by Bonnie Lamer
Confusion washes over my husband’s features. “Who is Keelan?” he asks.
Did he already forget the baby’s name? “Keelan, Alita and Kegan’s new baby,” I remind him, trying to be patient. He did just wake up. But really, how could he forget the baby’s name? Keelan was partially named after him.
Kallen’s confusion deepens a moment before slowly converting to humor. “You had me going for a minute.” He stretches and yawns. “It is not like you to wake me up so abruptly to tease me, though. I believe I will need to get revenge.” He reaches out and wraps his arms around me, pulling me back to the bed. “Later. For now, how about if we begin the morning again.” He moves to kiss me but I am too shocked to let him.
I struggle out of his arms and sit back up. My own confusion doesn’t morph into amusement; it goes straight to anger. “That’s all you have to say about Alita and Keelan being gone?”
Propping himself on his elbows, Kallen studies me for a minute. It finally dawns on him how angry I am. His words are slow and careful when he speaks, trying hard not to piss me off even more. “I assume that Alita is home with her parents where she is every night. And if she and my cousin had a child together, Grandmother certainly would have insisted upon a hand-fasting quite some time ago.”
My mouth falls open. I cannot make words. My vocal cords are in shock. Kallen reaches a hand up to feel my forehead to see if I’m feverish and I slap his hand away. I still can’t speak, though.
“Xandra? Are you okay?”
Finally, my will to speak dominates the shock affecting my body. “They are hand-fasted,” I growl.
“I can’t believe the wanker thinks this is a good time to try to grow a sense of humor,” Taz grumbles. He has rejoined us on the bed. “Even I know when to stop trying to piss you off.”
Taz is right. This isn’t like Kallen, who now seems to be in his own shocked stupor. I stare more closely at my husband and I get an epiphany. I’m not feeling any tingling sensation on my skin which would indicate he’s not being one hundred percent honest. “He isn’t joking. He really doesn’t know they’re hand-fasted,” I whisper to Taz.
“Did you push him out of bed and he hit his head?” Taz asks. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did, he is a wanker, after all.”
I scowl at my Familiar. “No, I did not push him out of bed.”
“Me or the beast?” Kallen asks suspiciously.
“Never mind.” I reach out a hand to touch his forehead to see if he’s warm. “Are you feeling okay?”
It’s Kallen’s turn to scowl and he pushes my hand away. More gently than I did his. “I feel fine. I am not the one who has my cousin and Alita married off and reproducing.”
That’s it, something is definitely wrong. Maybe Isla or Tabitha can shed some light on what’s going on with him. I don’t sense any magic that could be affecting him, so maybe Taz is right. Maybe during the night Kallen hit his head and suddenly has selective amnesia or something. I better get Dad involved, too, just in case this is a medical, not magical, thing. Throwing back the covers, I get out of bed. “Come on.”
Kallen lays back and stretches languorously, not in the same hurry I am to get this resolved. “My love, you probably had a dream that has stuck with you. The certainty of it will pass soon. More sleep will help. Come back to bed.”
I gape at him. “A dream? You think I dreamed Alita and Kegan getting married, her pregnancy and the birth of their child yesterday?”
His response is immediate. “Yes.”
“Get out of bed,” I growl. We are going to settle this once and for all.
Reluctantly, Kallen rises. “Not the way I intended to start the morning,” he grumbles as he dresses himself. I am so annoyed, I barely notice his hard, muscled body before he covers it with clothes. Barely. Okay, I’m not dead and he’s gorgeous. Of course I ogle him. He catches me and a smug grin covers his face. I glower at him which only makes him chuckle.
I throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from my drawers. I don’t want Kallen to dress me in case there is something wrong with him which could also affect his magic. I would rather not end up naked in the middle of the kitchen if his magic goes awry. When we are both dressed, I grab his hand and pull him from the room and down the stairs. He comes willingly, but his concern over my mental health seems to be growing considering the odd looks he’s throwing my way. Well, the feeling is mutual for once.
