by Martha Woods
“I’m fine,” Calla assured him.
There was a scream next to them, their heads snappping to the side to see Nolan pinned by one of the horrible hags. Jared didn’t waste a second, jumping into action and hurling the witch off of Nolan. Then, the two moved in unison, fetching the witch, holding her down, and ripping her head from her body with one pull.
Calla had to tear her eyes away before she allowed herself to be ambushed again. Refocusing her attention, Calla hurried over to the nearest Calder witch and launched fire at them. The heavy morning dew had only protected the grass and plants for a short time before the fire began to burn them away. Smoke filled the meadow like a fog.
The vampires used the cover of fog and their unmatchable speeds to their advantage to sneak up on the witches. The firehaven witches began forming small groups with the remaining vampires, using their firebending abilities to help overpower the Calder. Calla was with Nolan, Jared, and Flora as they surrounded three witches. She sidestepped a blast of fire that one of the Calder cast at her, putting her right next to Nolan. The witch let out a horrible shriek before charging at them. Calla put her hands up and channeled all of her energy to create a fireball, but nothing but sparks flew from her hands. When the witch approached, Nolan panicked and pushed Calla toward the witch, using her to block the incoming attack.
Calla was sent flying backward several feet, falling hard on the ground. The vile creature pinned her, heating her hands to burn Calla with her touch. Calla let out a pained cry, too weak to summon any kind of fire to fight her off. It felt as though the witch could have seared the meat right off Calla’s bones. Then, a force knocked her off of Calla. Jared smashed the witch’s head into the ground repeatedly before breaking her neck with just a flick of his wrist.
Hot tears poured down Calla’s cheeks, both of her shoulders severely burned from the attack. She was losing blood quickly, which rapidly grew dangerous for her. Her vision started to blur and her eyelids began to droop. When she opened her eyes, Flora was hovered over her, performing a healing spell over Calla. She could feel her sister’s panic and worry. Flora still cared for her, even if she didn’t agree with the decisions Calla had made.
The burns were soothed by the magic before they gradually began to heal. As soon as she stopped bleeding, Flora pulled Calla to her feet. She teetered, woozy and nauseous. Cold arms wrapped around her and she immediately fell into him, knowing it was Jared without having to look. As he tried to steady her on her own two feet, a peace came over the field. There was no more crackling fires or witches squeals. There was sobbing in the distance, but with all of the smoke and the voices echoing through the field, Calla couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from.
“Calla, hey, hey, are you okay?” Jared asked her in a panic.
She tried her best to answer him, but she couldn’t get out the words. When he thought she was steady and started to move his hands from her, Calla started to fall. Jared caught her and scooped her up. Her head thumped against his shoulder as he carried her toward the house.
Just as they reached the door, there was screams from upstairs. “Shit,” Jared breathed, running at full speed up the stairs, Veronica, Morgan, and Gabriel right behind them; Flora followed as fast as she could. As soon as Jared came to a stop, Calla forced herself from his arms, vomiting onto the floor as she gripped to a door frame. The fast motions had been way too much for her.
The others opened the door to the room Kristian and the others were in. Calla glanced up into the room, her eyes widening at the sight. Two of the Calder elders were cornering Kristian and Tessa in the bedroom, Charley and the two vampires dead on the floor. Jared and the others with him slowly moved into the room. The elders howled as they sent out jolts of electricity throughout the room. The vampires at the door all jumped back to avoid the lightning.
As if on a cue, the vampires all rushed into the room. Another wave of electricity ran through the room. They all fell backward, but quickly sprang to their feet. All of them then lunged at the witches at once. Calla’s vision danced as blurs of vampires and flashes of lightning filled the bedroom. She wanted so badly to help, but she couldn’t even find the strength to stand straight.
Her eyes tried to follow Jared around the room, but he was too fast for her to keep up with. Her focus then fell on Kristian. Once the others had the witches in their grasp, he finally stepped away from Tessa to help the others. Morgan and Gabriel managed to force a witch to her knees, holding her down by the shoulders. Kristian gave a smirk and went to grab the elder’s head. As his fingers grazed her jaw, the witch managed to get one arm free and lash out an attack of concentrated lightning.
Out of instinct, Kristian dodged it. Then, a thud sounded from behind him. He turned and his face carved into an expression of horror at the sight of Tessa slumped on the cold floor. “No!” Kristian screamed, falling to his knees in front of Tessa. The others acted quickly to assassinate the witches.
Calla could see Kristian trembling from the doorway as he bit into his arm and let drops of his blood fall onto the massive wound on Calla’s stomach. “Come on, Tessa.... Get up,” Kristian urged, his lip quivering as he watched the blood make hardly no difference at all. Tessa was hardly hanging to consciousness, and possibly life.
Flora walked into the room, going straight for Tessa. She began methodically casting spells over Tessa, trying to heal her of the fatal wound. Tessa’s eyes started to flutter, her mouth gaping as she struggled to get any air. “No, no, no. Tessa, you have to stay awake,” Kristian told her strictly, though his eyes burned with tears.
