Blood Lines: Kallen's Tale (Witch Fairy #3.5)

by Bonnie Lamer

  “Good morning,” Grandmother says tersely. “I believe we worked out sleeping arrangements last evening.”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Xandra says, and then rushes to add, “Until I came out here. Then I fell right to sleep. Immediately.”

  I certainly cannot allow Xandra to be the only one to argue our case. “Grandmother,” I say, standing up and then offering my hand to Xandra, “nothing inappropriate happened.” I find myself getting angry that she is outraged over something so innocent.

  “I can assure you he’s telling the truth,” Xandra’s mother says. From the tone of her voice, she does not like what Grandmother is insinuating about her daughter. “Jim and I don’t sleep – which is why we know there has never been inappropriate behavior when the kids have slept together. We check on them regularly.” It is a very good thing then that they cannot read minds.

  It looks like Grandmother wants to say something, but after looking at both of Xandra’s parents and then back to us, she decides to bite her tongue. Unbelievable. Instead, she says, “Perhaps we should be on our way.”

  Xandra yawns and says, “Um, I haven’t packed anything, yet.” I have to bite my tongue now not to laugh. There are things about Xandra’s magic that Grandmother does not know. Such as her complete inability to perform simple magic like dressing herself.

  Grandmother looks confused now. “A few toiletries are all you should need. Anything else, such as clothes, can be created with your magic.”

  “Not my magic,” Xandra grumbles.

  “That is ridiculous. You could clothe the entire realm with your magic.”

  This is quickly turning into a circular conversation. I search my brain to find the most diplomatic way to say this. I do not want Xandra to be mad at me for saying the wrong thing. “Xandra is still working on her…finesse.” She is smiling so I must have succeeded.

  “Yeah, I’m still more likely to blow up the house than make a pair of jeans.”

  Grandmother’s brows crease. “Interesting.”

  “So, I should go pack.”

  Xandra starts to walk out of the room but Grandmother’s voice stops her. “No need. I will be happy to supply clothing until you are able to clothe yourself.”

  I wonder if Xandra could look less enthusiastic about that idea. Probably not. “Okay, I guess,” she says reluctantly. “Can I at least take a shower first?” Mmm, that is something I definitely want to help her with. If I am not careful, everyone in the room will know that.

  “Yes, of course,” Grandmother says briskly. “We will plan to head out in thirty minutes.”

  Xandra turns and leaves the room but Grandmother is not done with me. “Kallen, a word please.”

  This should be fun. I nod and Grandmother spins on her heels and walks out the front door. As she passes through the threshold, a fur hat and long gray wool coat appear to keep her warm. I suspect that means this will be a long conversation. With a sigh, I follow her out dressing myself accordingly.

  Grandmother walks until we are a good thirty feet from the house. Stopping abruptly, she collects her thoughts a moment while staring off into the distance, which consists of trees and snow and then more trees and snow. I wait patiently for her to speak.

  Finally, she turns to me. “The customs here have changed since last time I came through a gateway.” I do not know what she wants me to say to that so I choose silence. After a moment, she continues. “That does not relinquish you from the moral code you grew up with.”

  “Grandmother…”

  She puts up a hand to stop me. “Yes, I know you have not consummated your relationship. That is not the issue at the moment.” She narrows her eyes, “Though I will be ever vigilant for any indication that has changed.”

  I am not certain what being vigilant means to her and I probably do not want to know. A peephole in my bedroom wall with Grandmother looking through is disturbing on many levels and I do not see many other options for this particular situation. Again, I choose silence as my best contribution to this conversation.

  Grandmother sighs. “Kallen, this girl is your destiny. I would not have sent you to this realm if I did not know that. But, she has a lot to learn. Her mind is filled to the brim with everything that has happened since her world was turned upside down due to magic she did not know she had.”

  Does she believe that I have not been paying attention? “Yes, I know.” That may have come out more as a growl than a conversational sentence.

  “For this reason, you must wait to act upon these…feelings you have for each other. Do not confuse her mind even more with wild ideas of love and passion.”

  Discussing love and passion with Grandmother is like talking about sunny beaches with a fish. She may know what it looks like but I am not sure she has ever experienced it. I see her more in the gasping for air category with that analogy than the lying out and getting a tan category. That makes it harder to take her seriously at the moment. “What are you suggesting – that Xandra and I pretend that we are not in love? Pretend we do not want to be together?” My voice is beginning to rise.

  Grandmother sighs again. “I am not suggesting that you pretend anything. I am asking you to look at this situation logically and recognize that focusing too much on each other may alter your view of the big picture.”

