Free Seduced by Pain by Kimberly Kinrade Page B

life.
    Warmth rushed
into me each time I remembered that this was real, not just a dream I'd wake
from. My heart had healed, as if it had never been broken.
    Derek reached
for my hand, his finger sliding over the diamond. "Do you like it? If you
don't, we can get you a new one. I want it to be perfect, just like you."
    "I love
it! Don't you dare take it back. And I love you. I can't believe this is
happening."
    With soft
lips, he kissed my ring finger, sealing our fate. "I love you too, Rose.
And I promise, we'll figure out the rest of it."
    We drove down
a long, winding driveway with tall snow-topped trees reaching over the path to
meet each other in the center, giving it the feeling of entering a magical
world.
    "What if
they can't help me, and I can never free your brother and we can never be
together physically?" I'd voiced my worst fears, that hope would linger
just out of reach forever, taunting me with what might be, if only I were
different.
    "That's
not going to happen, love. Have faith."
    The mansion
sat in the center of a field surrounded by woods. Its white columns and wide
porch reminded me of something from Gone With the Wind . I expected
Scarlett O'Hara to run out at any moment calling for Rhett, but instead, kids
of all ages came and went, laughing and chatting or reading in a corner on the
porch swing.
    One boy lit a
fire in the fire pit using only his hands while the girl with him turned the
flames into human shapes and made them dance.
    I watched in
awe, jaw dropped, as the kids from the news that everyone had thought was a
hoax used powers that were quite real as if they were nothing special.
    To the side of
the house, a weeping willow caught my attention, its branches swaying in the
wind. I felt, more than heard, a song come from the tree, light and sweet, like
a peach on a summer day.
    "Derek,
do you hear that?"
    "Hear
what?" He pulled in front of the house and parked.
    "That
tree. I think it's singing."
    He looked
outside to where I pointed. "Wow, yeah, I hear something. It reminds me of
the roses, which I'll show you when we go home. But this is different.
Definitely magical. This whole place is probably filled with magic."
    Ocean pulled
in behind us and bounded out of the car with typical energy.
    Derek squeezed
my hand. "Ready?"
    I closed my
eyes and nodded. "As I'll ever be."
    An older man
with snow-white hair shuffled out the front door and waved at us.
    We got out of
the car and walked with Ocean up to him.
    Derek stuck
out his hand. "I'm Derek O'Conner, David's son. This is my fiancé, Rose,
and her best friend, Ocean."
    My heart leapt
at the word fiancé. It was the first time he'd had a chance to introduce me as
such, and I wanted to giggle like a school girl with her first crush. Instead,
I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt.
    The man shook
Derek's hand and studied us with wizened eyes. "I'm Father Patrick, a
friend of your father's from long ago. Welcome to our little school. It's good
to meet you. Come in, and I'll give you a tour and introduce you to everyone,
then we can chat."
    We walked us
through halls and rooms, all packed with kids.
    "How long
has this school been here?" I asked.
    "This school
was founded very recently for children with paranormal abilities. We wanted to
provide them a safe place where they can learn to control their powers, as well
as get a good education and develop critical life skills. These kids have been
through a lot. Most of them escaped an organization that rented them out to the
rich to exploit their gifts. The kids called it Rent-A-Kid. They had nowhere
else to go once freed. Since then, we've opened our doors to any paranormals,
like a prep school for exceptional children."
    I nodded. "I
saw the news coverage about their escape. Kids claiming they had powers and
were genetically experimented on? Wasn't it debunked as a hoax?"
    "It was,"
said Father Patrick. "The world just isn't ready to accept this kind of
power. One brave writer put their story into a book,