Calico (The Covenant of Shadows Book 2)

by Kade Cook

  She halts her search and turns to Theo, who stands relatively calm on the other side of the pane of glass, grooming and readjusting his feathers back into their rightful place from his bizarre episode. Halting his cleanup for just a moment, he glances intently upon Gabrian as she stares at him and shakes her head. He gives her a subtle nod and voices a low rumbled coo of comfort—letting her know that all is good again.

  9

  INVISIBLE CAULDRON

  GABRIAN JUMPS AT THE sound of knocking on her office door. After the strange morning she has had, she is a little on edge. She flares out her senses in reflex but retrieves them quickly once recognizing the familiarity of the aura on the other side.

  Come in, her silent words reach his mind. She watches as the latch inches sideways and the door slowly opens.

  Ethan’s ever comforting eyes meet hers and the smile he wears quickly fades. “Wow, what was the number of the bus that hit you?”

  “Ha, now that is funny.” Gabrian reaches up and gently pulls back the loosened strand of hair that escaped her messy bun and hangs freely, shrouding her blue eyes. “Do I really look that bad?”

  “Uh, no...” Ethan lies, giving a nervous cough as he continues. “I am just messing with you.” Ethan marches over to the chair in front of her desk and slides down into its clutches, leaning back into its leathery arms before folding his fingers neatly together on his lap. “Maybe I was exaggerating just a bit when I said a bus. A small car, now that is a definite possibility.”

  Gabrian’s mouth turns upward at the edges and she shakes her head, freeing her captive strand of hair again. Ethan notices that she is not quite her usual self. Normally she is quick to retort with a sharp-tongued comment to challenge his witty banter but today she lets him win.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I am fine—not sleeping well these days,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear again.

  “Anything you want to talk about?”

  Gabrian wants to say yes, but she doesn’t need him to feel like he has to take care of her anymore. They are partners now, and she does not want to weigh him down with the issues she is having with her new idiosyncrasies, things will work themselves out. Besides he has more than enough on his plate with all his clients to keep him busy for centuries.

  “No, I am good. But I was wondering if there was anything on the schedule for this afternoon that I wasn’t aware of.”

  Ethan leans forward into a more professional manner and runs through the clientele issues and the mental to-do list in his head. “No, not that I can think of. There are a couple of new clients we are taking on next week we need to discuss but other than that, the day is pretty straightforward.”

  “Did you need to discuss that today?”

  Sensing that Gabrian has things weighing on her mind, especially after this morning’s meeting, Ethan shakes his head in response. “No, that is fine. It doesn’t have to be today. We can familiarize ourselves with them in the next day or so then decide what the best fit is for each client.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Gabrian. If you have something that you need to take care of, it can wait.”

  “I was just thinking I might go visit Kaleb this afternoon to see if he had anything else in his herbal concoctions that might help me sleep. The herbs that he gave me aren’t working anymore.”

  She did not have to explain anything to Ethan. The evidence is all there, boldly displaying on her tender face in the dark circles she wears under her eyes and the lack of vigor in her responses.

  “I am sure he can find you something that can help,” Ethan says, rising from the chair. “He has seen it all in his day, and there isn’t much he doesn’t know how to fix with medicine.”

  Gabrian laughs as Ethan pretends to stir an invisible cauldron in front of him. “You are wicked. Maybe I should ask him if he has a cure for bad jokes.”

  Ethan stops stirring and waves his hand at her playfully, dismissing her welcomed jab. He pivots to take his leave then halts just at the door, peeking back at her over his shoulder. “When you see Kaleb, try to remember the reason you are there. Don’t be afraid to let him help you with what is really bothering you. Out of all the people within this Realm, there are very few I trust. He is one of them.”

  Ethan’s words catch Gabrian’s attention. She smiles at her friend and nods, knowing they have centuries of truth and trial behind them.

  10

  WE ALL HAVE SECRETS

  WITH WILLOWS HANGING down on each side of the road, their limbs swaying in the breeze and dancing to the songs of the wind, driving up the gravel and grass woven driveway to Kaleb’s farm seems more like a path into a hidden realm more than it does a world renown nursery for plants and shrubs.

