Page 44 of The Calling of Caellaias
She wants to have a girl's weekend where we'll be disconnected from social media and our phones, so if we don't answer you for the next few days, that'll be why.
I love you guys. Talk to you soon.
Okay, my Lily. You girls, be careful, please. I love you both very much.
After receiving her message, I scheduled several texts to her in case we weren't back in time. They detailed what had happened since I moved in, minus the details of my relationship with Maeyve, where we were, and how we'd gotten there.
When that was done, Maeyve and I sat down to work on our plan. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen so she could draw a map and explain in more detail how we'd get to the castle. As she drew each portion, I remembered where each territory was and the beings that inhabited it. In the center was Eirvanna, home of the fae; to the north was Maiviraea, home of the shifters; to the east was Baeruil, home of the angels; to the south was Lamatorre, home of the vampires; to the west was Kaeuil, home of the demons.
After the territories were laid out, she went into more detail, drawing the forest and the Kolathus mountains. To signify the location of the portal, she circled an area where the trees meet the mountains. As she did this, she warned me that shifters guard the portal, but since we were both beings from Caellaias, they wouldn't pay too much attention to us.
Then, she drew the castle, and my heart sank. “Please tell me we won't have to walk the entire way.” Knowing that a map could drasticallydiffer from the actual distance, I was hoping she was misjudging the distance.
“Well, I don't think we have much choice. I don't have the money or resources to commission a carriage ride. I also need to stay as hidden as possible in Maiviraea; the last thing we need is for someone to recognize me and report my return to Madam Tanith.”
“Okay. That makes sense. But how long will it take us to walk to the castle from the portal?” I asked hesitantly.
Maeyve bit her lip before responding, “A couple of days at least.”
“There's gotta be another way!”
“I don't think there is, Anevae.”
“Fuck it. You know what? Whatever. I just want to bring my sister home, where she belongs.”
“We will.”
“Is there anything else that will complicate the journey?”
“There shouldn't be. It should be pretty straightforward once we reach Eirvanna.”
“Okay, well, let's round everything up and get out of here,” I said, determined to get everything going as quickly as possible; the sooner we got there, the better.
About half an hour later, I stood staring at the door with everything ready to go. I was determined to save my sister, but the fear I'd developed of being outside crept up the moment I thought about opening the door.
“It's okay, Anevae. You can do this,” Maeyve said in an encouraging voice.
Taking a step forward, I gripped the doorknob, and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest.It'll be okay. We have to get Eiri.Then, I took a deep breath and slowly pulled the door open. As soon as I felt the breeze from outside, I got dizzy and slammed the door shut. I began shaking uncontrollably, and Maeyve came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“It'll be okay. I know you're scared. Take a few more deep breaths, clear your mind, and try again,” she whispered in my ear.
Doing as she said, I placed my hand over hers and squeezed when I was ready to try again. This time, I got as far as stepping one foot outside, but then I saw movement in the woods and scrambled back inside.
Maeyve approached me again and wrapped me in a tight embrace. “Don't push yourself too hard. This is a real fear that you're working so hard to conquer.”
A tear slid down my cheek more out of frustration than fear. “I feel like every time I come rushing back through that door, I'm failing my sister.”
“You're not though. You're working through your fears to get to your sister. Give yourself some credit for that.”
With a sigh, I looked into her eyes. “You're right. Thank you for your patience with me. I truly appreciate it.”
Maeyve did a quick sweep of the perimeter, checking for the vampire or other beings. I was grateful to hear her say she hadn't found any.It's now or never. Get your ass out there and get to Eiri.
As I approached the door, anxiety built again. Taking one last deep breath, I ripped open the door and rushed out onto the porch, but I didn't stop there; I ran into the grass and all the way to the tree line before I stopped. Maeyve was with me within seconds.
“Wait! Did you –” I began to ask frantically.
Standing before me, she held my shoulders. “I closed the door behind me and locked it on the way out. The house will be safe.” Then, she smiled softly and said, “You're doing great. I'm proud of you. Let's go.”
