Page 45 of The Calling of Caellaias
I squeezed Maeyve's hand and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Thank you. You've been so amazing and helpful throughout this entire process. I don't know how I could ever repay you for everything you've done for me.”
“You don't need to thank me. I know I keep saying it, but I would do anything for you. I felt a connection the first time I saw you, but I didn't want to push it. I'm thankful every day that you came to my cabin to introduce yourself to me because if the roles were reversed, Iwouldn't have taken that first step. If I'm honest, I think I fell in love with you the moment I first met you. I know I've lived much longer than you, but I've never experienced love–not even from my mother. You're a strong, beautiful, amazing woman who deserves the world. I don't deserve you, but I want to be selfish and keep you anyway. I've never felt this way with anyone else, and I don't think I ever will again.”
A tear rolled down my cheek as I listened to Maeyve. I could feel how much she meant every word. When she was done, I wiped my tears and pulled her in for a deep kiss. As we separated, I glanced back at my cabin. I was determined to bring my sister home.
Maeyve stared at me with a question in her eyes, and I nodded. I was ready. She laced our fingers and led the way deeper into the woods.
A few miles into the trek, we came across a steep incline. Instead of going up the slope, we went around it. Several hundred feet ahead was the opening to a cave.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she squeezed my hand. We were nervous to go into this place for two completely different reasons, but we had each other, which helped calm my nerves.
As I looked into the cave, Maeyve stepped in front of me. “Things in Caellaias are very different from here. Some things are similar, but the protectors of the realm do what they can to avoid contamination between worlds.”
I nodded, and we moved into the cave. When everything went black, I blinked rapidly, and my stomach roiled. The sensation made me pause, but Maeyve squeezed my hand and ran her thumb over mine.
“I've got you,” she whispered, and that was all the encouragement I needed to keep going.
Chapter thirty-one
Anevae
Just as quickly as the light in the cave vanished, a faint light appeared ahead. The closer we got to the end of the tunnel, the more of the landscape ahead came into focus. At first, all I could see was a sea of different shades of red. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the light, and my jaw dropped. Everything was so vibrant. Letting go of Maeyve's hand, I rushed forward toward the mouth of the cave.
More and more details came into focus; there were a multitude of colors. They were mesmerizing. As Momma described when we were young, the leaves were a rich red, almost the color of ripe tomatoes. None of the leaves were the purple Momma had mentioned they would turn during the autumn-like season of Caellaias. The tree bark matched the color of the mahogany wood used to build my cabin, and the grass was the most luscious green I'd ever seen. Despite not having seen the kingdom for several decades, Momma's descriptions were so perfect it felt like I had been there before.
Maeyvecame up beside me and intertwined our fingers once more. “I know this is all new and different for you, but please stay close to me and be careful. I don't think I would be able to live with myself if something happened to you. The animals in this area can be unpredictable, sometimes acting without thinking. When you're ready, we need to go this way,” she said softly as she pointed toward the left.
A deep growling came from our right. Maeyve immediately shoved me behind her as she began to crouch and growl in return. My heart started pounding as I searched for the source of the sound. A large black and white fox stood on the other side of Mayeve, just a few yards beyond the mouth of the cave. Something about the animal felt familiar.
Maeyve straightened up and laughed. “No freaking way. Calliope! Is that you?” Maeyve asked as she began approaching the fox. “What the hell are you doing out here?”
The fox whimpered, and its ears flattened as it backed up. Maeyve stopped and got down on her knees. Lowering her head, I could hear her mumble, “I'm sorry, Calli.”
The fox ran up, licked Maeyve's face, and darted further into the woods. Maeyve remained crouched on the ground, but the way her shoulders shook, I could tell she was crying. I walked up, knelt, and hugged her from behind to comfort her.
Rustling drew my attention to where the fox had disappeared. Instead of a fox, I found a woman staring at us. This was Calliope. She was tall and beautiful, resembling Maeyve in many ways. Her hair was the same mass of black curly waves, but hers had streaks of white instead of orange. Her honey-colored doe-eyes were similar to Maeyve's, and her lips were slightly thinner but still the perfect bow shape. Though they had a similar cute snubby-shaped nose, Calli's nostrils flared further out.
Slowly, Calli approached Maeyve and knelt beside her. I let go of Maeyve and sat back. They were familiar with each other, and I wanted to give them space. Calli reached out and placed her hand onMaeyve's shoulder, but Maeyve quickly pulled her into a tight hug. Calli squeezed Maeyve back and nuzzled into the crook of her neck as she began to cry.
“I've missed you so much,” Maeyve whispered.
“What are you doing here? Everyone thought you were dead. Where have you been?”
Maeyve let go of Calli to look her over. “Not much of our family cared what happened to me in that brothel, so they didn't need to know that I'm still alive. I'm glad to see you, though.” Sniffling, she wiped her nose and looked around. “Are you on guard patrol?”
Calli nodded as she moved to stand. “Unfortunately, I am. Family duty, ya know?”
“Fuck family duty. You're barely of age! Why the hell would they place you on guard duty all the way out here? And alone at that!” Maeyve grumbled as she stood, turning to me. “Sorry, sweetheart; this is my cousin, Calliope. I'm sure you can see some similarities. The fox shifter genes are very prominent in our family.”
Calli laughed. “I'm happy to see you haven't changed much since the last time I saw you, Maeyve.” Gesturing over at me, she asked, “And who is this you have with you? She smells like a royal.”
Sighing, Maeyve grabbed my hand and turned back to me, giving me a loving look. “It's a very long story, Calli. You cannot tell ANYONE, you hear me?” Maeyve glanced back at her cousin and gave her a severe stare. When Calli nodded, Maeyve continued, “Her name is Anevae. She's Princess Cordilaen's daughter.”
Calli's eyes grew wide, and she stepped back a couple of paces but stopped. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and looked back at me. Giving me a small curtsy, she said, “I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I'm just shocked to hear that Princess Cordilaen had a daughter. She's been missing for a long time.” Her face settled into a scowl. “Wait, who's your father? Is he a human?!”
Frustration bubbled deep in my gut.What was with all the questions? What did it matter to her?
Maeyve squeezed myhand, which helped ground me as she replied to her cousin's question, “Her father is Roarc, Lord Amaroc's second son who went missing around the same time as Princess Cordilaen.”
