The Genesis Project Prophecy of the Seven (7 page)

“When do we train?” I asked.

Ben smiled at my willingness to jump in and accept my fated position.

“After you and your mom settled in I can have you shown around and you can train a little, I still need to talk to your friend Blaine. What’s his last name?” He asked.

“Dacko
,” I said noticing an inquisitive look pass over his face. I wonder what that was about.

“He came alone with you? What happened to his family? Don’t answer
,” Ben said, holding up a hand.

“I’ll ask him myself, now let’s get you ladies something to eat and show you around and then you can pick a spot you’d like to make your own.” Ben stood to show us out.

Mom smiled at me, but her smile was strained. I knew she was afraid for me but, if what they were saying was true I never had a choice to begin with.

Of course I could refuse, but by doing so I would doom everyone else according to this prophecy.

I’d rather not chance that. I wanted to help; I wanted to make right what’s happened to us all. I didn’t care about electricity or running water; people had lived a long time without it.

We could do it again as long as we were careful, but there was no reason we had to live in fear.

Right now war was inevitable, but if The Seven could eliminate this problem well then…I didn’t see what the problem really was.

The only problem I really had at this point was I was I was nowhere ready to lead, let alone in any shape to fight, but that would change.

The caves were amazing! The walls were a beautiful burnt orange with hints of read just like I remembered them. There were plenty of spaces for people to use--natural cubbies so to speak and some that had been opened up by whoever owned and maintained the mines before the world went nuts.

There were more lights in the main areas, one every few feet.

They had several large open rooms that were used for community reasons; one area was used as a kitchen and dining area due to the natural chimneys.

They even had bathrooms, actual honest to God bathrooms that worked and had free standing showers with hot water. I would have to make sure I asked how they did that.

“The caves are around two miles long and a mile wide, most of the people here choose to take a cubby near to the kitchen and common areas, but if you want to you could always move further in to the caves. The stalagmites are so beautiful down in the west caves, this one here
,” Bethany said pointing to a tunnel leading east.

“This one has a beautiful river…” Beth said pointing inside of a massive cave with multiple rooms that were connected together.

“Inside it has natural pools and even a waterfall.” She smiled.

“Can I go check it out?” I asked Bethany.

She smiled “I knew you would want to…elementals like to be around or close to their element and with you being a full elemental I though you would be comfortable down here.”

Beth turned to my mom as I walked into the cave. “Rowan if prefer to stay closer to everyone else we have plenty of empty areas closer to the kitchen and common rooms.”

I smiled turning around, I hadn’t went in so far to find the waterfall yet, but I would. I smiled to myself thinking of having my own area, my own room with a waterfall and natural pool.

Once you choose your quarters I’ll get Jasper and some of the younger able bodied men to bring you both mattresses and screens for privacy or sheets that can be strung if you choose to stay by the waterfall Reighlyn and a few other things that I never appreciated before
,” Bethany laughed, winking at me.

I smiled. “Mom
it’s okay if you don’t want to stay up here… I’ll be okay,” my mom smiled at me.

I knew she was having a difficult time she looked worn out, and my heart hurt for her. I wished we could go back to our normal lives, the ones we had before all of this. Maybe someday we could get back to some type of normality, but it would probably be a while.

“Hungry?” Lilly asked as we made our way back into the kitchen/common room. “Everyone helps out where they are more suited,” Lilly explained.

“We all try to do our part
,” She continued as we turned a corner.

“I would love to work in the kitchen cooking. I love to cook and bake..
,” My Mom said her lips pulled tight as she attempted to smile. “Especially when I’m stressed...” The ladies all laughed at that.

We walked into the kitchen area to see Ben and Blaine sitting at one of the mismatched tables eating chili with cornbread muffins and sweet tea. My stomach gargled loudly; I placed my hands over my stomach trying to muffle the sound smiling at my Mom, Lilly, and Bethany.

Blaine laughed and some other girls who looked like they were around my age laughed too. I bowed my head letting my Fire red hair cover my face in embarrassment.

“Grab some grub and pop a squat ladies us men would love some company
,” Ben said throwing a wink toward Bethany, who blushed in return.

There were some people checking us out, but for the most part they minded their own business eating there food and continued their conversations after we passed.

Bethany and Lilly guided us to the serving line following behind us as we all received our serving of chili and cornbread with our drinks. We moved to the table where Ben and Blaine sat. I took a seat next to Blaine with my Mom on my right Bethany and Lilly sat across from us.

I took a drink of my cold tea. It tasted like heaven. I sighed and smiled.

“Is it good kid?” Ben asked seeing the smile on my face as I savored my sweet tea.