  Idling along, Gabrian edges her way toward the top of the knoll as Kaleb’s world begins to arise up out of the greenery but barely. To the right, she sees his home made of stone and wood, much like her own, with ivy climbing up the side with conviction into the crevices of each stone.

  On the left—standing camouflaged by rows of herbs like rosemary, sage, and lilac bushes—the entrance to a fortress of glass is visible, made specifically to house with a gentle touch, the magnificence of nature’s gifts.

  Gabrian slips out of her car and breathes in the floral bouquet of wild flowers drifting on the wind. The scattered blossoms tickle her nose as they release their intoxicating allure, and she inhales deeply. From within the aromas wafting in the air, she catches the taste of herbs on her tongue, the ones she came to acquire growing inside the glass edifice. She also tastes the energy of the Elder she came to see. Her eyes roll back in her head for a second as fragments of his pure energy surge through her body. Realizing what she is doing, she consciously rips herself from the unauthorized exchange and shakes her head to break the connection to Kaleb’s life source.

  Gabrian scans the yard but does not see any signs of him though she knows he is near. Venturing forward, toward the earthen structure, she descends the shale steps into its mystical entrance.

  She has only been here once before with Orroryn in the past, and it was in the dark, so to Gabrian, the sights are completely new to her—revived by the light of day. Gabrian is in awe by the abundance of such an exotic collection of life growing in clay pots and troughs. The smells remind her of Shane’s little oasis on the island. Although it may pale in comparison by quantity of Kaleb’s collection, she still understands the power it has over Shane’s soul, even in its smaller measure.

  Her eyes are immediately drawn to a bright red and orange flower set in the back, aside from all the other plants. Its unusual brightness amongst the greenery gives it all the attention in the room. Stepping forward as if pulled by a magnet, Gabrian gets closer to investigate the magnificent oddity. Edging past the other plants so as to not disturb the tranquility, she squeezes her way through what looks like a makeshift barricade that both surrounds and separates her from the flower. Breeching its solitary abode, she reaches out and runs her finger along the edge of one of the drooping petals. The texture is soft and velvety to the touch and causes the tip of her finger to sharply sting and spark.

  She pulls her hand away, examining the skin for a cut as the sensation turns into more of a warm tingle to bleed down through her digit and extend into the palm of her hand before entering her wrist. It’s the kind of warmth felt when bitterly cold hands are then exposed to the loving heat of a crackling fire within a stone hearth. She smiles at the strange feeling, enjoying the oddity of it, but suddenly nearly jumps out of her skin at a loud frantic voice shrieking her name.

  “Gabrian, wait! Be careful! Don’t touch that.”

  She clutches her hand tightly to her chest and jerks herself sideways to watch the screaming figure emerge from within the foliage, rushing toward her from across the large earthen house camouflaged within his own green hue.

  Gabrian turns to the red alluring bloom at her side and realizes he must be talking about it. “Oh, the
flower, sorry. It is so beautiful. I just wanted to touch it.” Gabrian makes a little distance between her and the bright red vixen. “Don’t worry, I didn’t break anything. I was careful not to disturb any of your plants.”

  “I don’t care about the plants.”

  Kaleb stares at her strangely and his eye drops to her hand as he reaches her side. He grabs her hand and extends it outward to get a better view. Gabrian doesn’t resist his demanding action. She watches him with close eyes as he inspects her fingers thoroughly but with a gentle firmness, flipping it over, back and forth, as if searching for something.

  “Are you feeling all right? Are you in pain?” Kaleb’s voice pleads to her, lifting his eyes to measure her honesty.

  Kaleb’s precarious behaviour makes Gabrian stare at him blankly. “Kaleb, I am fine.” She gently pulls back her hand, retrieving control of her extremity, and edges the corners of her lips upward to lighten the moment. “What are you doing?”

  “You are sure that you are okay?” he asks again, letting the muscles in his face relax so that his lips curve from the pressed straight line.