In the kitchen, we find Isla and Tabitha enjoying a cup of coffee. It isn’t a work day, so Isla is not getting ready to rush off to the palace. I will have her undivided attention. She looks up when we enter the room. “Good morning. You two have risen early.”
I don’t bother with niceties. “Will you please inform your grandson that Kegan and Alita are indeed married and just had a child named Keelan yesterday?”
I have never seen Tabitha spew coffee from her nose before. It’s rather disgusting. And painful from the looks of it. I bet it was hot coffee. That cannot be good for the mucus membranes. “What?!” she sputters.
Isla is calmer about it. “Xandra, dear, whatever are you talking about?” Calmer, not saner apparently.
What is wrong with everyone? Maybe if I say it slower. This time, I enunciate each word carefully. “I am talking about Keelan. Your great-grandson. Born yesterday.”
Isla looks past me to Kallen. “How long has she been having this delusion?”
“Delusion??” If I was drinking coffee, it would be spewing through my nose at the moment. Maybe even my eyeballs. “I am not delusional!”
Pursing her lips, Isla studies me for a moment before turning to Tabitha. “Does she seem unwell to you?”
Tabitha’s voice comes out nasally after searing her mucus membranes with hot coffee. “She is spouting nonsense and growing more agitated by the second. I would not call that well.”
“What is wrong with everyone?” Taz asks from near my ankle echoing my thoughts from a moment ago. He’s too upset to even make a snarky comment. Things are bad indeed if that has happened.
“I don’t know,” I whisper, growing more worried by the second.
My other Familiar comes strolling into the room. “Ah, you are awake. Has my insane friend here told you what he believes has occurred between Kallen’s cousin and the young Fairy from down the beach?”
My eyes shoot from Taz to Felix and then back to Taz. “He doesn’t believe it either?” Then another thought hits me and I narrow my eyes. “And you didn’t tell me he didn’t believe it before I came down here? You could have given me a heads up that whatever this is has affected the whole house, not just Kallen.”
“I did not know it affected the entire house,” Taz denies, but the creepy-crawlies on my skin make it very clear he is lying.
Placing a protective arm around my waist, Kallen pulls my attention from Taz and says gently, “Perhaps I should invite my cousin over so he can confirm that he is not hand-fasted.”
This is getting weirder by the second. “Invite him over? He’s upstairs in his room, isn’t he?”
“Kegan did not stay here last night,” Isla says, concern radiating from her. Turning to Kallen, she orders, “Send him a message and insist he come right over.”
The kitchen door opens and Garren comes in with Dad. They have been fishing, obviously, as the latter is carrying a string of fish native to the area. “Dad!” I am so happy to see him, I rush over and give him a hug.
“Good morning,” he chuckles after the initial surprise of me hugging him fish and all wears off. “You are certainly exuberant this morning.”
Stepping back, I jump right in. “Dad, tell them you helped deliver Alita’s baby yesterday.”
Dad’s eyes grow round and he glances over my head to Kallen. I turn just in time to see my husband shrug helplessly. Dad brings his attention back to me. “Xandra, are you feeling alright?”
I’m getting tired of that question. Instead of responding, I turn to my husband with my hands firmly planted on my hips. “Did you send Kegan a message yet?
”
Eying me warily, Kallen nods. “I did.”
“Fine. I’ll be outside until he gets here. Come on, Taz.”
“But, Mama Bacon is getting ready to cook,” my Familiar whines.
“Taz!” Maybe because I sound like I’m holding onto the last frayed strings of my sanity, or maybe because I’ve accidently pulled enough magic to pluck each one of his hairs out individually and painfully, whichever it is, my Familiar trots after me. Grumbling and irritated though he is.
I leave the house through the terrace doors and stomp down the steps to the beach. “Is this a joke? Are they playing some elaborate prank? If so, I don’t think it’s very funny.”
“Felix is not much for jokes. Believe me, I’ve tried,” Taz grouses.
I stop and look down at him. “It is weird that Felix is involved.” I could see him being talked into remaining quiet about a prank if he thought it was harmless. But, actively participating? Especially in one that is so obviously driving me insane? It doesn’t add up.
