Pushing off the counter, Heaven tightened her grip on her glass and walked toward the table. Delia pointed to the spot she’d occupied beside Dylan. Heaven nodded and slid into the bench seat. The smile on Dylan’s face was welcoming, as was the heat of his body. But a greater amount of heat warmed her other side. Layne had sat beside her. She turned to look at him, noting how he hovered near the edge of the bench. It allowed a small amount of space to form between them. He still wouldn’t look her way.
Great. The awkwardness between them was increasing. It was the exact opposite of what they needed to do, but nothing she said would change his mind. He was determined to keep her at a distance.
Delia took the remaining seat beside Heaven’s parents. She stroked the rim of her coffee cup before meeting her son’s eyes. She gazed at him, then Heaven, and Layne last. “What we’re about to tell you is a lot to digest, but please don’t react to it. Keep an open mind.”
A snort resonated from Layne’s direction. “Is it too early to start drinking?”
Delia offered him a smile, but it was Dylan who responded. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
Shaking her head at both, Delia stifled a laugh. “Yes, it’s too early, but I’m glad you two are in a better mood. Hold on to every positive thing in your life, like your friendship. If there is ever a time to reconcile, it’s now. Heaven needs both of you and you both need her.”
Dylan and Layne swapped glances before their eyes made it to Heaven, though Layne’s didn’t linger for long.
It was Delia who drew his eyes back to the table. She ran her finger over the book in the center, pushing it closed. “Soulmates have existed for millenniums. Our history is so old we don’t have any record of when it began. We do know that we were created to keep the balance between good and evil. That’s why we were given abilities, to help combat the evil. We’re born in threes, or trinities. Two fortunate pairs, one unfortunate.”
“I still don’t understand why we have to have an unfortunate pair.”
The comment came from Dylan, which didn’t surprise Heaven. The fear of them being the unfortunate pair lingered in his mind, even after their discussion the day before. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t questioned it a time or two, especially with the pull she felt toward Layne, the way it encompassed her like it did at present.
“We’ve told you this before,” his mother began. “There must be an unfortunate pair to keep the balance. If not, the world would be perfect. It’s not meant to be, so the unfortunate pair provides enough chaos to keep that from happening.”
Heaven heard her mother clear her throat. “The energy we provide in this world fades over time, but it never goes away. Those who follow the dark path found a way to tap into that energy. They use it to shift the balance, gaining evil an upper hand. When evil starts to overtake the good, a Supreme Trinity is created.”
“And that’s what we are, a Supreme Trinity?” Heaven stared into her husband’s eyes as she asked the question. The pulse of his energy enveloped her, soothing her apprehension. He was starting to act like himself again, though she still worried over his earlier behavior.
Her attention drifted back to their parents, but it was her mother-in-law who nodded. Trying to keep every detail connected began to take its toll on Heaven, and they were only beginning this conversation. She’d rather have the CliffsNotes on their family history, because making sense of it all grew difficult. It didn’t help that the constant push and pull of Dylan’s and Layne’s energy made her head swim.
A brief pause of Delia’s voice alleviated the buzzing in her head. Yet the second her mother-in-law replaced her cup on the table, the tingling returned.
“Supreme soulmates are able to put the world back in balance, though the road to get there isn’t easy. It’s hard enough on regular trinities,” she paused, motioning her hand between herself and Heaven’s parents, “but a Supreme Trinity encounters bigger trials.”
The warmth of Dylan’s hand heated hers as he joined them under the table.
“Why?”
“Trials bring fortunate soulmates together. They make mistakes, but through these mistakes they learn how much they need each other. Their bond strengthens, their love grows deeper, and the balance begins to shift back to where it needs to be.”
Heaven shuddered at the thought of what trials she and Dylan would face. They’d already faced a few that came close to tearing them apart. Yet despite the pain they’d endured during those instances, she loved him more than ever—sensed the same in his soul. Still, something said their trials were far from over. How many more would they face before the balance shifted back?
