CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Calista
Eyes swollen and aching, I stared at the wall and squinted. An elephant. That’s what that shadow resembled. My chin trembled as the burn of fresh tears began again. Dad loved elephants. He took Kaiden and me to a sanctuary years ago where we got to feed and bathe them. After, we sat on some bleachers outside a grassy, fenced-in field and watched them roam. I remember looking up at his wonder-filled face and seeing the joy etched into the lines at the corners of his eyes. That was the first time I realized Dad was getting older, and the first of many panic attacks thinking about his death. It always happened during happy events.
This is all my fault.
A slight breeze blew through the room making my hair tickle my face. I rubbed my tender cheeks against the damp,tearstained pillow to prevent the strands from sticking to my skin and winced. The light scent of lavender caught my attention. I didn’t remember wind of any kind in the labyrinth.
I rolled to the side to check the window and stopped when I saw the large, churning mass above my bed. It glimmered like an oil slick in the dim twilight and reminded me of a weather map during hurricane season. The breeze picked up and turned my hair into tiny whips that stung my raw cheeks, but I couldn’t look away from its opalescence. A rainbow in the darkness. Terrifying, yet beautiful and mesmerizing.
A boot emerged, followed by a long leg before the rest of him came through. The inky darkness rolled away from him, propelled by an unseen force. Astaroth floated above me in the shadows of the ceiling, gravity not taking effect on him. His long hair and clothing stayed put, as if he were standing on the floor.
“Calista.” There was an edge to his soft tone that sent flutters through my stomach.
The wind died as he stepped closer. His blurry outline and appearance came into focus through my watery eyes when he hovered a foot above me. Those dark eyes resembled the oil slick he came out of, and his silvery, dark gray hair was tied back on the sides to reveal slightly pointed ears. A sharp jawline framed a perfectly straight nose and perfectly balanced lips which rested loosely together as he watched me look over his maskless face.
Holy mother of God, I thought to myself, as he drifted to the floor with ease.
Astaroth picked up the picture frame before sitting on the mattress beside me. “You look at me as though you don’t remember what I look like,” he said, gently setting the frame on the nightstand next to the discarded pendant.
Oh, I remember you. But I don’t remember you like this, and I’d never forget someone who made entrances like that.My personal devil was devastatingly beautiful. More beautiful thanI ever remembered. I caught myself reaching out to touch him and jerked back.Oh no, you don’t.I shuffled across the bed like a newborn deer sensing its first predator.You will not trick me.
Astaroth smiled as if he could hear my thoughts, but it looked off, like his mouth could keep stretching until his jaw unhinged, and he could swallow me whole. It was unnerving and gone just as quickly as it appeared. His gaze traveled over my face, taking his time as if he were memorizing every contour and counting each freckle. Tightness in my chest reminded me to breathe. When I sucked in a breath, his attention dropped lower.
“My, you have grown.” His words raised all my inner red flags, but his tone and the way they almost purred out of him coursed through me. My body responded, and he took notice of that, as well. “In due time.”
What did that mean? I snapped out of it and edged farther away from him.
“You’re not wearing your gift again.” He reached out and rubbed the ends of my hair between his fingers, examining the streak in it. I slapped his hand away. “That saddens me.”
He didn’t seem sad. He acted indifferent. And I refused to look him in the eye to tell me what they said. Instead, I looked at the necklace lying on the bedside table. “I don’t trust it.”
A puff of air rushed out of his nose in response. He splayed his fingers over the duvet and leaned toward me. “You trusted it enough to use it again.”
My jaw wagged as I fumbled for the words I wanted to hurl at him, but there were too many, and he was far too close for comfort.
“Not only did you lie to Gina to protect it, you allowed her to use it, as well.”
“How–how do you know Gina?”
“I know of everyone you’ve known since we met.”
An avalanche of fear overcame me. Why did he tell me that? Was it a veiled threat?
Astaroth’s hand covered mine and stilled the quakes every horrible scenario created. I didn’t want him to ease me. Those telltale signs of danger were my best friend. Being alert would save my life and the lives of those I loved.
“There is nothing to fear,” he said softly.
I wanted to believe him, but I knew better. I pulled my hand out from under his. He gripped the duvet where my hand had rested, but his face gave nothing away. Voice cracking, I said, “Why am I here? I owe you nothing right now.”
“On the contrary. You owe me quite a bit.” He smiled that creepy smile again. “Four thousand, three hundred, and eighty-six favors. To be exact.”
The crease in my brow dug deep. “For what?”
“I guess I could start at the beginning,” he said and started ticking them off on his fingers. “An A in all your classes without doing the work.” My eyes widened. “For Ian Guiles to like you.” My cheeks burned. “To get out of gym class.” He ticked off several fingers for every year I asked. “For your step-monster to get off your back.” My heart wrenched when I saw his expression soften and knew what he would say next. “For your grandmother to survive.” I refused to wipe the tears away as they leaked down my face. “No amount of wishes can stave off death once it has come for you, Calista. Because of that, I will only count your hundreds of wishes to heal her as one.”
A gentle hand cupped the side of my face as I cried. I probably would have wished for my father to come back had the stone not taken his life to begin with. Was I a horrible daughter for not even trying? Not that it would have helped anyway. It probably would’ve taken someone else I love just for making the wish. I didn’t want anyone to die.
