Crossover 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book One' (14 page)

As they got closer I could see that he
was nervous. I was getting a little uncomfortable at the way he was
staring at me and not looking away.

Jasper put his arm around me and pulled
me closer to him.

The strange Wedelve quickly glanced at
him, then back to me. “It’s like looking at a portrait,” he mumbled
to Fillian. His eyes were a deep green, bright against the contrast
of his black hair and dark brown skin.

“Everyone, this is Brinnan.” Fillian
introduced him. He sat by Phlann and continued to stare until
Fillian started to talk.

“You have all heard the stories told
about the baby girl found in the Wedelven woods.”

Everyone nodded.

“We all know how vague the prophecy
was. A baby girl would be born in the Wedelven woods. It was said
the Majs would find her and train her for the sole purpose of
destroying the queen. When Hayden was found, those involved were
sworn to secrecy to inhibit the Majs from reaching this
goal.”

Everyone stared at her in shock except
for Brinnan.

“Twenty five years ago, something
unheard of happened and changed the lives of two beings.” Brinnan
frowned. “Twenty five years ago, a Wedelve discovered she was fated
to a human from the other world. Her family shunned her when she
decided to bring him back to these lands. They had each other, and
though she missed her family, they were happy.

She sent letters to keep her family up
to date, always hoping that one day they would find it in their
hearts to accept her mate. In one such letter, she let them know
that she was with child. She begged them to change their
minds.

She was in labor when one lone
relative, her brother, came to see her. Her mate was losing his
mind. Things weren’t going well. Her brother ran to find a healer,
but by the time we reached her it was too late.

We managed to save the child, but her
mother had lost too much blood. Before passing she told me to take
the baby and keep her safe. That she had seen armies colliding over
the life of this little girl. Until her mother told me of her
dream, I hadn’t realized this might be the girl we had been told
about.”

Fillian’s eyes were glazed over as she
thought back to those moments. “The father took his own life,
unable to live without his mate.” Her eyes refocused and turned to
me.

“I remember you were a week old when
you started playing with the colors!”

Brinnan laughed. “Remember when she set
off the hurricane in your house? I thought we were all going to
drown trying to get out!”

Fillian grinned and continued. “That’s
when we sat down with Melana and decided itt was best to send you
to a place void of magic until you were old enough to control
it.”

I was staring at Brinnan. “You’re my
uncle.”

He nodded. “You look exactly like your
mother. Well, except for the coloring.” He smiled. “Brayanne had
the same hair and eye color, but her skin was a warm tan color. She
was the kindest soul ever to live. When our parents banished her
from our home, I tried to leave with her. She wouldn’t let me.” His
eyes filled with pain. “When I received the letter stating she was
with child, I went to her as quickly as I could but I was too
late.”

I didn’t realize I was crying until
Jasper pulled me onto his lap and held me against his
chest.

“This is the worst story ever,” I
mumbled.

“What did your parents tell you of your
origins?” asked Fillian.

“Just that they couldn’t have their own
children and had adopted me as a baby.”

She nodded. “That is true. What they
didn’t tell you was that your adoptive father was your real
father’s friend. He knew of your mother and our world. When we
approached him about keeping you safe, he was willing to take on
the task.”

“Do they know I’m here now?”

“Do you remember when I sent all those
blue birds away the first day you were here?” asked
Jasper.

“Yes.”

“Some of them went to them to let them
know.”

A wave of relief washed over me. My mom
and dad didn’t think I had run away, or been killed by some
psychopath. They knew where I was.

“So that’s why I can see the bridge!” I
looked at Fillian. “And the dreams?”

“Those are unique to your mother and
yourself. Brinnan doesn’t recall anyone else in the family having
them. There are other dream seers, but not many.”

Jasper asked the next question. “What
about the fact that Hayden’s mother was fated to a human. Does that
happen more often than we are told?”

Fillian shook her head. “No. I have
searched and inquired. They are the exception. The only two beings
to have ever been fated with one of a different kind.”

Jasper and I looked at each
other.

“Until now!” stated Phlann.

Brinnan looked at him. “What do you
mean?”

“Well, Hayden and Jasper are
fated.”

Fillian looked closely at us.
“Unbelievable. The only half Wedelve in existence fated to a
Namael.”

“You may want to keep your amazement
down,” laughed Shanus. “There aren’t any trees in this
courtyard.”

Our little group laughed at my
blush.

“What did we miss?” inquired
Brinnan.

“When she gets mad,” explained Zane,
“she loses control of those colors Fillian was talking about and
she sets trees on fire.”

“Only by accident!” I exclaimed. “It
was either the trees or you!”

Fillian was shaking her head. “Now that
doesn’t make sense at all. There is no way a healer could use the
reds. We can see them, but if you try to touch them they should
just evaporate. It goes against everything.”

Dodge snorted. “That right,” Jasper
translated. “A couple of days ago, she used a green and made a dead
stump grow.”

“So healing and sorcery together.”
Fillian looked just as awed by me as the rest. “Do you mind if we
continue this tomorrow? I have some research I need to
do.”

Everyone looked at me. I wanted to roll
my eyes. This was going to get old fast.

“That’s fine. I think it’s almost time
for lunch anyway.” I looked over to my uncle. “Will you have lunch
with us?”

