Forgotten Visions (The Divinities Book 1) Read online

  Willow gave her a gentle, caring smile. “I didn’t sense anything earlier, nor do I now. I’ll be around all the same.”

  “Thanks.”

  After the kitchen was clean, Willow ran her out with a cup of tea.

  Without a distraction, her thoughts turned to Ayden. It was extremely hard to stay away from him. She was drawn to him like a moon to her planet. The kiss they’d shared last night filtered through her mind, instantly warming her from the inside out. Her mouth curled into a smile as she entered her bedroom. The passion he had ignited in her was surreal. It also scared her.

  When he touched her, every worry and fear melted away. Another sign of meeting a magical partner. Gods, what was she going to do? She fought the urge to run away. Running would only spotlight her weakness. No, she was stronger than that. She would overcome her phobic behavior and stomp it into the ground if it was the last thing she did.

  Then there was her memory. Flashes of her past came back to her little by little, raising fear within her. She waited for the horrible pain that usually followed the flashbacks, but to her relief, it never came.

  While in the shower, her second Divine Rose appeared on the inside of her left forearm and triggered the onset of visions. Memories. She staggered back against the wall for support as the images slammed into her and threw her off balance.

  Kalissa rushes into the house with her heart pounding against her ribcage. She shuts the front door behind her and presses her back against it. Khloe comes into the living room with a smirk on her face. “You’re in so much trouble. I know where you were. I saw you.”

  Kalissa steps forward to grab Khloe’s hands with hers. “Did you say anything to Mom?”

  Khloe shakes her head back and forth. Before she can say anything else, their mother comes into the room. “Khloe, go tell your father dinner’s ready.” When Khloe doesn’t move, their mother says, “Now, Khloe.” It isn’t a demanding tone she uses, but it is firm enough that Khloe nods and walks toward the study. Before disappearing inside, she gives Kalissa an apologetic look.

  “Where have you been, Kalissa?”

  Kalissa flings her arms behind her back as soon as her mother comes into the room. “At the coven,” she answers.

  “Why didn’t you come home with Khloe?”

  “I, um…lost track of time,” she says softly. That isn’t a lie. She was with Ayden. Every time they are together, time gets away from her.

  “Give me your hands,” her mother says, holding out her own.

  She takes a breath to push down the fear forming in her gut. She slowly takes her arms from around back and holds them out to her mother, palms up. Her mother looks down at her hands and up to her forearms. Kalissa is surprised when her mother pulls her into a hug. “You scared me,” her mother says into her hair. At seventeen, Kalissa is only a couple of inches shorter than her mother. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

  “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  Finished with her shower, Kalissa sat on the edge of the bed, remembering being so relieved that her mother hadn’t been able to see her second rose. Maybe she and Ayden were the only ones who could see them.

  Oh, Gods. They were life partners.

  What was she going to do? Leaving him wasn’t an option. Not again. That acknowledgment saddened her. How could he forgive her? What had she done?

  With a heavy sigh, she calmed herself and searched for Ayden.

  Entering the kitchen, she found him sitting at the table with his laptop on. “You’re not working, are you?” She didn’t even try to take the annoyance out of her voice.

  He closed the computer, stood up to wrap an arm around her waist, and kissed her lips softly. She winced at his fast movement but relaxed when he pulled back and met her gaze. His eyes were filled with worry. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, before taking a deep breath and answered her question. “Zach sent me the info on the tag number.” Disappointment flashed across his face. “It belongs to a human. Turns out, it was a drunk driver. Charlotte PD has already taken him into custody.”

  “That’s good, right?” She studied his facial expressions.

  “I guess.” He stepped back and took her hand, linking the fingers of one hand with hers and picking up the basket with the other. They headed out.

  They went on their hike first before heading to the river for their picnic. A light, warm breeze drifted around them, rustling leaves and swaying tree branches.

  The uneasy feeling of being watched returned. Not that it had actually left. Being with Ayden just offered a sense of peace and security.

