"But I've never heard of anything like this." I heard voices. "I've checked with some very knowledgeable people, and this is extremely rare."
"Why is it happening to her?"
"I don't have that answer yet. It must have something to do with the Link. She wasn't like this before."
"Well, keep looking until you find the answer."
My eyes felt fuzzy. "What happened?" I sat up and realized I was in my own bed.
Brian was sitting at my desk, an open laptop in front of him. "Katie." He smiled when he saw me. I was surprised to see that it was a genuine smile, not one of the fake ones I was so used to from him.
Dustin came and perched on the side of my bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," I replied. "How long have I been asleep?"
He looked at his watch. "About six hours."
"Really?" It was dark outside my window. "Did the storm pass?"
He nodded. "Brian got here about an hour ago. His plane was rerouted to Baton Rouge due to the storm. He was there for a while before he was able to fly into Lafayette."
"What are you guys doing?" I leaned around Dustin to get a look at Brian's computer screen.
"We have a lot to talk about," Brian began. "But I think it would be best if we eased into it. Let's give you some time to wake up."
Dustin handed me a water bottle. "Are you hungry? I can order pizza."
I emptied my water in one long drink. "I could eat." I tossed the bottle into the trash can.
Dustin grabbed his phone and placed our order. "Twenty minutes." He walked back to Brian and leaned over his shoulder to see the screen.
"What are you guys looking at?" I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
"Brian just got some information from a friend of ours," Dustin began. "Someone who knows more about your situation than we do."
I joined him and Brian at the computer. "What did he say?"
"Well, first off, he's a she." Brian scrolled down the page. "She says she's seen something like this only a handful of times, and she's been around for a long time."
I squinted at the page. "Does she know what causes it?"
"It would appear to be a side effect of the Link, like we thought. But it's so very rare, that no one is exactly sure why it happens. I asked her about the visions, and she said they are secondary to the Auras. Both times you had them, you were touching the person, or something that belonged to them. You can see any number of visions, including past and present occurrences specific to the person's energy."
I gave Dustin a confused look. "I still don't understand what this all means. Will I ever be normal again?"
Brian closed the laptop and turned to me. "I wish I had an answer for you. But from what I can tell, this may be your new normal." He rose from the chair and came towards me. "Can you sit down? I need to ask you some questions."
I sat down on the floor by my bed and Brian and Dustin joined me.
"Dustin told me that you had a vision when you were with Dani last night. Can you tell me what you saw?"
I swallowed, my mouth going dry as I remembered. "I was just sitting there with her, and all of the sudden, I was tied to a chair and a man was yelling at me."
"What was he saying?" Brian's eyes probed mine, intently.
"He was asking me where someone was."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Dustin moved closer to me. "Katie relayed the images to me through our Link. It was Kellan. I'm pretty sure what she saw was from Dani's point of view, while she was being held. Kellan was asking where our parents were."
I felt my insides go weak. "He was hitting me, I mean, her. I could feel it like it was happening to me."
Both guys looked sick. "Dani never told us specifics about what Kellan did to her. Only that he hurt her, and he enjoyed every minute of it."
My stomach contracted. I had experienced only a moment of what Dani had been through, and I felt scarred for life. I couldn't believe how strong she was to be able to keep smiling after a horrific ordeal like that. I would have been in a padded room after something that awful.
Brian's phone buzzed, and he jumped up to grab it. "Hi. Thank you so much for getting back to me." He cradled the phone on his shoulder. "Yes, she's here with me. Can I put you on speaker?"
He rejoined us and put the phone on the floor. "Savannah, can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can Brian," a soft female voice responded.
"I'm here with Katie and Dustin, and we have some questions for you."
"I'll do all I can to help." She had a British accent, and her tone was soothing and light.
"I trust you received the encoded email." Brian adjusted the volume on the phone.
"I did. It was quite interesting. It's been awhile since I've heard of something like this and I hope I can help ease some of the stress that everyone is no doubt experiencing."
Brian met my eyes. "Katie, Savannah is our Lines Magic Caster. She's been part of our family for over a century. She's the one who created all of our tattoos, and she is the overseer of all supernatural occurrences among our Line."
I reached down and fingered the charm around my neck. "Hello," I addressed the phone.
"Katie," she replied, "Brian tells me you have been seeing both Auras and visions. When did they start?"
I thought back. "I guess right before I came back to school. A couple days ago?"
"Do you notice if anything specific precedes the visions? Any events or feelings?"
I shook my head, even though I knew she couldn't see me. "Nothing more than a slight headache."
"Can you control them at all?"
"No."
Dustin took my hand in his. "She was seeing the Auras first, and now she's progressed to the visions."
"Katie, I know this might be difficult, but I don't want you to be scared. Both of those things can be controlled with practice, and neither of them will hurt you."
I gave Brian a skeptical look, but he smiled and nodded. "Savannah's right. If we can teach you about them, and show you how to control them, you won't feel so powerless."
