by Martha Woods
Tessa swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat. It was such an intimate moment. She could tell Bethany was being truthful, and that she wanted nothing else in this world more than she wanted her parents. There was a misplaced guilt Tessa felt about it, knowing her conception had played a hand in their father’s death—and that she had been acquaintances with the woman that led to Bethany’s mother’s death. There was nothing she could do to turn back time, though. It wasn’t like Tessa had actively played a role in any of it. “You don’t sound silly at all. If I grew up here, I would do the same,” she spoke gently. Though, Tessa couldn’t help but turn her attention back to the picture on the mantle. That was her father… It was the first time that she had ever seen even a picture of one of her biological parents.
Cedric sure was handsome, no wonder he had gotten in so deep with two High Priestesses. He had long hair, going down right past his shoulders that was perfectly straight. His facial features were strong, and while Tessa couldn’t see his form in the picture, she was sure he was muscular. She found herself wondering what it would be like to be in his arms as a small child. To feel so protected, knowing nothing in the world could hurt her before going through him. Her throat ran dry, knowing that he had done everything to protect her by placing her in a human family. She wondered if he mourned for her in the short amount of time he lived after her birth. Without thinking, Tessa lifted a hand to the picture and touched the glass, as though she could feel his face. “What was he like?” Tessa asked in a single breath.
“Well, I was very young when he passed away,” Bethany sighed heavily. “But, I’ve heard stories.” Tessa turned to look at Bethany, who in turn, patted the spot on the bed next to her. Tessa moved over to her half-sister and sat down. “One thing he so enjoyed was taking pictures. Everyone thought it was funny of him, since we are witches and don’t get involved with human inventions other than the basic necessities.” Bethany then opened the book and fondly gazed at the page she opened it to. Tessa looked over with excited eyes.
Each picture was a Polaroid, snippets of Cedric’s life. Most of the early pages in the album were of himself, the palace, perhaps some brothers of his or friends, and what she assumed to be Leticia. My, was she beautiful. She had shiny white hair that was always plaited perfectly. Her cheeks were round and were occasionally rosy in color, from perhaps something sweet or funny Cedric had said just before snapping the picture. There were some of them together, and they looked very happy. Tessa couldn’t help but wonder what had driven him into the arms of another woman when they looked so happy. “He loved Polaroids so much. In the few memories I have of him, I remember him always having his camera with him. He said Polaroids had soul to them, whatever that means,” Bethany explained with a chuckle.
Tessa tried to study every detail of Cedric’s face in the pictures, taking him in from all the multiple angles it displayed in the album. She wanted so desperately to pull him right out of those pictures. To just sit with him for a day. To get to know the man who brought her into this world, and get some answers from him. Cedric had been one of the biggest reasons she had given into trusting the Calder so easily. If her mother, Esmeralda, had seen something in him, then there had to be good in the Calder. There was no way he was evil like the vampires and Firehavens had painted all Calder to be. There was such a life to him in those pictures. Those weren’t the eyes of a heinous being. They were soft, full of life, and fatherly. The bad blood between all of them had to be the reason they all tried so desperately to pin Tessa against their enemies. At least Bethany wasn’t doing that. Bethany had been sweet and patient, and truly seemed to want the best for her.
She looked on fondly as Bethany made her way through the pages of the photo album. With a single flip of a page, there were pictures of a pregnant Leticia. “There’s me!” Bethany exclaimed, pointing to her mother’s stomach. “I heard our father was so happy that mother was pregnant that he picked her up and carried her down every single hall in the palace, alerting everyone that his wife was pregnant.” They both chuckled at the thought. The palace was insanely large. He would have been carrying her around for hours! “Of course, I’m sure he was happy about you, despite the drama he knew it would bring,” Bethany added, as though to make Tessa feel better. “He was so full of life. He was sort of a black sheep around here.”
“Really?” Tessa blinked, actually taken back by the comment.
