I turned to the room and pursed my lips. If I was going to sleep there, I might as well make it comfortable. Grabbing hold of the covers, I made the bed. It kept my mind occupied. There may have been cameras in the room. It was better to look as if I was being complacent. I knew exactly why they had come for me first. Everyone assumed that because I was the most emotional one of my siblings, I would be the easiest to tame. The others had often mocked my sensitivity and thought I was weak because of it.
The door opened a while later but I didn’t look up from what I was doing. I was expecting him.
‘Are you settled?’ he asked, hovering by the open door.
I glared over my shoulder and the corner of his lip quirked into his cheek. The dimples threw me off. Blinking, I looked back down at the pillow I held. His dimples were deep and I hadn’t even noticed them. They made a difference to how much I hated him. I didn’t know anyone who wasn’t a sucker for dimples.
His hair was natural. I admired him for not using a load of product like my brothers. He wasn’t the type of man I would usually find attractive. Not that my sheltered life had allowed me to meet a lot of attractive men.
‘What do you want?’
‘It’s dinner time,’ he said, gesturing behind him.
It was dark. I had been so engrossed in my thoughts; I hadn’t noticed the sun go down.
‘I’m not hungry.’
He sighed. I tried not to freeze when the sound of his footsteps came around the bed.
‘You’re coming to dinner.’ He offered his hand right in front of my face.
I stood quickly, causing him to step back. He wouldn’t come too close to me again. I wondered what I had triggered in him. Did he feel guilty for kidnapping me?
‘You’re an arsehole. You know that, don’t you?’
He chuckled. I took the opportunity to push him as hard as I could. Spinning, I ran out of the room, sprinted over the landing and started down the stairs.
‘No, you don’t!’ he said, taking hold of me from behind.
Stumbling backwards, I tried to keep my feet on the carpeted step. My foot slipped and we ended up rolling down the stairs together. My breath heaved out of me. I couldn’t move when we landed at the bottom. He groaned as I tried to shove him again. My whole body shook and my heart pounded in my head.
‘Will you just stop?’ He gasped.
‘You think that just because I’m an emotional girl, I’m going to take it lying down?’ I huffed.
He laughed again and my temper snapped. I jumped on top of him and started to throw my fists. Red misted over my eyes as anger overtook me.
‘Enough!’
Father’s command stopped me. The mist cleared. My hands hung in the air on their way to Antony’s face. He had his arms over his head as I straddled his waist.
‘What’s going on? Why are you making such a scene?’
He towered in the doorway to what looked like a library. A younger man that looked similar to Antony stood beside him.
‘He kidnapped me!’ I scrambled up.
My throat threatened to close. Father had aged slightly but he was the same man that had raised me. His dark hair had finally succumbed to the grey that had tried to overtake it but it was still long on his head. He wore a suit and a tie hung loose around his neck.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he said as he opened his arms.
I rushed into them, feeling safety envelop my body as they came around me. In spite of what Mother had told me about him, I felt nothing but love in his presence. He wished me no harm. He was a Scorpio man so I had resonated with him more than Mother. She was a down to earth Capricorn lady and although we got on okay, we had our differences.
‘I missed you, too,’ I sobbed. The emotion that threatened, finally came up. Father had been the one to teach me that my emotions were my power.
‘Let it out. Like I always say, it’s better out than in. You don’t want a toxic stomach do you?’
‘Is she farting then?’ the other man asked.
‘Shut up, Derek! He’s talking about emotions,’ Antony chastised.
Wiping my eyes on my father’s shoulder, I gulped fresh air into my lungs. When I pulled back, my eye caught Antony’s as he stood next to the man that must be his brother.
‘He said you weren’t going to be here until tomorrow.’ I hiccupped.
Self-conscious at my emotional outburst, I kept my eyes averted from the others. My cheeks heated as Father put his arm around my shoulders and led me into a dining room.
‘I wanted to surprise you. I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to free you. I imagine your mother has been telling you all a different story.’
Father sat at the head of the table. I sat next to him. I bit my tongue when Antony sat opposite me. Wasn’t he just the hired help, or something?
‘Antony and Derek are part of my team,’ Father explained when he saw me scowling.
‘Well, I think you need a new team. When my brothers and sisters come…’
‘They won’t be coming.’
My gaze shot to my father as a small woman placed a bowl of soup in front of him. I barely noticed her but noted that she touched his shoulder as she went past.
‘Why won’t they come?’
Derek laughed. I kicked him under the table.
‘Ouch, that hurt!’
He sounded a lot younger than he looked but I always thought that about men. They were hard work when you lived with six of them. The younger they were, the more they acted like idiots.
‘I thought we had a special bond, Pisces. You saw me as a father much more than the others did. You’re the reason I wanted you kids to have a chance to live your own lives. You should’ve gone to school and mixed with others your own age.’
‘What about the—’
Father silenced me by raising his hand. He flicked his eyes towards the two men sitting opposite me so I shut my mouth. They were a part of his team but I was unsure how much they knew about the twin flame mission.