  “Are you okay?” he asked after walking in silence for several minutes.

  Kalissa nodded. “Yeah.” She let out a sigh, knowing he sensed her mood. She turned over her arm and linked her fingers with his. He glanced down, squeezed her hand just a little, and then let go. A second later, he stopped and set down the picnic basket Willow had packed for them.

  “What… ”

  Ayden turned to face her and cupped her face in his hands. “You remember?”

  Kalissa relaxed. “I’m starting to.” She held up her left arm with her forearm facing him. “I know this is not the first time this has shown up.”

  Ayden leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. “Are you okay? I mean…the headaches.”

  She knew what he was really asking. “No, no pain. Thank the gods. I was in love with you once. But now? I’m confused. And there are things you need to know. Things I’m not sure I’m ready to share, yet.” Those things would most likely send Ayden packing. So, no, she wasn’t prepared to share her secrets with him.

  She replayed the vision over and over in her mind, trying to figure out what it meant. True, the vision hadn’t specifically shown Ayden being struck. The one question that she kept mulling over was: why were they at the cave in the first place? Unless…

  “Oh my gods. The cave.” Kalissa locked eyes with Ayden then she twisted out of his hands and went to the picnic basket. Reaching in, she pulled out the translated missive from her mother. She’d brought the message, hoping they could figure out what it meant. She read it aloud.

  “What you seek is hidden within the chamber, and protected by the twin retrievers. Five score from Lolissa into Mother’s light. But first, you must meet the others at The Wheel.”

  “The chamber must be the cave. And five score is one hundred. The cave is exactly one hundred yards from the cabin.” There was no way to avoid the vision. Her gut tightened. They had to go to the cave.

  She was going to do everything she could to stop the dream-vision from coming true. Ayden had said it himself—visions were suggestions, a glimpse of what could happen. They could decide what road to take based on that peek into the future. They could prepare. Gods, she hoped he was right, and they could all walk away alive.

  “And mother’s light is the moon?”

  Kalissa nodded. “The moon rises from that side of the mountain this time of year.”

  “What do you think the twin retrievers are?” Ayden asked as he picked up the basket, laced his fingers with hers, and started walking again.

  “I’m not sure. But I hope they’re friendly, at least to us.”

  “Me, too,” Ayden said with a small smile.

  They continued down the path to the river. Her mind was a whirlwind of information and possibilities. When they reached the riverbank, she asked, “What do you know about the Divine Rose?” He gave her a questioning look as he pulled the small blanket out of the basket and spread it out on the grass. “I mean, how is it no one else sees it?”

  Ayden thought about it for a few seconds. “I’m not sure. I think it’s different for every couple. Papa said his mother saw his and Grams’.”

  Kalissa sat down on the blanket and looked out into the water swiftly flowing along. “But no one can see ours?” She told him about the memory she’d had earlier, and that her mother couldn’t see it. “I believe that’s what she was looking for.�
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  Ayden sat next to her and took her left hand in his right. For the first time, she didn’t flinch away. He gave her a seductive smile before speaking. “Many believe that sex triggers it. She might’ve been checking to see if we had been intimate.”

  Kalissa pulled her hand from his and pushed at him playfully. “She was not.” He raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled. “Okay. Maybe. But we were only seventeen.” As soon as she’d said it, she realized it was a lame excuse. Magickin developed and matured faster than humans. Plus, magickin didn’t hold the same views about sex as humans. They viewed sex as a part of nature and a sacred part of life and love.

  “I’ve even heard of couples whose roses were visible as they developed,” Ayden added.

  Kalissa looked at his handsome profile as he peered out into the water. There was so much she didn’t know about him, yet she felt so close to him. She wanted to reach out and touch him, kiss him, and explore every inch of his hard, muscular body. Run her hands though his silky brown hair. But he was like a stranger to her. Would she feel differently when the memory spell was broken? Could they break the spell? They didn’t even know who’d cast it or how. Or why.

