Gavin nudges me. “Why do you suddenly look so happy?” he asks me with a smile of his own.
I lay my head on the seat behind me and sigh. “I just feel like things are going to work out. Like maybe fate is on our side. It’s a good feeling.” I look into his shining golden eyes.
Gavin leans toward me and kisses me softly on the top of my nose. “Fate brought us together, Aella. I trust it completely now.”
***
I stand outside the large stone cottage, Gavin on my right and Aunt Mags on my left. The red rooftop hangs over the top of the pileup of stones moulded together. The entire house looks like it grew up from the ground just to look out over the blue waters in front of it.
I can’t bring myself to knock on the carved wooden door. I found out from Aunt Mags that my father’s parents live only fifteen minutes away from Athens, where I was going to visit Gavin’s family. What are the odds?
Fate is just outright hilarious.
I look from Gavin’s brown contacts to my mom’s green eyes. They both watch me with excitement and curiosity.
Gavin nods to me. “Do you want me to knock? I’m happy to wait, too.” He is so sweet, always looking out for me.
I shake my head. “I got it.” He and Aunt Mags have such faith in me. I don’t want to let them down, so I lift the brass bar hanging in the center of the door and tap it against the wood twice.
A woman slightly taller than me with dark brown hair chopped short in a pixie-cut answers the door. She looks to be fifty or so, and fit but not thin. Her eyes are brown but I can tell there is gold behind them. I haven’t begun to hide the specks of gold in my eyes yet and I know she can see it by the way she studies them.
The woman tilts her head at me and wipes her hands along the flowery dress that falls just past her knees. “Selene,” she says in such a low whisper that I almost don’t catch it. I try not to react to her mention of my mother’s name.
She looks briefly at Gavin and then at Aunt Mags. Her eyes fly open and a hand covers her agape mouth. “Oh my word…” she gasps out the soft words.
Her eyes fly back to me with a quick turn of her head and her surprised eyes become wet with tears as she jumps toward me and pulls me into her inviting arms. “I can’t believe it,” she says into my hair.
I freeze, but something inside of me recognizes the woman that holds me. My body relaxes and I release a sigh as I hug my grandmother. My grandma.
I peer over the woman’s shoulder at Aunt Mags. “Is this my grandmother, Aunt Mags?” I say.
My grandma releases me as Aunt Mags grabs one of my hands. “Aella, this is Adriana Lundon, your dad’s mother. And yes, your grandmother.” Aunt Mags looks apologetically at Adriana. “Adriana, this is Aella Lundon, Joseph and Selene’s daughter.”
Adriana looks me up and down and shakes her head, still in tears. “You’re an absolute vision, Aella,” she says, still holding my shoulders.
I shuffle my feet, not sure what to do next. My own tears fall and I shake in front of the woman I should have known from the moment I was born. Barron made it so I didn’t get to have that bond, or any other family bond for that matter.
I want to feel angry, but when I see the older man that emerges from the stone house, my eyes go wide. He could be my father’s twin, or rather, an older version of him. He has the same sandy-colored hair and pointed chin. He looks confused at the scene before him.
Who wouldn’t be? His wife is hugging a teenager and bawling her eyes out while a Wicca from his past and a Seer stand by and watch. Oh, my life.
He notices Aunt Mags and his squinted eyes round even larger than mine. He looks from Aunt Mags to me and back and forth a handful of times. “Maggie? Adriana, is this…”
It only takes a small nod from the women for the man to wrap his long arms around Adriana and I. He cries in the manliest way possible. “My granddaughter! I can’t believe it!” he yells from our group hug with a deep baritone.
I revel in the feel of family around me. “I’m so glad I found you both,” I say between tears.
Gavin leans against the stone house and watches us with a big happy smile. I wouldn’t be here without him.
Something magical connects my grandparents and I, just like the connection I feel with Gavin. Even when we don’t know a single thing about each other. Fate. That crazy comedian has brought me to my grandparents at last. My grandparents.
