*The Chronicles of F.R.E.E. Atania's Knight - Raquel Festow* Part 1

Chapter 9 - Saltazeebs (soulmates)

*Raquel POV*

I gasped and Xavier quickly took the drawing before I dropped it.
"How?!" I gasped. I was starting to shake. I was a twin? Why didn't my parents tell me?
"Have you heard of Doppelgängers ?" Dean asked me slowly.
I nodded. "They say that Rebecca Donton was one." I breathed, shock sparking through me.
"That's right, she is." Perkins said, stepping forward. "So was Watson, the girl you saw that looks like you."
"Rebecca Donton looks like me too?" I whispered in awe.
Perkins nodded, smiling to try and help me feel at ease.
I looked at Clara and Xavier, who stared back. Xavier looked back at the drawing and pointed something out to me. It was a hand written message in the corner of the drawing.
'Never forget who you truly are, Rebecca x'
I snapped my head up to look at Clara who had just read the little message too. Her face slowly morphing from shock to ecstatic at the same rate as mine. We both screamed and started jumping around hugging each other. I was overjoyed to find out that I was linked to Rebecca Donton in some way. All my life I had looked up to her and wanted to see what she saw. Now I might just be able to do that. We started dancing and I yanked Xavier in to join us.
I suddenly felt a tense sensation cross over me that changed to a strong feeling of foreboding and I stopped dancing immediately.
Looking around, I saw the man that had been hugging the dark skinned girl standing in the doorway watching us, but it wasn't him that the warning was coming from. He had a dark orange Aura meaning, like Green and Ryder, the wrong thing said to him would turn him red. He grinned at me when I caught him looking and looked back at someone behind him, pulling them into view.
I grabbed Xavier and Clara, who were still dancing, and pulled them behind me, ready to protect them, backing away from the girl he had pulled into the room. Her aura was dark purple, almost black like the woman back in Atania, and screaming that she was dangerous. We needed to get away from her to safety, but I couldn't leave our new fazeeb's either. They could get hurt.
The man's face fell and his Aura started wavering. Panicking about his Aura turning red because I had backed away from him, I grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. He froze, and that's when I felt my own Aura lurch and latch to his. He was warm to touch, he radiated need to me and I felt the overwhelming urge to give him affection and comfort. I pulled away slightly and stared into his pale blue eyes. Did he feel that too?
It didn't look like he did, because he was looking down at me and giving me a very awkward smile, unsure how to react to my sudden embrace. I opened my mouth to say something but thought it best not to as he was already so delicate. I let him go and backed up to Clara and Xavier, unable to take my eyes off him.
"Fazeeb?" Clara said softly behind me. "Drente qai saltazeeb?"
She had asked if he was my soulmate in Old Tongue. I nodded slowly, still unable to tear my eyes away from the man as he walked back to the girl.
Xavier gasped and stared at him.
"Err... Raquel?" Dean said, slowly putting a hand on my shoulder and making me flinch. "Are you ok?"
I started to nod then shook my head. No. We weren't ok. We were in danger. I spun round to Clara and Xavier.
"Ezerez pixteci!" I whispered desperately, telling them the lady he had brought in had purple Aura.
Their eyes widened and stared at her in fear. I looked back to my soulmate, wanting to keep him close, away from the girl he had brought with him, but I didn't know his name.
Our friends from Earth were looking very worried at our behaviour, when Sawyer stepped forward, hooking a hand under the man's arm and pulling him forward towards us again.
"Raquel, this is Hunter. You would have seen him in the drawing." He said, smiling at me gently. He could tell something was off and his Aura was responding to that, wanting to protect us.
A smile crept across my face hearing my soulmate's name for the first time and I looked into his eyes, willing him to feel our connection.
Hunter rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly. "Er. Yeah, hi Raquel. It's very nice to meet you finally." He grinned widely at me and all I could do was whimper in response.
Clara nudged me to bring me back out of my trance and I shook my head before waving at him, shyly, not wanting my voice to betray me and give my feelings away.
Hunter laughed and waved back before turning to the girl. She had autumn coloured hair, dark brown eyes and very bright red lips.
