Blood Prophecy (Witch Fairy) (10 page)

Chapter 8

It’s always so disconcerting to pass out one place and wake up in another.  Not that I’ve passed out a lot, but it seems to be happening more and more lately. I’m lying on my bed and the blinds are closed, but I’m pretty sure that it’s getting dark out.  I must have been out for a while.  I turn my head and Kallen’s face comes into view.  He’s lying on his stomach next to me, with his arms folded under his head.  His eyes are closed, but as soon as he realizes I’m awake, he opens them.

“You were sleeping the sleep of the dead.  I am glad to see you have returned to us.”

I lift my arms over my head and stretch.  For some reason, I’m sore all over. “Did I miss dinner?  I’m starved.”

His eyebrows rise in amusement.  “You only missed it by several hours.”

I frown.  “What do you mean?  It doesn’t look that dark out yet.  Why did you guys eat so early?”

Now he looks even more amused.  “What time do you think it is?”

I cheat and glance quickly at the clock.  “Five thirty.”

He chuckles.  “Good guess.  AM or PM?”

No, he can’t mean what I think he means.  “PM,” I say obstinately.

“Guess again.  That is not the sun setting,” he says as he points to the window.  “That is the sun rising.”

“What?  Why did you guys let me sleep so long?”  There’s so much to do and they just let me lay in bed all day?  Mom and Dad never let me do that.  This seems like a strange time to start.

“It was not our choice.  You proved to be a more powerful conduit for the spell than your grandmother thought you would be.  You were unable to be roused as your body adjusted to the onslaught of magic racing between you and the protection circle.”

I groan.  “I can’t believe I wasted a whole day being passed out.  Is there ever going to be any magic that I can do right?” 

Kallen chuckles again.  “The question is not can you do the magic correctly, the question is, are you too powerful to perform certain spells without ramifications.  The answer is yes.”

“Maybe I should just have you and Mom bind my powers again and call it good.”

Kallen looks surprised.  “Why would you willingly give up your magic?”

I shrug.  “I haven’t needed it the last seventeen years.  What do I need it for now?”

He looks at me like I’m crazy.  “Namely, to keep yourself alive.”

“But if my powers are bound, no one would have to worry about me.  I wouldn’t be a threat to anyone.”

Now he’s looking at me like I have the naiveté of a two year old.  “The simple fact that you exist at all is enough of a threat to scare even the most powerful Witch.  No one would trust that you would allow your magic to remain bound.”

“That sounds like a great future – constantly battling to stay alive.  What if I let the Witan do it?”

His answer comes out as a growl.  “I would sooner see you dead myself than let those monsters get their hands on you.  If they bothered to keep you alive at all, they would keep you in a mindless stasis for the rest of your days.  You would cease to be, either way.”

That was pretty intense.  “Wow, tell me how you really feel about it.”

His brows slam together.  “I did...”

I put my hand up to stop him.  “I was being facetious.  I get that you really don’t want me to have the Witan bind my powers.  It’s just a little overwhelming that there are always going to be people who want me dead.”

He slips his arm out from under his head and uses it to pull me closer.  “Then maybe you should spend more time thinking about people who very much want you alive.”

That makes me smile even if it’s not a solution.  I kiss him lightly and then pull back.  “Seriously, my life is always going to be one battle after another, isn’t it?”

He takes several heartbeats to answer.  I assume he’s trying to decide between saying what I want to hear and saying the truth.  “Hopefully, once you have proven yourself stronger than the Witan, you will be left alone.”

I can’t help a strangled laugh.  “Do things really work that way in the land of the Fae?  Because they don’t work that way here.  In this realm, there’s always someone who wants to prove that they’re stronger or meaner or better than you.  I might as well hang a sign on the door that says ‘challengers welcome.’  It’s dangerous for anyone to be around me.”

He pushes a strand of my hair back behind my ear and then strokes my cheek with his thumb.  “Your life may be difficult, yes.  But that does not mean that you give up.  You have a generous and courageous heart and you are surrounded by people who love you – myself included.  I will gladly take the danger you bring with you to keep you in my life.”

I try to smile through the tears that have decided to well up in my eyes.  “That’s not fighting fair.”

He looks honestly confused.  “What do you mean?”

“You know you’re irresistible when you’re being so nice and sweet.  You could probably convince me I can fly when you act like this.”

His confusion morphs into a sexy grin.  “I will keep that information safely tucked away for later.  I can think of several things I would like to convince you to do with me.”

I laugh.  “I’m sure you can.”  I lean in and kiss him again.  Just a sweet, gentle kiss.  Then I lean my forehead against his.  “Can’t we create a circle between realms and live there forever?”

“As much as I would like to have you all to myself like that, I am afraid you would miss your family.”

“You miss your grandmother, right?”

Sadness touches his eyes.  “Very much.”

“Then why is it different for me?”

“I knew when I came here that I would never see her again.  We said our good byes, and I know that she is content to have me live here with you.”

I sigh heavily.  “I just wish life could be as simple as it was before I found out I had magic.  It really hasn’t done a lot of great things for me.”

