Amanda Perry [Perry - Burning Roses

W ith one visit to the council of Elementals, my entire world changed. The gods and goddesses spoke to metold me my fate as The Chosen wasnt a mistake. They said I need to trust my family and myself, to train and prepare for a battle with the one person who terrifies me more than anything. The coming months may be the most challenging of my life, and I fear Ill let the gods and goddesses, as well as my new family, down.

After waking from my strange dream-meeting with the gods, I spend a lot of time convincing Caleb to relent and allow me off his lap to leave the council. The room continues to spin, and my body vibrates with adrenaline. Later, when it wears off, Ill need to rest. For now, meeting the gods and goddesses of the elements and the blessing as The Chosen gives me more energy than I know what to do with.

Are you sure youre okay, Riley? Leanne frowns when I sway on my feet.

If the room would stop swirling, I would be able to walk in a straight line, but other than that, I feel fine. Caleb would likely lose his mind if I said my thoughts out loud, so instead, I reply with a simple nod.

Sis, youve got to stop these antics, Jaxon huffs, running his hands through his hair. If you want to cuddle up with Caleb, Im sure asking is all you have to do. You dont need to pass out on us.

Noted, I say drily.

Caleb snorts and shakes his head. He leans into me and whispers in my ear, You can cuddle with me anytime, baby. No asking necessary. His voice alone causes sparks to shoot up and down my body from my hair to my toes and back. The sensation brings a small whimper from me, and Caleb inhales sharply at the sound but doesnt say anything.

He takes my hand, squeezing it gently. We gather by the door of the large room to wait for Dad to address the council. Well be in touch, but for now, Riley needs to rest. Dads tone leaves no room for argument.

The Elemental Leads and council members, Scarlett, Misty, and Jett, easily agree with him. Even Forrest, the grouchiest of the four council members, reluctantly agrees. Take care of yourselves and Riley. Shes very special. Jetts words bring heat to my cheeks.

On the one hand, I appreciate them considering me special. On the other hand, I know they only think I matter because Im marked as The Chosen. If I was simply Riley Storm, a normal seventeen-year-old girl, they wouldnt blink twice at me.

Scarlett hands my dad the sad little rock I formed. It was supposed to be a diamond, but when they inspected it earlier, it wasnt even close. Jaxon and Leanne can help me figure out what I made at some pointthey possess the most knowledge on gems with their Earth affinities. Dad leads the way out of the room with the council, making our way down the long hall toward the waiting area and elevators.

Lets get food, then we can go rest for a bit, Dad suggests to us while taking Leannes hand.

My stomach growls with the mention of food. After all the energy I expelled during the test with the council, Im hungrier than ever.

Caleb squeezes my hand gently again, gaining my attention. What sounds good?

Anything, really. Im starving, I admit.

While he turns to ask Jaxon and Cassie what they want to eat, I peek down at Calebs hand around mine, smiling at the comfort it brings. My smile vanishes as I notice something on his forearm that wasnt there this morning.

I stop suddenly, pulling Caleb to stop with me. Is that a tattoo?

Uhhh Caleb glances down at his arm and uses his free hand to run a finger over the design. Theres no way he could have gotten a tattoo without me noticing.

Jaxon and Cassie snicker at him, though I dont understand why.

Caleb? I ask again, staring at the intricate detail on his arm.

The design consists of a band with orange and red flames coming out of it. The band itself goes all the way around his left forearm. The twists and turns of the band remind me of Celtic knots, but if you search hard enough, hearts form from the intertwined knots. Its beautiful and matches him perfectly.

Baby girl. He sighs, running his free hand through his hair. Lets stop at the hotel and go through the lengthy process of figuring out what we want to eat. We can explain this more then, okay?

With a nod, I allow him to pull me to the lobby. My never-ending list of questions grows, but I force myself to be patient and wait for the explanations when the time is right.

As we approach the elevator, the high-pitched, squeaky voice of Britt, the receptionist, can be heard. I pull Caleb closer to me without conscious thought, wrap my arms around his waist, and hold him close.

You okay? He glances down at me, curiously.

Yeah. I smile tightly, squeezing him. He returns the smile with a more genuine one and wraps his arm around me, guiding me toward the exit.

Everything about the receptionist screams threat. For some reason, my instincts tell me to protect Caleb and keep him close. Hes supposed to be mine, no one else should be able to take him away. This morning, when Britt fluttered her eyelashes at Caleb, I kept my mouth shut and pretended to not notice. Now, I think I understand what everyone tried to explain about a strong pull to your soul mate after being Blessed. The simple thought of being away from him makes my stomach twist and my heart burn.

Before we can step up to the elevator, Britt skips in front of us. Caleb! She pouts. Dont I get a hug before you go? She moves closer to Caleb, as if to kiss him, even though Im almost attached to his side. She angles her body to push herself between us.

Caleb tenses and takes a step back, pulling me with him. Before I can react, Leanne steps up to us and physically pushes Britt away from Caleb. You should be ashamed of yourself, Britt. Leannes hands go to her hips as she scolds the girl. You know better than to try getting between two soul mates! Especially when one of them is so newly Blessed. I will be giving your mother a call about your behavior.

Britt pales and opens her mouth to reply. Before she can say anything, Caleb speaks up, Im done with your bullshit, Britt. Im Rileys soul mate. Youre nothing to me, to either of us. You need to stay away from me, knock off the desperate needy crap, and find someone else to bother.

I cant help my wide grin while Britt turns an ugly shade of purple. She takes a deep breath and flips her hair over her shoulder before stomping off to her desk. Your loss!