“There must be some kind of spell,” Taz offers.
I shake my head. “I don’t sense any magic, do you?”
“Maybe the Angels are up to something?”
With a sigh, I start walking again. “Could be. But to what end? Why would the Angels care if Kegan and Alita are hand-fasted or not?” My heart clenches and I stop walking. Wide eyed with fear, I ask, “Do you think Keelan is okay?”
Taz sits on his haunches. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
“You have?” I ask dubiously. He rarely thinks about anything other than his stomach. He is behaving strangely and it’s freaking me out. I can’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you being all snarky with me this morning?” Then it hits me. “You’re scared.”
Taz shoots to his feet, his little tail high in the air. “Scared you’re keeping me from my morning bacon,” he sniffs, obviously offended by my declaration.
I wave off his defensiveness and get back to what’s more important at the moment. “You said you’ve been thinking about what happened to Keelan. What conclusion did you come to?”
My charming Familiar turns his butt toward me and starts walking back to the house. “I don’t care to share my ideas with you.”
I roll my eyes at his poutiness. “Taz, knock it off. We need to figure this out. Tell me what you’ve been thinking. Please.”
After a second, he stops waddling forward. Turning, his beady black eyes meet my green ones. “What if we’ve been having a shared vision of the future?”
Well, that wasn’t what I expected him to say. “You think the past year or two has all been an elaborate vision of the future?”
He cocks his little head to the side. “Obviously my vision of your stupidity was accurate.” There’s the Taz I know and often despise. Before I can tell him this, he continues. “Last night. I believe we had the vision about Kegan and Alita last night. And it was so detailed, we feel like it already happened.”
“Do you really believe that?” I scoff. I know I don’t.
Up ahead on the terrace, Kallen is waving to us. “Wanker alert,” Taz mutters under his breath.
With a sigh, I step forward. “Let’s go. Kegan must be here.” That was fast. Kallen’s message must have indicated an emergency.
“Woo hoo, two wankers for the price of one.”
I’d be annoyed with my Familiar, but I’m not feeling too friendly about anyone in the house at the moment. I’m going to let the wanker statement stand. Only in my mind, of course, and I’m increasing it to include everyone currently in the house. Not very charitable of me, but I don’t really care at the moment.
5 Chapter
“Hand-fasted?” Kegan gulps. “Me?”
If he didn’t look so utterly terrified at the thought, I would think he was in on the prank. But, he’s not that good of an actor. I don’t even need my supernatural lie detecting skill. If this was a joke, he’d be having trouble hiding a grin. His eyes wouldn’t be darting toward the door ready to make his escape so this difficult and embarrassing, for both him and me now, conversation will come to an abrupt end.
I can’t let it drop, though. “Have you asked Alita to marry you?” I push. Maybe Taz is right. Maybe he and I had a joint vision of the future. I don’t really believe that, but what else could it be?
Kegan’s skin is a deep shade of rust at the moment. “Alita and I are not that close.”
I mentally wire my jaw closed so I don’t say anything else which is going to make everyone think I’m crazier than they already believe. I imagine the metal lacing into the bones and between my teeth, and then the sharp tug that binds everything together tightly. For good measure, I imagine my lips being sewn together. I imagine it so well they actually sting a bit. Oh, that’s because I’m biting them. I relax my teeth slightly before I draw blood. I have so many questions I want, and need, to ask. I do not want, or need, everyone in the room who is staring at me like I’m crazy to haul me off to a padded room, though. What I need to do is step back and assess the situation. Figure out what is really happening before I convince everyone that I truly am insane. Whatever is going on, it is clear that Taz and I have a completely different idea of reality than everyone else.
The kitchen door opens and my biological father strolls in. He has obviously been informed of what is going on because he heads straight for me. Placing his hands on my cheeks, he moves my head from side to side, assessing me for magic and whatnot. Over my head, he asks Kallen, “How is she?”
“She is fine,” I grumble, pulling my face from his hands.
