Chapter Eighty

The festival was in full swing. Ethan was sure he could just stand next to Lynnie and be perfectly entertained, but there was so much going on they couldn't decide where to go first. The streets were full of people in medieval costumes, music lilted in the air. It was almost magical, like a fairy tale.

Lynnie tried to take it all in. The colors, the sounds. She looked over at Ethan and smiled. As she did only one thought filled her mind. This could quite possibly be the best day of her life.

They bought a snack from one of the many street vendors. Ethan couldn't remember a better day. He'd never really complained about what had happened to cut his life short. His life hadn't been that great, to tell the truth. He was all alone in the world. In heaven, he found friends who then became his family. He honestly never thought he'd missed out on much.

Until today. He gazed at Lynnie while she wasn't looking. It amazed him how she studied everything. She talked to everyone who understood English asking them a million questions. It was incredible how her mind worked. He could almost see her filing away the tidbits of information in her mind.

Ethan was trying to figure out how to tell her how much fun he was having when he noticed a change come over her. She went pale, the small bundle of flowers she had bought slipped out of her hand. He rushed to her side and bent down to pick them up, taking her hand gently in his.

Lynnie's feet seemed to be stuck in cement. He spoke her name but she barely moved an inch. Slowly he saw the color start to come back in her cheeks, he heard her gasp and look over at him with tears in her eyes. Silently, he eased her over to a small outdoor café and made her take a seat.

"Lynnie. Are you OK?" He asked as he watched her drain a glass of water.

"I'll be fine in a minute. Most of the time, it's not that bad."

"What's not that bad? What just happened here?"

"My parent's let me come here for a specific reason." Lynnie began.

"I'm here for the same reason – to find your cousin. Not that I'm actually doing my job at the moment."

Lynnie looked down and said softly, "Don't let me keep you."

"Hey!" Ethan hooked his finger under her chin and made her meet his gaze. "Hey. I didn't say I minded. Lynnie – tell me what just happened to you."

"I'm here because I can see things."

"OK." He said, not fully understanding.

She took a deep breath. Here's when they all went running. Her eyes were bright with tears as she told him. "I'm clairvoyant. It means "clearly seeing." You know - like Cassandra from ancient Greece? Just like her - most people don't believe me."

This girl is a walking encyclopedia. Ethan thought as she spoke. Is there anything she doesn't know?

Lynnie plodded on. "Not my family of course. My mom – she has it too. Sometimes the opposite is true. People believe in it too much. Overall, it usually just gets in the way."

"It's got to be a hard thing for people to understand." He said then.

"It's a relatively simple concept. If people weren't so closed minded…" Lynnie's voice sounded bitter.

"Are you always this defensive?" Ethan asked.

Lynnie realized how she sounded. She blushed a bit and looked down in her lap again. "No. That's Lia's job."

"Lia?"

"My twin sister."

"There are two of you?" Ethan was dumbfounded.

"Hardly. Julia and I are like night and day. She's fiery, impulsive and tough as nails. At the same time she's completely lovable."

"And you?" He asked.

"Me? I'm just boring." Lynnie sighed.

"Hardly." Ethan promised as he reached for her hand.

"You're sweet but I know the truth. If it weren't for my gift I'd be a boring bookworm."

He wouldn't let her put herself down like that. "Lynnie, I may have just met you but trust me – you couldn't be less boring. I, for one, find you fascinating."

She looked into his eyes and could tell that he meant it. "That's a new one." She whispered.

Ethan let go of her hand and sat back in his chair, taking his glasses off to clean them. You'd think miraculously his eyesight would correct itself once he got upstairs – but no – he still had to wear them. He was glad to keep himself busy as he made his next statement. "Seriously. Surely the guys you've dated have realized that too."

Lynnie chuckled bitterly. "My last date – Jeremy – took me to the prom so Lia would go with his best friend. Instead of kissing me goodnight he asked for the answers to the Calculus final."

"He sounds like an ass." Ethan replied.

She shrugged and looked out onto the street. A group of musicians had stopped right nearby. Lynnie was glad to have something to distract her. "It's happened before. I'm used to it now."

He looked over at her and said softly. "If I had the time, Lynnie, if I could be here longer I'd show you just how wrong you are."

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Two of Caleb's men "helped" Kate up the stairs. She was ushered into a room full of thick brocades and luxurious silks of creamy ivory. Roses filled vases covering every surface.

The door shut sharply as they left her alone. She walked over to it, knowing before she tried to turn the knob she was being held prisoner.

At least you're near him, Kate tried to reassure herself. You're so close now.

She saw a door in the center of the room, wondering where it led to. She somehow knew, with all her heart, that Colin was right on the other side. The door was locked of course and nearly a foot thick. She knew, if he was there, no matter how loud she might speak he would never truly hear her.

Needing to say the words anyway, she ran her hand over the gleaming mahogany and began to speak.

"Colin?" She whispered. "I'm here. I don't know why you thought getting away from me would be that easy."

