Tale of Life (Essence Series #2)

by Todd, E. L.

  “I enjoy a challenge.”

  “Are you going to Fresno University?” she asked.

  Calloway nodded. “Yes,” he said. “But I doubt we’ll have any classes together, especially since we are different majors,” he said sadly, knowing she didn’t want to see him anywhere, especially on campus. “We shouldn’t run into each other often.”

  Weston’s face fell. “I don’t hate you, Calloway.”

  Calloway stared at her for a long moment, counting the number of eyelashes on her lids and then staring at the freckle in the corner of her mouth, which reminded him of a piece of chocolate. “I know,” he whispered. He took a deep breath and stared outside the window, trying to forget about Weston sitting next to him in the car, looking at him with the vibrant light in her eyes. If only he could prove himself to everyone that he really was an advocate for the Life, then their relationship might be different. Initially, he assumed Weston had no interest in him, but now he wasn’t sure. There were times when he suspected that she felt the same way he did. More than anything, he wanted to hear exactly how she felt from her own mouth, knowing that she would be brutally honest. He wanted to ask her but decided to leave the conversation untouched, knowing it would just push her farther away.

  When they stopped in the parking lot, Calloway practically flew out of the seat, wanting to get away from Weston. It was impossible to be so close to her and not think about her in inappropriate ways. He wanted to kiss the freckle in the corner of her mouth, had wanted to for months, but he knew he would never have the chance to indulge himself. He decided being far away from Weston was the best course of action. If she wanted him, he was hers for the taking.

  They walked inside the diner, which was reasonably priced for such a large party, and saw Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott in a booth toward the back. When Calloway approached the table, he inconspicuously waited for Weston to sit down first before he found a seat at the exact opposite corner, not wanting to see her in his line of sight. So he crammed into the seat beside Uncle Scott, while his friends and Weston sat in the opposite seat. Easton and Breccan knew exactly why Calloway was acting this way, and when he caught Weston looking at him, he knew she understood his behavior as well.

  The waiter approached their table and took their order. When Breccan’s turn arrived, he ordered two different plates, and the waiter stared at him for a moment.

  “Is one to go?” he asked.

  “No,” Breccan said hesitantly.

  Calloway burst into uncontrollable laughter and Easton had to wipe her tears away. Breccan just glared at them. The waiter left with their seven orders.

  Aunt Grace clapped her hands together. “I have a graduation present for you,” she said happily. She opened her purse and pulled out a bundle of fabric. Calloway saw his cousin’s face fall; he knew Breccan assumed it was another blanket. Aunt Grace handed two of them to the boys and the last one to Easton.

  Easton took it apprehensively. “You got me something, too?”

  “Of course,” Aunt Grace said. “You are another addition to this family.”

  Easton opened the shirt and smiled when she saw the Fresno University logo on the front. The boys looked at their shirts and saw that they were identical.

  “Your first college paraphernelia!” Aunt Grace shrieked.

  “Thank you, Grace,” Easton said.

  Calloway nodded. “That was very nice of you.”

  The room became awkward when everyone looked at Breccan. No one knew where he was attending college because he hadn’t received an acceptance letter. Calloway knew his aunt meant well by giving them all a shirt, but he could tell how angry Breccan felt at the gesture.

  Aunt Grace opened her purse and placed a letter on the table. “Open it, Breccan.”

  It was a letter from Fresno University. Calloway held his breath while he waited for his cousin to open it, hoping that he would be joining him in the fall. If the letter was a rejection notification, he knew how upset Breccan would be, especially at his mother.

  “I know you’ll be accepted.” She smiled. “That’s why I got you this shirt. Now open it!”

  Breccan took a deep breath before he opened the top of the envelope. He finally unfolded the paper and read through the lines with an indifferent expression. Calloway knew Breccan had been rejected by the look on his face—pure disappointment. Breccan folded the letter again and everyone remained silent, unsure what to say.

