Chapter Four

What talent could she possess that would be interesting enough for Cam to want to bargain for it? The question kept running through my head as returned to the house and awaited Veleda's return.

It was after midnight when she finally returned. I sat at the kitchen table with my hands folded in front of me as she tried to sneak in. "Hello, Vel," I said neutrally.

"Daniel," she said, apparently startled. "What are you doing in there?" Veleda circled behind me and wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing my temple.

I sighed in frustration and pulled her by her wrist around, standing up to help her into the seat next to mine. "You laid some serious stuff on me today and then just disappeared. You can't come back and pretend everything is fine."

"Danny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to over react. Let's go talk about this in the room," she said in a seductively sweet voice as her finger traced shapes on my arm.

I grabbed her hand and pressed it against my arm. After millennia of experiencing the tingling sensation at the slightest touch of Lucinda, it was almost unnerving to have Veleda's warm hand simply resting on my arm. "No," I simply said. "Tell me what your talent is."

Veleda stood up and pulled her hand away. "There you go again. Why is it so important for you to know?"

"Why is it so important to keep this from me?" I asked, rising from the table.

"Because you'll take it the wrong way," Veleda sighed and threw up her arms and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door and locking it.

I rubbed my fingers against my forehead, trying to make sense of her cryptic responses. "Vel," I said with exasperation, walking to the door and tapping lightly against it. "Vel, please? I want to help you, but I need to know everything. What you're asking of me…" I stopped there and rested my head against the doorframe.

I heard her sigh against as she rested her head against the other side of the door. "You want to help me?"

"Of course I do. What you're asking is a big deal, though. Can you open the door so I can talk to you and instead of at you?"

After a moment, the door clicked unlocked, but didn't open. "Stubborn woman," I grumbled to myself as I slowly turned the knob, swinging the door open, but not moving towards her on the bed.

"What changed your mind?" she asked quietly, her features soft, but unreadable. There was something off about how she tried to meet my gaze.

"I never said I wasn't going to help you. Did you honestly think I'd just abandon you when you told me? I have no idea how I'm going to stop him, but I have a few ideas of where I can find help. In order to get help, though, I need to know what your talent is and why you've kept it from me." I slowly made my way to the foot of the bed, resting my hands on the cool metal.

Veleda's green eyes flared slightly before she turned her back to me again. "Did Cam tell you why he wanted me before he would agree to help you?"

"No, he just said…" I trailed off and jumped over the bed to grab hold of her, forcing her to stay and answer my questions. "How the hell do you know about that? Have you been following me today?"

"You can be so arrogant and ignorant all at once, can't you?" Her words were angry and meant to hurt me, but she continued before I could respond. "I have precognition. I saw before you even left the house to meet Eliza that you'd be reunited with Cam and that he'd demand something from me in exchange for help."

I released her and stepped back. "So that means you knew…"

"When you were going to kill yourself? Yes, which is why I was there to stop you." Her voice was calm, but not apologetic.

"This is pretty fucked up, Vel. Why didn't you tell me about this?" I was angry, but more shocked.

"To avoid this," she said, motioning to the gap between us.

"Did you know I'd get over Luce, too?" I said more quietly.

She nodded. "I just didn't know exactly when. You see," she started, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap. "As strong as my visions are, they are taken completely out of time. I can see clues, smell scents, feel the emotions around them, but never know the exact timing."

"How'd you know when to find me then?" I asked, awed, yet still skeptical of the explanation.

"The stories on the news," she said and shrugged, finally making contact with my eyes again.

"Why does Cam want to use you?" I continued with my inquisition.

Veleda shook her head. Strands of her hair stuck to the side of her face where tears that had gone unnoticed had been. "I don't know. I can't see everything and Cam's guarding this pretty good. Just like I can't see the outcome of this thing I've asked of you. It's frustrating and I'm scared."

That was all I could handle; in the seven years I'd known her, I might not have suspected the visions, but I knew when she was really emotionally distressed, which thankfully wasn't often. My chest sank and I sat next to her, taking her hand in mine. "You're safe with me, okay? I promise I'll be here for you."

Tears flowed freely from her as she turned and buried her head against my shoulder, her arms wrapped around my neck.

I let her cry it out, but my thoughts were a long ways away, thinking about things I didn't want to consider. "Shhh…," I'd say occasionally as my hand rubbed along her side.

Veleda's heaving chest finally slowed and she looked up at my violet eyes, speaking through airy hiccups. "I love you, Daniel."

Her hand reached up and caressed my cheek, thankfully allowing me an excuse to close my eyes. "You should get some sleep. It's been a long day," I said and cradled her in my arms. I walked with her in my arms to the far side of the bed and laid her gently on her pillow, her puffy eyes fighting to stay open.

"Say it. Please?" she begged as she fought against sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Vel," I said and kissed her lips, lingering as I struggled with the emotions I felt for her.