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“I only asked you to help with Becka,” Callan said, hacking at the vines that had grown in the two days he’d been gone. They needed to keep a path inside the ward cleared for the warriors to move quickly between security points.
And for the children as well in case they had to run for their lives.
Kaz retorted, “I did help. I walked her through the ward. That should be enough.”
Why did he sound so surly? “I’m not asking that much.”
“Yes, you are, Callan. You want me to handle Becka completely while she’s here.”
“What’s your problem with her? You told me you and her sister had an issue, not that you and Becka did. Can’t you two let whatever happened back home go while we’re here?”
Kaz grumbled, “That doesn’t matter. Becka is not my responsibility. I know my duty and she isn’t part of it.”
Meaning Callan was shirking his duty? When had he not given his all for everyone here and back home? What else did they want from him?
“She’s not—” Callan stopped before the whole village heard them and lowered his voice. “She’s not my duty either.”
“What of the betrothal?”
“There isn’t going to be one.”
“Because once you’re betrothed, you have to—” Kaz caught himself. “What did you say?”
Callan raked his hand through his still-damp hair. He’d visited V’ru then swung by to wash off in a trough of water fed from a spring they’d magically tapped when they created this village. “I knew my mother was planning with Becka’s, but my mother has been so depressed since Jornn’s death that I didn’t have the heart to say anything. Right before I was captured, I told my father I didn’t see this as a wise union. I told him I didn’t want it.”
“Why not?”
“Becka gets on my nerves.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
Callan cut his eyes at Kaz’s sharp tone, but he tried to explain. “She’s too ...”
“Too what, Callan?”
“Give me a minute. I’m trying to tell you.”
“Fine.” Kaz cursed under his breath.
“She’s too neat and tidy and looking for someone to be the perfect husband. I’m never going to be that. She’s too proper.”
“More like she’s too perfect,” Kaz murmured.
“What’d you say?”
“I said you’re being overly picky. She’s a nice girl. You should be glad to end up with one that is pleasant and pretty.”
“She’s boring.”
Kaz turned on him. “She is not.”
Callan finally grasped something that was going on with Kaz and poked at him. “She’s not even that pretty.”
“Are you blind?”
“She talks too much.”
“Because she has something to say,” Kaz argued, shoulders up, and defensive.
Callan crossed his arms and leaned back. “If that’s so, why don’t you date her?”
Kaz snapped his lips shut and stalked off.
Oh, no, he was not getting off that easily after busting constantly on Callan. After catching up to Kaz and jumping ahead to block his path, Callan said, “I thought you didn’t like her either.”
“I never said that.”
“Then what is the deal between you two?”
Kaz inhaled long and slow then let out the breath. “I wanted to date the middle sister in her family. She had a reputation of being wild, probably because she wasn’t expected to marry the head of a House. All I’d heard about Becka was that she was the baby. Their father doted on her and treated her like a princess. I took that to mean she was a brat. When my mother visited friends in their city, I met Becka’s sister at a party and asked her out. That was a mistake.” Kaz grabbed a dangling limb and yanked it out of the way with more force than was necessary.
“What went wrong?”
“Her sister told me she would never date a half-bred warrior, but if I wanted to mess around, she’d meet me in secret as long as I promised to never tell anyone.” A sound of disgust came from deep in his throat. “She acted as if she was being magnanimous to make me her dirty little secret.”
Now Callan felt bad for pawning Becka off on Kaz. “That was cold.”
“Unfortunately, I was not as mature a year ago and told her if I was looking for someone to breed with it wouldn’t be the useless middle daughter of the Creativity House.”
Cringing, Callan asked, “How’d that go over?”
“About as good as you’d expect. I was banned from the Creativity House permanently.”
“Sorry about pushing Becka off on you. I didn’t know you despised them so much.”
