“Ha, ha, Cheyenne,” Maes said flatly. “We’ve decided your reign of terror ends, now.”
“You’re coming with us,” Callon decreed.
“Don’t I get my coffee first?”
Colt sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Sorry, Cheyenne. Prize winner or not, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
I exhaled loudly and turned. Daniel was within arm’s reach. Callon immediately stepped between us. “Don’t even think about it.” His lips thinned. “You’ve caused enough trouble for one day.”
“Caused you enough trouble, you mean,” I said playfully. “You’re such a sore loser.”
A slight grin emerged on his face. “Come on.”
We began our trek back to the house. Callon on one side, Maes on the other. Callon led me straight to the deck.
“Sit.” He pointed with his finger.
I sneered but fell into the seat without complaint. All four went into the house. They were planning something. I watched them through the window. Callon disappeared for a few moments and then returned in dry clothes. Colt caught my eye and winked. I blushed and felt the goosebumps rise on my skin.
I was growing impatient and began to twist my rings. The blue stone for the Kvech ring glittered in the morning light—it truly was beautiful. I ran my fingers over the Servak band. These rings tied me to Callon and Marcus. The Servak ring was mysterious, the way the symbols flowed over each other, enchanting. The two combined were striking. How I longed for Colt to have the same ring—for us to be linked together eternally. Why did I have to be the only surviving Kvech?
The door opened, and I lifted my head. Callon and Colt approached.
“How do you feel about hiking today?” Callon asked.
“Whatever you want,” I said. “Although tomorrow I’d like to have a say in things.”
“Fair enough.”
Colt pushed forward. “You need to change.”
I narrowed my eyes. “This isn’t good enough?”
“If I’ve won the prize then I get to choose what it wears.” He gave me a handsome grin and reached for my hand. I was expecting a gentle tug, but instead he all but flipped me out of the chair and lifted me to his shoulder.
“Hey! I am capable of walking, you know.” My cry fell on deaf ears as he went inside and climbed the stairs. He set me on the bed and entered my bathroom, soon returning with my swimsuit and hiking boots.
“My swimsuit?” I asked. “You could have just told me!”
“Just trying to be helpful.” He winked as he tossed me the clothes.
I rolled my eyes and headed for the bathroom.
After changing, I found Colt leaning against the far wall, daydreaming. I hesitated in the doorway. He hadn’t seen me yet. What was he thinking about? Were his thoughts the same as mine? Did he want things to go back to the way they were before I found out I was Timeless? Was he worried about what Callon would say or do…or was our time running short?
Callon admitted he had authority over Colt, and I’d witnessed it firsthand. The tension was still there…who’d give up first?
I sighed.
Colt’s eyes brightened when he saw me.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded and followed him to the door. Callon’s arms were crossed, and his irritation was clear when we returned to the great room.
“Cheyenne is quite capable of dressing and walking on her own, Colt,” Callon snapped.
Colt stopped in his tracks, causing me to run into his back.
“I don’t take orders from you, Callon,” Colt growled.
Daniel flashed between them.
“Let’s go,” Daniel said, his eyes meeting mine. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover before dark if we’re going to work with Chey on her powers.”
Maes stood near the doorway, assessing the situation.
I slipped by the trio and headed for the door. I knew it was only a matter of time before something was said, before tempers flared. Nothing had changed.
Chapter 17
We stopped at the café. Callon and Maes went in to order while Daniel, Colt and I sat outside. It was going to be a gorgeous day. Not a cloud filled the sky, and the air was pleasantly warm. It was more than just the sunshine; it was the warmth of having my family reunited. As difficult as this past year had been, even with the tension of the morning, I’d come a long way. We’d all come a long way.
“Cheyenne,” Callon called. Broken from my reverie, I glanced up. He handed me my drink. I smiled. He’d known exactly what I’d wanted.
“Thank you.” I squeezed his hand and saw his satisfaction as he sat beside me. He rested his arm on the seat back. Colt shifted uncomfortably.
“So, have you done much hiking out here, Cheyenne?” Daniel asked, flashing a frown to his brothers.
“A bit, but I’ve been careful not to wander too far.” I eyed Maes. “I didn’t want to get into trouble.”
Maes scoffed and leaned back in his chair.
“So where are we hiking to?” I took a sip of my vanilla frappe with caramel sauce.
“Maes knows a secluded area where we can work on your new powers without getting unwanted attention,” Callon replied.
I cocked my head. “There was no news report. Nobody around here’s been looking into it.”
“Maybe, but it’s not humans looking into it that I’m worried about.”
I shivered, remembering the Tresez attack. I couldn’t forget that Marcus and his army were watching for me too. I needed to keep a low profile.
Once we were finished, we traveled down the main road. Callon made sure he walked beside me, and we came to the trailhead. We followed it until Maes directed us north, and we broke off onto our own path.
Callon had me borrow Daniel’s powers and work on my jumping techniques. I took turns having one of them with me. Even Maes allowed me to jump with him.
“You need to move faster,” Maes said.
I rolled my eyes. Would it kill him to give me a compliment?
“How far can you jump?”
“As far as I can see, sorta.”
