The Soother (15 page)

“Can’t we just hide?” This from a witch about Isabelle’s age. She chewed on her nail, her brown eyes wide and full of fear.

“For a while, that’s what we’ll do,” Krystoff told them, his tone not quite as gruff as it had been moments ago. “Another attack is imminent. We can only hide for so long before we’re found. Their queen is relentless. Trust me on this. Once she finds us, we’ll need to fight or surrender.”

The reaction Calliope had been looking for earlier came with a roar, the protests this time in the form of anger and pride. Her coven was coming together again. Calliope breathed it all in, feeding off the excitement. Cool fingers brushed against her fist. She opened her hand as a peace offering. His strong fingers laced with hers and squeezed gently. Krystoff was born to lead. He had gotten her witches to rally. And he hadn’t even worked his charm to do it.

“So it’s settled then,” Calliope said. “Krystoff will train us and we will fight.”

Ambra Brennan was in the exact same spot Calliope had left her, though it was evident she’d been attended to. Krystoff had made sure she’d stay warm by conjuring a heavy green sweater, black leggings and brown leather boots. A thoughtful wizard with a sense of style. Go figure. The green sweater went perfectly with Ambra’s pumpkin-colored tresses. Dressed like this, Calliope could easily see her as she was so many years ago. A vision of her mother standing on the front porch while she and Bevva practiced magick on each other swirled in front of Calliope as if it were yesterday. She reached out, but the vision faded, becoming nothing but a vague memory reminiscent of the haziness in Ambra’s eyes.

“You doing okay, Mama?” Calliope asked, tucking the blanket around Ambra’s boots. If she didn’t fear they’d have the need to run later, she would have taken off her mother’s boots so she could rest comfortably. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.

“Mama?” she asked again. She hadn’t expected an answer, nor had she received one. Ambra turned her head and stared into the darkness. Calliope worried she had even lost her song. To never hear Ambra’s pure and crystal voice again would be a tragedy Calliope couldn’t fathom. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the wizard flitting around camp. I know, I know. You don’t have to remind me. Men can be trouble. But he’s here to help us.” Calliope covered Ambra’s hand with her own. “I’ll get us home, Mama. I promise. One way or another, I’ll get us home.”

She kissed Ambra’s cheek and brushed her hair away from her face. If the rain held off, they wouldn’t have to move until morning. Unless they were forced to. Though Calliope wondered if leaving while it was still dark would be wiser. After snagging a nearby pillow, she eased her mother away from the tree and onto the makeshift bed. “Sweet dreams, Mama,” Calliope whispered and turned to walk away.

Krystoff blocked her path, his presence reassuring as much as it was unsettling. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to tell you I don’t flit.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“What — oh, I didn’t mean that. I was just trying to — ”

“Have a conversation with your mother,” he said, interrupting her with his words and a hand on her shoulder. “She hears you.”

Calliope leaned into his touch before she caught herself. She played it off by shifting her stance and pulling at her bunched sleeve. “You don’t know that. More than likely, I’m talking to myself.” Brows furrowed, she said, “She seems to be getting worse.”

Krystoff looked at Ambra, then Calliope as if trying to make a decision. A too-quick smile erased his pensive look. “Walk with me.”

“Where?” He was up to something. Calliope was sure of it. Intrigue warred with wariness. Her fingers itched to touch his lips and Calliope knew then she would go with him.

Krystoff pointed with his ever-present staff. “Isabelle and Tia are patrolling the perimeter. We’ll relieve them for a bit.”

Yes. Tia and Isabelle had really stepped up to the plate. And here she was thinking about kissing his wicked mouth. “Okay,” she said, forcing her attention away from his twitching lips. If reading minds was one of his powers, Calliope was in a lot of trouble.

Together, they crossed the small camp, Calliope ever aware of his shadows. They hung back, swirling, waiting for Krystoff’s command. It seemed as though he had complete control over them. But how long until they took over? How long until Krystoff became consumed by their dark power? Just like his mother. Calliope shivered at the thought.

“Are you cold?” he asked and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

She was chilled to the bone, but it had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with thoughts of the future. Dark times were on the horizon. They all knew it, felt it with utter certainty. What she didn’t know was what role she would play. The closer she got to Krystoff, the more confused she became. She was straddling the boundaries, her toes hanging over the edge of an unknown cliff.