  Ayden took his shoes and socks off and rolled up his pants legs to his knees, then stood and walked to the edge of the bank. “Come in the water with me,” he said, looking over his shoulder to her.

  She shook her head side to side. “No way. It’s too cold.”

  He turned and stepped into the rushing water, sucked in a sharp breath and laughed. “Oh, it’s fine.” He turned to face her.

  Kalissa stood and walked closer to the edge. “It’s cold,” she repeated and laughed softly at his appearance. It reminded her of when they were younger and had gone to the lake. She smiled widely at the fact that she’d just had another memory without the onset of a headache. Was the spell weakening?

  Ayden splashed water toward her. A half-squeal and half-laugh vacated her as she turned sideways to keep the water droplets from making contact. When she turned back to face him, her smile faded. His facial expression had changed to one of alarm. A nanosecond later, she was yanked off the ground and carried off through the forest at supernatural speed by something she couldn’t see. It wasn’t even completely solid.

  The trees flew by in a blur of motion. Ayden yelled her name. She looked back and saw him struggle to get out of the water and run after the assailant and her, but he wasn’t fast enough. Kalissa panicked and started to fight the…entity? She wasn’t sure what it was, but she could tell it was male, and she knew she wasn’t going to like where he was taking her.

  She managed a solid kick in his stomach. He grunted, and she slipped off his shoulder slightly. Another twist and several kicks to the abdomen, and he struggled to hold on to her.

  Willow swooped in behind him. “Take that, demon!” She thrust an energy bolt into his back. He dropped Kalissa, sending her rolling into the underbrush along the path they’d been traveling down.

  Another shadowy creature barreled toward them, plowing into the other. The newcomer was different, felt familiar to her somehow. After a few seconds, she recognized the new one as Ayden. He was using the demon’s abilities against him.

  They rolled on the ground until one kicked the other off. He sailed through the air and slammed hard into the trunk of an oak tree. Sliding down to the ground, he jumped up, shook it off, and charged back at the other one.

  The other crouched low—braced for impact. When the one that’d hit the tree made contact, he was thrown backwards over the other’s head.

  It was hard to tell them apart. Kalissa didn’t know whom to root for as the two transparent, black-clouded bodies wrestled and fought one another. Her palms were sweating, and her heart raced. A crack sounded and echoed off the trees, as one got a solid punch in on the other’s jaw. They were too well matched. It was a death match. She wanted to stop it but didn’t know what to do.

  A distraction. She could cause a diversion. But what?

  Willow came and sat beside her. “Man, I wish I had some popcorn.”

  Kalissa frowned at the nymph. “Willow!”

  “What?” Willow gave an innocent look and then released a heavy sigh. “Lis, you have the power to help him.”

  Doubt settled in. “No, I… How?”

  “He’s your life partner.” Kalissa peered at Willow in question. The nymph knew. “Before you ask, no, your mating rose is not visible to me. I can see it in your aura and the way you look at each other. It was the same with your parents.” Sadness passed between them. Willow took a deep breath and continued. “Close your eyes and focus. Search for the connection that draws you to him.”

  Kalissa hesitated, unsure how to find the connection. Another crack from a fist hitting a jaw ricocheted off the trees and pushed her into motion. If she didn’t do something, Ayden and the demon would kill each other. She closed her eyes, concentrated on Ayden, and stretched out her senses.

  Frustration mounting, she lost focus. Willow’s voice drifted into her thoughts. “You are stronger than you think. Open your mind to his. Accept what you deny.”

  A tree branch sailed past, inches from her head, and landed with a thud in the woods. The wind from the flying object whipped her hair in her face. Her heart kicked with beats that would send her into cardiac arrest if she were mortal.

  Screw trying to figure out what the hell Willow had meant with her cryptic riddles. Ayden needed help. She crouched closer to the dueling shadows. One got knocked down by a punch so hard he slid along the ground and stopped inches from her. He got up and stilled, locking gazes with Kalissa. Her heart stopped beating. That was not Ayden. She didn’t try to comprehend how she knew as she scooted backwards.