“Divine
,” I said. It felt good to feel comfortable somewhere after the long week we’d had, and weirdly it felt like I belonged here. I hadn’t noticed before, maybe because I was in overprotective paranoid mode, I shook my head at myself.

“So Blaine how was your talk with Ben?” I asked trying to make light of my blowing up.

“Informative,” He said. “I found out a lot of useful information,” I raised my eyebrow in question. He grabbed my left arm and turned it forearm facing up.

“This
,” he said pointing to my birthmark; my six stars surrounded by the one which sat center.

He pulled up his left sleeve to show me his birthmark. I’d had never noticed it before, but then again I didn’t see him but maybe a handful of times without his shirt and that was when he was working out.

This still seemed crazy even after hearing Ben and Bethany’s prophecy I hadn’t put two and two together. He had same birth mark… well basically the same. The star filled in on his arm was two spots to the left. What did that even mean?

“Ben are you sure that this is real? That I’m the one?” I asked in a whispered voice.

Ben looked at me for a minute. His eyes were filled with sadness… and pity? “Is he kissed by fire and born on the full moon in June?” Ben asked pointedly and serious.

“Depends on what you mean when you say kissed by fire” Blaine said, instantly making my jaw go slack, my eyes widened and I probably looked like a fish.

I groaned, and everyone laughed. Yay…not. “Reighlyn dear, I don’t think you’ll be able to convince anyone that you are not the one,” Lilly giggled.

I had to be as red as my hair, I felt flushed and hot. I put my head down and began eating again. My mom pulled me to her, squeezing me tight planting a kiss on the top of my head.

“Don’t worry Reigh, I knew you were special when I had you, beyond the gifts you’ve received from your father’s side I knew you would be someone important one day. Today is the first of many. You’re amazing and you’re strong. I know you can do this.” I smiled at my wonderful mother, who had always been there for me, loved me, and protected me.

I would do the same for her if was the last thing I ever did…and it might just be.

CHAPTER 13

Jasper and Ben helped me bring a mattress and my bags back to the waterfall room.

I had taken a few things back already after dinner. She had helped me string up some curtains across an area near the pool. Set back into the rock near the pool  was a large cubby area that made you really wonder if this place was a natural element or carved by God Himself because He knew what it would be needed for, right?

I moved the curtain aside and held it open for Jasper and Ben. Ben was in great shape for his age but Jasper was in better.

He was 6 ft. even, with short yet shaggy curly brown hair, he was muscular, and he had the biggest biceps I had ever seen!

He was country completely, from his flannel printed button up shirt to his tight jeans and cowboy boots, he even proudly displayed a belt buckle that named him a bull rider, and maybe he won the belt buckle.

He had a crooked smile that could heat you up and shut you down at any time.

I wasn’t the “swooning” kind of girl but he made you want to. I giggled to myself drawing the attention and questioning looks of both Ben and Jasper. I coughed trying to cover my giggles turning away from the men. Jasper knew though, he’d been getting looks and giggles since he hit puberty probably.

“Thank you for helping. I could have managed though,” I said smiling.

“How would’ve you gotten this down here by yourself? Jasper asked giving me his crooked grin; I could feel my knees weaken.

I smiled back brilliantly not letting him know he’d knocked me off balance. “I would have floated that sucker all the way here,” I said, Ben cracked up laughing.

“I bet you would have.” Ben pa
tted me on my shoulder and said his goodnights as he turned to leave with Jasper.

I stood and stared appreciating the view of Jasper as he went.
Damn, it was just as good as his coming.
I could feel my entire body blush. He looked back at me smiling his crooked grin once more. He knew what he did to women; more specifically he knew what he did to me.

CHAPTER
14

I
lie on the bed I had been given, thinking of everything that had happened in the last week.

I’d never been boy crazy. Maybe it had something to do with this prophecy thing. Bethany said we were all linked in a way that we didn’t understand. I sighed, tomorrow I began training. I hoped I would actually learn what these people wanted and needed from me. I still had no idea what exactly that was
. They expected me to be a leader, not just of the Seven, but of their rebellion.

What was I going to do?
I rolled off my bed and moved to the side of the pool staring at the waterfall.

It wasn’t far away I could hear the water crashing in to itself and echoing though out the cavern. Most people would have thought the waterfall sounded loud. This is most likely why no one had coveted this area for living, preferring to visit it for its beauty.

Not me, I loved the sound of the water crashing and the echo I threw, the sounds of the river, the different gurgles and gulps and it was mine now.

I sat down putting my feet into the water to my knees, letting my hand drift down tracing lines into the water. I closed my eyes feeling everything around me. Feeling the air brush my skin as a lover would. Feeling the water break around my legs, feeling the stone earth beneath me supporting me, I wish I had a fire so I could connect to all the elements.