We stopped, and he looked down. “What do you mean, sorta?”
“Well, it’s really just a range of a few miles.”
“Hmm.”
“You didn’t know?”
He didn’t reply, but instead pointed and had me move on with the training.
We continued until we heard rushing water nearby. We broke through a small opening, and a waterfall poured into a small pool, which ran into a narrow river. I hesitated, remembering what happened the last time we were near a waterfall. Daniel smiled as he passed, and I knew it wasn’t a good sign. Colt gently urged me along. I waited at a large boulder as they talked things out.
Callon approached, and I put my hands up in protest. “I’m not jumping off a waterfall again, Callon.”
He looked back at the waterfall and shook his head. “We’re not here to play games in the water, Cheyenne. We’re here to train. I want you to work on moving objects.”
“Okay.” I moved towards the center of the meadow.
Callon had me move small rocks to begin with. It was easy enough, and I didn’t feel as fatigued as I had in the past. It was a bit of a thrill to begin to realize I could control the power that ran through me, but I knew that beneath the surface something dark lurked.
“I want you to move this one,” Callon pointed to a large boulder.
My eyes grew wide.
“It’s huge…” I’d moved a boulder on the island, but nothing like the size of the one here.
“You can do this.”
He took a few steps back, and I raised a brow. He wouldn’t stand beside me while I lifted it?
I mumbled to myself and turned to the task at hand.
I spread my hands out and focused on the enormous boulder. Somehow I had to lift it up. I pressed my palms out and felt a slight breeze, but nothing more.
“Concentrate,” Maes growled.
/>
Just once I wished he could encourage me, instead of snapping orders.
I inhaled and focused again. Lift, damn it, lift!
The boulder shook, but remained settled in the meadow.
“You’re worthless!” Maes snapped next to my ear, and I jumped. “You’re not focusing. This isn’t some stupid game, Cheyenne!”
“I am focusing!” I spat.
“If you were focusing, you’d have already lifted the boulder, parrot.”
“Quit calling me parrot!” My shoulders tensed.
“I’ll call you parrot if I choose to.” His dark eyes narrowed.
I’d show him…
I faced the boulder again, and closed my eyes as the irritation and anger spilled out. I began to tremble as it rose, and I reveled in it. I twisted my hands above my head, and the wind blocked out their voices as I released that unknown force from the pit of my stomach.
It crawled up from the depths, dark and murky. It was as if a cloak of doom was wrapping itself around me and would soon strangle out the light.
“Cheyenne!” Colt bellowed, and I flew to the ground just as the boulder crashed down beside us…where I’d just been standing.
I blinked.
“Hey.” He held my face, forcing me to look at him. “Calm down.”
What had I done?
Maes, Callon and Daniel were standing around me. I looked beyond them and saw the disaster I’d created. The grass in the meadow was flattened. Trees lay toppled to the side, and not only did I move the large boulder, but several others lay strewn about nearby as well.
Colt had managed to stop me. I lowered my head. I’d felt the thrill when I released the power. I was in control, I was calling the shots…and then I was losing control. Would I be able to control this thing inside me as long as Colt was nearby? He made me feel complete, whole again. He’d promised to help me.
“You’re going to have to work on that,” Maes said.
I shot to my feet, pushing Colt aside.
“You!” I shoved my finger in his chest. “You keep pushing me like I’m a weapon to be used at your beck and call!”
He leaned forward, causing me to step back. “We’re pushing you for a reason, Cheyenne.”
“I’ve just barely figured out I have powers!” My hands flew in the air.
“Marcus is getting closer every day. You have to be ready!”
“Cheyenne,” Callon moved closer, his hand grasping my arm in an attempt to pull us apart.
I jerked away and stalked towards the water. He followed me.
I collapsed into the moist grass as the exhaustion hit, and rested my head in my hands. I could have caused myself and my guardians serious harm. We were Timeless, but a boulder would surely kill them…they meant the world to me.
“Are you okay?” Callon asked.
“I’m fine.”
Callon moved closer, stroking my back. It was comforting, and I found myself edging closer. For once, Callon wasn’t the one pushing, but was providing comfort.
“I’m sorry, Callon.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.” He rested his hand on my shoulder.
“I—I didn’t…”
A crow cawed, and I jumped, losing my train of thought. I looked up and watched it fly into the trees.
“Mean to lose control?” Callon finished for me.
My cheeks burned with shame.
“Thank you.” I lifted my head and looked into his warm eyes. There was so much about him I’d purposely not opened up to. I’d closed myself off for fear of being hurt, and of pushing the brothers apart. I’d promised him a new start, and he needed to know how I felt, “You…you know I care deeply, don’t you? I may have been angry about what happened at Dex and Lilly’s, but I never stopped…” I swallowed. I just couldn’t say the words yet. “You and Colt mean the world to me. I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”
The hard planes of his face disappeared. The part of him he’d been holding back, the part he hadn’t allowed me to see was now visible. He leaned closer, and our noses touched.
“I know.” Before I knew it, his hand was behind my neck. His breath tickled my lips; it wouldn’t have taken much more to make me give in.
