by Lisa Daniels
Finished with her breakfast, Callie looked up. “You aren’t still hurt, are you? Why are you leaving me?”
Caden looked shocked for a second, then regained his composure. “I will be following nearby.”
“Why don’t you just ride with me? Or get a second horse?”
His yellow eyes seemed baffled for a second, then he narrowed them as if to determine if she were joking. “If we are meeting up secretly, then we would not leave together. Believe me, they will notice. Also, I….” his voice trailed off as if he wasn’t sure what to say. “Well, you will see as soon as we get near it.”
Callie looked at him, unsure what he meant. They were through the door within a minute, and the horse was waiting just outside the door as Caden had said. As soon as they neared it, the horse became restless. The closer they got, the more it seemed inclined to run.
“I can’t seem to get through to it,” Caden’s voice was in her head. “Could you please reassure it? We don’t need a scene.”
Without thinking, Callie’s mind went out to the horse. After years with two, she was accustomed to thinking what she said to them, as if they understood. Her voice mimicked her thoughts, and the horse settled down enough that it let Caden set her in the saddle.
His voice spoke to her mind again, “I know you prefer to sit astride the horse, but a noblewoman doesn’t know how. Once you see the rock face, you can switch your position. I implore you not to do so sooner than that.”
Callie looked down at him and nodded. Caden returned her nod with a beaming smile. He kissed his hand and motioned toward her. Callie’s heart skipped a beat before she remembered they were putting on a show. Bowing her head a little, she batted her eyes at him and giggled, and she was very aware that most of it was not an act for her. All she had to do was let her emotions show, something she hadn’t done much of in the last four years. Caden’s eyes were softer, and she wondered how he could act so well that it would fool even her. He then slapped the horse’s hindquarters. As if it had broken a spell, the horse immediately took off at a very fast clip toward a different road. Callie couldn’t help but turn and look for him as the horse moved further and further from Enfeh’s Bliss. He stood there watching her until the horse turned a corner. Even though they had only been separated for a few seconds, Callie felt Caden’s absence like a dull pain. Despite being uncomfortable sitting side-saddle, Callie pushed the horse to move a little faster.
Chapter 7
Intersecting Paths
Callie hadn’t needed to stop at the gates. The guards had seen her garb and immediately opened the gate even though she was still a long way from it. Callie had wondered how she was going to get through, especially as she had no money, but apparently the right dress was enough. Part of her thought that Caden may have paid them ahead of time. After all, he had made her breakfast and gotten her a horse and a dress, all without her realizing it.
Only after she realized just how much he had done did Callie realize that he either did it all shirtless, or he had removed his shirt when he climbed back in bed. Her cheeks turned bright red at the thought, and a part of her was jealous that other people would have gotten to see him without his shirt. It was something she was going to ask him later.
The time seemed to pass slowly as the horse trotted down the road. Callie wanted it to go faster, but she remembered that Caden was going on foot. He was certainly fast in his other form, but he had also been hurt recently, and as far as she could tell he hadn’t eaten anything since she had treated his injuries. Then there was the matter of her replacement. The village may have thought she was leaving on vacation, but she had no idea what state her place had been in when Proseus had arrived the next morning. The back door was completely smashed for a start, although he may not have noticed that yet since there was no reason for him to go through the house. Everything he needed was in the front. She also wanted to ask how the villagers had believed suddenly that she was leaving when the matter had never come up. While she thought it must have been something Caden did, her gut told her that magic of that nature was outside his ability—which only left Alexis.
She’s a mystic. It was a startling realization, but it made complete sense now that she thought about it. Alexis had known about Caden, had even mentioned him. Would she have done something like that? And why? Callie got the distinct impression that Alexis did not play by the rules or follow anyone’s instructions. So why would she go out of her way to change the minds of an entire village for someone she barely knew?
Callie’s head began to hurt, so she squeezed the bridge of her nose with a hand. When she pulled the hand away, the rock face was right in front of her. Immediately, she swung her leg over the other side of the horse and leaned forward. In response, the horse began to move faster, and Callie smiled as the wind blew past her. It was comforting in a way she had not appreciated in the last few years. She had rarely had a chance to move quickly on the horses when her fathers were around—they were very against it, constantly pointing out how dangerous it was. Since their death, she had no interest in doing most of the things they had been against, except for reading the fairy tales. Callie had never ridden this fast and it felt good. Closing her eyes, she smiled as her worries disappeared in the sensation of the moment.
It wasn’t too long after the rock face (at least she didn’t think it was long after it), a small village came into view. Callie slowed the horse and directed it down the fork toward the village. As she neared it, a young woman came running out of the woods. Tripping over her feet, the woman fell in road. Callie immediately stopped the horse.
“Are you alright?” She tried to hurry to help the young woman, but found it much harder to move with all of the fabric from her dress.
The young woman looked to be about Callie’s age. She started to back up, a terrified look on her face.
Realizing a little late that the young woman must have taken her as a noble, Callie said, “I’m not noble. I’m just an apothecary. There’s no reason to be afraid.”
