Crimson Secrets

by Garnet Davenport

  There was a knock at the door. When I opened it, there she was—the little girl that I had made friends with so many years ago.

  “Shay?”

  I smiled. “Sophia?”

  She smiled back. “Oh my god. They told me it was you, but I didn’t believe it. How have you been?”

  “Good, up until a few weeks ago. But things are starting to make more sense now. How are you?”

  She nodded her head. “Good, really good.”

  She gave me a hug. “I heard about what happened. I am so sorry. But that is behind us. They told me that you bonded with the eldest Callamore son?”

  I shook my head in disagreement. “I haven’t bonded, but I do believe he is my mate, as they call it.”

  She laughed. “Oh, so you haven’t…?”

  I blushed. “No. I haven’t.”

  She laughed again.

  “Is something funny?”

  “No. I didn’t mean it like that. You see, the Callamores are known for their speed in things. Very speedy.” She blushed.

  “I never heard that, and Declan has been a complete gentleman.”

  She looked surprised. “Really?”

  I nodded my head. “Yeah. Can I be honest?”

  She looked at me very serious. “Of course.”

  I sighed. “I need to get a message to him, and I want him to know that I’m okay. I just don’t want him to know where I am. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah, come with me. We will go talk to my father.”

  “Okay.” When she opened the door Duncan was standing there. He looked at Sophia and then immediately away. There was a pain hidden there.

  “Shay, I wanted to apologize.” He looked at me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that you had company.” He turned to Sophia and put his hand out. “Duncan Callamore.”

  She smiled. “Oh really, Mr. Callamore? I’m pretty sure we’ve met on numerous occasions.”

  She went walking past him with more sass and anger than I’ve seen happen to Duncan. Well, aside from how I treat him. I just quietly chuckled. “We are going to talk to Sophia’s father to see if we can get information to Declan that we are all right. Do you want to come with us?”

  He turned and got in front of us quickly putting his arms up to stop us from moving forward. “You can’t go to Declan. He will never just let you go. He is not allowed past these borders. He could be killed for crossing to be with you without permission.”

  I looked at Sophia.

  “We can see what my father can do. We won’t tell him until we know it’s safe.”

  I turned back to Duncan. “I know you’re worried. I’m not sure if it’s worry for your brother, for me, or for yourself for being here with me.”

  I started to walk past him, and he turned around to us. “Aren’t you more worried about if he finds out that you ran with me and you avoided him? Besides, I’m sure Nate has gotten back to the estate. And I’m sure Declan will be breaking the boundaries for you any minute now, which puts his head on the guillotine. But hey, that’s okay, you can be responsible for killing your own mate and at least you’ll know what it’s like to feel that responsibility.” He walked away so smug. I wanted to kill him. I could feel a fire burning through my chest. I wanted to hurt him for what he said. I stopped myself and I felt Sophia’s hand take mine.

  She pulled me away and down the hall. “He’s not right.”

  I cleared my throat. “What are you talking about?”

  She stopped and looked at me. “The truth is what you are looking for, and I can tell you what I know, but it may give you a different view of Declan. Do you still want to know?”

  I started to open my mouth, but I didn’t know what words to say, there is always these perfectly placed moments that you have a clear choice in your life and I knew that this was one of them. But knowing which way to go and take that choice. “I want to know.”

  She took a deep breath and looked around us. “Come on, we can go to the library. No one will be able to overhear us there.”

  We walked to the end of the hall and up another staircase. When she opened the double door entrance, we walked in and then shut the doors.

  “This room is completely sound proof,” she said.

  I just looked at her. “Okay.” Now I looked around the room. It was well lit considering you always see these old fully wooded libraries so dark and dreary.

  She walked over to a book that was on a pedestal and started to flip through the pages.

  “What is that?”

  She didn’t look up. “If I told you, I would have to kill you.” She looked up and smiled. “Just kidding. It’s our territory’s book. It has the history that was lived by our people.” She looked back down at the book. “It wasn’t that long ago, so it can’t be that far back.”

  I was shaking my head. “What wasn’t that long ago?”

  She looked back and forth between the book and me. “The truth about the Callamores. About Declan.”

  My jaw dropped. How was it that they had information in their territory’s book about Declan? I asked, “How is that possible?”

  She looked at me. “I’ll start with what I know. Her name was Hellena Gahlonaghan, my sister, and she fell in love with Declan Callamore.”

  I looked at her in shock. “I didn’t know. I am so sorry.”

  She turned away for a moment. “She loved Duncan first, and she fell in love with Duncan when we were seven. Both families thought it was a sign that the Gahlonaghans and Callamores would be bound by marriage. Plans were set in motion from that day. The great prophecy that young love would conquer the hatred between the territories. We were taught to fight by the best warriors of our territory, but my father didn’t think that was enough since he had girls. He wanted us to be stronger.” She paused, looking at a drawing in the book of a girl that looked just like her. “They brought a warrior from your territory to us when we were fifteen, he taught us to fight with more skill and passion. A war broke out in the Northern Territory. Hunters were killing us off whole families at a time. This warrior was assigned to go to the Northern Territory, but Hellena didn’t want him to go. She fell in love with the warrior. She was granted permission to go with him to war. She was not ready, but they bonded and the warrior would be a better warrior with his mate by his side. She never came back to me. They consecrated her to the ground in a territory that was not hers. The warrior, Declan Callamore, walked away from her to win a battle with the hunters. And I lost my sister.”

