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.
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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 loaded key ring, looking for the house key and is talking about something funny that Liam texted her. I laugh, even though my present self is not sure what exactly she said. Kassy looks up at me when she finds the right key and her eyes go wide in fear.
I am about to ask her what's wrong when something hard slams into the back of my head, knocking me to the cold grass. My eyesight becomes blurry which is surreal as I sit in a vision, but I look up to see Thrane grab Kassy from around her waist and throw her over his shoulder.
She kicks him and struggles but he doesn’t even flinch. I try to scream for help, but nobody comes. Thrane winks at me and says something that doesn't register before disappearing into the dark with my best friend. I look around the yard for Gavin but remember that I wouldn't even be able to see him in a vision. Something is laying on the other side of the pool in the dark, so I squint my eyes, trying to make out its shape. I quickly realize what I’m looking at and my heart stops. A scream escapes my throat when I make out the elderly couple’s bloody bodies lying dead by their own pool.
***
33
I hear a soft masculine voice tickling my mind as it speaks my name. I try to come out of my vision toward the voice but recognize quickly that he isn't talking to me but about me. I listen for a moment, afraid to open my eyes and still in shock from seeing my sweet landlords lying on the ground in a pool of their own blood.
"Gavin, you need to tell her. She can't keep staying away from you or she'll never progress with her training," I hear Alexa speaking in a whisper.
Gavin's beautiful voice fills my heart as he speaks. "She is already so scared and overwhelmed by everything that is going on. I don't want to pressure her." It's quiet for a moment and just as I’m about to open my eyes, his voice comes back sounding tired. "What if I scare her away, Lex? I can't do that." He sounds so sad that I feel like I need to make his pain go away.
There are fast delicate footsteps coming closer and someone sits by my side, I hear Kassy's voice. "Is she coming to yet? I made her some chamomile tea with honey. It's her favorite." She sounds too worried, so I decide to force myself up slowly and let them all calm down.
Kassy instantly wraps her arms around me when I reach her eye level, making me gasp at how hard she is squeezing me.
She pulls back. "I'm sorry, El, I was just so worried about you. When you fainted and I couldn’t wake you up I almost called an ambulance, but Gavin got home at the perfect time and told me you were just having a vision. I had to do something while I waited, so I made you some tea. Luckily, Gavin had your exact favorite in his kitchen." She looks over at him and smiles.
I risk a glance at his face for the first time and sigh a little at how incredibly handsome he is sitting on the love seat across from me. There is pain in his dazzling golden eyes, uncovered by any contacts, and I'm sure mine reflect his pain perfectly but I give him a small smile anyways. He smiles sadly back at me and I bite my lip to stave the urge to jump over the coffee table and onto his lap. I am seriously obsessed.
Alexa's voice stops me from embarrassing myself. "What did you see, El?"
I turn to her and I jump up off the couch as I remember my horrifying vision, freaking out about what could happen tonight. I immediately feel dizzy and my heart feels sore, so I plop back down, trying to rub the ache away with my hand. Gavin rushes to my side and rubs a warm hand in circles on my back, causing electricity to flow through me and into the sore muscle in my chest.
I quickly start to feel better and can see myself visibly relax. I look at him with gratitude and curiosity, wondering how he can make me so calm with just a touch.
34
I realize that I'm just staring at him and
