Chapter 9
Callum
“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” Elia announces, giving me one of her brightest smiles. “I’m in. Let’s find this Stone.”
I relax slightly in relief. I thought she might rescind her help after hearing everything laid out. Elia isn’t wrong when she voiced her concern that this might be an impossible task. I know it probably is. But I have to see it through, no matter the outcome.
I gesture for her to sit in the chair next to me. “Come here, I’ll go through everything we have.”
“Wanting me closer already?” She teases me, standing up to move around the table.
Always. She looks beautiful in the yellow dress today. My inclination that colorful outfits suited her personality was correct. She could walk into any room and everyone’s attention would immediately be on her.
“You look lovely today, by the way.” I stand and pull out the chair for her before she gets the chance.
She’s unsure at first, as if she’s hearing a compliment for the first time and isn’t sure whether to believe me. Elia must decide I’m serious, and beams when she takes the seat. “Thanks, Callum. You’re not too bad yourself.”
For the next several hours, I show Elia all the research we’ve put together over the years.
For the number of years that have passed, the amount of research we have is pitiful in comparison.
She reads through the interviews we’ve conducted and the ancient journals and scrolls we’ve found.
She asks questions here and there, but for the most part keeps to herself as she buries herself in the work.
By evening, our chairs have somehow moved close enough together that our legs brush against each other constantly.
That, combined with her lavender scent, is overwhelming my senses.
I find myself leaning into her touch, and it frightens me.
“Shall I bring us dinner?” I interrupt the silence of the room and the roaring noise of my thoughts.
Elia’s stomach grumbles right on cue. She laughs. “I wouldn’t say no to some food. Do you want me to help?”
“No, stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I leave the library and head towards the kitchens. I could ring for staff to bring us dinner but I want the chance to clear my head.
When I reach the kitchen, I run into Hanson who’s chugging water from a waterskin, his back to me. Based on the sweat dripping from him, I would wager he’s coming back from training for the day. He’s breathing hard and his copper hair is plastered against his head.
“You’re looking out of shape there, Hanson.”
Hanson turns to see who called him, and seeing only me, he tosses the now empty waterskin at my head. Thankfully the kitchen is empty at this hour.
I duck easily to avoid it. “And your aim could use some improvement.”
“Fuck off, Cal,” he whines gruffly. “If I remember correctly, you were noticeably absent from training.”
I grin. “The Stone has to be my first priority. Plus, I sparred with Ginna this morning.”
“Uhuh. Sure. The Stone is your priority,” he drawls. “Ginna mentioned something about a lover’s spat with a certain brown-haired beauty?”
I wave a hand in a vague gesture. “Don’t know what she’s talking about.”
“The female brunette, I meant to say,” Hanson smirks at me deviously. “Although Ancients know there were enough fights with the other brunet.”
My jaw tightens and I stop the urge to pick up the discarded waterskin and throw it right back at Hanson’s freckled face.
Hanson joined the Hunters when he was a gangly sixteen-year-old, all limbs and no muscle.
His red hair had stuck out like a sore thumb against the others, and I pushed him hard in training.
At being only eighteen myself, I had been double his size and saw him as a younger brother, and I’m proud of how far he’s come.
At six-two and solidly built, you couldn’t see the teenage version of him anymore.
He, Ginna, and I have been inseparable ever since, meaning that there is nothing in my life, past or present, that they both didn’t know about.
Hanson throws his hands up to surrender. “Sorry, low blow. You know I’m only joking.”
I keep quiet as I grab a tray and start scrounging for food for Elia. I grab a loaf of bread, some cheese, and a few fruits from the counter. There’s dried meat in the pantry and I turn to add that to the spread.
Hanson places his hand on my shoulder and spins me around. “Cal, talk to me. How’s everything going, honestly? I haven’t seen you since you and Ginna left, and she’s only told me pieces.”
I swallow and drag a twitching hand through my hair. My hands can never keep still, the tremor from my old injury always present. Where do I even start? “I caught Elia up on everything this afternoon. She’s agreed to help us but also suspects it’s an impossible task and I don’t disagree with that.”
“We know there’s the possibility of not finding it. That’s always been the case.” Hanson leans back on one of the counters.
“I know, but it seems more real now.” I gingerly touch the bandage covering up some of the cuts caused by the king’s bottle last night. “I can’t fail now, Hanson.”
“And we won’t. We’ll find it.”
“We’ll see.” I lift one shoulder. “I can’t stay long – I told Elia I’d bring her dinner.”
“We’re going to gloss over it, then?” Hanson stares at me pointedly.
“Gloss over what?”
“Elia? The girl you’re single-handedly bringing food to instead of asking one of the staff to do so? You haven’t told me anything about her, but Ginna told me that she saw you smile at Elia. A real, genuine smile. Honestly, we didn’t think you still knew how,” Hanson chuckles.
I shake my head. “There’s nothing to tell. Elia will hopefully help us find the Stone, and then I promised her she would be paid well and be able to live her own life.”
“And?” Hanson raises his eyebrows at me, still giving the pointed stare.
