Chapter 23 Alabaster
ALABASTER
Jack runs to Calli, his chest heaving, fear and concern etched on his face as he approaches. He cups her cheeks and looks her over, running his thumbs over her face. I feel the rage bubble up in me as he speaks.
“Are you hurt? You scared the shit out of me, Cal,” he says, his eyes not leaving her.
“Jack…” She pushes his hands away, shaking her head. I see him look over at Cade and drop his arms.
Cade looks over both of their faces. “What the fuck is this?”
Calli winces at Cade’s sharp tone. “It’s nothing.” She tries to brush it off, but Cade isn’t stupid.
He sees her reaction. Big brother has put the pieces together.
He storms over to Jack and shoves him against the front door with a loud thud.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
“Is there something going on with you two?” he says, clearly holding back his rage.
“Nothing. I swear—” Jack speaks, but Cade interrupts him.
“I know you well enough to know when you’re fucking lying, Jack. What. The. Fuck. Is going on with you two.” Cade’s voice is low, measured.
“I’m telling the truth. We are just friends.”
“You don’t look at your fucking friends like that!” Cade says with a growl, his voice louder now.
“Fuck, will you two stop? Jack and I had a thing years ago when we first met, but nothing is going on now, Cade. We are just friends.”
“Probably not the best thing to say, my dear.”
Cade turns toward Jack, swinging an uppercut to his jaw. Jack immediately falls to the floor, rubbing his face.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Cade? What the hell!” Jack screams.
“That’s the least you deserve.” The look in his eyes screams betrayal. “How far did it go?” Cade says, looking down at Jack.
Jack rubs his bloody nose, not responding.
“How far!”
“We were both kids—and it was a long time ago, Cade. Can we please not get into this right no—” Calli tries to speak up, but Cade cuts her off.
And by the look on his face, she all but answered his question.
“After all these years I’ve trusted you with her, to keep Calli safe, and you went behind my back?”
Jack stands, back against the door. “That’s all I’ve ever tried to do. I swear to God I never—”
“You are the closest thing I have to a friend! How fucking could you? And to hide it from me, for years! I could forgive you if I thought you actually loved her, but I fucking know you!”
“I do love her!” Jack says, pausing. Cade’s eyes widen.
I can feel Calli’s shock from his confession. I thought it was pretty obvious by how he looks at her.
“I’ve loved her since the day we met. But I knew that wasn’t what she needed from me, and I know I’m not good for her.” He drops his head. “I’m sorry.”
The look of disgust on Cade’s face says more than words ever could. Anger, resentment, sadness. I almost feel sorry for the guy. But I gotta say, watching him lay out that little shit was more satisfying than I thought it would be. Maybe I won’t have to kill him after all.
“Cade…” Calli says, reaching out.
“Don’t.” He turns quickly, walking over to the steps.
She shrinks back, looking at Jack as her brows pull together with a look of concern. I can feel her mind reeling, attempting to find the right words where there are none.
Cade turns, looking both of them over with a cold expression before walking down the steps and disappearing behind the house.
Calli walks up to the door, not meeting Jack’s eyes. “Please, excuse me.”
He moves over as she turns the knob, walking inside. Karma runs up to her, rubbing herself on Calli’s ankles. Reaching down, she cradles the cat in her arms and walks upstairs and into her room.
“Rule number one, you don’t sleep with your best friend’s little sister. I’m just sorry I didn’t get to hit him myself.”
She sighs.
“He’s right. We did lie to him, and he has every reason to be upset.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“In my defense, I was eighteen. I had no idea how close they were at the time.”
“No need to explain yourself to me.”
I hate to admit it, but I fucked up. I can’t get out of her.
This is a bit awkward. It’s never comfortable being in someone else’s skin—a ghost in flesh without any control is maddening, despite how much I like the idea of being inside hers.
In all my years on this Gods-forsaken planet, I’ve possessed and hijacked plenty of bodies—witches included. I’m utterly perturbed and would almost be impressed with her if I wasn’t so frustrated.
It’s about ten in the morning and she’s still sleeping.
I can’t say I’m surprised, since she spent half the night arguing with me.
This one is so stubborn—it’s infuriating, and I can’t help but like it.
I can feel the soft satin sheets beneath her, her heart beating in a gentle rhythm, her scent filling the air around me.
This is the only time I’ve felt her so peaceful.