  Aunt Grace held her hands together and looked more depressed than Calloway had ever seen her. It was obvious that she felt terrible about purchasing a shirt that Breccan would never be able to wear.

  “Why they long face?” Breccan asked.

  Calloway shifted his weight. “We’re sorry, Brec.”

  “For what?” He smiled. “That we are going to be dorm buddies?”

  “WHAT?” Calloway yelled. “Are you serious?”

  Aunt Grace screamed, disturbing the customers at the surrounding tables. “I knew it! I knew my boy would get into college!”

  “This is perfect,” Uncle Scott said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

  Easton hugged Breccan tightly. “I’m so happy for you.”

  Breccan returned her embrace. “Me, too.”

  Aunt Grace grabbed the letter from his hand and read through it. “And you got a full scholarship?” she yelled. She turned to Uncle Scott. “He got a full scholarship!”

  Uncle Scott covered his ears. “Yes, I know.” He smiled.

  “This is so wonderful!” Aunt Grace screamed. “Both of our sons got full scholarships? This is unbelievable! Our greatest dreams are coming true, dear.”

  “They are,” Uncle Scott agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud.”

  Breccan’s cheeks reddened. “I can’t believe I got in,” he whispered. “And with a full scholarship!”

  “I can.” Easton smiled.

  “So can I,” Aunt Grace added.

  Uncle Scott clapped him on the shoulder. “We always knew that you could.”

  Calloway nodded. “Yes, we did.”

  Crossing Over

  “This is way too big on me,” Easton said as she rolled up the sleeves of the Hara-Kir robe. It reached past her hands and hung heavily from her arms. The bottom of the cloak trailed behind her, making her look like a small child wearing her father’s clothes. “I can’t even walk, let alone stab a Hara-Kir in the heart three times!”

  Calloway pulled out his knife and started to cut the material away, making it fit her petite frame and giving her the ability to walk. “It didn’t shrink much in the washer?”

  “No,” she said. “And my mother stared at me in mock horror when she saw it. I had to convince her that I thought it was cute and planned on wearing it in the winter time.”

  Breccan started laughing. “You would be just as much of a loser in college as you were in high school if you dressed like that.”

  “And you would be a loser for hanging out with me!” she snapped.

  “Who said I would still hang out with you?” Breccan smiled.

  Calloway stood up and carried the remains of the robes to the trashcan, where he dumped the fabric inside. “Let’s worry about that after we survive this mission. We are getting ahead of ourselves here.”

  “Well, I’m glad I know how much my best friend cares about me before I risk my life.” Easton sighed.

  “Wow,” Breccan said. “Who said anything about being best friends?”

  Easton glared at him, lashing out at him with the devilish look on her face.

  “I’m only kidding.” He smiled. “You know that.”

  “I really don’t,” she said. She turned away and brushed the wrinkles out of her robe. Calloway saw the tears in her eyes and knew how frightened she was of their endeavor. He didn’t judge her for being scared—he felt exactly the same way.

  Breccan recognized her distress even though he couldn’t see her face. He marched over to her and turned her around, making her stare into his face. A te
ar slid down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly. “You’re my best friend, too,” he said. “And I—I love you.”

  The tears poured down her cheeks at his words and she wiped them away again. Easton wrapped her arms around his neck and held him for a moment. “I love you too, Breccan.” She buried her face in his shoulder as she cried, dropping the brave façade she always wore.

  Easton dropped her embrace and turned to Calloway, who she hugged tightly, and he returned her hug with equal force. “I love you, Calloway.” She sniffed.

  “I love you too, Easton,” he said. He ran his hands down her back, trying to comfort her as well as he could, but his own emotions were running out of control. He felt a tear slide down his cheek when he realized that his friends might not survive—he might not survive. An image of his aunt and uncle formed in his mind, but was quickly replaced with Weston’s face.

  Calloway wiped his tear away then ended their touch. “Can you do something for me?” he asked.