My heart clenched when he put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, smiling at her affectionately.
"This is Gerri, my girlfriend." He said, grinning.
With those words, my heart shattered and I felt my Aura waver, turning a shade darker. I was now orange like him, but his was much darker. I hung my head, not daring to look at her.
"Hi guys. Tommy has told me a lot about you all. I hope we can be friends?"
My heart shook when she said Hunter's first name. His name was Tommy Hunter. How perfect, but maybe my Aura's wrong. He loved someone else. I clenched my fists.
She had sounded hopeful so I looked up to check her Aura. It was pulsing violently. She knew we saw her as dangerous and she wanted to find out why.
"Relxa..." I said quietly, unable to hide the sadness in my voice. My eyes stung from wanting to cry so much. I felt Clara slip her hand into mine, giving it a squeeze. I needed to talk to them, about Hunter, about this Gerri and what we were going to do about involving the others by asking them for help or not.
"Could we have a quiet talk with each other please?" I timidly asked Dean.
Dean's eyebrows shot up from surprise, but she nodded and led us back through the door to some stairs. She took us up the stairs and into a room that had a large bench with huge cushions on it, a very low table in front of it, a box that looked like a giant machine from the hospital and pictures on the walls of her and Hewitt.
"Is everything ok with you, Raquel?" She whispered to me, taking my hand and looking concerned for me. "What's the matter?"
"Let me speak with my fazeebs first, pleize?" I said quietly, the sadness still evident in my voice.
Her face scrunched up at the fact I was upset and she pulled me into a brief hug.
"Take all the time you need, ok?" She whispered in my ear before letting me go and leaving the room.
I turned to Clara and Xavier, unable to hold back the tears and breaking down.
"Did you see the way he looked at her?!" I wailed, falling into Xaviers arms.
"Oh Raquel. It's ok. Once he knows she's purple, we will be able to get him away from her. Try to be positive..." Clara said, rubbing my back comfortingly.
"How can he be my soulmate?" I sniffed, wiping my nose on my sleeve. "His Aura is so dark, it's almost red. He's very broken."
"Maybe you're the one to fix him, Raquel." Xavier said hopefully. "You're his soulmate because you are the one to help him."
I looked up at him and saw the confidence in his words through his eyes. I couldn't help but smile.
"What are we going to do?" Clara whispered.
"We have to stay away from her. There's no doubt about it. Should we tell the others?" Xavier hissed.
I furrowed my brow. "That's what I'm unsure about. They have all accepted her as a fazeeb. Hunter is in love with her-" my heart sank lower when I said it, "- and they don't understand about Aura's. I don't think they'll believe us."
We all hung our heads, trying to think of a way to get away from her. Then it struck me.
"I can ask the doppelgangers for help!" I cried out.
Clara and Xavier snapped their head up, both looking delighted with that idea.
"Let's get Perkins to send Watson a message!" I smirked, folding my arms and feeling very proud of myself.
We left the room and quickly ran down the stairs. As we reached the room where Dean had let us in, Dean and Hewitt were standing there having a whispered, serious conversation. They stopped as soon as they saw us and smiled widely.
"Sorry." I apologised.
"Don't be silly, Raquel." Dean said, walking forward and pulling me into a hug. "We were just very worried about you. What happened?"
"I-I-I..." I didn't know what to say, but I couldn't lie to them. "I don't think you would believe me if I told you."
Dean was taken aback. "Try me." She pushed.
I looked back at Clara and Xavier, they nodded telling me that I could tell her if I wanted.
"Thing is... Um... I have... He is..." I couldn't get the words out so thought I would start from the beginning. "You remember what I told Chelsea about Aura's?"
Dean and Hewitts mouths dropped open, they obviously didn't expect me to say that. They nodded slowly.
"Remember how I said you were soulmates, and that Chelsea's soulmate was in a room above us?"
Again they nodded.
"Well, I have found mine." I said awkwardly, looking down at my feet.
Dean and Hewitt gasped.
"Really?!" Dean gasped.
