Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 59 - Fragments (Samson Conrad POV) Pt. 2

ugh. migraines suck. 

Chapter 59 – Fragments (Samson Conrad POV) Pt. 2

A cross-country road trip sounded wonderful when my siblings, and the Rosario's had been planning it. It was not something we had done before and there was this excitement to explore freely that pulled us all in.

With winter in full swing up North, we left Bozeman, headed to Medora, North Dakota only to get out of that state as fast as we could without garnering unwanted attention. Finally stopping for the night in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin after nearly twenty hours of nonstop driving.

Luca merged off the highway, leading us to the next place Dmitri had step up, the tension in the car skyrocketed, Imogen and Fatima had their faces glued to the windows, searching the area. After North Dakota we were all a bit on edge, but while the girls were peering out at the location, I was concentrating on Rafael. Out of everyone I couldn't understand why he had not been able to see the gate and bridge that the rest of us had seen. He continued to tease and pester Fatima, even after she just stopped engaging in the back and forth.

My focus was we had stopped at two properties before he met us in Bozeman, and we travelled to North Dakota. Were those first two properties in Idaho invisible to humans as Willowdale had been to Rafael?

We certainly couldn't go back, but it did raise questions about my grandmother's spell. She said that no one in Bend should remember us clearly, that our homes were hidden, not many of us actually lived in town, more on the outskirts. Yet, somehow, Taylor and Devin weren't spelled.

As for Rafael he should remember us, considering he lived in Sisters, the neighboring town.

A part of me wanted to say that the reason he couldn't see the bridge and gate was because of his obvious distaste for Fatima. He was an actual joker, but each time he spoke the words seemed to have a double meaning. Yet despite that I'm not sure Rafael had the right amount of caution or fear just yet.

I was not afraid of Fatima but I wouldn't say that she'd never hurt me. That would be foolish. She likes me, I love her, but... she had gifts, power, that she did not know the true weight of just yet. Her body temperature was fluctuating wildly, making her sleep soundly for forty minutes before causing her to squirm and groan out in pain.

I've heard of many people getting their abilities and hurting loved ones in the process. Thankfully my experience was only mortifying to myself. But Fatima was a wild card and somehow we couldn't get Rafael to see that, maybe because he wanted to know everything about Fatima and that was not going to happen right away.

Pulling up into a familiar pebbled road, the blanket of snow covering it untouched, Luca pulls up to an identically placed iron gate, nearly twelve feet high, disappearing into the surrounding forestry. Without being asked Fatima exits the truck, walking and entering the code before scurrying back into the warmth she just left.

""What's the code?" Rafael asks when she gets situated and Luca pulls in slowly, everyone on edge. Gritting my teeth, I only shake my head and catch Luca doing the same up front. Again I tell myself, he's only curious. The snow bright white leaves nothing hidden.

We travel the curved path lined out.

"It's beautiful," Imogen whispers. I force my gaze completely from Rafael, taking in the black branches covered in snow. She's right. It is lovely and I almost see no difference between the scene now and many from Bend. As the path widens and curves the snow overtake mostly all the black from the sodden branches.