  She nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. The tears fell from her eyes and she didn’t bother to wipe them away.

  Calloway pulled a note from pocket and handed it to Easton. “Give this to Weston if—if I don’t come back.” He had been up the entire night composing the letter to the love of his life, writing down everything he wanted to say to her but never could. If he died he wanted her to know how he felt about her—that he loved her like the flowers loved the sun.

  Easton took the letter with shaky hands. “Okay,” she said. “But we are coming back, Calloway. All of us.”

  Calloway nodded. “Just in case,” he whispered. “It’s better for her to know how I feel about her in death, than not know at all.”

  Easton nodded. “She loves you, Calloway.”

  Calloway felt his heart skip a beat. He always wondered if she did, suspected it the night of the prom, but he was too scared to ask her, worried that he would chase her away. “Did she tell you this?”

  “No.” Easton sighed, looking down at the ground. “But I know she does. She has never acted like that with anyone before, never been so affectionate. If the Hara-Kir incident hadn’t happened, she would probably be yours, Calloway.”

  Calloway took a deep breath. “That is both comforting and heartbreaking.”

  “Just remember that she does, Calloway. She loves you. There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”

  Calloway nodded. “I hope you are right.”

  “It’s so obvious, Cal,” Breccan said. “Who is that affectionate with someone just because? You guys are like star-crossed lovers, staying apart for idiotic reasons. Life is too short for this, Calloway. When we get back, you better talk to her.”

  On the night of prom, Calloway almost had the courage to tell her how he felt about her. If only he had spoken his mind at that moment, he wouldn’t have noticed Beatrice kissing Hawk across the floor, and he wouldn’t have gone outside and spotted the Hara-Kir lurking in the shadows. It was his biggest regret. If only had just told her the truth, she might be his girlfriend at this very moment. He might have tasted the freckle in the corner of her mouth. “I will.” He sighed.

  Breccan clapped him on the shoulder. “Good,” he said. “It’s a lot better than reading a love note from a dead guy.”

  Calloway laughed. “I suppose. I guess it is a bit creepy.”

  “A bit?” Breccan smiled.

  Calloway stared at his cousin for a moment, knowing this may be the last time he would ever see him. They had their differences but they always protected each other from everything. Breccan wasn’t just his cousin—but his best friend and brother. Calloway embraced him and hugged him, clapping him on the back quickly before he pulled away. “You better not die,” he said.

  Breccan nodded. “That goes both ways, brother.”

  Calloway took a deep breath. “Is there anything else?”

  Easton shook her head. “I left the Kirin Book in my sister’s basement. Just in case I die, she’ll have it.”

  “Good,” Calloway said. He pulled the hood over his head, clouding his face in shadow, and the other two did the same. “Everyone has their knives?”

  “Yes,” they both answered.

  Calloway approached the wall in the back corner while his two friends followed behind him. When they reached the portal wall, he looked at his two friends. “Remember, if something happens to me you need to go—you promised me.”

  “We will leave you if we have no other choice,” Easton said. “Otherwise, we always stay together—no matter what.”

  Calloway nodded. “Are you ready?”

  Easton took a deep breath. “The anticipation is always more terrible than the action itself.”

  “We aren’t getting a shot,” Breccan said. “We are entering another world—where we could die!”

  “I am aware of that,” she snapped.

  Breccan sighed then grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m ready.”

  Easton flinched at his touch but she didn’t pull away. “Okay.”

  Calloway pulled the globe from his pocket and squeezed it, causing the light to illuminate the dark corner of the library. The almost inaudible hum returned and blared in Calloway’s ears. He stepped toward the wall and his friends stood right behind him. Calloway could feel his heart hammer in his chest and he feared it would give out from the anticipation. He stepped closer to the wall and held out his hand, about to the touch the surface, and when his palm touched the wall, it continued to pass through the solid barrier. Calloway gasped and pulled his hand back out.

  “We just step through,” he said.