Her dreams, on the other hand, are dark, filled with symbolism I’m sure she doesn’t understand yet. A dark figure standing before a table with an old journal—next to it, a white rose. I’ve kept the dreams at bay all night. I had no idea she was cursed with the sight.
Her premonitions should not be ignored.
I find myself in quite the conundrum—this woman frustrates and inspires me in all the best and worst ways.
This was not the plan.
I was drawn to all of this by the grimoire and the question of why, oh why, do these humans have a celestial artifact?
I’ve been trying to figure out how they got it. I’ve played my part well, and I believe this beautiful creature will provide the answers I seek. There is just that one lingering issue…
“Are you still in there?” she says softly as I feel her slowly come back to a conscious state of mind, stretching her arms and rubbing her eyes.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I purr into her mind.
She sighs—I can feel her annoyance with me and it only causes me to want to push her buttons further.
“Look—I’m tired,” she groans. “Cade is leaving and I am in no mood. If you could please get out of my body, I would appreciate that,” she says, voice calm yet stern.
“No can do. It pains me to say I appear to be trapped in you,” I admit, mentally shrugging.
“What do you mean trapped? You can get out, right? I saw you do it before,” she demands, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.
“You saw me possess a human. You, my dear, are no human.”
“Wait…” She trails off and I can feel the spike of anxiety in her chest. “So you genuinely can’t get out? Are you fucking kidding me?”
I laugh softly. “Sorry, little human. You gotta put up with me in here—for now at least.”
I can hear her thoughts racing. She’s flustered—but not angry.
How very curious.
She gets up and follows her typical morning routine like a ritual and all I can do is watch the world through her eyes, feeling what she feels.
It’s almost sensual how delicately she takes care of herself.
I notice the way she is careful to brush her hair, observe her obsess over what to wear and defaulting on a comfortable sweater anyway.
The way she takes extra care scratching Karma’s belly when she lounges on the windowsill.
I feel the sway in her hips as she makes her way to the kitchen to pour herself a hot cup of coffee—feline friend in tow. Every move this woman makes is divine, elegant. Her brother is already at the table next to that chipper little shit. She sits down across from them.
“Good morning,” Jack says in his usual positive tone. Clearly pretending yesterday didn’t happen.
“Let’s wipe that annoying smirk off his face,” I prod at her.
“You stay quiet,” she says aloud, and I laugh as I watch both their reactions. Her brother’s brows furrow, and he gives Jack a death glare while Jack shrinks in his seat. Cade speaks up, not making eye contact, our traitorous kitten leaping into his lap.
“Go save our baby from the bad man!” I screech, and I can feel her eyes roll.
“He’s the one who brought home the cat,” she breathes. “Besides, she likes him.”
“Darling, when I get out of here, you are so getting a spanking.”
“Okay…” Cade mumbles, Karma now purring in his lap. “Jack found one of the Covenant’s safe houses and was able to hack the security system—I’ll be heading out in about an hour to make my way there to slip in and bug the place,” he says in a low, flat tone.
This is hilarious. You could cut the tension in the room with a fucking knife.
“I’ve had a premonition, Cade. This could be a trap. You need to be careful.” She says it with resolve, but her voice comes out unsure.
Jack speaks up, his voice quiet and reassuring. He goes to reach out to touch her hand but stops himself, pulling back. Smart move…
“This may be one of the safest missions he’s taken on, Calli.”
I can feel the gears turning in her head.
She’s doubtful. I hear her whispered thoughts repeating: It’s a trap.
Her instincts tell her to doubt the situation, but in the end, her trust in her brother and Jack wins out.
But this isn’t some scared little girl—this is a woman demanding to step into the power she knows she has.
She was treated like nothing, even now she has no control over her life, yet she doesn’t feel small.
Looking in her head, it appears she never has.
That’s something I’ve never seen in a mortal. It’s… perplexing.
She sighs. “Okay—who’s the target?” she asks as she sips her coffee.
“No one specifically. This mission is solely to gather intel. Rosa hasn’t been to the property, but one of her right-hand men has—seen on traffic cams going there multiple times.
Could be living there or prepping for Rosa.
His name is Benjamin Teller,” Jack says, shoving cereal in his mouth as he talks.
I feel the chill that crawls up her spine at that name. She may not know it yet, but that’s her intuition. This man is dangerous.
Her mind flashes with worst-case scenarios—images of her brother tied up, covered in blood. This could have been one of her dreams, but it’s too clear… too vivid.