Fighting Destiny (Central Coven) (25 page)

I continued to run, leaving a trail of blood behind me.  I was bruised and battered from constantly falling on the slippery rocks.  Finally, I spotted the eagle just ahead.  It landed on an uprooted tree that was snapped off mid-trunk. 

I had to climb an earthen mound to get to the eagle.  The effort left me drenched in sweat, my hair plastered to my face, with dirt and blood all over my skin.  “Chloë, remember and then come find me,” the eagle said in an ethereal voice. 

Suddenly the eagle and the tree trunk transformed into a totem.  “I don’t understand,” I shouted.  There was no answer.  I listened as hard as I could, but the voice was gone.  I heard the trees rustle in the wind, the river flowing in the distance, and my heart pounding in my chest.  “I don’t understand,” I whispered, but still no one answered.

The earth began to shake, “Chloë, Chloë,” someone called out.  I looked around. “What, where?” I asked.  I opened my eyes, ugh, thank God it was a dream.  “Grey,” I moaned sleepily.  “Yes darling.  You were having a nightmare.  Do you want to tell me about it?” I shook my head no, “but I do feel like there is something I am supposed to remember. “What don’t you understand?”   “Did I say that out loud?” I asked embarrassed.  “Will you tell me in the morning?” He continued sweetly.  I wasn’t entirely sure I knew what the dream was about, but I nodded yes anyway.

Were you watching me sleep again?”  “How could I not?  That nightgown keeps riding up your thighs,” he said stroking my leg.  “I’m sure it is an accident you only bought these for me to sleep in here, even though I usually sleep in t-shirts and shorts.”  “You do?  Hmmm, how did I miss that?” Grey said with false sincerity.

He laughed briefly, and ran his hand through his thick, nearly black hair.  “What?” I asked self-consciously.  “You are still so shy around me.  I find it charming,” he said, and sat up next to me.  “I feel there is a question hidden in what you just said.”  “Perceptive.  Am I your first, Chloë?”

“You couldn’t tell?” I asked surprised.  “Is that a yes?” he pressed.  “Yes, that is a yes.  But you could tell, right?”  “I suppose I could.  You were shy, modest, and perhaps a little hesitant.  But, no I did not notice at first.  I felt your passion, your desire. You seemed mature. Yet, you were innocent at the same time. I don’t know how I figured it out, I just knew.  It wouldn’t have mattered either way.  I loved you, but yes it was more special being chosen by you.  It is an old fashioned thing I suppose I will never grow out of.”

“What was it that made you fall in love with me?” I asked curiously. “I loved you before we spent the night together, but once we were intimate, it was a feeling that consumed me.  It was the way you fell asleep in my arms after we made love.  I never wanted to let you go. That was actually what made me more desperately in love with you.”

“So, never let me go,” I propositioned.  He looked at me with a wicked grin, “What do you have in mind?”   “Well, I’m already awake, and I really do hate this nightgown.”  “Really,” he answered in a velvety smooth voice.  “Absolutely.  That t-shirt looks comfortable.  Do you want to trade?” I asked provocatively.  I raised one eyebrow, and pulled the nightgown over my head.

“This does not motivate me to buy you more comfortable sleepwear, you realize this right?” “I guess I will just have to keep stealing yours.”  I pulled his t-shirt over his head, and rubbed my hands over his strong muscular chest.  “You should wake me up from dreaming more often.”  “That is a request I would be happy to oblige.”

Grey hooked his hand under my knee, and pulled my leg around his waist.  My bare skin felt flame hot next to his cool hard flesh.  I pressed myself against him.  His full soft lips brushed across my collarbone, the base of my throat, under my chin, and below my ear.  He looked into my eyes, and they turned brilliant jewel green.  Grey smiled with satisfaction.

He softly kissed my lips.  My breathing became ragged.  Our hands interlocked, and he moved them above my head.  “Chloë, my beloved, my heart, my soul. I love you.”  I smiled, my eyes blazed so bright they were lighting up the dark.  “I wish I had words for how much I love you,” I whispered.  “Then show me,” Grey suggested, taking one of his hands from mine and tracing from my hand to my waist.  My eyes rolled into the back of my head.  I moaned softly, and roamed my hands into his hair, skin, everywhere I could touch.  We didn’t say another word, or move apart until the sun rose.