Bethany nodded, “Well, for the men, that is. You know boys in the clans don’t have abilities. Basically, their only role is to procreate to make more witches. They have a very… dull life. Usually. Yet, our father made it his own. I think he was the first male in quite some time to get any sort of fame. He was just… happy. No matter the situation. It made him very sought after.” Then, a few pages later, Tessa saw Leticia with her hair down for the first time. She was laid in bed, propped up by pillows with a newborn, still naked and new to the world, laying on her chest. A teary-eyed Cedric sat right next to her, looking down at the two with fondness. Bethany let out another heavy sigh. “You know, sometimes I find myself to be very jealous of you.”
“Jealous of me?” Tessa scoffed.
“Yes,” Bethany said, looking up to her. “Sometimes it’s easier to never know a person, than to know and love them so briefly, just to have them ripped away from you forever….” Bethany nibbled her lip, her fingers glossing over a picture of Cedric holding her as a baby. “I know it must seem so conflicting, me telling you that the Calder isn’t so bad even though they were the ones to kill our father… I must tell you, it wasn’t a decision they made lightly. He was very well loved. At the time, though, that vampire had just gotten my mother killed, and the clan was very distraught. Then to find our father with another High Priestess, and had hidden a half-Calder child in the human world… It was an insult to the clan. I still wish I could ask him why he had cheated on mother, but I suppose if he wouldn’t have, it wouldn’t have given me the wonderful gift of a little sister.”
Tessa returned the pleasant smile that stretched across Bethany’s face. Then, as she thought about all of it, her expression faltered. Something wasn’t right… When she and Bethany first met, she said that the Calder didn’t know that she was Cedric’s daughter. That they thought she was the daughter of a Wyrd male. That just didn’t make sense at all. Why would the Calder even care about her if she was the daughter of another clan? How would their rituals work on her? How had she not caught that when Bethany first said it? Granted, Tessa had been extremely overwhelmed with everything Bethany had been throwing at her at the time. It had been impossible to let any of it sink in. “I thought you said the Calder didn’t know I was Cedric’s daughter…” Tessa finally spoke.
Bethany’s posture stiffened and looked over to her before she relaxed “I must have misspoken. You see, the elders and I know what happened, but not the entire clan. Of course, they know now that you have joined us. The council was very embarrassed that they had so much trouble finding you all these years. Esmeralda and our father hid you very, very well.” Tessa analyzed her face, scanning for anything to add onto the doubt building in Tessa’s stomach. Why hadn’t she said that to begin with? Bethany put the album to the side and clasped Tessa’s hands. “Please forgive me for that. It wasn’t to mislead you. Perhaps, in the moment, I was afraid that if you knew the elders knew, then you would think we had some sort of scheme up our sleeves. When all I want is everything I’ve told you. For us to rule side by side, protect our land, and turn the Calder into what we want it to be. We will be unstoppable, my sister. I need you to trust me, Tessa. Do you?”
Tessa stared at her. Something in the back of her head was harbored on the detail, making her question Bethany. She didn’t want to, though. It had been a simple misstep during a conversation they had weeks ago. Bethany had done everything right to gain Tessa’s trust. Besides, it wasn’t a complete lie. All the Calder hadn’t known of Tessa being Cedric’s daughter until recently. Maybe this was the universe trying t
o test Tessa’s faith in Bethany. Taking a deep breath, Tessa nodded, “I trust you.”
“Good,” Bethany said, looking relieved. She then gave Tessa a quick hug before pulling the album back into her lap. The tension slowly subsided and they were drawn back into their own minds as they looked at the photographs of Bethany’s early years. It made Tessa a little sad to see baby pictures, knowing that she would never have children of her own since she was a vampire. That Kristian would never be able to father such children. The thought jarred her a bit. Never before had she thought of the two of them having children. It was a stupid thought to have. It had never ever been a possibility for the two of them. Their relationship had only been months long, not even a year. And yet she couldn’t stop him from returning from her thoughts. Tessa was starting to think she would never completely get over him, no matter how much she tried to distract herself. A small breath passed her lips, trying her best to push him to the back of her mind and let herself enjoy the pictures in front of her.
