Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6

by Abigail Grant

  To my shock, Gavin’s head slowly lifts and he looks directly into my eyes. “Aella,” he says to me, and my mouth drops open.

  “Gavin! Am I really here? Come with me!” I try to pull at the ties around his wrist, but he doesn’t budge. He shakes his head weakly and his swollen lips smile at me.

  “Aella, this is just a vision. It’s because of the bond. Please listen to me and don’t come here. Please, love.” His sad eyes plead to me, but how can I not come to him when he’s here like this?

  “But, Gavin. I love you. I can’t let you just die here.” I cry harder, just wanting to be with him again.

  Gavin opens his mouth to say something else, but he is cut off by a voice behind me. “Have you learned your lesson yet, boy?”

  I turn to the demon behind me and immediate anger rises in my throat. Barron watches Gavin with bored eyes from the entrance of this dark torture room. He has no concerns about Gavin being tortured. Just another day in hell.

  “Get away from him!” I scream at Barron, but he doesn’t even look my way. He can’t see me or hear me in the vision I share with only Gavin.

  I focus my attention on Gavin, and he looks directly into my eyes. “I love Aella, and I’ll never stop fighting to get back to her.”

  Barron scoffs, but I know Gavin isn’t talking to him. He is telling me that he will try to get to me, but he’ll die without help. “Gavin, I have my army. We won’t leave you here. Just don’t give up, okay?”

  Gavin’s nod is almost unnoticeable, but I see the slight tilt of his head. I kiss him on his bruised cheek and as I pull away from him, I’m sucked through a tunnel and back to my reality.

  ***

  “El, are you back with us?” Alexa’s voice breaks into my trance and I have to rapidly blink to focus my eyes on her.

  Her curls are pulled back into a tight ponytail and her blue contacts scan my face and rigid body. I nod to her as I try to remember where I was before my vision of Gavin. Looking around myself, it all comes back to me.

  Alexa, Neo, Uncle Jack, Jed and I are all in Jack’s bulky black Jeep, on our way to the Redwoods in California. I don’t know where we are, but the last time I checked, we had only been a few miles from our destination. The others have been following us to where Aunt Mags told us to go, according to the map Barron wrote for me.

  She is the only one able to decipher the directions, but luckily the Wicca also have a few tricks. Barron had told me to go to the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, to specific coordinates where I would need to meet with a demon he has planted there. His hopes were that the demon would lead me to him for our dinner party. Aunt Mags knows of another entrance into hell in the opposite direction, the Redwood forest.

  Who needs a demon guide when you have a powerful Wicca? Barron doesn’t know all that much about me as it turns out. Hopefully.

  I lift my head off of the window that became my pillow, and adjust my seat belt. “I had a vision, Lex. It was of Gavin in a cave-like cell. I’m guessing it was in hell. I’ve never seen another place like it.” I look past her to Neo and his eyes are wide as he listens to me.

  Jack’s voice speaks from the driver’s seat. “Were you able to talk to him?” he asks.

  “Yeah. By the way, that’s a total newsflash to me. Nobody told me I could astral project to my Intended after bonding!”

  Alexa nudges my side. “El, we can talk about that later! What did he say? How was he?” She has been more concerned for Gavin than the others. Being his twin, there is a connection that isn’t matchable.

  I curl back into myself, not wanting to tell her about Gavin’s condition. “He uh… the demons have been hurting him pretty bad I think.” Tears fill my eyes again, somewhere from the deep dry well within me.

  Alexa growls inside herself and Neo pulls her closer to his side. He rubs her arm, likely sending soothing feelings with his magic touch. He talks to her in a quiet voice, his New York accent shining through. “I know I can’t say ‘don’t worry’ cause that can’t be helped. But we’ll get to him, Lex. I promise you that we’ll do everything to get ‘im back.”

  He’s right. I will do absolutely anything to get my husband back. I grab Alexa’s hand in mine and squeeze it. “He told me he will keep fighting too. If I know my Intended, he will kick some serious demon butt to get back to us. He is anything but weak.” I flinch as another wave of pain constricts my heart, but I try to hide the ever growing pain.

