The Enchanted Crossroads

by Dora Blume

  “Proud of that, are ya? Where were you the other night when she was attacked?” Leif accused. His eyes narrowed on Shar.

  Shar dropped her hands to her lap and sighed. “Yes, that was unfortunate. I knew Kaira had gone with Angie. I thought I may get a night off. It’s not like I follow you everywhere you go. I get to have a life, too, you know.” She fluttered her lashes again and flipped back a piece of her hair. “So, anyway, I thought you would be out for a while. I went to a new restaurant I heard about downtown. I didn’t notice anything suspicious when I left. I figured if I left early enough, I’d be back in time.” She focused her gaze on me. “Only you would leave the brewery before the band finished for the night.” She rolled her eyes.

  Leif smirked at me but said nothing. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Okay, this isn’t about me leaving early. Why exactly are you my guardian?” I wanted to get to the point. If it were up to Shar we would be here all night, and she’d turn my life into some kind of never ending slumber party.

  “Oh yes, Hecate assigned me specifically to you because you’re one of the descendants.” She crossed her legs toward me. I looked from her to Leif not sure what she was talking about. Leif’s eyes were wide as he studied me.

  “Um, mind explaining what that is. I’m new to this whole Mage thing.”

  “So, there are five siblings. Each of you have the blood of the Goddess, thus being called the descendants. You each have power over one of the elements. When you are together and all accept your gifts as a mage you can destroy the God Morrigan for good. No more evil warlocks running around the world causing death and destruction. They’ll still be demons of course, because they come from different dimensions. Those we can’t get rid of, pesky buggers always find a wormhole to sneak in. They kind of remind me of glitter. Once, the rift opened, there was no getting rid of them.” She shrugged as if she had just figured out the secret to the universe with her reference to glitter. I couldn’t help but smile at her.

  “Are you sure she’s one of the descendants? She wasn’t just hiring you because there weren’t enough sages or something?” Leif asked, still bewildered.

  “No honey, she’s a descendant. Come to think of it, now that you know, Hecate should be coming to visit you any day now.” She tapped her finger on her chin.

  “What do you mean coming to visit? The Gods can’t come to Earth.” Leif narrowed his eyes at her. My eyes widened. A Goddess would be coming to see me? Impossible.

  “No, silly in her dreams. Of course she’s not coming to Earth. How disastrous would that be? Someone would sneeze on her and she’d smite them. On the other hand, I have a few people I can think of that could use a good smiting.” She looked up, tapping her finger against her chin again.

  “So, a Goddess is coming to visit me in my dreams? Yeah, that’s not weird at all.” I huffed out a breath.

  “Any weirder than anything else you’ve learned in the last twenty-four hours?” Leif quipped.

  “Good point. So, what is this dream visit about?” I asked. It’d be nice to be prepared.

  “The Goddess will explain everything. I’m not at liberty to discuss all the details with you. I will tell you that the fate of the world rests on the decision you make, so no pressure.” She smiled at me. I swear she loved to watch me squirm. It was the reason she had asked Leif about our relationship when they first met.

  “Yeah, no pressure. You can’t give me anything? Considering my decision is so important, shouldn’t I know what it’s about?” I asked.

  “She’ll give you time to decide. Don’t worry.” She stood up and walked to the fridge. “You got anything good to eat in this house?” She leaned on the door. “Damn girl, you need to buy some food. This fridge is disastrous.” She stood and walked to the counter. “I think I’ll order us some take-out. What do you like to eat, lover boy?” She stared at him, eyebrows raised.

  “My name is Leif, I’d appreciate if you used it.” he said.

  “Oh is it?” She blinked and turned to me. “I thought you’d have better taste.” She shook her head. “Fine, I’ll order Chinese. That way we can get a little of everything.”

  Leif stood up from the chair. “Do you really think Kaira’s staying here is a good idea? She was attacked here yesterday, and the Morrigan’s know where she lives.” Leif ran his hand through his hair. I was beginning to notice he did it every time he was irritated. I watched as he paced the floor. We were only supposed to stop here to grab my things for work. We’d already stayed longer than Leif wanted. I was sure of it.

