Jumping into the river, I thanked the universe that it was high tide. The iciness enveloped me as my mouth flew open. I inhaled deeply. Somehow the water flowed into my body but it didn’t kill me.
My breathing underwater ability had come to light when I was a toddler. Mother had left me in the bath on my own and I had gone under for a long time without dying. Taking water into my lungs had been instinctual, and although the memory was blurry, I would never forget that first time.
My body started to float to the surface of the river. I put my hands in front of me and pushed through the water. The water was so murky, I struggled to see where I was going. My long coat pulled me down, which actually helped. It meant that the people who had just seen me jump in the river wouldn’t see me rise up. My bracelet caught my eye as I pushed my hands forward. I breathed in deeply and felt the water enter my lungs. I didn’t know how I survived but apparently I could. The silver of my Pisces charm sent a bolt of annoyance through me. I hated being tied to my mission.
After swimming for a while, I allowed myself to float upwards. Water poured from my mouth and nose when my head broke the surface. I was on a quiet part of the river. I pulled myself out and sat shivering for a moment.
‘Are you okay?’ Cancer asked from behind me.
She had a weird way of knowing where someone was. I nodded. She looked dry, not soaking wet like I was.
‘How did you get here?’
She grinned and pointed at my boots. ‘I attached myself to your feet.’
Shaking my head, I got up and wrung out my brown hair. The length of it was heavy when it was wet. I let go and it fell to my waist.
‘We need to get you out of those clothes,’ she said, taking the arm of my coat.
‘Are you okay?’ The voice was deep and sent chills up my spine. The man that approached was tall and slim with dark shaved hair. My skin flushed when he looked at me and smiled.
‘I’m fine. I just fancied a swim.’ I glanced down at my hands when his gaze met mine.
His eyes twinkled and I wondered if everyone could see that about him.
‘Well, that’s commendable. Although, a bit crazy too,’ he said.
Taking off his coat, he wrapped it around me. I shivered even more when his hands brushed my shoulders.
‘Pisces, we need to go.’ Cancer stepped in front of me and grinned up at the man.
I was tempted to push her out of the way. It would only make her worse. She loved men and they loved her.
‘Pisces, that’s a rare name,’ he said, ignoring my sister.
The man seemed to be focused on me. That was unusual. They usually spoke to Cancer, or Sagi. I was far too quiet for them to take notice.
‘It’s pretty,’ he added when I didn’t say anything.
Cancer grabbed my arm and started to pull me away.
‘Wait. Where can I find you? So you can return my coat?’ he called.
I was usually shy but something made me bold. Mother had told us to look for any signs that a person could be our soulmate. Well, this was a pretty big sign. ‘Meet me in that coffee shop in an hour,’ I said, pointing to a nearby coffee house.
He nodded and smiled as I ran to catch up to Cancer. She had given up on me and legged it. My longer legs carried me to her quickly.
‘Why did you do that?’ I puffed when I reached her.
‘You’ve got to be careful,’ she said as she swiped her fringe out of her eyes.
‘You can talk. You’ve spoken to loads of men since we moved.’
She laughed and I realised what the problem was. Cancer was actively looking for her twin flame and she hadn’t found him. I was just getting used to my own little piece of freedom, instead of being focused on the search and I had just met a good looking man.
‘He’s probably not the one,’ she said, grabbing my hand to stop me.
My muscles started to shake. It was the end of winter and I was still soaking wet.
‘You don’t know that. I think he is,’ I replied. There was a flutter in my chest but I couldn’t tell whether it was a good, or bad omen.
She looked to where I dripped all over the floor. ‘Be careful. You know how easy it is to get hooked in.’
I glanced back the way we had come but couldn’t see my mystery man. Why did I have to be careful? I didn’t want to be careful. I wanted to find love. Standing there, dripping in the freezing cold, wasn’t going to make that happen.
‘Let’s go.’ I hugged my friend awkwardly, laughing when she moaned and pushed me away.