  Alexa notices my distress and her eyebrows raise. “Is it getting worse, El? The pain?”

  I shake my head. “It’s worse, but also not… if that makes any sense. The pull toward Gavin gets loose at times, like we’re closer to him, but then it suddenly tightens up and hurts like crazy.”

  Uncle Jack speaks again. “Maybe it’s because he’s in hell. It’s not just another place on the earth that you can get closer to. It’s everywhere and nowhere.”

  I nod, even though Jack is focused on the winding forest roads and can’t see it. “Anyone else feel like nothing at all makes sense lately?” I ask nobody in particular.

  Jed raises his hand from the front seat, and for a peaceful moment, we all laugh. Jed is very much the silent, dry humor type. I feel like every demon-hunting crew needs one of him. The car comes to a sudden stop on the side of the dark road, and everyone is quiet.

  Uncle Jack turns in his seat, shrugs his shoulders and looks at each of us with his dark brown contacts. Can’t look like a Seer when you’re storming a demon-infested hell. “Well, let’s go get our boy. Hell or highwater, eh?”

  I’d prefer the highwater.

  Chapter 8

  Walking through the Redwoods at night, knowing that hell is here, is an entirely different experience than driving past the big trees and admiring the forest. I’ve always thought it would be fun to hike around here, but never like this.

  Aunt Mags leads the way in front of our motley crew of Seers, humans, and Wicca. Each step along the dirt and vegetation is agony as Gavin’s absence from me continues. I just want to hug him and feel him beside me again.

  Kassy falls in step with me and grabs my hand. “Hey, married lady. How are you feeling?” She has a bow and a quiver hanging onto her like a backpack and she carries a crossbow in her other hand. With her platinum hair pulled back in a messy bun and the tight leather coat zipped up to her neck, she looks like a mix between an elfin warrior ready for battle and a biker chick.

  Everyone is geared up tonight, not knowing what to expect when we get to the entrance. Aunt Mags has never entered hell, she only knows of a few places that lead to it. Even I have my leather knife belt on around high waisted leggings.

  I shrug to Kassy, not sure how to answer her question. How am I doing? I’m in pain constantly and my husband was taken to hell by evil demons because of me. “I’m okay.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  Kassy tilts her head at me and raises a single eyebrow. “Liar,” she says. I can’t deny that the girl knows me. “You don’t have to say you’re okay. Just be honest and if you don’t want to talk at all, then be honest about that too.”

  I nod and release her hand to run both of mine through my unwashed hair. “Fine. I’m not doing okay at all. Everything hurts and I’m worried about Gavin. We bonded only a day ago and he’s gone!” My voice rises with the truth. “I don’t want to fight anymore, but at the same time I want to fight everything and everyone to get back to him, and to top it off, my powers feel like they’re going to blow up the world!”

  Everyone stops walking and turns to me as I yell. I cringe and my face flushes with heat. “Sorry. I guess I have some issues at the moment.”

  Jed scoffs and I spin to my right where he stands with wide eyes. “Finally! I’m freaking out too!” His flipped out hair sticks out around his ears and the sword on his back jostles as he throws his arms in the air. “See, El. It’s okay to be stressed. You don’t have to be so cool all the time. You need to just get mad and kick some…”

  “Jed,” Hagan whispers his
son's name and holds his hand up. “We’re here.”

  Everyone looks around us in silence and listens to the exceptionally dark woods. Aunt Mags lifts her hands, palms forward, in front of her and the path ahead of us lights up to show an amazingly large tree just feet ahead. All of the trees we’ve passed are big but this one tops them all, with a large root sticking up from the earth, creating an archway about my height.

  “What now?” I ask anyone with answers.

  Aunt Mags turns to the root arch and points at it. “There it is. You go through there to enter hell.”

  It’s Liam who comes in with the snarky comment. “Right. Cause hell has an actual door under the root of a giant tree. Of course…” His sarcasm practically pours from his lips.

  Kassy shoves him. “Don’t mind him. He’s still new to the magic process.” She takes a step toward the invisible door. “Shall we?” She turns to me with a shrug.

