by Martha Woods
Calla turned the water off, stepping out of the shower and dried her hair with a towel. She wished her company wasn’t so terrible, it would make this whole thing more bearable. But Kristian had to put the dullest vampire in charge of her. Wrapping the towel around her chest, Calla walked back out to the bedroom. Jared’s thoughts sliced into Calla’s mind, stop trying to read my mind, stop trying to read my mind. She rolled her eyes, “I’m not always trying to read your mind, you know.”
“Then how would you know what I was thinking?” he retorted. His voice was almost gravelly it was so deep but wasn’t grating to the ears. It was how Calla imagined blues singers to sound.
Calla gasped mockingly, “He speaks.”
Jared rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
Shaking her head, Calla moved over to the dresser and grabbed out some clothes. At least Tessa had been kind enough to share clothes with her. Walking back into the bathroom, she slid on a pair of gray cotton shorts and a flowy white tank top. She dried her hair some more, the long red strands already starting to curl. Moving back out to the room, she sat on the large queen bed, her eyes returning to Jared. His bed in the corner of the room was a twin, making her feel a little selfish for having a king-sized bed all to herself. He didn’t complain, of course.
As Jared stared at her, a question passed Calla’s lips without thinking on it, “Do you hate me?”
He was caught off-guard by the question, the stern look that had been permanently sculpted on his face melted away for the moment. His face fell flat, Jared’s eyes averting to the floral wallpaper, “I don’t.”
“You sure act like it. As does Kristian.”
“Well, Kristian does hate you.”
“Comforting,” Calla grumbled.
Jared sighed heavily, running a hand over his shaved head. “I didn’t say it was right. Everyone makes mistakes, and trust the wrong people.”
His emotions shifted, Calla being able to sense the frigidness fading and a new emotion appearing. Empathy. Her olive eyes burned with curiosity, “Have you?”
His silence returned.
“Are you really going to brew in a corner, repeating the same thought over and over through all this? Who knows when they will finally start to trust me to where you don’t have to watch my every move. In fact, if you trusted me, then maybe your word would be enough to calm Kristan down,” Calla hypothesized.
Jared’s posture stiffened, his plush lips falling into a straight line. Calla got the feeling he hadn’t thought about that before.
“If I promise not to read your thoughts, will you at least try to trust me?” Calla asked.
“How can I trust you not to read my thoughts?” he questioned.
“There’s no way I can prove to you that I’m not…” Calla shrugged, a frown creasing her lips.
Jared was silent as he stared at her. After a couple of seconds, he sighed. “I guess you aren’t. Or you have an excellent poker face.”
Calla lifted a brow in amusement, “What were you thinking?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
A smile brightened Calla’s face. Jared’s lips had mirrored hers before he realized that he was and quickly dropped his smile. Calla patted the bed next to her, gesturing for him to come over. He gave her a doubtful look, to which Calla rolled her eyes. “Do you really think I want to go against you? You could crush me like a bug.”
“Valid point,” he muttered. Reluctantly, Jared stood from his bed and sauntered over. He sat down on the bed, making sure to keep some distance between the two of them. “What is it?”
“I’m guessing you’ve been as bored as I have, having a front row seat to Kristian and Tessa’s love fest and nothing else,” Calla mused. To that, Jared actually chuckled softly but didn’t say anything. “So, I figured I could show you something. Entertain you a little bit.”
Jared gave her a strange look, not knowing what she could possibly do to entertain him. Calla reached into her bag of personal belongings and grabbed out a couple of vials, and then turned the lamp off so that the room was completely dark. “What exactly are you doing?” he asked.
“No questions,” she tutted. Calla slowed her breathing, needing to be relaxed to perform her magic properly. Sprinkling some yellow powder into her right hand, she then placed the glass vials on the blanket. She held her hands out in front of her with her palms toward the ceiling. Concentrating her mind and directing her energy, a flame flickered into existence in her right hand. Then, it grew and started to morph into the form of a fox. It was a rough shape of one, just having a triangle head and ears with a short body and bushy tail.
Then, in her right hand, when a flame appeared, the powder activated it and turned the fire white. It then took the form of a rabbit, it being just a ball with two long ears. With a lot of concentration, she managed to bend the fire, sending them into the air. The two creatures ran around above their heads, the fox chasing the rabbit. Very carefully, she moved the rabbit around Jared. The white flame illuminated Jared as it encircled him in close proximity. She could see him stiffen again, worried that he would be burned. The two fire creatures then moved away from him and came back to Calla’s hands. They twirled around quickly, Calla picking up a vial and sprinkling another powder over them. As the two flames finally collided, they burst into a cloud of pink smoke. The powder and smoke swirled, creating a tiny dust devil. A flame flickered inside the twister.
Calla.
The dust devil collapsed, and the flame disappeared. Panic seized her chest, her head starting to spin. Who had thought that? The lamp was cut back on in a flash, Jared’s icy hands grabbing her wrists. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Calla shook her head, trying to clear the sudden fog that had taken over her mind. “I-I’m fine. I think I have a headache or something,” she lied.
