Chapter 23 — Tender moment
Amara:
“Where are we, Kell? I thought you were taking me home.” I ask when Kell parks his car near a tall tree and gestures to the beautiful bluff located high in the California hills.
“This is my favorite place to be. I come up here to stretch my wings and fly. It’s great because it’s secluded and I can be me. Plus, it’s a good place to talk without interruptions.”
I gaze at his profile. His face looks calm and wistful. For a moment, I rest my head back on the seat and observe him. I love his strong jaw, arched nose, and firm lips. As if sensing my appraisal, he turns to me and copies my pose.
We both simply sit there and let the peace of the moment overtake us. That’s when I realize the difficulty Kell must experience having to live in the human world. “It must be so hard for you to hide from humans. To know that you’re not allowed to be yourself. I know it’s not the same, but most of the time, I feel like my visions are a curse.”
At first, he doesn’t answer. He simply gazes into my eyes, reaches for my hand, and entwines our fingers, “I guess it doesn’t bother me as much because I live with other supernatural beings. I know that when I get home, I can release my wings, and my brothers won’t freak.”
He raises our entwined hands to his mouth and lays a kiss on mine. “Look, beauty queen, what you are…what you are is not a curse. It’s more than that.”
I frown in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
Kell opens his car door and steps out of the car, “Come out here so we can talk.” His words give me pause. Is there more to what I am than I thought?”
I step out of the car and walk towards his rigid back. He’s looking off into the distance. The forest is alive with sounds of crickets and scurrying animals, and there’s a beautiful grand tree with pink leaves fluttering majestically in the middle of the bluff, its thick roots protruding from the hard ground. The whole area is blanketed by lush grass and colorful flowers. It’s almost surreal how beautiful the spot is. It reminds me of something I would find in a fairy tale painting. My hands itch to reach for my camera.
Kell turns around and pulls me into his arms with worry etched in his features. His eyes are dark, and his brows are furrowed. I want to take him into my arms and soothe worry lines from his brow. Wanting to calm his worries, I caress his strong jaw.
“What is it, Kell? Please tell me.” His jaw visibly ticks with tension. Then, as if all of the air leaves his body, the tension loosens. Leaning forward, he rests his forehead against mine. It’s a tender moment when our faces touch and brush gently. He takes a deep breath, looks at me from under his lashes, and says, “You’re not cursed, beauty queen. You’re what in my world is called a Breija.”
I focus my eyes on his.
“What?” He doesn’t respond for a moment. Instead, he pulls my body close and rocks in place.
“Azazel’s the one that figured out what you are.” He whispers gently. “He helped Mathias search for Sophie. When I called Mathias for help, I had to tell him that I had a friend who saw visions, and Azazel put two and two together when you fainted.”
My hands rest on his chest in calming circles. “What does that mean?”
He releases a deep breath and kisses my forehead before he says, “According to Azazel, a Breija is a mirror seer. He says that Breijas are rare. That they usually see death visions through reflections. He also said that untrained Breijas have a hard time restraining their power and that they usually die young.” My breath halts at his words. I take a few deep breaths and pull back from his arms. “What?” My throat swells up with bile.
He nods his head, refusing to release me from his arms. “Yeah, he said that you have to learn to control your vision, or you might die. Something about how the visions affect your body temperature. The closer the person is to death, the colder they get. You need to disassociate yourself from your vision because you’re living the person’s death, not seeing it from a spectator’s perspective.”
I swallow my horror down and gaze into his beautiful blue eyes. “What do I do, Kell?”
His face brightens. “That’s what I was trying to figure out this weekend. Azazel says he can find someone to train you and that it helps that I keep you warm. So, the cold shouldn’t be as dangerous as it used to be. However, you have to meet Mathias at some point because the Council needs your help in finding the killer. I told him that it’s up to you.” He says with a stern voice. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I just thought you should know.”
I think about his words. He’s so sweet going through all that trouble to protect me. “Will you go with me to meet him?”
He nods his head. “Of course, I will, beauty queen. I’d do anything for you.”
My heart flutters at his sincere words. I know now that I’m in love with him. Hell, I think I’ve always been in love with him. And according to him, he’s all mine.
We both close our eyes and take deep breaths. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
His arms tighten around me with relief. My body warms at the feel of his as he tightens his grip on mine. After a moment, I pull back and whisper, “You know that you’re the best boyfriend in the world, right?” He smiles cockily. “Of course, I know.”
And that’s that. My boyfriend is the most self-assured and arrogant jerk in the world, but I wouldn’t have him any other way.
He calls Mathias a few moments later and suggests that we meet in Mathias’s home instead of the Council. I’m amazed at all the things that I’ve learned about the Supernatural world. I never imagined that there were so many beings or that they have their own policing system in place. It’s mind-boggling.