Dylan must have noticed her trembling. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. She lost herself in his spicy scent, allowing it to soothe the uneasiness growing in her soul.
He gave her a kiss on her temple then redirected his attention to his mother. “You mentioned something about a prophecy, that it’s the reason my dad wants to kill Heaven.”
“The prophecy speaks of the Supreme Trinity and their return, which happened to be the year you and Heaven were born. Your father knew about the prophecy and how the Supremes would bring back the balance. He also knew that the Supremes would have the ability to bring back those who have fallen from the path of light.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, shaking his head as his eyes flitted between his mother and Heaven’s parents. “Why did he think it would be us? We can’t be the only soulmates born that year.”
“You weren’t,” her mother added, reopening the book in front of her. She swept through several pages, finally stopping on one. “There are thousands of soulmates born every twenty-second year. However, the prophecy says the Supremes will be born to the eldest houses. Our families belong to those houses.”
The more her mother talked, the more Heaven’s head buzzed. The fate of the world lay in the hands of the Supremes, which meant it lay in her hands, if what they were saying was true. “How do you know it’s me and not Hope or Faith?”
“For two reasons,” her mom interjected, “Supremes are normally the firstborn. It was also predicted that Nate’s son would marry the most powerful Seeker our kind has ever known. They would have the greatest love of all, a love powerful enough to save mankind, but a love that powerful draws misery.”
“What kind of misery?” Layne’s voice filled the air this time. He kept his focus on her mom, even when Dylan glanced his way. His energy pulsed with confusion, but mostly, fear.
“No one knows for sure,” she answered, her eyes lowering to her lap. “It’s different for every trinity, but whatever it is, it will cause them a great amount of grief.”
The words affected Layne the way Heaven feared they would. His heart, once beating a normal rhythm, shifted to a fast-paced thump. Guilt consumed him, guilt that had him coming to his feet, putting plenty of distance between them.
“I guess I have my work cut out for me,” he mumbled, trying to hide how much the news bothered him.
“Yes, Layne, you do.” Her mother watched him move across the floor, “But you wouldn’t have been born into this role if you didn’t have the ability to keep Heaven safe. Do not doubt yourself.”
Layne snorted, mumbling something about it being easier said than done. The heels of his boots clicked against the floor as he made his way toward the counter. He wasn’t coming back to the table, not anytime soon. The moment he passed the coffeepot, he pressed his hands over the sink and leaned his weight on his arms. His eyes focused on the window in front of him.
It was as Heaven feared. This new information proved too much for him. He had plenty of reasons to abandon her and his duties. Could a Keeper leave his Seeker? Nate left her mother, but he didn’t have a choice. Layne did. If he chose to leave her, would he be okay, or would he follow in Nate’s footsteps?
She pulled her eyes from him, casting them in Delia’s direction. She wanted to ask her mother-in-law those same questions, but Dylan didn?
??t give her a chance. He held her close and gazed at her as if it were the last time he’d ever see her. All the worry and confusion building in his soul resonated in his sigh when he faced their parents again.
“So why does my dad want Heaven dead? What will her death accomplish?”
“Besides satisfying a sick vendetta?” Her father grumbled the words, gaining her mother’s attention. She curled her fingers around his arm, stroking a small section with her thumb. They didn’t say anything else. They didn’t need to when they could have their own private conversation.
Delia offered her a tight-lipped smile then shifted her attention to Dylan. The weight of her ex-husband’s actions would always weigh on her mind. Yet Heaven sensed a twinge of guilt as well. “Heaven’s death will keep chaos prevailing. If she is gone, the power of your love is gone. There will be nothing to save mankind from the destruction The Fallen cause.”
“What is The Fallen?” he asked.
“Not a what, but who. The Fallen are the Seekers and Keepers who turn to the dark path. Those of us who remain on the path of light are known as Oracles. As a whole, we are known as The Psi.”