“I’m okay,” she said finally. Calliope conjured a black bomber jacket, shoved her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up to her chin as small blue sparks sizzled and popped. “I guess summer is over.”

“Up here it is.” Krystoff stopped, turned to Calliope, and dipped his head.

Her mind instantly screamed no, but her body responded of its own accord. Calliope stood on tiptoe, slid her fingers through his hair and welcomed his kiss. What started out as slow and sensual — a poetic ballad — quickly turned into fevered urgency — a combination of heavy metal and club music. Her pulse quickened with each caress of his tongue until she feared she might actually faint from a sensory overload. Several moments later, Calliope broke the kiss, feeling winded and dizzy. She’d made it a point to lay down the law, state that this wouldn’t happen again, yet she’d practically climbed up his body with only the slightest invitation.

“Better?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over her cheek.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Why wasn’t his breath as ragged as hers? No doubt it had something to do with his vampirism. Cool, calm and collected as always. Only his eyes gave any hint as to what he was truly feeling. Good thing, that. Otherwise she’d feel like a horny idiot.

“Hey, you two,” Tia called, waving to them from about twenty yards off.

Calliope hid her embarrassment by dipping further into her jacket as she and Krystoff made their way to where Tia and Isabelle stood.

“Anything?” Krystoff asked.

“Nothing at all,” Isabelle said while bouncing from one foot to the next. She cupped her hands around her mouth and blew into them. “It’s freaking cold out here.”

Calliope conjured another jacket, identical to her own, and handed it off to Isabelle.

Isabelle grabbed it, quickly put it on and threw the fur-lined hood over her head. “Blessed be, Calli. Thanks!”

“You’re most welcome. You could have conjured one.”

“We thought about it,” Tia chimed in, “but we weren’t sure if our magick would be detectable.”

Calliope hadn’t thought of that and instantly chastised herself. Her coven made beautiful magick — magick accompanied by colored sparks. “You made the right call. I … wow, I wasn’t thinking.”

“I think we’re safe for the time being,” Krystoff said, running his hand up and down her back. “I’ve layered shadows around the camp. I’m fairly confident they’re thick enough. For now.”

“So that’s why it’s so dark. I’d thought it was clouds covering the moon,” Calliope stated, her gaze searching the sky.

Krystoff squeezed her shoulder and explained. “Some clouds carry shadows within them.”

“And storms?” Isabelle asked, though the question was more rhetorical than anything.

“Most assuredly,” he answered.

“It just seems so dark and dreary now. Too dark for this time of year,” Tia said. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her hands.

Tia was right. No wonder the Mistropans were so cruel. The lack of light would make anyone gloomy and irritable after a while. Not Krystoff, though. Calliope had never seen him gloomy. Definitely irritable. Usually warranted. She did tend to provoke him. It would be great if Krystoff could find a way to contain the shadows and only release them during extreme conditions. Surely that would solve a multitude of problems. “What happens to the shadows if something happens to you?” Calliope asked.

Krystoff coughed into his hand. “Planning to off me when I sleep?”

Isabelle giggled, Tia’s eyes bulged, and Calliope merely tilted her head.

“Don’t worry, ladies. If — and that is a very big if —
if
something were to happen to me, my shadows would linger here until they found another host. By then you would have moved on, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Calliope wasn’t sure she believed him. Even so, just thinking of something bad happening to Krystoff made her nauseous.

“Why don’t you two head back? Get some rest. Calliope and I will take over for awhile.”

Isabelle let out a
whoop
. “You don’t have to ask me twice. Let’s beat it, Tia.”

Tia smiled as Isabelle tugged on her sleeve. “Just send up a flare if you need us.”

They disappeared into the darkness. Calliope turned. “I can’t believe I used my magick like that,” she said, steering her own thoughts from one macabre vision to another. “I could have led the Mistropans right to us.”

“You’ve got a lot on your mind. Like I said, we’re safe for a while longer.”

If only that were true. But she didn’t feel safe. Not at all. “How do you know that?”

“I don’t, not for certain, anyway. It’s just a feeling I have. Riona wants us to get comfortable. Then she’ll attack.” Krystoff shrugged. “It’s what I’d do.”

