Hidden Talents (Book One)

Visions of Him

One of my personal favorites of the chapters so far. Oh by the way fair warning: Mature-ish scene ahead. Enjoy!
"Excuse me what?" The words don't come out of my mouth and I start. Gabrielle is standing, standing with his hand on his hip. "I am sorry that is not going to happen." Lydia purses her lips unhappily. " Is he your fairy godmother or something?" Gabrielle gasps and inhales sharply. "If I was I'd ask you to bibbity bobbity back the fuck up!" It was my turn to speak up. "Gabrielle enough! Sit the hell down. You are thirteen you do not need to say that crap!" He pouts but slumps into his chair and I turn back to Lydia. I take a deep breath, gathering my courage. "What do I have to do?"

Three hours later I have a very unhappy Gabrielle behind me. "I don't want you to do it." I shake my head. "I have to. I am one person and I have the chance to save millions." Gabrielle sniffs and I turn to see him wiping a tear. "You're the first person to treat me like family. I've never had one of those before and now you're happy leaving me." His eyes spark with anger and hurt. "Gabe. You have a family. You have Aldine and Halvar, who loves you, don't be fooled by his tough-guy exterior." Gabrielle shakes his head, angrily. "Don't you understand. You're the one who gave them to me. I would never have met them if not for you." He looks up at me in a rare moment of vulnerability. "If you leave I will be alone again." Now Aldine speaks up, her voice thick with tears. "My brother has always been to busy to care and my parents died when I was a child. You are the first true family I have had as well." I pull Lyel to a stop and pull Gabrielle close in a hug where he cries softly into my chest. My heart pulls for this young boy who has had to go through so much in such a short amount of time. I then pull Aldine into an awkward hug, reaching across space between our two horses. Gabrielle speaks up as I pull away from Aldine, once again angry. I sigh and spur Lyel on. "What about your Mate? You're going to leave them before you even meet them?" I shake me head exasperated. "It's what's needed of me, Gabe." He growls lightly. "To hell with them!" I turn to glare at him. "Enough Gabrielle. I have already agreed to this and I do not back out of my word!" He does not back down. "Do you not want to know what it is like to be held by the person who belongs to you completely?" His words trigger something and I am thrown into the vision

He pushes me into a wall. "Fuck him! He doesn't get to touch you. You are mine and Rhysander needs to learn that!" His voice is low, warning me he is close to losing control and I instinctively bare my neck to him. He snarls, burying his face into my neck and I feel teeth scrape the skin of my neck and I moan. He does it again and I clench my thighs. His hands wrap around the back of my legs and he lifts me up. I wrap them around him, locking my ankles around his back. His growls are now approving and he kisses a trail down my neck to the swell of my breasts where he bites lightly. "Please." I gasp breathlessly. "Please what baby girl. Tell me what you want." I whimper and he stops. "Tell me what you want Ceridwen." I rock my hips against the bulge in his pants. "I want you, Rowan."

I am flushed when I come out of the vision. Gabrielle is staring at me, awed. "What did you see?" I clear my throat and shake my head. "Nothing for you to know. That was my vision and mine alone." Gabrielle pouts but, for once, doesn't press it. "Anyway, about my mate. The Fates obviously don't want me to meet him. So who cares. I certainly don't."  You're mine. The words echo through my head and I blush. "Come on we have to get back to the castle." Gabrielle huffs again. "We were only there for two hours. I don't understand how she trained you at all." I tighten my grip on the small bottle hidden in my new dress.  A much lighter dress that resembles a short mid-thigh Dashini style dress that was orange and red. Gabrielle was in a pair of gym shorts, somehow, and that was all. Aldine was quite adamant about keeping her dress and Lydia had just pursed her lips. "Trust me. She taught me what I needed to know." Gabrielle wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I don't like Lydia. She says you have to die ." It's at moments like this that I remember that Gabrielle is a little kid. "Gabrielle that is enough.  I am done talking about this with you. Everything will work out like it needs to. I promise." Gabrielle grumbles but quiets down and I relax. I spur Lyel on and motion for Aldine to do the same. 

By nightfall, we are all exhausted and set camp. We are sitting around a small campfire and Gabrielle is standing directly across from me. I look up from the embers to see Gabrielle standing up and my eyesight blurs into a different scene.

His eyes are gold tonight, the hazel blending perfectly. He is standing up, flames curling around his legs and his smile is enchanting. He extends a hand towards me."Come Here."  His voice husky, curling around me like the smoke around us. I lift my hand to meet his and he pulls me into his chest. "I like you out here, all alone, at my mercy." His words are a low purr and I melt just a little more into his arms. He frowns and I reach up to smooth the crease in his eyebrows. "What's wrong?" He pulls me closer, worries coming off of him in waves. "I just found you. You are my other half and tomorrow  you are charging into a dangerous battle." I look up at him, pulling away from him slightly. "I need to be there. You know that." He groans. "I know, I just wish I knew why." Guilt gnaws at me, he is going to be so pissed. I reach up and caress his cheek. "Everything will be okay Rowan. I promise."

I can feel the scratch of his unshaven cheek under my palm as I lay down in my cot later. I want to see him in real life. I miss a man I have never even met. But God I couldn't wait until I did.

The next morning I woke to Gabrielle leaning over me. "Good Morning Ceri! I got breakfast!" I stared at him dubiously. "Is it safe? Because knowing you, it is poisoned or something." He frowns, looking rather affronted. " I am" He tries to fight back a grin. "So offended." He doubles over and shows me the plate. What looks like rotten carcass is what is offered to me. Disgusted, I take the plate and deposit the carcass into a nearby bush. "Come on idiot. We need to wake up Aldine." He rubs his hands together mischievously. "Oh, Aliiii!" I chuckle and follow Gabe to try and save her from Gabrielle's idea of "waking up"  people. Audiences scream tells me I am too late. "Gabrielle!" He howls in laughter before yelping in pain. "Ow. What'd you do that for?" Aldine sighs exasperated. "You woke me up with the face of a spider Gabrielle." Gabrielle grumbles, "It was only an illusion." She comes into my line of sight, her long bob cut mussed up. "Morning Ceridwen." She grumbles tiredly. I have to hide my smile. "Good morning Aldine." She gives me a sideways glance. "You're awfully chipper this morning." I grin widely. "Yes I slept well." All night my dreams were filled with the man from my visions. She clears her throat and tilts her head. "Any reason?" I shake my head, feeling playful. "None that I am willing to share." She giggles. "I am so hurt." She pouts mockingly and we both laugh. We simultaneously start cleaning up our campground, keeping an eye out for Gabrielle's tricks. "Why are you going to do it?" I stiffen at her question. "Because." I sigh. "I spent so long as an outsider in a world I thought my own, to do something that proves I belonged here. Even for a bit." I take a deep breath and turn to look at her. "There is no way I wouldn't take that chance.