by Abigail Owen
“Let’s get going,” Ellie said. She felt anxious to get home and allow herself to fall into the blessed oblivion of sleep for a long while.
With a nod from Hugh, Alex picked Ellie up and stood in the middle of the room. Once she could feel each of them touching her, she searched for Charlotte’s power. As she had with Griffin earlier, she reached out mentally and touched the source of light inside Charlotte and pulled it into herself. Then she concentrated on each of the people touching her, extending the glow to surround each of them. And then she concentrated on the image of her living room.
“Don’t let go!” she thought, and heard Griffin repeat her instructions.
Instantly, they were all standing in her living room.
“Usually there’s a popping sound when I do it,” Charlotte complained.
“She can show you how to control that if you’re interested,” Griffin voiced Ellie’s thoughts. Then he turned to Charlotte with a commiserating smile. “Don’t take it personally. She’s constantly telling me how to control my own powers or do something new with them. You get used to it…” He grinned at his sister. “And eventually you learn to just ignore her completely.”
Ellie stuck her tongue out at her brother. Still held in Alex’s arms, she laid her head on his shoulder, completely wiped out.
“Time for this one to go to sleep I think,” Alex murmured.
Griffin led the way up to her bedroom. Once there, Alex very gently laid her on the bed. Griffin got out some clean PJs. Ellie’s clothes were ripped to shreds anyway.
Shooing the boys out of the room, Lucy helped her get dressed. It had been so long since Ellie had had a mother to take care of her that tears inadvertently filled her eyes.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice cracking a little.
Lucy tucked her in and smoothed back her hair from her forehead. “Thank you for saving my family tonight,” she whispered like a loving mother. “You rest now. You’ve earned it.”
Turning off the light, she left the room and closed the door with a quiet click. Ellie fell asleep before the door was even fully closed.
Chapter 25
The next three days passed in a blur. Hugh hadn’t been kidding when he told Ellie it would take some time for her to recover. Her body felt like lead, and when she shifted position, every single part of her screamed in agony. She spent most of the time drifting in and out of consciousness. From her few lucid moments, she gathered Griffin had helped move everyone into their house. Hugh and Lucy were staying in Griffin’s room, and he was sleeping in Ellie’s spare bed.
Lila, Adelaide, and Nate had continued to attend school as usual, but they made excuses for Ellie. Bronchitis, they said. No one questioned it. In fact, no one in the outside world noticed anything different about their lives at all…
When Ellie managed to open her eyes, even if only for a few minutes, Alex was always right there beside her. Sometimes he’d be sleeping in the chair next to her bed. Sometimes he’d be reading a book. Every so often she’d open her eyes to find him just looking at her. And each time she woke up, he immediately seemed to know. He’d come over and brush her hair back from her face and give her a tender smile, asking, “Hi, angel, how are you feeling?”
More often than not, she’d drift back to sleep without answering, unaware of the small smile which always graced her lips. Finally, after three straight days of deep sleep, she woke up feeling completely refreshed and rejuvenated.
Alex opened his eyes as she sat up. He unfolded his body, lowering his propped up feet to the floor and uncrossing his arms to lean forward.
“Finally awake, Sleeping Beauty?” he teased.
“Mmmm…” Ellie yawned and stretched her arms above her head. “How long have I been out?” she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“Three days.”
“Wow! Really?”
“Really. I have a crick in my neck to show for it.” He massaged the back of shoulders to prove his point and then gave her a wink.
Ellie played with the tasseled edges of the blanket, unable to meet his questioning gaze. A lot had happened between them over the last few days, not the least of which was her discovery that they were te’sorthene. But they hadn’t talked about any of it yet. And while she knew what they were—every instinct inside her screamed this undeniable truth—she had no idea if he realized it yet. He seemed to care, but he could’ve been waiting all this time for her to wake up so that he could yell at her about all her lies.
“Hey,” he whispered as he reached out and tipped her chin toward him. “What’re you thinking about?”
Ellie gave him a candid look. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”
Alex’s mouth twisted into something between a grin and a grimace. “I’m furious with you, Ellie. I asked you point blank, and you looked me straight in the eyes and lied about who you were.”
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you everything,” she insisted. A fine line, but an important one in her mind. She bit her lip, hiding the fact that her eyes had filled up with tears.
“Hmmm… Well, I wish that you would have just trusted me,” he continued.
Ellie nodded, still not looking at him.
“But you showed me why you did what you did. And your reasons were good ones.”
Ellie nodded faster.
“In fact, they were the same reasons I had when I suddenly stopped running with you,” he told her quietly.
Ellie glanced up, surprised. “I thought you…” She trailed off, unable to continue.
“You thought that I no longer wanted to be friends? That I didn’t care?”
Ellie shrugged and bit her lip.
Alex gazed deeply into her eyes, as if he could communicate with her soul. Running one finger softly down the side of her face, he murmured, “Te’sorthene.”
His voice was so tender, so quiet, she almost didn’t hear him. But she did, and her heart felt like it stopped beating and exploded into a crazy rhythm all at once. She gasped.
Alex gave her a small smile. “You know this word?”
