“You think I should go to him?”
“What I think doesn’t matter. What do you want?”
Arielle turned her head to the rolling hills as she sorted through her racing thoughts. Where she thought she belonged no longer fit.
With her mind set, she faced her mother. “I want to go back to the other realm.”
“When do you want to leave?”
“As soon as possible.”
Her mother tapped her foot. “Say goodbye to everyone, and I’ll start the preparations to send you back through the portal.”
Calum couldn’t yank Arielle from his head. She tormented him. No matter which form he took on, how far he flew, nor how loud he belted out lyrics on stage, she was with him. Even though she was in a different realm, she’d taken up space in his head and imprinted her touch on his skin. She was gone, yet still everywhere.
He had to go to her. There was no other option.
But how the bloody hell would he get there? After all, they’d gone through to get her to that realm, it was damn near impossible.
He needed help. And after the drain it had taken on Kayla, he doubted Mason would be up for that.
Still, he couldn’t give up without trying. Maybe another witch would help him.
After debating the pros and cons during a long flight, Calum visited Mason and Kayla at their treehouse.
“What brings you here, brother?” Mason asked.
It was going to be difficult. Calum remembered the anguish on Mason’s face and voice when Kayla was in trouble. Bloody hell, that’s what helped Calum see that Arielle was worth it. To have a connection like Mason and Kayla had, that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not something to give up without a fight.
“I need to go to her.” Calum hadn’t planned to state it bluntly, but now that it was out, his feelings were out there.
Mason blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“Arielle. I need to go to her. I never should’ve let her go. Not without asking if she wanted to stay.”
“Are you off yer head? She bloody lives in another realm. After all we’ve gone through to get her there, and now you want to follow? How would we do that? And what if you can’t find a way back?”
“I know. I thought of all these things. But she’s worth it. She’s worth the risk.”
“You’re going to have to convince another witch to help you.” Mason shook his head and spread his arms in an absolute gesture.
“I know. I wouldn’t ask Kayla to do that again.”
“You don’t have to ask, I volunteer.”
Both Calum and Mason turned with surprise on hearing Kayla’s voice. She came out of the treehouse wearing a brilliant smile.
“Kayla, don’t be foolish,” Mason said, his voice full of exacerbation. “You’re pregnant. Any energy toll isn’t good for you or the baby.”
“Energy can be regenerated,” Kayla said. “And Arielle’s magic is powerful. It brought me back in no time.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Mason added, worry edging his voice. “I implore you to reconsider.”
“I’m pregnant, not handicapped,” Kayla said. “If I can use my magic to help someone in love, I’m going to do so. Don’t forget, Calum was the first one to stand by you when you told him we wanted to be together.”
The glance she gave Mason showed she wasn’t going to back down. Although she was petite and Mason loomed over her with his stone-hard muscles, she held her own.
Kayla turned to Calum. “When it comes to love, we can do foolish things. But it’s worth the risk.” She turned her gaze back to Mason and gave him a gentle smile. “It’s going to be all right. Don’t worry.”
Mason’s tense expression softened. After crossing territorial divides to be with Kayla, and having been willing to leave the island to be with her, he understood the risks for love.
“Fine,” Mason said. “But if you’re going anywhere, I’m going with you.”
Kayla beamed. “We have a lot to do.”
The next several hours were filled with preparation to return to the Highlands. Since they still had some of the potion left, they didn’t have to wait for days to brew it from scratch.
Lachlan, Bryce, and Gavin tried to talk him out of it. Surprisingly, Mason was the one who had come to Calum’s defense.
“If you had the opportunity to be with Raina or Mairi, wouldn’t you do it? No matter what the risk?”
Maybe Kayla had gotten to him. Soon Lachlan and Bryce relented, too.
Gavin still shook his head. “You’re mad, mate.” In a sarcastic tone, he added, “Guess we’re going to have to find a new singer.”
“Sod off,” Calum said. “Nothing like the support, bro.”
“You know I’m just messing with you.” Gavin put his hand on Calum’s shoulder. “Good luck. Come home safely.”
That was the thing. Would he return? If Arielle accepted him, she might want to stay in her realm. If she didn’t—well, he wasn’t sure if, or how, he could return without Kayla’s help. His fate would be in the hands of the pegasi.
Calum glanced at his brothers at what might be the last time. They had done so much to form their clan and build their band and now he was walking away from everything he thought he ever wanted. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.
As soon as darkness draped over the isle, Calum flew to the Highlands with Mason and Kayla. Since they’d found the ley lines the last time they were here, it was easier to spot the castle and locate them, keeping their distance from the fairies who guarded Tomnahurich Hill. Anxiety blossomed like a pit hollowing out his stomach, while excitement fluttered higher in his chest. He might see Arielle again, and soon. What awaited him in the other portal? Worse, what if Arielle rejected him? It was a risky gamble.
“You sure about this?” Mason asked, as if sensing his discomfort.
It was time to move on to a new chapter, one that included Arielle—if she’d have him.
“I am.”
Kayla created a magic circle with salt that surrounded them, as she’d done when they’d sent Arielle home.
