18. Chapter 18
18
R ays of sunshine peeked from the edge of the curtains when Kelly awoke the next morning. The room was spacious, but only held the necessities furniture-wise. It made her feel more at home than the extravagant room back at the castle.
She stretched, waking up her tired muscles. For a brief moment, she wondered why she would be so tired. Then the previous night’s events came flooding into her mind.
Clyde jumped on the bed and greeted her with a headbutt and a long meow. He let her pet him for a moment and then hopped off the bed and was gone in a flash.
That was her cue. No doubt Fabian would expect her in the training room. Hell, he was probably already there waiting.
The chill of cold winter air hit her as she threw off the covers. Kelly welcomed it, waking more with each shiver that traveled through her.
She chose the usual leggings and tank top and brushed her hair back into a ponytail before heading downstairs. The living room was behind the stairs, adorned with large windows and a high ceiling. A bar separated it from the kitchen, back and to the left.
Kade sat at the bar, staring intently at his laptop and typing like a madman. Kelly silently wondered how many computers he’d replaced because he hit the keys too hard.
Fabian’s voice greeted her before she saw him. “Good morning, Warrior. Did you sleep well?”
“Morning. I did, thanks. What do we have to eat? I’m starving.”
“Pancakes are almost ready, extra butter already on the counter. There is bacon over there, too.”
Her stomach rumbled in approval.
“I thought you’d be in the training room waiting for me. What made you cook breakfast?”
“It is Christmas Eve.”
Kelly stared at him, eyebrows raised in question.
“Kade mentioned you would need more sustenance after last night.”
“There it is. I know you don’t celebrate Christmas, and you haven’t cooked since I met you.”
He shrugged and turned back to the stove.
“I’m going to call my dad. I told him I was going to call yesterday. What are we doing tomorrow? He’s going to invite us to his place.”
Kade peeked at her from above the laptop screen. “Nae, have him here. We shouldnae risk taking you to an unprotected location.”
A quick look around the house showed her there were no Christmas decorations in sight.
“If he comes here, he is going to be full of questions. There isn’t even a sprig from a pine tree here, much less actual Christmas decorations. Not to mention, I’m going to have to come up with an explanation of who everyone is. Can’t the three of us just go to his place and I can introduce you as, um…” Her mind came to a screeching halt. What would she introduce them as? She could play Kade off as her boyfriend, but Fabian? A friend? Her dad would see through that in an instant; he was too suspicious when it came to her friends, partially because she never had any.
A kind smile was on Fabian’s face as he turned to her. “None of this is an easy explanation to family. You need to consider telling him the truth.”
“Oh, sure, tell the man the truth. That’ll go over really well. He’ll end up pulling his gun and shooting you all. Then, he’ll drag me away from here and hide me in some far-off cave for the rest of my days. I’m the only daughter of a gun-slinging, proud American man. The truth will bend his mind.”
“Something tells me he already knows pieces of it. He raised you, and he must have seen signs that you were an Arcane without realizing it. Especially given how powerful you are. He knows deep down what you are—he just may not want to admit it.” He set a plate of pancakes down next to Kade and motioned for her to sit. “Not to mention, if he shoots Kade, he’ll see undeniable proof of immortals and vampires all at once.”
“Aye, just offer me up for social sacrifice.”
Fabian spoke without emotion. “It seems necessary and beneficial.”
Kade shook his head and kept working.
Kelly made short work of her pancakes and then called her dad to let him know about dinner tomorrow. He was a little hesitant to come to the house, especially when he heard the zip code, but he eventually agreed to join them.
When he’d asked who owned the house, she brushed it off, saying it was a friend’s. Then she had to convince him he wasn’t intruding and talk him into coming all over again.
At the end of the conversation, she was more exhausted than she’d been last night. Inwardly, she wondered why relationships with people had to be so taxing.
Fabian and Kade were waiting patiently in the training room when she finally arrived there mid-morning. The fact that Fabian wasn’t upset about her late arrival was astonishing, but she didn’t mention it to him.
“Let’s get this party started!” Ginna’s voice announced her arrival, and Kelly barely kept herself from jumping.