‘You’re soaked! You’ll die of hypothermia before a bloke can sweep you off your feet.’
Going into a local shop, I managed to sneak into the changing rooms without being seen. Cancer brought me two dresses and a towel she had taken from the home department. I dried myself as best as I could before deciding on a dress. The assistant jumped when I came out but smiled when I did a twirl.
‘I’ve just met a man and I’m going on a quick date. Can I wear this now?’ I smiled sweetly as a look of excitement flashed over her face. She agreed so I gave Cancer the dress to buy, before I put it back on.
‘You’re really going to do this?’ Cancer asked.
We headed back to the coffee shop. I looked down at the man’s coat. I was wearing it over my dress. I smiled a secret smile, although Cancer knew me well enough to know what I was thinking.
‘You’re going to make it impossible for him not to see you again because of the coat. You could’ve bought one but you didn’t.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re as bad as me!’
Laughing, I handed her the bag of wet clothes. She rolled her eyes before she muttered a goodbye and left for home.
Going into the coffee shop was daunting. At first I couldn’t see my rescuer, but when he stood and waved at me, I made my way over to him.
‘Nice dress,’ he said, smiling.
Glancing over at the waitress, I froze when I caught sight of another man that sat in the corner. My rescuer gestured for me to sit. I lowered myself into the chair, my back straight against the rigid wood. I had no idea who the other man was. I was sure it was the same one who had seen me on the other side of the river.
‘So, what made you jump into—?’
‘I told you,’ I interrupted, in case anyone could hear. ‘I’m a bit weird.’
He smiled as he sipped the hot drink he held in his hand. The waitress came over and I ordered a hot chocolate. My eye caught the other man but he looked away.
‘I always like to help a damsel in distress,’ my rescuer said, resting his arms on the table.
‘And do you have a lot of damsels in your life?’ I didn’t know what made me ask about the women in his life. I felt a flush of heat as my cheeks warmed. He laughed. I sat back in my chair. What was wrong with me? Why was I worried whether he was the type of man to pick up a lot of women?
‘I’ve rescued my fair share of damsels, yes.’
I had to be frowning because he started to squirm. Mentally shaking myself, I put on my best smile. It was the small talk again. Hard for me but part of the whole process.
‘Do you want to get out of here?’ I whispered.
His eyebrows rose. I quickly realised what I must have sounded like.
‘No. I meant for a walk, or something,’ I said backtracking.
He grinned and nodded, although I doubted he believed me. When we left I caught the other man watching me. He was probably a spy for Mother. I never imagined that we would need to worry about our own parents.
Mother had told us stories about the group that called themselves the Dysfunctionals. They tried to stop twin flames from uniting. I had assumed that’s who we would be running from. How had we all of a sudden become enemies with the parents that had raised us?
‘Where does your name come from, Pisces?’
We walked along the Thames. I glanced up at him as he asked the awkward question. He was clean cut and wore a smart suit. He must’ve been cold but he didn’t show it. I snuggle
d into his coat. He grinned when he noticed.
‘I have an eccentric family. All of the children are named after the Zodiac signs.’
I was comfortable with him for some reason and wanted to tell him about us. I couldn’t give too much away but it was nice to be open and honest about who I was.
‘That’s certainly different,’ he said as we stopped and looked out over the water.
Was he the one? Was he my twin flame? If I kissed him, I might be able to tell. I tucked my arm in his and looked into his eyes. I smiled gently as he leant towards me. His lips attacked mine in a slimy kiss. I wiped my mouth when he pulled away, cringing at the excess saliva he left behind.
‘You’re keen.’
‘Sorry, I…’
I wanted to step away from him but remembered that I had to go with the flow. I had never been patient and literally just met the man. If I was honest, I had no idea what I was doing.
‘Do you want to go back to my place? It’s not far from here,’ he said, licking my ear.
I froze, not quite sure what to do.