  She had started to cry. I walked up to her and put my arms around her. “I am so sorry. I can’t tell you that he has changed, because honestly I don’t know, but I know how I feel when I am with him. I am so sorry that you lost your sister.”

  She pulled away. “You don’t get it. Not only was my sister barely sixteen when she left with Declan, but she was not a mac tire. She should have never been with him in a war. He said she would be fine, that he would be able to protect her, but when her last moments came to light.” She paused. “We found that she was tortured and slaughtered for being his mate and for the possibility that she could produce an heir to the mac tire bloodline.”

  I felt horrible. I couldn’t justify anything about Declan or the person that he was two years ago. Was that long enough for him to become a better man? I was ashamed of the person he was, and now I was embarrassed for loving him.

  She had regained her composure.

  I asked, “Is there anything else I should know?”

  Sophia said, “Nothing specific. I’m sure my father will tell you more, but it’s good that you know the truth between the families.”

  I looked at the doors thinking about Duncan. “Is it okay that Duncan is here? I mean is your father okay with him here?”

  She quickly responded. “My father would do anything to have Hellena back, but you becoming the first female mac tire in generations is what is important. Duncan is a part of your journey and he had nothing to do with the Callamores’ decisions. I want
you to know that you have your own prophecy and you are already on that path. Do you still want to go speak with my father?”

  I looked at her, grabbed her hand, and spoke softly. “If there is anything that I could ever do to take your pain away I would do it. We don’t need to speak to him about Declan.”

  She squeezed my hand back with tears in her eyes. “I know that you would, I felt that when we were young and even more now. Come on let’s get out of here and get something to eat.”

  “Okay.”

  She started to walk to the door, and when she opened it, we found Duncan just outside of the door.

  “Did you hear what you needed to hear?” he said with his arms crossed.

  Sophia spoke up. “We were going to go get something to eat. I know you’ve already eaten, but do you want to come with us?”

  He looked at Sophia and then to me. “Sure.”

  ➢14 The Demand

  While we sat in the kitchen eating the best beef sandwich I had ever had, we heard the phone ring several times before anyone answered it. We had been talking about my time I spent at the Callamores’, some of the things that happened to me Duncan wasn’t aware had happened.

  “Shay, I had no idea.” Sophia shook her head.

  The servants started to get antsy and looked as if they were trying to act like nothing was happening. Sophia tried to play it off, but she had even started to pique an interest in what was going on.

  “So, Duncan can agree with me on this. You are special. The mac tire females are basically an anomaly in our species. We haven’t heard of there being a female to go through transition in generations. It’s just unheard of. This is one reason my father is so angry. It was just Hellena and me, so when Hellena and Duncan found each other at such a young age, the council elders assumed that she would be the first female to transition at eighteen. The prophecy stated that young love would unite the territories. And it would have, but instead it tore them apart more.”

  I looked over my shoulder toward Duncan. He still had such anger. Why wouldn’t he? This was only two years ago, no one can just get over a death like that in two years. The servants had started running around the Gahlonaghan’s estate through the halls in the background.

  I turned around to Maria. “What’s going on?”

  She started to grab dirty dishes from the counter. “There was a phone call from Edness Callamore.”

  “And?” Duncan questioned.

  I let out a sigh.

  “She is demanding the return of Duncan to your own territory. But he is only allowed to leave by order of Mr. Gahlonaghan. At this moment in time, he is not granting permission.”

  Duncan turned quickly. “Are you telling me I have now been held as a royal captive?”

  Maria looked down at the dishes as she put them into the sink. “I do not know, sir.”

  Duncan was angry. “You can’t hold me.” He started to walk out of the room. Sophia got up quickly and tried to get in front of him, but he was quicker than her. He stormed through the hall and into the study where we first met Mr. Gahlonaghan. Sophia and I followed close behind to make sure he didn’t do anything that would put himself in danger.

  “Duncan, my father—”

  He cut her off. “What? He wouldn’t try to hold a royal to gain territory?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what his plans are, but I want to help Shay find the information she is looking for, don’t you?”

  He didn’t even turn around. “No.” He opened the doors to the study in a very dramatic way demanding answers. “Is it your intention to hold me as a royal captive?” Victor Gahlonaghan turned in shock that Duncan was demanding to be addressed.

  “Mr. Callamore, I know that our families have boundary terms and so, by you crossing the border to our territory you violated these terms. I assure you that you are not a royal captive nor are you welcome to leave at will. I will also assure you that you are in no danger here in my home.”

  Duncan folded his arms across his chest. “Then why can’t I leave?”