I thought about lighting one in the chimney that somehow was cut into the wall in the cubby I had claimed as my own.

Whether it was natural or man-made I had no clue, even though I thought the latter made more sense. I sighed coming back to the surface of reality I was levitating myself over the middle of the pool. I hadn’t realized I’d done that. I released my energy, dropping myself into the pool.

The water felt great I figured I probably needed a wash anyway; Bethany told me that this part of the river wasn’t a part of the water lines and pumps they used so if I swam or washed here it would be okay, and sanitary.

I came to the surface laughing at myself, moved to the edge and removed my clothes. I decided to swim for a while before getting out getting the soaps and shampoos I had packed from my bathroom back home.

I moved back within myself removing all thought of everything except communicating with the water, feeling my movements turn gracefully, as the weightlessness of the water lifted me, supporting me within it, as if the water was an extension of my body.

I dove under the water listening to the way it communicated with me, and came back up top to see Jasper standing by the curtains and watching me in the pool.

I noticed the look on his face and realized that he had been there for a while and here I was swimming naked.

I tried to cover myself which, let’s face it was futile. “Well, you could at least offer a girl a towel, even though at this point I guess it doesn’t even matter considering by the look on your face you’ve been here for god knows how long
,” I chastised him.

Jasper turned searching for a towel, and returning with one
of my big beach towels. I smiled at him as he flung it over his shoulder and turned his back to me, giving me the privacy he had obviously already robbed me of.

I pulled myself up from the pool wishing I could have had just a little bit longer I hadn’t had a chance to wash. I walked behind him taking the towel from his shoulder slowly; two could play at this game.

Once I had it secure I walked past him to take a seat in one of the two chairs given to me.

They were the kind you could take with you anywhere, the folding camping kind. I took the Pink camo one while he sat the green camo.

“So…” I said sitting there crossing my legs making sure everything was covered completely, as he watched and he smiled.

“What?” I asked him, raising my eyebrow.

He looked like an angel with his hazel eyes and brown curly hair. How had I gotten so lucky, I laughed to myself catching a look from Jasper matching the one I had given him after I had discovered him watching me swimming.

“I wanted to talk to you
,” he stated simply as if he wasn’t just watching me swim naked.

“About?” I asked my curiosity was beyond peeked now. He had sought me out and stayed even after he found me naked in a pool of water. Either he really wanted to talk or he really liked what he seen and couldn’t move.

I’d never stunned anyone stupid before, but apparently that’s exactly what I had just done.

I reached to my right where I had set towels on a natural shelf of the cave wall, grabbing a smaller one and began to dry my hair; I grabbed a small bottle of conditioner and rubbed it through my hair waiting for him to speak.

“I really would love to get dressed soon so either step out or say what you came to say,” I told him.

“I apologize first, for catching you off guard, then staying to watch. I was mesmerized by you in the water
,” he said with such honesty I paused my task to look at him.

“Are you sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was and technically and still remain naked?” I asked, a smile teasing my lips.

“No,” he said.

“So you came to talk to me?” I asked again catching his gaze sliding over my form under the towel.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m one of your Seven,” he said as his eyes roamed back up my body to search my face.

“My Seven?” I asked, I mean I heard Ben say it and even Blaine but to have a strange hot man come find you to tell you he belonged to your super awesome world saving group, somehow made it seem a little more real.

“Yeah,” He chuckled.

“Here
, I’ll show you.” Jasper moved closer coming to his knees to the left of my chair. Jasper un-tucked his flannel and his white undershirt and yanked it off over his head to expose bulging muscles everywhere and rolling rippling abs, oh my.

He positioned so I could see his right side clearly, which bore the mark of the seven showing his star at the top right filled in.

“I’m your right hand man,” he said. 

But what I heard is ‘your man’ I reached out to graze my fingers over his mark. I could feel him tremble at my touch and I liked it.

“What does that mean?” I asked him, my voice slightly husky after having touched a shirtless god of a man while sitting naked under a towel…alone…where things could happen. He shocked me out of my fantasy when he started to move away to put his shirt back on.

“Well
… Story is like this,” he said as he took hold of my left arm.

“This is you
,” he said touching center star on the mark of the Seven. “This is me directly to your right, and two spots to your left is Blaine, directly to your left will be Garrett and…”

“Garrett
,” I said jumping to my feet so fast I startled him and lost my towel.

Jasper reached out grabbing me by my upper arms turning me to face him. “What’s wrong?” He asked me, he gazed deeply into my eyes, and then slowly his gaze trailed down to appreciate my full nakedness, which wasn’t distorted by water this time.

