Chapter 22 - Kalla
Kalla
XXII
We led the four fae down the tunnel that would take us into the woods and towards where the princess’s carriage had last been sighted.
Cliff, Ria, and Birch hadn’t said a word against this plan since I’d approached them, but I was certain they thought I was mad.
Fortunately, they were my closest friends, so at least they’d judge me among themselves and not bring anyone else into it.
Also fortunately, they were the type of vampire who would treat the blindfolded fae with care and be strong enough to deal with trouble if anything came up.
We were on high alert to run into any other fae, but we also had to consider the threat we travelled with.
I didn’t think we had much to fear from Jael, Hethyr, or Pimmin, but the fourth one—Corban—he’d already pissed me off a few times.
The sooner we dumped him with the guards, the happier I’d be.
Even if it meant I’d also be saying goodbye to Jael.
By the blood, the thought of leaving him shouldn’t have pained me so much.
Growing attached to him—our one frantic night together—had been a mistake.
While it had been the two of us in our tucked-away haven, everything had made perfect sense.
He had been broken, and I’d helped him heal.
I’d watched life return to his empty eyes, heard those first rough, unexpected laughs spill from his throat.
All I’d wanted was more of it. More than blood, more than to see the sun.
I’d given in to the temptation of his fae allure, and now I was walking beside him, my fingers around his arm, his scent in my nose, and all I could think about was the feel of his hands on my skin, the way he’d stared at me as though I was everything he’d believed lost to him, the way he’d made my soul dance with his music.
I wished we’d had more time to explore each other.
I had five nights left in his company, during which he wouldn’t be able to see me.
Maybe I’d leave and let one of the others remove the blindfold when we arrived.
I didn’t know if I could handle staring into his emerald eyes again and walking away.
Those nights with him had meant everything.
It would probably be best to leave it at that. Pretend he was already gone.
My throat squeezed, and I swallowed through the discomfort.
This wasn’t fair. I’d spent fifty years longing for my life to change. Then it had, and it had been wonderful, and now…
But maybe those few days were all we were meant to have. Something to hold on to and treasure. Maybe it was impossible for it to have lasted.
I gritted my teeth and gave Jael’s arm an unnecessary tug as I quickened my pace.
He grunted and caught himself. I opened my mouth to apologize, then clamped it shut.
Not wanting to think about him or the games of the Fates anymore, I gestured to Ria, and she took my place while I took hold of Pimmin.
Jael’s shoulders stiffened, and he started to look for me before accepting there was no point.
He couldn’t see me, and I’d arrange it so he never saw me again. Better for everyone involved.
My mood worsened the longer we walked. By the time we left the tunnel into the deep twilight of the outside world, the thundercloud over my head was heavy enough that none of my friends dared interact with me.
Our pace slowed as soon as we hit the forest to better guide our unseeing guests over the uneven ground.
Jael, Hethyr, and Pimmin didn’t complain, but Corban was determined to make his discomfort known every time he was jostled too hard or his footing slipped.
Cliff had taken charge of his guidance, the only one of us with the patience to deal with the fae’s griping, and I derived no small amount of amusement at the way my friend intentionally steered him into nettles and more than one patch of poison redleaf.
The sky was clear, which was a relief after the rained-out muddy mess that had been my last foray through these woods, and every once in a while I caught sight of the moon through the thinning branches overhead.
It wasn’t quite full, but only a few days off.
By the time we left Jael with his princess, I’d see the world under the most brightness I ever enjoyed. Just in time for my last sight of him.
I didn’t allow myself to think about that. Not as we followed the path that would take us towards the overgrown trail. Not as the first signs of dawn rose over the horizon. Not as we reached the run-down cabin we’d built ages ago.
The cabin itself wasn’t meant for vampiric use, the gaps in the walls and roof too wide to keep us safe during the day.
We’d designed it to look like an abandoned hunter’s shack.
The trapdoor in the middle of the floor led to an underground room that smelled of rich earth and only a touch of old blood.
It had been well constructed to keep mould and mildew and even most bugs out, a nice homey atmosphere in which to dump our guests on the floor and set about making a fire for our small dinner.
A dinner that went largely unappreciated by our fae companions.
“No wonder you prefer blood,” Pimmin said after forcing down a swallow. “If this is all I had to live on, I’d probably want to tear into some pheasant’s neck as well.”
“You think you could do better out here?” Ria asked.
“Yes,” Pimmin, Hethyr, and Jael responded at once. Corban remained silent. He’d slid into a corner and sat huddled over his bowl, eating as though he tasted nothing. Food was the fuel he needed to face his enemy and that was all. I knew the type.
Ria and I exchanged a glance, and I shrugged. “All right,” I said. “Tomorrow, you can guide one of us through dinner prep, and we’ll see how you do. If it doesn’t kill us, maybe we’ll let one of you reveal a single eye to make us dinner on our last night together.”
Hethyr chuckled, Pimmin grinned, but Jael’s jaw tightened with unspoken thoughts.
The rest of the group moved on to other subjects.
Cleaning up the dishes, laughing at each other for their tastes in nutrition.
Vampires and blindfolded fae, spending time together and getting along.
It was a wild sight, and one I never would have imagined possible if I weren’t seeing it for myself.
Though in truth, I was only half paying attention, the rest of me focused on Jael.
When he reached into his pocket and pulled out his flute, my heart stopped.
For a while, he spun the instrument through his dexterous fingers.
A way to pass the time and keep himself busy.
I hoped he would play. I feared he would.
My chest squeezed at the memory of emotions he’d evoked the last time he’d brought that flute to his lips, and I didn’t know if I could suffer through it again.
And then I didn’t have to wonder.
At the first note, a hush fell over the room and everyone turned towards him, even those unable to see.
Just like before, his song was simple, but it wove stories in the air of love found and lost, of battles lost and won.
Of gentle touches in the darkness and whispers in my ear. Of promises sworn and broken.
I had no idea how long he played, but by the time the music faded, Ria’s face was soaked, Hethyr was scrubbing at her blindfold, and Birch was hugging his knees, his face bowed against them while Cliff rubbed his back.
My own heart was a muddle of confusion. Pain, desire, longing…
and already a grief I knew would shatter me if I allowed it to take hold.
Jael remained silent, unaware of the emotional chaos he’d sown.
He tucked the flute into his pocket, then stretched out beside the fire to go to sleep.
I should have done the same. We still had four more nights to travel together, and I needed to rest, but all I could do was watch him, awed by the magic he’d worked, wishing beyond anything that I could spend the rest of my life lost in his fae song.