“I… I don’t think it’s going to work,” Flora breathed to him.
Kristian’s chest heaved with panic, his wild eyes falling back to Tessa. Hesitating for just a moment, he held his bleeding arm over Tessa’s mouth. After letting several drops fall into her mouth, Kristian then held her nose closed and rubbed her throat to force her to swallow. He cradled her in his arms, his ear pressed to her chest to listen for a heartbeat.
Calla couldn’t believe it, Kristian had actually changed Tessa. She was going to be the first known vampire-witch hybrid. If Tessa wasn’t already famous enough, it was going to get much worse.
* * *
By evening, Calla was rested but was still very weak. When the sun was completely set, the remaining eight witches and fifteen vampires moved outside; only Kristian stayed inside, watching over Tessa as she began her transformation. Calla sat down on the edge of the porch, a thick blanket wrapped around her. Jared plopped down next to her. They both watched as the others started piling the bodies of the Calder witches as well as the fallen vampires and Firehaven into one massive pyre.
“Is Tessa going to be okay?” Calla asked Jared.
His hand rested on her knee, “She’ll be better than ever once she’s done with her transformation.”
“Does changing into a vampire hurt?”
“Why? Do you want to find out?” Jared asked, brushing his nose against the length of her neck.
Calla smiled weakly, “I don’t think so. At least, not yet. I’m just worried about her. She nearly died.”
“So did you,” Jared pointed out. “You need to focus on yourself. Kristian is caring for Tessa.”
“I guess you’re right,” Calla sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.
The group cleaning the field started to set up a separate pyre, one for only a single body. Calla felt sorrow radiate from Jared. Even if he was putting on a brave face, he couldn’t hide his hurt from her. “What about you, are you okay?” Calla questioned softly, looking up into his powder blue eyes.
Jared’s eyes were fixated on the single pyre, the body of his maker laid in the center. “Ally was a strong woman. She served this family well for centuries. I’ll miss her, but after so long of watching her nearly die because of the missions she would go on, I made my peace decades ago. I suppose it doesn’t make it any easier initially, but I know in a matter of time, the wounds will heal and she’ll
only live on in our memories.”
Calla rubbed his arm in soothing strokes, muttering the mood altering spell under her breath. She wanted to help him through the grief, even if he expected it to be short lived.
“You don’t need to do that,” Jared whispered. He could hear her soft chanting.
“Sorry,” she muttered, biting her lip and ceasing her spell.
“It’s okay. I know you mean well,” he purred. “I just prefer to process my feelings alone.”
“Not completely alone, I hope,” Calla murmured, hugging to his side.
Jared’s cheek rested on the top of her head, “No, not completely. Just, alone in my head.”
“That I can do,” Calla promised.
They sat embraced and watched as Ally’s pyre was lit. Jared let out a pained breath, gripping Calla a little tighter as Ally was engulfed in flames.
“What will happen to the family now?” Calla asked. From her time around the family, everything had depended on Ally. No one made a move without her knowing, and she oversaw every task. Calla worried they would all be lost without her.
“Well, someone will have to step up and take charge. I would put money on Morgan taking over, with Veronica as his second in command. Morgan’s been in the family the longest out of everyone, he’s dependable and strong. People generally don’t have compliants about him. Veronica has a newfound passion for witch-hunting, which will make her a suitable mate for the leader of the family,” Jared hypothesized.
Calla looked up to him, “What will you do?” she asked. He had been serving Ally because she had saved his life. Now that she was dead, he had no obligation to stay with the family. What if he decided to go rogue? Calla was bound to Tessa for life… He could decide to move on and start a new life. One that couldn’t have Calla in it.
Jared was silent for a minute, watching the flames of the pyre as he contemplated his answer. When he finally had the words, his eyes met hers. A small, charming smile curled the corners of his lips, “I’ll do what I’ve been doing. Protect the family, and you.”
Calla’s heart pounded with excitement. He really did care for her. If she had just been a way to the pass the time, he would have jumped at the opportunity to get away from her. She had sinking feeling in her gut, something she was realizing was a fact. “I think I love you,” she blurted to Jared in a breathy voice, still shocked by her own realiztion.
His eyes twinkled with adoration, “I know I love you.”
He tilted her chin to him and gave her a loving, passionate kiss. Calla’s heart was exploding with excitement and newfound feelings. Even when nothing else made sense around her, Jared felt so right. Fate and destiny was weaved into Firehaven culture, but she had never bought into it completely. Jared, however, was making her a believer. She had no other way to explain how they found each other and fell in love the way they had. The odds had truly been stacked against Calla.
A throat clearing in front of them forced them to peel back from one another. A teenage girl with brunette dreadlocks and a black nose ring was standing before them with her arms crossed over her chest. Oh right, it was Charley’s new body. “Just thought you would want to stop sucking face long enough to find out the superhero witches are leaving now,” she informed them.
