“What is that?” Alita asks.
“It’s a telephone,” I explain. She seems to know what that is because she doesn’t ask for an explanation. “Are you guys ready?” I ask, walking to the mall door.
Kallen reaches around me and opens the door for me. He holds it open for everyone to enter. Once inside, however, we stop moving. The mall is packed. It’s Saturday afternoon and this is apparently the place to be.
Ignoring the Fairies’ hesitance to move into the crowd, I ask, “Should we get food first?”
“I am still full from breakfast,” Adriel says. It already seems like we’ve been here forever instead of it being only a couple of hours since we left home. I’m still full from pancakes as well.
“Me, too,” Alita agrees. I notice the guys don’t chime in. They’re always hungry.
“Okay then, let’s go shopping.”
One of the first stores we come to is a shoe store. I admit it, I love shoes. Living in the mountains, though, limited what would be practical to own. I had trainers, hiking boots and snow boots. Boring. This store has none of the above. The shoes are gorgeous and in an amazing array of colors. There are sandals, flats, heels, and boots – ones that can’t be worn for hiking or snow. I look down at my boring trainers and then head toward the flats.
“Why would you buy shoes?” Kegan asks. “You can make them.”
Alita and I both give him a dirty look. He flushes a deep red and picks up a brown, four inch heeled sandal. “These are nice,” he says. Alita lets him off the hook with a kiss on the cheek.
Kallen and Kegan take a seat in a row of chairs and watch as Adriel, Alita and I try on pair after pair of shoes. I finally settle on a pair of flats with a muted tribal design on them and a pair of strappy sandals with a modest three inch heel. Any higher and I might fall on my face the first time I walk in them. Alita also picks out flats and Adriel surprises us all when she picks out a pair of black stilettoes with a silver tip at the toe and a five inch silver heel that makes them look more like a weapon than a shoe. I raise my brows but she just smiles wickedly. I suspect Raziel is in for a treat.
After our purchases are made, we head back into the throng of people in the mall. We soon find an electronics and video game store and Kallen’s eyes brighten. He liked playing Zac’s games back in Colorado. I suggest that he and Kegan go in there and we meet back here in an hour. Jadyn suggested we get clothes to wear for dinners, meaning something fancy and formal. That sounds like fun for me and torture for the guys so it seems the best plan. This gives us time to shop without the guys rolling their eyes or yawning widely as we try things on.
There are very few clothing stores in the Fairy realm. Well, none actually. Fairies use magic to make their clothes. Those who are not powerful enough, like Alita, must rely on their family or significant other to dress them. I have the opposite problem. I can’t make my own because I put too much power behind the magic, so I have to rely on my significant other. I now sketch out clothing designs for Kallen to make me instead of wearing what he picks out all the time. Sometimes his choices aren’t as appropriate as they should be. It will be nice to surprise him with something pretty that he didn’t have to make for me.
Adriel and Alita follow me into an upscale department store and we head to the dress section. There are dresses ranging from casual to ultra-formal. The hour speeds by as we try dresses on and model them for each other. The guys may have actually enjoyed this part. Nah, probably not.
When we have made up our minds and each of us has a beautiful dress for dinner tonight, we head back to the electronics store. Kegan and Kallen are waiting outside for us, a large bag in Kallen’s hand. “What’s that?” I ask.
Eyes shining with excitement, Kegan says, “It is something called a Wii. We bought games to go with it.”
I shake my head. “Alita, I’m sorry but your new husband has gone to the dark side.”
Her eyes open wide, taking me too literally. “What do you mean? I do not sense anything.”
I laugh. “I mean he is going to waste many hours sitting in front of a television playing video games. He may only resurface for food and bathroom needs.”
Realizing I was not serious about the dark side, she says, “I think I know how to lure him away.” Heat flashes in Kegan’s eyes. Yes, she knows.
Not ready to return to Grandpa’s, I say, “We could see a movie. That’s definitely something you should experience.”
“Those are the pictures on a big screen, right?” Adriel asks.
I nod. “Let’s go see what’s playing.”
We make our way through the crowds to the far end of the mall where the theater is. I check the listings and find a couple of new movies that look interesting. One is a romantic comedy and the other is action. I know we’ll be divided on which one to see. Picking up an information pamphlet, I read the description of the two different movies. Alita and I root for the romantic comedy but we’re out voted. Like I thought, the guys want action, and so does Adriel. That’s not surprising. She’s not really the romantic comedy type.
Teasing Adriel, I say, “Traitor.” She just smiles.
We buy our tickets and move to the concession stand. I order popcorn, candy and slushies for everyone. Then I show them how to slather their popcorn with butter and other flavorings. When we’re done, we walk to the theater the ticket taker pointed out. Finding seats, we get settled with our goodies just as the previews start.
The first one is for a horror movie. When a hand on the screen reaches out of a television and grabs someone, Alita squeals and grabs hold of Kegan’s arm, nearly spilling their popcorn. “Will that happen when you are playing your games?” she whispers.
