by Haley Weir
"I made a deal with Giddeon. He's going to track down the woman you married and get the marriage annulled." She made her way over to Olivia and snagged a piece of bacon from his plate. They set the table with an array of foods and orange juice.
Caleb felt as if he had stumbled into an alternate universe. Rina seemed...surprisingly calm for having just learned he had an estranged wife. Caleb sat beside her at the table and he couldn't stop touching her. He caressed her arms as he ate, subconsciously needing to have her close. Olivia babbled about her time in London when she performed with a rock band at a few pubs. "I couldn't even sing. Not one note...well, maybe I could. But the point is that I looked really good in fishnets."
Rina flung a spoonful of egg at Olivia, but she caught it in her mouth. Diana glanced up from her work to sip from her glass of orange juice. "So, what's up with the Reckoning? Have you heard anything else from them?"
"Nothing. Radio silence from Kodiak Island." Caleb set his phone in the center of the table. "I think they're still recovering from Rina and Seth. All of that water after the explosion probably caused a lot of problems for them. Madeu and Octavius are most likely at each other's throats."
"And Medusa is your brother, right?" Olivia asked.
"Madeu," he corrected. "And yes, he's my brother. I dreamt of the first time I ever saw him, and there's no way he could have fought as my father's champion."
"Champion?"
"Caleb was seventeen during the war between the Spartans and the Athenians," Rina revealed. Caleb felt his ear burning with the heat of his embarrassment.
"Holy crap!" Olivia fell out of her seat, and pancakes were launched into the air. "He's a bazillion years old!"
"Not a bazillion," Caleb said sheepishly. "I'm just blessed with a long life."
"And Madeu is older than you? He must have been a caveman." Olivia climbed back into her chair and picked up Caleb's phone. "Why not try to get him alone? If Octavius is trying to trick him, maybe you can warn him before—”
"I'm not going to help Madeu. I may understand how he feels, but that doesn't change the fact that he has hurt a lot of people...including Seth."
Rina glanced over at him and looked down at his hand where it rested on her arm. "Everyone deserves a second chance,” she said just loud enough for him to hear. Her friends chatted about one thing or another, but Caleb was ensnared by Rina. “You made mistakes, and so did I, but we keep coming back to each other.”
“I’ll always come back to you. I’m just grateful you aren’t trying to cut my head off.”
“No, I won’t cut your head off, but I won’t be sleeping with you until I hear back from Damien. We sleep separately and take our time with this. And I want you to train me,” she stated matter-of-factly. “When we were in that fortress, I couldn’t protect myself.”
“You want me to train you? In combat?”
“In everything. I want to know how to fight, how to strategize and protect your people. If this is my life now, I’m not going to stay in the dark forever,” Rina clarified. “I want options.”
He nodded and wiped his hands on a napkin. “All right. I’ll train you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Castle Black
Destiny, Alaska
The car pulled into what looked like an underground parking garage. Rina saw over a dozen luxury vehicles lined up along the concrete wall; a staircase led to the ground level of the courtyard. Caleb led her to the area where the younger males trained to become fighters. Heads turned and watched her with interest. "Why do they all look at me like I'm lunch?" she asked nervously.
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind eating you, Rina, but not in the way you're thinking."
"You mean..."
"They're males in their prime," he laughed. "And our kind tend to like our women...juicy. You, Rina, are exactly the type of mate most of us look for."
She shivered as dozens of eyes trailed up her body. A pink stain spread over her cheeks until Caleb grabbed her arm and steered her towards the weapons rack. "All right, what seems to call to you? Is there a weapon here that feels natural?"
Rina concentrated and brushed her hand along the grip of a sword. She moved on until the golden tip of a spear glimmered in the light. There were jewels along the length of the spear that were surprisingly smooth to the touch. She wrapped her fingers around the ornate wood and pulled it free from the rack. Caleb smiled before he removed a bow and quiver from a glass case. Rina arched her brow. "Seriously?"
"I'm proficient at many things, but archery is my main discipline."