‘No, she doesn’t.’
The voice was one I didn’t recognise. My rescuer, whose name I still didn’t know, pulled back. The man who was at the coffee shop was standing behind us. He was taller than the one who had just kissed me. He had brown hair cut in the normal British style. Short at the sides, and a little longer on top. He had handsome chiselled features.
‘Can I have your number?’ my saviour asked, taking a step away from me.
I typed it into his phone, before he took his coat and left me standing there. Now what did I do? There was still something about this other man’s face that made me curious.
‘You don’t remember me, do you?’
A flashback hit me. He was the man I had met in the café just before we’d moved. My cheeks heated when I remembered that I had been in my pyjamas. His hair had grown out a bit but his blue eyes still pierced me.
‘Is that why you were following me?’ I felt small and stupid. I didn’t know how to act or what to do when it came to men. I was so inexperienced. I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to most people.
‘No, I was following you because I work for…’
I spun and jumped the wall. A rush of air pushed my dress up as I plunged back into the river. If it was the same man that had seen me go in the river earlier, he would know that I could swim well. As I let my body sink again, something heavy splashed next to me. A hand grabbed my wrist and pulled, dragging me to the surface.
‘I’m sorry, Pisces, but you need to come with me.’
Raising my fist, I punched him in the nose. He swore. It wasn’t enough. I tried to get him underwater but he was a lot stronger than I thought.
‘The more you fight, the harder it is,’ he said as he pulled me toward the wall.
My muscles were tired and my throat was sore. I had to keep swallowing to make the sting of tears go away.
‘I’m not a bad man,’ he grumbled as he pulled me to the ladder attached to the brick wall.
He pushed me to it but I refused to get on. He started to climb, dragging me with him. I swore and tried to hit his head. The water hindered me as I tried to wrench free but he wouldn’t let go. My wrist burned where he gripped me.
‘Just stop!’ he shouted.
‘Is everything okay down there?’ a man called from above.
I was about to scream.
‘I work for your father,’ the man hissed in my face. ‘I’m your new bodyguard.’
I faltered, giving him momentum to get his foot on another rung.
‘My girlfriend fell in. I’m trying to help her.’
I wanted to hit him again but instead I held the railings with my other hand and tried to get out of his grip. Another hand grabbed my arm and lifted me up.
‘Thank you.’ My captor shook hands with the older man.
‘Does she need an ambulance?’ he asked.
Could my father be looking out for me, instead of trying to kill me?
I wanted to tell the man that I was being kidnapped but something made me keep my mouth shut. If the police were called, it would bring attention to my family. I had been so stupid with the man I kissed. I should have gone straight home with Cancer the moment I realised we were being chased.
‘She’s my girlfriend and we’ve had a fight. She’s fine.’
I found myself nodding along as he hurried me away from the people who had gathered. My intuition was never wrong and something was telling me to go with him.
‘You need to let go,’ I hissed.
He laughed and I found myself looking up into his face. I hated him for forcing me to do what he wanted but it was impossible to look away.
‘Like I said, I work for your father. He wants to see you.’
Something inside me flipped. I felt different all of a sudden. Father had been gone for five years. A part of me wanted to see the man who had abandoned us. I had secretly wished he would come back and help us to escape from our mother. She had made us fear him but I wanted to see him face to face. I needed to find out why he had gone. Not knowing had almost killed me. It seemed that I would now have the opportunity to get my answer.
Chapter Five
‘You can let go.’ I pulled out of his grip so hard I almost lost my balance.
It was hard to know where I was. We'd been driving for an hour in a car with blacked out windows. I had tried to keep track but my brain had given up. At least my clothes were bearable to wear now that they had dried.
‘I’ll show you to your room.’ He took my arm as I climbed out of the car.
‘Will you take your hands off me?’ I shoved him in the chest.