‘You are powerful, dear, but you don’t yet know how powerful. If only your mother had allowed you to experience life, you’d know how to handle what was coming.’ He sipped his soup. The rest of us didn't eat anything.
I kept my gaze on my father, afraid of what I would see in Antony’s face if I gave in to the temptation to glance at him. A noise coming from their direction forced me to look.
‘Stop eating like an animal,’ Antony snapped at his brother.
The other man was slurping his soup from the bowl as he lifted it to his lips.
‘What’s coming?’
Whatever it was, my stomach already told me that it wasn’t good. I often ignored the physical sensations but I couldn’t let go of the feeling that now wrapped itself around my body.
‘People are going to try and stop you from living your life purpose,’ Father said.
‘Life purpose.’ Derek snorted.
My gaze clashed with Antony’s and although he had started to smile at Derek’s snort, it dropped as soon as he saw me looking. I didn’t know why I was drawn to him, only that I didn’t want to be.
‘What’s your life purpose?’ I wasn’t surprised that Antony was curious.
Swallowing, I glanced at Father. Surely he would rescue me from the awkward question. He shrugged and took a drink from his wine glass.
‘I don’t know,’ I replied truthfully.
Apparently, I was supposed to unite with my twin flame soulmate to bring more love to the planet. But that was all I knew about my future relationship. I couldn’t just churn this out to a stranger. He would think my eccentricity too much to take in. I glanced down at the bracelet that rested on my wrist.
The colour of the leather was vibrant blue and the silver caught the light. It had been on my wrist before I could remember, stretching as it grew with me. It represented my bond to a mission I had no idea how to complete. Beyond the initial union, we had to work out the next stage together.
‘You can brea
the underwater,’ Antony stated.
‘That is pretty cool.’ Derek wiped a hand over his mouth.
Father chuckled and I bit my lip in an effort not to smile too.
‘What’s the point of that?’ Antony asked.
I looked at him and wondered what star sign he was. It was often the first thing I thought of. It wasn’t technically fair to judge someone on a stereotype. Just because someone was born under an astrological sign, didn’t mean that they embodied the qualities of that sign. Especially humans. They were complex and diverse with lots of different planets in different places when they were born.
‘I have no idea.’ I sat back in my seat and crossed my arms.
‘Defensive.’ My father nodded towards me.
Glaring at him, I tried to loosen my posture but it didn’t work.
‘Why are the others not coming?’ I asked again, remembering that he had easily diverted my attention.
‘Because they’re not ready.’
‘Ready for what…?’
‘Bed…’ Derek said, throwing his arms up into the air and yawning.
He yelped when Antony punched him under the table. ‘He’s a good bodyguard. It’s the only reason he’s here.’
Dismissing them both with a look, I grabbed Father’s hand. ‘Ready for what…?’
A slow smile spread over his lips. My heart started to drum in my ears. My union was coming. There was a look in his eyes that confirmed it to me. I was going to meet my soulmate soon and everything would be perfect. I swallowed as I realised that it wouldn’t be long until I was madly in love. I returned his smile as he nodded once.
‘There is one thing.’ Father squeezed my hand. ‘The people that are trying to stop you...they also know that it’s coming.’
‘You people talk in riddles,’ Derek said.
‘If you’re such a genius, you should work it out,’ Antony replied.
Ignoring them, I focused my attention on Father. ‘Tell me about the people that will try to stop me.’
‘They are trying to prevent…’ He sighed and glanced at his bodyguards. Did he trust them enough to speak about it in front of them? ‘Twin flames from getting together. Not just you and your siblings but all of the couples that have come here.’
‘What’s a twin flame?’ Antony asked.
Derek had tuned out and was playing with his food. I wasn’t surprised that Antony had paid attention. He seemed to be interested in what we talked about.
‘A soulmate,’ I said.
He blinked but didn’t say anymore.
‘Why are they doing that?’ I turned back to Father.
‘It’s best you all know so that Antony and Derek can do their job properly. One hundred and forty four thousand twin flames are on the planet right now. If more than half of those soulmates unite, the Dysfunctionals will cease to exist. They don’t want people to have a happily ever after. They don’t want children to be brought up in good homes. They like humanity as it is and want to keep the world negative. Twin flame relationships show people that love is real and everything else isn’t. When enough soulmates live together and love each other unconditionally, the balance of good will outweigh the bad. The Dysfunctionals will no longer be needed, because our mission will be complete.’
‘I remember Mother telling us about them, which is why we’ve kept such a low profile and been sheltered our whole life.’
Father rested his chin on his fist as he leant his elbow on the table.
It was finally becoming clear. The whole good versus evil had been around for thousands of years. It wasn’t a religious thing, it was polarity. There were opposites of everything. The people that were part of a twin flame soul wanted to help humanity by showing the world that true love existed. Apparently, other twin flame couples who didn’t have that luxury of loving guiding parents as we did, struggled with their relationships.
The men that wanted to stop us had one mission. To make sure the world didn’t become overrun with loving couples that set an example of what true love was. They wanted abuse and dysfunction. They fed off negative thoughts and emotions.