Overhearing her and trying hard not to laugh, I lean over and say, “Nothing is real. It’s all make-believe like a play.” She doesn’t look convinced and buries her face in Kegan’s shoulder until the next preview.
Finally, the movie we came to see comes on. It’s fast-paced, funny and ultra-violent. I can tell that Alita, and even Adriel, don’t care for the bloody fighting scenes. Kegan and Kallen on the other hand love them. Their eyes are riveted to the screen the entire movie, they even lean forward a bit in their chairs as if trying to get closer to the action. Kallen had some exposure to television when he stayed in the mountains with me, but this is all new to Kegan.
After the movie, I am bombarded with questions from the guys about how the movies are made, how much is real, and how do they do the stunts without magic and without killing themselves. I explain as much as I can. I tell them about computerized graphics and how stunts can be enhanced to look more dangerous than they really are. When I’m finished, they both have a gleam in their eyes. I shake my head. “You are not becoming stuntmen.”
“I will need a profession if we are to stay here,” Kallen counters.
I raise my brows and say, “You’ll have a job. You will be helping me control the Witches.” The gleam fizzles from his eyes, making me feel terrible. Trying to cheer him up after my not so gentle reminder of how bleak our future might be, I say, “How about we go back to the house and you guys can play video games until dinner.”
Kegan perks up and a small smile tries to form on Kallen’s lips. “Deal,” he says.
I call the driver back and we wait outside for him where he dropped us off. Our moods have dampened since my comment about having to stay here. If the Princess thing doesn’t work out, I could easily get a job as a black cloud of gloom.
It’s back to the hornet’s nest now. I wish I liked video games enough to cheer me up even a little bit.
Chapter 16
Back at Grandpa’s, we find Jadyn waiting for us. She’s sitting on a wooden swing on the back porch near the garage. Rising, she comes to greet us and show us back to our rooms or the library, whichever we desire. She says she didn’t want us to get lost in such a big house. What she means is ‘I’m here to keep you from finding your grandfather and starting a fight with him’. I find I’m okay wit
h that. At least, I am until she announces that we will be Grandpa’s guests at dinner tonight, which will supposedly be a neutral zone. No political discussions allowed. Sure, that’s going to work out well.
I groan. “I thought he didn’t want to see me until tomorrow.” My urge to get this over with has been replaced by a serious case of procrastination. Can’t I just spend the next week showing my friends around?
Jadyn’s smile is grim. “He has spent time this afternoon with the Queen. He is,” she pauses, searching for the right word, “fascinated.”
My grandfather has the hots for Tana? Isn’t that just peachy. “Do you mean he’s enamored? A love sick puppy?” Tana could easily control his weak mind, so I’m wondering if this ‘fascination’ is really his idea. What is she playing at spending time with him at all?
Jadyn tilts her head and nods once. “It could be put that way, yes.”
Kallen’s eyes are burning with fury. “Where is the Queen?” he demands harshly.
“She is out riding.” Jadyn doesn’t say she’s out riding with my grandfather, but it’s implied.
“Where?” Kallen asks. He wants to go find them. That seems like a terrible idea.
“Don’t answer him,” I tell Jadyn. To my gorgeous, hotheaded husband, I say, “If I have to wait, then so do you. Tana’s a big girl. She can handle herself.” I’m going to assume he doesn’t mean the death glare Kallen’s now giving me.
Knowing the safest thing for her to do is get the heck out of here, Jadyn backs toward the door. “Please let me know if you need anything else before dinner. Otherwise, dinner will be served in the formal dining room at seven.” With that, she turns on her heel and leaves the room.
Kallen watches her leave and then grinds out, “She is married to your father. It is not appropriate for your grandfather to be trying to win the favor of someone else’s wife.’
I love how he slips into old fashioned language when he’s mad. “Just for the gross factor, I don’t want them together either. But, the fidelity ship sailed from Dagda and Tana’s marriage the night I was conceived. If she wants to date someone else, Dagda will just have to suck it up.” Please, please don’t let it be Grandpa, though.
As he considers my words, I can feel his anger slipping away and resignation setting in. He knows I’m right. He is way easier to talk down than I am. “This does not make any sense. If my aunt wants to be with someone other than her husband, why would she pick such an old, weak man?” In a normal family, I’d probably be annoyed by his description of my grandfather. Since I’m not in a normal family, I couldn’t care less.
“Maybe she is simply trying to get information from him,” Alita suggests.
“Or maybe she wants to make another Witch Fairy,” Kegan chimes in. My heart clenches for a moment at the thought.
“Nonsense,” Adriel counters, “It is impossible. Xandra’s birth was carefully orchestrated and it was based on a trifecta. Witch, Fairy and Angel blood needed to combine to fulfill the prophecy. Simple conception between a Witch and a Fairy cannot happen, it is biologically impossible. It would be like a tiger and a lion conceiving together.” I like how she just compared us to animals. I give her a sour look.
