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

I look back at him confused. His eyes connect to mine and he nods. “Just breathe,” he says softer.

I glance down at the cold water around my waist, unable to see past it in the dark night. I close my eyes and breathe slowly like Gavin told me. I stick my hands beneath the water and focus on the heat inside of me. The water around me warms up from my touch and I release some of my power into it, imagining being the water and finding Neo in my depths.

I can feel where he is so I pull at that feeling and a wave of water rises above my head. With the wave, Neo is lifted from the water and washed up onto the sand at Gavin’s feet. I use that water again and a whirlpool flows around my body, gripping onto me and lifting me high into the air. I wave my hands down to the sand and I’m placed gently on the beach as the water from the lake separates from me and flows back where it belongs.

I look down at my dripping body and back at the lake where it sits calm, and seemingly untouched. Neo coughs beside me on the sand and spurts of water shoot from his lips.

“Gavin!” I shout and he comes to my side to help me lift Neo up.

Neo sits and coughs up the rest of the lake water that had been choking him. He turns to the demons still just watching us and growls. “El, those two are here for you. They said they’ll kill you by the lake house that your mom shoulda died in.”

I turn to see the big beautiful house towering beside us and then turn back to the demons. “If you two don’t want to end up below that lake, then you should just leave now.”

They look at one another and then back at me, quiet.

Gavin speaks this time. “Your boss isn’t worth this, fellas. Go now, or die.”

The two demons say something to one another in an unknown language and then both take off down the beach, running like a couple of scared puppies.

My mouth falls open at Gavin and he smiles back at me. “They’re smarter than most, I’ll give them that,” he says as he beams at me.

The three of us stand together and I look between my Intended and my new friend. “So, um… Gavin, this is Neo. He has been helping me since I came to this town.”

Neo nods at Gavin. “Oh, you must be the Intended.” He clicks his tongue. “Well, I’m gonna just start walkin’ this way.” He turns and heads back up the beach toward the road, where Aunt Mags stands with hands on her hips.

I gasp and run to my mom. “Mom! I’m so sorry I left you!” I practically yell in her ear as I jump into her arms.

She chuckles against me. “Oh, hon. That’s perfectly fine. From what I saw, you didn’t need me one single iota.” She raises her eyebrows at me.

I blush. “Yeah, about that water trick. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“Yeah, she has,” Neo says simply. “Twice.”

Gavin comes beside me and watches me with sad eyes. “I knew you had it in you,” he says quietly.

My blush deepens as he watches me. Gavin clears his throat and turns to Aunt Mags with an outstretched hand. “Hi Maggie. It’s good to see you.”

She shakes his hand. “I’m glad you could make it. I was wondering what time you’d get here.” She grins at him.

I look between the two of them and my eyebrows shoot up to nearly my hairline. “Wait… I feel like I missed something.”

Aunt Mags shrugs and tilts her head at me. “Sorry, Dear. I called Gavin the second Morgan told me you were here. Of course, I didn’t tell them all that there’d be a demon brawl upon their arrival!”

“All? What do you mean by them all?” I turn to Gavin and he grabs my hand.

“Let’s go see the family,” he says easily. “Kassy and Lex are waiting at your house… Oh, and Liam.”

***

        Kassy pulls me into her arms and bawls like a big baby. I am smothered by her long hair so I try to pull my head back but she refuses to let up. I guess there are worse ways to die. I cry along with my sweet friend and feel so complete with her next to me.

“I hate you so much,” she says between sobs.

I pull away from her and my eyes go wide. “What? You hate me?” I say, shocked.

She wipes her tears with the back of her long sleeves and sticks a pouty lip out at me. “Yeah! You were so stupid to run off without us. I hate you for thinking that we didn’t love you enough to stay by your side through this crisis.”

I tilt my head at her. “I’m confused. So, do you love me or hate me?” I ask, actually lost.

“Both.”

I wipe away my own tears and shake my head at her. Oh, I missed this dramatic friend of mine so much. A throat clears behind Kassy and I peek around her to see Liam standing there.

“Hello, when do I get to hug her? I mean, I did just find out that my girlfriend’s best friend is a magical being with super powers, so I’d like to have my moment.” Liam’s voice is music to my ears as he complains.

Kassy reaches behind her and pulls Liam into our hug in the doorway of my temporary “haunted” garden house. Kassy never let me get all the way into the house when Gavin and I arrived. She just jumped me on the top step.

I wiggle out of Liam and Kassy’s arms and look around the room. I find Alexa’s sad face on the tattered couch I’m used to wallowing in. She looks over at me and tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach its usual heights.

 I sit down beside her on the