He tripped but managed to keep his feet. A giggle escaped from me. I couldn’t help it. He growled, grabbed my arm and yanked me inside the house. Light music came from the speakers in the walls. It was classical. The sound hit me square in the chest. My father’s favourite music had always bored me as a child, but now, it sent a lance of pain through my body.
‘I’ve not seen him for five years,’ I said to no one in particular. ‘I’m no longer a teenager.’
‘Only just.’ The man snorted.
‘Antony! That’s your name!’ I blurted, finally remembering.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly. He had told me his real name when I’d first met him. Had he known who I was back then? Why hadn’t he tried to take me when he had the chance?
‘Did you enjoy your kiss with that man?’ he asked, guiding me up the stairs.
I stumbled as he pulled me to a door on the landing. What made him bring that up? I tried not to cringe as I remembered my first ever kiss. It hadn’t been as romantic as the films had made it out to be. But then again, I had been stupid enough to kiss a stranger.
‘Yes, I did,’ I said as he faced me.
He smiled as he saw through the lie. His teeth were almost perfect. My teeth were slightly crooked. I had begged for braces when I was younger but for some reason, I never got them.
‘Here’s your room.’ He opened the door and pushed me inside.
The door closed behind us as he followed me in. It was dark and cold. The curtains were drawn and the four-poster bed was unmade. Covers sat on the table in the corner, waiting to be put on the duvet.
‘I want to see my father. Surely I’m not a prisoner.’
He stepped up to me. I had to bend my neck back to look into his eyes. I wanted to push him away. How dare he get in my personal space?
‘I’m afraid you’ll be staying with us for a while. You father isn’t here until tomorrow, so you’ll have to put up with me for company.’
My eyes widened as the smile on his lips started to fade. Our gazes locked and I couldn’t look away. I swallowed hard when his throat moved.
‘Antony, do you have her?’ someone called from the hallway.
He cringed. I stepped back quickly, going to the curtains. His hand enveloped mine as I reached out to open them.
/> ‘Yes, I’ll be out in a moment,’ he called back. ‘Pisces…’
Turning back, I tried to remove my hand. He wouldn’t let go. The shadows danced around us as a draft blew the curtain, causing a shaft of sunlight to come into the room. He stepped forward as he looked down at me. My heart pumped into overdrive. I desperately wanted to push him away.
‘Did you really enjoy your first kiss?’
My eyes dropped from his gaze and he released my hand. Shame overtook my muscles and I found that I couldn’t move. He was mocking me, although I deserved it. In a really ridiculous roundabout way, he had saved me from making a huge mistake. I might have gone back to the other man’s flat and done something I would have regretted.
‘How do you know it was my first kiss?’ I whispered.
His breath landed on my hair and every muscle in my body froze as he moved even closer. What the hell was going on?
‘I just know,’ he whispered back.
We were both still, listening to the other’s breath. Did my father plan this? Had he seriously captured me and trusted a young man to keep guard?
‘Come on, mate,’ the other voice called through the door.
Antony didn’t respond or move. I went to step away but his hand stopped me when it landed on the small of my back.
‘What are you doing?’
I didn’t want the man outside the door to come in. It was scary enough with one stranger.
‘I don’t know,’ he whispered, causing me to look up at him.
Emotions crossed his eyes. He frowned but it didn’t scare me. I breathed in deep and the smell of him rushed up my nose. I became lightheaded as his masculine scent wormed its way around my body. He blinked quickly, obviously seeing the affect he had on me.
‘I’m sorry.’
The air moved and he was gone, the door closing behind him.
Sitting on the bed, I stared at the worn carpet. It was red and dusty. Staying still allowed me to think too much so I moved to the curtains and opened them. The view made my breath stick in my throat and I almost choked. The back garden was attached to fields that stretched far away. The motorway was in the distance and I wondered where I was. Why hadn’t I screamed when Antony had pulled me along with him? Why hadn’t I told anyone that I was being taken against my will?
Pisces: Book 1 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) Page 3