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

I shrug. “Then who was the demon that attacked me? He said you were going to kill me.”

Barron looks past me. He “hmmms” as he thinks. “I have many followers, child. It could be that they have chosen to take on my cause.”

My mouth falls open. “Well, tell them to stop! It’s not their fight.” Here I go, trying to reason with the demon again.

Barron nods, though. “I agree. They need to stop immediately.”

I blanch at him, surprised that he feels the same way as me. “Wow, Barron. Are you warming up to me?”

He stands from the bed and rolls his shoulders before turning away from me. “No, Ganis. I only want to finish my business myself,” he says, looking at the bedroom window. He turns so I can see his brown eyes. “Goodnight. Your time is short.” Then he is gone.

I open my eyes again to the sunlight peaking above the top of my curtain rods. Things still haven’t changed with Barron, and I guess they never will.

Chapter 8

“I miss you so much!” Luna shouts over the phone speaker. Her voice is calming and makes me feel somewhat normal again. I’ve been away from my new cousin for less than a week and I already miss her too.

I never even got to know her really, but I can see her tiny frame and chaotic bouncing curls perfectly in my mind as she yells into my ear.

I groan against the sound. “Luna, try not to yell. My ears are developing and everything is so loud lately. I miss you too, though.”

Luna gasps. “I’m so sorry, El,” she says, twelve notches quieter. “I’m really glad you called. I’ve been worried about you.”

I smile against my phone, wanting to hug her. I shift in my seat at Gavin’s dining table and gaze out the floor to ceiling window as he passes by, doing his morning sweep of the perimeter. My Intended, always looking out for me.

I lean on my elbow against the cherry wood table and pop a blueberry into my mouth. “Don’t be worried. I’m trying to stay safe.”

“Has anything happened, or has it just been nice over there, you know, being back with everyone?” she asks.

I almost don’t want to tell her about the demon attack yesterday, but I’m trying this new honesty thing. Crazy, huh? “Yesterday, Gavin and I did get attacked.”

“What?” Luna yells again into the phone and I have to pull it away from my face. She mutters a soft “sorry,” before continuing much quieter again. “Are you hurt? Mom’s going to flip when I tell her.”

I shake my head even though she can’t see it. “We’re both okay. I thought it was another demon sent by Barron, but Barron denied sending him.”

“You talked to Barron? The big bad demon guy?”

“Uh. Yeah, he visits my dreams sometimes. I don’t really know what to do about it.” I guess I haven’t actually tried to do anything about it.

Luna’s voice picks up a small notch. “Aunt Maggie can help you, El! Us Wicca have ways to shut out dream-walkers.”

I think about her words. “I guess I could ask Aunt Mags. She’ll be here in a minute.”

“Yeah. I’m sure she’ll help you. I would if I could, cuz.” I hear a voice call out somewhere in the distance through the phone speaker. “Oh, I have to go to school. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!”

I smile at my sweet cousin, wishing I could have her here with me. “Alright. Have a good day. Tell your mom hi from me.”

“I will!” she yells again and hangs up.

I shake my head at the noisy teenager and can’t help but feel like a wise elder of hers, even if we are less than two years apart in age.

I lay the phone down at the same time Gavin’s front door opens. “Sweetie, I’m here!”

Aunt Mags comes into the dining room with her hands over her eyes. “Can I look? There’s no canoodling going on, right?” she says.

I gasp at her. “Oh my gosh! Open your eyes!”

She peeks through spread apart fingers and smiles at me. My face floods with a hot blush and I am so grateful Gavin isn’t here to witness it.

I stand and hug my ridiculous mom. “Good morning. I just got off the phone with Luna and she says hi.”

We sit together at the table and she plucks some berries off of my breakfast plate. Her green eyes scan my face and her smile falls. “Are you okay, hon? You look tired.”

I roll my eyes at the intuitive Wicca. “I actually feel like I didn’t sleep much. Barron visited me last night. He said he thinks his demons are coming after me on their own now, so that’s a sucky new twist.”

Aunt Mags lays one of her gentle hands on mine. “Oh no. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Do you want me to keep him out of your dreams with a spell? I can do that.”

I ponder it, knowing that I’d sleep so much better without his visits. But I don’t want to be completely unaware of him at all times. I feel peace of mind knowing that he is in my dreams and not in my bedroom for real.

I shake my head and run a hand through my tangled morning hair. “I think I want to keep tabs on him, and I feel like I can sort of do that with him visiting me.” I sound crazy. “Does that make sense?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “I think I get it. It’s no fun though.” She watches our hands on the table for a moment and clears her throat. “I was hoping I could do a different kind of spell with you, though.”

“What kind of spell?”

She smiles again. “I’ve noticed, as I’m sure you have, that you’re different from other Seer women. Stronger.”

I shrug my shoulders. “I mean, I have more pronounced elemental powers, but they’re completely uncontrollable.”

“But you have done big things with all