I squeaked trying to cover myself as best I could. “Can you at least stop staring and turn around?” I yelled at Jasper.

“I apologize
,” he laughed as he turned to give me the privacy I so desperately needed.

No man had ever seen me naked before, not even Blaine. I grabbed some clothes and began to jerk them on as fast as I could. “So how do you know so much about this prophecy thing?” I asked him.

“Well I was taught about it when my gifts began to show themselves, which was around 16. My parents taught me about it all,” he said matter of factly.

  “Oh
,” I said and couldn’t help but note the sad tone in my voice. If my Dad been around then I would have grown up knowing this also.

“So Garrett is part of the Seven then, do you know who else? I asked, wondering if they all had been raised knowing full well what they were and who they were meant to be, training for this event in their lives that would decide the fate and the outcome of the free world.

“The only other ones we know of are Garrett and Luke.

I went to sit back in my chair tapping him on his shoulder as I went by offering for him to sit again. I looked at my arm so that left three unaccounted for. “Do they have any idea who the others are?” I asked.

“Well my mom is working with some others who have the gift of precognition, seeing possible futures and such. She’s trying to help them learn how to focus on one specific thing instead of just seeing. It’s a difficult thing to do my mom says.” Jasper shrugged his shoulders.

“Who’s your mom?” I asked, wondering who bore this perfect eye candy.

“Lilly,” he said smiling.

Shock ran through me. “I didn’t expect that honestly, you two look nothing alike
,” I giggled.

“So what’s the real reason you came here? I don’t buy the ‘I wanted to tell you I’m one of your Seven’ thing. I’m not even sure if that’s a good thing. I don’t know how to fight and I am just learning my gifts. The biggest thing I’ve done is shove Garrett’s sister down when they tried attacking us in Texarkana
,” I said,

He leaned forward looking at me intently. “You did what?”
he asked almost yelling.

I sat back looking at him wondering why I let that slip about Garrett. “Please, don’t say anything, your mom, Ben and Bethany asked me not to say anything. I don’t know what they were doing there but they were there
,” I told him.

“Tell me what happened
,” Jasper said as he moved his chair right in front of me he was so close his knees brushed against mine. I recounted the story even telling him about the kiss and the weird feeling I had about Garrett, I told him how I didn’t know if it meant anything or not but I couldn’t explain it.

After I’d finished my story he leaned forward taking my hands. “You’re right I didn’t come here just to tell you I’m a part of the super hero squad
,” he chuckled.

“I came here to tell you that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. When I first saw you walking out of the woods with wind wiping around you from nowhere, and everywhere, the clouds darkening above you, I felt your power. I was amazed and scared for the first time in my life.” He laughed again.

“I think I’d like to spend more time with you. I know the story about Blaine but that boy…well he’s a boy. He told me and Ben about it when we interviewed him earlier. Just think about it, ok? I’m going to help you train along with Ben and some others. We have to split it up with you being an Ecological Empath and a Telekinetic,” he smiled, and I found myself smiling with him. He wanted to spend time with me. Wow.

“I’m sorry; it has been a long day. You’re asking me to spend time with me? And I’m a what?” I said leaning forward; He caught me off balance with that one.

“You’re an Ecological Empath, meaning you are sensitive to your immediate environment and natural settings through a psychic connection”

I just stared at him. I had never heard that before, but then again I didn’t grow up knowing all of this stuff like he did.

“Ummm…Okay. Well I don’t see the harm in you helping me train; I appreciate all of the compliments too. How old are you anyway?” I asked.

“Turned twenty-five on June eighth
,” he said.

“You do realize I’m
eighteen…like I just turned eighteen on the 21
st
of June.” I said, and he just smiled.

“Yeah I know but the heart wants what the heart wants
,” he said placing a hand over his heart.

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. He stood, offering me a hand to stand as well. I took his hand and he pulled me up with ease, bringing me up to his chest. He was so tall, I had to look up to see his face and when I did he kissed me.

It wasn’t like with Garrett or Blaine which until now had been the only people to kiss me, I hadn’t felt anything with Blaine, Garrett made me feel as if I was burning so hot I would melt where I stood, but Jasper was a slow burn that promised to consume everything in its path in a very slow deliberate way.

He released me and smiled. “I can’t wait till tomorrow
,” he said turning to walk away while I stood there stunned.

When did I become so kissable I wondered, I’d been kissed by two strangers in the matter of three days or was it four now I wondered. I was exhausted.

I looked to my new bed walking over to flop on it turning off the solar lights after I was lying down.

I pulled the blankets over me staring into the blackness waiting for sleep to take me, but Garrett and Jasper consumed my every thought until I finally drifted off to sleep sometime later.