Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 by Abigail Grant (best summer books .txt) 📗

Thunder sounds from a distance and I jump with a small gasp. The demon laughs, a throaty disgusting sound. “You’re scared of the thunder? You must just be a baby Seer.”

I glare at him and the magical heat inside of me begins to boil the cold water dripping down my skin. Steam literally rises off of my body, caused by the anger I have for this demon.

The smile lines around the creature’s black eyes flatten out as his evil smile fades. His eyebrows raise as he watches the air around me turn to only fog. “Ooh. A little mad, are we? Do you know what to do with all of that heat in you?”

I think about each drop of water falling on top of us, drenching Gavin’s still body. I know that water is something I have controlled well before, but can I do it the way I want to?

Everything about my powers has been sudden and uncontrollable. I ignore the demon and close my eyes. I raise my hands and focus on the raindrops as another rumble of thunder sounds out. I ignore it too.

I twirl my fingers, imagining plucking each droplet from the air and attaching them to the demon in front of me. My eyes open and I watch the frustrated demon swat at the water clinging to him.

“What are you doing? Trying to give me an unwanted shower?” With each swipe of his hands, the water stays in place and he growls like a wild animal. “That’s enough!” He charges at me and I’m hit hard by his soaking wet body.

The impact sends me to the ground and I hit my head on a tree root. I moan in pain and all of the water surrounding the demon falls from him as rain again. His smile is back.

I try to sit up, but he places one of his leather wing-tipped oxfords on my chest and presses the shoe into me. I shout out my distress, but before I can think of how to get myself out from under his foot, Gavin throws an arm around the demon’s neck and pulls him off of me.

I suck in a deep breath, refilling my lungs, and I climb back to my feet. Gavin is still holding the monster’s neck and has him kneeling on the ground and struggling for air. I watch the struggle, concerned for Gavin’s safety, but he is completely in control.

Thick globs of water drip from Gavin’s drenched hair and run down his taut jaw. He looks like a fierce warrior, his clothing covered in mud and rain, clinging to every part of his flexed muscles. I want to turn away before I see him kill the demon, but I also don’t want to stop watching my warrior.

The demon tries to say something past the tightness on his throat. I move closer to hear his words. Each syllable comes out as a choked whisper. I strain to understand what he says. “He...will...find...you...die…” His promise is cut off by a cracking sound as Gavin snaps his neck.

I flinch and step away from the body as it begins to sink into muddy pools of earth below it, returning to the abyss that it belongs in.

I look up at Gavin’s eyes. “Gavin,” I say, shaken by the demon’s last words. “Did you hear what he said?”

Gavin nods and closes the distance to me, sweeping me up in his wet arms. Another bout of thunder sounds too close for comfort and I curl farther into my Intended’s arms. He kisses the top of my head. “Let’s go home,” he says and lifts me easily into his arms.

He takes off at a full Seer run and the world blurs around us. I heard what the demon said, and there is no denying who he was talking about.

Barron. He will find you… die.

***

        I wake up from a happy dream about being married to Gavin and walking hand-in-hand down a sandy beach. His hair is cut shorter than usual and we are both wearing all white. The feeling of being there alone with him and with hope for the future is an incredible feeling.

Of course, it’s short lived when I notice the visitor watching me from the foot of my bed. I groan and throw my head back into my pillow. I pull the blanket around my shoulders and turn away from Barron.

“Go away, Barron. I’m not interested in threats and old-guy talk.” I snap at the demon from my feather-stuffed pillow in Gavin’s guest bedroom… my bedroom now.

My back hurts from the fight today with the demon in the woods, and I blame Barron completely. I can’t see him as I try to keep my eyes on the loose thread hanging from my blanket that slightly blows back and forth from my breath.

The foot of my bed shifts from Barron’s small movements and I want to kick him, but know it won’t connect in the dream state.

“I thought you wanted to be friends, young Ganis. Have you changed your mind?” He sounds amused, which only causes my anger to grow.

I sit up and whip my head toward him with the fiercest glower I can come up with. I hope it looks as scary as I try to make it, and not just pathetic.

Barron raises one thick, brown eyebrow at me with a miniscule lift to the corner of his lips. Yeah, pathetic. I knew it.

“Barron, you sent another demon after me who nearly killed me and someone I love!” I shout at him, sick of the mind games.

He raises his hands in front of him and the black robe sleeves slide to his elbows. “I did not send anyone after you, Ganis. I am done with that. I told you that I will be the one to kill you, and I meant it.”

I tilt my head at him. “Oh, how sweet.” The sarcasm in my words pours out like vomit.

“I swear,”