Gavin glances at the bed and back at me with confusion on his face. “What’s missing? Did you want something else?”
I shake my head and smile as wickedly as I can at him. “You,” I say simply, and push him toward our bed.
Gavin laughs and grabs my bottom, lifting me easily into his arms. I can’t help the squeal that escapes me as he throws me onto the plush bed and jumps on top of me, growling like a wild animal.
“Gavin! You’re going to ruin my beautiful dress!” I shout at him through my fits of laughter, not really angry.
Gavin sits up and pulls me onto his lap, gathering my dress up to my thighs so I can wrap my bare legs around him. He stares into my eyes, no longer in a playful mood and looks down at the white chiffon dress that feels made for me.
He clears his throat and his golden eyes darken as they look into mine. “Well, you could just take it off,” he says with a slight lift of the corners of his lips. “If you’re worried about ruining it, of course.”
I smile at him, his nose nearly touching mine as I sit so close to him. The flame within me comes full force and I can feel the heat leaving my body. If Gavin wasn’t my Bonded Intended, he’d easily be burned.
I consider his proposal to remove my dress. “Okay,” I say and raise my hands above my head. “Go for it.”
Gavin’s eyes go wide and the flickering fire I saw in his golden irises returns as a full inferno. Without a word, his hands slide along my bare thighs and underneath my dress. They slowly travel across my hips and up my ribcage, continuing upward until he lifts the dress completely over my head and off of my fingertips.
I sit before him, more vulnerable than I ever have been, and he doesn’t even ogle me as I thought he would. Instead, his hands move to the sides of my face and he pulls my mouth to his with a gentle caress.
With the Bonding ceremony connecting us more fully, the feel of Gavin’s kiss is more electrifying than the simple tingle that used to be there. I crave it more than I ever thought possible.
Every part of my body feels like fire as our kiss becomes more needy and forceful. I tangle my hands into Gavin’s thick hair and press my bare body against him, wanting more. Wanting everything.
Gavin lays me back onto our bed and positions himself over me, resting on his elbow so as not to put too much pressure on my body. “I love you, Aella,” he whispers to me, his lips only a breath away.
I don’t want him to hover over me, or be gentle in any way. I’m already burning him with the fire inside of me, and it won't subside without him. “I love you, Gavin,” I whisper back to him, and I pull him onto me completely.
Space and carefulness is for the humans . We’re Seers, and Gavin Cole is my husband.
Chapter 5
Soft cotton sheets slide across my skin as I wake, and I welcome the morning with a yawn. I’ve spent the night with my Intended, and every second with him has been heaven. Just the feel of his arms around me in our big bed as we fell asleep together. Yup, heaven.
I stretch my arms above my head and a sudden pain pierces my chest as I breathe in deep. “Ow!” I shout and grab at the place that stings, just above my heart.
My hands only touch skin, and I look down to see no injury on my chest. The spot continues to throb and I remember the feeling all too well.
I jump from the bed and look around the dimly lit bedroom, with only a sliver of sunlight peeking through the dark curtains. I’m alone in Gavin and I’s bedroom and my chest hurts from him being away from me. He’s far away from me.
I run to my old bedroom down the hall and throw on the first clothes I see, some unwashed jeans and an SOU t-shirt.
Rounding the end of the hallway and into the dining room, I still see no sign of Gavin anywhere. I rub the ache in my chest again, hoping to ease some pain there, but my anxiety only rises as the sharp pain feels unreachable.
“Gavin!” I scream his name with no response.
My chest rises and falls quickly and I turn to the direction that feels the most promising, finding myself on the large wooden front porch, staring out at the early morning light. Fresh piles of snow cover the ground and sit atop all of the tall trees.
“Gavin!” I yell for my Intended again, but I’m only met with silence.
The air against my arms is cold and harsh. I fall to the floor, completely lost without Gavin. On the porch step I see a folded up piece of paper with my name on it… well, my mother’s maiden name on it.
