20. Caly
20
CALY
“D id you two enjoy yourself?” Eli asked with a wide grin.
Mendax and I were still adjusting our clothes and armor when we entered the aisle Eli had called from.
“Sorry,” I said, suddenly realizing how selfish that was of us. Eli must have heard everything.
Eli’s eyes sparkled. “Don’t be. You both deserve a nice moment together before…well, before whatever else happens tonight.”
“What did you find, Seelie?” Mendax interjected.
Eli smiled wider as if the fact that he annoyed Mendax made him happier. “Look.” He pointed to a shelf at the very top, and my eyes grazed a random spine.
538 lilies
“You found it!” I squealed as I flung my arms around Eli’s neck excitedly.
“I would have found it,” Mendax grumbled quietly. “I had my hands full.” He winked in my direction.
“Ugh, you stink of sex.” Eli grimaced.
I released him and let out a sigh. We had found it. This was it.
“So how do we get it down?” I asked the question I knew we all were thinking. It seemed impossibly high. “Neither of you can fly, can you?”
Both fae looked dejected as they shook their heads.
“Well, I have an idea, but I don’t think either of you are going to like it,” I said.
“You’re not going to climb up there. We don’t know how secure these bookshelves are,” said Eli.
Mendax chuckled. “They are pretty secure, but no, Calypso, you can’t climb up there.”
I curled my lip in disgust. “Well, that wasn’t what I was going to say, but now I have the sudden urge to do a whole lot of whatever the fuck I want,” I bit out. Who did they think they were? “I appreciate you both looking out for me, but I suggest you stop telling me what to do. It has been far too long since I’ve killed anyone, and I’d hate to fall out of practice.” I grinned.
Eli looked hurt but put his palms up as if in surrender. “Fine, break your independent little neck.”
“I wholeheartedly agree,” said Mendax, looking off in the distance.
“You think I should break my little neck too?” I snapped.
“No, pet, it’s been far too long since I’ve killed as well. Climb up that bookshelf, and I will break your pretty neck myself,” he stated.
Eli frowned. “What was your idea, Cal?”
“Well, it’s simple really. Mendax is the largest.” I rolled my eyes as he positively beamed. “So he should go on the bottom with Eli sitting on his shoulders.”
Mendax’s smile fell to a disgusted frown.
I continued. “Then I’ll go on Eli’s shoulders. It will make me tall enough to reach the book safely.”
Mendax looked ready to walk out the door, and Eli burst out laughing.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing. You are the one who has to sit on my shoulders like a little child,” Mendax said.
“I’m laughing because my junk is gonna be wrapped around your head, tough guy.” Eli burst into a fit of laughter.
Mendax lunged for him, but Eli dodged it and smiled.
“Children,” I scolded. “Let’s hurry up.”
The dark prince of the Unseelie realm crossed his arms. “Okay, get on then.”
Eli raised his arms up and let them drop, looking to me and then back to Mendax. “‘Get on then’? What am I, a cloud leaper? How am I supposed to get on your shoulders while you are standing? You’re six foot five!”
“I don’t care how you get your sunshine ass up there, but do it and hurry before I toss you into the books,” Mendax answered curtly.
“Yeah?” Eli questioned. “You’re gonna toss me into those bookshelves? You probably don’t even have enough power to carry me, let alone throw me.”
“Let’s try it, shall we?” Mendax took a large step toward Eli.
“I could have already climbed up there by now,” I replied as I jumped in front of Mendax before he could get to Eli. “Just get down on one knee, and he’ll climb on, then lift him up,” I instructed Mendax.
The Unseelie prince looked like he was thinking about murdering me for a moment. Reluctantly, he bent down on one knee, glaring at me the entire way down.
“Wait, then how are you going to get on my shoulders up here?” asked Eli.
“I don’t know. I guess I am going to climb up the bookshelf a tiny bit and then onto your shoulders. It’s not that far up, before either of you say anything stupid,” I snapped.
Eli’s grin faded as he moved to get onto Mendax’s shoulders. Suddenly, the jokester looked a lot more serious.