‘What do I do?’
Father cocked his head and put a hand on his chest. ‘Listen to your intuition and always follow your heart.’
That was his advice? He had told me to do that when I was growing up. I didn’t really understand what he meant back then but it seemed that it was time to take him seriously.
‘Is that all you got?’
‘Well, yes. Although, there is one more thing,’ he said, taking my other hand and looking into my eyes.
My intuition instantly told me that I wasn’t going to like what was coming next. My heart burned before the words even left his lips.
‘I’m no longer your father. I’m your guardian.’
Chapter Six
‘What’s your mission?’ Antony asked as we sat waiting for the train.
I had kicked up such a fuss about my freedom that Father had taken away all privileges, including a lift back to London. Letting the others know I was alive was my first job. I also had to tell them that my mission had started and Father was no longer a threat.
I often wondered why our parents had been so vague about what it was we were supposed to be doing. Antony’s question had triggered me. Why had they told us that we had to achieve something but not given us any clues as to what and how? Father’s excuse that we needed to find our own way didn’t cut it with me.
‘It’s none of your business,’ I replied, looking at the people that waited with us.
It was cold but I didn’t take any notice. I was excited about the future, regardless of my clueless state of mind. Would my soulmate be tall and dark like Aries, or blond like Leo?
‘You’re fascinating.’
‘I’m not so sure,’ I said, not able to look away as he leaned in closer to me.
‘I think there’s much more under that arrogant exterior.’
My mouth dropped open as the train pulled into the station. Antony got up and climbed on as soon as it stopped, leaving me on the bench. At the sound of the doors closing, I jumped up and hopped on. I walked straight past the seat he sat in and moved down the carriage. There was a small table with six seats around it so I settled there. It was the middle of the day. I was grateful that the train wasn’t full.
‘I deserved that,’ Antony said as he sat opposite me.
I stared out the window, choosing to ignore him.
‘Excuse me, I can’t help but notice your bracelet.’
The voice belonged to an average sized man with a wicked smile. He sat next to me, causing me to freeze. I glanced at Antony and caught the glare he threw at the stranger.
‘My sister loves anything to do with astrology and it’s her birthday soon. Your bracelet has a little charm on it. She would love something like that. Where did you get it?’
The man was friendly and not bad looking so I smiled back. ‘I’ve had it since I was young. I don’t remember where my parents got it from,’ I replied, offering my arm when he gestured for me to show him. He took my hand and goose bumps sprung up over my skin. I suddenly had the urge to rip my arm away but I didn’t want to be rude.
‘That’s my girlfriend, mate,’ Antony said.
My gaze shot to him as heat flushed over me. His eyes were narrowed on our joined hands. The stranger was stroking my thumb. I pulled away. It didn’t feel right.
‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you were together…you didn’t look it,’ the man said, winking at me.
Antony leant forward and took my other hand. A different type of goose bumps rose up on my arms and I fought the urge to shiver.
‘I get your point, mate, don’t worry. I was genuinely interested in the bracelet.’
Looking into the man’s eyes, I felt fear bubble in my stomach. Father’s warning came into my head. I wondered if the man knew about my mission. He got up suddenly and sat in one of the opposite chairs. Antony let go of my hand and came to sit next to me. The ele
ctronic voice announced the next stop over the speakers so a few people stood to get off. Our stranger friend watched me closely. I felt exposed and squirmed in my seat.
‘Are you okay?’ Antony whispered in my ear.
I shivered as his breath hit my sensitive skin. My heightened senses were good for some things. Our eyes met. He leant into me. I had been so worried about the stranger, I hadn’t even noticed how close he had come.
Chuckling as I went cross-eyed, he pulled back slightly so I could focus on his face. His nose almost touched mine. It was slightly bigger than normal but it suited him.
‘What are you doing?’ I whispered.
‘Just play along,’ he whispered back, bringing his hand up to cup my jaw. His thumb stroked my cheek as his fingers caressed the hair behind my ear.
I got lost in his gaze, unsure what I should do. This wasn’t how I was going to find my soulmate but he was just warning the stranger away.
When his lips brushed mine, my eyes closed. The kiss was so gentle I barely felt it. His tongue flicked out and traced my lips. I held my breath as sensation flowed through me and something snapped inside. I wanted to reach up and grab his head. I wanted to force him to kiss me properly, instead of teasing with tiny touches of his lips, never fully connecting with mine.
The electronic voice announced our stop and we pulled apart. The stranger was gone. I put my hand to my chest as Antony smiled at me. He looked cool and calm but his gaze wouldn’t meet mine. He stood and went to wait by the door. Taking a deep breath, I joined him. He looked straight ahead, ignoring me as the train rolled to a stop at the platform.
‘You’ll be okay from here, won’t you?’ he asked as I got off the train.
Clapham junction was busy. I wasn’t far from home. I nodded so he stayed on the train. Confusion overtook me as he waved. Wasn’t he supposed to be keeping an eye on me? Why were the doors to the train now closing with him still inside? After he had kissed me like that, he should still be with me!
Pisces: Book 1 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) Page 4