“Why are you all here?”
“We’re going to do a repeat of last night. Only this time, we’re going to start with you letting your power loose.”
Kelly did an about-face, looking at Ginna to see if she’d heard wrong. “You want to do all of that again? And you want me to direct my power outward this time? I could hurt all of you.”
“Rookie, we’ve had worse. We’re immortal too, remember?”
She had a point. “What do you want me to do with my power?”
“I just want you to direct it outward so we can see which type you’re presenting. From there, we can work on how to control it.”
“Wait, you don’t even know what kind of power I was using last night?”
“I’m good, Rookie, but not that good. I can feel that you’re a mage if you’re leaking all over the place, but I can’t tell what kind unless you unleash it.”
“What if it’s the whole time-thing that I’m using and I stop time? Then what? I’ll just be lost, and you’ll all be frozen.”
Fabian let out one of his chuckles.
“Don’t you laugh at me. This is serious!”
“Easy, easy, don’t lose your cool. If you somehow manage to stop time on your first go, then bring it back in slowly. Don’t yank your power back to you like you did last night, let it seep back into your veins. And don’t try to do anything if time stops, just focus on your power and calling it back. If it’s earth or water, that’s easy enough to deal with. My own affinity is air, and I can handle your unpracticed gifts without an issue.”
“What if I can’t bring it back? What if I lose control?”
“Use the techniques you did last night. Hone in on what Fabian has been teaching you, and remember the way you controlled it last night. Worst case, you run your energy dry and pass out; that will cancel out any power you’re using anyway.”
“Right, so, if I’m stuck in the abyss of time, I’ll just wait until I exhaust myself. Perfect. I really hope it’s just water.”
Kade walked up and stood in front of her, taking her face in his hands. “Ye willnae hurt any of us. We’re all here to help and we’ve been through worse, I can promise ye that. Ye dinnae care to cause any of us harm, so the chances of ye doing so are slim.”
“Let us get moving then. Kelly, come sit down, just as you would if we were meditating,” Fabian said.
She followed Fabian over to a mat and sat down.
“Remember the skills we have worked on. Remember how you pictured your power last night, how you made it move within you. Do that again, but this time push it outward.”
Nodding, Kelly closed her eyes and felt within herself for her power. It was hiding close to her core. Somehow, she knew she’d directed it there for fear of hurting everyone.
With some effort and a few tries, it traveled through her body and out from her fingertips. Hands to her sides, she directed it to the floor rather than at anyone or anything in the room.
No one screamed or yelled; they didn’t even curse. The room was silent.
Fear clouded her mind, and she tried to push it away like Fabian had taught her. Directing her thoughts back to her power, she let it flow from her in waves. She felt it even as it entered the floor and traveled outward. It was like an extension of her fingers, traveling over the floor, feeling every crevice and crack as it moved along.
What felt like minutes passed, and worry began to settle in. Had she stopped time? Was she alone now?
Kelly opened her eyes, ready to pull her power back. Instead of the frozen figures of her friends, she saw water. A thin sheet of it covered the floor in front of her. Looking around, she saw it pooling out from her, not quite reaching the edges of the room.
Still no comments or sounds from the others, so she dared a peek at them all. Fabian wore a smug smile on his face. Kade’s eyes were amber, but his face was blank as he concentrated on her. Ginna had her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, and a look that suggested Kelly may have reminded her of a smug teenager in that moment.
Braving speech, she directed her question at Ginna. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You can stop showing off now, Rookie.”
“Huh?”
“Look around, you’re not only pushing power, you found some water and brought it in to share with everyone. Only, you’re not sharing. Our feet are dry because you’re directing the water around us.”
Thinking Ginna was off her rocker, Kelly stole a peek around and realized her mentor was right. There was a pool of water surrounding her. It had clear edges to it, almost like it was Jello instead of water.
“Seeing as you all don’t need me, I’ll be on my way out.” Ginna turned to leave.
Kelly didn’t want her to go, though, and the next thing she knew, water was up around Ginna’s knees and the woman couldn’t move.
“Jesus Christ, Rookie, call off the dogs. You’ve clearly got some separation issues we should discuss.”