Chapter 13
“Would it be alright if I took you out tonight? On a real proper date?” Gavin whispers the words in my ear. I can barely hear him over the group of people surrounding us on the large poolside patio.
Camilla’s family reunion is in full swing outside her “distinguished” cousin’s villa. The home is basically a mansion that sits on the side of a mountain and overlooks all of Athens.
The crowd is at least thirty people who all missed each other over the past three years, so the noise is overpowering, especially to my newly developed Seer ears.
Currently, I sit beside Gavin on a bench swing with a nice pair of earbuds in my tired ears. They don’t block out the noise, but it’s more tolerable.
I smile at my Intended. “A date in Greece with you?” I scoff and shake my head. “I think it’s absolutely impossible to say no to that combo.”
His toothy grin is addictive and I smile right back at him. He is dressed nicely, though not as nice at the fancy tuxedo from the other day. He is in black slacks and a white button down shirt folded to the elbows and unbuttoned at the very top.
I can’t help myself as I lean toward him and kiss his happy lips. He places a hand on my cheek, keeping me against him and a coughing sound comes from behind us.
I roll my eyes and look back at Alexa. “Yes, Lex?” I ask her, always getting caught like this with her brother.
“This is a family event. That kind of stuff isn’t appropriate for the little ones.” She points a finger between us both and her small smirk shows the tease behind it.
Gavin groans. “Lex, you have your own Intended now, so you don’t need to keep acting like the innocent one.” He gives her a pointed look and I snicker at the bickering twins.
Neo exits the crowd of people and puts an arm around Alexa’s shoulder. “What are you guys talking about over here?” he asks, out of the loop.
Alexa smiles up at him and raises an eyebrow. “Oh, just how my brother is a pain in the neck and Aella can do better. The usual.”
Gavin growls and glares at his sister.
Neo nods. “Well, after spending a couple weeks with the moping Aella,” he tilts his head at me with a smirk, “I’m pretty sure she’d rather die than live without him. So, she doesn’t mind so much.”
I giggle and can feel a hot blush on my cheeks. “Thanks, Neo. Now Gavin’s ego is probably through the roof.”
Alexa waves a hand at me. “All the way to space, El.”
We both laugh and Gavin nudges me. “Hey, everyone is laughing at me now! How did this happen?”
I hold my hands up. “I’m sorry, I still love you!” I say to him and grab his hand in mine.
He shakes his head and turns back to Alexa and Neo. “Thank you, by the way, Neo. For being there for Aella last month. I’m really glad you found my sister,” he says with deep sincerity.
Neo’s eyebrows shoot up and he nods to Gavin. “You’re welcome. I’m glad fate was on our side and I could make a new friend.” He turns to Alexa. “And meet my soulmate.”
Alexa blushes under his gaze and my heart sighs inside of me. I haven’t told Gavin about Neo kissing me. I realize now that he was meant to get close to me in order to find Alexa, and I know he realizes it too.
As much as I doubted the idea of this life being predestined, it has turned out to be the only explanation for everything.
***
I’m out on the streets of Athens with the person I love most in the world. A date with him isn’t something I could really imagine. Fighting demons, yes. Training or crying about something, yes. Th
e absolute opposite of what new love and romance should be.
I couldn’t see a different beginning for us, though. Somehow, we have fallen for one another without the easy stuff pushing us in the right direction.
I am getting that uneasy feeling of being watched again. At home it made sense considering the demons know where to find me, but all the way across the ocean in Greece is a bit of a stretch.
Whoever is watching me might not even be connected with Barron. Maybe just another demon looking for a fight or an easy soul.
I wrap my arms around myself to rub away the goosebumps and a small chill rolls through me.
“Are you cold?” Gavin asks me with his brown eyebrows pressed together.
I shake my head. “Surprisingly, I’m not cold at all. I just have a bad feeling, I guess.”