  I shake my head and grip her arm before she can go any farther. “Kass, I told you I don’t want you guys in there. Stay back and wait for us here.” She watches me with reluctance. “Please?” I add.

  Liam pulls Kassy to his chest and nods to me. “We are sticking around with the seasoned Seers. We’ll be here to fight if anything follows you out, though I’ll probably end up hiding behind my wife when it comes down to it.” He smiles with a grimace and looks down at Kassy, nearly a foot below him.

  Kassy laughs and I can’t help my own almost-smile. I hug them both and turn to the rest of our party. “I don’t know what we’ll find inside, and I know you guys are only here for Gavin, but thank you all for listening to me and being here. Just the five of us are going in, but it could be bad when we leave, so please be ready. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” Jed, Alexa, Uncle Jack, and Neo come to stand with me as my small army.

  Sophia and Danielle stayed home with little Ethan, but the rest of the family is here to lend a hand. Camilla stands before me and grabs my hands in her small ones. “I’d do anything for my boy, El. But I’d also do anything for you. You’re my daughter now, and family to all of us.” She kisses my cheek and I want to cry for the hundredth time in the past two days, but the well is dry.

  I pull her in for a hug and she turns to hug the rest of us taking the journey, even Neo. He may not do well with family, but this one loves him already. We both got pretty lucky.

  I turn back to Aunt Mags and she touches my cheek. “Be safe in there hon.”

  I nod. “I’ll do my best, and I have some killer witch brew to help me out.” I wink at her and she gives me a warning glare at my wrong terminology, with a hint of a smile.

  She gives the five of us each a water bottle with a brown mixture inside. Why is it always brown? I wrinkle my nose and drink the contents quickly.

  “Ech!” Uncle Jack shivers at the bitter taste. “That’s disgusting, but if it works then it’s also pretty cool.”

  “It works. You all now officially have no soul and look like the rest of hell’s inhabitants. Well, for about five hours at least. So be quick.” She turns to me and wraps me in her warm, motherly arms. “I love you baby girl. Come back to us with that cute man of yours.”

  “I will, mom,” I say, holding back even more dry tears.

  I step in front of the space below the large tree root and take a deep breath. It feels impossible that stepping underneath such a simple thing will lead me to an entirely different world, but here goes nothing. I close my eyes and stick my foot out in front of me, through the empty space, and my boot falls on hard rock. No way…

  ***

  No giant, ancient metal gates of fire. No long staircase winding into a burning pit of bodies. The entrance to Hell is literally just a long, claustrophobic tunnel of rock. I guess it’s torture not knowing when it’ll end, but I expected something different.

  “Anyone else feel like we’ve been walking in one direction for a year?” Jed complains from the back of our single file line.

  Uncle Jack has taken the lead, being the most experienced of us all. He cranes his thick neck back. “It’s been less than an hour, Jedrek. Chill.”

  His large frame in this skinny tunnel is almost a funny sight. Or it would be in different circumstances. There has been no indication to where the demons or Gavin might be. The string on my heart isn’t being any help in this place. Even if it were pulling in any direction, there’s only one way to go. Forward.

  Just as I start to feel like we’re not getting anywhere, voices approach us from the dark ahead. “What are you mice doing in here?” A high-voiced woman with a short man by her side step in front of us.

  I freeze, worried that our magical disguises aren’t working. Just as I feel like I might start to squeal like a pig, the woman talks again. “Get to work in the atrium! I don’t recognize you lot, but you’re about to not recognize yourselves if you keep wandering where you don’t belong!”

  The demon woman doesn’t have black eyes like I’ve seen before. I guess in hell, since they are not possessing anyone, they have their own eyes. Her brown eyes stare us down as we all keep our mouths shut for fear of being found out.

  Her slick, black hair sways as she turns her head to her companion. “Daniel, show these idiots to their stations.” She flicks a hand at Daniel and he bows his head at her.

  “Come.” Daniel says to Uncle Jack. Daniel was once a human, but he also looks like a troll doll. His nose is pressed flat and his jaw is wide. His wild gray hair sticks up in odd places, and looks like a tall weed on top of his head.

