Romani Witch (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 2)

by Frances Trilone

  A sense of calm washed over me as I looked up and met Kaleb’s gaze. He and Markus stood near the glass doors with several Norwood wolves in human form. Their faces hardened as they stared pointedly at Garrett’s arm still wrapped around my shoulders. Neither hurried toward me.

  “Wait outside,” Kaleb ordered. The Norwood wolves, including Markus, went back outside while Kaleb sat in a chair across from Victor and Drina.

  Victor whispered something to Kaleb, and he nodded in response.

  I moved away from Garrett and stared at the double doors again. Still no nurse or doctor. What was taking so long?

  “Can you do me a favor?” My words came out sounding hoarse.

  “Of course,” Garrett replied. “Whatever you need, I’m your guy.”

  “Can you get me a drink from the vending machine? I think it’s down there.” I pointed to the hallway adjacent to the waiting room. “Maybe a protein bar too. I’m not feeling too good.”

  Garrett nodded and walked away.

  Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the doors again, and then walked over to the waiting area. I had to talk to Kaleb—he’d have the answers I needed.

  “Why is that warlock here?” Victor asked as I sat in the empty chair next to Kaleb.

  “He heard what happened and came to check on me,” I replied. “We’re friends.”

  Drina looked at me with wide eyes but didn’t say anything.

  Kaleb leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. His expression was hard to read.

  “Where did he go?” Victor asked.

  “I asked him to get me a drink.” I cleared my throat, looking directly at Kaleb. He kept his gaze on the far wall, not daring to look at me. He knew why I’d taken the seat next to him and had sent Garrett away. “Please tell me.”

  Victor and Drina stared at me in confusion.

  “Norma’s fine,” Kaleb said. “She’s throwing a fit, demanding to see Nells.”

  Drina wiped away her tears, her expression changing as she realized what I already knew: Kaleb could hear everything happening behind those double doors. “You’re saying my mom’s okay?”

  “Yes,” Kaleb replied.

  “I bet Aunt Nells is throwing a bigger fit.” Victor chuckled. “She hates hospitals.”

  Kaleb unfolded his arms. “She’s in surgery.”

  I waited for Kaleb to elaborate. When he said nothing more and still wouldn’t look at me, a feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. “How bad is it?”

  “She wasn’t wearing her seat belt.” Kaleb finally looked me in the eye as he rested his hand on mine. “She has internal bleeding. They’re doing everything they can.”

  “Aunt Nells is a fighter,” Victor said. “She’ll make it through this.”

  “He’s right.” Kaleb squeezed my hand. “Your mom will be fine. She’ll—”

  “I need some air,” I mumbled.

  Tears streaming down my cheeks, I walked outside and saw Markus. He took a step toward me, but I shook my head and ran in the opposite direction. I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want him to ask me why Garrett had his arm around me.

  As I approached the side of the hospital, I stopped and wiped away my tears. Markus hadn’t followed me, but he and the other Norwood staff were nearby. Why hadn’t I insisted Kaleb assign a wolf to watch over Mom? Would that have prevented the accident?

  I took a deep breath and thought back to my last conversation with Mom. I couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not when I needed to tell her how much I loved her. It didn’t matter if Calandra had given birth to me; Mom had still raised me. She would always be my mother, no matter what.

  I heard footsteps behind me and turned, knowing Kaleb had followed me. Even if Drina had wanted to comfort me, Kaleb would have insisted. Wiping the tears from my face, I met his gaze.

  Kaleb tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Do you want me to get Garrett? If you’re more comfortable with—”

  “No.” I choked back a sob as I realized he’d be willing to get Garrett if I asked him to. The truth was, I didn’t want Garrett, or anyone else. I only wanted Kaleb. “I meant what I said in there. Garrett and I are friends. There’s nothing else between us. I know he’s a warlock, so you don’t like him, but he’s—”

  “It’s okay,” he said. “If you want to be his friend, that’s fine. I can learn to accept it.”