The sound of a car’s horn woke me with a start.  I scrambled for my phone, “I overslept.  I’ll be right out.”  “I came fifteen minutes early, because I knew this would happen,” Anita said laughingly.  I kissed Grey on the cheek. “Going already,” he said.  “Yes, I have to go to class.  Go back to sleep, I will see you later.”

I grabbed my clothes from the floor, and quickly dressed in the bathroom.  I brushed my hair, my teeth, and washed my face.  I skipped putting on any makeup, and made it out the door in less than fifteen minutes.  “Good thing you missed class yesterday,” Anita said and handed me a latté.

“Good morning Anita, thanks for the coffee.  Why exactly is it good I missed class yesterday?”  “Because those are yesterday’s clothes.  But since everyone in class didn’t see you yesterday they won’t know.”  “Very perceptive.  I should have set an alarm, but I was a little…uhm…distracted, last night.”  Anita giggled, “How was it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”  “Oh come on I would tell you,” Anita begged.  “Well, please don’t. I love girl talk and all, but I am not going to go into graphic detail about my love life.”  “Yuck.  I don’t want graphic detail, I know Grey too well for that. God, he is like my older brother. Just girl talk stuff.”  I raised my eyebrow at her.  She huffed an irritated sigh, “Okay, so I had an itty-bitty, tiny, little crush for about five minutes, but now he is definitely the older, overbearing brother that I never had.  Don’t think you are getting out of this.  Spill.”

“Well, it is amazing.  I can’t find words to describe.  I always thought saying ‘making love’ was some kind of mushy cliché, but now it doesn’t seem strong enough.  I love him, and even that doesn’t seem strong enough.  I can’t get enough of him.  Is that what you were looking for?”

“Wow, I’m getting hot!  I wish Dean didn’t have all of these damn rules.  I’m sick of waiting.”  “Does he know that?”  “Yes.  Every time I complain about it, he says as soon as I am ready to be with him forever he would be more than happy to.  It is irritating, like he would be doing me a favor.  What makes me the angriest though is that he is so controlled.  I wish he had to fight harder to control himself.”             

“He loves you,” I reassured her.  “I know, but…ugh, I don’t think we are ever going to find a parking spot in this lot.  Well it looks like we are going to walk a little bit.”  “Better than walking from Thorp,” I told her.  “We are actually early too,” Anita whined.  “Oh come on.  We did come to college to learn.”  “Speak for yourself.  I came here to party,” she answered.

“Amazing that some creepy losers trash the dorm and the four of you freaks are mysteriously gone for the entire weekend,” Cynthia’s voice rose from behind me.  “If I ever lose my cool, she is the first one I’m going to bite,” Anita whispered to me.  “What was that?  Are you talking about me?” Cynthia asked.  “Yeah, I said bite me!” Anita snapped.

“Anita, really,” I chastised.  “Cynthia do you have anything of substance to say, or did you wake up this morning and just want to be a pest?” I asked her.  “So did you and Finn shack up this weekend after all?” Cynthia pried.  “Wow, nosey much?  I have a boyfriend, and as for where I stayed, that is none of your business,” I replied coldly. “Okay, well you missed Philosophy yesterday, and I volunteered you to be in my discussion group,” Cynthia said with a sneer.  Ugh, I would rather fight the vampires again.  “So see you later,” she said laughing.  “Okay, you can bite her,” I whispered to Anita.  Anita just laughed at me.

“Are you talking about us?” Dean asked as he strolled up casually and draped his arm around Anita.  She beamed up at his massive muscular frame.  “That is likely since you are always on my mind.”  Finn came up and linked arms with me, and gave me a sweet friendly smile. “Truce,” he whispered.  I nodded in agreement.

“Sure looks like you two aren’t a couple,” Cynthia said sarcastically.  “Believe what ever you want Cynthia, but just don’t tell her boyfriend we are together.  I don’t want my ass kicked,” Finn said and winked at me.  Hmm, maybe this time the truce would stick.  “Well if you aren’t together then why did you dump me and Tracy?” Cynthia demanded.  “I guess I’m just a dog,” Finn said with a laugh.  I shook my head at him.  He looked straight at me.  “No?”  “No, you are just figuring out what you want,” I offered. 

“Okay, buh bye now,” Anita said dismissively.  The four of us strode off together, leaving a stunned Cynthia standing with her mouth hanging open, staring at us.  It was almost possible to see steam coming out of her ears; she was so obviously angered by our trivializing her.  “You know this isn’t over with her,” Finn said to us.  “Oh, that is obvious.  And now I have to be in a group with her,” I complained. 