  I cock my head to the side. “What big picture is that? Does it involve you using Xandra as a puppet and sending her off to fight wars she is not ready for? How, exactly, is that better than the two of us expressing our love for each other.” Funny, I always thought that Grandmother would be happy when I found love. After all, she has told me for as long as I remember that I was destined for a love match, not an arranged marriage.

  Grandmother’s eyes turn several shades darker as she glowers at me. I hold her stare giving her my own version of the expression. “I am not using the girl as a puppet. I am trying to save this realm and the lives and souls of our brothers and sisters.”

  Yes, altruism is generally high on her list of things to do. “What do you get out of this?” I thought she was angry a moment ago but she is now starting to tip over the edge. I have only seen her like this a few times in my life. Each time, I was glad it was not me she was angry with. Perhaps I need to back off at least slightly. “I apologize, that was out of line. That does not change the fact that love and support is what Xandra needs right now. Not me telling her ‘Grandmother says we should back off so you are on your own for a while.’ I am sure that will not help her focus on the finer points of the coming battle.”

  She sighs deeply. “Your sarcasm aside, you do have a point.”

  No way. Did she just let me win this argument? “And what point is that?”

  “Kallen, the two of you are simply moving too fast. Destiny aside, you are still two young people who are experiencing love for the first time. Love can be blinding and the dangers that surround Xandra are not to be ignored or left unseen because you two want to spend every moment together. She needs to learn to take care of herself.”

  I snort. “If there is one thing that Xandra does well, it is take care of herself and protect the ones she loves. If you knew her at all, you would already know that. It is the collateral damage that is the problem, not her power or her ability to wield it when necessary.”

  Grandmother nods curtly. “I understand. All I am asking is for you to give her some breathing room. Let her learn to use her own judgment.”

  Is she insane? “Are you under the impression that Xandra does not do things her way, when she wants to do them? If so, it will benefit you to spend some time in her company. Even the threat of fire and brimstone could not talk her out of doing something she feels is right.”

  She is quiet for a moment. Slowly, a smile forms on her lips. She is full of surprises today. “I suppose I have the same problem.” Looking at me with the softest expression she has used since she got here, she says, “At the very least, you must uphold the moral standards in the Fairy realm in regards to courting.”
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br />   My turn to sigh. There is no argument against that. I am not out to change the world, I simply want to be in Xandra’s company. “I will do my best.”

  Grandmother’s eyes narrow slightly again. “Your best?”

  I shrug. “I do not want to make a promise to you I may not be able to keep.”

  Placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head, she says, “There are times I regret teaching you to speak.”

  Her teasing is so far out of the blue it takes a second to register. Then I laugh. “A problem that cannot be undone I am afraid.”

  She smiles. “I suppose not. I find I am not a fan of the cold, let us go inside and wait.”

  Chapter 7

  I can still hear the blow dryer going when we are inside the house. I have refrained from telling Xandra that she could dry her hair with magic. I am afraid that she will set her head on fire and wind up bald. I would still love her bald as we waited for her hair to grow back, but that is not the point. My concern is that she would be unhappy with that fashion choice. Growing hair is not a process that can be hurried by magic. She would have a prickly head of hair for weeks before it grew out long enough to style.

  When Xandra comes into the living room several minutes later, she looks tense. I raise my brows in question but she shakes her head slightly. I assume that she is simply nervous about traveling to another realm. Maybe I should have explained that even though there is magic, my realm is relatively similar to hers. With better food. I walk to her and slip her hand in mine. I give it a small squeeze and her face eases a little.

  Grandmother chooses to ignore her nervousness. “Are you ready to bring us home?” she asks. At least she is smiling.

  Xandra’s brows knit together. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, are you ready to open the realms for our return?”

  The nervousness is back on Xandra’s face. “Um, I’m not sure if I can do that. I was drunk the last time I tore through the realms.” On Fairy darts, not alcohol.

  “Nonsense, of course you can,” Grandmother says with her trademark impatience. If a measure was taken of both hers and Xandra’s patience levels, I honestly cannot say who would win.

  Xandra’s father gives Grandmother a dirty look and then floats in front of Xandra. “You be careful, understand? We love you and we expect you back in one piece.”

  “Okay, Dad.”

  There are several more family good byes before we are able to go anywhere and Grandmother’s attempt at a patient smile is wearing thin after the fifth one. Finally, Xandra’s father does that ghost pat on my back that goes through my skin. I try not to visibly shiver from the cold. “You take care of my daughter. Don’t let anything happen to her.”

  I would sooner die myself. “I will do my best.”

  He smiles. “I believe you will.”

  “We really must be going now. We are due back and I do not want anyone to worry.”

  I smile. Tabitha is probably pacing the terrace. There would not have been a doubt in her mind that Grandmother would be successful in bringing me home.