Part Two
Calla’s world had came to a stop when Tessa left. Without her to mentor, protect, and serve, she was reduced to nothing but just Jared’s mate. At first, while she was still distraught over Tessa’s sudden absence, she had actually rejoiced in all the time alone with Jared. For the first few days on the road, they had nothing but time together. They listened to music together, he got to take her out to dinner, they made love endlessly. It was like they were a true couple for the first time, no longer bound to another person. And she had loved it. She loved seeing Jared able to be himself all the time, rather than just in the small moments they would have alone before.
One memory she would always hold fondly, was the one night they came across a pet store just before it was closing. They had both been delighted by a rabbit in the store. It was small, black and white, with the softest coat Calla had ever felt. It was unique in the way it acted like a cat, instead of a frightened little bunny. It hopped over to Jared just as he passed the case, and when he lowered his hand inside, it nuzzled into his hand. Calla picked up the rabbit and cuddled it for a moment, and Jared even snapped a picture of the two of them with his cell phone. Calla then began jokingly asking for it like a little girl, and Jared actually had a hard time telling her no to it, despite the fact she never anticipated any other answer. It had been a whole other side to Jared. It had been the real Jared, rather than the cold exterior he always wore around.
Then, the recruiting started. From then on, Calla sat alone every night. Without Tessa or Jared, she had absolutely nothing to do but just wait for him to return. He had purchased her an iPad, in hopes it would give her something to do in his absence—and while he meant well, it was a little insulting. It was like she was a child who was handed a toy to keep busy while the parents were doing work. No, that’s exactly what it was. She served no purpose to anyone. It wasn’t like she could help with the newborns, seeing as how she would be a steak amongst a pack of wolves. Of course, Calla couldn’t help with recruiting since she wasn’t a vampire.
She felt like an unemployed human with zero responsibilities. It wasn’t like they lived in a house together that she could clean, organize, and decorate to pass the time. They were in a cheap motel room, and they only owned two bookbags full of clothes, two cell phones, and now this stupid iPad. Doing laundry at the laundromat across the street was a big deal in her new world. Jared didn’t like her going out at night by herself, fearing she would get hurt. After all, the Firehaven could be out for vengeance at this point and go after her since she technically served Tessa. Or, the Calder could strike out and kill her to get to the vampires, since they were still after Veronica; and she would be a vulnerable and easy target if she were to travel alone at night. There was also the possibility of a newborn somehow managing to take off and attack her, seeing as how her blood smelled extremely different compared to human’s blood.
Calla was just left with her thoughts, usually wondering what was going on with Jared. Particularly, if he was recruiting, and what he and the women of the bar would be up to. It wasn’t like Calla thought Jared would cheat on her, but the thought of him flirting and kissing on women didn’t exactly sit well with her. She also knew of the bond that vampires had with their makers, and the makers had with the newborn. She feared that one, or even more, of the women could fall in love with him, and try and take Jared away from her. Calla didn’t have that bond with him… What if it made him feel differently? If their relationship really had been nothing more than two people being stuck together and getting comfort from one another? Without Jared, Calla would be completely lost.
All night, Calla sat on the couch in the motel room, staring blankly at the television, watching the Discovery Channel. It was the only thing humans broadcasted that seemed to be worth watching. She enjoyed seeing all the wild animals and beautiful landscapes, though it only held her attention for so long. Calla was going to go stir crazy before long. Glancing over to the clock, her face fell. Usually, Jared was home by around three or so in the morning, giving them a few hours to spend together before going to bed. It was past five o’clock at that point. The sun would be coming up soon. If Jared didn’t get back soon, he would be stuck wherever he was all day. Meaning she would have to spend another twenty-four hours alone. Which happened more frequently than she liked. Calla contemplated calling him but knew that if he was trying to get back to her, she shouldn’t distract him or postpone him any.