Ganis.
I freeze inside of myself as I stare at the paper which sits wet from the snow surrounding it. I force myself to reach out and grab the small bit of parchment.
The handwriting inside is neat and in perfect cursive. It reads:
Dearest Ganis,
I have made the recent decision to stay in hell. For this reason, I will not come to find you. Instead, I hope you will come join me for dinner at my home. In order for me to ensure that you will accept my invitation, I have had a close contact of mine retrieve something of yours. Something seemingly precious to you. If you wish to have the Seer boy returned to his home, follow the directions on the back of this page and you will find me at the final destination.
Sincerely and with hope,
Barron
I drop the letter at my feet, completely and irreversibly shook. Gavin is gone. My husband is gone.
I struggle to breathe steadily and each individual nerve in my body feels like fire, but not in the excited way it does around Gavin. My bare feet on the cold porch are hot and within only seconds, real and dangerous flames erupt all around me.
He took Gavin from me… and I’ll burn the whole world down until I find him.
***
“Oh my gosh, El! What are you doing?” Kassy runs to me where I stand in the foyer of the Cole house, barefoot and covered in ash.
I ran here from Gavin’s house… from our house. After putting out the small fire I started in front of the house, I ran to the only other place I know. Camilla’s. I feel numb. The snow that is beginning to melt on my feet feels like nothing compared to the pain in my heart.
I let Kassy wrap an arm around my shoulder as she shouts for the others in the house. She leads me toward the kitchen where the whole family is having breakfast together. Everyone from the Bonding last night is here, staring at me.
Liam and uncle Jack run to my sides and guide me to sit at a nearby stool, as if I’m incapable of doing it myself. With the way I’m sure I look right now, I’m not surprised they think that. Concerned chatter surrounds me, but I can’t focus on any of it. My ears pound from the headache that creeps in.
Camilla leans in front of me, getting my eyes to connect with hers. “El, are you hurt? Where is Gavin?” Her voice shakes with concern for her only son.
I shake my head and close my eyes as they begin to swell with hot tears. “He took him.” I say in a whisper, trying to control the fire in me.
Camilla gasps and her golden eyes are wet. “No.” she says louder than me.
“What did she say? What’s going on, Cami?” Kassy is freaking out now, understandably. She clings onto Liam where he stands still by my side.
I growl and light smoke leaves my mouth as I yell. “The demons took Gavin! They came while we were sleeping and took him to hell!”
Jack hisses and jerks his hand away from my shoulder. “El, you’re burning hot.” His face is angry, but I know it’s not because of me. He is mad at the demons that caused this. “You need to calm down before you catch the house on fire, okay?”
I scoff. “I tried holding the fire back at Gavin’s house, no luck.” Everyone around me gasps at my words so I raise my hand. “I put it out, no worries.”
Camilla sobs before me and catches me watching her. She apologizes and leaves the room. She is afraid to lose her son, after already losing her husband to the demons.
The next person to slide into my line of sight is Danielle. She grabs my shoulders and her long perfectly straight brown hair falls to the sides of her fa
ce. She doesn’t flinch from the heat of my skin like everyone else. Even her husband Hagan jumped when I burned him last night.
“El, we haven’t talked much. I know that my husband made you nervous for a while, and I’m sorry that I haven’t tried getting to know you better before now.” She searches my eyes with her catlike ones that shine a bright gold. “Do you trust us?” she asks.
I don’t even have to think about it. I do trust this family, every one of them. I nod at her without a word and my skin stops steaming. I feel cooler and calm, but the pain inside of me doesn’t subside.
“Good,” she says with a nod, never breaking eye contact. “Anytime you feel this fire coming on out of anger or fear, just remember that you are loved by many and you are in total control. Just like you trust us, trust your ability.”
I breathe slowly and nod again. “Thank you, Danielle. How did you know that would work?” She is right that I don’t know her well, but I really wish I had her expertise sooner.