  I lost it then, sobbing as I threw myself into his arms. He didn’t care Garrett was a warlock. We were going to be okay. We’d get through this. “I’m sorry, Kaleb. I didn’t mean…I was just so mad about Tessa kissing you and—”

  “I know.” He kissed the top of my head and said nothing more. No excuses. No explanations. No more reasons why he’d let her kiss him. Just the look on his face, letting me know he understood and that he’d give me all the time I needed.

  “It’s my fault she’s in there. I was supposed to go with her to look at wedding dresses in Dover. She wouldn’t have—”

  “It’s not your fault.” He held me tighter. “You didn’t make this happen.”

  I buried my face in his chest. “If I’d been with her, I would’ve made her wear a seatbelt. I could’ve stopped this from happening.”

  “You know that’s not true. I wish I had the power to make this better.”

  “What did you say?” I lifted my head from his chest.

  “I said I wished I had the power to make this better.” He gently brushed a tear from my cheek with his thumb.

  My heart raced as a crazy idea formed in my head. We didn’t need powers. We needed a High Council witch. “I need a favor.”

  “Anything.”

  “You won’t like it.” I paused, thinking how crazy I must be. “I need you to find Calandra and bring her here.”

  “The Romani witch?” His eyes flickered yellow. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “She won’t come willingly.”

  His response surprised me. I’d expected him to protest and refuse to go anywhere near Calandra. “Tell her I sent you. She’ll come.”

  His eyebrow shot up as his gaze met mine. I held my breath. I couldn’t imagine what he must be thinking. Calandra might still refuse to come. And what if she told him the truth about being my biological mother? But I had to risk it.

  “I’ll drag her here if I have to.”

  “Make sure you don’t hurt her,” I said as he released me.

  “I promise.” He gave me a cheeky grin. “You’d better get back inside. Henry’s looking for you.”

  After kissing me on the forehead, Kaleb hurried toward Main Street with Markus and another guy. The other two Norwood guys remained nearby to keep an eye on me.

  I walked back to the emergency room, hoping Calandra didn’t hurt Kaleb when he showed up. He wouldn’t ask her to come nicely. He’d demand it, and she had no reason to trust him.

  Crap.

  Why hadn’t I asked Garrett to get her?

  Chapter 20

  A half hour later, the doctors moved Mom to a private room. They were reasonably confident she’d be okay, but the next twenty-four hours were crucial, as the chemo treatments had weakened her immune system. If they saw no signs of improvement soon, they’d move her to St. John’s Hospital in Dover.

  After visiting Mom and giving the hospital his cell phone number, Uncle Henry took Aunt Norma home. Victor and Drina waited until Carmel showed up, and then they left too.

  “Are you crazy?” Garrett glanced over at Carmel, who sat in one of the chairs across from Mom’s room. We were standing at the end of the hallway, and I’d just told him I’d sent Kaleb to get Calandra.

  “What did you expect me to do? You said you couldn’t help.” I looked at the doorway to Mom’s room. So far, there had been no change in her condition.

  “You could’ve asked me. I would’ve gone and got her,” he insisted.

  “How? You said you didn’t even know where she was staying. It would’ve taken you all night to find
her. You know the Norwood wolves are better equipped to handle this.”

  “You’re right, but it’s still a bad idea. Calandra loathes the Norwood wolves. She’s going to be pissed.”

  “I’ll deal with her.”

  He scratched his jawline. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “I need you to leave.”

  “No. You can’t—”

  “When Calandra gets here, I’m going to have enough to deal with. I don’t need you hanging around in the hallway with the wolves.” I placed a hand on his forearm, hoping he’d listen to me. I also didn’t need Garrett around when Kaleb returned. “Please.”

  “I’ll go, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.” I gave him a quick hug.

  After giving Carmel one last look, he left. I sat next to her and glanced at my cell phone. Kaleb left an hour ago. What was taking so long?

  “What’s going on between you and that warlock?” Carmel asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “If you’re going to cheat on my brother, at least choose—”

  “I’m not cheating on Kaleb. Garrett and I are just friends.” I folded my arms, waiting for her to insist being friends with a warlock wasn’t possible.

