by Bonnie Lamer
Mom hesitates for a moment but then with her mouth in a grim line, she closes her eyes. When she reopens them, she begins to speak the words that joined Kallen and me in our blood oath. “Bound by blood, moon and tide, by this oath you must abide. If by traitorous heart you deceive, or by lack of courage you mislead, count that breath to be your last, as the earth will claim its next repast.”
I’m just about to think how much I like Fairy magic better because it’s more visible, when there’s a sizzling sound and a puff of smoke rises from the bowl. “What was that?” I ask as I peer around Kallen into the bowl. The mixed blood has turned a strange shade of amber. And are those sparkles? What the heck? That’s not supposed to happen. Nothing visible is supposed to happen.
It’s Mom’s turn to give Grandma an accusing look. “Did you attempt to nullify the oath?”
Grandma closes her eyes and sighs. “No, I did not." Opening her eyes, she says firmly, “That is what happens when a Witch and a Fairy form a blood oath.”
That didn’t happen when Kallen and I did ours, but then again, I’m only half Witch. Still, I turn to Kallen whose face has become blank as he and Grandma link eyes. “Is that true?”
Kallen takes a moment to answer me, his eyes never leaving Grandma. “It can,” he says vaguely. And then he adds more firmly, “The oath is complete.”
Dad doesn’t look like he believes him. Yeah, me neither. Something’s fishy here. With doubt in his eyes and a frown on his brow, Dad asks, “Are you sure?”
Kallen finally tears his eyes from Grandma to answer Dad. “I am positive.” His face is still a blank page. Grandma has tiny worry lines around her eyes, and it’s obvious she’s trying to school them. Something is going on between her and Kallen, but I have no idea what. I give Kallen a puzzled look but he ignores me. Oh, I really don’t like that.
Dad still doesn’t look convinced, either. He turns to Mom. “So, what, now we’re supposed to just welcome her into our home? I don’t like this, Julienne. There is something going on with that woman,” he flings his arm towards Grandma, “that I don’t trust.”
Kallen is standing stiff as a board, not reacting to Dad. His eyes have moved back to Grandma’s. “What’s going on?” I hiss quietly, trying not to clue Dad in on whatever is happening between Kallen and Grandma.
He finally tears his eyes away and deigns to look at me. It’s about time. “All is well.”
On the list of all the crap answers he’s given me over the last week, this is the biggest. This is my life we’re playing with! But there’s something about the set of his jaw that tells me that I’m not going to get a better answer than that right this minute.
I huff and turn towards Mom. “What now?”
“I would like you and Kallen to get your Grandmother’s bags from the driveway. Your father and I need to talk to her.”
I expect Dad to object since he has that murderous sociopath look on his face again, but he doesn’t say anything. I guess Grandma’s staying then. Great, I’m so excited. Maybe we can get to the cookie making part of our relationship sometime. If she doesn’t decide to kill me first, that is.
Without a backward glance at Kallen, I walk to the front door and go outside to get the suitcases sitting at the end of the driveway. Grandma had apparently taken a cab up the mountain. That must have cost her a fortune. Good, I hope it did.
Kallen catches up with me and puts his hand on my arm so I’ll stop. “She is telling the truth. She is here to help.”
I pull my arm out of his grasp and whirl around. All the frustration from the last hour comes pouring out at him. “Really? Just how do you know that? Because some blood smoked and sizzled and you and Grandma made eye contact? Forgive me if that isn’t enough to make me want a group hug with the two of you. I’m a little too selfishly concerned right now with keeping myself alive. I figure one of us should be.”
The hurt on his face quickly turns to anger as he lets his arm fall back to his side. “I thought I heard you say in there that you trusted me. I must have been mistaken.”
“So, what, I’m supposed to have blind faith in you? Even I’m not that naïve.”
He has shuttered his face now so I can’t tell what he’s thinking or feeling again. “Is blind faith such a bad thing when you claim to care about someone?”
Ignoring his attempt to guilt me into compliance, I ask, “Are you going to tell me why you suddenly think that Grandma is one of the good guys?”
His mouth sets in a thin line and it takes several heartbeats for him to answer. “There are some things that should be explained by the person who holds all the answers.”
“Enough of the stupid cryptic speak. Between you and Mom, I’ve had enough of it to last me a lifetime! Are you going to tell me or not?”
“I can tell you that she took a great risk making that blood oath with me.”
“Oh, well, that clears everything up. Thank you.” Where’s my sarcasm napkin? I seem to have some dripping down my chin.
Kallen runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “Xandra, I am sorry. I cannot tell you.”
“Cannot or will not?”
“Cannot.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m bound by Sheehogue law.”
“Are you trying to make me hate you? Because you’re on the right path if you are.”
His frustration is almost palpable now. “Xandra, I am not deliberately keeping something from you.”
I snort. “Funny, it feels like you are.”
Kallen hangs his head. Something I haven’t seen him do before. He’s always been too proud to do something like that, so it can’t be a good thing that he’s doing it now. “I made a mistake when I set the guidelines of the oath.”
