Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2 (55 page)

The door opened as she turned to wallow in her room. “Hey, you ready to see your future?” Helen asked playfully. She stopped when she saw the tears running down Syney’s face. “What happened?” she asked, pulling her into the room.

“Oh, Goddess, Syney,” Noelle said from one of the couches as she grabbed her chest.

Syney knew Noelle could feel everything that was going through her right now. “I’m sorry. I just…Adam and I broke up,” she said collapsing next to Noelle in sobs.

“What?” Helen exclaimed, sitting down on the table in front of her. “I mean, he seemed distant downstairs, but I figured he was just nervous.”

“I did, too, but that wasn’t it. He said I was a different person because…never mind. I just need to…I…I don’t know,” Syney stammered.

“He’s worried about you,” Noelle said. “That’s what Gabe’s been saying. I’m sure it’s nothing. Adam loves you so much.”

Syney swallowed heavily. “I gave him back his ring. It was stupid. I’m stupid. Oh, God.” She buried her face in her hands and cried. She felt Noelle rub her back, which gave her a little comfort.

“You need to go find him.”

“What if he’s gone already?” Syney said. “He’s fast, you know.”

“Then Gabe will find him and drag him back here,” Noelle said sternly.

Syney gave a short laugh and sighed. Then she was silent for a moment. “What if we weren’t meant to be joined?”

Helen shook her head. “Don’t say that.”

“But what if it’s true? We fight all the time.”

“And you think Gabe and I don’t?” Noelle said with a laugh. “I honestly don’t think we would work if we didn’t fight.”

Syney sighed and wiped some tears from her eyes. “I just wish I knew if we’re supposed to be together. Or if I’m supposed to…do other things,” she said, not wanting to actually say it out loud. She’d been thinking about killing Mellisandrianna for a while now, but she couldn’t say it out loud to anyone but Gabe.
That should say something right there
, she thought.

Helen sat back and looked over to her dresser. “What if there’s a way to know? I mean, no one really knows if the potion gives you a vision, but what if it does?”

“It’s worth a try. You’re inclined to visions as it is,” Noelle agreed.

Syney took a breath. What would it really hurt? She nodded. “What do we need to do?”

Helen stood and grabbed a bottle off her dresser. “Come lie on the bed and drink this.”

Syney did as Helen instructed. As she rested her head on the pillows, she felt a tug on her consciousness.
This is it
, she thought, as her eyes grew heavier. She was either going to have a pretty decent fantasy or see her life one year in the future.
So much could change in one year
, she thought, as she opened her eyes again. She looked around and quickly realized she wasn’t in Helen’s room anymore. She slowly sat up in the bed and looked over the familiar flowered wallpaper and wooden furniture. It was Becca’s house—specifically the room Syney always slept in when she was there.

Throwing back the thick blue quilt, Syney jumped out of bed and looked down at herself. She seemed the same but was dressed in sweatpants and a tank top.
A very full tank top
, she thought, looking down at her rather large chest.
Boob job?
she wondered with a shake of her head.
No way
. “Must be a fantasy,” she said to the empty room. She grabbed a hoodie and threw it on as she walked out of the room. Then she stopped in the hallway and listened. There was no way she was alone out here, but it was overly odd not to have Reed hanging out by the door waiting for her. Once downstairs, she glanced in each room. It was all the same as the last time she’d been here, only a little more cluttered. Becca usually kept a very neat house. It made her think there were a few more people living here. Syney wondered how many as she walked into the kitchen. She looked out at the deck and saw Gabe leaning against the railing, gazing out over the yard. Syney smiled and headed out to him, accidentally kicking a chair by the door. She cursed and looked down at her foot and the high chair she had kicked. It took her a moment to register the “high” part. This was a baby’s chair. Her brain ran wild for a moment before settling on the obvious. Cass must have had her baby at this point. She sighed and pulled open the glass door.

Gabe turned around as she shut it behind her. “Hey. Good nap?” he asked with a smile.