"I expected someone your size to wield something like an ax or hammer." Rina watched as he stepped towards the clearing. Caleb fired four arrows in the blink of an eye, hitting the practice targets with perfect accuracy. She touched the graceful arch of the bow and marveled at the craftsmanship.
"I made it myself, believe it or not."
"Wow, I'm impressed. It's beautiful."
He grew flustered as he lowered the bow and gestured to her spear. "That one belonged to a man who treated me like a son. He was a healer before my father called on him to fight. The spear in your hands is the only weapon he ever touched. It seems fitting that you should have it."
Rina still wasn't interested in the mate conversation. She twirled the spear, feeling the way the weight shifted and balanced with motion. Caleb slung his bow over his shoulder and stood behind her. He showed her how to grip it correctly. "Why the jewels?" she asked.
"They were a gift from my mother for healing me as a child. He could have sold them or traded them for his own wealth, but he put them into the spear and told me that they brought him luck. Sadly, the spear returned from war, but he didn't." Caleb moved her arms in the same motions over and over until she no longer needed guidance. He stepped back and watched as she repeated them. Rina smiled even as sweat dripped down her spine and her arms burned. Caleb kicked the side of her boot. "Widen your stance," he ordered. "And move your body with the momentum of the swing. Like a dance..."
Rina tried to follow Caleb's instructions. Hours passed and the weight of the spear seemed to increase. "I'm tired... let's call it a day."
"No," he barked. "That weight you feel is the responsibility of an entire race, a kingdom of shifters depending on you for survival. You asked for this. Once you picked up that spear, there was no going all. Welcome to our second second date, sweetheart. I won't go easy on you."
The others training in the yard stepped back and leaned against the wall, watching as Rina stabbed the spear into the ground and removed her jacket. She pulled it free and attacked with all of her strength. Caleb fired an arrow at her, but the spear deflected it. Lucky shot? She spun with the momentum of the spear and ducked as Caleb attempted to grab her. Rina felt her weight shift and she was slammed onto the ground with the force of a Mac truck.
"Don't get overconfident."
"Trust me, confident is the last thing I'm feeling right now," Rina grumbled as she wiped her face on her sleeve. She stood back up and rolled her shoulders, feeling cramps in muscles she wasn't even aware she owned. "Again."
Caleb readied his bow and notched his arrow. Rina felt her heartbeat speed up. She leaped to the right as he pulled back on the string. In her mind, she knew he was calculating her next move. Rina thought hard and tried not to be predictable, but Caleb stopped all of her advances. An arrow grazed her knuckles, and the spear dropped from her hand. They collided.
Rina's head smacked against the ground...
"Sarina!" a voice screamed. She rolled out of bed and grabbed her bag. Sarina threw open the window. She swung her leg over the ledge and climbed down the side of the cottage. The sound of glass shattering flooded her eyes with tears. A man stared down at her, and Sarina jumped.
She hit the ground. The force of her landing caused her ankle to snap. Sarina rolled into her side and lurched to her feet. She limped into the shadows, weaving between the houses as she tried to lose her pursuer. A hand covered her mouth and Sarina fou
ght against her captor.
"Sarina, it's me! It's Calleus."
Rina punched out and hit Caleb in the face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and jumped back. "Rina, it's me! It's Caleb."
"Calleus..."
"What did you say?" Caleb stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "What did you just call me?"
"I...I don't know...what happened."
"Rina, what did you call me?"
"Calleus."
~*~
Caleb felt his nose heal from her punch, but the pain in his chest was far from over. He clutched his bow with a white-knuckled grip and turned his back on Rina. It had been centuries since he had heard his true name. Rina grabbed his shoulder, and Caleb stopped in his tracks. "Tell me what just happened to me, Caleb. I'm so afraid right now. Don't walk away from me."
"You shouldn't know that name," he said quietly, unable to look her in the eyes. "No one of the modern world should know that name—my name." Rina trembled before him, and he swept her up into his arms to shield her from the cold wind. Caleb carried her into the guard tower and set her on one of the beds. He stoked the fire and returned to her side.