  “Are you questioning my ability to protect my charge?” Shar asked through clenched teeth. She stalked forward and stood nose to nose with Leif. “Because if that’s the case. I’ll show you some of my abilities right now.” Light crackled from her hand as she held it up.

  “I just think it’s a good idea if she stays somewhere else for a few days until this all gets figured out.” He stood firm staring straight at Shar. I was impressed that he didn’t back down when sparks flew from her hands. I knew Leif was tough, but Shar intimidated me just a little when I saw the energy in her hand.

  “No, she needs to be here where I can protect her.” She flipped her hand toward him as she sauntered back to the counter, leaning over a Chinese menu.

  I watched as Leif clenched his hands into fists at his sides and pressed his lips together. I found his frustration to be kind of endearing. “So, do I have any say in my life or are you two going to take it from here?” I appreciated their concern over me, but I thought I should get some say in my life decisions.

  “Oh, by all means dear, what would you like to do?” Shar didn’t even glance away from the menu as she spoke. I bit the side of my lip, letting it go slowly as I thought about it. I wanted to stay home. Leif was right, though. They knew where I lived and could show up here any minute. What if Shar went out again? What if she couldn’t hear me through the walls?

  I didn’t want to be a sitting duck for another guy to find. The memory of him restraining me in my bed flashed through my mind and I shuddered. Leif took a step toward me. I met his eyes and could see the understanding in them. I needed to keep it together if I was going to convince these two that I could make my own decisions.

  “Um, I think I’ll take the orange chicken with fried rice if you’re ordering Chinese. Then, I’ll decide if I’m staying. It’s not like I have many options. I don’t really want to go stay with my mother.” I shrugged plopping back down on the sofa.

  Leif came and sat next to me. When his eyes met mine, they were intense. “You can stay with me as long as you’d like.” He took my hand. “When I said I’d be here for you, I meant it.” I swallowed hard and nodded.

  “So, you’re just going to let her move in then?” Shar asked from the counter. “Cause you have no idea how long they’ll be hunting her. She needs to learn how to use her power, so she can take care of herself. Until then, I’ll take care of her. She doesn’t need you to save her, Romeo.” She flipped her hair as she reached for her cell. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to order us some dinner.” She walked out of the room. I was sure she was heading to my office.

  “I’m serious about my offer. I don’t want you to stay here when they know where you live. What happens if Shar’s not around to protect you?” His eyes were intense and I could see worry brimming in them.

  “I know. If I run now, I could be running forever. I don’t want that. I have a big case on Monday that I need to be prepared for. At home, I can get everything done.” I slumped. I didn’t say it was more comfortable here. My own bed was here. I always hated staying at other people’s houses. I had a hard time falling asleep in a strange bed with unfamiliar walls.

  Surprisingly, I hadn’t had that problem at Leif’s. It could have been the amount of alcohol I drank and the exhaustion from the day. Something told me it was more than that though. I felt safe around him and I wasn’t sure why. We’d known each other for only a day. How did he make me feel so protected in such
a short time.

  He reached out and gripped my hand. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” His voice was pleading. “How do you know she can protect you?”

  “I heard that?” Shar’s voice came from down the hall. “Question me again, mage and you’ll be missing an important limb.”

  “I trust Sharalyn. We’ve been friends a long time. I know that technically she’s my guardian, too, but I know her. I just met you yesterday.” I met his eyes and he recoiled back as if I’d slapped him. I reached out to take his hand again. “I’m sorry, Leif. I just want to continue living my life. I have a home. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.” I watched his Adam’s apple as he swallowed hard. I didn’t want to look up into his eyes and see disappointment.

