Power of the Witch

Chapter 14

Rachel could tell where Gabriel was by the way his eyes widend in horror. She smiled at him, not nicely, and took the paper back. He looked at her. And despite everything she knew about him, she was surprised at the sheer depth of his shock. He stared at her with those gold-blue eyes that went on for miles - and then he stepped forward. ''You don't believe that'', he said fiercely, and grabbed her by the shoulders. Rachel was startled. He'd seen her in action. How could he bes o stupid as to grab her. He seemed to be completely unaware of his danger. There was nothing calm or hesitant about him now. He was staring at her with a kind of stricken tenderness, as if she'd just told him she had a terminal disease. It was as if he were trying to pour love and warmt hand light into her by a direct connection. ''I won't let you think that.'' He said. ''I won't let you.'' ''It's just the truth. If you can accept that, you won't drown in life. Whatever happens, you'll be able to cope.'' ''It's not all the truth. If you believe it is, why do you work for Circle Daybreak?'' ''They raised me.'' Rachel said shortly. ''They snatched me out of the hospital nursery when they read the reports about me in the paper. They realized what I was and that humans couldn't take care of me. That's why I work fort hem – to pay them back. It's my job.'' ''That's not the only reason. I've seen you work, Rachel.'' She could feel warmth spreading from his hands on her shoulders. She knocked thema side and stood tall. There was a core of iciness inside her, and he shung on to that. ''Don't get me wrong.'' She said. ''I don't save people out of idealism. I don't risk my neck for just anybody – only the ones I get paid for.'' ''You mean if Rebecka's little brother was in danger, you wouldn't save him. You'd stand there and watch him burn to death in a fire or drown in a riptide.''

Rachel had a sinking feeling. She held her chin up and said, ''Exactly. I fit meant putting myself in danger to save him, I wouldn't do it.'' He shook his head, flatly positive. ''No.'' The sinking feeling got worse. ''That's a lie.'' He said, holding her eyes. ''I've seen you in action. I talked to Ruby and Meg last night. And I've seen your mind. You're not just doing your job. You're doing what you do because you think it's right. And you are....'' He paused as if to find the words, then spoke deliberatly. ''You are the soul of honour.'' And you're insane, Rachel thought. She really needed to get away now. The sinking was becoming a terrible weakness spreading through her. And although she knew that what he was saying was complete garbage, she couldn't seem to stop listening. ''You put on a good show.'' Gabriel said. ''But the truth is that you're brave and gallant and decent. You have your own code, and you would never break it. And anybody who knows you sees that. Don't you know what your team thinks of you? You should have seen their faces – and Rebecka's – when they thought you were dead in that rubble. Your soul is straight as a sword, and you have more honour than anyone I've ever known.'' His eyes were the colour of the first new leaves in the spring, the kind you look up to see sunlight pouring through. Rachel was a meat-eater and had never cared much about flowers or other vegetation, but now she remembered a line from a poem, and it froze in her mind like lightning: Nature's first green is gold. This was the colour the poet meant. You could drown in eyes like that. He was holding her arms again.

He couldn't seem to stop reaching for her, as if she were some soul in danger of being lost forever. ''Your life's been so hard. You deserve to have good things happen to you now – only good things. I wish...'' He broke of, and a sort of tremor went through his face. No, Rachel thought. I won't let you make me weak. I won't listen to your lies. But the problem was that Gabriel didn't lie. He was one of those idiot idealist types who said what they believed. And she shouldn't care whathe believed, but she found that she did. She cared terribly. Gabriel just stood there looking at her with tears in his gem-bright eyes. Something ripped inside Rachel, and then everything changed. Rachel couldn't understand what was happening at first. In panic, all she could think was that she was losing herself. Losing her armor, her hardness, everything she needed to keep alive. Some part of her deep inside was melting, flowing toward Gabriel. She tried to snatch it back, but it was no good. She couldn't stop it. With a distant shock, she realized that she had shut her eyes. She was falling, falling – and she didn't care. Something caught her. She felt the warmth of arms around her, supporting her. And she felt herself lean into it, relaxing, letting him take some of her weight, as if someone else were controlling her body. So warm... That was when Rachel discovered something strange. That warmth could give you shivers. Being close like this, feeling Gabriel warm and solid and there to hand on – it made a shiver of pleasure go through her.

And then she felt the true connection. It wasn't a physical thing. The sparks that passed between them connected them mind to mind. It was a riveting flash of complete understanding. Her heart all but exploded. ''It's you.'' The voice was in her mind, the same voice she'd heard yesterday when he had tried to save her from the dragon. It was filled with wonder and discovery. ''It's you... The one I've been looking for. You're the one...'' And Rachel would have told him how insane that was, except that it was just what she was feeling herself. It was as if she had just turned around and unexpectedly found herself facing a figure from one of her dreams. A person she knew instinctively, just as she knew her own mind. ''I know you, too.'' Gabriel's voice in her head said. ''We're so much alike..'' ''We're not.'' Rachel thought. But the protest sounded feeble even to her. And trying to hang on to her anger andcynicism right now seemed silly – pointless. Like a kid insisting that nobody loved her and she was going to go play on the motorway. ''We belong together.'' Gabriel said simple. ''Like this.'' Warm tingles. Rachel could feel the force of his love like a bright light shining at her. And she couldn't... resist... any longer... Her arms came up to hold Gabriel back. Her face turned up slightly, but not much, because she was tall, and their lips were already only an inch apart. Gabriel leaned closer and their lips touched. The kiss was shivery, delightful and very sweet. After an endless time of floating in a golden haze, Rachel shivered again. ''There's something.... Something I have to remember....'' ''I love you.'' Gabriel said back. ''Yes, but there's something I've forgotten...'' ''We're together.'' He said. ''I don't want to remember anything else.'' And that was probably true. She couldn't really blame him. Who would want to disturb this warmt hand closeness and quiet joy? Still, they had been talking about something – a long time ago, when she had been alone. Something that had made her terribly unhappy. ''I won't let you be unhappy. I won't let you be alone, either.'' He said. He stroked her hair with his fingertips. That was all, but it almost short-circuited Rachel's thought processes. But not completely. ''Alone... I remember.'' Her mother's note. You will always be alone. Gabriel's arms tightened around her. ''Don't. Don't think about that. We're together. I love you...'' ''No.'' With a wrench, Rachel pulled herself away. She found herself standing in the library on her own two feet, staring at Gabriel. He looked shocked and stricken, as if he'd just been slapped out of a dream. ''Rachel-'' ''No!'' She spat. ''Don't touch me!'' ''I won't touch you. But I can't let you run away. And I can't pretend I don't love you.'' ''Love.'' Rachel snarled. ''Is weakness.'' She saw her mother's note lying on the floor where he'd dropped i tand snatched it up. ''And nobody is making me sentimental and weak! Nobody!'' It wasn't until she was out the door that she remembered she had left out the strongest argument of all. He couldn't love her. It was impossible. He was destined to marry the Witch Child. The fate of the world depended on it.