Calliope tensed. “Would you? Attack, that is?”

“If necessary, absolutely.” Krystoff faced her, his gaze steady, sure. “It’s part of who I am, Calliope.”

She shook her head, shoved a lock of hair behind her ear. “So you say, but I don’t see it.”

“Maybe you’re seeing what you want to see. Look deeper,” he said and tapped her coat in the area of her heart.

“I’m afraid to,” she said honestly. She’d never been more afraid of anything.

“You should be.” Krystoff rubbed his jaw. “Even I don’t know exactly what I’m capable of. But do any of us, really?”

“Yes,” Calliope answered with a nod. “I know exactly who I am.” Knowing what she wanted was something else entirely.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Krystoff stated, then turned and walked away as if he had said nothing more than
have a nice day
.

Calliope hurried to catch up. “Again with your cryptic words. Explain yourself.” She latched onto his elbow and pulled back.

Krystoff stopped. He wrapped both hands around his staff and leaned on it, his stance casual yet confident. “Would you kill?”

Calliope’s chin jutted forward. “I have killed. But never an innocent.”

He smiled. “You’re assuming I have.”

“No … yes,” Calliope stammered, shoving a hand through her hair. “I don’t know.”

“Sometimes the way to get answers is to simply ask a question.” He lifted both brows, licked his lower lip.

“Have you?” Calliope asked, pulling her gaze away from his mouth.

“Maybe,” he answered, his expression going slack. “But not intentionally.”

“Meaning?”

Krystoff absently lifted one shoulder. “Meaning, I’m not sure.”

“What kind of answer is that?” she asked, imploring him to look at her again. He continued to stare blankly over her shoulder.

“A truthful one. Blood rage is just that. Rage. When I first had cravings, I went a little crazy. In truth, I became quite mad. Death occurred. What I don’t know is if they were innocent or not.” He blinked and the trance all but disappeared. “I’d like to think I wasn’t capable of something like that,” he continued, “but when I woke, I was no longer hungry and they were no longer breathing.”

Instinctively, Calliope’s hand drifted to her neck. “Are you better now?”

Krystoff quirked a smile that didn’t quite reach his stormy eyes. “I have it under control, yes.”
Thanks, in part, to Scout
. But he wasn’t going there. “I see that mind of yours working. You’re trying to figure out if I’m redeemable? I have tainted blood, Calliope. There’s nothing I can do about that. Not anymore.”

Calliope stepped closer and planted her feet between his. “So your plan is to let your shadows take over.” Her raised voice wavered. Calliope tried to swallow her anger, but the attempt was futile. “You’re just going to let them lead you around, forcing you to do their dirty deeds.”

“You speak as if I have a choice.” In comparison, his rough voice was but a whisper.

“Maybe you do,” she pleaded as his dark scent wrapped around her. Magick and night.

“No,” Krystoff said with a tight shake of his head. “It doesn’t work that way. One day I will be nothing but their puppet.”

“When will that be?” She refused to believe he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Didn’t one have to invite the shadows in? Couldn’t he simply maintain those he had now?

“Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in a thousand tomorrows. There’s no way to know.”

“And in the meantime?” Calliope leaned close, her arms winding around his waist. She linked her fingers, encircling him completely. Why? She had no idea. “What will you do between now and the inevitable tomorrow?”

“You ask too much,” he said, dropping his chin and inhaling.

“Do I? Maybe you need to demand more … from yourself.”

“I’m not good, angel. There isn’t a magickal spell that can undo what I’ve already done.”

“I don’t believe that,” she said and pulled him down to her mouth. Krystoff came willingly. She opened for him, losing herself in the heat of his kiss.

There was a soft thud as he released his staff. His hands slowly slid over her hips. He lifted her then, and Calliope wrapped her legs around him, rocking her body against his erection. Together they floated through the night, just like in her dream. Reality proved to be so much more intoxicating.

With a low roar and a muttered curse, Krystoff pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. “I can’t do this.”

Breathless, Calliope said, “Why? Because I said no fooling around? I take it back.” If she could, she’d rewind the tape of life and totally delete that segment. She must have been out of her mind to ever think she could be near him and not want to touch him, to be touched by him.