Read Online The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs - Free Book Online

silence.
    In a way, it was freeing to
have deception taken off the table. So often, people used little
white lies to avoid emotional vulnerability. Honesty was hard; it
left you feeling powerless. Not having the option to deceive took
away a defense, forcing me to a level of trust I never thought
possible. The fact I already had such faith in a man was
frightening, but one I barely knew flat out terrified me. Still, if
I never saw him again, I knew he had already given me more than any
man in my life. In a way, he had renewed my hope in humanity and I
would always be grateful.
    He knelt beside me, awe
glowing in his gemstone eyes. “See, that’s what I mean. You have no
idea how strong purity of thought is. It overpowers and humbles
me.” My heart rejoiced as he picked up my hand and held it between
his, turning it over and inspecting it as if it was a
fascinating artifact.
    “You have chosen not to
deceive me. I will always try and give you the same respect, I
promise.” As before in the Jeep, the emotional creature wrapped its
arms around me. The sincerity of it was sheer beauty. He broke his
hypnotic stare and started stocking the shelves again. Thankfully,
the creature stayed. It was almost as if Gavin was caressing me
with his emotions. Sudden visions of him taking my face in his
hands and combining this feeling with physical touch flooded
through. I tried to repress it, but it was too late.
    “Nora ... this is all so
new to me.” He kept his gaze forward.
    The wonderfully strong
blanket of emotions started to fade. There was something about him
that remained hidden. Either he was unable to explain, or for some
reason he wasn’t allowed.
    I remembered putting him in
the same category as the painted buntings. My selfish attraction
wouldn’t scare him away. I resigned to think of this fascination
later, when I was sure my thoughts were my own. I needed to lighten
the conversation, squashing the depressing thought that maybe he
found my physical appearance morose. Peeking at him from under my
lashes, I watched one eyebrow rise as that notion raced through my
mind.
    I cleared my thoughts and
really focused on listening; the orchestral music in the background
didn’t help. I needed better control … I would work on it. Gavin
helped me put the now empty boxes back in the small storeroom, and
we made our way to the counter.
    “What about you?” he asked,
obviously changing the subject. “Have you always been emotionally
clairvoyant?” He made it seem like what I was doing was an everyday
common occurrence. Taking a deep breath to collect my
thoughts, I tried to answer as honestly as I could.
    “I have a vague sense around others. For
example,” I pointed to the lady who was walking in front of the
large window, “she is worried about something … but I don’t know
what.” Absentmindedly, I picked up a shop cloth and started wiping
the counter.
    “Even as a small child I could watch people
and tell what emotional state they were in. Over the past month, it
seems to have gotten stronger. Edna and I used to play a game in
the grocery store. I would tell her who was feeling what. She
always thought it was a great way to keep me occupied, but I’m
beginning to think maybe it started some crazy turn of events.” His
brow rose with curiosity.
    “At any rate, I’ve never physically been able
to feel anyone else’s emotions until I met you. It’s a little
overpowering,” I mumbled, suddenly finding it hard to look at
him.
    “Wait.” He placed his hand over mine,
stopping its motion. Fear, comprehension, and the need to protect
warred with each other immediately. Adrenaline kicked in as the
force of his emotions saturated to the center of my bones.
    “You mean to tell me you are not just reading
my emotions, but you are actually feeling them?”
    I had been so sure that he already knew this,
that I was surprised at his response. His shock kept my mind empty,
and I braced myself for the unknown. Emotionally,