The fear in the young woman’s startling lavender eyes caused Callie to pause. The red hair was tangled and full of twigs and leaves. Her skin was much fairer than an ordinary person’s, but her clothes were definitely that of a servant or worse. She was gorgeous but obviously undernourished. Her dress was ripped and there was a thin trickle of blood coming out of her knee.
Her voice was musical as she murmured, “Mystic. You’re a mystic!” She was backing up, her hands scrambling on the dirt.
“It’s… I’m not going to—”
Before Callie could stop her, the young woman stood up and fled into the woods. Callie wanted to run after her, but knowing that would just upset the young woman further, she bit her lip and looked after her.
A low, smooth voice startled her, “You didn’t need to say you weren’t a noblewoman, so what are you? Oh! I definitely haven’t been good in this life, so why am I getting so unbelievably lucky?” Callie stood up quickly. Too quickly. As she started to fall, a pair of arms caught her.
Caden was suddenly behind her. “Move along, Caspian. There is nothing here for you.”
Callie looked up into the beautiful yellow eyes, momentarily forgetting everything else. Then her mind snapped back to the moment. She turned and placed her hands on Caden’s chest. He looked surprised as she stared up at him.
“Caden, there was a young woman here just a moment ago, and she was terrified. She knew what I was and ran off. Please go after her and help her. She was bleeding and clearly in need of food. I know you can help her.” His eyes were wide with shock, but before he could refuse her, Callie’s fist balled up. “Please, Caden. I can’t just let her run off like that. She’ll die in two days if she doesn’t get decent food and water.”
Caden began to shake his head, but then the smooth voice cut in, “Quite the dilemma. You don’t want to tell her no, and she doesn’t want to give you an order. Whatever will you do?”
Callie looked over her shoulder. There was
a low growl from Caden, but as soon as she placed her hands flat on his chest, the growl stopped. Callie saw a man leaning against her horse. The fear in the poor creature’s eyes was obvious, but it seemed to be trying not to breathe, let alone move. It was definitely the wrong reaction for a horse. The man’s sleek, black hair framed his face in a way that highlighted his sapphire-green eyes. They are the same color as Alexis’. The thought flashed through Callie’s mind, but she did not pay it any attention. Even the man’s incredibly firm body, which was obvious through his tight, three-piece outfit, and handsome face barely registered with her.
Turning her attention back to Caden, she was about to start begging when the man behind her spoke again. “You are about to protest because someone has to take care of this poor little lamb, and no one can do that like you. Not with an army of the Unwashed following her.” The way the man said Unwashed sounded more like he was spitting the words out of his mouth. A low growl escaped Caden at the words too, and Callie knew that neither man had a high opinion of the men tracking her down. The man bowed, “My name is Caspian, and your guardian and I go way back. And as someone who has known him for such a long, long time, I feel compelled to offer my services. I will take care of your mystic, and you can run off to help the poor helpless creature your mystic is worried about.”
Despite feeling a bit uncomfortable, Callie immediately began to nod her head. “Yes. See, Caden? Caspian can make sure I am alright. You go help her. Please.” Her eyes pleaded with him.
Caden closed his eyes for a second as he gritted his teeth. When he opened them again, they were as fierce as when they had been trapped inside her home. His voice was tense and he barely moved his mouth as he made his demands. “Take her to the last house, you know which one, and get her a meal. I will pay for yours as well once I get back.”
Caspian raised an eyebrow, “You think that I will keep her safe for the cost of a meal?”
“In your current state, a free meal is enough to buy your loyalty for a full day.”
Caspian burst out laughing, “How well you know me. We have a deal. Now run along before something happens to that poor little lamb running from the slaughter.”
“I dare say with you staying here, half of her problems are over.”
“Shows how little you know of the situation. Me staying here only solves about a fourth of her problems.”
Caden narrowed his eyes. “Just what have you gotten me into?”
Caspian strode forward, every movement like a hypnotic threat that lulled Callie into ignoring almost everything else. “You shall see. Now, hurry.”
Callie felt a hand on her upper arm turn her around. As soon as she was looking into Caden’s eyes she came crashing back into reality. His voice was low and soft. “Be careful. Don’t make any promises, and if you feel any pain, think of me. My name. Do you understand?”
Callie nodded.
Caden then looked at Caspian who now stood directly behind Callie. Gently pushing her toward the other man, Caden instructed him, “You will need to carry her to the house.”
“What? Why?” Caspian was frowning by the sudden turn in the conversation. His hands touched her, but he did not seem comfortable with her being so close.
“You felt it last night. That was her, and she is untrained.”
Caspian’s eyes widened and he looked at her. “Um, suddenly I remembered—”
“No, no, no.” There was both a warning tone and a hint of amusement in Caden’s voice. His arms went around Callie and she seemed to sway as Caspian took a step back. “The proposition was yours. You agreed to it.”
Caspian took another step back. “Yeah, but it isn’t something you really wanted to do. Okay, look, why don’t I go—”
“Because you will kill her outright instead of lifting a finger to help her.” Caden’s tone was matter-of-fact, and Callie felt certain that he knew what he was talking about.
“What if I promise—”
“We have a deal, but if you want out of it, we can always settle it the old-fashioned way.”