“Yeah, but I
hate
her!” Anita answered.  “And here I thought it was just me,” I told her.  “Well, I guess I joined that club, but at least you don’t want to drain her.”  “Anita!” Dean exclaimed.  “Sorry, just don’t let me be alone with her,” Anita said innocently. 

“Can I talk to you after class?” Finn asked me.  “Yeah sure.  After my theater class, do you want to go get a coffee?” I offered.  “Sounds good,” Finn said relieved that I agreed.  “Should I be worried?”  He smiled weakly, “No.  I have a question about something your mother told me.”  “Your parents?”  He nodded solemnly.  “Anything I can do to help,” I assured him.  “Thanks Chloë.”

My classes seemed to go much slower than usual.  Even my favorite history class was torturously long.  I tried to pay attention to the lecture, but my mind drifted to consider what my mother could have said to Finn that he wanted to discuss.  Typically anything that had to deal with my mother made me apprehensive.

I knew she was grooming me to take her place at the head of the
Council
.  The Du Lac family was somewhat like royalty in the supernatural world, and I was the princess.  At least in my mother’s mind that was the case.  Marguerite was not really interested in retiring, but like her mother before her, when a more powerful witch comes along it cements the family’s position.

When she felt I was ready to take over her role, my mother would join my grandmother on the
Council
, instead of leading it. The
Council
was composed of the most powerful supernatural beings.  Once she joined the
Council
another member would be forced to resign.  I knew this was my mother’s plan.  I also knew my mother hoped that having four members of Du Lac witches on the
Council
, my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, and myself, would push our family agenda.  I was unclear what our family agenda was, but whatever it was, I was not happy with my apparent role in it.

All of a sudden I noticed everyone around me was getting up to leave.  Finally, theater was over.  I stuffed my books into my bag, put my coat on, and headed toward the campus café to meet Finn.  Outside the door to the building, Tracy was waiting for me. 

“Hi Chloë, can I talk to you for a sec?” she asked me.  “Yeah, sure, I’m meeting someone in a few minutes, but if you want to walk with me,” I offered.  I don’t know why I didn’t tell her I was meeting Finn, but I decided the less I told her, the better it was for me.  I was really starting to hate cheerleaders.

“So, uhm, Cynthia says you said you and Finn told her you aren’t back together, but she thinks you are,” she said in a muddled statement.  “Is there a question in there or are you trying to give me a migraine?” I asked.  She laughed a snorting, high-pitched laugh.  “You’re funny.  Cindy always says you are a freak-bitch, but I think you are funny.  Sammy and Tammy think so too,” She responded.  “Well, thanks, I guess.  And tell Sammy and Tammy thanks too.  You’re kinda weird, but I like you,” I told her.

“So are you and Finn back together?” she asked.  “No, we are just really good friends.”  “Do you know why he hasn’t called me? I’m sure he told you nothing happened between us, but I felt we made a deep connection.”  “I’m really sorry.  I’m sure it is hard to ask me that, but I don’t know.  We don’t really talk about our relationships with each other, that would be too weird, you know, considering.” 

“Do you think you could talk to him for me?” She asked.  “Mmmm…I don’t think I would be comfortable with that.  But, hey if he brings it up I’ll talk to him about it.  No promises though, Okay?”  “Yeah, it is really nice of you to talk to me about this anyway.”  “I only know how Finn is with me, but if you are bothered by how he’s treated you, talk to him.  You should stand up for yourself,” I advised her.  “I just might do that, thanks.” 

I opened the door to the SUB, ordered a coffee and sat down next to Finn.  “Did I see you walking with Tracy?” he asked.  “Yeah, awkward, but she is nicer than I thought she would be.”  “I need to talk to her.  I owe her an explanation.”  “That’s all I’m sayin’,” I said playfully.  Finn bumped his shoulder playfully into mine.  Then his demeanor turned serious.

“Your mother told me that the
Council’s
leads on my parents have run cold.  I don’t think that I have told you, but your mother and I have been talking since I learned my parents first disappeared.  That is actually why I haven’t been an emotional mess.  They thought my parents went on the annual gathering the most senior elves have every year.  Usually my parents do take a trip in September, so I wasn’t too concerned, and they did say they would be out of town for a few weeks.