A Spell of Time Read online

  “Sometimes,” he continued, “it’s better to be alone. There’s no fighting. It’s peaceful. No troubles.”

  I bit my lip, looking out at Brett’s view of the sea. We were both quiet for a few minutes, listening to the waves crashing against the shore.

  “You have a boy-lover, don’t ya?” Brett blurted.

  I frowned and shook my head.

  A grin spilt his face and his eyes narrowed on me. “Yeah, you do. Don’t think I haven’t seen you with that Micah boy.”

  “Oh,” I said. Now it was my turn to blush. “Micah is just a friend. I barely even know him.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He thinks you’re his girl-lover.”

  I wasn’t sure whether to laugh at Brett’s turn of phrase or be mortified that even an ogre had picked up on this. My expression was likely somewhere in between.

  “Well, what do you think of Micah?” I said, eyeing him with amusement. “Do you think he would make a good ‘boy-lover’?”

  Brett paused and furrowed his brows, clearly taking my question as no light matter.

  “Yeah, I think he’s a good fella.”

  “Anything else you can tell me about him?”

  Brett thought for a moment longer. “He’s a good fish-catcher… though he doesn’t roast them as well.”

  “Uh-huh.” It was clear that this was all the insight Brett was planning to offer. “Well, thanks for that, Brett. I’ll bear it in mind. Because roasting is important.”

  “Yes.”

  “I should probably be getting home now.”

  “Oh, princess. You could stay for dinner if you wanted.”

  “I would love to, Brett. I truly would. But my parents want me home early.”

  He looked mildly disappointed, but was probably expecting that answer. I doubted there were many on this island who spent dinner alone with Brett, unless they couldn’t be bothered to cook.

  “Well, thanks for visiting, Princess Rose.”

  “I promise I’ll visit you again soon,” I said as I left the cave, and I meant it.

  “I’d like that. I will try to have the chair finished in time for you. Can’t have the princess sitting on my straw again,” he mumbled.

  “I’ll bring my brother Ben with me too, if you don’t mind. And we don’t mind sitting on the straw.”

  He positively beamed at the thought of two visitors.

  We said goodbye and I climbed down from the cave across the boulders and back onto the sandy beach. I didn’t know how it would ever happen, but I was determined to make it my personal mission to one day find a companion for Brett.

  Chapter 28: Caleb

  I sat in my bedroom the following evening, waiting for Annora to knock. It turned out I was right in assuming that her nightly visits would resume now that I’d had some respite.

  She arrived at the stroke of midnight, in her usual black silk coverall and lingerie.

  I stood up and as she approached me, I gripped her arms and sat her on the bed while I towered over her, looking deep into her steely gray eyes.

  “What?”

  “I’ve put it off long enough.”

  She frowned at me. “Put what off?”

  “I want to become a warlock.”

  She blinked, her lower lip twitching.

  “Warlock?” she breathed.

  “Not just any warlock. I want to become a Channeler of the Ancients’ power.”

  “Y-you’re serious?”

  I nodded slowly, studying every flicker of emotion that crossed her face. What I saw confused me. She looked shocked at first. That I could understand. But now she looked disturbed. Worried. Desperate even.

  Her hands began to tremble and she stood up, gripping my forearms.

  “Why? Why don’t you want to remain as you are?”

  “For the same reason as you. Power. Influence. Surrender to our cause.”

  She began shaking her head.

  “No.” Her voice cracked. “No, Caleb. I-I…” She clasped a palm over her mouth. She sank back down on the bed, her chest heaving. “Caleb, no.”

  I didn’t know what game Annora was playing by refusing something she herself had coaxed me to do for so long. I bent down to her level, gripping her jaw and forcing her to look directly into my eyes.

  “Why?” I repeated, my mouth inches from hers.

  She flinched and closed her eyes, shaking her head.

  Ignoring her discomfort, I continued to press.

  “Who do I need to see about this? Who turned you into a Channeler?”

  “But Caleb—”

  “Just answer my question.”

  “H-her name is Lilith.”

  “Lilith. Who is this Lilith? Where do I find her?”

  “I-I can’t tell you.”

  I tightened my grip on her jaw. “What do you mean you can’t tell me?”

  Tears spilled from her eyes. She fought free from my grip and hurried out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

  I stared after her, stunned, listening to the sounds of her footsteps disappearing down the corridor outside.

  I’d never seen Annora crumble like that. And the way she’d just left… as though she’d completely forgotten what she’d come for.

  I left the apartment and considered following her, but decided against it. At least for this evening. Instead, I went downstairs to the kitchen, intending to pour myself a glass of blood. I exhaled in frustration on finding all the jugs empty in the cellar. Topping up the jugs had been Frieda’s job. I guessed it was my fault I hadn’t yet appointed another vampire to do the job. I’d have to do it myself tonight.

  I left the jug on the kitchen counter and entered the dungeon in the corner of the room. Gasps and cries echoed around me as I descended into the dark prison.