  Gabrian guesses his worry cloud must be lifting as the greenish aura illuminating around him settles and changes from a dark forest colour into a lighter shade of lime.

  “Kaleb, relax. I am fine.” Gabrian flexes and waves her fingers sporadically in the air in front of her face. “...See?”

  Kaleb checks the validity in Gabrian’s gaze once more then shifts to the side and nears the plant, inspecting it, and scratches the back of his neck simultaneously. “Huh, interesting,” he says, turning to march toward the barricade of pallets. He leaps effortlessly over them in a hazed state, seemingly forgetting that Gabrian is there.

  She follows behind, leaping the barricade with the same ease as her comrade but with less concern for the plants and more about what is going on in Kaleb’s head. “What’s interesting?” she retorts, following him through the multitudes of large plants as he heads straight ahead on a mission of sorts.

  “Hmmm? What?” Kaleb’s mind whirls a million miles an hour and he barely acknowledges her words.

  “What is so interesting? You said it a second ago before wandering off.” Gabrian catches up to her friend and lightly tugs on the worn cotton sleeve of his white dress shirt flowing freely on the air currents as he strides across the earthen floor. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”

  Kaleb halts without warning, causing Gabrian to nearly stumble into him. His arms rush out to catch her before she does and his hazel eyes focus on her blue. “Truthfully?”

  “Truthfully.”

  “Well, truthfully you should be screaming and writhing around in complete and utter pain.”

  Gabrian’s jaw drops and her eyes widen at his revelation. Kaleb begins moving forward again, leaving her in her stupefied state.

  “Ah, what?” Remaining still for a moment, scrunching her face, Gabrian calls out to him, “Why?” she questions, blinking her eyes as if to recalibrate her brain and rushes forward to catch up with him.

  “From touching the blossom of that flower.” Kaleb puckers his lips to the side, lost in thought as he continues his trek through the green maze of plants, his eyes searching for something within.

  “Seriously?” Gabrian’s hands graze through her twisted locks, trying to keep up.

  “Yes, seriously,” he admits to her over his shoulder, face still twisted. “The oils should have seared your flesh.”

  “Really?” Gabrian halts her chase, nearly tripping over the image of it now playing in her mind. “Then why didn’t it burn me?”

  “I’m not sure,” the Eorden Elder hums, pausing briefly to look through a collection of herbs, scratching his head.

  She holds up her hand and glances at it, rubbing her fingers together. “It did tingle a bit on my fingertips at first but it became quite enjoyable after that.”

  Kaleb’s pace falters briefly with Gabrian’s confession but he continues forward. “For whatever reason, the oils in the petal and leaves have an extreme effect on people—a certain Boragen people.” Kaleb glances down at her oddly and rubs the bridge of his bronze-coloured nose before slowing his pace and halting in front of a large, cedar, desk-like table secured to the back of his edifice topped with a cabinet housed with what seems like a thousand drawers. He reaches under the table and pulls out a high wooden stool then takes a seat, resting the weight of his body upon it. He pinches the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes. “Peculiar.”

  Sighing loudly, Kaleb reaches across the desk and tugs at one of the drawers. He takes out a packet of herbs and measures three generous pinches, dropping them into a bag made of folded parchment. Sealing its edges with a mastered technique he turns to look up at Gabrian, extending his gift out to her.

  “I am assuming that you are here to get more sleeping tinctures by the looks of those violet circles you are sporting under your eyes.”

  Gabrian raises her hand and touches the tender skin just beneath her eyelid reflexively. She swivels slightly to the left and her eyes search for the bright red flower for a moment before she returns her gaze to her friend, dropping her hand.

  “Actually, I was wondering if you had anything that might be a little bit stronger.”

  “Stronger?”

  “Yes, knock me out cold stronger.”

  “Are you not sleeping at all?” Folding his arms across his chest, he squints as if trying to read her then spins back around to his magical medicine desk and begins riffling through the drawers in search for something else.