  Surprisingly, she didn’t push the subject any further. Instead, she rested the back of her head against the wall and closed her eyes. “I can’t believe Kaleb agreed to get that witch for you. You do know he hates witches? We all do.”

  I kept my gaze on the nurses’ station down the hallway, not daring to check if Carmel had opened her eyes. Was her statement some kind of test? Was she making sure I knew the wolves hated the witches?

  I shifted in my seat and sat up straight, realizing having Carmel around might be useful. She could use transference to talk to Kaleb. “Can you find out where your brother is?”

  “I’m not your servant. If you want to talk to him, do it yourself.” She opened her eyes and glanced at me sideways as she chuckled. “Are you still mad about Tessa kissing him? I’m not surprised she did that. She’s always had a thing for Kaleb. She used to say she’d marry him. I bet she caught him off guard, and he was too nice to yell at her. I heard he set her straight. Told her to never do that again because his heart belongs to you.”

  I bit my lower lip. Kaleb and I really needed to talk. “I’m not mad at him. We’re just working through some stuff.”

  “Maybe if you guys talked more instead of making out all the time, you wouldn’t have all this stuff to work out.” She took a deep breath, glancing at a doctor and nurse as they walked by. “Tell Kaleb to hurry up. I’m hungry.”

  “I can’t.” The words came out in a whisper.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. Not unless…” Her eyebrows lifted. “You haven’t completed your bond with him?”

  “Of course not.” I giggled nervously, not liking the idea of talking to Kaleb’s sister about sex, but she’d left me no choice. “We’re not married.”

  “Yeah, but Kaleb said…I mean, we don’t usually wait until the formal ceremony. There’s too much risk of someone else trying to claim your mate. I guess with you being a Romani, there’s no rush. But I know my brother. He wouldn’t…” She paused and then laughed. “He doesn’t like us talking about this.”

  “You’re communicating with him right now?” I looked around, hope rising in my chest.

  She nodded. “He’s here.”

  The emergency exit door to the right of the nurses’ station opened, and Kaleb entered with his hand on Calandra’s shoulder, guiding her down the hallway. Markus and two other guys followed them. None of them looked thrilled.

  I stared at Calandra, struggling to believe she was my biological mother. We looked nothing alike.

  “Get your hands off me.” Calandra flicked Kaleb’s hand away and tightened her grip on her black hobo bag. She glared at me with stern eyes. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  I slowly stood, hoping this conversation went better than I was expecting. “It’s my mom. She’s hurt, and I need your help.”

  “I told you, she’s not—” Calandra stopped mid-sentence, glancing over her shoulder at Kaleb. “So, you send the Norwood wolves after me?”

  “I had no choice,” I replied. “They’re the only ones who could find you quickly, and they promised not to hurt you.”

  Calandra rolled her eyes. “And you believed them?”

  “Well, are you hurt?” I asked.

  “That’s not the point.” Calandra shook her head. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill them.”

  “Like you could,” muttered Kaleb.

  “Watch your tongue, wolf. You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Calandra glared at Kaleb and then turned to me. “Where is she?”

  I led Calandra to Mom’s room. Kaleb and the rest of the Norwood wolves stood outside while Carmel remained seated. Once we’d entered the room, I closed the door behind us, mouthing ‘thank you’ to Kaleb.

  “The doctor said the next twenty-four hours are crucial.” My lips trembled as I stood next to Mom’s bed, facing Calandra.

  Mom’s forehead and nose were badly bruised, and tiny cuts covered her face from where she’d hit the windshield. The doctor said she was lucky they weren’t driving fast. If they had been, Mom would have flown through the windshield, and her injuries would have been much worse.

  Calandra studied Mom’s face and picked up her hand.

  “Can you help her?” I asked, my voice shaking.

  “It won’t be easy.” She released Mom’s hand and grabbed the side table, rolling it to the bottom of the bed. After placing her bag on the table, she opened it and pulled out several items, including a small wooden bowl. “You’re asking me to use my powers on sacred ground. It’s not something the Town Council allows.”