"That's wonderful! But aren't you too young?" Hewitt squealed, quietly.
I nodded. "You're not meant to find out your soulmate until you're sixteen." I confirmed but Clara suddenly grabbed my wrist as I said it. "Fazeeb?" I said, turning to her.
"You turned sixteen while we were in that hosp ee tal." She squealed.
My mouth fell open. She was right. We had been in there for three months, I would have turned sixteen a month after arriving in Earth.
Clara and I squealed before my sinking heart reminded me that Hunter already had a love. I couldn't help but slouch, again my Aura wavering and turning a shade darker again.
Xavier put his arm around me, and gave me a comforting squeeze. He didn't like seeing me upset.
Dean and Hewitt stared at him.
"It was Xavier? I knew it!" Dean said triumphantly.
I shook my head. "No, it wasn't."
"Who was it then?" Hewitt asked, curiously.
"It was your friend... Hunter."
"HUNTER?!" They blurted out at the same time.
I tried to shush them but it was too late, Hunter had heard his name and come into the room.
I noticed his Aura trying to reach over to mine, but it wasn't latching because he was holding back. Holding back because he was already in a relationship. Nevertheless, it gave me hope though. His Aura reaching over to mine meant that he was feeling the same butterflies, light headedness and longing that I was feeling.
"What's up?" He grinned around at all of us, his eyes lingering slightly longer on me.
I blushed and looked away.
"Er, Raquel just told us that..."
"You have a gold Aura." Clara put in quickly.
Everyone stared at her and she went on to lie further. "A gold Aura is very very rare and it says that the person is... What was it again Raquel?" She was wanting me to elaborate so I focused again on his Aura.
His Aura was dark orange rather than brilliant gold, but I noticed a patch that was very bright just above his shoulder. He was protected by someone he lost... Someone close, very close in fact.
'Goodwin' came a voice when I focused on the second Aura.
"A golden Aura like yours signifies that you're protected from someone you may have thought you lost, but they're still here with you. I suggest you listen to that gut feeling you get, because that's them trying to talk to you." I told him.
He stared at me, lost in what I had said, before tears started forming in his eyes. He took a step towards me, as his Aura started to glow. He was comforted by what I had said and it was turning his aura brighter. I felt elated that I had helped him get his Aura a shade brighter.
He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.
"Tommy?" came a sweet voice as the door opened again.
Clara, Xavier and I stepped back away from Gerri as she entered the room. She looked at us, then at Dean and Hewitt then at Hunter who turned to face her. She gasped.
"You're crying!" She squealed, running over and cupping his face. She looked over to me cowering away from her with my friends and her face grew angry. "What did you say?!" She said, threateningly, stepping around Hunter towards us.
"I-I didn't-" I tried to speak but couldn't from stuttering too much from fear.
"You brought her up, didn't you? He gets very upset when you speak about her, don't you realise that, you stupid bitch?!" She snarled, beginning to advance on me.
"Whoa! Baby, calm down!" Hunter stepped in front of her and blocked her way. "They didn't know, ok, and they didn't bring her up as such."
Gerri looked at him, her Aura pulsing violently and turning even darker. "I'm sorry, hunny. I just don't like seeing you upset." She said, smoothly. Her Aura told me she was lying.
"I know, but I'm fine. Look!" Hunter wiggled his fingers at her and she let out a dark chuckle.
"I love you." She slurred pulling him into a hug.
"Lier." I muttered.
Everyone froze, Gerri looked at me, furious.
"What did you just say?" She challenged, slipping out of Hunters grip.
"LIER!" I shouted at her, glaring back at her. "You don't love him! You don't care about him! Your Aura gives all that away!"
"The FUCK did you just say?!" She bellowed at me before she made to leap at me, but she was caught and held back by Hunter.
"Dean... Get them... Out of... Here!" He grunted to Dean as he struggled to hold Gerri back.
Dean grabbed me by the arm and led me up stairs along with Clara and Xavier. I felt my Aura shimmer with the bravery I needed. I wasn't going to hold back any more. I was going to tell him the truth! Even if she had to be there to witness it!