“As soon as the portal opens, go,” Mason declared, “No hesitation. We’re not draining Kayla’s energy any more than necessary.”
Calum understood. His long goodbye with Arielle had put an unnecessary strain on Kayla. “Agreed.”
Kayla pulled out articles and chanted to cast the spell. The air shimmered and a low humming sound vibrated around them. The fiery portal opened with the black gaping tunnel within, turning it into a colorful vortex. A shiver of fear wormed its way from the pit of his stomach, before slivering around his spine. How had Arielle ventured into this strange abyss alone? His feet were laden with uncertainty. She was stronger and courageous than her ethereal beauty let on.
He took a hesitant step forward as he felt a warm, energizing tingle that flowed over his skin. He took one last look at the Highlands. It might be the last time he was here. He inhaled the scent of heather and pictured seeing Arielle again. A sense of calm flowed through him.
He stepped into the portal.
Streaks of color swirled around them as they shot through the air. He soared like he was in flight, except he wasn’t the one in control. Some unseen force shot him through a tunnel. His stomach lurched, and his skin tingled, tugging away from his body. He breathed through it, hoping the disturbing sensations would lessen. No such luck.
Seconds, or perhaps minutes, passed before Calum ceased hurtling through the vortex. He landed on his arse on a grassy field. He pulled himself to his feet and glanced at his surroundings. The sun shined brightly through an azure sky adorned with pink and violet brush strokes. That brilliant violet swash reminded him of Arielle’s unique irises. Wherever he had passed into, it was daytime, though it had been night back home when he had left. Or the journey through the tunnel took far longer than the minutes he’d thought had passed.
The land around him consisted of endless rolling green hills dotted with tiny, frag
rant white flowers. He must have landed atop one of the hills as a village lay beside a stream below. That appeared to be a good place to start on his search for Arielle.
He’d only progressed a third of the way down the hill when the sound of pounding hooves behind him made him turn. Two armed men rode down one of the hills toward him. No, not men. Only their upper bodies appeared human, the rest were equine.
Centaurs, shite.
The one on the left pointed a pitchfork at Calum’s chest. “Don’t move.”
Chapter 15
“Who are you?” the shorter centaur on the right barked at Calum.
The sharp prongs threatened to permanently silence Calum. He might have made a fatal mistake in coming to this realm.
“I’m Calum.”
“Why are you armed?”
With all the recent incidents, he wouldn’t dare venture to another realm without a weapon. “I’ve faced trouble of late. Most recently with a dragon.”
The centaurs exchanged a look. “Why are you here?” the taller one demanded.
“I came to see Arielle. Do you know her?”
“You’re not from here. How did you get into our land, gargoyle?” he responded.
“The same as Arielle. Through a portal. I helped her return.”
The shorter centaur sized him up. “We’ll see about that. What do you want with Arielle?”
“To talk to her.”
“About what?”
“That’s between Arielle and me.”
The centaur lowered the trident, aiming it at Calum’s gut. “It better include me unless you want a few more holes in your body.”
Calum winced, anticipating the pain of the trident. What the bloody hell could he use as an excuse to explain why he’d cross realms to find her? Nothing came to him, but the truth. It had worked with Arielle and the fairies…
“I came to tell her I loved her.”
The centaurs stared at him before breaking out in laughter.
“A gargoyle and a pegasus—are you barking mad?”
Shite. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to go. “Just let her know I’m here.”
“Come.” The taller centaur said. He moved behind Calum and pointed the trident at his lower back.
The centaur didn’t lower it until he’d led Calum to a stone cell and had locked him in.
Calum pushed at every inch of his circular enclosure, seeking a weakness so he could find his way out. Nothing.
“Jailed by centaurs,” he grumbled. “What a smashing plan.”
Arielle spent the next several hours saying goodbye to members of her herd while her mother prepared magic to send her on her journey.
When she was returning home, her mother ran out. She grabbed Ariel’s wrist.
“The centaurs claim to have caught a gargoyle trespassing on their lands in the hills. What’s his name?”
Arielle’s heart pounded. It couldn’t be. “Calum.”
“That’s the one,” she said. “He came looking for you!”
Arielle blinked. Was she dreaming? She had to be. There was no way Calum crossed into her realm to find her. That was insane, if not impossible.
“Come on,” her mother insisted. “They have him locked up in a dungeon.
They’d imprisoned him? Arielle burst into a run upon hearing that. The damn centaurs considered themselves the guards of the lands, but were notorious for being overzealous in their watch for danger. She and her mother had to slow their pace as they climbed a hill above the pegasi village in the valley.
“We’re here to see the gargoyle,” her mother declared to a centaur guard.
He gave her a disinterested glance in return. “He was trespassing.”
Arielle stepped up to him. “He was lost. Not trespassing. He was coming to see me. You’re overstepping your boundaries by imprisoning him. Let me see him.”
Her heart pounded while she stared at a guard towering over her by more than a foot. What she’d said had some truth in it—the centaurs had no right to decide who visited the pegasi village. She wasn’t going to back down no matter what his size. In recent days, she’d faced a dragon shifter so she sure as hell wasn’t going to cower to a damn centaur in her own realm. Besides, Calum had taken on a much bigger risk by coming here. She wouldn’t let him suffer in jail any longer.