  Mr. Gahlonaghan looked out of the window. His eyes squinted with the sun beaming in. “Past my guarded walls is a territory of angry mac tires that are aware you are here. There has been a demand for your head as retribution for Hellena. I will not let this happen, and I will not punish my mac tires for your brother’s actions. I am in the process of an agreement of terms with your grandmother to be able to return you safely. In the meantime, you are welcome to roam about my home, but you are not allowed past these walls. Do you understand?” He turned back to Duncan and his naturally brown eyes glowed a yellow gold.

  Duncan bowed his head. “Yes, sir.”

  I took the attention off the situation. “So, Mrs. Callamore only demanded Duncan be returned?”

  Victor Gahlonaghan addressed me quickly. “Yes, my dear, there was already a discussion of you visiting each of the territories in this region before. The intention is still for you to develop your abilities. I believe with Duncan here you will not be able to do that. I would like to limit your contact with anyone in the Callamore family.” He walked over to Sophia. “Honestly finding out that you had been the girl that my Sophia had spoken of years ago that was such a good friend was important to me. The house has had a dark sadness without her smile, and you’ve returned her smile.” He held his hand up to her cheek. “I would be honored if you would stay with us, as for Duncan, when terms are met he will be free to leave.”

  I was overwhelmed by the care he has for Sophia. Duncan walked over to me. “I will stay as long as Shay is welcome, if you don’t mind.” He grabbed my hand and that spark I first felt was there. He shifted his head over to me. I was warm instantly. I knew he could feel it too.

  “Shay is my friend, and my brother would never forgive me if I could not protect her for any reason. My grandmother would also be ashamed that I didn’t stay as her guard.”

  Victor Gahlonaghan seemed puzzled by Duncan’s gesture. “Mr. Callamore, I understand your need to protect miss Evans, but you have nothing to be worried about. I have my personal protection service coming to be by her side during the entirety of her stay with us. I assure you that she is in the best protection that can be offered.”

  I turned to Duncan, thinking about what Victor Gahlonaghan had said about my bond with Duncan. “I will be fine. I want you to be safe getting back home. Then you can tell Declan that I am all right. It’s the best solution for everyone involved.”

  Sophia quickly spoke. “That sounds great. I’ll be happy to have another girl in this house my age. How long can she stay?”

  Victor Gahlonaghan looked at Duncan. “As long as it takes. Shay is always welcome here. Now we are just awaiting word from your grandmother to get you back home safely.”

  After that the day dragged out. I spent most of my time with Sophia just catching up on everything else. I felt bad I couldn’t remember her sister, especially since they were twins. We just kept talking about everything, Duncan stood off in the corner of whatever room we were in with his arms crossed silently listening. The sun started to go down. I could see that she was getting tired. Then she yawned and changed the subject abruptly. “I have to go to sleep.”

  I blinked. “Oh, okay.”

  Duncan looked over. “Shay, they aren’t like us. We can stay awake for days on end without falling asleep, but the sun gives energy to those that do not go through the transition. When the sun goes down they need to sleep.”

  I looked back at Sophia. “It’s so much different than I thought.”

  Duncan scoffed, and Sophia looked confused. “And what did you think?” said Sophia. “We can’t all be superhuman mac tires. But it will be easier when I find my mate. I can share his energy and strength. That’s one reason why bonding is so important.”

  I was embarrassed. “Oh.”

  Duncan stepped forward. “And when I thought I had found the possibility of being happy with another, she turned to my brother. I will not watch you die for him.” H
e marched out of the room. Everyone could hear his footsteps throughout the mansion.

  Sophia turned to me. “Are you sure that you are supposed to be with Declan?” I didn’t answer her. I thought I knew how I felt about Duncan, but he had surprised me every time I thought I knew what he was going to do next, he did the opposite. I smiled when I was thinking about how much he had changed since our journey had begun.

  “Come on, I’ll walk you up to your room. Besides, I had a book delivered to your room. It gives you some history about the mac tires and this woman called the Morrígan. It’s important that we not only train you to hone your abilities, but that we teach you what you should have learned about your past.”

  When we got to my door she turned to me. “I want you to know how happy I am that you are here. Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help you, okay?”

  I nodded my head. “Thank you. I am happy that there is someone here that I know, even if it’s been eleven years.”

  She giggled with me. “Sleep tight.” She waved at me then walked away.

  I turned and walked into the room they had given me, and I knew that Duncan was next door to me. So, I wanted to be quiet. I went to look for the book. It was on the desk by the window with a note from Victor Gahlonaghan that stated:

  I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

  Remember you can’t control your past, only your future.

  —Victor Gahlonaghan

  I placed the note in the back of the book. I wasn’t sure if I wanted anyone else to read that; so many things could be read into it. I skimmed through the pages of this old book seeing drawings of wounded warriors over time and this creature was taking their souls from them. The drawings were gory and were exactly what I thought of her, a monster. I started to freak myself out about all the things that I had heard and what she had done to me. Images flashed into my mind of what she had done to me and I closed the book in a swift clap.