Ignoring me, Dagda turns his attention to Tabitha. “Can anything be done for her?”
“Um, I’m not dying,” I inform him. He completely ignores me again.
A general discussion begins in the room regarding my physical and psychological health. None of it is directed toward me. I am about to comment on that when there is a sharp pain at my ankle. I glare down at my Familiar who just bit me. “What was that for?”
“Just making sure you are still here. No one else seems to be able to see you. Wanted to make sure I’m not as crazy as they think you are.” My response is to kick out at him, but despite his extra body fat, Taz is pretty spry when he wants to be. He easily avoids my foot.
Honestly, though, I shouldn’t be too mean to him. After all, he is the only one who believes me. “I’m leaving,” I tell Taz. “No one will even notice.”
“I will notice,” a deep voice behind me says. Kallen slips his hands around my waist and leans his chin on my head.
My first instinct is to cuddle into him, pull his arms tighter around me and try to forget what is going on. Then I remember that he doesn’t believe me, either. So instead, I step forward out of his embrace. “I’m going back outside. I need some fresh air.”
“I will come with you,” Kallen insists. Out of a strong desire for my company, or to keep me from harming myself and others? I’m not sure which.
Either way, I don’t want him to come along. “No, you stay here and try to figure out what’s wrong with me.” I know I sound whiny and miserable, but I just can’t help it. I am miserable. I feel like I’m six and being told that Santa Claus doesn’t really exist. Not an analogy I am going to share with the crowd in the kitchen, though. Bringing up a mythical creature whom I thought was real for a number of years past the age of six would probably not go a long way in regards to proving my state of mental fitness. Maybe I am crazy. Because I am positive a baby I helped in a small way to bring into this world strong and healthy is suddenly gone. A baby all of us have been eagerly anticipating for months. And I am the only one feeling its loss. Well, Taz is feeling the loss, but I’m not sure how deeply. A couple of strips of bacon and I’m sure Keelan will be completely pushed from his mind.
I am so frustrated I am having trouble controlling my magic. I need to get out of here. Turning, I slip out of the kitchen unnoticed by the others. I appreciate that Kallen doesn’t come after me. I need time alone to
try to wrap my mind around what is going on and to come up with possible explanations. I briefly toss around the idea of going to Angel time to seek answers, but I know I won’t get any. No use in frustrating myself even further.
I wander along the beach for over an hour. I have no particular destination in mind. I was tempted to go to the beach home of Alita’s parents, but decided against it. If Kegan doesn’t know they’re hand-fasted, I hold out no hope that Alita does. Not to mention, it seems cruel to tell her she had a baby yesterday but I have no idea what happened to it. No, it’s best to avoid her for the time being.
After another hour, hunger starts to gnaw at my gut. I’m not ready to go back yet, though, so I ignore it. Glancing around, I realize I’m quite far from the house and may actually be lost. Considering the fact that I can teleport, I don’t fret much about it. I do plop down in the sand to rest my feet. Pulling my knees up, I wrap my arms around my legs and stare out over the ocean, hoping to find some peace.
“A soul so lost I’ve never before found, the oppressive weight of her melancholy astounds. What blow could be dealt so cruelly, to devastate this one so truly? For certainly this one could not be hell bound.”
My head is whipping back and forth as I search for the speaker of the terrible rhyme. A deep growl to my left lowers my eyes from the tree line to the sand. Taz, who has been unnaturally silent during our walk, probably because he is too weak from not having eaten in two hours to speak, is snarling at something. Peering around him, I half expect to find a Pixie. What else is small enough to be blocked by Taz’s body but still able to speak?
Well, it seems the need for concern over my state of mental wellbeing may not be as exaggerated as I thought. Because it is not a Pixie in the sand. It is a crab. A bright red, huge clawed crab. And I am one hundred percent convinced it spoke the rhyme.
I shake my head and laugh. Am I seriously considering the idea that a crab just spoke to me? Well, not to me, really. More about me. In rhyme. Yup, I’m insane. I nudge Taz with my foot. “Leave the crab alone.”
