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Five
Kelia
The fae slept soundly, a faint snore escaping his full lips.
Since I’d woken, I’d replayed last night in my head trying to understand my actions. He was a prisoner, and yet I found him interesting, and not just in looks. Almost everyone I had met held back their opinions when speaking to me. Callum couldn’t bridle his tongue if the All Father himself fastened one on.
Conjuring a flame in my palm, I let the magic dance across my fingertips.
Since I’d met Callum, I sensed something different about him. Whenever he touched me, my body reacted with a warm pulse, similar to how my magic felt. Were we connecting on a deeper, psychological level? We were both high level mages, that I knew for sure. Mr. Assan never let me have any relations with any boys, and my friends consisted of teachers and the servants who tended to me at the hall. My power was too dangerous, and any emotions could cause the magic to spiral out of control.
For my entire life, I trained the emotion out of me, not giving in to fear, anger, or love. It kept me safe on my missions and made it easier when the magi ordered someone’s death.
Callum’s candor had been a slight reprieve from my other interactions with non-humans, and part of me wondered about his magic and if the power he held inside was as great as mine. Not many things excited me, but being able to test my strength against another? That was the one thing I cared about. It wasn’t about being the best or the strongest. I needed to sharpen my skills at every opportunity so that what happened to my family would never happen to me.
I shook my head, removing the thoughts from my mind and refocusing on the mission. Today would be our longest and most dangerous part of the journey, and a dress would not suffice for the climbing we would have to do. Reaching into my bag, I dug out a pair of brown tights with a thick fur lining and a form fitting black sweater that would keep me warm. I’d packed a similar outfit for the fae, though it would be a bit snugger than I originally thought. Oscar had done well by packing boots and gloves, but we wouldn’t need any of that until we got closer to the ridge.
Dressed, I grabbed the clothes for Callum and moved to his bedroll. He rolled onto his back, still sleeping, arms spread out. Curious, I stood over him and then slowly settled beside him. His pointed ears poked out from beneath those locks, and I reached over to touch the very tip.
“Kelia?” He sat up startled, and the movement caused me to fall back. “What are you doing?”
I paused for a moment, unsure of what to say about my actions. Why had I done that? “It’s time for us to be going.”
His chest heaved up and down and he went very still. “You should be careful around a fae’s ears.”
“I was waking you up.”
He narrowed his gaze, giving me a smirk. “Okay, then what’s the plan for today? Going to risk my life on another high bridge so I can cower before you again?
“No, but we need to get moving and get to the Underground as quickly as possible.”
“Ahh, yes, this prodigal child.” He ran a hand through his hair. “How old is this child?”
I shrugged. “We don’t know. Only that the child is a powerful light bearer.”
“Will you use that lasso of yours if they don’t comply?”
His frivolous tone irritated me, and a blue flame sparked in my hand.
“You don’t have to tie me up every time I say something that irritates you. I’d be bonded to you for life if we continued in this manner. You could always just try and talk to me,” he pleaded with a slight grin.
“Fine. What do you want to talk about?”
“I’d like to ask you some personal questions.”
“Why?”
He shook his head and ran a hand across his face in a moan. “Please, Kelia. You can’t lasso anyone who doesn’t do what you want.”
“I can and I have.” Feeling more annoyed, I went to my supply bag and searched for the dried honey cakes Oscar had packed. We needed to eat before leaving. There wouldn’t be a lot of time to stop.
Letting out a long breath, he continued. “Your social skills need serious work.”
Handing Callum a cake, I sat across from him on the ground, eating. “I’ve been taught by the very best teachers in Saol about proper etiquette.”
He scrunched his nose, looking puzzled before he took a bite. “The Underground is a dangerous place,and once we are around my people, the way you conduct yourself is going to get us both killed. Would it be so terrible to be more compassionate and friendly?”
“I’m not here to be your friend or anything else.”