  I looked around the cells, trying to decide which human looked most likely to quench my thirst that evening. I settled on the plumpest, a young boy. Opening his cell, I pulled him out and handcuffed him. I was about to exit the dungeon with him when I noticed a strange scent. Not human. Not vampire. Not witch. It was quite unlike anything I’d smelt before. Chaining the boy to the wall so he wouldn’t cause trouble, I walked toward the scent.

  I stopped outside a cell containing a wolf. A giant wolf. Slumped in the corner, it raised its head as I approached the bars.

  “Werewolf?”

  It looked up at me with brown eyes.

  “What does it look like?” it said hoarsely.

  Since when are we keeping werewolves in our dungeons? New blood rituals, perhaps.

  “Who brought you here?”

  Leaning against the wall, the wolf struggled to stand up. I could see now that he was male. His two hind legs were severely disjointed and soaked with blood.

  “And what’s it to you?” he growled. “You going to help me escape?”

  “Just answer my question.”

  He scowled, his eyes darkening. “Some black-eyed warlock caught me while I was out fishing. He didn’t tell me his name.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Micah Kaelin.”

  Chapter 29: Rose

  I’d been expecting Micah to keep his distance from me after that kiss. But he showed up the very next day as I swam with Griff and my girl friends on Sun Beach. He walked up to the edge of the water, fully dressed, and beckoned me over. I glanced apologetically at Griff before walking over to him. Micah’s blond hair was tied in a bun. The sides of his face were rough and unshaven.

  “I was hoping you might take a walk with me,” he said softly.

  “Um, okay.”

  I pulled my clothes on over my bikini and followed him into the woods. Back into the woods with the big bad wolf.

  “I’m sorry for what I did,” he said, as we lost sight of the beach. “I hope it didn’t offend you.”

  I felt my cheeks growing red. “It didn’t offend me.”

  “I’m glad. Because I was worried. I wasn’t sure if I’d overstepped my mar
k. I know we haven’t known each other long.”

  “It was just a peck on the cheek,” I said. Understatement of the year. “It’s no big deal.”

  “Good… I fixed the fishing boat, by the way. It’s strong enough for two now. Can I show you?”

  “Show me the fishing—?”

  He caught my waist and threw me over his shoulder. He began racing through the forest.

  “Micah? What are you doing?”

  “Just hold on,” he said.

  He stopped running once we reached the Port. He ran up to the jetty and put me down. He pointed to a small fishing boat bobbing next to the submarines. He stepped in and held out his hand.

  “Allow me?”

  I eyed the small boat, the slimy nets bunched in one corner.

  “Where to?”

  “We’ll stay within the boundaries,” he said. “I promise. I just want to show you how I fish.”

  “Because my parents don’t like me straying beyond them.”

  “I promise we’ll stay within them.”

  Hesitating a few moments longer, I took his hand and stepped into the boat.

  He clutched the oars and began moving us away.

  I wasn’t sure why he was so bent on showing me how to fish. I’d never shown much interest in it. But since he kept going on about it, I decided to just humor him. I dipped my hand into the water, feeling its warmth gradually fade as we got deeper and deeper.

  “You can start unraveling those nets if you want.”

  Grateful for the distraction, I untangled the slimy nets and, under Micah’s direction, spread the largest one out so that it hung over the end of the boat.

  I bent over the side of the boat and washed my hands in the water. Only once I’d finished the task and looked up did I realize how close we were drawing to the boundary. Micah was showing no signs of slowing down.

  “Micah? What are you doing?’

  His eyes were focused forward, his arm muscles tensing as he rowed faster.

  “Just trust me,” he said.

  “But the boundary—”

  And then it was too late. We were out in the blinding sunshine. Outside the protection of the island.

  I glared at Micah.

  “You promised we wouldn’t leave the boundary.” My shock turned to confusion, then annoyance. “Why did you lie?”

  I reached for one of the oars. Micah’s right leg shot out, kicking me beneath my knee. Something cracked and pain seared through my leg. I fell to the floor, groaning and clutching my knee to my chest.

  What is happening? Why would Micah do this?

  I had no time to try to recuperate from my injury. Despite still being in shock, I had to scream for help before it was too late.

  “No! Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  Micah stood up and roughly stuffed a piece of old rag into my mouth. I choked, the smell of rotten fish pervading my nostrils. It was all I could do to stop myself vomiting. He fastened my wrists and ankles with ropes.

  I looked daggers at him, trying to read his face as he hovered over me. His eyes were expressionless. Hollow.

  And then it happened. His hair began to shorten and curl at the roots. Its blond color faded and darkened. Warm hazel eyes turned pitch black. He grew taller, his shoulders broadened. Even his clothes changed—into a long black cloak and heavy leather boots.

  There was no trace left of Micah in the man standing over me.

  I struggled and tried to scream more desperately than ever, but it was no use. The stranger placed a long finger against his lips and gripped my forehead.

  “Hush, Princess,” he said in a voice much deeper than Micah’s. “Sleep.”

  Chapter 30: Caleb

  We sat on the edge of my father’s finest ship, dipping our feet into the shallow waters and watching the sun duck beneath the horizon. Annora rested her head on my shoulder, while I had an arm around her waist. The warm summer breeze caught her black hair, making it dance in the air. I looked down at her delicate fingers. The gemstone in her engagement ring glinted in the evening light.