Calla looked to the side of the house, seeing her clan move toward the cars to leave. Looking up to Jared, he nodded at her to go after them. Calla stood from her spot, letting the blanket drop to the ground around her before standing up and heading their way. “Flora!” she called as she rounded the building.
The pack of witches all continued to move toward their mini-van, except for Flora. She stood still with her back facing Calla. When Calla caught up to her, she had to lean against a nearby car to catch her breath. “What is it, Calla?” Flora asked, looking anywhere but Calla.
“I… I just… I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. I can’t really describe how appreciative I am, but it’s more than you can ever know. And thank all of you for coming to protect Tessa.”
Flora crossed her arms and gave a slight shrug, “We had a job to do. We came to do it, and we really need to be leaving.”
“Can you please talk to me like I’m your sister for just five seconds?” Calla practically begged her sister. “What would you have rather me done? Die? I had to give Tessa my allegiance.”
“I know that,” Flora groaned. “That doesn’t change the fact that you’re no longer in the clan, Calla. In the times we are in, we have to look out our own before worrying about anything else. You know that.”
“That’s bullshit,” Calla snapped. “If you were only looking out for your own, you wouldn’t have come to help Tessa.”
“Protecting Tessa is in our best interest,” Flora defended.
“Fine,” Calla grumbled, giving her that one. “Do you really not see my as family anymore because of all this?” she asked.
Flora was still unable to bring herself to look at Calla. “You’ll always be my sister, Calla… But I can’t associate with you anymore. I don’t want to be cast out through association,” she stated coldly. Calla knew her sister was putting up a wall, not letting herself, or Calla, feel Flora’s emotions. “Bye, Calla,” she muttered, turning to walk away.
“I love you, sister,” Calla called after her.
Flora paused midstride, finally glancing at Calla.
I love you too, Calla, Flora thought.
Letting out a breath of relief, Calla watched with sorrow as her sister and the others left. She knew that the chapter of her life being in Firehaven was over, but that it wouldn’t be the last time she would see her clan. Knowing her sister still loved her was enough for Calla to not lose hope. Maybe one day she could reconnect with them, see her parents and both of her sisters again. From where she was now, that would be a life time away.
Once the van was no longer in sight, Calla headed back to the porch and sat back down next to Jared. “How did it go?” he asked, looping an arm around her.
“Better than I thought it would,” Calla admitted.
“That’s great, Cal,” Jared purred. “I know your sisters mean a lot to you.”
She nodded, “More than they realize, but that’s alright. I know everything will work out for the best in the end.”
“What makes you so sure?” Jared questioned, amusement hinting in his voice.
Calla shrugged, “Call it a hunch.” Even though she would call it fate.
They sat in silence the rest of the time as they watched Ally be cremated, a thick black smoke rising in the air. Even though it felt like the end, Calla knew it was just the beginning of something new.
The Immortal’s Calling
(Book Four of the Calder Witches Series)
Martha Woods
The Immortal’s Calling
(Book 4 of Calder Witch Series)
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Martha Woods
© 2017 Martha Woods
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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For permissions contact: [email protected]
Part One
Tessa slowly became aware of her surroundings. Soft blankets, a cold draft, her wet hair sticking to her forehead. In the next instant, she became aware of herself. Her body crumpled in pain, folding in half and letting out a loud cry. It felt like her insides were literally dying. Her bones ached, and her muscles had never been tighter.
“I’m so sorry,” a voice called from her side. Tessa could barely hear it over the sound of her cries. It was when a cool hand pres
sed to her forehead, bringing relief to the hellish fever she was suffering through. She realized it was Kristian’s.
Her coffee brown eyes finally peeled open to look up at him. “What happened to me?” she asked in a hoarse, broken voice. Tessa’s face was wet from sweat and tears.
Kristian swallowed a lump in his throat, combing his hand through her hair in a soothing manner. “The Calder… they found us somehow within the house, and they attacked us. You were fading so fast, I didn’t know what else to do.” His voice was tangled in agony and guilt. Tessa could tell he had been torturing himself over his decision since the moment it happened. Tessa started to wonder just how long she had been out of it.
Then, images took over her mind. Pale faces with pitch black eyes charging at them, flames blazing through the room, Kristian shouting. Tessa physically winced, remembering then just how the Calder found them. One of the witches had managed to snake her way into Tessa’s mind, using her almost like a looking glass to find where they were. Guilt and shame twisted Tessa’s stomach. If she only had been able to do Calla’s exercises effectively, then maybe that wouldn’t have happened. It was her fault that the Calder found them, and her fault that Kristian had to change her.
“It’s okay,” Tessa mumbled, taking in the details of his face. There were dark circles around his emerald eyes, no doubt from worrying. His expression was long and pinched with pain. She hated that he was beating himself up for something that was her mistake. Though Tessa had known Kristian for long enough to know he wouldn’t let her take the blame. No matter what she could say or do, he was going to feel responsible. Still, she wanted to try and take the guilt away from him. “I would have done the exact same thing for you,” she let out in a painful breath.