Uh oh. That sounds ominous. I almost expect to hear the duh duh duhn music start playing. Maybe I really don’t want to know what he’s keeping from me. “You made a mistake?”
“Yes.”
I wait a minute expecting him to continue, but he doesn’t. “What kind of mistake?” I prompt.
“I weaved Sheehogue law and magic into the oath because I was sure that your grandmother was not the Witch she says she is, and that would have exposed her lies. But I stumbled into an ancient law by mistake. I am now bound by it.”
“Kallen, that doesn’t make any sense at all. What ancient law?”
He closes his eyes as he runs his hand through his black hair, leaving it deliciously messy. But not delicious enough for me to lose track of the conversation. “Well?” My arms are now crossed over my chest and I’m tapping my foot impatiently. Wow, I think I just moved one step closer to turning into my mother.
Opening up his now pleading eyes, he says, “Xandra, I need you to trust me. Please. Your grandmother is not going to hurt you. She cannot.”
I growl in frustration. “So now we’re back to the blind faith thing.”
He crosses his own arms across his chest now. “Have I given you reason not to trust me?”
Hmm, that’s a trick question. He didn’t exactly tell me his true purpose for coming to this realm when we first met, but he didn’t really lie to me either. But it was an awfully thin line between the two. But, technically, no, he didn’t lie to me and he did have my best interest at heart, as well as his own. I look up at his bright green eyes that are so vibrant and beautiful – I don’t think there’s a color in nature that could compete. Right or wrong, I’m going to put my faith in him. I’ve trusted him with my life before; I guess I’m going to have to do it again. “Is she really bound by the blood oath?”
Relief washes over Kallen’s face as he realizes that I’m acquiescing. “Yes, she is. Her intentions can only be pure. She would suffer greatly if not.”
What is that supposed to mean? I doubt that I’m going to get an answer, so I don’t even bother to ask. “Fine, but you’re carrying her suitcases.”
His lips curl up into a sexy smile. “Of course. I am always a slave to your desires.” I roll my eyes but I can’t
help smiling. That’s just not playing fair. He’s hard to stay mad at when he decides to be charming.
Sobering again, I ask, “You’re absolutely sure that Grandma’s on our side?”
“I am.”
I look at him for a long moment until he raises his eyebrows in question. In my heart, I know that Kallen wouldn’t say it if he didn’t believe it. If Grandma’s not on our side, then she has Kallen fooled. But he’s pretty sharp when it comes to anything magical, so he’d be awfully hard to fool. Sighing, I say, “Then I believe it, too.”
He puts his hands on my waist and pulls me towards him. “Thank you for trusting me.” As I snake my arms up and around his neck, he lowers his lips to mine in a mind blowing kiss that tells me just how glad he is that I decided to put my faith in him. But in the back of my mind, the thought that Grandma’s still hiding something takes root, and I intend to find out what it is.
Chapter 3
“And you wonder why I follow you two around.”
I groan as Kallen quickly ends the kiss and takes a step back, dropping his hands from my waist. I turn around to look at Dad, expecting the same reaction from this morning; but to my surprise, he looks more amused than mad. Maybe he really has decided he likes Kallen. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s still interrupting our kisses, though.
“We were just coming back in,” I grumble.
“It might be difficult to carry the bags and walk to the door with your lips locked like that.”
“Dad, really?” My face turns what I am sure is magenta or maybe even maroon. This is not my life. It’s not bad enough that I have people trying to kill me, but I have to have my dad making bad jokes about me kissing my boyfriend, as well? I’ve only been up for an hour, but I’m ready to go back to bed now. Maybe it’s not too late to wake up from this nightmare. “Aren’t you supposed to be talking to Mom and Grandma?”
The smile washes off his face and the grim set of his jaw tells me he didn’t like how that conversation went. “I don’t believe this is a good idea. I’m worried about letting that woman into your life.”
I nod glumly. “Yeah, me too. But it doesn’t seem like we have much of a choice.” I glance at Kallen out of the corner of my eye to see if he takes that comment as lack of trust in him. I think right now he’s focusing more on his own embarrassment about having Dad catch us kissing again. His cheeks seem a little redder than normal, too. At least I’m not the only one.
“That may be true, but I still think it’s wise to take precautions.” Dad has always been a pragmatist. “If trusting Athear turns out to be a mistake, I don’t know that your mother has it in her to stand against her own mother. She has always clung to the belief that her mother had not agreed with your grandfather and his lackeys, and Athear played right into that. But even if your mother could stand against her, I’m afraid that she doesn’t have enough power to hold both of us in this plane, and still wield enough magic to fend off an attack by a Witch who she believes is more powerful than she ever was.”
Well, at least my parents are telling me the truth now, whether I want to hear it or not. They kept a lot of secrets from me over the years. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, after all. “That’s not very comforting, Dad.”
He shrugs in a helpless gesture. “I know.” Then his eyes move to Kallen. “That’s where you come in.”