He strokes my cheek again.  “That is a tragedy.  You should be able to revel in the fact that you are a magical being.”

“Maybe the reveling will come later.  Right now, I’m pretty mired in the woe is me aspect of my magic.”

He’s about to say something when there’s a whisper through the door.  “Kallen, is she awake?”

I groan.  I’m not really ready to face everyone yet.  I’m sure they’re all pretty disappointed in the fact that I just passed out on them.  What are we going to do now that we’re not even close to being prepared to face Grandpa and his Witches?  “I’m awake, Mom.  We’ll be right out.”  Turning back to Kallen, I ask, “Are you sorry you stayed in this realm, yet?”

Instead of answering me, his lips meet mine and for several delicious moments, all I can think about is how good he makes me feel.  Pulling back slowly after a last, lingering kiss, he says, “I would risk any amount of danger to be able to do that.” 

I run my hand through his hair and pull him back to me for one more kiss.  “Thank you for staying,” I murmur against his lips before releasing him and forcing myself to sit up and get out of bed.

After a quick trip to the bathroom and running a brush through my hair and a toothbrush over my teeth, I go in search of my parents.  They can be surprisingly hard to find, sometimes, seeing as they can travel from room to room without using doors.  They’re masters at the game Hide & Seek.  Zac and I always lose when we play with them.

Surprisingly, I find them outside.  “What are you doing?”

Dad practically jumps out of his skin.  At least, he would of if he had any.  “Xandra, you about gave me a heart attack!  I didn’t hear you come out.”

Of course, ghosts can’t have heart attacks.  Or hearts.  “Sorry, Dad.  Why are you outside?”

Mom smiles sadly.  “We’re enjoying the peace and tranquility of the mountain.”  She doesn’t have to add ‘before it’s ruined later today.’

“Where’s Grandma?”

“She finally laid down a few hours ago.  She was busy all night getting things ready.”

Color floods my face as I think about how I was sleeping instead of helping out.  “I’m sorry I slept all day.  I know you guys are all probably disappointed in me.  I really had meant to be more helpful.”

Mom laughs.  “Xandra, don’t be ridiculous.  Your body needed to recharge.  The protection spell you worked is amazing – and far bigger than your grandmother had thought possible.  You’ve done plenty to help.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” I grumble but a little part of me is proud of myself.  If the shield is that good, maybe we do have a chance to have everyone survive.  “Any news on when Grandpa should be here?”

Dad’s face looks grim.  “He called your grandmother last night.  He didn’t know she was here, apparently, until he finally got it out of her assistant.  She had the phone on speaker phone so we could hear what he was saying.”

“What did he say?”

Dad’s eyes flash in anger.  “He tried to convince her to see reason and to leave you here alone so ‘what needs to be done could be done.’  I wish I could get my hands on that man.”  Dad’s sociopathic side is trying to come out again.  I would hate to know what he would be doing right now if he still had a body.  I don’t think he’d be above going after Grandpa himself.  Which probably would have gotten him killed.  Again.

“What did she say?”

“I told him that he would regret the day he tried to kill my granddaughter.”  Now it’s my turn to jump out of my skin.  It’s so quiet out here in the snow; you’d think we’d hear each other moving around.  I guess that’s testament to how frazzled all our minds are right now.  Probably not a good thing if we’re going up against super stealthy Witches in the very near future.

Grandma has finally changed out of her pink wool skirt and is wearing brown pants and a pale yellow sweater.  Both are wrinkled as if she had fallen asleep in them.  “He will be here in just a few hours.  He is coming ahead of the Witan, though I told him not to bother.”

My brow furrows.  “Why is he coming ahead of them?”

“Because he wants to convince your grandmother and me to give you up without a fight.”  Mom’s the one who looks like a sociopath now.  I am so glad all that anger is not directed at me.

“What, does he think we’re just going to let him back in the house for a friendly little chat about whether or not you should let him kill me?”  The disgust is oozing out of my mouth.  There might be a little bit of fear there, as well.  Not that he would be able to convince my mother, but I’m not betting the game on Grandma just yet.

Dad shrugs angrily.  “Apparently.”

A hand on my shoulder lets me know that Kallen found us.  “Perhaps we should go back inside and discuss how we are going to proceed.”

Good suggestion.  I hadn’t put my jacket or anything on when coming outside and I’m starting to shiver.  I lean into Kallen and walk back into the house with him.

“Are you hungry?” Grandma asks as she tries to suppress a yawn and walks ahead of us to the kitchen. 

“Starved.”  I open up the fridge to see what there is.

“Scoot,” she says as she points me towards the table.  “I’ll make us some breakfast.”

Mom smiles.  “I remember waking up to your French toast.  I missed your cooking over the years.”

Did Dad just roll his eyes?  And he gets so mad at me when I do that.  I have to hide a smile but he catches me and gives me a wink.  I wonder what kind of strain having Grandma here is putting on his and Mom’s relationship.  They’ve always agreed on just about everything.  I can’t even remember the last time they were on opposite sides of the fence like this.  Good thing ghost parents can’t get divorced.