Page 34 of The Calling of Caellaias
Knowing the fox was alive, I scanned my surroundings for the man. When I didn't see him, I glanced back at the fox. I couldn't lift it alone, but I didn't want to leave it by itself outside; moving it would hurt it, and I didn't want that either. Reluctantly, I retreated to the cabin. I could watch it from the window to make sure it got up. If it didn't, I'd have to worry about that later.
Once I was inside, I stood at the kitchen counter. As I glanced out the window, the gravity of everything hit me. Could I have been dreaming? Pinching myself, I determined it was, in fact,nota dream. Terror crept up, and I began to question everything I knew. With my mind swirling nonstop, I shook violently, and my head spun. An intense wave of nausea hit me, and I rushed to the bathroom.
After several minutes, my stomach had completely emptied itself and finally settled. I sat with my back to the wall and cried.Who was that man? How did he know my mom's name? Why was ‘His Majesty'looking for me? Who was he?
As I sat there, question after question whirled through my mind, but then my thoughts drifted back to the fox.Could the fox really have been Maeyve?Every shred of logic left intact said she couldn't have been the fox, but then my mom's stories about Caellaias crept into my mind.Could it really be?
When I got up to check on the fox, it wasn't lying in the grass anymore. I hoped it was okay… I hoped Maeyve was okay. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I slid to the floor. Burying my face in my hands, I drew my knees up to my chest.
Chapter twenty-two
Maeyve
Latching onto the vampire’s arm, his sour blood coated my tongue. But I didn’t care. Anevae dropped to the ground as his grip loosened. He began thrashing me around, and I clenched my jaw around his arm even tighter. The bastard wouldn’t take her. I wouldn’t let that happen. I didn’t give a fuck who he thought he was or who he thought Anevae was; she was not his. She may not be mine, but I would protect her like she was.
The sound of the greenhouse door creaking open reached my ears. Anevae was safe, a small amount of solace that allowed me to relax. The vampire took advantage of my distraction and smacked my body against a nearby tree. I felt one of my ribs crack. Releasing my jaw, I yelped in pain and slumped to the ground.
The vampire hissed, “I should kill you where you lay, but I’ve been given strict orders not to harm you. We’ll see each other again soon enough.”
As the vampire’s footsteps retreated, I tried to roll onto my back, but a searing pain spread through my side. Letting out another, quieter yelp, I gave up, coming to rest on my unaffected side, and cursed to myself.
Sucking in deep breaths, I tried to relax, and the bone began to heal. I didn’t hear Anevae come up behind me.What the fuck is she doing out here? I don’t even know if the vampire went back to Caellaias. He could still be around, waiting to take her when I’m not capable of protecting her. Fuck.
Then, she knelt behind me and touched my side. I let out another yelp, and she jerked her hand away. I wished I could tell her I was okay and that she needed to get back into the house before the vampire came back. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her.
After a few minutes, she stood back up, and the grass rustling beneath her feet grew further away. When I heard the greenhouse door slam shut, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was thankful she went inside. Once I was healed enough, I’d find my clothes and make sure she was okay. If I moved too much during the healing process, it would stall, or the bone wouldn’t heal properly.She’s safe. She’s inside. The vampire is gone.Those were the words I chanted in my head until I could finally move.
As the pain eased, I sprung to my feet with a wince and rushed toward my clothes, waiting to shift until I reached them. When I began shifting, the pain and healing in my rib made things ten times harder. I had to stop several times, so I didn’t pass out.
After getting dressed, I limped to the cabin’s front door. Standing on the porch, I listened for Anevae; she was crying, likely scared for her life.
Raising my hand, I pounded on the door.
Chapter twenty-three
Anevae
Iwasn't sure how long I'd been crying when I heard a loud pounding at the front door. The sound startled me, but I rushed to peek out the window. I was confident that if it were the unfamiliar man, he wouldn't be knocking on my door. But with what had just happened, I wanted to be sure of who it was. Outside, pounding on the door again, was Maeyve. She had blood smeared across her face and was visibly favoring one leg over the other. Her shirt was torn in spots, and her hair was a mess. I hurried to the door and fumbled with the locks to let her in.
A wave of relief washed over me as I ran to the door and pulled her inside. “Oh, thank God you're okay.”
After guiding her to the couch, I rushed to grab first aid supplies and washcloths to clean her up. When I returned to the living room, she was pacing.
“What are you doing? You're hurt! Please sit,” I requested.
She turned to me, eyes a fluorescent orange, and murmured, “Anevae, we need to talk about what happened outside.”
When I focused on her eyes, I remembered the fox staring at me as the man held me. She was the fox, and she saved my life. Rushing over to her, I urged her to sit. I had to make sure she was okay and clean her up. Sitting down next to her, I began to wipe away the blood from her face.
Still looking at the floor, she asked, “What are your parents' names?”
My hand froze. “The man mentioned my mom. Her name is Cordilaen. My dad's name is Roarc.”
She closed her eyes and cursed, “Shit. This is bad, but things are starting to make so much more sense. What have your parents told you about themselves?”
Her question confused me. “My parents never talked about where they came from, and I knew very little about their lives before I was born. Things may make sense to you, but they don't make any sense to me right now. Why don't you just tell me what you have to tell me? I need you to explain to me what's going on.”
“I'm very sorry you're hearing this from me. Your parents should have been honest with you. But they had their chance…” she trailed off before sucking in a deep breath and blurting out, “The man out there wasn't really a man at all; he was a vampire. From what it sounds like, the king has sent him here to retrieve you –”