  “I am sleeping, I think.” Gabrian slides over and rests her backside against the edge of Kaleb’s work area before running her hands through her hair, scrunching it at the top. “I just need something to stop me from dreaming.”

  Kaleb freezes his movements and his eyes peek to where she leans. Moving his attention forward again, he continues his search. “That would be an unhealthy choice. You of all people know you need to dream in order to keep your mind and spirit in sync.”

  Gabrian becomes silent and bites at the edge of her bottom lip, not sure what to say. “I know.”

  She is strangled with an overwhelming feeling, one that rips through her and urges her to tell Kaleb about all of the anxiety she’s had and how she struggles to identify what is real and what is not, especially after the strange morning with Theo. She hears Ethan’s words whisper in her ears—about trusting Kaleb—and it begins to gnaw at her soul to share everything with him.

  He watches her for a moment as she fights an internal conflict, noticing the slight tremble in her lips as she remains unusually quiet. Not wanting to press her, Kaleb gets up and moves to a section of the greenhouse filled with plants covered with flowers of blue and yellow then begins gently exfoliating the blossoms from their mother’s body and placing them into a bag.

  Gabrian exhales loudly, partially disgruntled with herself for passing up the opportunity to share but mostly in relief of his obvious choice to drop the discussion and let her off the hook. She sits quietly and watches as he works away, doing what he does best. His beautiful jade-coloured aura flickers and swirls about him in a careless caress then something changes—a shift—another colour dimly hovers through the green hue. It shifts between gold and bronze. She has never heard of it being mentioned or seen a colour like this before today and finds herself intrigued with this new find.

  Kaleb turns his head and peeks over his shoulder, catching Gabrian observing him, and the edges of his tanned cheeks fold and wrinkle with his boyish grin. “Maybe the trick is not to erase your ability to dream but to slow them down to allow your mind to deal in a logical, more lucid way. It might help with the fear.”

  Gabrian readjusts her focus from his majestic-coloured aura to his eyes and gasps. “You can do that?”

  “With a little help, yes.” His head bounces, making his messy dark hair fall playfully in his eyes, and pivots to mirror her image before shaking the satchel in his hand, now full of
blossoms. He crosses the distance between them and extends his hand out—offering his gift to her. “You will have to let me know how it turns out.”

  Gabrian lifts her hand. It trembles as she graciously accepts his magical gift, eager for sleep. Once more she longs to let everything out about her dreams and her resurfacing cravings, but she remains silent except to extend her gratitude. “I will. Thank you, Kaleb. This means more than you know.” Clutching the satchel tight, she turns to go.

  “We all have secrets, Gabrian,” he says, settling himself back down upon his stool with his back to her.

  His words stop Gabrian in her tracks, and she glances back at him over her shoulder like a child.

  “The trick is to find someone who is worthy enough to entrust knowing them.” His tanned face turns just slightly, enabling her to see the gold flecks sparkle in his eyes, and she knows the sincerity in his words.

  She nods quickly and heads toward the exit, eyeing the fiery blossom on her way through the living edifice.

  All the way home, Kaleb’s words linger through her thoughts. Maybe he is right—maybe all she needs is to trust someone and let them in on her crazy so that she can hear all of it out loud and find the truth hidden between the lies.

  11

  THE WHITE SHED

  LEAVING GABRIAN’S SIDE always leaves a hollow ache inside Shane’s chest but he knows if he were to overstep his boundaries, and truly become her shadow, it would be bad. So, instead of lurking inside the shadows of her office while she attends to her life, he decides it is time to return home.

  After taking care of his badly neglected chores, he marches down the dirt path he calls a driveway and stops at the white shed snuggled in the thickets halfway between the greenhouse and his cabin. Instead of pressing the latch on the entrance and entering straight away, he knocks ever so lightly upon the paint-chipped door.

  Nothing happens, so he leans his head in closer to listen but still the door is still unmoved. Raising his hand to knock once more, he hears movement inside—one firm step mingled with a slow scuffing noise, continuously repeated until it is just on the other side of the door.