Soul Seers Complete Set (27 page)

“Hey Jonah?” Jay said as he poked his head into the room to look
for me.

Wow. Two hotties.
Way to go, Jonah!

Without taking my seething eyes off Jesse, I responded to my
shallow friend and said, “Now is not a good time, Jay. Is it important?”

“Ah… not really. Some chick needs help on the wheel and you know
that’s just not my thing. But I can tell her your busy,” Jay
stumbled—obviously realizing my mood was not a happy one.

To my surprise, Ella’s angelic voice spoke next. She communicated
with such tenderness, I couldn’t help but smile.

“I can help the person on the wheel if that’s okay with you,
Jonah. Unless you need me,” Ella said before continuing to think,
Just stay calm. I have a feeling we need to
be her friends, not her enemies. She has a personal investment in this
mission—I can feel it. She’s likely to talk more one-on-one with you
rather than us ganging up on her.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Jay, can you introduce Ella as one of the new
instructors? She’ll be able to handle it from there,” I responded and added,
I got this handled and I think you’re right.
Just project if you need any help with the chick—as Jay so eloquently
referred to her.

Same to you
, Ella thought with
a squeeze of my hand.

“Sure thing,” Jay said before holding the door open for Ella.

Damn, she has one
fine ass
, Jay thought as he watched Ella walk down the hall. I couldn’t
help but get irritated with his comment.

“He likes her, huh?” Jesse said, effectively interrupting my
eavesdropping on his thoughts.

“Just a little too much,” I responded honestly.

“And you love her,” Jesse stated. It wasn’t a question, but I
still felt the need to respond.

“I love her,” I said matter-of-factly, while nodding my head in
agreement.

“Aren’t you worried it’s just the blood causing those feelings?”

“We’ve both had those doubts, but honestly, we don’t care. Blood
or not, we’re meant to be together. No old man clan is going to change that
fact,” I said as I turned my attention back to Jesse and motioned for her to
have a seat on one of the stools.

“Was it worth it?” she asked in a small voice.

“What? Was what worth it?”

“Donating blood. Was it worth all this trouble?” she asked,
gesturing with a wave of her hand toward the door Ella just walked through.

Pulling another stool closer, I sat in front of her and thought of
the question she was asking me. She was asking if I regretted saving Ella’s
life? Regardless of whether I knew the reason my father needed my blood, never
in a million years would I change the past.

“She’s worth it, and more. I wouldn’t change a single thing,” I
said honestly, pausing for just a moment. “Why would you think I have regrets?”

Jesse shrugged, not looking my way as she sat with no verbal
response.

I stared at her, examining her, and waited for her to say
something. The room was bright with florescent lights, yet a haze of darkness
surrounded her. It didn’t seem like the gloom of evil. Instead, it seemed like
she was surrounded with the fog of sadness. She was hurting and that pain
wasn’t evident to me until then.

Studying her face, I noticed her thick, black eyeliner acted like
a mask—something to cover her anguish and fear. Not fear for herself, but
fear for others.

Now, reading auras wasn’t exactly my thing, but I was picking up
on these emotions like it was second nature for me. This dark haze seemed to be
weighing heavily on her natural magenta color, causing her levels to fluctuate
with every passing moment.

“They’re not the reason I’m here,” Jesse finally whispered after
several minutes of silence. Before I could ask what she meant by that, the door
burst open again and students started filing in.

Taking advantage of the interruption, Jesse stood, looked at me
for a brief moment, and began walking out the door.

“Jesse, don’t—”

“Oh, Jonah. Did we interrupt?” the still-life painting teacher
asked while shuffling in with her large portfolio over her shoulder and her
supplies in a wheeled cart.

“No, Morgan. It’s fine. We were just finishing up,” I responded
with a smile. By the time I looked back toward the door, Jesse was gone. “Enjoy
your class,” I added just before shutting the door behind me.

Looking around the main room of the studio, I didn’t see her
anywhere.

“Eve just left. She looked kinda pissed. What just happened?” Jay
asked. “Did she want to jump your bones and Ella told her to step off? Cause I
could totally see that happening…”

“Jay,” I barked, cutting him off before he could say another word
to annoy me. “How is Ella doing with that student?”

“Oh, she’s kickass, man. She totally took over like a pro. You
should seriously hire her. She’s probably better than your sorry ass,” Jay said
with a chuckle.

“I wouldn’t doubt that for one moment,” I said softly. “You have
everything else handled around here?”

“Yeah, as long as you’re gonna be here to take over at two.”

“Of course,” I said as I clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m going
to check on Ella now and make sure that is going well. She may have to take
over now that Eve is gone.”

“What? You fired her?” Jay exclaimed a little too loudly.