  “There are others who know I’m coming?” Xandra asks. I believe she has passed nervous and there might actually be a little bit of fear shining through her eyes. I want to pull her close and assure her she will be fine. I do not believe she would like me to call attention to her fears, though.

  Grandmother gives her a curt nod. “You have been expected for quite some time by a select few.” I wonder who those select few are besides her and Tabitha.

  “You mean people you’ve shared your visions with?” Now Xandra is annoyed. I cannot believe how quickly her emotions can change directions. Though, I am annoyed as well that Grandmother chose to share her visions with others but not me. It would have made things a little bit easier when I arrived in this realm.

  Grandmother inclines her head and says, “Yes.” Simple as that. No apologies.

  I shake my head and turn so I am facing Xandra. “It will be fine. Grandmother would not have shared anything with someone she did not trust wholeheartedly.” That is true, but that does not make it right that she left Xandra and me in the dark.

  In her best snarky tone, Xandra says, “Fine, let’s go meet the Fairies who want to kill me this time.”

  Grandmother chooses to ignore that last comment. Without a look back at us, she walks to the door and goes outside. Apparently, we are doing this in the snow and cold.

  Chapter 8

  Grandmother stops just outside the door and we almost run into her. “Alright, Xandra. Take my hand.” She holds her right hand out to Xandra and after a pause, Xandra places her hand on top of it. “Now, I will send you an image of where we need to end up. Keep that image in mind while you open a passage to the Fae realm.”

  Xandra’s confidence seems a bit shaky at the moment. That is probably why she has closed her eyes as she waits for the image. This is a skill that Grandmother gained after many years of practice. She is not able to send telepathic verbal messages like I am and I have always been glad about that.

  I can tell the moment the image Grandmother sent her hits Xandra’s brain because she is startled and almost loses her balance. Regaining her focus, Xandra reaches a hand out in front of her. I have seen her do this once before and it is surreal to say the least. Gateways require a great deal of magic and are similar to blowing a whole through both realms with explosives. The fact that she can simply peel back layers between the realms as if they are onions could start a whole new field of metaphysics. Xandra pulls her hand towards her and it looks like she is turning a page in a book. Suddenly, the trees and snow have disappeared and the beach and ocean that I love are there right in front of us as if we are looking through a window.

  Xandra’s family gasps at the site. I am sure I did the first time I saw this as well. Grandmother, however is standing to the side with a smug smile. She had no doubts. “Perfect. Shall we?” she asks, ignoring the amazement on Xandra’s face over being successful.

  Giving her family a final smile and wave, she turns toward the passageway but she stops abruptly and Grandmother almost runs into her. An apologetic smile in place, Xandra says, “I almost forgot.” She reaches out a hand and runs it through the passageway, clearing it of the magical residue that burned Olwyn and Maurelle when she sent them flying back to the Fairy realm. Looking back at Grandmother, she says, “It would have burned us if I hadn’t cleared the residue. It should be okay now.”

  Tentatively, Xandra puts one foot forward through the opening. Determining that she has indeed cleared all of the residue, she steps through. I admit I am a little nervous as I follow her. Xandra is impervious to a lot that will cause harm to other Fairies. She is not the best divining rod for magical booby traps in the realm.

  When Grandmother and I have passed through unharmed, Xandra turns back towards her family and gives them a final wave. Then she reaches out her hand, grabs the torn piece of the realm and pulls it back, leaving no trace that a passage ever existed in this spot.

  Xandra’s face as she turns in a circle taking in where I grew up is every bit as astonished as I thought it would be. I try to see it through her eyes – as someone who grew up in the mountains and has never seen an ocean. The wide expanse of sand stretching seemingly forever in both directions. The perfect blue of the ocean as the light of the sun gleams off from it. And finally, the mansion set back from the shore and surrounded by forest on three sides. Wide terrace steps lead up from the beach to the house. I have never been so proud of my home.

  With a mouth that does not seem to want to close all the way, Xandra asks, “Is this the palace?”

  Grandmother smiles and shakes her head. “No, this is our humble home.” I believe Grandmother is suffering from the same bout of pride as I am.

  “Come on,” I say grabbing her hand. “I will show you around.”

  “Put her things in the yellow room,” Grandmother says as she walks on ahead of us. “She will have a lovely view of the sun setting each night.
”

  I roll my eyes. Yes, that is the reason. As soon as she is far enough away, I whisper to Xandra, “It is also the farthest room from mine.”

  She giggles. “Yeah, I think our days of being able to sleep together are over.”

  “Do not give up so soon. I can be rather stealthy when I need to be.” I give her a wink and she grins. Yeah, I am definitely sneaking into her room tonight.

  As we move through the curtains into the large, mostly unused, living room Xandra stops. “Where are we?” she asks.