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

around due to wars and climate change and demon activity but for the most part, we each like to stick around the burial place of our past family members. It's why my family has been in this area for so long."

Kassy crinkles her nose. "That's kinda creepy, isn't it?"

Alexa turns to answer her. "Do you guys know of stories about witch covens who stay near their dead to feed off of the power that stays with their consecrated bodies?"

I nod. "I've seen it on TV but that's all just fantasy, isn't it?"

She holds both hands palm up like a scale and weighs them up and down. "There's fantasy and there's truth but a lot of it goes hand in hand." She smacks her hands together. "There may not be zombies or vampires, but a lot of their legends are derived from truths about other beings, like us for instance, and actual witches, who we just call Wicca.” My eyes widen at that bit of information, but I sit quiet.

“Humans tend to over dramatize the things they see and hear, hence the vamp legends. When we are in a family unit, our strengths and abilities are ten times more powerful. We are able to feed off of each other's energy like electricity, only we can't really feel the shock, it's just there, flowing between us."

What she is saying hits me hard. My mind races because I know exactly what electricity she is talking about, only I’ve actually felt it with Gavin. Is that not normal?

She continues talking, seemingly unaware of my internal freak out. "Most of us stick to where our families are so that we can stay strong, that includes staying near the bodies of our loved ones that have passed. We don't dig up bones and cast spells off of them or anything though, so no worries. It's more about tradition than anything."

"That's so cool. So, your family must be really close, then," Kassy says, sounding intrigued.

Alexa nods, her head bobbing and smile stretching wide.

"So, what about the ones who do leave? What happens to them?" I ask, thinking about my parents.

"Well, usually it will be a woman who leaves her family unit when she finds the man she will marry. The woman will move to wherever the man is. It's not always the case and it’s not a rule, but it is rare that it happens the other way around." She pauses for a moment. "On the other hand, if someone just leaves or runs away, the strength of their abilities will lessen over time and they won't be able to fight or defend themselves as well as if they stayed with their family."

Maybe that's why my parents were killed. They weren't strong enough to fight back. "But, what about the women who leave their families to move in with their husbands? Wouldn't they become weak, being away from home?" I ask.

Alexa shakes her head and takes a moment to find her words. "In our 'culture' when a person finds the one they are destined to be with, a bonding ceremony is performed, and the couple is able to share everything with one another. They give the other their strengths and they are immediately attached to the others ancestry line, making them twice as strong as before they were bonded. It's supposed to be pretty amazing," she states, sounding almost envious of it.

I squish my eyebrows together, having multiple questions flood my mind. "What do you mean the one they are destined to be with? Do they not have a choice? Is a bonding ceremony like a wedding? What exactly does one of those entail?"

Alexa holds up her hands. "That's not all important right now, you are still learning, almost like a child. We do have a choice, though Seers have what you'd probably call soul mates, we call it an Intended. There is another Seer out there that we are meant to be with, and even though it is basically fate, we can choose to not be with that person. I have never heard of someone not choosing their Intended though."

I ponder on her words, thinking about Gavin. We could never be together. If we became a couple and ran into his Intended one day, I would just be forgotten. I don't think I could survive finally being that close with him and then getting my heart broken like that.

Alexa watches me, looking concerned. "El, do you still feel sick?"

My shoulders slump forward a bit and I struggle to even nod. "Yes, but it’s a little better since we came inside. I think it's these comfy couches," I say, trying not to sound so defeated after learning that last bit of information. I rub my chest though, still feeling the ache.

Kassy comes and sits by me. "Thanks for bringing me here. All of this is so intense, but it sounds kind of wonderful, don't you think? To be a part of something so amazing."

I nod again and lay my head on her shoulder, getting a facefull of guava shampoo scent. "Yes, but it's still ridiculously scary."

Alexa looks torn about something, but I'm not sure I can handle any more information for today and I’m too tired to ask.

I stand, deciding that I need to stretch my legs, but immediately regret my decision when I am hit with a pounding vision. I fall back on the couch and faintly hear Kassy call my name before everything becomes dark, far away and quiet.

Chapter 5

Kassy and I pull up into the Henderson’s driveway, singing along to one of Katy Perry's latest hits. We hop out of her little bug, laughing about something. I am aware that I'm in a vision and everything is so crisp and clear. I look around for any signs of danger and can't see anything out of the ordinary, so I follow Kassy through the gate to the back of the house, where our pool house is. She filters through her