“So The Fallen want me dead because I will shift the balance back to good?”
“The higher-ranking Fallen do,” Delia nodded, averting her eyes to the book on the table. “You’re not like other Seekers, Heaven. You’re a beacon of light and energy. With the amount of energy you possess, souls are drawn to you. It’s why The Fallen have a hard time resisting you. Their souls still yearn for the good that is in your energy. They get a rush from it.” She flipped through the pages of the book, at least a hundred of them, before she stopped and pressed her finger on one. “I believe you are what is known as an Igniter. You not only feel energy and read energy, you increase the energy of those around you. This explains why you have Clairsentience. All Igniters have at least two of the ‘clair’ abilities—clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, clairtangency, and clairempathy. We know you definitely have clairempathy, thanks to my son.”
“Wait a second,” Dylan said, as his hand warmed the skin just below Heaven’s navel. “You also said the baby is clairvoyant. Does that mean it will be an Igniter?”
“No. Igniters haven’t walked the earth in millennia. They are the most rare of all Seekers. The likelihood of two appearing within the same century is impossible.”
What a confusing mess of puzzles, riddles, and secrets this new life had become. The more she learned, the heavier her burden grew. Many lives depended on hers. Dylan’s life did, as did Layne’s, the baby’s, and now every human in existence. She couldn’t defend herself from her psychotic ex-boyfriend, Zeke, or Nate for that matter. How could she do this? How could she save anyone if she couldn’t save herself?
Dylan shifted his weight on the bench, releasing her from the warmth of his embrace. He tucked a few curls behind her ears before he leaned his elbows on the table and stared at their parents.
“Is there anything that could have saved my dad from choosing this path?”
“We don’t know, Dylan.” Delia hesitated on whatever else she’d planned to say when she noticed Heaven’s mother shake her head.
“Yes, We do know. It was our fault. Nicholas and I gave up on him too soon.”
“Anna,” her father cut in, but her mother held up her hand.
“Believe what you want to believe. I know we could have saved him. We went about it wrong.”
An intense amount of tension formed between her parents. They rarely argued. To see her mother grow so passionate in her defense of Nate reminded Heaven of her defensiveness toward Layne. She couldn’t imagine losing him to The Fallen. How her mother had dealt with it, she didn’t know. The pain it caused her still lingered in her soul.
“Does this have to do with my dad being in love with you?” Dylan’s words had her mother’s mouth gaping. She struggled to speak, but nothing more than a crack filled the air. “I made the connection in Aruba, right before Heaven went missing.”
“Yes,” her mother whispered. She tucked her face behind her hand to hide the sadness Heaven sensed in her heart. “Nicholas and I… We could have handled things differently. Instead of trying to work through it, we slowly pulled away. It only made Nate worse.” She swiped a few tears from her face before covering her eyes again. “Once I found out I was pregnant, I thought it would help him get over things, but…”
“But it sent him over the edge,” her father finished, squeezing her mother’s shoulder until she looked at him. He mouthed the words I’m sorry then brought her hands to his lips.
Heaven shifted her eyes to Layne. He’d turned his back to the sink, leaning against it as he crossed his arms at his chest. His eyes stared straight ahead into the dining area, but she noticed the crease between his brows.
She knew the current topic bothered him. He’d expressed his fear of following in Nate’s footsteps on more than one occasion. Now that he heard firsthand how that happened, he questioned if it would happen to him. He cared about her. A lot. She sensed it within him. Yet no matter how deep those feelings might run, she couldn’t accept the fact that he would hurt her. He needed her. She was more than his Seeker. She was his source. That had to mean something.
Before she could give it more thought, Layne parted his lips to speak. “You’ve mentioned how chaos is derived by the unfortunate pair. Is it because one of them always turns to the dark path?”