Gavin looks around us at the busy streets. It’s just after sunset and the old buildings are lit with multicolored lights and hanging lanterns. The Greek folk and tourists are out and about selling and buying. The hustle and bustle is comfortable and I love the entire environment.
We just left the “psistaria” as the locals call it. The food was incredible and it was so fun being alone with Gavin over a nice meal and the chatter of normal people all around us.
The sidewalks are filled with the smell of all kinds of food. I hold onto Gavin’s arm and continue with him toward the ocean. He wanted to show me the beach and I can’t imagine a better ending to a date than an actual walk down a foreign beach.
Is this seriously my life?
Gavin continues to scan around us as we walk. “I have a similar feeling, I think. Like somebody is watching us. But it might not be a bad kind of watching. We might just be getting noticed because of your eyes.”
I gasp. “Are they more gold than this morning? I haven’t even looked at them all day.”
Gavin stops at the edge of the white sand and studies my eyes. “Yeah, I think being around your biological family has brought the color out a lot faster. There is almost no brown left.”
He lifts my chin and strokes his hand along my jaw, down my neck and behind my back. The trail of tingles is amazing and I want to sink into him. “It’s something I didn’t think was possible, but you’re even more beautiful than when I met you.”
I place my hands on his chest and push myself onto my tippy toes to reach him better. I place a small kiss on his lips and look into his fake brown eyes. “Now I guess you know what it’s like to be in love with a golden-eyed superhero. I’m a part of the Seer club now, right?” I ask him with a wiggle of my eyebrows.
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him. Before I can blink twice, we are standing at the edge of the water and the sound of the waves crashing beside us is powerful. I don’t feel as dizzy as I used to when he’d speed me somewhere.
I suck in a sharp breath at the sight of the bright stars above the huge, never ending ocean. “Wow, Gavin! This is incredible!” We are the only two people on this part of the beach and I don’t even know how far he ran us.
Gavin pulls me to his chest and we watch the moving ocean. “Aella. First of all, you are absolutely a part of the superhero club.” He chuckles and pulls back from me so I can see the smile on his face.
“Phew,” I say and swipe my hand across my forehead at the fake sweat.
He laughs again. “Second of all, you are the most captivating person I have ever met. Maybe it’s fate, or predestined or whatever. But, no matter how we came together, since that moment I have fallen for everything that you are and every move you have made.”
My breath picks up as I listen to his beautiful words. “Even when I left you?” I ask him stupidly. Why would I remind him of that?
Shockingly, he nods. “Even when you left, I loved the reasons you did it. I hated every minute you were somewhere that I couldn’t feel you or protect you, but I still loved the ferocity that drove you to fight on your own.”
He sighs. “And you didn’t need me. You didn’t need protecting or an overbearing man standing beside you.” He scoffs. “You’re a force to be reckoned with, Aella Lundon.”
His face shows all seriousness and I revel in the compliments. “I wouldn’t be who I am without you, Gavin. You’re my inspiration to keep moving forward.”
He smiles down at me and takes a step back from our embrace. I tilt my head, confused by the distance… until he kneels on the sand in front of me.
Just the motion makes my heart leap in my chest. Holy crap.
Gavin pulls me down to the sand in front of him so we are kneeling in front of the other and he holds my hands in his. “All I want in this life is for you to keep fighting and keep moving forward. If you’ll let me follow you through the battles to come and feel the pull that connects us every day, I’ll never stop fighting with you.” He rubs his thumbs in electric circles on my hands. I watch his eyes as they search my own. “Things might get a lot harder really soon, but if you’ll be bonded to me for all time and eternity, I know with all my heart that together we will win this war, and every hardship after it.”
I’m silent, unsure how to respond, or even if I should respond yet. Gavin releases my hands and touches my cheek. My eyes close against the feeling, and when I open them again, he is holding a ring between his fingers that sparkles like tiny stars against the starry night sky. The diamonds form a swirling circle at the top of the ring and it's the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen.