  “They’ll understand.”

  “Unfortunately, we have another problem. I’m missing an essential ingredient.” She took out a tiny vial and shook it. It was almost empty. “I need fresh olden blood from an alpha.”

  “That won’t be a problem.” I pulled the hunting knife out of my boot. “How much do you need?”

  “Not much.” She pointed to the wooden bowl as Kaleb entered the room. Her gaze followed him as he slid the bowl toward me and held out his hand.

  His eyes held mine. “You need to cut deep, so it doesn’t heal too fast.”

  “I can’t do it.” I shook my head and handed him the knife.

  “It’s fine.” Kaleb quickly sliced the palm of his hand.

  My chest tightened at the sight of his blood. He didn’t wince or show any sign of pain. As his blood dripped into the bowl, I cleaned my knife with paper towels from the wall dispenser and laid it on the table.

  Kaleb squeezed his hand, filling the bowl with his blood. As I handed him a paper towel to wipe his hand, he stared at Calandra. “I give this blood willingly for Sienna’s use. Are we clear on this, witch?”

  “Yes.” She took the bowl and walked to the door. “I have to do a blocking spell on this room.”

  “What’s a blocking spell?” I asked, not sure I liked that idea. I wasn’t even sure if I trusted her.

  “It creates a sound-and-spell-proof barrier. No one can hear what happens inside this room and the spell will be contained,” she replied. “I can’t help her without it.”

  Kaleb glanced at me. “I can stay if you want.”

  “No, it’s fine,” I replied. Deep down, I wanted him to stay, but I had questions for Calandra. It seemed the blocking spell would allow me to ask them without fear of anyone hearing what was said. “Let’s just do the spell and get this over with.”

  “I’m trusting you not to do anything stupid,” Kaleb said to Calandra. He left the room, glancing back at me before closing the door.

  Calandra dipped her finger into the bowl and swirled Kaleb’s blood around as she quietly whispered a few words. After painting a strange symbol on the back of the door, she crossed the room and drew the same symbol on the opposite wall. She repeated this
on the other two walls and then set the wooden bowl back on the table.

  I noticed she’d used all the blood. “Should I tell Kaleb we need more?”

  “It’s not his blood we need,” Calandra replied.

  “Then why…?” I glanced at the symbols on the walls. They looked like the ones she’d placed on our living room walls. “Wait, you need olden blood to do a blocking spell? But isn’t it the same spell you did at our house?”

  “No. That was a privacy spell. Blocking spells are ancient and require olden blood.” She picked up another vial, this one filled with a dark purple liquid. “Olden blood is powerful if it’s pure and from one of the original cursed bloodlines, which Kaleb’s happens to be. But the blood must be given willingly, and that’s why Kaleb made it clear his blood is only for your use. He doesn’t want me keeping any to use later.”

  “I still don’t understand why you need a blocking spell.”

  “You left me no choice. A simple privacy spell doesn’t work on you and we need to speak freely,” she said. “I’ve never seen a witch command the wolves like you do.”

  “I don’t command the wolves.” The gleam of excitement in her eyes made me uncomfortable. Did she really believe I could get the Norwood wolves to do anything I wanted?

  “Are you kidding me?” She laughed. “I tell you I need olden blood, and you say it won’t be a problem. An alpha comes in and willingly gives you his blood. No questions asked. No deals made. You commanded him.”

  “I didn’t command Kaleb. He would have heard us talking, so I knew it wouldn’t be a problem.” I glanced at Mom as she stirred, but her eyes didn’t open. “What’s next?”

  “I won’t help Nells unless we make a deal. A blood oath.”

  “What?” I scoffed. Mom lay here, possibly dying, and Calandra wanted to make a deal? “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m a witch. We don’t cast spells or use our powers for nothing. There’s always a price.”

  I exhaled loudly, pissed Garrett hadn’t mentioned this. He had to know Calandra would ask for a deal. “What do you want?”

  “Come to Dover with me, to meet the High Council.”