“Did you have to give us all mental images of them ‘conceiving’?” Kegan gripes. I agree. Yuck.
“I still think it is a ruse. She is just trying to get information,” Alita says again.
Mentally scrubbing unwanted images from my brain, I say, “I hope you’re right.” I hope this isn’t some plot on her part to take over the Witches and make them her evil minions. I would hate to beat her down again. I’m not sure her fragile state of being could take that. Then again, if she is planning a coup, then she isn’t that fragile.
Trying to change the subject, I ask, “Do you want me to get you guys set up for playing your new games?” With Mom and Dad being ghosts and Aunt Barb so busy with her research, I did all this kind of stuff for Zac back home.
Kegan grins. “I am ready to best my cousin, yes.”
Kallen reluctantly lets the subject drop and joins Kegan, helping him take everything out of the bag and then the boxes. I tell them what I need and I get the Wii hooked up on a large screen television that was hidden behind doors of an entertainment system in no time. After showing them how to load the games and work the controllers, we all sit back and watch them play, Adriel and Alita taking their turns as well.
Kallen still isn’t happy about whatever Tana is doing, but he’s good at keeping things like that to himself. I personally want, despite my arguments that she can do what she wants, to find her, string her up like a piñata and beat her with a stick until she stops being such a pain in my butt. I’ll hold off as long as I can for Kallen’s sake.
Chapter 17
No one bothers us the rest of the afternoon. We don’t even hear anyone in the halls. It’s kind of eerie since we know there are other people here, but they must be avoiding this part of the house.
At six thirty, we all disperse to our rooms to get ready for dinner. The room Kallen and I have is smaller than the guest rooms at Isla’s, but it’s comfortable. The room is decorated in mint green and white and it overlooks the stables. My grandfather has some beautiful horses. They look so peaceful out there munching on grass and nuzzling noses. I’m tempted to turn into my animal form, join them, and try to suck in some of their serenity. The Witches would probably notice my giant wings, though. They’re a tad obvious and would make it difficult to blend in.
Kallen comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my middle, his chin resting on my head. “What are you thinking about over here?”
I lean back against his chest and lay my hands over his. “How nice it would be to change into my Pegasus form and join the horses out there.”
He leans down and nuzzles my neck. “We could fly away together.”
“Would we have to come back?”
He chuckles softly. “Not if you do not want to, no.”
I know that’s a lie, but I appreciate him saying it. I wish I had the freedom to take off and find my own place in the world. But, I have too many responsibilities, just like most people. It’s a nice dream, though.
Twisting in his arms, I snake mine up around his neck. “I love you.”
He kisses me softly. “I love you, too.”
Reluctantly, I pull away and walk to the garment bag lying on the bed. “We need to change for dinner.”
Instantly, Kallen is in a black suit with a gray button down shirt and a green tie that matches his eyes. “Done.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s cheating.”
He raises a brow. “You, my love, are simply jealous of my superior abilities.”
I shake my head and laugh. “Yes, I should bow down to your ability to create clothes.”
“That is correct,” he says as he walks to me. He places his hands on the bottom of my tee and pulls it up and off. “I also have superior abilities when it comes to taking off clothes.” His hands find my bare skin and a tingle of excitement travels down to my toes and back up my body.
I gently push his hands away, wishing I could fall into them instead. “We will not make it to dinner if you help me undress.”
“I am not hungry,” he says, unsnapping my jeans.
Again, I push his hands away with a laugh. Pointing to the end of the bed, I say, “You need to go over there and sit down.”
Kallen sighs as if I just sent him to time out. He goes to the end of the bed and sits down, leaning back on his hands. “I still get to watch, right?”
A blush stains my cheeks. “Yes.”
I finish undressing and then pull the black dress I bought from the garment bag. I slip into it, forgoing my bra because of the delicate straps at the shoulders. The top is halter style but covers everything it’s supposed to cover. It’s similar to a nineteen thirties dress with fringe that swishes when I walk.
Kallen rises from the bed to do the zipper in the back, then rakes his eyes over me. It’s obv
ious he likes how I look in my new dress. “You are beyond beautiful.”
The way he’s looking at me, I know he would rather be unzipping the dress than zipping it. If he continues to look at me like that, I might let him. Softly, I say, “We should go.” I don’t really mean it.
Kallen pulls me close and kisses me in a sweet promise that there will be more coming later. “We should.” He kisses me again.
“Oh, excuse me,” a nervous female voice says behind us, startling us both.
I peer around Kallen to find a woman dressed in a maid’s uniform. Kallen turns around and puts his arm around me, pulling me close in a sweet, protective gesture. I’m pretty sure I could take the maid, though. “Is there a problem?” he asks, his tone indicating that there had better be since she just barged in without knocking.
Blood of the Exiled (Witch Fairy Book 10) Page 12
