Frost's Touch (Book One of the Eternal Warmth Trilogy)

Five Years Old

Five Years Old

"Okay Elly, smile!" Iana snapped a picture of Elianna as she ate her birthday cake. It was one of many that Iana took.

"Mommy," Elianna complained, "can I pwease eat my cake without you taking pittures?"

Iana sighed, and sat down next to her daughter, "okay, fine. But when we open presents, the camera's coming back out. You got it?"

Elianna brightened, and nodded her head. She went back to her cake, and started eating it again.

Iana sighed again, and got up. The party, the food, and the guests were all great, but something felt off.

Not only that, but she had another vision again. It was further into the future, one of Elianna in her late teens. But Elianna was not alone in the vision, no, there was a man there beside her. Their hands were twined together as they talked to Jack in the vision.

This vision was different too. Usually, Iana was able to speak to the future people. This time, Iana was completely helpless as she watched them converse. She also couldn't hear the conversation. As if it was on a TV and someone put it on mute.

The vision ended when Elianna turned and looked the man in his eyes. When she did that, it shocked Iana to the core. It was the same way Iana looked at Jack. Exactly the way.

Iana had woken up in a cold sweat, worrying Jack when he was startled awake too.

When Jack fell back asleep, Iana crept out of her bed and went to Elianna's room. She watched her daughter sleep silently. She was a peaceful and young being. Iana couldn't imagine her daughter with the man she was with in the vision.

The man had very dark eyes, tan-ish skin, and was very tall. Taller than Jack. To Iana, he looked scary, intimidating.

It may not be the case in the future if she let the man near Elianna.

Warm arms wrapped around Iana's middle, and Iana smiled as she inhaled the sweet scent of rosemary.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, "I feel your unease."

"Nothing's wrong," Iana lied, and her mind chastised her for doing it to Jack. "I'm just ready to fall into bed. That's all."

"Me too," Jack agreed, and he laid his chin down on her shoulder, looking out into the playing children. Elianna was in that group. They were playing Marco Polo out of water, and Elianna was the one it.

Her giggles warmed Iana's heart as she searched for the others blindly.

"I can't believe she's already a half decade. Just imagine when she turns a whole century."

Iana snorted, "yeah, and we'll look just as old as her, if not younger."

Because Elianna was born into immortality, she didn't become immortal until she finished maturing. Which meant she would stop ageing at around eighteen.

"You got that right, love."

Iana scanned the party. The kids were still playing, the I'm-too-cool-for-this-kind-of-party teenagers texting, and the adults spread in little groups, beer or wine in their hands.

Someone tugged on Iana's shirt, and Iana looked down to see Piper, Cassie and Dean's little girl, at her feet. Jack let go of Iana as she kneeled down to Piper's level.

"Yes Piper?"

"There's a weird man in the trees," she said, and pointed to the edge of the forest. "He scares me."