  A face formed out of the black cloud of a body. She cringed and fought back a gasp. Although he wasn’t fully solid, his true form flashed in her mind. Marbled blue scales covered his body, and his eyes glowed crimson. One of those blue-scaled claws rose in the air and came down lightning-quick to swipe at her.

  Chapter 12

  Kalissa braced for the impact of the demon’s claws, eyes squeezed shut. It didn’t come. She opened her lids. Bile rose in her throat, and her stomach soured. The demon lay on the ground in front of her, arm extended out, and head several feet away.

  Ayden stood over the body, sword in hand; his chest rose and fell as he caught his breath. She smiled and flew into his arms. Relief and happiness raced through her.

  “Are you okay?” It was the first thing out of Ayden’s mouth after he’d teleported them back inside the cabin. He walked around her, touching her and checking for injuries.

  “I’m fine.” She took his hands in hers to halt his circling. “What about you?” Searching his face, she saw yellowish bruises forming along his right cheekbone and left eye. A deep, claw-like scratch lay over his right eye. To her relief, it had stopped bleeding.

  “I’ll live.” He pulled her to him and held her tightly. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?”

  Kalissa had tensed for a second before she deflated, falling into him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nodded into his chest while breathing in his scent—sandalwood and man. Comfort and warmth blanketed her as he held her. If it weren’t for Willow and Ayden, she wouldn’t be here. She wasn’t sure where she would have ended up, nor did she want to find out. His concern for her touched something deep inside; the self-doubt and anxiety shrinking away. He could never hurt her as Liam had.

  She pulled back to look into his eyes. “Who hit the tree?”

  He smiled a sexy smile that made her go weak in the knees. “The shadow demon.”

  Kalissa narrowed her eyes at him. There was a “duh” in that statement. “How did you change like that?” She had her theories, but she asked anyway.

  Instead of answering, he took her hands from around his waist and led her to the kitchen. Kalissa climbed onto one of the barstools when they’d reached the island that separated the two rooms.

  Once on the other
side of the counter, he explained. “I’m not sure, really. I panicked and just reacted. I mean, I got into his head and found his strongest ability and took it.”

  “You can do that, get inside people’s heads?”

  He thought about it for a second. “Not always. With other Divinities, I can just sense their Divine gifts. With demons, I have to go into the subconscious and search. Some are harder than others.” He opened the refrigerator to the right of the island.

  “How did that demon get past Willow’s wards?”

  “Shadow demons are hard to detect,” he replied as he pulled some things out of the refrigerator and placed them on the counter. “Chicken stir-fry okay?”

  “Yes, that’s fine. Is it dinner time already?”

  “Not really, but since we didn’t get to enjoy our lunch, I thought I would start dinner early. Plus, I’m wound up and need something to do.” He gave her a gentle smile and went back to pulling out ingredients.

  Kalissa looked at the clock on the stove behind Ayden. It was 3:30. She hadn’t realized they’d been out so long. They must have hiked longer than it seemed before settling in for the lunch that had been so rudely interrupted.

  “Damn shadows,” Willow grumped on her way into the kitchen, setting the picnic basket and blanket on the table. “They think they can just sneak up on someone. We showed him, though, didn’t we?” She walked over to stand next to Ayden, giving him a little nudge with her elbow. She looked down at the chicken and vegetables laid out on the counter. “Oooh, what’s for dinner?”

  “Chicken stir-fry. Want to join us?” Ayden asked.

  Willow thought about it for a minute and then shook her head. “No, thanks. You kids have fun. I’m going to scout around.”

  An hour later, Ayden found Kalissa sitting on the back porch swing, taking in the cooling evening air. Leaned against the doorframe, he watched her with a smile he couldn’t get rid of. Her eyes were closed; feet folded like a pretzel under her. Dark blond curls cascaded down her back and around her shoulders. This was the most peaceful and relaxed she’d appeared since he’d picked her up from the ER. Then it dawned on him that she was meditating.