  Alexa presses against my back as we follow the demon man to where he came from. She whispers in my ear when we pass the mean woman. “Looks like the witch brew worked.”

  I want to laugh, but I hold in the temptation. I just nod and continue after Jack and Neo until the tunnel opens up to a sight I never expected in a place like this.

  A market. An actual hell market is laid out in an enormous cavern surrounded by the same black rock that we’ve been staring at for an hour. Various booths, tables, and blankets are spread throughout the dark cave, covered with different merchandise.

  There are likely thousands of demons roaming about the place, and not a single ounce of organization. The demons look like regular people and none seem to mind the bone deep cold. So much for hot, burning hell fire.

  Some demons are old and weak looking, while others are young and beautiful. Some demons look abused and are dressed in barely covering straps or tattered clothing.

  I have to look away as we pass a woman wearing almost nothing and selling what looks to be an assortment of road killed animals. She smiles wickedly at the men in our group and I can’t imagine what else she might offer.

  Every step along the jagged rocks takes nearly too much effort. The ache inside of me is worse than I ever thought imaginable and I might throw up if I don’t take a break soon. I can’t stop until I find him.

  The noise in the echoey market is nearly deafening. The chatter is constant, and the majority of it makes no sense to my ears. Every language is spoken down here, and many of them I’ve never heard in my life. Growls and screams echo through the cavern as well, but I don’t see any sign of where they could be coming from.

  I want to grab onto my group so I don’t lose one of them in this disgusting place, but I can’t imagine that hugging and holding hands is a common occurrence down here. I just keep following Daniel with everyone else until he stops.

  “Here. Get to work,” he says to us, and walks off without a second glance.

  I look to my people and they all have the same confused look as me. “Work?” I ask them and they shrug.

  Neo’s face goes pale as he points to the area behind where I stand. “I think he wants us to do that.”

  I turn around and gasp at the pile of human bodies lying in a large bin only feet from me. The icy air in the freezing cold hell finds my lungs and I begin to hyperventilate. I run to a dark corner of the large cavern and fall to my knees, vomiting uncontrollably.

  A h
and lays on my back and I turn to find Alexa leaning over me. “Are you alright El? I mean, you’re clearly not, but.. you know what I mean.” Her red curls fall in her face and her eyebrows press together as she watches me.

  I shake my head. “I know what you mean. I’m not okay at all, but we just need to find Gavin and get out of here.”

  Uncle Jack, Neo, and Jed join us. Jack helps me to my feet and grabs my hands in his. The gentle gesture surprises, but also comforts me. He looks into my eyes and speaks in a quiet voice. “El, you can find Gavin. I know it’s new to you, and it is to him too. But I also know that if you breathe and focus, you’ll feel the pull. Trust me.”

  I pull in a deep breath, trying to ignore the many different odors that come with it. I close my eyes, still holding Jack’s hands to help steady me, and I focus on the invisible string tied around my pained heart. I follow the string in my mind, trying to find where it leads and in seconds the pull jerks hard to the right of me, and I gasp at the feel of it.

  I open my eyes to see all of my loved ones eyes looking back at me in anticipation. “He’s that way, I’m sure of it.” I point to where my heart is pulling me and the five of us stand tall and head to a dark tunnel directly to my right.

  The ever dramatic Jed groans, but follows my lead without question. “Great. Another tunnel.”

  Chapter 9

  The pull on my heart grows stronger with each step I take. I know my team is behind me, but I am focused only on the feeling of Gavin. We pass through a dark tunnel similar to the one we entered hell by, but this one has small holes in the rock walls that hold fires for light.

  I get a sense of deja vu in the wide tunnel, and I know exactly where I am. My heart continues to get tugged forward, until the sudden turn I knew would come.

  I spin to my left and there is the metal door I saw in my vision before, only this time it’s closed. “Gavin.” I cry his name out in a whisper and run to the door.

  I can feel him on the other side, and somehow I can even discern his pain from the torture he has endured. “Gavin, can you hear me?” I talk quietly through the large door, trying not to alert any demon’s that we’re here.