  “But, you’re staying here. I get it, I get it.” He stood in one fluid motion. “I think I’ll skip dinner if it’s all the same to you.” He rushed over to the door and made a sudden exit. My mouth was still hanging open when he closed the door behind him. I didn’t actually expect him to leave me here, alone. I felt his sudden absence like a hollowness in my chest. I thought I’d made the right decision. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

  CHAPTER 6

  “Oh honey, I’m so glad he’s gone. I swear if he made one more remark about my abilities I was going to have to do some unladylike shit and you know I’m nothing if not a lady.” She sat down on the couch next to me. She leaned over me to get to the table with the remote. When her breasts smashed into my lap I let out a laugh.

  “Shar, you’re something else, you know that.” I said, unable to control my laughter.

  “Oh honey, I’m one of a kind.” She turned on the TV and pulled her heels off her feet. “So, where did you meet him?” She jerked her head toward the door.

  “I met him at the brewery last night. He was also my Lyft driver home. It’s how he heard me screaming when the guy attacked me.” I tucked my legs under me and leaned against the arm of the sofa.

  “Shit, I’m sorry babe. I should have been here for you. Not that bozo.”

  “That bozo saved my life. It wouldn’t hurt you to be a little nicer to him.”

  “I guess that’s true. If it helps he was sincere in his offer. He meant it when he said you could stay with him as long as you wanted. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind if you moved in.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

  “Yeah, I knew he meant it. I just want to be in the comfort of my own house, my own bed. No one understands the need to be in your own space.” I blew out a breath.

  “So, anything else happen with him? He’s a far cry from the last guy. He treated you like shit. This guy actually saved your life. Plus, he’s a mage like you. Any chance there’s a reason he was so sincere in his offer. No one offers to let you stay an undetermined amount of time unless they have good reason.” She stared at me and I looked away.

  “No, nothing happened. I’m pretty sure he forgot all about me when you walked in the room. I’m not beautiful like you are.” I slumped against the back of the couch.

  “Oh honey, don’t kid yourself. That boy couldn’t keep his eyes off you. So, you going to tell me what happened between you two, or are you going to keep dodging my question with ridiculousness.” Her eyes bore into me. Shar was a shark when she wanted something.

  “I told you, nothing happened. He just helped me figure out how to use my power. Oh, and saved my life from that guy last night.” I bit my lip. I didn’t know about Shar’s power. Would she been able to tell if I was lying this whole time.

  “Okay, I’ll let it slide, but know this. That boy likes you. If you like him too, you shouldn't wait. Life’s too damn short, or whatever that saying is. I wouldn’t know since I’m immortal.” She relaxed back into the couch. “So, should we catch up on our seasons while we wait for the delivery guy?”

  “Yeah, sounds good.” I tried to relax. Watching TV with Shar felt so normal. There was a tug at my heart letting me know something was missing. I felt bad about telling Leif I wanted to stay here. I don’t get why he recoiled the way he did. I really did appreciate his help. Maybe he was looking at me different because of the news of me being a descendant.

  I wasn’t even sure what it meant. If Shar was correct I would be finding out from the Goddess herself. I chewed at my lip. I worried I’d done the wrong thing. Maybe I should have gone with Leif. I barely knew him. He had to understand my need to be in my own home, right? He wanted to be in his own house. He’d made that clear when he bolted out of here.

  Damn, what the hell was I going to do to make this better? I didn’t want to hurt Leif. I liked him, more than I should considering I’ve only known him a whole twenty-four hours. I felt safe with him. I also felt a desire I didn’t quite understand. I’d never felt this way around another guy. All my past boyfriends had started out as friends or I was set up by my friends. When I was alone with Leif, I wanted to peel our clothes off and have my way with him. I’d never felt this all-encompassing desire before. It made me have all kinds of fantasies about running my tongue along those taut muscles. I licked my lips thinking about him.

  “Kaira, Earth to Kaira?” Shar waved her hand in front of my face. When I blinked and looked at her. “Where’d you go off to in that head of yours?” she asked. “The food’s here.” She stood and flounced toward the door, wallet in hand.