As she noticed the sky starting to lighten through a crack in the curtains, the door started to open. She instantly felt relief as she saw Jared walk through the door. He tossed his coat over a dining chair and rolled his shoulders. Seeing Jared always lifted her spirits. Even though another long, boring night would be ahead of her, at least for the time being it was really nice to have company. Especially his company. “Hey stranger," Calla called over to him.
The moment he glanced over to her, his face lit up with a pearly smile. She swore it was like his crystal blues sparkled even more when he looked at her, and it never failed to make Calla’s heart leap into her throat. “Sorry I’m late,” Jared said as he sauntered over to the couch. He sat down next to her, his legs stretched out and head on her shoulder.
“It’s okay,” she replied sweetly. Calla was well aware that if it were up to him, he would be spending all his time with her. It was Jared’s love and loyalty to the family that kept him obeying their orders. Which was sweet, but also very aggravating to Calla at times. Particularly the days he ended up trapped with the newborns for more than a night. Her fingernails scratched the top of his head lightly, and he relaxed more into her, an arm wrapping around her waist. “I was getting pretty worried about you,” she commented.
“I figured as such. I’m sorry. You know I never mean to make you worry.”
“I know,” she sighed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “So, were you recruiting or babysitting tonight?”
“Recruiting, thankfully,” he grumbled. Jared didn’t like recruiting, but he said it was better than having to deal with the newborns. They really were like wild wolves. They kept them in abandoned warehouses that they kept heavily guarded with trained vampires at all times. Transporting them was the worst, seeing as how you would have to cram them in vans and pray they could ride for a couple of hours without trying to kill someone. It was the part of the entire mission that made it feel impractical to Jared. That they should be doing it at a much slower rate and have the newborns all in one set location. Since Veronica wanted to cover so much ground so quickly, it made it impossible to do that.
Calla’s brow creased, though. Usually, if he was recruiting, he was home much earlier. “Why are you so late then?” she questioned curiously.
“Took a lot longer than usual.”
“Couldn’t dazzle the ladies with your muscles?” Calla teased. Dropping her other hand to his arm, she gave his bicep a squeeze; which he flexed for her. It always made her smile like a little school girl. That time was no dif
ferent.
“Of course I could,” Jared said. Even though she couldn’t see his face, Calla knew a faint smirk would be there. Calla had softened Jared up much more than he was willing to admit, which managed to make him even more confident with himself. “It just took all night to get her completely alone and close enough to her to do it. Humans nowadays are so damn guarded and insecure. It’s so annoying.”
While Calla knew he was just trying to voice his frustrations with his night, Calla didn’t like thinking about him spending all night with one girl—which he eventually turned into a vampire. Meaning they would have that special bond. “Wow, she’s a lucky girl to get the wine and dine treatment. Took me months to get a date with you,” Calla sarcastically replied without realizing it.
Jared sat up enough to turn to face her, “You know it isn’t like that, Calla.” Calla averted his gaze. She hadn’t meant to make the comment, and was embarrassed that she had. However, she couldn’t exactly help the way she felt. “Calla…” he repeated softly, lifting a finger to her cheek and grazing her soft, creamy skin. Her olive eyes finally shifted to look at him, even though she was reluctant to do so. “I’ve said it countless times now. I only want you, alright? Recruiting isn’t me scouting for a new mate. It’s necessary to help the family, and honestly is a break from the heathens,” he explained. “I don’t even like talking to other members of the family, let alone women I don’t know. The only thing that makes the entire process tolerable is knowing I get to come back to you every morning.”
Calla’s eyes left his, and her cheeks were scarlet. “I… I just worry that… That one of them may fall for you. It’s not exactly hard to do. And with that bond you will have with them…”