Caspian held up his hands, “Between you and the mystic, I choose the untrained mystic. At least if she kills me it is by accident. And probably not nearly so painful.” The distaste was obvious, but Caspian was clearly in a corner.
Caden wrapped his other arm around Callie, pulling her in close as he whispered in her ear, “Stay calm and it will be alright.”
“Why would he kill her?”
“We will talk about that later. Just relax because his kind does not do well when the people around them are tense. Their instincts kick in automatically. I will be back as soon as possible, and you know how to check on me if needed.”
Callie nodded and closed her eyes. She felt his voice rumble through his chest as he addressed Caspian, “Remember, you have to carry her and—”
“Yes, I got it. We will wait here for you, but I can’t do anything about the horse. I won’t be held responsible for her jumping off.”
Callie looked around and realized that at some point, the horse had taken off. Probably after Caspian had walked away from it.
Caden’s voice was level, “I will worry about that. You just make sure to protect her. Even if that is against your nature. If any harm comes to her, they won’t find any of your remains.”
Callie felt another pair of strong arms lift her up. When she looked to see Caden, she couldn't find him.
“Come on, little lamb. It looks like we are going to have a very long day.”
Callie looked at Caspian, the smile gone from his face as his eyes followed something in the distance. The way his eyes shifted was definitely not human, and the center of his eyes were slits, and she realized that the only difference between Caden’s eyes and Caspian’s was the color. “Are you a shifter, too?”
The beautiful eyes turned to her. They sparkled with interest, “Your guardian has not told you about me?”
Callie began to shake her head, “I only just met him a couple of days ago.”
Caspian’s mouth dropped open a little before he quickly closed it and started to shake his head. “Oh, dear gods, I knew that my luck couldn’t possibly have been as good as it looked. I swear, one damn artifact and this is what I get. It wasn’t even my idea, I was just—gods, never mind.” His eyes looked at Callie. “So, you are in love with your guardian, huh?”
“What?” Callie almost shouted the question. “No. Of course not!”
“Not that I needed the confirmation, but just for your own reference, if you don’t feel strongly about someone, you don’t get that worked up about them. You should be grateful that I didn’t bring it up in front of him because even that thick-skulled fool would have understood your lie. Well, perhaps I am over-estimating him.”
“What do you mean? I don’t—”
Caspian laughed. It was easily the most menacing laugh she had ever heard, and it made Callie understand how the horse felt. Trying to refrain from shivering, she watched Caspian’s face. “You both are emitting the pheromones that indicate how you feel. But I have to tell you, if you are interested in him, you are going to have to be the one to make the move because that man would never admit to any such inappropriate feelings. Up until you, I wouldn’t have believed he could feel anything inappropriate, but you can’t argue with the smell.”
“What are you talking about?” Callie felt that the man was perhaps talking to amuse himself more than converse with her. “He doesn’t think of me that way at all. We slept together last night and he wasn’t even flustered by me being beside him.”
Caspian’s eyes sparkled and he purred as he looked at her. “You two slept together? That is a development. Maybe his undoing has finally arrived.” Callie did not like the look in his eyes, but she tried to suppress her discomfort after Caden’s warning. Caspian watched her, then seemed to muse more to himself than attempt to converse with her. “Well, being an assassin, my sense of smell is more attuned than nearly any other animal you will meet. Even better than yo
ur little Caden’s there. And with the number of times I have used that smell to lure prey to their demise, it’s not something I’m going to miss. Especially around him. It is the smell of weakness.”
“I don’t understand what you are talking about.”
“No, I wouldn't expect someone who has basically no experience in our world to understand anything I am saying. I’m not really saying it for your benefit, now, am I? Oh, look, here we are.”
Caspian kicked the door open. A small family was standing in the living room, their eyes all swiveling to see who had barged into their home. The husband picked up the young child, grabbed the other kid’s hand and raced out of the room. The wife stepped forward. “You know you are not welcome here.” A small fire leapt into her hand, and the woman did not seem concerned that there were two people. “I will kill you before you get into my home. Especially if you plan on bringing your pet with you.”
Caspian’s smooth voice was cool and collected, “You must forgive us, dear madam. My mistress has been manipulated and is currently running from the Unwashed.”
The woman hissed at the name and the flame dimmed. “How was she manipulated?”
“Her parents left her for dead, and she was raised as a human all of this time. She didn’t even know of her powers until very recently. Now that her power has presented itself, they have found her. I intend to take her to her people, and you will never see her again. Surely, you cannot blame a child for what the parents did. Even you are not so cruel, Jade.”
The woman gritted her teeth. “You don’t look like a guardian.”
Caspian chuckled, “Looks can be deceiving, but as you can see, here I am tending to my charge, and if I don’t feed her soon, she may die. You see, she discovered her powers just last night when—”
The woman’s mouth opened. “That was you?” Her eyes were on Callie.
Nodding, Callie felt very self-conscious. She had not been able to completely follow the conversation because clearly the woman could tell what she was, but Callie had no idea who the woman was. “He was seriously injured, but didn’t tell me. One of the arrows was buried in his chest and would have killed him if I hadn’t—”