  I blinked up as she answered the door. A tall dark haired man was standing with a plastic bag full of white containers in his hand. Shar handed him a few twenties and took the bag from his hand. She turned and kicked the door closed with her foot. When it swung back open, the guy was still standing there a crooked grin on his face.

  “Ah, just the mage I was looking for.” He darted toward me on the couch and I jumped behind it. I was surprised at how fast I’d reacted.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Shar held out her hand, and I watched sparks fly across the room right into the man’s back. “No one touches my charge.” She continued to hold her hands out as sparks flew into the guy’s chest. He put his hand up to his chest and staggered back out into the hall. Shar advanced on him. “I’m leaving you alive because I want you to spread the word. No one touches this mage, you hear me.” She sent out one more set of sparks and the guy flew down the stairs. She turned and closed the door, this time using her hand to make sure it closed and locked.

  “Damn, you don’t think he did anything to our food do you?” She spoke as she started taking the boxes out of the bag.

  “I’m sure he figured he didn’t need to since he’s a Morrigan. He probably figured he’d find me here alone again.” I joined her at the counter. I was starving, even after that guy’s attack.

  A light knock sounded at the door. “Now what?” Shar exclaimed and trudged over to the door swinging it open, sparks surging from her hand.

  Leif stood on the other side of the door. He gave Shar a cursory glance then found me. “Are you okay?” he asked. His eyes studied me.

  “Yes,” I paused licking my lips as I took him in. “What are you doing here? I thought you went home.”

  Shar cut in as she walked back to the counter. “He can’t miss an opportunity to be the knight in shining armour. If you’re going to be around anyway you might as well come and have some dinner.” She slid onto a stool and continued taking boxes out of the bag until they were all spread out on the counter.

  “Damn, Shar how much food did you buy?” There were over ten white containers in front of us.

  “I told you I was getting a little of everything. You know I don’t like to have to choose just one thing when it comes to Chinese food.” She started opening the containers and I turned back to Leif.

  “So, you didn’t go home?” I asked.

  He dropped his head. “No, I was downstairs in my car.” His cheeks flushed for a minute.

  I smiled at his sudden shyness. “Why didn’t you just stay in here if you were going to stick around anyway?”

  “I don’t like the idea of you staying here. They know you’re here. One
of them took out your delivery guy to get to you. It’s only a matter of time before one of them catches you here with your guard down.” He gave Shar a pointed look. “I couldn’t in good conscious leave you here.” His eyes darted to mine. I saw his concern. He ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his neck.

  “I don’t like the insinuation that I can’t protect her.” Shar snapped. “Now, close the damn door and get some food.” She filled her plate and glided over to the couch. “You’re interrupting our marathon.”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes. I walked to the cabinet and grabbed two plates. I handed one over to Leif and shrugged. “I guess we’re eating.”

  He took the plate from my hand and waited until I dished up what I wanted. I pulled out the stool and sat. When he was finished, he sat across from me. He watched as I popped a piece of orange chicken in my mouth. Usually I hated when people watched me eat. I always felt self-conscious about it. I didn’t feel that way with Leif. The way he looked at me gave me butterflies, but that was for an entirely different reason.

  “I’m starting the next episode.” Shar announced from the sofa.

  I rolled my eyes, “Okay.”

  Leif smirked. “What are you watching?”

  Shar peeked her head up over the couch. “You, it’s about a creepy stalker dude who kills for his love. Sound familiar?” She chided.

  “Ah, no I haven’t killed anyone.” Leif retorted.

  “So, you admit to being a creepy stalker, just that you haven’t killed anyone, yet?” Shar’s voice was like honey. She gave Leif a knowing look.

  “Shar, please.” I begged.

  Leif blinked. “I guess I never thought of myself as creepy. Most women don’t mind me following them around, saving their lives and all.” He winked at me and resumed eating.

  I let out a laugh. At least he was giving it back to Shar a little. She could be so annoying sometimes. She always had to pick a fight with someone, especially men. She had to have the last word.