“Come on!” Mendax snarled.
“I know you’re anxious for me to teabag your head, but calm down,” Eli returned. He put one leg over Mendax’s shoulder, and the dark prince sent me a look that should have burned me alive.
“Stupid fucking idea,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Hold still! Quit moving around,” sang Eli.
“Why is your crotch so warm?” Mendax asked with a grimace as he stepped back and knocked Eli’s head into the bookcase behind them.
“Ouch!” yelled Eli as he grabbed his head and then squeezed his thighs tightly around Mendax’s head in retaliation.
“Oh my suns,” I mumbled.
Mendax slammed Eli into the shelf again, and Eli fell off Mendax’s shoulders and landed in a pile on the ground.
“What the fuck?” shouted Eli. “You were supposed to hold my legs, you dick.”
“I’m not holding your legs,” Mendax stated with squinted eyes.
“Caly, I’m not going to be able to hold you or stay on top of shadow breath if he doesn’t hold my legs,” Eli huffed.
“Mendax,” I said as I shut my eyes in frustration and let out a deep breath. “Just hold his fucking legs.”
Mendax clenched his jaw and bent down again. Eli struggled to get on Mendax’s shoulders but eventually succeeded.
“Stop grabbing my head,” growled Mendax.
“Then grab my legs!” yelled Eli.
Eventually, they balanced enough that I began to climb the bookshelves like a ladder. Mendax moved close enough to the shelves that I was able to support myself on him and Eli when I needed to.
“Okay, are you ready?” I asked. It looked a lot higher up than I had envisioned, and I secretly wished I had just climbed up by myself and didn’t have to worry about the two men dropping me. “Please don’t drop me. That means, Mendax, you can’t drop Eli.”
“I’m not going to drop you. Just hurry up,” Mendax grumbled from below.
I looked up at the green cloth-bound book titled 538 Lilies . It wasn’t that far away from me. This was going to work. The question was what was going to happen after we had the book.
“Okay, go nice and slow. I’ve got you,” said Eli as I threw a leg over his shoulder while I held on tight to the bookshelf. I held on so tightly, my fingers began to cramp.
“Okay, I’m on.” I let out a deep breath and held on to Eli’s shoulder, gripping his shirt in my fist as my other hand reached up and my fingertips stretched toward the green book.
“You’re so close. You got it yet?” asked Eli.
“Almost. I just need up a bit higher,” I said. My arm had begun to shake as I stretched it as far as possible. “Mendax, can you get us up any higher? I can’t quite reach it.”
“What would you like me to do? Lift you both up?” grunted Mendax.
My fingertips brushed the textured cloth of the book, and my confidence grew. I leaned forward just enough so that the tip of my pointer finger brushed the edge of the book and I was able to grab it.
“I got it!” I shouted.
“Oh, thank suns,” said Eli.
“Hey!” I tugged his hair playfully.
“No, not because of you. I’m tired of Smoke-Show wearing me like a necklace.” Eli shifted on top of Mendax, and I nearly lost my balance and almost dropped the book.
“Knock it off! I’m going to fall!” My grip on the book faltered again, and I began to fall forward. The book slipped from my fingers as I grabbed ahold of Eli’s face with my hands.
“Fuck! I can’t see,” Eli mumbled, swaying even more, which in turn caused Mendax to try and make up for the lack of balance by staggering. At this point, we were too far away from the bookshelves for me to grab them and climb off, so I just held on to Eli’s face.
“You have to move closer to the bookshelf. I can’t get off until you do,” I shouted.
“I’m trying. Believe me, I’m trying,” Mendax bit out.
We moved forward, and all of us scrambled to grab a bookshelf as Eli and I toppled over. My fingers gripped tightly to the edge of the wood as I looked down and saw Mendax looking up at me with no one on his shoulders. My heartbeat sped up as I looked to the ground, expecting to see Eli. I heard a deep grunt and turned to look on my other side where Eli had just leapt down from the shelf he had been holding on to.
Shit.
I was stuck.
