saying is there will always be an attraction to me?” I asked, feeling the cool breeze hitting my face.
“Yes. I will always be drawn to you. I just do not love you.”
“Well, that has
to suck. Are you sure you are an Incubus?” I laughed as I felt his fingers start to loosen.
“I was going to be something worse, but one of the elders offered Gran an out. She had to use some of his essence to keep me from changing into the creatures that attacked me. Instead, my body just sort of took on the appearance of the Incubus.” He sighed and turned away from me.
I looked up at the sky and breathed.
“This is all my fault,” I said softly.
“None of this is your fault.” He turned to me; his eyebrows furrowed together. “It would have happened with or without you.”
“If I had just been honest with you in the first place. I told you I wasn’t looking for love. You were only supposed to fill the void. I was never supposed to care about you.” I felt my heart wrench.
“I know that. I saw an opening to take you out, and I went for it. I never knew it was going to lead to what happened between us. I do not regret a damn thing.” He grabbed my face and forced me to look at him.
“You should hate me for what you have become,” I groaned, looking into his eyes.
“I could never hate you,” he replied softly, brushing his lips against mine.
It was familiar, welcome, and made me feel at ease. Few things had not changed about Aaron in the last few months. The way he walked and talked was different from the man whom I had known. However, the way my body reacted to him when he touched me was familiar. He still meant so much to me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered when he pulled his lips from mine.
“No need to apologize. My family is quite content with what happened.” He kissed me one last time, and the world started to spin. We were being called back to reality, away from the dream world.
“I need you,” I said as the world became a black blob of nothing.
The last thing I saw before my eyes fluttered open was the smile on Aaron’s face.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Aaron said as I opened my eyes.
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