Syney stared at him for a moment. This was a different Gabe. He seemed relaxed and less stony. She nodded, feeling the need to play along so she could figure out what was going on in this waking-dream thing she was in.

He frowned at her and stepped forward, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear before putting his hands on her upper arms. “Are you OK? You seem different.”

She stared into his golden eyes and for a moment thought he was going to kiss her. But he didn’t. Instead he gave her an odd look before stepping back and heading to the table. He sat next to Becca, whom Syney hadn’t noticed until then. But it wasn’t just Becca; it was Becca holding a baby. He was a cute baby, or at least she assumed it was a boy, given that he was decked out in blue from head to toe. There was no way he was Cass’s baby; he was too young.

Becca smiled at Syney and got up from her seat, bouncing the baby back and forth as he giggled. “Hey, there, Mommy. This little boy missed you. But I know you needed that sleep,” she said, stopping in front of Syney. She kissed the little one on the cheek and passed him to Syney.

It took her a moment to hold him right. She wasn’t used to holding a baby, and it felt awkward, but she finally found a comfortable spot and let out a breath. It was a weird feeling, but yet it felt right, she thought, looking into the baby’s purple eyes.
Definitely mine
, she thought with a smile. The little boy smiled and reached a tiny hand up to her face. She pretended to chomp down on his tiny fingers before kissing his palm. Tightness pulled at her chest. This was her son. She smiled at Gabe. “He’s perfect,” she said quietly.

He nodded with a far-off look in his eyes. “Yes, he is.”

She looked back at her son and rubbed her nose against his, taking in his scent. She wanted to remember this forever. The point of pushing the vision was to see if she had a man in her future, and now she knew she did. There was just one question left. Who was his father?

“Syney,” a male voice called from the house.

Here we go
, she thought, turning toward it. But before she could see anything, everything turned bright white. She closed her eyes against the light, and when she opened them, she was back in Helen’s room. She flew up in bed with a gasp and looked around the room.

Helen was at her side in an instant. “Hey, are you OK?”

Syney caught her breath and nodded. “Fine.”

“Did you see Adam?” Noelle asked, standing up from the couch.

Syney was quiet for a moment. How could she explain what she had just seen? “I have to go,” she said, jumping off the bed.

“Syney! Stop!”

She looked back at Helen. “I’m OK, I swear. I just…I need some time alone to think about things. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

Helen gave Syney a stern look, not really liking what she’d just said but nodding anyway. “OK.”

Syney quickly headed out of the room. Reed jumped to his feet when he saw her in the hallway. “I thought you were staying the night,” he said, falling into step next to her.

“Change of plans. I need to see Gabe,” she said, picking up speed.

Gabe opened his door after the first knock and looked around the hallway before his eyes landed on her. “Hello.”

“We need to talk,” Syney said, pushing past him after motioning for Reed to stay in the hall. She looked at Gabe after he closed the door. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. Gabe was the one person who might understand her vision, but something was irking her. He had seemed so different in the vision, and there weren’t any other men around. She frowned and bit her lip. “Um, do you…I mean, can you have kids?”

After a moment Gabe sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her. “I’m pretty sure you’re joining with my son tomorrow.”

“Oh, right. No, I mean, can you have kids now?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Did Noelle send you here to ask?”

She shook her head and headed to the window. After a moment she turned back to him. “Why would we ever live with Becca?”

Gabe stood and took a step closer to her. “What’s this about?” he asked, his voice much more serious.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Noelle and Helen talked me into this vision potion thing.”

“
Visionem potionatus.”

“Yeah, that thing.”

He nodded. “Faye did it before we joined. It’s not real. She said we were happy, living in the castle with a huge family. It just puts you into a very deep sleep. The dream is driven by what’s on your mind before you fall into it.”

Syney shook her head. “No, this was real. I…I’ve had dreams that were actually visions before—always when I’m out real good, like when you healed me, both times. I’ve seen Amelia and Faye and even Hunter. This felt like that, only a little different. It was like I was there, but it wasn’t the future me it was the here and now me. I don’t know.”

“What did you see?” Gabe asked, crossing his arms and eyeing her with interest.

