Page 7 of The Discovered
He caught and steadied me. “Can I open my eyes now?”
“I suppose,” I sighed, eyeing him defensively.
“Hold onto your towel,” he ordered, and I gasped as he lifted me into his arms bridal style.
“Hey!” My cheeks heated up, and I focused all my strength not to lose control of my power. I couldn’t very well unleash it on the man who was holding me above the hard floor. I glared up at him instead. “Put me down,” I growled, squirming in his arms.
He just shook his head, the corners of his lips turning down. “You’re very demanding.” He set me down on the edge of the bed. “I’m only trying to help.”
“Demanding?” I repeated incredulously. “You’re the one who just manhandled me.”
“That’s one interpretation,” he muttered, and the look on his face appeared a little too scolding for my taste. He opened up an intricately carved wooden wardrobe, his back to me. “What dress would you like to wear?”
“Oh, I get a choice?” I said sarcastically.
He smiled to himself, like he told a joke that I wasn’t privy to. He flipped through the articles of clothing lining the hangers.
“A dress would be easier to put on and take off yourself, wouldn’t you say?”
I was silent, still reeling from his off-putting, domineering attitude. This ankle needed to heal as soon as possible, and then I would reconsider shacking up with a mysterious stranger. At least there was a perk to being some kind of ultra-powerful witch.
“Wait, how’d you get all of my stuff?” I asked, peering over at the familiar dress he was currently inspecting. I’d worn that one to my college graduation.
“Magick.”
I sighed. “The gray T-shirt dress will be fine,” I conceded.
Daelon regarded it disapprovingly before handing it to me. “Not the one I would’ve picked.”
I quirked a brow.Weirdo.He moved to the dresser, grabbing a black lace thong and simple nude bra from the top drawer. I glared at him in a stunned silence, anger bubbling up at the intrusion. That seemed very, very unnecessary. He tossed them onto the bed with a purely stoic expression and then exited the room, softly closing the door behind him.
Daelon helped me sit down at a sleek, gray wooden table in the kitchen. As I took in my surroundings, I had to admit; wherever the hell I was, it was impeccably decorated and designed. The modern, black and gray kitchen bled into the chic and comfortable, yet slightly rustic living room, separated by the dining table at which I sat. The rug beneath me was white and soft under my bare toes, contrasting with the dark, hardwood floors. Opposite the kitchen to my right, two tall windows stretched floor-to-ceiling. The scenery outside—tall evergreen trees, mountains off into the distance, and the sun disappearing below the horizon—didn’t seem at all otherworldly.
“This is your house?” I asked, unable to keep the awe out of my voice. If I was being held captive, at least it was in style, right?I watched Daelon move around the kitchen gracefully, pulling out various utensils and produce. He had all but dragged me out of my room to eat and tostop pouting.Which hardly seemed fair considering I was just forcefully dragged into a dimension I hadn’t been to since I was in the womb. A little pouting was surely in order.
He glanced around nonchalantly and shrugged. “Suppose it is quite nice, isn’t it?” he murmured.
That didn’t answer my question.
“Are you okay with pasta?”
“Sure,” I said. I fidgeted with my fingers, inspecting the painting across from me of an ocean with multi-colored sand and clear water. “It’s a real place?” I wondered aloud, remembering the beaches my mothers told me about as a child.
More memory fragments swam to the surface like hauntings, coalescing into the scene of that primordial trauma. My mothers chanted power into my silver bracelet, and the door swung open—
“Áine!”
I snapped out of my daze to see flames leaping up from the stove in front of a very shocked Daelon. He set down the tray of chopped vegetables he was holding on the white marble island and strode to me.
“Look at me,” he commanded, bending down to stare into my eyes. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Think of any time, place, or person that has made you feel calm. You need to get yourself on that frequency. You’ve felt that kind of peace with your clairsentience. Tap into it.”
I swallowed, shutting my eyes and listening to him without protest. I combed through my memories, reaching out for the ones that felt serene. Visions flitted across my mind’s eye, some personal to me and some that felt more universal. Steph knitting on the sofa, a warm cup of tea, my mothers singing, light touches from a lover on my bare skin—
“Good,” Daelon said. “Keep your eyes closed.” He tentatively touched my hand, pulling back when I flinched. “Sorry.”
I had only flinched out of surprise, but I didn’t say anything.
“Describe what you’re feeling now. The frequency. How does it taste, smell, or look to you?”
