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

choking sound as he looks up into my eyes with the noises of Gavin fighting Barron beside us.

“No worries, El,” he says quietly. “This was… a lot of fun.” He tries to laugh but the sound isn’t right.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” I cry and repeat the words over and over again as Jed fades in my arms.

“Aella!” Gavin yells as he and Barron brawl on the dirty tunnel floor. “Close it! Close the tunnel!”

Alexa runs to my side and nods to me. “You have to. Like you did with the cave before, but backwards. Can you do it?”

I nod and I wipe the tears from my eyes as I lay Jed down softly beside Alexa. “Gavin, you have to come this way first!” I yell to him with a crack in my voice while I build the power up inside of my hands. “Now!”

Barron kneels on Gavin’s chest and looks at me. “You will have to come and take him, Ganis.”

“Fine.” I blow a whirlwind of air at Barron, throwing him off of Gavin’s chest. Pulling back the air, I pull Gavin with it, until he is beside me.

Barron finds his footing again and glares down the tunnel at me, only twenty feet away. “You will not leave this place!” He screams the words, officially angry instead of his usual calm.

“No,” I say to the demon. “You won’t leave here.”

With as much strength as I have left in me, I pull the cave walls together in front of me. Just before the tunnel completely closes together like two sliding doors, the last thing I see is Barron’s smile.

Chapter 10

I fall onto the earth, breaking free from the dark hell tunnel. Alexa kneels beside me, along with Gavin who carries Jed’s lifeless body in his arms. Rain pours on our heads like an icy cold shower, but still not as cold as the place we just left. The fresh scent of the redwood trees in the rain assails my nose, but even it can’t fill my heart with joy.

I stare down at the wet ground, not ready to face Jed’s family after his sacrifice for me. I can feel their eyes on us as we all sit before them in silence. It’s the sound of Hagan’s voice breaking through the quiet night that does me in.

“Jedrek…” His son's name leaves him as a whisper before he falls to his knees in front of the three of us.

I look up from the dirt at Hagan as he pulls Jed onto his lap and a single tear falls from his strong jaw.

Gavin touches Hagan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Uncle. I told him to leave ahead of us. I’m so sorry.” Gavin hangs his head and I can feel the sadness inside of him reach out to me.

How can I comfort my Intended when I don’t feel comfort within myself? Instead of reaching out to Gavin, I cry. I cry like I never have before. “It’s my fault. I brought this to your family. He saved my life because I couldn’t save myself!” Tears blend with rain on my cheeks and I want to run from the sad eyes surrounding me.

“Aella, you didn’t bring this…” Gavin begins to comfort me but Hagan cuts him off.

“She’s right, Gavin.” Hagan lays Jed on the wet ground and kneels in front of me with stern eyes boring into mine. I sincerely want him to hit me. I want him to avenge this crime, but he doesn’t. “You did bring this particular attack to our family. Without you, it’s very likely that my son would not have entered hell in his lifetime.”

He reaches out to me and I brace myself for the pain, but he only grabs my hand in a tender hold. “But, what about the next demon attack, or the one after that? Jedrek was more excited about this mission than anything in his entire life. He was a born Seer warrior and he died fighting to the very end, even saving a precious life as he went. I couldn’t be prouder of my boy than I am at this very moment.” His voice cracks with his final words and I dive into his fatherly arms.

He pulls me close like a parent holds their child, and we cry together. “Thank you, Hagan. Your son will forever be my hero.” I pull back and he smiles at me in a sad, but loving way. His graying hair is wet and dripping onto his short, manicured beard.

I turn to Gavin, ready to finally hold him after all of the craziness. He stands, pulling me to my feet, and into his arms. Calm and new sadness engulfs me as his comforting touch overwhelms my senses.

“I love you, Aella,” he whispers to me and I squeeze him tighter.

“Honey, we need to talk.” Aunt Mags interrupts my reunion with Gavin as she taps on my shoulder.

I turn to her and she immediately hugs me with wet eyes. “I’m so glad you’re alright, sweetheart. We can’t waste any time, though.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask her, lost.

She sighs and grabs my hands in hers. “You need to close the opening. I found a way for hell to be closed with a spell, but only you can do it.” Her green eyes watch me without an ounce of doubt in them and I feel more lost than before.

“Um...what?” I stutter, at a loss for words. “But I’m not a Wicca. I don’t do spells.”

Luna surprises me by joining the conversation. “No offense to my kind, El, but you are way better than a Wicca.” She nods her head at me with her dark, bouncy curls bobbing back and forth. “Oh hi, by the way.”

“Hi, Luna. I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” I look past her to Aunt Morgan. “Or you either.”

Aunt Morgan shrugs. “We were needed for this part. It will be a spectacle and we can’t have my sweet niece burning down the forest.”

I shake my