Before I can rush out my “yes” to the question he hasn’t officially asked, he speaks again. “Aella Lundon, I love you with all parts of my body and soul. Will you, my beautiful Intended, bond with me and be my wife?”
A tear falls down my cheek and I nod my yes, unable to speak. “Of course, Gavin,” I finally choke out and I throw my arms around his neck.
Gavin falls backward onto the soft sand and laughs against me as I tackle him. “Thank the Lord!” He shouts with a huge smile on his face and he kisses me mercilessly.
I pull away from him, completely out of breath and deliriously happy. Gavin pulls my hand from the sand behind him and slips the gorgeous ring onto my finger.
His fingers intertwine with mine as he studies my face with his eyes. “Thank you,” he says to me.
I tilt my head at him again, causing my hair to fall beside his face. “For tackling you onto the sand like a maniac?” I ask him.
He chuckles and the rumble vibrates against my chest. “I did like the tackling, but what I meant was thank you for loving me.”
I shake my head at him. “Oh, Gavin. You don’t even know half of how much I love you.”
One of his eyebrows raises and a wicked smirk stretches across his stubbly face. He groans beneath me and his hands grip my hips. “Show me then,” he dares and flips me over so he is hovering above me, now on my back.
I slide my hands into his sandy hair and pull his lips to mine, proving that I have more love in me to give, and getting utterly lost on the shores of Greece.
DESCENDED
Part 6 of the Intended Series
By: Abigail Grant
Chapter 1
The chrome-lined mirror perfectly reflects the thick ring of gold around my pupils. The new color is brightest around the center and spreads out to blend into a light brown at the edges of my irises. It was only a few months ago that my eyes were a dark chocolate color with zero metallic hue in them. Now, the brown is almost completely gone, smothered by the supernatural shining gold.
I touch my cheek, just below my right eye and sigh. “Well, it’s official I guess,” I say to the new me. I’m a Seer, through and through. Looks like I really need to get my butt into gear and be ready to fight.
I ruffle up my wet hair with a towel, trying to dry it as much as I can before climbing into bed for the night. I really missed my bed in Gavin’s guest bedroom while we were in Greece. The house we stayed in there was probably even more spectacular than Gavin’s, but it didn’t feel like home.
I’m excited f
or our first night back home. I plan to just snuggle into my large bed and sleep off the jetlag from the eighteen hour flight. If only I could sleep next to Gavin, but we both agreed that is a dangerous road.
Oh Gavin, my gorgeous, super hero fiance. I love the sound of that.
Both of us have agreed to wait until our wedding, or bonding, night before being totally intimate with one another. As much as we both feel ready for that step, it is something I always hoped to do with my husband only. I certainly never expected to have an Intended. Knowing with absolution that he is my one and only makes waiting excruciating.
Only a month until the day, and I want to cherish every excruciating moment with my future husband… while also kissing him goodnight like I did tonight, and then parting ways until morning.
I might not make it a month…
I slip my baggy pajama pants and brown tank top on, and climb into bed. Only moments after hitting the fluffy pillow I’m out like a light and waking again into a much too familiar dream.
My eyes open to the dark room and I already know this is a Barron nightmare. I can feel the fogginess of being asleep now. We have been through this way too many times.
I groan and cover my face with the thick comforter. “Go away! I need some good sleep tonight, Barron!” I shout at him through the blanket, hoping he just up and leaves.
Oh wait, he is a monster.
The bed sinks by where my feet lay and I peek around the blanket to see Barron’s amused face. His dark hair is combed to the left and his long black robe is no different than ever.
“Did you not miss me, Ganis?” he asks with a tilt of his head. He seems far too cozy sneaking into my subconscious.
I sit up and shake my head. “No, I did not miss you. I had a wonderful vacation, completely demon-free. It was a dream, unlike this unwanted nightmare.”
Barron lays back on the bed with a shrug and breathy sigh. I’m taken aback by the motion. He has never acted so… normal before. I feel at a loss for what to do next.
Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 Page 36
