The Goddess's Chosen

Chapter Eight

Ivory

I sat on the steps outside Ayla's cottage, waiting for that ass, Xavier. My head in my hands, breathing slowly as my body trembled. What the hell was up with that? Invading my space and weaving her magic through me. She could have asked first. What was she looking for, anyway? I didn't feel sick.

Whenever I got sick, my mother would just give me herbal teas and broth. If I got terrible, that was when she used magic, and it never exploded like that. Was it because she was my aunt? I wish my mom was here. There's so much I don't know about magic.

Why did she keep all this a secret?

Closing my eyes, I reached into my core and touched the golden pool. It was like warm liquid silk that hummed with energy. My magic. It felt fine. In fact, it felt deeper than before. Did it have something to do with this place I'm in now? I came to realize I actually don't know where I am, just that I'm not on earth anymore.

I looked up and took in my surroundings. Tall snow covered pines surrounded the small village and snow-capped mountains rose above the treeline. Elven women roamed about with their children in tow, carrying baskets of strange colored fruits. They all wore long sleeve dresses with fur-lined cloaks. Some carried bows and quivers alongside men dressed in bleached leather. It hurt how much this place looked like home. Even the cabins looked similar to the one I grew up in. But then, my father built it himself. I guess he took the inspiration from home.

Home...

I should have never left.

Tears threatened to fall, and I stood up, shaking my hands. I had spent all morning crying. I was done with it. A shaky breath escaped my lungs as I squeezed my eyes shut. Trying desperately to patch the hole in my heart.

The creaking of the wooden door made me jump. Xavier stepped out and skipped down the steps. His blue eyes regarded me wearily. The inklings of emotions trickled into me again. But unlike before, they were muted. My heart raced like it had when I first laid eyes on him. It was such a strange experience, one that I had never had before. Though that could be because I had never really met anyone outside my parents and those strangers in the woods.

When I came down the hall, I started feeling them, and then when our eyes met in the living room, strange emotions slammed into me. Sadness, confusion, hope. Then it shifted to fear. Replaced by overwhelming guilt before the emotions abruptly cut off. Like turning off a spigot.

I assumed they came from Xavier. I didn't understand why I felt his emotions. What made Xavier so special? I didn't feel Ayla's—or my parents growing up. A sense of familiarity struck me as I gazed into his bright blue eyes. They seemed to draw me in with every breath I took. His black hair fell gracefully around his head in waves, framing his angular face. His skin was a rich sienna, like the precious stones my father used to bring me from the mountain caves. He wore a soft green sweater and beige pants that fit snugly against his toned muscles.