my twin flame soulmate. I wouldn’t risk his life.
‘I can’t let you do that.’ Father spoke slowly.
The others nodded their agreement.
‘It’s not your choice. I’m a grown woman. I choose to save Matt by giving myself up. And there’s nothing you can do about it.’
Chapter Three
‘How do you expect to get hold of Nick?’
Mother crossed her arms over her chest. The whole congregation had bombarded me as soon as I walked into our home. It looked as if a homecoming party of at least eighteen people had gathered. I knew better.
‘You,’ I replied, dumping my bag on the floor by the stairs.
They wouldn’t allow me to go up to my room any time soon. The intervention was well underway.
Mother snorted, turning to my father. He stood next to his wife, Bev. The others either hovered or sat on any available space. The atmosphere was oppressive. And it was all aimed at me. Why couldn’t they accept the fact that I was going to save Matt?
‘You want your mother to speak to the man that terrorised her?’
Bev smiled gently before stepping away from our father and going over to the kitchen area. Probably to make tea. She often made tea.
‘I want my mother to help me, yes.’
I ignored my brothers and sisters. Each one of them had expressed their displeasure at my plan. Pisces in particular. Just because she had been kidnapped by Nick, didn’t mean that she knew what he would do to me. He couldn’t kill me so what would be as bad?
‘So, you’ve thought this through? You’re not even willing to call Nick’s bluff?’ Mother moved over to me, her steps slow so I didn’t retreat.
‘Would you risk it if it was Father?’ I looked her in the eye.
She sighed as she put a hand on my shoulder. Her head shook back and forth. ‘No,’ she whispered.
I swallowed as she pulled me to her. The arms that wrapped around me were unfamiliar. It had been a long time since Mother had allowed herself to get close to her wards. Ever since she had freed herself from Nick, she had started to soften; to remember why she was on Earth in the first place.
‘I’m worried for you. We all are,’ she said, pulling away from me. ‘You are my child, Cancer. I know I’m not your real mother…but I still love you as if I were. We’ve been here many times. I wish you could remember.’
Father laid his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. ‘They’re not supposed to remember.’
Was he worried that Mother would tell us everything? If she tried to explain our mission in more detail or told us about our past lives, would it jeopardise this lifetime?
‘I know, I know, I’ve got to let them figure it out themselves,’ she said, dramatically turning away from us and facing the others.
My siblings regarded us in silence. It made a change. Even their soulmates watched us closely.
‘It’s settled then,’ Father announced to the room. ‘Cancer is going to give herself up in exchange for Matt’s freedom. Your mother will help us to communicate with Nick.’
Aries growled as he glared at me. ‘You know we can’t come and rescue you, don’t you?’
The others hummed their agreement. If I wanted to make a bargain with Nick, it was my choice alone. There would be no attempt to rescue me. A bargain was a bargain.
My heartbeat tripled at the thought of never seeing my family again. Tears came to my eyes. What would happen to me? How would I live?
‘Please don’t do this.’ Pisces came forward, Antony in tow.
Their easy companionship made me swallow harder. If I was with Nick, I would never share that with my twin flame. With Matt.
Blinking, I quickly wiped away the teardrop that ran down my cheek. How would I live the rest of my life? I would be trapped, never in love. Never free to live a normal life.
‘I don’t know what else I can do,’ I whined, falling into Pisces’ arms as they came around me.
The others chatted amongst themselves as I sobbed into my sister’s shoulder. She was taller than me,