"I had a dream...or vision."
"What did you see?"
"I saw myself," she answered. "But it wasn't me, not really. Someone screamed. They warned me before a man chased me from my home. I ran past what looked like farmhouses...and temples. Then Calleus grabbed me...you grabbed me."
"That can't be. She's dead."
"Who?"
"Sarina," he replied. "She was the princess of a rival kingdom of shifters. Her kind lived in all-female tribes, but Sarina...was different. She wanted a life of her own."
"And she's dead?"
He nodded. "I saw it. She ran away and took refuge with the Spartans before the war. We met on the battlefield. She nearly killed me." Caleb touched her head gently, trying to check her for wounds. "Sarina was captured after the war. My father kept her in a cell, but I set her free."
"I'm sure she was grateful."
"Very," he laughed. "We left together, fell in love, and lived for years in peace. Then my father tracked us down and had her executed in front of me. I was shamed publicly..." He pushed his shirt aside and showed her the scars on his body.
Rina gasped and touched them with a feather-light caress that caused his body to shiver. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Rina, there's something called past-life recall. It's sort of a psychic ability that allows someone to see the lives they lived before."
"Like reincarnation?"
"Yes," he replied. "But a bit more complicated. I think when you hit your head, it allowed you to see your past life...Sarina's life."
"That sounds impossible," she sighed irritably. "Is there some way to unlock the memories?"
"Giddeon may know how, but he's not exactly speaking to me right now. We can ask Balor." Caleb chewed the inside of his cheek and kissed her forehead. "But unlocking the memories might not change anything."
"No, but it might...help me know you better. Maybe I'll finally understand why I was chosen to be your mate."
Caleb kissed her cheek and her jaw, but Rina pulled away when he leaned towards her lips. "I'm sorry," he growled. "I still can't help myself around you."
They stood up once Rina was warmer and headed into the palace. Caleb ran up to the nursery to visit with Casey while Rina showered. He knocked on the door. Casey called for him to enter and he stepped inside. Baby Sam wiggled around on the floor beside his mother with a fist stuffed in his little mouth. Caleb crawled down to their level and touched the soft skin of the infant's cheek. "He seems so happy."
"I like to think he is," Casey muttered around a yawn. "It's his father I worry about."
"Giddeon is always upset."
"Lately, it seems to be guilt that keeps him awake at night," she claimed. "He knows he should be grateful for what you tried to do for Seth, but he was so angry—”
"Casey, Giddeon said exactly what he meant. Clearly, he isn't feeling guilty enough to put an end to our fight."
She lifted her hands in defeat. "I know not to get between you two; I just hope you can find some common ground before the Reckoning tries something."
"They won't...at least not yet."
"Rina really did a number on them, huh?" she giggled. The baby joined her in perfect childlike ignorance that he envied. Caleb smiled despite the knot coiling in his gut. Casey meant well, she always meant well, but there was nothing Giddeon or Caleb could say that would change things.
"So, what's in store for you? Will there be a ball?"
Casey rolled her eyes. "Giddeon wants it to be a big ceremony to make my status as queen official. He wants it traditional and dramatic, of course."
"I'm sure you're excited."
"It's the ritual that I'm nervous about. Giddeon has the magic thing down to an art form, but I've never done anything like that." She pulled the baby onto her chest and rubbed his back. "What's with you and Rina?"
"We're confused. Things change between us every day. She fights the bond one minute and then submits to it in the next." Caleb toyed with a curl on Sam's head. "The world seems to be against us even as fate pushes us together. I don't know what to do other than let her take the lead."
"I wish I could give you some advice, but our courtship was no better."
"It wasn't this bad...I'm lost, Casey. Rina drives me insane. I'm falling in love with her, but I can't say anything or else I'll never see her again," he confessed. "Sometimes, I wonder if it's worth it."