Kallen raises his brows in question but doesn’t say anything. Dad clears his throat before talking again. He’s a ghost; I’m assuming he doesn’t have phlegm, so it must be a stalling thing. Finally, he says, “If someone had told me an hour ago that I was going to say this, I would have pronounced them insane right on the spot.” Dad was a doctor before he was a ghost. He could have done that. “I want you to be glued to Xandra’s side. Every minute of the day.”
It takes a moment for that to sink in. “Every minute?”
Dad’s expression hardens and it seems to take some effort for him to smooth it back out. “Yes, every minute.”
“Oh, okay.” Is he serious?
“I heard what you said this morning. You said that your grandfather’s magic didn’t even show up as a blip on your radar when you forced him to leave the house. But, you said that Kallen’s magic is strong enough to at least give you a challenge. If he’s truly that powerful, then he just became your own personal bodyguard.”
My brows come together. As much as I like the part about Kallen sticking to my side, I don’t think I like the part where Dad thinks I need a bodyguard.
Dad must see that on my face. “Humor me, kiddo. I’m worried about you and it would make me feel better knowing someone powerful is watching your back.”
Guess I can’t really argue with that. It makes me feel better that Kallen is watching my back, too. “Okay, I get it.”
Kallen has been remarkably quiet while Dad and I have gone back and forth. I’m surprised; he usually has an opinion about everything. Dad turns back to him and there’s an amused smile on his face now. “I’m assuming this is okay with you?”
Kallen inclines his head in agreement and I’m pretty sure there’s a smile trying really hard to form on his lips but he’s trying to look solemn. Until Dad says the next thing. “And I expect you to be a gentleman.”
Okay, now I’m pretty sure Kallen’s biting his tongue. Literally. Really hard. To say that he’s offended is an understatement. Obviously, Dad doesn’t know how seriously the Fae take sex. I wonder if that’s a Fairy thing or just a Sheehogue Fairy thing. I haven’t asked. But, it doesn’t seem like the Pooka have morals about anything, so I’m guessing it’s a Sheehogue thing. My list of questions just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I think I’m going to need to carry a notebook and start writing them down.
“Do I have your word?” Dad pushes.
I don’t know how Kallen says it through a jaw clenched as tightly as his is, but he manages to say, “Yes.”
Dad nods once and chooses to ignore the fact that he obviously insulted Kallen. “Alright then. I’ll see the two of you inside.” He turns and starts floating towards the house. When he’s about fifteen feet away, he says over his shoulder, “Kissing is fine. Just not when I’m around, please.” I’m pretty sure he’s chuckling when he floats through the front door because his shoulders are moving up and down.
I refuse to acknowledge the flush of red to my face because of Dad’s parting words. Instead, I turn back to Kallen. “I’m impressed you were so quiet after he said that. I almost expected to feel you pulling magic any second there.”
Visibly trying to relax his facial muscles, he says, “Even though I have never been accused of being anything other than gentlemanly, I thought it best to let your father have his say. I am a guest in his house.”
“Are you really the same guy who showed up naked in the woods last week? Cause you’re certainly not acting like him. I think I liked that surly, sarcastic, not afraid to say what’s on his mind, guy better. This guy,” I move my hands up and down to indicate all of him, “is kind of dull.”
He gives me a sharp look until he sees the twinkle of teasing in my eyes. “Is that so?”
I sigh and nod my head wearily. “I’m afraid so.”
In a blink of the eye, he growls as he puts his arms around my waist, and I squeal a little as he picks me up off the ground with my arms pressed against his chest. He plants his delicious lips on mine. Okay, maybe this Kallen isn’t so boring after all. As our tongues dance in perfectly choreographed movement, the rest of the world falls away. For a few glorious moments, my mind is free of everything except this kiss.
He ends the kiss slowly and then slides me down his body until my feet can touch the ground again. “Still prefer the surly, sarcastic guy? Because I can bring him back.”
I smile and shake my head slowly. “He had his moments, but I guess I don’t miss him as much as I thought I did.”
Kallen grins as he picks up Grandma’s bags – a large suitcase, a vanity case and a garment bag. She sure packed a lot for a sp
ur of the moment trip. “I am not the biggest catch for hand-fasting in the Fae realm for nothing. No one can resist my charm.” Then he strides towards the front door on his long legs, leaving me marveling at his self-assurance. The worst part? He actually has reason to be that cocky. As a powerful, gorgeous, and full-blooded Fairy, he was considered the biggest catch in the Fae realm.
Okay, now I’m not marveling, I’m jealous. Why I’m jealous of Fairy girls he may have dated before, and forgot all about when he chose to stay here with me, I don’t know. I just am.
Pulling my attention away from watching Kallen’s lean muscular body move gracefully, like a large cat, as he walks back to the house, my eyes are drawn to the large picture window in the living room. Grandma is standing there staring at me. She looks worried. I assume she’s wondering if Kallen told me her secret, so she’ll be happy to find out he didn’t, I’m sure.