Kaz was silent a moment then he lifted sad eyes. “I don’t despise Becka. I saw her for the first time as I was being thrown out of their House. She tried to stop her father’s men from tossing me down twelve stone steps. When they ignored her and did it anyhow, she came down to see if I was okay. I was seeing stars. By the time I could speak and my eyes focused, her father’s men were escorting her back inside.”
“Then I don’t understand why you’re avoiding her.”
“Becka didn’t know what I’d done to provoke her sister and end up thrown out, but I’m sure she’s been informed since then that I’m the closest thing to a demon that she will ever meet.”
Callan had found little to smile over, but he grinned now.
Kaz lifted an eyebrow. “I will have to reconsider my basis for choosing friends if you find my misery amusing.”
That brought a chuckle from Callan, and it felt good to laugh. “I do find this humorous, but not for the reason you think. None of Becka’s family is here.”
“For that I’m grateful, but what’s your point?”
“I’m not interested in her. When we finish with the ward, go spend time with her. If you have to, tell her I ordered you to watch over her.”
Kaz’s eyes lightened at the notion. “She may still shove me away anyhow.”
“If that happens, then you aren’t as good as your reputation, Kaz.”
“I’m better than that.” Kaz got a wicked gleam in his eyes, then frowned. “What about Rayen?”
“You mean what about how badly you messed it up for me with Rayen?”
“She can’t go home with you, Callan.”
“I know all the reasons she’s wrong for me.” He studied the ground.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t care that Rayen is C’raydonian, but if we ever figure a way out of here, you two can’t travel to our world or to the past together. I just ... don’t want to watch your heart get ripped to pieces over something you can’t change.”
It was too late for that.
Callan tried to explain what he’d figured out while he was in the TecKnati camp. “I’ve always accepted my responsibilities, never backing away. I stepped in when Jornn was killed even though I’ve never wanted to lead all the Houses, and still don’t. I tried to make Rayen stay in the past, but she came back, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled to see her.” Callan searched Kaz’s face for judgment, but there was none. “I’ve done everything I had to do and by this time tomorrow I’ll probably be dead unless by some miracle we find a way home.”
Kaz stopped walking and his eyes filled with disappointment. “I’m not much of a friend. With all that’s happened, I’d forgotten you still face turning eighteen in this place. Rayen asked me about the wraiths when you were freeing Becka from the TeK camp. I didn’t have time to explain. She thinks they never came for you. You have to tell her the truth, that your BIRG Day is tomorrow.”
“I’ll think about it.” Callan didn’t want her to come back to him out of pity, but because she wanted to be with him.
It had been a long time since he’d felt wanted instead of needed and he longed for that from Rayen.
He had no future to look forward to, but there was still hope for the rest of this village and his duty would always come first.
Thylan and his TecKnati scouts were no doubt planning an attack, if not already heading this way.
Rather than address new questions cropping up in Kaz’s face, Callan said, “Show me the weak spot in the ward. We need to figure out how to reinforce it by ourselves.”
“You, Jaxxson, and I don’t have the power required to strengthen it.”
“Jaxxson is bringing Gabby to meet us. We can’t risk anyone else helping until we find out who the traitor is, because he or she will leave a spot in the ward that we won’t know about until it’s too late.”
Kaz stopped close to the invisible wall protecting the village and lifted his hand until the ward hummed softly. “Any idea who is contacting the TecKnati?”
“No.” Callan lifted his hands to feel the energy from the ward. The humming grew stronger as he neared it, energy swirling in preparation for parting to allow him to pass through. When he stepped back, Callan looked around, considering the entire compound. The ward had been created so that it was a hundred yards from the closest structure.
He took in the area around him. “I have an idea, but it requires restructuring the ward.”
Kaz’s mouth dropped open. “Rebuild the ward? You have to be joking. We’ll be lucky to just strengthen the one we have.”
“That’s not what I’m thinking about doing.”
Dropping his chin to meet Callan’s gaze, Kaz’s eyebrows cinched together with curiosity. “I don’t understand.”
“You will when I show you how we can catch the traitor.”