"It is. Love is worth all the pain you're feeling now and more." The strength behind Casey's words touched something deep inside of him.
Caleb rubbed his eyes and kissed her cheek before he climbed to his feet. "You're the sister I've always wanted, you know? Giddeon is lucky to have you."
"I know."
Chapter Fifteen
Rina hit the wall so hard that her ears rang with a single high-pitched note. She tried to shake off the blow, but her movements were sluggish, and she was knocked off her feet once again. Caleb stood over her like the mighty warrior he was. "I need you to focus, Rina. We've been at this for six days," he replied. "What's distracting you?"
"Oh, I don't know," she snapped back. "Maybe the fact that I haven't been sleeping since I had that vision of Sarina. The second I close my eyes, my head is filled with memories that aren't mine." Rina jabbed at Caleb with the spear and he evaded the attack with ease. But there was something about his movements that was familiar to her...no, not her. It was familiar to Sarina. A strong force pulled her in and held her captive between the past and present.
Rina saw herself standing amongst piles of dead bodies, men and women who died because of foolish kings and dirty politics...
She touched her hand to her face and felt tears. Laying on the ground in front of her was Caleb...but the face formed into a twisted smile until he was unrecognizable. His eyes opened. Instead of the beautiful gaze she had come to adore, Rina saw two glowing orbs staring back at her. A voice hissed in her mind, the one that screamed to warn her before. But it was no man...the image of Caleb melted away. In its place stood a woman with pale skin and dark hair.
Atë.
She blinked away the remnants of the vision and saw Caleb on his back. Blood poured from his lips as he pulled the spear free from his abdomen. Rina tossed it aside and rushed to help him. "Oh my god! Caleb, I'm so sorry!"
Guards grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. Iron cuffs were secured on her wrists and Rina was dragged out of the training area. She thrashed and kicked. Her boot landed against one of the guard's chests and he fell backward. Rina ducked to dodge a punch and smashed her head against another male's skull. She fought until the burning in her chest caused her legs to buckle. Caleb rounded the corner and saw her kneeling beside the unconscious guards. "Rina..."
"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
He lifted her up and snapped the cuffs. They clattere
d to the ground, and he tilted her head back. "I think we need to talk to Balor. He might know what to do about this."
She nodded, swallowing down the nausea that burned in the back of her throat. Caleb ushered her into the palace and down a long flight of stairs that led into the dredges of the castle. The stone walls were dark, and torches lit the narrow corridor. Caleb knocked on a large wooden door, and it opened with a prominent squeak. Balor's black hair fell over his eyes as he glared at his brother.
"Let me guess, someone died," he retorted dryly.
"Why would you think that?"
"Because we're at war with rebels and people keep going missing. Not to mention, you two seem keen on nearly killing each other every time you spar." Balor allowed them inside of what looked like something an evil wizard might use as a secret layer.
There were bubbling potion bottles and tables filled with old books. A golden telescope was aimed unceremoniously at the wall. Rina stood at the center of the room, glancing around at the strange bits and baubles that cluttered the space. Balor lit a cigarette that smelled vaguely fruity and not at all like tobacco. It hung loosely from his lips and pushed his wild hair out of his eyes.
"We need your help. Rina is having visions of a past life."
"Sounds like a headache. I'm just not sure how it's my problem," Balor complained. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and knocked it back in one go.
"She might be Sarina's reincarnation."
Rina watched as some of Balor's cockiness faded. He took a long drag on his cigarette and released a puff of smoke that coiled from between his lips. "Damn. I'm sorry, Caleb. This has to be hard for you."
"Excuse me, but I'm the one being held hostage by memories," Rina interjected. "I'd like to get at least one night of sleep or go an entire day without blacking out and nearly killing someone."
Caleb rubbed her back as Balor sifted through the piles of books. He tossed things over his shoulder and shouted triumphantly when he came across the one he had been searching for. "Here we go. Past-life recall. Some dead dude from way back when wrote all about it, but the main takeaway is that if you're being shown something, there's a reason."