“We were living at Becca’s.”

“We? Who else was there?”

She shrugged. “I only saw me, you, and Becca.”

He wet his lips. “And a baby.”

“Well, yeah, that too.”

He gave her a cocky grin. “And you think it’s ours?”

“Oh, shut up. It was a logical assumption. But now that I think about it, no, there’s no way.” She sighed. “Again, why would we be living at Becca’s?”

“Maybe we were just visiting.”

She shook her head. “No, we were living there, or at least I was. I had clothes there, and the house felt…like home.”

Gabe looked away from her, his face showing how fast he was thinking.

Syney tried to wait patiently but finally rolled her eyes in frustration. “Why would I be living at Becca’s?”

“Many reasons.”

“The obvious being…”

“It might be getting too dangerous for you to stay in the Village. Someone’s trying to kill you.”

“Mellisandrianna is always trying to kill me.”

“Privately, yes.”

“What would it matter if it was publically?”

He walked over and placed his hands on her upper arms, much like how he had in her vision. “I can’t save you from a pubic execution. No one can. If she’s coming after you publically, it means she has evidence to taint you in the eyes of the people.”

“Like she did with Raine.”

Gabe nodded and stepped back. “Yeah. We have to start watching our backs. She must have a plan already if we’re out of here in a year.”

“A lot can happen in a year.”

He smiled again. “Like our baby?”

“Ugh,” Syney said with another eye roll. “I’m not talking to you anymore.” She started for the door.

“Wait.”

Syney turned around and put her hands on her hips. “No, I don’t want to start working on the baby, thank you.” Her smile fell as she looked at his serious face. “What is it?”

He hesitated for a moment before walking over to her. “About tomorrow. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“I’m just saying I can help you.”

“How?”

“Hunter. I can bring him home. Break his leg bad enough that they can’t send him back.” He paused, looking into her eyes. “Don’t make a mistake you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life.”

Syney stared at him, disbelief running through her mind. Where was this coming from? It had been Gabe’s fault that Hunter had been sent away to begin with, and now he wanted to bring him back? It didn’t make any sense…until it did. She couldn’t help smile a little. Being a caring father was something new for Gabe, but it still looked good on him. Her smile faded after a moment, though, as the real meaning behind his offer came to her mind. She was tired of people doubting her and her feelings. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. “You know,” she told him, “I’m really tired of no one giving me the courtesy of asking me the damn question. I can hear it, you know, and see it in all your faces. So have some balls, and just come out with it.”

After a moment Gabe sat next to her. “What are you going to do when Hunter comes back?”

“Nothing.”

Gabe rolled his eyes.

“No, I’m serious. I’m not with Adam—
joining with
Adam—because I can’t have Hunter. I’m doing it because I want to. He’s meant so much to me this past year, and I love him, and not as a replacement or a rebound. I’m choosing to be with him, and I have been all year. That’s not going to change when Hunter gets back. He won’t even be in the palace. It won’t matter.”

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “Playing devil’s advocate here: You and Hunter have something epic. Are you really OK with letting that go? I don’t think I could have with Faye.”

Syney took a deep breath. Gabe wasn’t wrong, and it still hurt every time she thought of Hunter, but this decision wasn’t something she had reached lightly. “I am.”

He nodded. “OK then.”

“You know, you should show Adam how much you care about him.”

“He barely talks to me.”

“I didn’t say tell him. I said
show
him.”

“Can’t
you
just tell him?” he asked with his cocky smile.

“No.” She sighed and looked at her nails. They were painted white, with purple flowers running across them. She’d gotten them done earlier that day in preparation for her joining, which in all likelihood wouldn’t be happening. She’d meant everything she’d said to Gabe about Adam, and only now was it really sinking in that he might not be in their room when she went back there. He was transient by nature. How could she think to tie him down?

“What is it?” Gabe asked.

She looked back up at him. “I did something stupid.”

“What’s new?”

She smacked him in the arm but couldn’t help but laugh. “For real, though. Adam was worried about me and told me so. I got angry and gave him his ring back.”