“No, I didn’t. It’s a mutual agreement which has nothing to do
with anyone wanting to
jump my bones
,”
I said with air quotes as I began to walk away. Turning around, I added, “I’ll
let you know if schedules change at all, but I’m pretty sure Ella is flexible.”

Yeah, I’m sure she
is
,
Jay thought as he chuckled out loud.

Peeking into the pottery room from the hallway, I could barely see
the back of the new student’s head. As if she heard my request, the student
moved her head long enough for me to get a glimpse of Ella’s laughing face.

Her irises were aglow with laughter and delight. Closing those
beautiful eyes, Ella threw her head back in a joyous chuckle. Her mind was full
of nothing but a fit of internal giggles as she repeatedly thought how much her
sides were hurting because of the constant laughter.

I couldn’t help but think of how beautiful she looked—so
carefree and happy. As soon as the thoughts hit my mind, Ella looked in my
direction and smiled bigger than before, making her dimple even more obvious.

With her hands covered in clay, she motioned for me to come in.
Once she did, the student also looked my way with a sudden look of
astonishment. As soon as her thoughts kicked in, I knew why she had that
familiar, deer-in-the-headlights look.

Oh. My. Word. He is
hot!

Yeah, he is
, Ella responded
with a smile.

“Well, hello ladies. What seems to be so funny over here?” I asked
in an attempt to get the attention away from myself and back to them.

“Um…” the student stuttered.

“I was attempting to help Tara with her mug and made a rather
goofy mistake,” Ella responded. “Tara, meet the wheel-thrower extraordinaire
and the owner of Lavendine, Jonah Chantrey. Jonah, this is one of your new
members, Tara.”

“One of
our
new members.
Welcome, Tara. So nice to meet you,” I said as I stuck out my hand and gave a
quick wink. This girl was going plum crazy over me being near and I just
couldn’t help myself. Ella stifled a giggle.

“Thank you, Mr. Chantrey,” Tara said as she stuck out a muddy hand
and then retracted it immediately. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m a mess.”

“The name is Jonah and no worries. I’m about to get messy too,” I
said as I clasped onto her hand and let it mush into mine. Turning around, I
went back to the cabinet to get a towel and some clay.

Ignoring Tara’s thoughts about my ass, I projected to Ella.
Usually when I teach a student, I throw on
my own wheel in order to keep a distance.

You didn’t do that
with me,
she thought perceptively.

You were a very
obvious exception.

Tara watched as I sat down next to her. Ella continued to sit on
the other side of the student while I began my demonstration.

I walked Tara through how to slap and center her clay. As I was
centering, I asked, “Did you sign up for any of the pottery classes?”

“Ah, yes. I believe my teacher’s name is Eve. They start tonight,
but I didn’t want to be a complete newbie at the wheel and thought I would play
around a bit beforehand.”

“Actually, we’ve had to change up instructors a bit and Ella is
now taking over that class. I will also be there tonight because of the change
to make sure everyone is okay with it,” I said just as I finished centering. I
continued with my demo, while Ella kept gawking at me in her mind.

There is no way I
can teach, Jonah!

After the demo was over and I left Tara to splash around on her
own wheel, Ella asked if we could be excused.

Jonah…
she thought as I
purposefully put my things away as slow as possible. I chuckled at her
impatience because she could seriously just keep yelling at me with her
thoughts.

As soon as we entered the hall and the coast was clear, I got a
pesky little punch in the bicep.

“Ow!” I feigned and rubbed my shoulder while letting out a light
chuckle. “What was that for?”

“No laughing, Jonah. I can’t teach a class! I’ve only had my hands
touch clay a few times!” she screeched.

“You’re a natural, Ella. Plus, I’ll be there for the first couple
of classes. It’s really relaxed and easygoing. You’ll do just fine,” I soothed
as I rubbed my clay-filled hands up and down her arms, pulling her closer to me
in the process.

“You’re getting me dirty,” she nearly whispered.

“Maybe I like you dirty,” I responded, knowing how corny of a
response it was and loving the reaction I got. Within seconds, Ella rose onto
her tippy toes and rewarded me with a soft peck on the lips.

A huge smile spread across her face as she placed both her muddy
hands firmly on my ass.

“Oh Christ, Ella! Now I’m going to have handprints on my jeans!”

Knowing I was about to come after her, she backed away and snuck
into the room where the new student was still practicing.

That’s what you get,
Mr. Chantrey
, she thought from the other side of the door. Leaning my head
back on the cold wall, I couldn’t help but smile at her
playfulness—especially considering how tense things were just a few
minutes before.

You’ll have to tell
me how things went with Jesse.

Yeah, I know
, I projected back
as I made my way over to one of the sinks to wash up.

Right now, I want to
clear my head
, Ella thought.
I’m just
going to stay in here and throw for a while if that’s okay.

