Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Well,” I began and Vas’ eyes glittered, locked on mine. I had his undivided attention and it was jarring. “There were a few parts to the vision. In the first part we were here in Treyu. It just happened, in fact. The vision showed us in that house in the lower sector. I saw us staring out the window at the city. Then, in the second part we were back in the mine, planning some kind of mass escape for the miners.”
Vas’ expression faltered. “We were back in the mine?”
I nodded. He frowned. Clearly, he didn’t enjoy the idea of going back there. Not when tonight we were making our big escape. Silence elapsed for a few moments before he said, “That’s where all this talk of revolution has come from. You’ve already seen it.”
I shook my head. “Not entirely. Only a glimpse, but I can’t rid the idea from my mind now.”
“What else?”
“We were in the mine, talking to hundreds of people and trying to convince them to escape.”
“And did we convince them?”
“Yes, I think so, but then the vision changed to something else before I could see what happened next.”
“What did the vision change to?”
At this, my cheeks heated and I tore my eyes away from his. “Um, so, in the next part we were in bed.” If I had the option to disappear I would’ve taken it. The silence that followed was deafening.
Vas’ voice dropped low. “In bed?”
“Yes,” I stated. “Together. Please don’t make a big deal. I’m not going into details.”
He chuckled deeply, enjoying this far too much. “Oh, I think I’m going to have to insist on details.”
“Vas,” I whined. “Please.”
“Darya,” he growled bossily. “Details.”
I made to move away but he caught my chin, his eyes blazing hot. My throat ran dry as I tried to summon some words.
“You were doing things to me,” I whispered. “With your mouth.”
“Fuck,” he breathed and I was so caught up in my embarrassment that I didn’t immediately notice how much closer our bodies were. His thighs pressed to mine, and if he moved another millimetre his hard chest would brush my naked breasts. The next thing I knew his hands were cupping my face. “What else?”
I flushed, feeling far too surrounded by him. His intense focus was overwhelming. If I thought telling him about us being in bed together was nerve-wracking, telling him the next bit was going to be even worse.
“In the final part of the vision, it was years into the future,” I began. “You weren’t there. I was in the Yellowbranch Forest outside this picturesque little house buried deep in the woods and a small boy came out the front door.”
Vas frowned like he hadn’t expected that. “A boy?”
“He looked about five or six. He also looked exactly like you. And me.”
15.
Time seemed to stop moving after I said it. Vas still held my face in his hands and he tilted it back, forcing me to look at him. “Our son? In the future we have a child?” His voice was full of awe.
The very air around us seemed to thicken as he gazed into my eyes in stunned disbelief. “I think so,” I whispered.
His expression smouldered, his focus moving over my features before fixing on my mouth. “You promised you wouldn’t act different,” I reminded him gently. “Just because things happen in the future doesn’t mean anything is going to change between us right now.”
My words dropped a cold bucket of water over him and his hands fell away from me. “I remember what I promised you, though I had no idea that what you were about to tell me would be quite so earth shattering.”
“It was just a vision. It might not happen. People can make different choices, change direction,” I said, trying for casual.
“And is that what you want to do? Change direction?” he asked, a tendril of frost entering his voice.
I drew a deep breath and stared him directly in the eye. “Would I be here if I wanted that?”
He gazed at me, his head slowing shaking from side to side. “You really did come to help me,” he said, like it was suddenly clear to him that I didn’t have an ulterior motive this time around.
“I came to help Sven, too,” I said because I couldn’t stand the tension, nor the thought of him realising that he meant something to me. More than I cared to admit. “It might be senseless because he’s done some terrible things but I came to care about him as a friend while we were in the prison together.”
“And is that how you feel for me? You care for me as a friend?”
“Vas, don’t…”
“I just want to know how you feel about me, Darya. You must feel something if you came all this way.”
“I care about you, yes,” I said, setting him straight. “But I’m still going through a rough breakup. I’m not ready to contemplate anything else right now. Whatever I saw in the future is a long way off, so let’s just focus on the here and now.”