"I've been told about your situation, and when someone goes through an experience as traumatic as yours, there can be some secondary effects of the Link. Although I have only seen this a handful of times, I feel confident saying that with a little effort, you can still lead a normal life with your new gifts."
I frowned. "Gifts?" She made it sound like I had just received a new set of cookware.
"I know it's hard to see them as gifts right now, but once you learn more about them, you will see how very special they are. It's very rare for a Link to produce these kinds of effects, and in certain situations, you may be able to help someone who really needs it." I could tell Savannah was trying to reassure me.
"So, what do I have to do?" I asked, worried. Visions of voodoo rituals played in my head.
"Work with Brian. Listen to his advice and practice the exercises he teaches you. Above all, you must have faith in yourself and your ability to master these skills. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to make them go away, so the best thing you can do is become one with your new self."
"Savannah, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us." Brian picked up the phone and switched off the speaker. "I'll check my email for your instructions."
I turned to Dustin. "Do you think she's right? That I could control the visions and Auras?"
"Savannah has been around for a long time, and she has seen many things. If she says you can control it, I believe that you can."
Brian hung up the phone and turned to me. "She's going to send me instructions this evening. If it's okay with you, I'd like to start working tomorrow. The longer we wait, the more stressed out you are going to get. Stress can do bad things to people in your situation." He seemed genuinely concerned.
"Where are we going to do it?" I looked around my room. "Is it safe to do it here?"
He shook his head. "I'd rather do it at my hotel. The rooms here are very small and close together and I would rather we have both the added space and privacy."
I nodded. "How long is it going to take?"
He shrugged. "I've never done this before. I guess it depends on how quickly you can grasp the concepts and apply them internally."
"You'll be there with me, right?" I implored Dustin.
"No," Brian answered for him. "In order for you to concentrate, it's better that Dustin not be there. The Link is stronger when you are near each other, and we need to make sure you can control these skills on your own."
I felt my heart rate rise. Alone time with the Dark One? Highly unlikely. "Look, Brian, I really appreciate you offering to help me, but I'm still kind of uncomfortable around you. I need your word that you won't do anything bad to me, like wipe my memory or something."
"I understand your concerns," he conceded. "But with the powers you have been exhibiting, an attempt to wipe your memory would only result in short-term memory loss, if at all. After a few hours, you would probably remember everything again, including my attempt to wipe you."
"Brian, maybe something a little more comforting." Dustin gave him an irritated look.
He sighed and came to sit next to me. "Katie, I know you think I don't like you," he began, "and at first, I didn't. Dustin's impulsive decision to heal you put my entire family at risk, from things of which you have no understanding. Mainstreaming comes with a lot of rules, and with rules, comes punishment for breaking them. I've already lost my parents, and I almost lost my sister. I can't bear to lose anyone else."
He paused and glanced at Dustin for a moment, before turning back to me. "When your Link with Dustin fractured, I truly thought I was losing him, and I realized I will do anything to make sure that doesn't happen. And as much as I don't want to admit it, you're kind of growing on me. You make Dustin happy, and you helped bring Dani out of her self-imposed misery. You are not at fault for what happened to you and I know you must be scared. I think of you as a little sister and I want to protect you. If Savannah is right and you can control these new skills, I'll do whatever I can to help." He leaned over and pulled me into a hug.
I felt my breath catch in my throat. I didn't realize until right then, how much I truly needed to hear those words. "Thank you," I whispered, hugging him back. I wasn't sure what else to say. "It's nice not to feel alone in all this."
"Um, hello." Dustin cleared his throat. "I'm pretty sure us being Linked means you aren't alone."
Brian gave him a patronized look. "Do you mind? We're having a moment here."
I laughed out loud. It felt good, and I realized I hadn't truly laughed in a long time. "I'm thankful for you both."
Before I could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. "Pizza!" Dustin announced, as he headed to the door. He paid the delivery kid and brought the pizza to the floor where we were sitting. "What time do you want me to drop Katie off?" he asked Brian, as he pulled a steaming piece from the box.
"Does 8 am work for you?" Brian popped a piece of pepperoni in his mouth.
I nodded. "I'll be there."
We finished our dinner in silence. After we emptied the box, Brian stood up and grabbed his coat. "I'm going to head back to the hotel and get ready for tomorrow. Savannah's email should be arriving shortly and I'm sure there's a lot to go through." He clapped Dustin on the shoulder, gave me a quick hug and headed out the door. "Get some sleep," he called to me.
"Yes sir." I saluted him and shut the door.
Dustin laughed, and pulled me into his arms. "It looks like you're part of the family now." He kissed me, gently at first, then more intense. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned into him, savoring the feel of his body against mine.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured, between kisses. "I've never felt so completely immersed in someone. You are my everything."
I felt my whole world tilting, as I reveled in the amazing feelings. I knew at that moment that Dustin would be my forever. That everything I had been saving for so long, I was now ready to share with someone else.
I was finally whole.
Author's Note: Katie and Dustin are falling harder and harder for each other. When did you first know that you were in love? Vote and comment below to make me smile!ð Luvs as always!! AMð