Chosen

Several minutes later, Natasha, Elina, and Zara were standing watch on the beach as Phoebe taught me how to dig deep trenches in the sand with a single finger, how to create a sand tornado, and even how to shave off a layer of skin (or six) with what she called a ‘sand-blaster’. I practiced creating larger and larger balls of spinning sand, as well as catapulting them down the beach with my mind. As I was able to increase their speed and size, they did more damage to whatever they happened to collide with. By the time I was finished with my sand lesson, the beach looked like a mine field.

“Now that’s what success looks like!” Phoebe high fived me as we admired my handiwork. “I can tell you one thing, though: the crabs are none too excited about our little experiment.”

“How can you tell?” I asked curiously.

“The very pissed off crab snapping his claws at you kinda gave it away.” She pointed at my feet.

I jumped back as I noticed the large crab for the first time. He was circling my feet like a boxer in a ring fight; occasionally rearing back on his hind legs to snap his claws at me. I bent down cautiously and sent some positive energy his way. His claws stilled, as he was momentarily stunned by the foreign energy. Thankfully, he calmed down before calling in reinforcements or slicing my toes off one by one.

“I’ll fix it, promise,” I reassured him with understanding. I decided to try something I’d seen Phoebe perform, when she had covered up the turtle eggs we’d buried after the hurricane. I swept my hand back and forth over the sand, and pictured the holes in the beach filling in and becoming smooth sand once more.

“Perfect! You’re a natural!” Phoebe cheered before pretending to wipe off her hands nonchalantly. “My work here is done.”

“And ours is just beginning.” Zara’s ominous tone and close proximity made me jump.

How’d she sneak up on me like that? She sent me a warm smile and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement, as I tried to decide if I should continue to trust her. Seeing as how she was the instigator of my training regimen, I figured I didn’t have too much of a choice if I wanted to be prepared to fight. “Your next lesson is going to blow your mind. Brace yourself.”

I locked eyes with Phoebe, whose mischievous grin crept across her lips in a slow progression; I could tell she was having trouble trying to contain her excitement.

“Are we done on the beach?” Natasha inserted, glancing around protectively. I peered at the ocean and wondered if Nadia’s ‘eyes’ were lurking around. As the hair on the back of my neck rose at the thought, Zara nodded and we all headed back to the cottage at a quicker pace than normal.

As we approached the path to the cottage I could already see two very tall, very businesslike Sons standing watch outside of the door. They were staring off into the distance, with perfect posture and stiff hands clasped around a long sword hanging at their sides. It would appear that I had my very own version of the Queen’s Royal Guard keeping watch outside of my little Buckingham Palace. I couldn’t stop myself from giggling when they refused to acknowledge our presence.

“Don’t forget to breathe,” I poked fun at them as we passed through the door and into the living room. I heard a hitch in one of their breaths as Phoebe tickled his stomach and chuckled. We were met by an indignant Finn pacing the living room. His steely glare easily settled on Zara as we filed inside.

“It’s been nearly three hours,” he accused her. His jaw flexed as he continued, “You should not have left her vulnerable for that amount of time! You know what’s at stake.”

“We wouldn’t have let anything happen to her, Finn,” Zara brushed him off calmly. “You need to trust us.”

“Don’t tell me who I should and should not trust.” Finn’s face darkened and his voice took on a threatening tone. “I trust my instincts and I know first-hand what Nadia and Keto are capable of.

They are not to be underestimated! One missed step or misguided decision and it’s over. There is no room for error.” I looked at Natasha to see her reaction, but she was simply beaming at him with pride. She remained silent and I realized that above all, Finn was the Prime of the Sons; powerful, courageous, and scary as hell.

“Finn, it’s alright,” I attempted to soothe him. “I’m back, everything’s okay.”

He put an arm around me protectively. “You’re right,” he affirmed, before searing the eyes of Zara with his glare. The Prime in him made another appearance, as his voice boomed with a fierceness that sent shivers down my spine. “And if you value your position, Maven…you will respect mine.”

As I caught Phoebe shrinking back with fear on the other side of the room, I was reminded again just how frightening he could be. It was easy for me to overlook the dark and violent side of Finn, because I was one of the select few who knew his softer side; his protective and loving side. I knew without a doubt that he would offer up his life, if it meant keeping me safe.

“I apologize.” Zara’s tone softened as she seemed to remember exactly who she was up against. “I’ll be more cautious with her time while training.”

“The value of her life exceeds that of everyone in this room,” he reminded her, and I got the feeling he was referring to her life in particular. “Do not forget that.”

She nodded to Finn respectfully and excused herself to the bathroom. I wondered if she was going to take my similar path from earlier and throw up instead. I kissed Finn on the cheek and Natasha walked up to him with admiration in her eyes, before heading to the kitchen to get something to drink.

“Whoa,” Phoebe whispered to me as she made herself a sandwich. “I think I need a change of underwear.”

Chapter 32

“Reflection is the name of your ability that is allows you to see into other places within the present. Your reveries are a part of Reflection,” Zara explained to me as Phoebe listened with interest. Natasha and Elina had left several minutes earlier, and the rest of us were gathered inside the cottage to begin my next lesson. Along with the two Sons blockading the door, the only other person still there was Finn, who was standing watch from the kitchen.

“Only a part of Reflection?” I clarified. “I thought they were the ability?”

Voices coming from outside disrupted our conversation, and before I could blink, Finn was at the door. He listened intently for a moment, his body relaxing as a smile tugged at his lips, and swung the door open.

“Willow!” I bounded to my feet and embraced her in one of those hugs that breaks ribs. I hadn’t seen her since Cyprus and I could tell that she hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep. Healing the old man had taken a toll on her body. Her wide blue eyes had dulled, and they were framed by dark circles under her skin.

“How’s everything going?” she asked, taking in the cottage’s living room and fireplace along with its inhabitants.

“You’re just in time for my next lesson.” I took her hand and presented her to Zara, “This is Zara, our new Maven.”

“Nice to meet you, Zara,” Willow greeted her.

“Likewise.” Zara bowed her head in respect and then patted the couch cushion beside her.

“Find a seat and make yourself at home!”

“How’s Peleus?” Phoebe asked Willow with concern.

“He’s doing so much better!” she answered enthusiastically. “I had to practically tie him to the bed to make him rest. I think he’s getting cabin fever. These hands don’t cure that, unfortunately.

Natasha’s with him now.”

“Peleus?” My heart clinched as a name was attached to the old man I’d saved. Somehow it made him more…real. “Have you found out anything else about him?”

“Not much - he’s been sleeping a lot, but mostly he’s the one asking the questions. He was stuck in that prison for more than sixteen years.”

“Sixteen years,” I contemplated, doing a quick calculation in my head. Zara interrupted before I could ask her anything else.

“Time to get down to business,” she commanded sternly. I sat up straight and tried to remember the last thing we had been talking about. “Now where were we…Oh, yes. Reveries. So, Reflection is a multi-faceted ability; reveries being only one of those facets.”