Ellie licked her lips, stopping when she saw how his eyes were drawn to the motion. “I thought only people from my clan knew that word.”
“I don’t know where it originated, but I know what it stands for.” He picked up her hand in his and started drawing concentric circles on her palm with the tip of his finger. “I know, for instance, that it refers to a fated bond between two people like us--”
“Svatura,” Ellie murmured.
He glanced up, stopping the hypnotic motions with her hand. “Yeah... I know that it’s supposed to be rare. And that every… Svatura… seeks the other half of their te’sorthene bond.”
Ellie cleared her throat. “It happened a lot in my clan because there were so many of us.”
“So you’ve witnessed it firsthand?”
“Yes. My grandparents, my parents, among others.”
“I’ve also seen it. My grandparents, too… and of course several couples in my new family. Which is why I can’t believe that I didn’t recognize it when I saw it again… with us.” Alex searched Ellie’s eyes. “We’ve had so much unsaid between us, so I want to be very clear now. We are te’sorthene, Ellie.”
Ellie gave Alex a sparkling smile, almost glowing with her delight. “I know.” Happiness burst through her, but she forced herself to remain calm, composed. Although inside she felt anything but calm and composed.
Alex released a rush of breath, his hand tightening on hers. “You know?”
“Uh-huh. I knew when I crashed my car. And I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured it out sooner… I knew I felt a connection between us. And, unlike you, I knew we were both Svatura.” Ellie shook her head at her ignorance. Licking her bottom lip again in her nervousness, she glanced back up to catch him staring at the small movement. “How…” she cleared her throat again. “How do you feel about it?”
Alex seemed to have to drag his eyes away from her mouth. “How do I feel? I’
m over the moon, you crazy girl! And I should also warn you that if you keep licking those delectable lips, I’m going to have to kiss them. Right now.”
Ellie gulped as her breath caught in her throat. She glanced away and shook her head. Obviously she wasn’t totally healed because now she was hallucinating…she had to be.
“I know we barely know each other, and this isn’t exactly the most romantic setting, and we still have a lot of getting to know each other to do,” Alex continued. “But I should’ve known exactly what we were the first time we met. Like you, I felt that connection. An undeniable pull to be with you. And heaven knows I fought it. You were supposed to be a normal girl. Too young… too... well, let’s just say too a lot of things. And then I didn’t know who or what you were, or if I could trust you.”
Ellie closed her eyes, trying to block out his painful words.
“…But you kept showing me your heart, over and over. I discovered that you are a kind, loyal, generous, and brave. You are so damned incredible.” He shrugged and his voice cracked. “When I saw you risking your life to save my family… and you went down under those wolves…I realized that if I lost you, there’d be nothing left for me. And that’s when I knew.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Te’sorthene.”
A smile lit up Ellie’s face. She threw her arms around his neck, laughter bubbling up and bursting out of her in a gloriously exultant sound. She took his face in her hands. “I’ve been fighting it like crazy, too! And have been completely miserable without you the last several weeks. I didn’t know that someone could become the center of my world like that so fast.”
The look of elation in Alex’s eyes took Ellie’s breath away. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. After a moment he gathered her into his arms and very gently laid his lips on hers in a kiss so achingly sweet, Ellie thought she might cry.
“You’re mine now, Ellie Aubrey,” he whispered in her ear as he ended the kiss and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Just as I am yours.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she whispered back.
Chapter 26
“Can I come in now?” Griffin called loudly from outside the door.
Their blissful reverie interrupted, Ellie moved to get off Alex’s lap, but he just tightened his grip. “Come on in,” Alex called, his arms firmly around Ellie’s waist.
The door swung open and Griffin walked in, eyebrows raised. “I guess you’re feeling better?” he teased. He’d never seen his sister look so happy, practically glowing. And although he felt the slight pinch of his own loss, knowing their relationship would have to change in some ways, he loved her too much to begrudge her this happiness.
“Much,” Ellie answered. “What time is it anyway?”
Griffin checked his watch. “About six a.m. on Wednesday morning.”
“I’d better get ready for school then.” She hopped off of Alex’s lap and started opening drawers.
“Wait,” Alex said, looking incredulous, “You’re going to school?”
“Of course!” she answered as she pulled out a pair of jeans. “I am a high school student for the time being. I have to keep up that appearance.”
They all understood that if they survived this, they’d eventually need to continue their lives as they had been before. None of them felt like uprooting and starting over just yet, and so, to the rest of the world, they needed to continue to act like normal human beings.
“Yes, but…”
“Aren’t Nate, Lila, and Adelaide all still attending school?” Ellie paused from searching through drawers to face him, her hands on her hips.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“Then I should too. Putting aside the need to keep up appearance, I can protect them better if I’m right there with them,” she asserted, her chin assuming a stubborn tilt.
“But they didn’t just spend three days passed out in bed healing from major injuries,” he pointed out. Alex levered himself off the bed and crossed the room to where she stood to frame her face with his hands.
“That’s true,” Ellie conceded. “But I’m better now, so there’s really no excuse.”
Alex ground his teeth in frustration, pushing away to return to the bed and sit down. He glanced at Griffin, who was lounging in the doorway watching the exchange with interest. Griffin gave a resigned shrug, his expression clearly saying, Good luck, dude.