Danielle smiles and her bright white teeth all line up perfectly behind her red lips. “I know a thing or two about fire. It’s my special ability.”
She releases me and stands up straight, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder. With a flick of her fingers, a small flame floats above her fingertips and she just blows it out like a birthday candle.
“Woah,” Liam shouts, still standing next to me. “What do we do now? How can we get Gavin back?” he asks, sounding almost excited.
I shrug. “I have no idea, but you and Kass still need to catch that plane at noon. You’re not staying here.”
Kassy throws her arms up. “Absolutely not! We are going to help in any way, El. We’re your family, even if we are puny humans. Nothing will make me leave your side today.” Her squared shoulders and dainty hands resting on her pajama-clad hips show her determination.
I groan. “Fine, Kass. Tell me how to get into hell then!” I yell the words at my best friend in the world, and immediately apologize. “I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head and another voice chimes in. “I know how to get into hell.” Aunt Mags comes to stand in front of me next to Danielle, and her sad eyes scan my disheveled self. “Baby girl, I love you more than life and I don’t want you to ever be in danger… but I’ll help you get Gavin back. Even if you have to face Barron to do it.”
My eyes pour with more tears as I reach out to my mom. “Thank you so much.” I pull her into my arms. “I’m ready to fight, mom. Especially for Gavin.”
“I’ll go.” Uncle Jack says to my right. His hand is raised and he nods at me.
“Me too,” Alexa says from across the room with her own sad tears for her brother.
Next to her, Neo raises his hand and nods. “And I,” he says.
“Heck yeah. I’m totally in.” Gavin’s cousin Jed stands from the dining room table with a wicked smile on his face. “I’d do anything for Gavin, and now you too, El.”
I pull in a grateful breath at the love and support in this family. “Okay, then. Let’s go tonight.” I have a vague map written by a demon, a Wicca to guide me, and a group of Seers by my side. I always knew I’d need an army to go up against Barron. Looks like I’ve got one.
Chapter 6
Gavin
The cold against my face and the burning in my chest wake me from the dream I found myself lost in. Dreaming of Aella after our first night together as a Bonded couple is a whole new intoxicating experience.
I groan as I turn over in bed to find my new wife, but my hand only rests on hard, freezing cold stone. I try to blink past the hazy film in my eyes from a heavy night's sleep, but the dark world around me remains a blur. I am unable to focus on anything other than what I can feel.
I slowly force my groggy body to sit up and I reach in all directions around me. Everywhere I touch is just the same cold rock of some sort. I’m only able to extend an arm in each direction before finding the rock.
I’m in a cave.
“Aella!” I shout for her, but my voice echoes back at me. It’s no use, I already know she isn’t anywhere near me. The throbbing ache in my chest tells me that we have been far from one another for hours.
A low rumbling chuckle has me spinning to my left. “Who’s there?” I yell, trying to keep my voice steady. I will not show fear to whomever has taken me.
“An acquaintance of your little girlfriend, I suppose.” The man speaks in a way that reminds me of an old movie.
“Barron?” I ask him. Of course it would be him. I knew the day would come where I’d have to fight alongside Aella against this demon. I never expected to go into it blind, though.
He chuckles again, but the sound isn’t happy. “Good, she talks about me.” The sound of metal cranking pierces my ears and Barron’s voice is closer. “That means she will likely take me up on my invitation. It will be a miraculous dinner.”
I turn toward him and throw my fist out, connecting with something hard, but not like the rock wall. This is muscle.
Yes!
Barron growls and I’m shoved to the floor beneath me. The impact knocks my head around and my vision begins to clear up. I blink up at the dirty cave ceiling above me and a bloody face leans over me.
His dark hair hangs just over his ears and a small trickle of blood drips from his nose onto my shirt. “Do not attempt that again, boy. I need you alive to enact my revenge in the way that I want, but it is not the only way.”
