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“I…uh…I never really thought about it like that.” He leads me over to the edge of the creek and drops down extending his legs in front of him, he looks up and motions with his hand for me to do the same. I’m woman enough to admit that I am apprehensive of this side of him, he isn’t yelling or demanding, he is…asking. I decide to take the plunge and see where this will go, I cross my legs under me and hunch over to pluck blades of grass for something to do. I don’t know why I feel this burning need to help Cairo, he is a complete jerk and has threatened me more times than I can count. The visions I had of him showed me that he is desperate and scared, but the man sitting beside me doesn’t show those fears, I can tell he is stressed but I see no fear or desperation in his gaze. We sit here for a long time lost in our own thoughts, the silence isn’t uncomfortable, it feels surreal to sit next to someone who isn’t my father or brothers and not be assaulted by visions.
“Can I ask you something?” A resigned sigh escapes him.
“You want to know why you are really here?”
“Yes.” I feel his gaze boring into the side of my face, but I choose to ignore it.
“A part of me wants to be the one to shatter your realty so you would rebel against your family in order to do as I ask. But, the other side of me doesn’t want to see any more harm come to you.” Now I do meet his gaze, I hear the truth in his words, and I am beyond confused as to how he can want to harm one minute and then, admit he doesn’t want to see me in pain.
“What does that mean?” I can tell from the way his eyes dart away from me that he isn’t going to answer that.
“You’re here because I need your help to save Sky.” My mouth opens to speak, but he shushes me by continuing. “I lied; the council was never the end game; they were just the cover so no one would find out about Sky.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Everyone thinks I brought you here to help me track the council so I can end them, I let my sister think I wanted to do this because they killed our parents. Truth is, I don’t give a flying fuck about them, I just needed everyone to believe that, so they wouldn’t ask questions.”
“So, the council is your cover story?”
“Yes, you are really here to help me save Sky, I cannot let the surge happen if it does…I-I just need to stop it.” The vision I had about Sky comes to mind, I hold his gaze as I tell him about what I saw. “Fuck!” He roars, I flinch back as he shoves his hand through his hair and yanks on the strands, I wish I was brave enough to reach out and place my hand on his to offer comfort, but I’m petrified of human touch even though I long for it. Stupid, huh?
“I’m sorry––.”
“How accurate are your visions?” I cock my head to the side in confusion. “Are they ever wrong?” I think on that for a moment, they aren’t always on point and may vary, but the end result is always the same. I can see the pleading look in his eyes, he wants me to say that they hold no mirth or truth, but I can’t lie to him.
“I have only ever been wrong once.” A look of defeat crosses his features. “I’m sorry Ro.” His eyes widen slightly, and I’m taken back by that look.
“That’s the first time I think you have ever called meRo.” I stiffen, I can feel the blush fighting its way to my cheeks, so I turn away from him. We aren’t friends, not even remotely close to it we’re more…acquaintances.
“It won’t happen again.” I blurt out.
“I like how my name sounds when you say it.” I snap my gaze back to his so fast I feel a muscle in my neck pinch.
“W-what?” He doesn’t answer just shrugs his shoulders. I’m sitting here reeling from his little declaration while he doesn’t seem bothered in the least.
“Close your mouth beauty, some might take it as an invitation.” I gape at him in horror and quickly snap my mouth closed, did he just make a crude remark––towardme? “Don’t get lost in your head, you spend way too much time inside your own mind.” What the hell?
“How the heck would you know anything about me?” He slowly drags his gaze back to mine.
“I didn’t just show up one day and take you. I researched you for months while we were tracking you, I may be rash and crazy sometimes, but I never go anywhere unprepared.” His revelation shocks the hell out of me.
“Here I was thinking you just heard about the circus freak and showed up.” I try to sound noncoherent, but he hears the bitterness in my tone. He meets my gaze and I see anger swirling in the depths of his ice blue eyes, but it isn’t directed at me.
“You are not a freak, what you can do is…out of this world. Why do you hide from it?” I get a little choked up at his question, no one haseverasked me something like that, they all just assume I love getting visions and think I’m above everyone else, but that isn’t true.
“Because everything must have balance, I never asked for these visions or wanted them, I hate being able to see people’s darkest hour or their most intimate moments. These visions…” I clamp my mouth closed, I can’t believe I was about to tell him the truth, what the hell was I thinking? I cover my face with my hands and berate myself for letting my guard down for even a second, some may think I’m nuts for opening up to my captor, but the freaking truth is my captor is the only one who doesn’t treat me like I’m a basket case and handle me with kid gloves.
“Why do you hate them so much?” That is another question no one has ever asked me; I feel like I’m an onion and he is peeling back my layers one at a time until I’m bare and exposed.
“Because they hurt.” I drop my hands and swivel around until I’m facing him, he doesn’t react, just sits patiently and waits for me to continue. “You know how I told you about my vision with Sky?” He nods. “Well, I felt everyone’s pain from that vision, every vision I feel the anger, pain, hatred, I feel everything, and I hate it.”
“Have you ever tried to change the course of someone’s life because of what you have seen?” Cairo and I spend hours sitting out here talking, it’s so weird for me to have someone actually care or curious enough to ask about my wants and needs. I’ve never had a friend before and being out here with him makes me feel like I may actually have a shot at making my first ever friend, in him. Cairo pauses mid-sentence and jumps to his feet; I follow his lead not sure what has caused his carefree look to be replaced by his normal unemotional mask. I stifle a gasp when he moves in front of me blocking me from whoever is coming into view. “She’s fine, now fuck off.” I peer around him to see my three brothers who all wear looks of rage, I smile sheepishly at them then quickly dart back behind Cairo. I know this is ridiculous, but I don’t want to deal with my overbearing brothers and have them ruin this day for me.
“I don’t think so, Belle is coming with us.” I can see Cairo’s shoulders tense and without thinking I reach out and lay my hand against his back, I gasp, and he stiffens. I can’t tear my gaze from my hand that lays against him, I’m tense and frightened waiting for a vision to assault me.
“Belle?” I can’t answer Blake, I’m stunned silent at the fact I willingly touched someone, and no vision has crippled me. Cairo begins to slowly turn around; my hand remains in the air and winds up against his chest as he faces me. My eyes are still rooted to my hand, how is this possible? I hear movement around us, but I ignore it as I slowly lift my gaze to his and see a war raging inside him, anger, intrigue, curiosity all shine in his eyes but I just know he is about to pull the rug out from under me. I can see it in the way his eyes crinkle in the corners and how the side of his lip lifts in a half smirk, half snarl, I’ve stunned him, and he doesn’t like it. I quickly yank my hand back and drop it to my side, I stand tall and wait for his verbal lashing.
“Youtouchedme.” Huh? That was not what I was expecting to come out of his mouth!