“No,” Delia answered. She came to a stand, grabbing her coffee cup from the table before she walked in his direction. “Some can go their separate ways and find happiness elsewhere. I’ve known quite a few who have, but the amount that fall into darkness is tremendous.” She stopped in front of the coffeepot, pouring herself another cup. “Once the Supremes begin to strengthen their love, the unfortunate are less likely to fall to the dark path. The ones who are on it can be drawn back to the path of light.”
Layne seemed to be processing the information when Dylan shot off the next question. “So if Heaven lives and our love shifts the balance back to good, some of Dad’s people will turn away from him?” He paused long enough to see her nod and then continued. “Couldn’t he come back to our path as well?”
His question didn’t surprise her. Part of him still hoped that his father would revert to the man he used to be, the one who had a heart. No one wanted to believe they were the spawn of something evil. Finding out that he was worried him, though she wasn’t really sure why. She’d never sensed the fear in him in the past.
“It’s possible your dad could come back,” her father cut in, “but highly unlikely. For your father to have the type of clout he does, he’d have to be prestigious among his kind. He’s in a leadership role. Those who hold these roles are usually unreachable. They remain to keep chaos thriving for the next generation.”
Heaven’s temples began to pulse. In all the confusion of what was happening, there was still one thing their parents hadn’t answered. This one thing would be a pertinent part to them being a Supreme Trinity.
“If Dylan and I are a fortunate pair, who is the other pair? How will we find the rest of our trinity?”
“We’ve already found the other fortunate pair,” her mother announced. “It’s Hope and Scott.”
The news brought a sense of relief to Heaven, even if she wasn’t sure how accurate it was. Guess there was only one way to find out. “I thought one of you said that Supremes were the firstborn.”
“Yes,” her mom nodded, “but when there are multiple births, there can be more than one Supreme.”
“But how do you know we both are?”
Her mother drew an imaginary arc in the air. “It shows in your energy. A fortunate pair not only have their individual aura, they have a second aura that blends with their soulmate. The unfortunate pair doesn’t have the blended aura, just their individual auras.”
Her answer proceeded to build more questions in Heaven’s mind. “Then how do you recognize an unfortunate pair?”
&n
bsp; “They are always connected to one of the fortunate pairs in a familiar way. They’re either close friends or relatives.”
It was exactly as Heaven feared, which meant her earlier concerns were probably true too. “Does that make Faith part of the unfortunate pair?”
Both her mother and Delia traded glances across the room. Her mother focused on her coffee cup, but Delia looked at Layne, then back to Heaven. “We think so, but it doesn’t mean Layne is her soulmate. It could be the man she was involved with, the one that could have been…”
All eyes went to Layne. He glanced at each person around the room then shook his head. “Go ahead and say it. The one that could have been the father of her child.”
“Layne,” Heaven whispered. She stood from the bench and headed in his direction. As soon as he noticed, he moved to the archway near the dining room.
“It’s okay. I’ve come to accept what happened was for the best. I don’t know who this dude is or what he’s like. What I do know is that she and I didn’t need a kid, together or apart.”
Heaven couldn’t believe he’d lied so easily, especially after their last conversation. He’d admitted that seeing the pregnancy test had him thinking about having kids, even if it was for a split second. He wouldn’t say so, but Heaven knew it awoke something inside him. That something ate away at him every time he looked at her, at the life she carried within her. Deep down, Layne wanted to have kids. He wanted to be a father.
“I don’t know if I can listen to any more,” she grumbled, rubbing the kinks in her back and neck. “My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
Dylan joined her a second later. He slipped behind her, placing his hands on either side of her back as he began massaging it. “It’s a lot to take in. Maybe it would do you some good to go outside and get some air. We can take a walk on one of the trails behind the cottage.”
“A walk isn’t going to change anything, Dylan. We were just told that the fate of mankind rests on our shoulders. I can’t wrap my head around this. I went from book nerd who couldn’t get accepted into an art program to the most powerful Seeker in the world. How does that happen? How do you go from nothing to something?”