“Go ahead and drop, Cal. I’ll catch you,” encouraged Eli.
“You’re not going to catch anything but a fat lip if you don’t get the fuck out of the way,” argued Mendax.
My fingers were slipping, and I was up too high to land on my feet. If I fell, there was no doubt I would break my legs, if not something worse. Both fae looked up, each handsome and charming in their own way. My fingers were slipping, and I didn’t have much time to choose. If I didn’t pick between them, there was a good chance I would fall in the middle and break my back. A few months ago, I would’ve been stupid enough to try and land on my own, but I couldn’t think that way now. I was too close to being done with all this, too close to seeing my family again and being able to tell them that I fixed it all for them. That I made it right while I couldn’t be with them.
My fingers slid off the wood, and I fell backward. I closed my eyes and clenched every muscle until I felt the hard grab of someone’s hands and body, softening my fall. Whoever it was held me tight, taking the brunt of our fall as we landed on the floor just in front of the other bookshelf. For one single moment, while my eyes were still shut and I remained held in an invisible cocoon of safety, I could pretend I belonged to both my best friend and my soul mate and that everything was okay. But as I had already learned many times in life, you can’t close your eyes and make all the bad things go away, no matter how badly you wish you could.
“Are you all right?” I asked as I began to open my eyes.
“I’m fine. Are you hurt?”
Eli gently lifted me up and set me on my feet. Had I intentionally fallen to his side? Or had I just slipped off without deciding? My eyes were wide with wonder as I got my balance and tried not to read too deeply into it. I felt Mendax’s stare, and I knew I wasn’t the only one wondering if I’d chosen Eli intentionally.
Silently, I shook my head at the Unseelie prince and opened my mouth to explain.
“Get the fucking book.” He turned and walked out of the aisle, stepping over the fallen green book.
“Thanks,” Eli added softly. “Your trust means a lot to me, and I would never take it lightly.”
I didn’t know what to say. “It—you guys are thinking too much into it. I just fell. You caught me,” I stammered. “Thank you, by the way.”
“I’ll always be there to catch you, Cal. Feuhn kai greeyth,” he said. “Let’s open this thing by the fire.” He scooped up the book and walked out of the aisle.
My eyes followed his easy, confident gait for a moment before I moved to follow. Every step I took was filled with excitement and fear and hope and terror.
What was this book about to do to our lives?
I met the other two as they stood solemnly in front of the mahogany fireplace. The library seemed suddenly full of tension, like it too waited to see what was going to happen next.
All three of us looked at one another, gauging the others’ reactions and seeing if anyone had any last-minute ideas. I had noticed it was something the three of us did frequently now, like we really were a team.
When no one said anything, I let out a heavy breath and gave a nod to Eli. His throat bobbed with a swallow as he held out the book. When I clasped the book, I held my breath as if it were going to shock me. What would happen now? Would this end up being another trick from my father? Had this all been for nothing? What if I opened this book and was immediately killed? If the Fates truly knew everything, as they were touted to, then wouldn’t they already know my plans to kill my father? It didn’t seem that far-fetched that they would try to kill me.
My hand trembled the faintest amount. Mendax’s hand covered mine, holding it steady.
“I don’t have an ancient saying to tell you, and I don’t offer friendship, but know that you will see me eternally regardless of what happens tonight.” He gently squeezed the top of my hand.
“I love you both immeasurably. Eli, you as a friend and family member, and, Mendax, you as my soul mate. Whatever happens, know that I never wanted either of you involved in any of this. This was between my father, Queen Saracen, my mother, and my sister. I’m truly sorry that either of you got wrapped into this all.” My breath stuttered, and I had to stop.
“We’re not,” said Eli with a look to Mendax. “We love you, and sometimes love isn’t exactly like you think it should be. Sometimes love is walking into a world where you have no idea what will happen, but you’re happy to do it because you know you are together.”
“If you don’t open that book, I’m going to make the next person who speaks bleed.” Mendax’s words were full of threat, but his eyes were laced with a softness that was rarely evident.
My thumb found the edge of the cover and opened the book.