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

head with closed eyes. “Okay, some details would be nice if anyone is offering.”

Aunt Mags speaks again. “I can do that, baby girl. I have been looking into your powers and digging into the history of Seer women. I believe that since you have all four of the elemental powers inside of you, and considering what the gods said about your destiny, that you have the power to stop demons from ever coming to earth again.”

“How? I can’t control the elements completely.” Closing hell for good? It can’t even be a possibility after thousands of years of demons fighting Seers. Can it?

“You can control them better than you think, love.” Gavin rubs his hand along my arm and his touch warms my cool skin. “Look what you just did in there. You’re ready for something like this, and I’ll be here grounding you if you need me.” He keeps his eyes on mine and I can feel his confidence.

I nod. “Okay. I’ll try.” I turn to the Wicca women. “What do I do?”

Aunt Mags turns me to the arcing tree root that leads to hell. “Gavin can stand beside you, but everyone else will have to go back a ways. I need you to just aim whatever you have inside of you directly at the opening. It will take concentration and a lot of every element you have, like an elemental explosion.”

I take a deep breath and look around at my retreating friends and family. “But what about the trees and forest? It will cause a lot of damage.”

“That’s what we’re here for, cuz.” Luna moves a few yards off to my right as her mom does the same on my left. “Mom, Aunt Maggie, and I will place a shield around you and Gavin. Your powers won't be able to get through it.”

Gavin stands behind me and places his hands on my shoulders. “I’m here. I won’t leave your side. Take energy from me if you need extra.”

I pull as much of the moisture-rich air into my lungs as I can and I plant my feet beneath  me into the muddy earth. I feel the fire inside of my veins and focus on the sensation of it traveling to my hands. I have all that I need to do what I need to.

I stare at the spot below the raised root of the giant redwood tree as the power builds within me. Where Gavin’s hands hold my bare arms, I pull his heat into me as well. I feel hot and full of life.

I do what I’ve done a dozen times in the last three months and prepare to release everything from within me to survive. Just as I release the final calming breath of air, a voice screams out behind me from the dark forest.

“No!!”

I spin around out of Gavin’s touch, ready to blow, just as a small sharp stick flies toward me in a whistle and impales the spot just to the left of my heart.

I try to gasp from the shock, but the sound is only a gurgle in my throat. I stumble backward and look into the trees for my attacker. Jed’s handsome face that was once dead, watches me with an angry grimace.

He charges toward me and my blurry vision goes to nothing, just as Jed’s black eyes cause my heart to stop beating.

Chapter 11

Gavin

“Aella!” I can feel her name leave my lips, but I don’t hear the sound in my ringing ears as my Intended falls to the earth at my feet.

Her eyes close and the blood on her shirt pools, but before I can reach out to her, a body slams into my side. I hit the ground hard, too far from my dying wife and I stare back at the last person I ever thought would harm me.

Jed glares at me with his demon-filled black eyes and I want to scream at the hate I feel for the monster taking control of my cousin’s body. “Get out of him!”

He only smiles in a way I’ve never seen Jed smile and the voice that leaves his body sounds off, evil. “Little boy. I told you that I would enact my revenge. I had hoped the Ganis girl would get to see you die, but she will just have to miss the show.”

“Barron,” I say the name and his smile only grows.

My anger boils to the surface and I run for the demon in front of me. I can still feel Aella’s heart attached to mine, but I need to get to her before that feeling is gone.

Barron braces himself for my attack and I throw a punch at his face, connecting with a crack. I try to ignore the thought that I am hurting my younger cousin. I grunt from exertion as Barron recovers from the hit and spins back to me with an elbow to my already bruised cheek.

I don’t care about the pain. I just need to get to her. Please don’t leave me, Aella.

Barron grabs my arms from behind and twists them behind my back. He pulls with superior strength and I try to throw my head back into his, missing repeatedly. “Gah!” I yell as I fight through the exhaustion my body feels.

Just having Aella injured so badly hurts my heart and weakens my body. I struggle against Barron’s hold and look to my family for help. The thin glowing shield surrounding us is still standing from the Wicca’s power and they all watch me with scared eyes. Beyond the shield I can barely see the fuzzy figures of my family watching the fight.

Aella’s adoptive mother looks into my eyes with tears streaming down her face. “Gavin, he can’t leave this shield, and your family cannot get in. Magical beings can’t move through the walls. Please fight harder. You can do it. For Aella.” Her eyes plead to me. “I can’t let him out to just keep coming back.”

“We’re stuck here together, boy.