She brushed a tear from her eye, sighing as she pressed her cheek to the door. "I want you to know that I love you. I'll love you – even if you have to do this. I'll love you forever."

"Nothing I've ever felt before compares to this. Nothing makes me feel the way I feel when I'm with you. It's been a few days but I can still see the way that you look at me, feel the way you touch me. When we talk, I know that you hear every word and even when we aren't talking at all, just knowing you're near me calms me."

"Do you remember the first time you kissed me?" She asked with a laugh. "The moment your lips touched mine I knew that I'd found it – what they write about in storybooks, what fairytales are made of – what I've seen my parents have all my life. I never thought I could be that lucky too, not until I found you."

As she began this next, tears streamed down her face and she began to sob a bit. "Don't do this – please? Don't do this to save me. I want you to choose yourself – Colin. I want you to think about what it is that YOU want. If you willingly wanted to follow him, I promise you I'd stand right by your side. I know you think I'm just saying that but I would. Because you would be different than he is, Colin. You've always been different than him."

"I hope maybe you can hear me. I hope you know how very much I love you. If you want to do something from me then do something my mother taught me was the most important thing in the world."

Kate took a deep breath as she whispered, "Follow your heart, Colin. Listen to it. It will always tell you the truth."

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"Is she OK?" Rafe asked Ethan as they spoke softly outside Lynnie's door.

"After she had that vision she seemed fine. She said she had a headache. She's been sleeping ever since."

"Thanks for looking out for her." Rafe gave him a pat on the back.

Ethan never meant anything more than the next word he spoke. "Anytime." He whispered as he went off to get some sleep himself.

Rafe walked into his room and looked at the clock. It was only 8:00 at night in New York. He crossed his fingers and dialed. Maybe she'd still be awake.

He'd never heard anything more beautiful than when he heard her say. "Hello?"

"Angel." He breathed. "Finally - you're awake."

"Rafe…" She said with a sigh. "You found her."

"Yeah. Grant and I got a glimpse of her just about an hour ago. She's at Caleb's estate."

"He has her?"

"Colin's there too. It killed me to leave her but you know Katie. She won't go quietly and Caleb won't hurt her. Not until Colin does what he wants. The initiation is set for tomorrow night."

"Initiation?" Alison asked.

Rafe nodded and began getting ready to go to sleep. He climbed onto the bed and stretched out, leaning up against the pillows. "A ritual turning. Caleb's pulling out all the stops for his heir."

It sounded just horrible to her. "Rafe. We can't let that happen."

"I know. I promise you. It won't."

"You said you were with Grant. Where was Lynnie while you were out doing all this?"

"Oh. I left her with Ethan." He said with a yawn.

"Sweetheart? Who's Ethan?" Alison asked completely curious.

"Oh. Get a load of this. My father sent him down to keep an eye on Kate."

"And he spent time with Lynnie instead?" Alison prodded.

"Yes. What are you trying to say? I told you – my father sent him. You think I shouldn't trust an angel?" Rafe asked.

"No. I think I should warn Cam and Abby."

"Why?"

Alison ignored his question and said, "Describe Ethan."

"Describe him?" Rafe said with a sigh. He loved her but she drove him nuts. "I don't know. He's a kid, maybe Danny's age."

Alison cut him off with a laugh. "Your father is a piece of work."

"Agreed - but what's so funny?"

"Lynnie is about to fall hard and fast - if she hasn't already - which she probably has."

"What?"

Could he be any denser? Alison said to herself. "Honey. You're father is matchmaking."

"What?!?" Rafe said again.

She hoped he'd finally get it. "Ethan's not there to look out for Kate. He's there for Lynnie."

"You think?" He asked.

"I don't think- I know and poor kid – she doesn't stand a chance. The women in this family have a thing for angels." She said, her smile clearly heard in her voice.

"I miss you." Rafe said with a sigh.

She sighed right back. "Me too. It's awful. I can't sleep. I keep waking up when I turn over and find out you're not there."

"Me too." Rafe agreed. His voice got lower as he added, "Tell me something."

"OK." Alison agreed suspicious. She had reason to be.

"What are you wearing?" He whispered huskily.

"Your shirt." She giggled.

"And what else?"

"Your shirt." She giggled louder.

The image was driving him crazy. He was lost in his little fantasy for a moment until her voice brought him back.

"Now you tell me something." She demanded softly.

"OK. I'll tell you something. I could use a shirt. Why don't you take that one off and give it back to me?"

"Rafe. Behave yourself." She said as she blushed a bit. "I promise. I will when you come home." She was giddy just thinking about it. "Now back to my question. Can you tell me why our daughter has suddenly been making me a bowl of peas and carrots and a glass of milk for breakfast ?"

Rafe smiled widely at the image. Becky was so literal. "I have no idea." He feigned innocence.

"Sure you don't." She laughed loudly.

Alison stopped laughing when she heard silence on the other end. Finally, Rafe spoke again. "I really miss you." He said softly.

"I really miss you too." She replied. "So hurry up and come home."