Free Intuition: The Premonition Series by Amy A. Bartol

waitress for getting too near to me?” he asks, teasing me lightly.
    “Reed,” I say breathlessly.
    “Why is it important to you that I promise you this?” he asks, suddenly very serious.
    I try to think of how I can explain it to him. “You remember when you said that we weren’t in a pond, but a vast ocean and that there were sharks that only a fish like me could attract?” I ask, remembering what he said to me that day at registration.
    “Yes,” Reed replies, becoming very still.
    “Well, I want you to have something to hold on to, in case the currents shift and drag me from you,” I reply, watching his face pale.
    “I promise,” Reed vows.
    “Thank you,” I smile at him.
    “Has your premonition become any clearer to you?” he asks in a low tone. His face is no longer playful, but dangerous and sharp, missing nothing in my body language or any other subtle signal that I’m giving off.
    “It’s just a nightmare,” I say adamantly, trying not to think about the darkness in my latest nightmare. “But, no, I just have a morbid sense of dread and…” I trail off.
    “And?” he prompts, his tone indicating he would like to interrogate me on this subject, but he’s trying not to push me.
    “And this feeling like I’m starving,” I say, sounding worried.
    “Promise me something,” Reed asks.
    “Anything,” I reply.
    “If the currents do conspire against us, know that I will find you… I will never stop looking for you,” he says.
    “I’m counting on it,” I reply honestly. “You’re all I want. Just you and me… forever.” I stare into his eyes and I see what I am hoping to see, the absence of doubt.
    “The waitress is coming back. Let’s go before you feel the need to adorn her with cutlery,” Reed says, smiling broadly and tossing money on the table.
    Once outside the restaurant, I notice that most of the lifts are shut down for the evening. The well-lit slopes are now shrouded in darkness. Only a couple of the gondolas are still working to take diners and restaurant employees back down the slopes. Impulsively, I turn to Reed and say, “Race you down the hill.” I don’t wait to see what he will do, but bolt through the hard-packed snow toward the cottage.
    When I reach the bottom of the hill, I glance over my shoulder to see if I can detect Reed behind me, but I see nothing. With a smug smile, I run toward the trees to where the path leads to the cottage. Just as I am about to pass the first stand of trees, someone steps out in front of me, blocking my way. I can’t stop, so I plow right into Reed who catches me gently around the waist, hugging me to his body and laughing.
    “Gotcha,” he smiles and I notice that his chest is bare and his charcoal wings are extended.
    “You cheated! You flew!” I accuse him as my arms creep around his neck.
    “I told you that I couldn’t catch you on foot, so I had to resort to other methods,” he says, and I can hardly think because nothing compares to seeing him like this. So, I don’t think, I just act. I touch my lips to his, kissing him gently. I don’t care that he’s strong and could hurt me; I’ll welcome the pain because it’ll be a different pain from the one that pushing him away now would produce. But, Reed won’t let this go on; he’s not willing to take the risk. “Evie,” he says as he pulls away from me.
    “I know I have to be good, but I really want to be bad,” I whisper in his ear, feeling him squeeze me harder to him.
    “We need a distraction,” he says as he bends down, retrieving his sweater and coat he has stashed behind the tree. Handing it to me he asks, “Ready?”
    “Uh…for what?” I ask. He just smiles at me and picks me up off of my feet. In seconds, we are shooting straight up to the top of the tree line, avoiding several of the branches by millimeters. A gasp of pure surprise escapes me upon seeing the night sky stretch out above me. Clinging to Reed’s chest, I watch as his wings beat