He looked surprised. “You would want me
to stay?”

“Of course! I just found out I have an
uncle. Maybe you could tell me more about my mom.”

Brinnan smiled. “Of course. I just
thought that with everything that had happened...” He looked sad
again.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, with your parents dying and us
sending you away.”

“It’s not your fault my parents
died.”

His head snapped up. “If I had gotten
there sooner, or simply gone to live with them in the first
place...”

I shook my head. “You’ve been blaming
yourself for twenty five years, haven’t you?”

He shrugged.

He looked so sad. I got up and walked
over to him. His eyes widened in surprise as I gave him a hug. He
hugged me back shyly.

“Now,” I smiled at him. “Let’s go have
lunch. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

As we ate, Brinnan told me about my
mother. The games and tricks they had played together. He had me
laughing so hard I could barely finish my lunch.

He got quieter as he started telling me
about when she had met my father. They had seen each other on the
same hill that I had first seen Jasper. She had gone to the other
world to be with him, knowing that her parents wouldn’t accept how
things were.

“It’s never happened! She was scared of
what people would do or think. But she missed us and the magic of
this world. When they came here, it was just as she had thought.
People stared, talked. The worst for her I think was when people
simply ignored them. That was when they decided to build their home
farther into the woods. They would come get supplies when they
needed them and that was when I would meet her in
secret.

I’m told it is hard for twins to be too
far apart from each other for any length of time.”

“You were twins!”

He nodded. “That was one reason I was
so upset with our parents. As far as any of us new, there has never
been a set of Wedelven twins. And as far as anyone else knows,
there never has been. For the first few years of our lives my
parents would only take Brayanne or I out separately. When we got a
bit older they would take both of us, telling people I was a year
younger. We were the first and the last as far as I’ve been able to
find out. And yet they had no trouble judging her for being
different.

Brayanne was the most loving person I
ever knew. She was forever taking care of sick animals, helping
people who were around her. She never asked for anything in return.
When I lost her, it almost did me in. But it was also because of
her that I found Fillian. I don’t think I ever would have found the
one I was fated with had I not shown up at that moment.”

He looked at me closely. “I still can’t
believe how much you look like her. You’re taller. That must be the
human in you.” He smiled. “That, and you’re missing the pointy
ears.”

I smiled back at him.

He looked thoughtful. “I’m afraid there
isn’t much I can tell you about your father. Though I can tell you
with absolute certainty that he made your mother happy, and that he
loved her more than life itself.”

“Is everyone done eating?” asked
Tara.

“I’m done. Thanks, Tara. That was
great.”

She smiled. “Let’s go practice some
moves, then.”

The whole group decided to come watch
and help where they could.

I was sparring with Phlann at the
moment. Jasper sat cross legged on the ground, glaring at the whole
affair. Every time someone would pretend to attack me he would
tense, his muscles twitching.

My uncle had excused himself after
lunch and came back a little while later, sitting down by Jasper to
watch. He placed what looked like blankets on the
ground.

Phlann charged at me and faked to the
left. I caught him glancing to the right and blocked his
blow.

“She’s a natural!” Brinnan
commented.

The only response he got from Jasper
was a growl.

I made my way back to Jasper and sat
beside him, catching my breath. He handed me a canteen.

“Very well done,” complemented my
uncle.

“Thanks!”

“I brought you something I thought your
mother would want you to have.” He reached down and handed me the
blankets.

I stared, speechless, as I unfolded
them and saw two short swords.

Jasper seemed about to say something
but stopped and glared at the ground.

“They were your mothers. Watching you
move around like you were makes me think these are going to be
perfect for you. You handle yourself exactly like her!” He sounded
both awed and sad.

“Thank you.”

I looked at Jasper who was still
sulking beside me. “Maybe you or Zane could shift so I could
practice against an animal?”

His head snapped up, the look in his
eyes made me catch my breath. He looked like he was being
tortured.

“Or not,” I mumbled. I looked at the
rest of the group, knowing they were waiting for me to say
something. “I’m all played out, guys. Let’s call it quits for
today.”

They all nodded and left. I stood and
held my hand out for Jasper’s. “Let’s go put these in our
room.”

I said goodbye to my uncle, who
promised to come back the next day.

Once back in our room I put the short
swords under the bed so Jasper wouldn’t be able to glare at
them.

I sat on the bed. Jasper was standing
by the window, looking out.

“Jasper.”

He didn’t turn.

I walked over to him and hugged his
back. He relaxed a little as I leaned into him.

“I can’t lose you,” he whispered. “The
thought of you getting hurt, or worse...,” His voice caught in his
throat. He took a deep breath then turned and looked down at me. “I
finally just found you.” His eyes were full of worry.

“You won’t lose me, Jasper. You
couldn’t get rid of me now even if you wanted to.” I stood on my
tip toes and kissed him lightly. “But I’m what they’re after. If
for some reason they happen to get close enough to try and take me,
I have to be able to make sure that they can’t.”

I didn’t tell him about my second dream
in which I was surrounded by four dogs.

He still looked worried as he hugged me
close and leaned his head on top of mine.

“I suppose I’ll have to get used to the
idea that you can take care of yourself.” He glanced down at me
with a sheepish grin. “And by what I saw of you today, I don’t
think it will take too long before you can teach me a thing or
two!”