No problem. I have
to relieve Jay and load a kiln.
Before I got too involved, I added,
Oh, porcelain is in my private cabinet on
the far right. Combo is 35-5-2.

Thanks, love.

The rest of the afternoon was spent apart, even though we kept
each other entertained with our thoughts.

The pottery class went well that night. As much as I was skeptical
about teaching, interacting with the students my age came natural to me.
Instead of taking the lead, Jonah sat in on the class as if he were a student.
Most of the other students didn’t even realize who he was until about halfway
through when he was showing everyone up.

During the ride home, Jonah and I were finally able to talk about
Jesse.

“I could tell she was upset about something. Like you said, this
is more than just a job to her. She’s keeping tabs on us for a personal
reason,” Jonah said, confirming what I suspected.

“Did she tell you what she’s upset about?”

Shaking his head while keeping his eyes on the road, Jonah
replied, “No, I could just see the sadness surrounding her.”

Huh?

“I’m not able to read auras, so this was a bit foreign to me, but
she had a dark haze masking her normal colors—the look of sadness and
defeat,” Jonah explained. “She wouldn’t explain to me what was wrong. Just
before we were interrupted, she mentioned something to the effect of the Sideri
isn’t the only reason she’s tracking us. I wanted to know more, but the
painting class started congregating and before I knew it, she took off.”

“Damn,” I whispered. “Well, maybe I can talk to her and see what
her motives are. If the Sideri isn’t what’s fueling this, then maybe we have
nothing to worry about?”

“I wouldn’t be quite so optimistic just yet. Even if the Sideri
isn’t her sole reason, they’re still behind this in some fashion. We need to
stay smart and alert,” Jonah added.

Looking at the time on the dash and noticing it was nearing eight
in the evening, I said, “I think it’ll be a good idea for me to talk to my mom
as well. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her alone since this all blew up.
Everything is happening so fast and…”

Jonah’s hand on mine interrupted me. “Ella, it’s all right. We’re
almost to your house and I’ll just drop you off. Okay?”

Thanks
, I projected with a
smile.

While pulling up to my house mere minutes later, I unbuckled my
seatbelt with the intention of smothering his face as soon as he put the car in
park. With a grace that even surprised myself, I hiked my legs up over the
center console and straddled Jonah’s lap.

The streetlamp at the end of the block barely reflected in his
eyes, producing a dull glint of light. The dash illuminations coated the entire
front seat with a dim, green hue, giving me just enough glow to see his smile
in the otherwise dark car.

Grasping his face with both of my hands, I leaned into him and
placed my forehead on his.

“Kiss me… now,” he growled.

With no hesitation, I did as he demanded and pressed our lips
together passionately. His strong fingers dug into the skin along my back
beneath my shirt, causing me to press my body deeper into him. I was addicted
to his taste, his warm tongue against mine, and the way he moaned every so
often, telling me just how much he was enjoying our fun.

“If I don’t go inside now, it’ll be difficult to leave you at
all,” I gasped breathlessly between kisses. God, he was so addicting. Kissing
Jonah felt so natural, yet still made my stomach leap with newfound excitement.

“It’s already going to be difficult, Ell—”

Another lunge from me cut him off before he could finish.

You’re making me
lose all train of thought, Orella.

I love the fact that
I drive you wild
, I projected, while still devouring his mouth and thrusting my
body against his.

That’s an
understatement.

His admission made me smile against his lips just before pulling
away.

“Okay,” I sighed as I propped my hands on his chest. “I better
go.”

Jonah just nodded, obviously still trying to catch his breath.

“Want to come inside for a moment? I’m sure my mom won’t mind,” I
said in an attempt to keep him for the longest time I possibly could.

“I don’t think I can walk anywhere at the moment. You’ve made sure
of that,” he said with a playful tug on my ponytail.

“Oh, sorry.” I wasn’t really sorry and he knew it.

Opening the driver’s side door for me, Jonah said, “Get inside,
tease.”

A slight chuckle left my throat as I began to climb out of the
car. Jonah held my hand to help me out but decided not to let go. Jerking at my
arm, he forced me to bend over so I was almost face to face with him once more.

Touching my cheek, Jonah whispered, “I love you.”

I don’t think my smile could have stretched any wider without the
possibility of breaking my face. After placing a soft, loving kiss on his lips,
I said, “And I love you.”

Walking through the door, I noticed my mom sitting in the living
room as if she were waiting for me. Without saying a word, I dropped my purse
on the floor and walked over to the couch where she sat. Climbing up next to
her, I placed my arms around her neck and laid my head on her shoulder. She
didn’t hesitate to reciprocate, placing her hand on my arm in response.

I love him, Mom.

Patting my hand, she replied in thought,
I know you do and I’m very happy for you.