Afraid she’d hurt Ginna, Kelly pulled her power back in. She tried to be careful like Fabian had directed, but Ginna’s comment threw her off. Water engulfed her like an ocean wave, and she was soaked for a brief moment before it all pooled out onto the floor the way it would when no one was controlling it.
The others burst out laughing, and Kelly couldn’t help but join them. All of the stress and anxiety that had led up to this moment had simply washed away with the water. It dripped from her hair and face while everyone else was completely dry and comfortable. Well, except for Ginna’s legs, but that had been out of love, right?
They all laughed for a while, and it felt so good to just let go. That moment was one she would never forget; it was the moment Kelly first witnessed her inner strength and her ability to protect those she loved.
It was also a prime example of her clumsiness, but that detail didn’t have to go down in the history books.
Fabian finally broke through his laughter to speak. “That was one hell of a training session.”
“That was no training session. That was more of a Kelly did what she wanted to session.” Ginna seemed a bit disheartened.
Shit, she’d fucked up. “What was I supposed to do?”
“What Ginna means is that you demonstrated power at the level of bonded mage. We expected you to emit some sparks and color, and instead you called on water and willed it to go where you pleased.”
Fabian’s face was serious, suggesting he was telling the truth. She was at a loss for words.
“Guess I’ll just have to start training you like you’ve already been bonded,” Ginna said, a wry smile on her face. “You’re still a rookie, though. That name is yours forever.”
She shrugged. “Whatever works. What next?”
“Next, ye get some food and we relax. Using that much power will drain ye in no time, and ye will be feeling it soon.”
The afternoon passed without much excitement, exactly how Kelly wanted it. She went up to the library and found a few books, then made herself at home on the fluffy couch in the living room and read. She was so used to having to write that she hardly ever took the time to sit and read.
The more she experienced and learned about the Arcane world, the more she wanted to know. The books Ginna chose for her were meant to be educational, but they were more like reading historical fiction. Each race was so unique and talented. She had the utmost respect for each of them.
She was surprised to learn about the amount of animosity between the races. Humans were the same, of course. They judged simply because they were egotistical and didn’t care to understand the people around them. Arcane were much more knowledgeable, though, and they had a complete understanding of each other. Each race held a healthy respect for the others, but they seemed to tolerate difference rather than embrace it.
So far, the people Kade associated with seemed to be accepting of all races, although most of them were vampires. They didn’t have any issue accepting Fabian or Ginna, and they’d welcomed her with open arms, too. Well, except Darlene, but she seemed more of a lapse in judgment than anything.
Clyde came to join her after a while, curling up on her lap while she read, and then others started to trickle into the room as the evening arrived. Ginna was first, bringing her own book along. Fabian followed without a book or anything else to keep himself busy, joining them simply for the company. Kade came in and sat at the other end of the couch with his laptop, hard at work as always. Then Asmund showed up and plopped down in the giant loveseat, TV remote in hand. He stole the silence from the room with the press of a button and earned annoyed looks from all of them, including the cat.
Asmund shrugged. “What? Not everyone likes to read, and I don’t want to hear myself think all day. I can only work out for so long.”
Ginna’s face said he was full of himself. “I’ve seen you wearing those earbuds. Watch something on your phone.”
“And waste this beautiful TV? I don’t think so. Equipment like this was not made for decoration alone.”
The news came on, and an overly cheerful reporter stood in front of a huge house that looked like it came straight out of the North Pole. A wreath hung on every window, and they’d even put fake snow all over it.
“That’s right, John. In fact, here comes a carriage now.” The reporter made her way to the street, and the camera moved to show a horse-drawn carriage approaching. “If you didn’t buy tickets, there are still a few rides available. Come join us for the annual Christmas Eve Parade of Lights here in Highland Park. It’s going to be a beautiful night.” She flashed her pearly whites at the camera as she reached to pet one of the horses.
Inwardly, Kelly longed for a night out to see Christmas lights. Back when her family was functional, they’d gone every year. She’d loved going as a child—it was the highlight of the holiday. Then her parents had started to drift apart, and holidays became something everyone celebrated only because they were supposed to.
