The Gifted (Book 2 of Seer Series)

Chapter 17

Finally, my mother cleared her throat and pulled away from me. She pushed a strand of auburn hair out of the way before she rested her hand on my cheek, and I closed my eyes and moved my cheek closer to her hand. "I think we need to talk about what else had happened," she said and tucked her head closer to her chest while she gave me a tight smile. "Don't you agree?"

I bit back an annoyed sigh and slowly nodded, pursing my lips in annoyance while I opened my eyes and looked at her. "Yes, Ma'am," I said, letting the annoyance show in my voice, much to her amusement.

She pressed a kiss to my forehead and patted my cheek before she let me go and cleared her throat, putting her arms behind her back and clasping her hands together while she stood taller and grew serious. "Now, you said that there was a shadowy figure?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

I nodded and grew serious as well, knowing full well that she wouldn't change her subject. "There was," I said, furrowing my brows and pursing my lips further in annoyance while I tried to remember what happened and where the figure was.

"The figure was over the body," I said, taking a step toward the girl and gesturing toward the space where the figure had been, "like lying on top of her before it got up and disappeared." I pointed in the direction that it had gone in, even though I hadn't been paying attention that way. "It went that way."

Mom and Michael looked at each other before they looked at me, both with equal blank looks on their faces that made it hard for me to read their expressions. "Do you think that the figure had been a part of the girl?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question, gesturing to the girl, and I shrugged and grimaced.

"Probably," I replied while I tucked my head closer to my chest, biting back a tired sigh while I furrowed my brows. "I didn't really see the figure because it felt like my... sense of self was put on the back burner while Ruckur did what he needed to do using my magic as well as his. I couldn't move in the way that I wanted to because he was the one in control and not me."

My mother nodded and set her jaw. "Hopefully that will be a one time thing," she said with a slight warning in her tone while she raised her eyebrow higher in anger, and I had a feeling that she was saying that to Ruckur and not to me.

Tell her that it will be, Ruckur said softly. Tell her that she has my word.

"It won't be," I said and shook my head instead, and my mother frowned before she raised an eyebrow in question and frowned.

"Excuse me?" she asked, her tone turning slightly darker and more protective over me. She scowled and narrowed her eyes while she looked at me, tucking her head closer to her chest while she stared at me with darker green eyes.

Alexandria... Ruckur warned.

We'll talk more about this later, I replied. Now, hush and let me handle this, please. "It's not his decision, Mom," I said with a shake of my head. "He doesn't want to do it, but if something happens, and he needs to take control of my body, then I don't want him to feel as if he was betraying your trust if he had made that promise."

Mom didn't say a word and set her jaw tighter, and I had a feeling that she wanted me to continue with what I was thinking, what I was feeling.

"Carith is still with and connected to Chase," I said, furrowing my brows and biting the inside of my lip while I tucked my head closer to my chest. "If Carith takes control of Chase or gives Chase more of his magic or whatever, then I am going to need his magic and help, especially if that means that he needs to take control."

Mom and Michael looked at each other before they looked at me with equal expressions on his face. "And do you think that he will take control of Chase?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation, setting my jaw. "Or will attempt to take control and keep control over him so that Chase is no more and only Carith remains."

Mom set her jaw, and her eyes flashed in annoyance and with pain. "Is that even possible?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, and I had a feeling that she was talking to Ruckur.

Ruckur sighed, and I had a feeling that he would purse his lips in annoyance if he was able to. Tell her that there is a chance, he said. I do not know how or when, but there is a chance that he can do it.

I set my jaw, and worry blossomed in my chest when Ruckur said that, and I couldn't help but bite the inside of my lip while I stared at my mom because I had no idea how she would react.

Mom sighed and tucked her head closer to her chest, and pain flashed through her eyes. She didn't say a word and slowly nodded, moving a hand through her hair.

"How soon?" Michael asked and looked between the two of us. He set his jaw and looked at me, and pain flashed through his eyes. "How soon is it before Carith takes control of Chase and Chase is no more?"

"Michael," Mom warned and flashed him an annoyed look. She set her jaw and tears pricked the corner of her eyes while she looked at him. "Don't say that, please."

Her voice shook when she told him that, and again, she looked more like a mother than a leader, who was scared of what the future would do for her son.

"I don't want to know. Please." She looked at me when she said that, tears slowly started to fall from her eyes, and my heart broke while I cringed.

Tell Michael that we will talk later, Ruckur said, solemnly, and I mentally nodded, pressing my lips into a thin line.

"We will talk later," I said and looked at Michael, wanting to respect my mother's wishes but wanting to get prepared for anything that would happen.

A small sob broke from my mother, and she quickly turned away from us while she covered her mouth. She grabbed her stomach while she sank in on herself, and my heart broke while I stared at her.

Michael looked at my mom before he looked at me. He slowly nodded, and pain filled his eyes while he set his jaw, not saying a word.

My mother took a moment to herself before she took a deep, shuddering breath and cleared her throat. "Ok," she said, her voice barely above a whisper while she wiped her eyes. "I am ok." She cleared her throat again when her voice cracked while she shook her head.

Again, Michael and I looked at each other before we looked at her. We didn't say a word because we knew that she wasn't ok, even though she wanted to act like it.

My mother sighed and shook her head before she cleared her throat again, biting the inside of her lip. She shifted on her feet and stood taller, her eyes red and puffy while she tried to keep her composure.

"We'll make sure that it doesn't happen, Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I shook my head. "I promise."

Mom nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line, and a look of relief flashed through her eyes. "I know," she said before she cleared her throat and wiped her eyes so that there were no tears in the way. "Now, let's go ahead and start seeing what we can do to help and make sure that it never happens. Ok?"

I bit back a small sigh of sadness and nodded, pressing my lips into a thinner line. "Ok," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Let's go ahead and see what we can do to help." I paused and looked this way and that before I looked at them again. "Now, how do we do that?"

Oh, Gods help us...