Kissing her on the cheek, I decided to speak out loud. “I’m gonna
grab a quick bite to eat before I go take a shower.”

Just as I was about to disappear into the kitchen, my mom called
out, “Ella?”

Her voice saying my name made my stomach jump for some reason.
Turning my head, I let out a soft acknowledgement. “Hmm?”

“You look different,” she said as she cocked her head to the side
and looked me up and down. “Stronger… more sure of yourself.”

And there it was—the reason my stomach leapt. She could
tell.

Honestly, I thought I would be more embarrassed when this time
came. But, I put my big girl britches on one leg at a time just like everyone
else does. As an adult, I was confident I could handle this.

Walking back over to the couch, I wanted to tell her out loud, but
the words wouldn’t form on my lips, which seemed to suddenly be made of cotton.

Standing up, my mom gasped and covered her mouth with her hands in
surprise.
You slept with him?

I smiled and nodded, wringing my hands together in a nervous but
excited fashion. I mean, who couldn’t help but smile at the thought of making
love with their soul mate?

“Oh, Ella!” she exclaimed as she lunged toward me and pinned me to
her chest with her arms.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” I asked with my voice muffled
against her shoulder. Even though I was an adult, my mom had been by my side
through this whole ordeal. She chose me over her own happiness when times got
tough. I wasn’t about to forget how much she sacrificed by disrespecting her.

My mom pulled me away, but held onto my arms as she looked into my
eyes. “Mad?” she questioned as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Oh, no. She’s upset
with me. I never wanted to hurt her.

“No, darling. I’m not mad—quite the opposite actually. I’m
so happy for you. You and Jonah are the true definition of soul mates and…” She
paused as she wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. “You look so strong.”

“I am strong. I feel like this energy is pulsing through me. I
haven’t felt this strong since… well… ever,” I explained, grabbing her hands
and lightly shaking them back and forth. “My abilities are stronger as well.
It’s as if a switch was flipped and everything has been turned up to full
power.”

“Really? When did you start feeling this way?” she asked.

I just looked at her as if the word
DUH
was tattooed on my forehead.

“Oh,” she chimed in a quiet voice. “Oh, wow.” More silence.
“Really?”

Nodding, I asked, “Is this normal?”

“Not that I know of, no. But your father wasn’t a Soul Seer
either. So, I’m not sure.”

“Hmm.” Thinking about all the wonderfulness that Jonah was made up
of, I wondered what was so special about us to make our abilities stronger
after sleeping together. Mmm… sleeping together. I couldn’t help the smile that
crept up on my face with the memory of lying naked in Jonah’s arms.

“You’re blocking me,” my mom stated, effectively bringing me out
of my reverie.

“Yes, well—”

“You can block me,” she stated again, interrupting me and making
me laugh.

“Yes, I can. I told you. It’s like a switch was flipped.
Everything is easier. Everything just makes sense now.” Just as that last line
came out of my mouth, I thought about it. There was still one thing that didn’t
quite make sense. “I take that back. Jesse still doesn’t make sense.”

“What do you mean?”

Propping my ass on the arm of the couch, I tried to explain my
suspicions. “Well, she’s hiding something, that’s for sure. And we know she was
sent from the Sideri to keep an eye on us. But, something has been nagging at
me since we saw her earlier today.”

“Wait a minute,” my mom said as she placed her hand on my leg.
“You saw her again today?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “She came by Lavendine to talk with us, yet she
really didn’t say much of anything. But, something tells me this is much more
personal than she’s letting on.”

“Personal how?”

“I don’t know. I am definitely going to find out, but I don’t want
her to feel attacked. So, I’m going to let her walk into my dreams again tonight,”
I said as I looked into my mother’s worried eyes.

“Ella, that’s very dangerous. And plus, if she wanted to walk into
your dreams, there’s nothing you could really do about it other than wake up.”

“That’s another thing I haven’t told you yet,” I responded with a
little bit of a smug attitude. “I’m a dream walker. I’ve been visiting Jonah’s
dreams since the accident. Even though I haven’t tried yet, I’m fairly
confident I can block people from my dreams as well.”

“That actually explains a lot,” she said, looking away briefly as
she thought about something.
You were
always so distant when you were unconscious, yet I knew you were active. I
could just tell.

As she looked back into my eyes, I nodded, fully aware of just
what she meant.

After several long, silent moments, my stomach pierced the silence
with a grumble. “Well, I better grab a snack and get showered if I plan to have
a dream date with Jesse.”

“Just be careful, Ella. If she’s been dream walking her entire
life, she’ll know more than you,” my mother warned.

“That’s why I’m letting her come to me—so I can control the
dream,” I clarified. “Plus, I don’t think she wants to be threatening. I think
the threats are just a defense mechanism… and I plan on finding out why.”