The guard stared at her before relenting. “Wait here.” He disappeared inside a small structure.
Her eyes bulged when Calum emerged, the guard holding a trident at his lower back.
“Don’t point that at him!” She ran and grabbed the guard’s arm.
With a scowl, he lowered the trident.
“Arielle!” Calum’s voice hitched, edged with emotion.
“What are you doing here?”
He wrapped her in his arms. After he released her, he asked, “Can we talk?” He shot a withering glare at the guard, but who still loomed like a threatening hulk.
“Sure.” She pulled back. “Calum, this is my mother.” In her excitement, Arielle had forgotten her mother was there.
“A pleasure to meet you,” he said.
She nodded. “Likewise.” Then she waved. “You two, go and talk. I’m sure you have much to discuss.”
Arielle and Calum walked over to an outcrop of rocks on the side of the hill away from the others, where they had more privacy.
He took her hand in both of his. “I came to ask you something, Arielle. What I should have asked when you were on the isle.”
Her mind swarmed with more questions, most of which ended with Why did he come find her?
“Ask me what?”
“Do you… If you… I never asked if you’d think about staying on the island. With me.”
If she thought she was imagining seeing him a moment before, now she was sure of it. She laughed. “Clearly, I’m dreaming. There’s no way any of this is real.”
He stepped closer. “It is real. I never should have let you go. At least, not without asking if you’d like to stay.”
She dropped her head and shook it. “I was planning to return there.”
“You were?” His expression turned incredulous. “But your mother?”
“She helped me see what’s truly important.” She bit her lip. “There’s one thing that concerns me.”
“What?”
“That I’d interfere with your life.”
“No. Never.”
“You were either on watch or saving me from danger. When I saw you on stage, it was like seeing a different side of you. More carefree. What you’re like when you don’t have to worry about me.”
He blinked and then stared at her. “I thought you might turn me down flat but never thought you’d say anything like that.”
“Well…” She shifted her feet. “It’s true.”
He opened his mouth and closed it. “Arielle, you’ve misunderstood my feelings. Let me see if I can explain them.” He put his hand on his chest. “On stage, that’s only one part of me. But it’s not the only one. I am a gargoyle and part of my being is taking care of others, protecting them from harm.”
She shrugged. “I don’t want to be just someone you feel compelled to protect.”
“You’re not. When I met you, something woke inside me—something I’ve seen happen with my brothers, but never understood until I found it with you. You are the one for me, Arielle. The one I want to be near as much as possible. The one who comforts me, who makes me laugh, who makes me want to live…and to love. I want to take care of you because I want to be with you.”
“Oh—Calum.” Her voice trembled.
“I don’t want to live without you, Arielle. I know two different species getting together is hard—I’ve seen it with my brothers and the obstacles they had to overcome. And with us, we face another challenge being from two different worlds. But our love is worth it.”
“Love?” she repeated.
“Aye, I think so,” he said in a softer tone. Taking her hand, he kissed it. “I love you, Arielle. I
know we haven’t known each other for long, but what we’ve gone through together is more than what many couples face in a lifetime. The time we’ve spent together was the happiest in my life. I don’t want it to end.”
“Calum…” Choked up, that’s all she could manage.
“Come back with me. Or, I’ll live here with you.” With a wry grin, he shot a look over to the guards. “If they’ll let me.”
“No.” She shook her head.
His face dropped. His entire body seemed to sag. “Oh. All right. I thought I’d check.”
Ach, he thought she was rejecting him. “I mean we can’t live here,” she said. “I won’t tear you from your brothers and your band.”
“Will you come with me then? I know the island isn’t much compared to what you have here—”
“Calum, the island is wonderful.” She waved her arm around. “I was coming to you, remember? I love everything about the island. I’ve always looked for something more—seeking adventure or new places to explore. But when I met you, I found out what I was missing in my life.” She stepped closer and put her hand over his heart. “You.”
“Ah, Arielle.”
“You’re the one for me, Calum. My mate.”
“Mate,” he repeated. “I like the sound of that.” He cupped her face and kissed her.
Epilogue
Back on the Isle of Stone, Calum held Arielle in his arms after they’d made love. They’d chosen the cabin Arielle had, and he traced lazy circles on her back. He breathed easily, feeling for the first time that everything was going to be okay.
He moved his fingers up to caress her soft shoulder. “I love you, Arielle. You mean the world to me.” He lowered his lips to give her a long, unhurried kiss.
“I love you, too.” She murmured against his mouth.
Calum parted her lips with his tongue, easing his way in. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her body. He’d crossed into another realm to be with her, and she for him. Nothing could keep them apart.
When he pulled his lips from hers, he declared, “Home is wherever you are, Arielle. Wherever that takes us.”
“Well, you know I’m quite fond of your concerts. And it turns me on to see you perform.” With a raised brow, she added, “On stage. So, I hope you’ll be taking me to more of your shows.”
Knights of Stone: Calum: A gargoyle and pegasus shifter paranormal romance (Highland Gargoyles Book 5) Page 13