I hold the rising anger within me, saving it for my opportunity. I’m weak, and I need my strength to take on the ancient demon. Barron steps back to a big metal door I hadn’t noticed before. He is tall and strong, but younger than I expected.
I sit back up and brush the dirt off of me, taking in my surroundings. I’m in a cave of sorts like I thought, but the rock around me is entirely black, like obsidian.
“Where am I? Did you drug me?” I have a lot more questions, but I need answers.
Barron leans his back against the metal door and crosses his arms. “My charge brought you here. He gave you a very special injection while you slept. For a human it would not have worn off for days, but you have only been here for mere hours.” He shrugs. “As for location, we are just feet below my home. Some people refer to this place as “Sheol” or “Kur.” I like to stick with the simple word for it… “Hell.”
Fear settles into me, but not only for myself. If Barron is keeping me alive here in hell, it’s only to bring Aella here. Anger and hatred boils beneath my skin, but I continue to press it down. “What about Aella… my girlfriend? ” I can’t let him know we bonded. Any chance at surprise is an upper hand. “What are you planning for her?”
I clench my fists at my sides. Even just the thought of him having plans for my Intended causes my body to prepare for war. Having completed the bond, the feeling of protection for Aella is almost overpowering.
Barron is very calm before me. He either has no idea what is happening inside of me, or he is powerful enough to care less. That thought is the scariest of all.
“I only invited her to dinner. I have spent so many years waiting for the moment where I could end the Ganis line. I thought a celebration was in order. We do not have too many of those around here.”
I stare down at the too-large torn pants that were placed on me sometime in the night. Every inch of me wants to fight this demon, for myself and the woman I love. I stand calmly from my seated position on the dirt covered hell floor.
I continue to keep my eyes down as I talk, not wanting to show the fire in my eyes. “Will you not fight me, demon? It’s not polite to kill an enemy without even a fight.”
His low voice echoes in the small room. “No. I will not fight you, unless you make it necessary to do so.” His body shifts, but I can only see his feet while he talks. “I will allow the Ganis girl to fight me, though. I have been rather curious to get my hands on her.”
It only takes those last words to push my anger over the edge. I charge Barron at full speed and slam into his chest.
The force pushes him backwards out of my cell, and I take the opportunity to run. I don’t care about fighting him, I only want to find Aella and hold her again.
I fly past other closed metal doors, all built into the black stone that surrounds everything. The cold in this place is shocking, considering the tales of hell being a place of fire.
I speed around a sharp corner and come face to face with at least a dozen more demons. Skidding to a stop, I freeze and just wave to the men surrounding me. “Hey, nice place you have here,” I say, before a hard object is slammed into the back of my head, and the world goes dark again.
Chapter 7
I know I’m in a vision. It’s been a while since one of these came along, and I immediately feel that familiar sensation of dread. I’ve only had visions of Kassy in danger, and I can’t bear to see what is happening to her now. The air around me is cold, which is nothing new now that it’s November in Oregon. Everything is dark, except for small fires burning in holes in the walls around me. Speaking of walls, they’re everywhere.
I’m in some sort of long hallway, surrounded with dark rock. It feels like I’m underground somewhere, but I still don’t know where. A man’s deep scream breaks through one of the hard walls and I turn to the sound of it. It’s familiar in some way, but I know I’ve never heard someone scream quite that way before.
A large metal door hangs open on one of the walls, and I can see a dark room inside of it. I gasp at the sight before me. It’s Gavin, my Intended. He is kneeling on the floor with his head hanging in front of him. His arms are tied up with thick brown rope that is mounted to the rock ceiling by metal hooks. Blood drips down his bare chest and he looks to be dead.
I run to his side and touch his cheek, completely in control of my body in this vivid vision. His stubbly face is wet with sweat and bruised from being hit repeatedly. I cry for him and whisper his name, knowing that he won’t hear me.
Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 Page 39