Jared practically blinked from existence he moved so fast. He reappeared with a wet cloth and handed it to her so that she could wipe the powder from her hands.
“Thanks,” she smiled weakly, cleaning her hands.
“Don’t mention it,” Jared muttered. “That was a neat little trick you did.”
“It was something the girls would do in school in our clan. Had to have fun somehow when your whole life is about rules and alliances,” she explained. Calla could remember her time spent at the academy that all witches in Firehaven attended. It had been so boring, every lesson being about the history and laws of the clan. Even when they had magic lessons, it was very formal and straightforward. It was fun to get a little creative with her abilities from time to time. “I think I’m going to lie down…” Calla said meekly, putting the rag on the nightstand.
Jared nodded and stood from her bed, walking over to his own. Calla laid down and pulled the blankets up around her. Maybe she had just imagined that sudden thought. She didn’t understand how any thoughts could penetrate her mind when she wasn’t using her mind-reading ability. She had to have imagined it.
* * *
Calla was walking through the forest behind her childhood home. She was barefoot, feeling the lush moss between her toes and wet leaves tickling her ankles. Why was she out here? She couldn’t remember, but Calla wasn’t worried about it. The forest had always been like a second home to her, always feeling at peace when she walked through there. She knew every tree and stone like it was a family member.
Her fingertips grazed against the rough bark of the trees as she passed them, her eyes going up to the leaves that towered far overhead. It was an overcast sky, a light drizzle coming down just like it always seemed to do.
Calla.
Her eyes widened, scanning around the misty forest. “Who’s there?”
Where have you been Calla? We’ve been worried about you.
The voice was distant and faint, she couldn’t identify it. In a panic, Calla started to run, darting between the trees to try and escape it.
Where are you, Calla? Calla?
Was it the Calder? Were they getting into her m
ind somehow? Maybe they had found out that she was close to Tessa, and wanted to get information out of her.
“Get out of my head, get out of my head,” she whispered, running as fast as she could.
Stop running. I need to talk to you. Calla, please.
She looked behind her to see a figure in the distance. Calla threw her arm out, casting a fire spell in their direction. “Stay away from me!” she screamed. She watched as the trees caught fire in front of the figure.
Her chest was heaving as she watched the trees go up in flames, thick black smoke filling the air. Through the fire, the figure emerged. It walked toward her, moving through the clouds of the thick smoke. Just as Calla turned to run, she caught a glimpse of the woman’s hair. Her hair was thick and brown with a tell-tale red shimmer.
Calla’s breath caught in her throat, her chest growing tight. “Flora?” she breathed.
“Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you everywhere. The clan got word that Deidre’s dead,” Flora called over to her sister.
Shaking her head, Calla took off in the other direction. She wasn’t ready to face her sister, not right then. Flora must have been the one sending thoughts to Calla. Blood sister witches shared a special bond, making it possible for them to direct thoughts to one another. It used a hell of a lot of magic, though.
Calla! Stop running. Talk to me. Where are you? Are you safe?
She didn’t listen, running as fast as she possibly could.
* * *
“Calla, Calla,” a voice called while an icy hand shook her shoulder gently.
She jerked awake, her doe-like eyes wide as they could be. Her fear subsided when she saw powder blue eyes staring down at her. She had only been dreaming.
“You were crying,” Jared breathed to her. “Are you alright?”
Calla reached to her face, wiping away the tears that had been rolling down her cheeks. “I’m fine,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry I woke you…”
“It’s fine,” Jared stated. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Just a… a weird dream,” she sighed. “I guess everything is just starting to get to me. Not really used to being away from my sisters and family.”
His lips pulled into a frown. Calla could sense empathy washing over him. She wondered what kind of hurt he had been through. It had to have been something similar or else the golem probably would have never spoken to her. He had about the same level of trust in witches that Kristian did.
She watched as Jared stepped away, figuring he was going back to bed. To her surprise, though, he rounded her bed and crawled onto the other side. Calla rolled to face him, curious as to why he was laying down with her. Jared laid flat on his back, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t say a word, closing his eyes as he started to relax.
Maybe he was trying to show some sympathy, knowing what it was like to be away from family; and thought laying with her would make her feel less alone. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she closed her eyes, trying to relax after such an unnerving dream.
* * *
Calla had laid awake for most of the day, too afraid to go back to sleep and let her sister invade her thoughts again. It wasn’t until the sun was starting to set that she dosed off into a restless, fitful sleep. It did calm her though that Jared was close, even though him being closer to her wouldn’t stop her sister from being able to invade her thoughts.
She awoke from the light sleep because of how frigid the air was around her. Had she kicked off her blankets? The more awake she became, she realized that she was fully covered—including cocoa arms. In his sleep, they had both managed to get to the middle of the bed. Jared was holding her against his chest, his cold skin pressed against hers. She could feel the chill of him even through their clothes.
Calla peered back to him, noticing how peaceful he looked when he slept. His face wasn’t screwed up in that stern expression he was always sporting, the muscles in his face totally relaxed. Should she wake him? No, Calla definitely didn’t want to do that. She had already woken him because of her pathetic crying. Carefully, she slipped from his arms and stood from the bed.