  I held my breath, anticipating the excitement that would shine in her beautiful eyes as soon as I told her.

  “My father agreed to let us take this ship.”

  She lifted her head and looked up at me, gasping.

  “He really did?”

  I nodded, smiling as I brushed my lips over her forehead.

  “For how long?” she asked.

  “Two weeks. Now you just need to decide where you’d like me to take you.”

  She bit her lip, facing the sunset once again.

  “Mmm. How about somewhere far away… like Asia?”

  I laughed. “We could. But that really would be a long time at sea. I’m not sure my father would be willing to part with me for that long.”

  She sighed, once again falling into thought. “Where do you want to take me?”

  “We could stay within Europe and do a tour. Maybe start with France, work our way down to Italy, perhaps head for the Ionian Sea…”

  “Just the two of us?”

  “Just the two of us.”

  “All right, my love. Let’s do that,” she purred. “And then after?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What will we do after?” She rested her head on my lap, reaching her hand up and playfully twirling my hair in her fingers.

  “I don’t know,” I said, stroking her forehead.

  “Come on, Caleb,” she said, “Tell me a story.”

  “A story, huh? Well, after is when our life together will really start. We’ll find a house near the shore, away from the bustle of the town, and move in together. I’ll take over managing the dock while my father retires. We’ll keep our own boat, and whenever I can afford it, we’ll take trips. I’ll build the business and train workers well enough to be able to manage without me. We’ll make time to travel the world together. We’ll go to Asia. And the Americas. And explore the North Pole. South Pole. Any Pole you want…” I paused, watching as her face grew impatient for the next part.

  “And?”

  “And once we’re tired of touring the world, we’ll return to our quiet house on the shore, and we’ll start a family.”

  “How many children will we have?”

  “Eight. Four boys and four girls.”

  “What will we name them?”

  I paused again to think. As always, Annora wanted details. I’d give her details. “Our first child will be a boy. His name will be Hector. Next will be Jennifer. Then Jason. William. Laina. Laurence. April. And lastly, sweet Isobel.”

  “And will we travel the world again with them when they’re old enough?”

  “If that’s what they want… The end.”

  “But what happens next? You can’t just stop a story like that,” she said. “Not before you get to the happily ever after.”

  “All right,” I said, chuckling and rolling my eyes. “And we’ll live happily for the rest of our lives. We’ll die old and wrinkly holding hands in our bed. We’ll be buried in the same grave. And the worms will digest our bodies, leaving only our bones forever entwined in the soil… Is that far enough?”

  She giggled. “What if there’s an afterlife?”

  “Then that would make this a very long story indeed…”

  She sat up and knelt, her face level with mine. I could lose myself forever in those sparkling grey-blue eyes. Draping her arms over my shoulders, she leaned in closer. And then her sweet lips were on mine in a chaste caress. She allowed me to taste their nectar for but a moment before drawing away. Sitting back down next to me and clearing her throat, she looked around as if scared someone had seen her.

  That kiss sparked a bonfire within me that only she could extinguish. I didn’t care any more whether someone saw us. Everyone in the town knew we were to be married soon. I reached for her waist and pulled her closer again. I held her head in my hands. My thumbs touched the sides of her mouth.

  She shut he
r eyes.

  “Don’t be afraid,” I whispered.

  Closing my lips around her mouth, I tasted her fully for the first time. A gentle blush warmed her cheeks as I pulled away.

  I felt like the luckiest man in the world, and whatever lay ahead of us, I knew we’d find bliss. We’d find our story. Our happily ever after.

  “Maybe that’s what ours is,” she breathed as our lips touched again. “A never-ending story.”

  I woke up in a sweat. I looked around my room, reality returning to me.

  Once I’d drained the human and downed a glass of blood, I’d returned to my room and slept. Now I hoped it wouldn’t take long to drift off again. But then I heard it. A sound I’d heard countless nights before, but somehow this night it resonated louder in my ears.

  Crying. In some dark hall of the castle. The dining room, I suspected. That was Annora’s usual haunt.

  I lay back in bed, closing my eyes and trying to block it out as I usually did. But I couldn’t. Every draw of breath, every wretched sob, every moan of sorrow echoed around in my head.

  Groaning, I got out of bed and paced the room.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone to her during her fits of sadness. It had been so long I was sure that she couldn’t remember either.

  Wrapping a robe around me, I left my apartment and descended the staircase to the ground floor. My suspicion had been correct. Annora was a creature of habit and this night was no different.

  I stood silently by the doorway of the dining hall as she howled into the wind, her whole body wracked with sobs.

  I couldn’t help but ache at the sight of her.

  Oh, Annora. What made you give up my love for pain?

  It was on nights like this when she showed her humanity that I longed to ask her this question. Even though I knew the answer, I longed to ask again, hope welling within my chest that perhaps, this time, the answer would be different.

  I crept into the room. She didn’t notice I’d entered until I reached out and touched her shoulder.