Chameleon (Supernaturals) (32 page)

Russ’s eyebrows shot way up and he immediately stopped arguing with Gabriel to stare at me. Even Alex couldn’t mask his surprise. “Visions?” he asked.

I blushed under the scrutiny and Gabriel had to explain for me.

“When Danielle touches me, she takes on my form and becomes a seer. As a seer I have never been able to witness my own fate. I can also not see Danielle’s fate because it is tied to my own. But, just as she is more powerful a warlock than you or your son, she is also more powerful a seer than I. She receives visions that I cannot. She can also replay her visions and share them with me, and she can see my fate where I cannot. Tell them, Danielle. Tell them what you see when you glimpse my future—
our
future.”

Everyone was looking at me. Russ angry, Gabriel desperate and Alex absolutely flabbergasted. I blushed like I’ve never blushed before.

“Oh, great!” Russ groaned. “That’s just
fantastic
. Like she’s not brainwashed enough? She has to be influenced by lovey-dovey visions too? Why don’t you take a look into my future Dani? I’ll show you freaking destiny.”

“I can’t see your future Russ. If I touch you I become a warlock. I can only see Gabriel’s future, and he’s right. Both times I looked into his future, the Creator showed me significant moments in our relationship.”

“Significant moments? What does that mean? No, wait. I don’t want to know. It doesn’t matter anyway. You said the future could be changed. We spent all day yesterday changing one of your visions. You had those visions of him before I came to get you. Now that you have me back you should look again. Tell me if you still see a happy future for the two of you.”

“No.”

“Why? Scared I’m right?”

“Maybe I respect his privacy. Maybe he doesn’t want to know his future.”

“Actually, I do not mind,” Gabriel said quickly. “I am confident in us Danielle.”

“Ugh, you two are impossible! Maybe
I
don’t want to know what the future holds. I like surprises.”

“You hate surprises,” Russ argued.

“I hate
your
surprises.”

“Actually, it might be a good idea,” Alex said thoughtfully. “If your destinies are really intertwined, it may give us some insight on our current problem.”

It was three against one and there’s no way Russ would drop this subject until I gave in. “Fine.”

When Gabriel held out his hand to me and smiled with encouragement, I realized I had a problem. “Um, I actually don’t have any idea how to do this. Both times it happened were accidents.”

“Just relax and look into my eyes with the intent to see into my soul.”

“Really?” Russ asked, laughing. “Did you really just deliver that line with a straight face? Dani if you ever really fall for this cheese ball, I’ll disown you.”

“Shut up Russ. Trying to concentrate here.”

Even though I’d held Gabriel’s hand a million times before, I was shy to take it now. I wasn’t sure I was ready for what I could see, and the look on his face was so eager. His deep, dark eyes were shining. They were beautiful as ever and then suddenly I was staring into them from a different angle.

It was the middle of the night—so late that the moon was already starting to dip low in the sky—and we were in a parking lot somewhere that looked all but deserted. I could hear the roar of a freeway somewhere in the distance, but that was all the sound there was at the moment because in front of me something was transpiring between Gabriel, Russ and me that was so tense none of us seemed to be able to breathe.

“Russ,” my other vision-self whispered. I could feel her panic and confusion and wished I knew what was going on. “I…”

And then Russ kissed me. When his lips came down on mine it was just like when Gabriel kissed me in the very first vision I’d ever had. I could feel all of the emotion wrapped up in that moment. Only this time there were three different sets of emotions hitting me.

Russ felt desperate, like the first time he kissed me. My other self’s initial instinct was to pull away from him but for some reason she told herself to be objective. When she finally kissed him back I expected the encouragement to excite Russ into some sort of frenzy, but instead it calmed him. His haste melted away into something tender, so much more tender than I thought him capable of.

His love was overwhelming. He trembled and became almost shy as he brought his hands to my face and tangled his fingers in my wild curls. This kiss was more sincere than anything I’d ever experienced in my entire life and it wasn’t even technically happening to me.

The love was too much for my future self’s torn heart to handle. I’d never felt more confusion and heartache in my life. She loved him—
I
loved him—but there was something else. A pain that was so out of place in the midst of such an epic kiss. Her heart was soaring and breaking all at the same time. It was so strong it overwhelmed me as I watched them and I had to tear my eyes away from them.

Unfortunately, when I looked away my eyes found Gabriel’s and the agony I saw there made me gasp. He looked as if his entire world was falling apart, and he felt much worse. If my heart was breaking in that moment, then his entire soul was shattering. He stood there unable to look away from the kiss, a piece of him dying, until my other self finally broke apart from Russ with a sob and buried her face in his chest to cry.

“You see?” I heard Russ whisper. I didn’t see him though because I couldn’t look away from Gabriel’s pain-stricken face. “The Councilor couldn’t break you completely. I’m not giving up on you. I’ll wait as long as it takes. You’ll remember how much you love me Dani. You will.”

Gabriel waited until the vision me got her tears under control to interrupt. “I am going back to the consulate.”

Before anyone could argue, Gabriel shook his head and managed a small smile. “It is what is best. You go with Russ and find the resistance. I will return to the council and explain everything that has happened. That way we will have double the chance at stopping the tragic vision in time.”

“Gabriel, don’t,” the vision of me pleaded. I felt that the vision Danielle’s heart broke even more than it had during the kiss from Russ.

“The consulate is my home, Danielle. The council is my family. It is where I belong.”