Ginna slammed her book shut and stood from her chair like she’d just realized she was late for a party. “Let’s go, y’all! Everyone get a jacket, and meet me out front in ten.”
They all looked at her like she’d grown another head.
“Go where?” Fabian finally asked.
“To ride in a carriage, of course! We can walk there—it’s only a couple of blocks away. It’ll be fun!”
“I do not believe that is a good idea.”
Ginna waved her hand in dismissal. “You need to live a little, fae. We are all here to protect her.”
Fabian shook his head but said nothing.
“Well, I’m going. Anyone who wants to join has ten minutes before I leave your ass.” With that, Ginna was off to get ready.
Kelly looked at Fabian for guidance, but he didn’t move a muscle.
“Do ye want to go?” Kade asked from the other end of the couch.
She shrugged. “I haven’t enjoyed the holidays for years. They don’t really matter much to me anymore. I only celebrate them for my dad.”
“I’ll go,” Asmund said. “It’s something fun to do. When do we ever do anything fun?” He got up and turned the TV off, then went out the front door to wait for Ginna.
Kelly suddenly wanted to join them. Asmund was right. They should do something fun. She apologized to Clyde and got up. “Why not? Let’s go.”
Fabian did his head shake and got up out of his seat.
Kelly ran upstairs and grabbed a hoodie, then met them all outside.
Fabian took his place as her shadow as they all left the front yard. He did make a good shadow, with his trench coat and braided hair. He had just the right balance of intimidation and calm would scare even the toughest men away.
Kade fell into step beside her and placed one hand on the small of her back. He had a smirk on his face when she looked up at him.
“You guys never do this, do you?”
“Nae, we dinnae celebrate Christmas, and we typically stay away from large gatherings of humans.”
Ginna was skipping ahead as they talked. A woman who looked to be in her sixties was skipping like a schoolgirl down the sidewalk on Christmas Eve. Her joy spread to Kelly, and suddenly the two of them were skipping hand in hand.
They skipped all the way through the neighborhood to the parade.
Kade paid for the carriage ticket, and they walked from house to house admiring the decorations until it was their turn to ride.
Kelly noticed Fabian scanning the area regularly for threats. He and Kade stayed by her side protectively, with Asmund close behind them. She could tell they were trying to enjoy themselves for her sake, but they were being extremely cautious.
As they walked back toward the area where the parade began, the clip-clop of horse’s hooves sounded in the distance, making Kelly’s heart warm. She’d always loved the giant animals, and she held fond memories of the few times she’d gotten to ride them as a child.
The carriage passed them as they walked, two beautiful draft horses pulling it effortlessly. It stopped ahead and the passengers got off, holiday cheer painted on their faces.
When they reached the carriage, Fabian broke away from them and went to the horses. He spoke softly to them and placed his forehead against theirs, one by one. It was as if he was saying hello to an old friend.
Kade offered his hand and helped her in, then everyone else followed. He sat next to her and draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. She could feel the coolness of his touch even through her sweatshirt.
Fabian took the seat on her other side and told the coachman they were ready.
“We are pulled by two very fine animals this evening. They are happy and well cared for,” he announced to the group.
Kelly raised an eyebrow at him. “What, you had a conversation with them?”
He nodded. “Of sorts. I will tell you more later.”
“Uh huh.” She silently wondered when Arcane things would stop surprising her.
The carriage jerked, and Christmas music made its way from below the seats as the horses began to pull them.
The neighborhood was beautiful. Each house was adorned with carefully placed lights and decorations.
Much as she tried to ignore it, the Christmas spirit wrapped its gentle arms around her and drew Kelly in. She rested her head on Kade’s shoulder and enjoyed the scenery as it drifted by.
Years of hatred for the holidays began to melt away, and Kelly found herself truly enjoying the moment.
Kade leaned in to her neck, his lips brushed across the soft sensitive skin there. Her body instantly responded, and a rush of heat went straight to her core. He whispered in her ear, “I can smell shifters; a pack is approaching. Listen to Fabian. He will get ye out of here.”