A splash echoed from the river, and Callon broke his gaze. Colt was nearby, throwing stones. When he saw me, he smiled. However, when I looked at Callon again, a shiver ran through me. Those hard planes had returned. He flicked his eyes towards me, a stony coldness I’d never witnessed set into his jaw.
“You told Colt you loved him.”
My breath caught.
“…and if I did?” I turned away, unable to hold his stare.
“No, Cheyenne,” Callon rumbled. “This is going to stop. You’re causing yourself more agony than you need to. You’re betrothed to me, not Colt. It was a mistake to ever let him near you, a mistake that I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.” His hands cupped my cheek. “Cheyenne, look at me.”
I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to see in his eyes or hear in his voice how my childish fantasies of love needed to end. I didn’t want to be told that the only thing my heart truly desired was out of my reach.
“You are only hurting yourself. I won’t stand by and watch you endure anymore suffering when I can end it.” He stroked my cheek. “Your destiny is with me, not Colt.”
My tears fell freely, and I pushed him away. I turned and marched off alone, regretting that I’d ever agreed to this outing. Why had I asked them to come? Why did I constantly think I could change Callon’s mind when I knew he was unshakeable? I didn’t want to hear his words of destiny. I wanted to choose my own.
I was right back where I started.
I’d barely made it to the forest edge when Maes spun me around.
“You’re not wandering off alone, Cheyenne,” he growled. “Just because you had a little tiff doesn’t mean you run away.”
I yanked my arm back. “Leave me alone, Maes!” I shouted. “I’m tired of being told what to do!”
His dark stare leveled with mine. “This isn’t about what you want to do. This is about your role in the Timeless world. Face it, mon espoir, you’re stuck with it.”
Stuck with it, my…
Maes released my arm, and I headed into the forest with my guardians trailing behind.
My mind wandered. I was so sick of running and hiding, and I still wasn’t any closer to understanding why. Why did Marcus need me? Why was he so evil? And why wouldn’t anybody tell me? They had provided no proof except in stories. They said he killed my parents, but that was their version. What if it was wrong? What if it was all a big misunderstanding? The only real thing I knew for sure was that I loved Colt and Callon. My heart belonged to them.
We walked for hours through the forest, while I replayed all the words like a slow motion film. A film that I couldn’t edit or recreate, a film that would always come up with the same ending.
There were so many things I loved about them both. With Colt, I had a relationship that had been built around a friendship and had grown naturally. He made me laugh and feel good about myself. I was always at ease with him. Life was easy, comfortable…carefree. And most importantly he was my light, my ray of hope in the darkness.
My thoughts drifted to Callon. Our relationship had been rocky from the start. He made me uncomfortable, unsure and had hidden things from me. He’d play the evasive game and expect me to follow along willingly…but he also challenged me. He made me think, pushed me to my limits. Would I have come up with the berry poisoning idea if not for his constant talk that I couldn’t escape? Would I have taken so many risks and proved what I was capable of if he hadn’t fed my determination? He guided my potential in ways I didn’t understand. And beneath his serious demeanor, I knew he was kind and caring too.
But how could he force me to choose?
Darkness covered the forest, and I couldn’t go on any longer. Why couldn’t I have been human? Why couldn’t Colt have been hu
man? Why couldn’t we be together? Why did I have to be the last of the ruling clan, expected to lead a group of people I knew nothing about? Forced into a marriage that my mother had shrugged off without complaint. Why should I have to shoulder her burden?
Maybe Maes was right; she was selfish. Selfish enough not to care about her own child…
Voices suddenly broke through the trees. My heart jumped to my throat, and I dropped to the ground. Callon moved beside me.
“Did you find her?” growled a husky voice. My fingers dug into the cold earth, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
“No. I know she came this way. The dogs sniffed her out. She has to be someplace close,” another replied.
My breath caught, fearing the worst, but I didn’t have any pain in my back where the Tresez’s scar lay. Weren’t they close enough?
“Find her. Marcus wants her now.”
A branch snapped nearby, and I pressed my hand to my mouth. Marcus was here? But how?
“Do you know what her powers are?”
“He was really vague.”
“Who?”
“Ma—damn, they’ve almost caught up!”
“What?”
“Get ready.”
My mind was whirling. Trackers? Or worse?
I searched the black forest, scarcely able to breathe. This was bad…why did I have to let my emotions get the better of me? Now I’d placed my guardians and myself in a dangerous situation. I could potentially defend myself, but I couldn’t take on a whole army of Trackers on my own. I had barely figured out how to move the air…
I played out the options in my head. We could run for it, try and fight them off, or we could keep hiding and hope they’d pass by. Their footsteps crunched closer, and I clenched my teeth.
It only took a fraction of a second for Callon to reposition himself, and I was almost completely covered by his body—he was shielding me from whatever was still out there. My heart was pounding. He cocked his head to the side, listening—waiting for an opportunity.
A low growl erupted, and white fangs flashed behind Callon’s head. A small screech left my lips, and suddenly the Tresez disappeared as Colt kicked it away. A second later, Callon rolled to his side and thrust me upright, then caught me before I fell.
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