Hunting Royalty

38. Fears and Firsts

I'm lying underneath a cream comforter; my eyes are closed and a sheen of sweat lines my brow and hairline. I recognize the bedroom as my one in Davenport. My father leans over me and wipes the sweat from my forehead with a damp cloth, "How long will she be like this?"

"It will take the better part of the week for her ascension to be complete," Marie says resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Why so long? Kayden was only out for three days," he looks down on my unconscious form.

"A High Priestess's ascension is different, most people with gifts are unconscious because their body is changing to accommodate their new ability. They are unconscious, we are not, it is the only time that every future is laid out before us, it takes a very long time to sort through them all," she explains.

"Can she hear us?" he asks brushing back my hair.

"No, she is in a kind of dream state."

I wake suddenly from my vision; the room is dark but a tendril of moonlight slips between the gap in my curtains. In my other visions, I had no sense of time frame but in this one it was like a had a six sense, I could tell that the vision would happen soon. I'm going to ascend tomorrow.

I'm scared. What if Marie is right and I'm going to see horribly difficult futures where I will have to make sacrifices? What if it shows me I need to sacrifice someone I love for the greater good? I don't think I could do it. I try to imagine a future where it would ever make sense to sacrifice someone like Kayden. I can't, if Kayden dies it would be the worse possible future. What if it shows me I can't be with Nate? Or what if it comes down to some kind of ultimatum, Nate or Kayden?

My heart beat speed as I work myself into a panic. I'm not ready. I'm not the right person for this, I'm not a good person, for god's sake I'm planning on killing someone. Maybe that's why it is me; I have been chosen to have this gift because they know whoever gets it, has to kill someone and they want someone they think can do it.

I slip out of bed and pad across the floor to my door. I twist the handle slowly trying to make as little noise as possible. I step out into the dark hallway and close the door gently behind me. I tiptoe along the hardwood floors wincing at the smallest of sounds, I find the door I want and twist the handle and slip inside. The balcony doors are open wide and the curtains flutter in a light breeze.

A male form is sprawled on the bed bathed in moonlight, the sheets are twisted over his lower half like he has been tossing and turning. I walk across his room. "Nate," I whisper when I get close, I know he is a pretty light sleeper. "Nate," I say a little louder as I sit on the edge of the bed.

"Alia?" his voice is husky and sleepy.

"Hey," I whisper.

"What are you doing here?" he raises a hand to his face and rubs sleep from his eyes before tucking it behind his head, his muscles bunch in the darkness.

"I need to talk to you," I whisper urgently.

"I don't have anything to say to you," his expression is cold, I guess his anger was slower to wake up than he was.

"Then just listen," I plead with him.

"Tell it to Sam," his jaw clenches and he looks away.

"I'm not with Sam, I'm not his type," I say and Nate scoffs in disbelief, "You're more his type," I explain.

"Sam is gay?" he raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes. I've been covering for him and I've been using him to deflect some attention from the guys at school," I confess quietly.