“But—but—what about—”

“The prophecy says only the truest love will help you. Russ is right. That cannot be both of us. All my presence is doing is confusing you. You need this in order to fulfill your destiny.”

I was so shocked I couldn’t even fully comprehend what was really going on. “No. Gabriel no. This…. It can’t be right.”

Gabriel smiled at the vision me more sweetly than I’d ever seen him do. He reached up and put his fingertips to her cheek in such an intimate gesture that I became jealous of my other self. I wanted to knock her out of the way and let him touch me like that.

“Do not worry yourself Danielle,” he whispered.

“But what about the prophecy?”

“You will fulfill it. I have never doubted you, and I do not doubt you now.”

“Gabriel, I—” the other me whispered. She was too emotional to continue.

“It is all right, Danielle.”

“No!” she insisted. “It isn’t. I don’t want you to leave.”

Gabriel smiled but he looked as sad as I felt. “Forgive me, but I cannot stay any longer. I—” Redness crept into his cheeks and his voice faltered. “I cannot bear it.”

The vision me started to cry and I felt my own eyes well up.

Gabriel leaned down and gave the other me a kiss so tender it hurt my heart to watch it.

“Goodbye, Danielle, my love,” he whispered as he pushed my hair off my face one last time.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

The vision ended then and it was as if Gabriel had vanished. I felt his loss. I felt the void inside me that his absence created.

I gasped and suddenly I was once again staring into the real Gabriel’s eyes. They were full of concern. “Danielle?” he asked lifting his thumb to wipe a tear that had escaped down my cheek. “What did you see?”

I was so relieved to see him standing there, so thankful that he wasn’t really leaving me, that I threw my arms around his neck and pulled his face down to mine. Gabriel was shocked, but his hands came around my waist instinctively and he gave me the kiss I was so desperate for.

When I finally tore myself away from him he, Russ and Alex all stood there wide eyed, mouths agape. Russ was the first of any of us to speak. “Well, that plan totally backfired.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of Gabriel. “I’m sorry!” I gasped, still feeling warm from his kiss. “I—I—I—”

“Do not worry yourself, Danielle,” Gabriel said. He used the same words he’d used in the vision, except this time his eyes were bright instead of sad. “You need not apologize for that.”

“You could apologize to
me
for it if you want,” Russ grumbled.

Alex shook himself from his stupor and met my eyes. “What exactly did you see?”

“Um.” I floundered for words. I couldn’t share that moment with anyone. It was too painful, and I was too scared of either Russ or Gabriel knowing that was our future. “It was just….” My eyes went back to Gabriel.

“Our destiny,” Gabriel finished for me with a smile.

I knew he didn’t interpret my reaction correctly, but I let him believe what he wanted. I was too weak to give him the truth.

“Not for long,” Russ said, and pulled me out of Gabriel’s embrace. He threw his arm over my shoulders, flashing a wide smile at his dad and Gabriel. “So when are you guys leaving? Feel free to take your time. Do some shopping. Catch a movie. Don’t worry about us. I’ll take good care of Dani while you’re gone.”

“Danielle does not need to be fixed,” Gabriel replied. “There is nothing wrong with her.”

“The hell there’s not! You can’t have a say in this either. You’re totally biased.”

“And you have no personal interest in this matter?”

“Settle down boys,” Alex said. He was still watching me very curiously. “It would probably be best to figure out if your connection is truly physical Dani, but it should really be your choice whether we try to break the bond the Councilor has wrongfully forced on you.”

Both Gabriel and Russ waited expectantly.

“I—um.”

Alex sighed. “You don’t need to make the choice right now. Just think about it.”

“Okay.”

Alex picked up his car keys. “I’ve got to go. I’ll probably be gone the rest of the day.” He looked at Gabriel. “Would you like to come with me?”

Gabriel glanced at me and then at Russ. His face tightened almost imperceptibly. “I would rather not, unless Danielle wishes it.”

I shook my head.

“How about you Russ? Want to keep your old man company?”

“Did you not see what just happened?” Russ asked, pointing at me. “No way am I leaving these two alone all day.”

Alex frowned. “They are newlyweds son. Maybe they would like the alone time.”

“DAD!”

Alex laughed and with a wink my direction said, “Sorry, Dani. I tried to give you some peace.”

“Maybe I should come with you instead.” A little peace sounded nice. “In case you need to know more about the vision.”

“No, you need your rest. I should be okay. You’ve given me enough to start with. He was specifically using the blood of a baby. That should narrow down the type of ritual a great deal. If we can figure that out we can probably figure out what he wants and then ultimately discover who he is and how to stop him. If I need anything else, I’ll call you.”

Alex looked at Russ and Gabriel once more and cracked another smile. “I’ll try to hurry. Don’t kill each other while I’m gone.”

“No promises,” Russ grumbled.

“Excuse me, sir?” Gabriel asked when Alex started out the door. “Will Danielle and I be safe here for that long? Our auras…”

The look on Alex’s face changed to one of awe. “Yes, together they really are quite something, aren’t they? I can understand why the council thought to pair you.”

“You can
what
?” Russ gasped. “Dad, you are so not helping.”

“Sorry Russ. It’s just logical with them being the only two pures in existence. I’m pullin’ for ya though, son. Honest.”

“Gee thanks.”

Alex turned his attention back to Gabriel. “I anticipated having to hide Dani. I set up wards on the house and misdirection spells around the entire property. You should be safe.”