She walked to the dresser and pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, not bothering to walk into the bathroom since Jared was asleep. She also changed out of her tank top and into a periwinkle long-sleeve crop top, the shirt reaching to her belly button. As she pulled on a lightweight jacket, Calla heard Jared starting to stir. Looking over to the bed, Jared was sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Evening,” Calla called over.
He didn’t say a word but gave her a small wave. Jared hoisted himself from the bed and slid on his pants that were on the floor next to his own bed. Calla hadn’t even noticed he was sleeping in his boxers.
They moved from the room and headed into the living area. Calla wished they had coffee. Jared sat in his usual chair in the corner of the room as she went to poke around the kitchen to see what there was to eat. Someone seriously needed to go grocery shopping, the supplies running really low. They only had a few pieces of fruit and a carton of eggs left. She plucked an apple from the fruit bowl and moved to the couch. As she bit into the apple, Calla could feel Jared’s eyes on her. Glancing over at him, she wondered what he was thinking. It was tempting to tune in for just a second, curious to see how he felt about her after the night they had. She was going to stick to her word, though, and mind his privacy.
Then, there was someone beating on the door. Jared shot up, moving to the door in a blur. He peered through the peephole before opening the door. A vampire with short brown hair and hickory eyes marched into the apartment. She had an aura of power to her, as though nothing could strike her down. It wasn’t arrogance, but actual power. The most prominent display of it, was Jared’s shift in demeanor. The stern look returned to his face, his posture perfectly straight.
“Where’s Kristian and Tessa?” she asked, but then her eyes fell on Calla. The vampire froze, taking her in before mentally placing her and her attention going back to Jared.
“They’re in bed,” Jared replied simply.
“Go get them. Now.”
Jared didn’t hesitate to beeline directly to Tessa and Kristian’s room. Calla was a little surprised by how well Jared listened to orders. With his sturdy frame and substantial vampire strength, she figured he would be the type to give orders instead of receiving them. He listened to Kristian and this woman without any questions or hesitance.
Within a minute, Jared, Kristian, and Tessa all hurried into the living room. Tessa and Kristian sat down on the couch across from Calla, their eyes glued to the vampire. “What’s going on, Ally?” Kristian finally spoke, his voice a bit raspy from just having woke up.
No wonder the woman radiated dominance, definitely being the alpha in the room, even outdoing Kristian. She had heard them talk about her in passing. Jared moved to sit down next to Calla as Ally sat in the armchair at the front of the room. Ally crossed her legs and folded her arms over her lap. “I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, the Calder caught your trail,” she announced in an even voice.
All of their eyes widened, a thick tension falling over the room. “How far are they?” Kristian asked, his arm wrapping around Tessa tightly.
“Last I heard, Minnesota.”
Kristian’s brow knitted together, “Then why are we already hearing about this? Can’t you send others to take care of them?”
Ally sucked in a deep breath, “Because it isn’t a job just a few could take care of. It would be a fruitless effort to send any group after them.”
“I don’t understand. How many are there?”
“We aren’t sure of an exact count… but we’re estimating up to forty,” Ally explained, causing jaws to drop all around. “It isn’t a number I can just send some guys after… It seems as though we’re going to have to let them come to us.”
“That’s suicide,” Kristian pressed, jumping to his feet. “There has to be something else we can do.”
“I don
’t have the manpower for it, Kristian,” Ally explained. “I’m sorry. I can call all the men here that I can… but I can’t risk our entire family over this.”
Kristian paced around, running his hands through his chestnut hair. “I don’t expect the whole family to lay down their lives for us,” he admitted. “There has to be some sort of way out of this…”
“Could you call on your clan to help us?” Tessa called quietly to Calla.
Everyone paused and turned to stare at Calla. She was frozen in place, her heart pounding in her chest. Flashbacks of the dream she had the night before consumed her mind. “I… I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she breathed.
“Why not? Do you think they wouldn’t be willing to help?” Tessa asked.
Calla blinked rapidly, her throat growing dry. She wasn’t ready to talk to the clan. Of course they would be willing to help. They wouldn’t want Tessa’s power falling into the hands of the Calder. Calla’s own emotions were in the way. A cold hand slid over hers, making her flinch. Jared was staring at her intently. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“I’ll… I’ll be right back,” Calla managed to get out, her voice lower than a whisper. Without any more explanation, she jumped to her feet and hurried to her room. Closing the door behind her, she walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. Her hands clutched to the mattress as she tried to steady her breathing. It was stupid for her to be so afraid, but she couldn’t help it. Calla had spent her entire life with the Firehaven clan, and knew nearly all of them like family. Deidre had been a mysterious, powerful elder. Everyone wanted to learn by her hand. So when the woman had approached Calla to assist her on an important mission, Calla jumped at the opportunity with no questions asked.
She had been humiliatingly naïve. Deidre had only used Calla for her magic, needing more than just her own to track Veronica down. It should have been a red flag to Calla that they hadn’t gone to Tessa. The old woman had convinced her it would be best to persuade someone close to the vampires to let them in, to lower the risk of danger.
