Chapter 3
Callan
The screen door closes, its hinges retracting quietly, followed by the near-silent creak of the porch steps.
I’m smiling when I turn from the kitchen, glass of water in hand, mindful of my footsteps as I pad down the hallway. Using my shoulder to push the door open, I slip back into the bedroom. The room is dark save for a sliver of moonlight stretching across the foot of the bed.
In the dim lighting, I can see Lucina’s silhouette. She’s sleeping on her stomach, dark hair strewn out across the pillow, and her chest rises and falls slowly. Deeply.
She fell asleep shortly after we got home, like she couldn’t be unconscious fast enough. She claimed to be drunk but didn’t really seem to be. Her steps were straight, her words weren’t slurred, and she got ready for bed without stumbling.
I set the glass of water on her nightstand and crouch beside her, gently reaching out to brush a curl off her face. Her eyelids flutter, but they don’t open, and her breathing remains the same.
I never thought I’d be the type to watch someone as they slept, but there’s something so peaceful about watching her. In this state, she’s untroubled and still—something Lucina hasn’t been as of late.
I’m not sure what’s haunting her right now, but it had her in those woods. There was fear in her eyes when she turned and saw us. I wanted to know what it was, but it didn’t matter how many times I asked her what was wrong; she insisted there was nothing.
So, I decided I’d give her more time.
I brush my thumb over her cheekbone, soaking in this peaceful state of hers for just one more second.
But unfortunately, she’s also my initiate.
I stand, making my way to the foot of the bed, exhaling a deep breath before I yank the covers off.
Lucina pops up on her elbows, squinted eyes cutting to the window. She notes the pre-sunrise sky and flips over, blowing her hair out of her face. When she notices me standing here, blankets in hand, her stare sharpens.
I make a poor attempt at softening the blow. “Good morning.”
“What the fuck?”
“Sorry,” I wince, gesturing to the clothes I’ve pulled for her, “but I need you to get up.”
She throws a hand out towards the window. “Callan, the sky is black.”
“I know.”
Lucina stares blankly back at me for a moment. Then she huffs, reaching across the bed for the sheet.
I snatch it away before she can grab it. “You have to get up, Chaos.”
She scrubs her hands over her face, getting more frustrated by the second. “But why?” she groans.
“Training.”
Lucina huffs as if I’ve told her a joke. “No,” she decides. “Not happening.”
“No?” I drop the blankets to the floor, and she tracks my steps as I move around to her side of the bed.
“We can do this the hard way,” I tell her. “Is that what you want?”
Lucina glares up at me, but there’s more intrigue there than anger. She’s curious.
“Fine, then.” I let magic flood the room—static and heat filling the small space. At first, she doesn’t catch the warning, looking confusedly at the mattress as it heats beneath her. Then more heat spills out of me, and the path from warm to scorching is almost instantaneous.
Lucina curses as she jumps from the bed, spinning around with an angry finger pressed into my chest. “Asshole,” she breathes.
“We had to get Nix out of bed the same way.”
“Nix?”
I nod, remembering how he burst from the bed faster than Lucina did, then proceeded to threaten us the entire walk to the Yard. “He was the last one to be initiated,” I explain.
Lucina’s eyes widen in panic. “This is initiation? I thought I had a week—”
“You do,” I assure her, and relief sinks her shoulders. “But clearing Albatross is your ticket to initiation. You have to pass it first.”
The panic is back. “What the fuck is Albatross?”
My lips part to reply, but I quickly tighten them, exhaling a defeated breath.
Lucina scoffs. “You can’t tell me, can you?”
I shake my head, gesturing to the folded clothes at the foot of the bed. “But I can show you.”
If looks could kill, I’d be bleeding out right now with how deadly her glare is, but I don’t back away or back down. I fold my arms across my chest to signal that I’m unmoving in our stalemate, and thankfully, she breaks first.
“Fine.” Lucina moves to the end of the bed. “But you’re going to have to deal with the consequences later when I’m tired and hungry and…probably injured.”
“You won’t be injured,” I promise her. “And I can handle the consequences.”
She pulls her shirt over her head, the only piece of clothing she decided to sleep in, and tosses the offending fabric to the ground.
My heart pounds. A deep thud in my ears as I peruse her flawless skin. Her soft curves, her full breasts, her new muscles.
It’s torture, and I itch to move towards her, but that's what she wants. To throw me off my mission. To get herself a few more hours of sleep.
When I meet her stare, she’s still vexed, but there’s victory in her eyes, too. “You’re sure?”
My lips twitch, but a smile right now wouldn’t go over well.
I move around the bed, coming up behind her before I can think better of it.
She inhales sharply when I slip a hand around her waist, spreading my fingers across her stomach.
Lucina leans into the touch, and there’s a shift in her breathing when I lean down to press a kiss to the base of her neck.
It’s gentle. Soft. And I shouldn’t be doing it.
We should be halfway to the Yard by now.
Pressing my fingers deeper into her skin, I trail a line up to her ear. “I’m sure,” I whisper, then pull myself away.
She turns to face me as I move back towards the door.
I’d give anything to kiss her, but I can’t.
She’d just love it if I got distracted and forgot about what we had to do.
That was her intention after all, and my consequence will be knowing exactly how warm her skin is right now.
Creases from the sheets still indented into her hips. It physically hurts to walk away.
But I have to.
“I’ll wait outside," I grit out. “Finish that water before we leave.”
I’ve done a lot of hard things in my life, but leaving Lucina in the bedroom like…that…is top ten. No question.
I grab my jacket and step out onto the porch, thankful for the fresh air. I love Albatross, but she has me cursing it.
Lucina steps out onto the porch a few minutes later, tying off the end of her braid. She’s wearing the black long-sleeve I left out for her and the matching shorts, but she decided against the shoes I chose, going for a different pair of boots instead. One last attempt at defiance.
She finishes off her braid and tosses it over her shoulder, watching me expectantly. Waiting for me to start our run.
I tear my gaze from hers, zip my jacket up, and dart down the porch steps. I set a slow pace, just enough to get her heart rate up, as we pass through a sleeping Pirn on our way to the Yard.
“Can you tell me anything about it?” she asks, her breathing steady. “Anything at all?”
I turn, taking the path towards the outskirts of camp. “Albatross isn’t a test of strength; it’s a test of the mind,” I tell her. “Before you can trust your coven, you have to fully trust yourself.”
Lucina snorts. “That’s the most cryptic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s nothing you can’t handle,” I assure her, smiling when she rolls her eyes. “I promise.”
She says nothing else on our run, but as soon as we get to the Yard, she starts swearing under her breath.
Ahead of us, towering over the space, is a monolith of dark grey stone, familiar symbols etched into the side. It’s quite daunting to look at, especially since the sun hasn’t risen yet, but a jolt of excitement lights up my veins. I haven’t seen it in years.
From the outside, it looks unsuspecting and small. But it isn’t what it seems. It took me a little over three hours to get through it before my initiation. Seeing the exit was like seeing daylight for the first time in years.
Lucina’s going to hate it. But if she wants to be in this coven, passing it is step one. And we’ve got all day to do it.
“Callan,” she breathes from behind me, “what the fuck is that?”
I turn, holding out two bright yellow mender pills. Gemma must have told her about them—the capsules that heal wounds at supernatural speed—because the look on Lucina’s face is pure terror.
“Albatross.”