  Easton and Breccan stood on either side of him, and together, they pressed their hands against the wall.

  “Ready?” Calloway asked.

  They both nodded.

  Calloway stepped through the portal, and his friends followed behind him instantaneously, disappearing from the mortal plane of the earth and vanishing into an unknown land that none of them were aware of—unsure if they would ever return.

  The Anti-Life

  Calloway’s body fell forward when his shoes hit the ground. He rolled into the fall and finally halted after a few feet, stopping himself before he continued to fly down the hill. Easton and Breccan appeared a moment later, tumbling just like he had. He caught them both before they went too far.

  Breccan sat up and looked around them. “What are we?” he asked in a mesmerized voice.

  Calloway stared at the scenery. It was dark, black as night, and they were deep inside a massive forest with tall trees that reached high into the sky. It was no different than a forest on earth, but Calloway was mesmerized by the sight of the nighttime stars. There were too many to count and they were close—very close. The stars on earth appeared distance, flickering faintly, but these stars were large, the size of planets, and Calloway was captivated by the sight. He felt like he was in a living painting of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

  After he recovered from the innate beauty of the land, he checked for lurking Hara-Kirs, peering into the blackness and listening for even the faintest sound, but found nothing discernible. The lack of sunlight made it difficult to see but the glowing stars illuminated the land with just enough light. He could still see the lines on his hand as well as the leaves on the trees; it was just fainter. As much as Calloway hated to admit it, this unknown world was breathtaking.

  The three of them sat together for a long moment, jumbled together with their knees touching and their elbows embedded in each other’s side, but none of them moved away. The sound of their hearts echoed in the glen, and it was so loud that it almost shattered Calloway’s ear drums.

  “What do you we do now?” Easton whispered. “This was not what I was expecting.”

  “And what were you expecting?” Calloway asked.

  “A building of some sort or a rocky wasteland, nothing like this beautiful place.” she said quietly.

  The faint sound of chirping birds and woodland creatures emitted from around them. A buzzing sound co
uld be heard in the distance and it reminded Calloway of a flying bee. A slight breeze glided up the hill and brushed the hair from his face. The air was slightly warm, like the temperature of a summer night.

  Calloway rose to his feet and looked behind him. A large slab of rock was embedded into the ground and it resembled a stone wall, long enough to fit five people astride. He stared at it for a moment then turned back to his friends. “That must be the exit,” he said. “We have to remember how to get back.”

  Breccan nodded. “We’ll rip off pieces of our cloaks and leave a trail.”

  “Where are we going?” Easton asked as Breccan helped her to her feet.

  Calloway shrugged. “Forward.” He turned around and looked at the entire forest and noted the stone mountains behind him, reaching high into the sky. The rock walls were white in the light of the stars, almost unreal. They weren’t rocky and chaotic like other scenes of nature. It almost looked manmade. Everything in this place was different but had remnants of life on earth. Calloway wondered what the connection was.

  He walked down the hill with his friends following behind him. “Don’t make a sound,” he said. “They can see us better than we can see them.”

  Breccan nodded. “Hopefully they assume we are other Hara-Kirs. They probably won’t suspect humans to cross over.”

  “We don’t know what they expect,” Easton said.

  They inched deeper into the woods and moved between the wide trunks of the trees, passing deeper into unchartered territory. Every few feet, Breccan would lay down a piece of cloth as a marker.

  “If only we had come during daylight,” Breccan said. “This would be easier.”

  “But they might be sleeping at night,” Easton said.

  “Do they?” Calloway asked.

  Easton shook her head. “It didn’t say in the Kirin Book.”

  “That book is good for nothing,” Breccan spat.

  “Well, it got us this far,” Easton said defensively.

  Calloway stopped moving and grabbed them both by the arm, squeezing tightly. “This isn’t a game,” he whispered. “You can save your arguments for another time. I intend to escape—alive.” He released his hold and moved forward, not waiting to hear their comments.