“Then I’m driving you to school,” Alex insisted.
But Ellie was already shaking her head. “As much as I’d love that, it doesn’t fit with our story,” she reminded him. In an exaggerated southern accent she said, “You ah just too old for little ol’ me, Mr. Jenn-ah. It is positively indecent.” She batted her eyes at him dramatically.
Alex merely grunted in return, looking highly irritated.
“She’s always like this,” Griffin confided. “I can’t say that I’m sorry that you get to deal with it now. I’ve had to put up with her on my own for years.”
Ellie gave her brother an affectionate slug on the arm.
Seeing that Alex still wasn’t pleased, she crossed the room and placed a quick kiss on his lips, feeling a thrill of excitement. She still couldn’t quite believe that he was her te’sorthene, and she his, and that she could kiss him like this freely. It would take some getting used to.
“I can access Griffin’s defensive shield from the school if it makes you feel any better,” Ellie said, attempting to sooth his obvious concern.
“I’d rather he drive you to school himself. You’re still pretty weak,” Alex replied. “It’s pretty obvious, Ellie.”
That would also take some getting used to, this ability of his to read every emotion and thought without the advantage of a power that allowed him to do so. It was more like he knew her as well as he knew himself.
Suddenly, Ellie frowned. “What exactly is your power anyway, Alex?”
His eyebrows shot up. “You mean you don’t already know?”
She shook her head. “Not really. It has something to do with freezing stuff, maybe. You’re very good at hiding what you can do. So what is it?”
“Nope,” he said with a grin, “I’m not telling you yet. And you’re not allowed to use your power on me to figure it out.”
“Why won’t you tell me?” Ellie was perplexed.
“You kept who you were from me all this time. Put me through hell, I can tell you, fighting what I felt for you. This is my turn for a little payback…” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her as he rubbed his hands together, anticipating the different ways he could torment her.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “I’m going to have to find out pretty soon,” she reminded him. “I really should start practicing if I’m going to master using all these skills at once. In fact, now that I’m thinking about it, we should get started on that tonight after school.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t put us in danger making you wait.”
“Huh.” With that, she headed for the bathroom. She took a long, hot shower, which felt ridiculously wonderful, and then got dressed for school.
“The kids are just getting their gear and are about to head off,” Lucy said as Ellie made her way to the kitchen. Everyone else was already eating breakfast. “It’s good to see you up and about,” she added as she came around the table to give Ellie a hug.
Hugh stood beside her. “Do you mind?” he asked Ellie, indicating his desire to use his power on her. Ellie held out her hand with a smile. Hugh concentrated silently for a few moments and then smiled. “All better I see.”
“Thanks to you.” She grinned back and snagged a piece of toast off the table. “I’d better get going or I’ll be late for school.”
“Hey…” Alex caught her wrist, tugging her to a halt. “At least take Griffin with you.”
“I can’t,” she said with a shake of her head. “If he comes with me, he can’t protect you here at the house.”
Alex frowned. “But he’s been at the school the last
two days protecting the others,” he protested.
“Only because he knew that I could tap in to his power to protect the house if I had to,” she explained.
“And how would he know that? You were out cold.”
Ellie looked at him patiently. She knew he’d already figured it out. Alex turned a glare on Griffin, who just shrugged. “You didn’t think I’d leave my sister undefended did you?”
“I was here,” Alex insisted. “So were the rest of us. But I guess I should have figured.” He turned his attention back to the girl standing beside him. Not that he’d admit it to her yet, but she really was adorably sassy in her confidence in her powers and her brother’s. “This twin thing is going to take some getting used to,” he muttered under his breath.
Ellie threaded her fingers through his and brought their hands up to her lips. She kissed them softly. He knew she was wordlessly telling him that Griffin would always be her twin brother, and they would always have their connection, both as siblings and through their powers. But she was Alex’s te’sorthene now. A bond greater than any other for a Svatura. That’s where her heart lived now and forever.
Lila, Adelaide, and Nate chose that moment to appear. “Hey, Ellie!” Nate greeted jovially, giving her a thumbs up. Lila also grinned.
Adelaide crossed the room to give her friend a big hug. “So now you’ll truly be my sister!”
Ellie and Alex looked only slightly less surprised than everyone else at this statement.
“You’re te’sorthene. You have a connection that I’ve only seen a few times, and most of those are in this group. I assume you’ll eventually get married, right?”
“Oh!” Ellie and Alex gasped in unison.
“You didn’t know?” Adelaide asked, confused. She knew what she saw between them, and it was undeniable.
“It’s still new to us, munchkin.” Alex lovingly mussed his adoptive sister’s hair. “We just had our first official kiss…we hadn’t gotten as far as discussing marriage just yet.”
Ellie didn’t say anything. She still felt a little shell-shocked. She’d never had a serious romantic relationship – dates yes, serious no. She’d been so young when her people were destroyed there’d been no opportunity, and then moving around so frequently and never meeting her own kind, serious just hadn’t been on the agenda. So having this brand new one so publically declared and categorized was a little overwhelming.