“And what?” I retort back, growing frustrated.
“Nothing else to add? Nothing about maybe a spark or two, a connection forming…” He trails off.
I groan, resting my elbows on the counter and collapsing forward so my head touches the surface.
I voice my thoughts that have been plaguing me since we met.
“She’s beautiful, Han. Stunning. She has this bright soul that shines through.
” Even through my blackened heart. I tilt my head up in Hanson’s direction.
“I haven’t felt this strongly so early on about anyone since –” His name catches in my throat, but Hanson understands.
“Cal, it’s been years. It’s okay to move on. Healthy, even. I’m glad you’re smiling again. Truly.”
“I can’t go through that again. I won’t.”
“Look, I’m not telling you to marry her. I’m telling you to see where things go. Talk with her. Take her to town. Allow yourself to be open to something good for once.”
I push myself off the counter and straighten. He’s right. I’m acting ridiculous over a crush. I can take it one day at a time. I’m too busy fast-forwarding to the end, instead of enjoying the journey.
“Thanks, Hanson. I needed that.”
“Now, go be a good kitchen maid and deliver her some food.” He slides the tray of food towards me, grinning.
“Fuck off,” I grumble, picking up the tray. I hear his laughter echoing through the kitchen as I take the stairs back up to the library.
The library is quiet as I walk to the back table. The sun has fully set, and the moonlight now shines through the window. One of the staff must have come by and lit the candles, and the flickering lights illuminate the books.
“Callum?” Elia is curled up in one of the bigger chairs to the side, legs tucked underneath her small frame. She closes the book in her lap. “Did you get lost? I was starting to think I’d have to find the kitchens myself.” She grins at me, and another piece of my heart stirs back to life.
“Sorry, I ran into Hanson, and we were catching up.” I place the tray on the table and start restacking books and gather the loose documents into a pile.
“He’s one of the Hunters helping us, right?” I like that she’s including herself now in the ‘us’.
“Yes. You’ll probably meet him tomorrow. He and Ginna train every other day with the rest of the Hunters, but both will swing by sometime tomorrow.” I pass her a plate filled with everything I was able to take from the kitchen.
“What about you?” She asks, tearing off a piece of bread.
“What about me?”
“You don’t have to train? Those muscles work themselves?” Her gaze trails across my body, leaving me heated.
I can’t tell if she’s openly flirting with me or if that’s who she is as a person. I reflect on what Hanson had expressed, about me being open. I can flirt, right? It’s been years but it did work out for me once.
“Careful, if you keep complimenting me, I’ll start to think you might actually like me.” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“I don’t remember a compliment in that statement. I have muscles. You have muscles. Lots of people have muscles.” She pops a grape into her mouth. “But you wouldn’t have them without some consistent work.”
Well, that flirting failed. Mission aborted.
I do find myself having fun talking with Elia.
I never know what she’s going to say, and I appreciate that about her.
People in the Ashven court have tried to interest me, especially since becoming lead Hunter, but they’re predictably boring and formal.
I already have too much of that in my own personality; I don’t want that in my partner, too.
“Ginna and I sparred this morning.”
“Is that how you hurt your shoulder?”
I’m taken aback that Elia noticed the bandage that only barely peeks out from the collar of my shirt. “It’s barely a scratch.” I dismiss it as quickly as I can. “Anyways, once you’re settled in, I’ll be going back to my typical training schedule.”
“I’m plenty settled. New clothes, hot baths, hot food, hot Hunters. What more could a girl want?”
My cheeks heat but I gloss over the ‘hot Hunter’ part.
“Travel? A family? Love?” She moves her head side to side as if contemplating each.
“I haven’t really thought about it, I guess,” she exhales. “I pretty much accepted that I was going to be stuck in the Traps forever. But I think I would like to someday find someone who loves me. I’m not sure I’ve ever had that.”
A somber mood falls over us as we watch the shadows flickering.
“What about you?” Elia asks abruptly.
“What about me?”
“Have you ever been in love?”
My palms start to sweat. “You’re very open, do you know that?” I try to buy time to respond.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we barely know each other, yet you’re comfortable with sharing a lot about yourself.”
Elia shrugs. “I don’t have anything to hide. Besides, how do you get to know others if you don’t share about yourself? You don’t have to answer if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”
Hanson’s words ring in my ears. Be open to something good. Then Elia’s question does the same. Have I ever been in love?
Is the air becoming thinner here? My lungs can’t seem to inhale enough air. Love is such a trivial word for what I felt. Elia stares at me expectantly, as if her question didn’t just turn the world on its axis.
I lick my lips and try to bring some moisture back to my throat. “Yes, I’ve been in love.” I walk over and take her empty plate from her to put back on the tray. “But that was a long time ago.”
I clear my throat before she asks any follow up questions. “Come, it’s late and it’s been a long day. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
Elia bites her lip like she wants to add something else, but doesn’t, and nods instead. I offer her my hand to help her up from the chair, and she gingerly takes it.
It’s not until I’m laying in bed later that night that I realize Elia didn’t let go of my hand until she reached her room.