Callie
Sure, the door was unlocked, and I could technically walk out there, but I had no idea what was on the other side of that door. It was nighttime, all the lights were dim, and I could barely see down the hall when I looked out.
The last thing I wanted to do was try to make an escape, only to get lost in the house and be found by someone that I didn't want to be found by. I wasn't scared of Mr. Hottie Goth but at the same time, I could tell he meant business. I needed to figure out what was going on before I went making the mad dash to freedom.
I walked gently around the room, watching the lights from the fireplace dance across the walls. I was pretty proud of myself for getting the fire started in the first place. I had never been the outdoors kind of girl, but it was chilly in the room and I needed something to take my mind off everything that had happened. Not a single person had come into the room, or even walked past it since the other guy left.
I went into the bathroom and looked around, finding a large claw foot bathtub, some shampoos and lotions, and a toothbrush. At least when my kidnappers finally decided to dispose of me, my teeth would be clean. Someone one day would be able to match my body and my dental records since my teeth had not decayed. How nice of them.
Turning on the water, I waited until it got hot and let it pool in my hands, splashing it on my face. I grabbed the towel from the side and blotted my cheeks, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I had forgotten that I painted my hair pink, and the spray on stuff was starting to make my hair stiff. A bath though. I didn't know who would come in, who would walk in at any time, and I didn't feel comfortable. I would just have to wait, and maybe after a few days, they'll leave me alone enough to take a bath since I smelled so bad.
Tossing the towel on the sink counter, I clicked off the light and headed back out to the room. When I stepped into the warmth of the bedroom, I paused, finding a tray set up with a plate of food by my bed. I looked around, but nobody was in the room and the door was still cracked the same as it was when I had gone into the bathroom. I opened the door and looked back and forth but there wasn't a single soul in the hallway. I hadn't even closed the door to the bathroom when I was washing my face, but I didn't hear a sound.
I walked up to the food and looked down, finding chicken and pasta with a vegetable medley. I scanned through my list of what not to do when you're kidnapped… Which was pretty small… And realized that not eating food that your captor gave you was probably a good idea. But I was so hungry! My stomach was growling, and I didn't know when I would see anyone or hear from anyone again, and I knew I wouldn't be able to go forever without food. Not to mention the fact that when I got hungry, I got bitchy and I really didn't want to say the wrong thing to set off any of the people that brought me there. In my right mind, I could keep my snappy comebacks and sarcasm at least at a tolerable level. Hungry? I could barely control my own thoughts.
Everything was so confusing. I had no idea what was happening. I sat down in front of the food, just staring at it, trying to figure out what I should do. Around my wrist, where the bracelet sat, I felt a warmth that tingled up my arm. I put my hand over it and closed my eyes, thinking of Willa. I could see her happy face, almost feel the calming of her hand against my cheek. What I had gone through, though, it didn't add up to just some crazy group of people trying to kidnap her. There was something more to it, something that I never saw when I was around Willa. Whatever she was involved with, it was something big.
All the talk of magic, kings, and even Fae was like something out of a ridiculous fantasy book that I may or may not have, in the past, sat in the corner and gobbled up like candy. The being in one, it wasn't fun at all. How could I even believe any of it was true?
"He's sucking you in, Callie. Don't fall for it."
I had to remind myself what exactly the kidnappers were trying to do. Whatever information they wanted, they were trying to get it from me by confusing me. They were alienating me and leaving me by myself thinking that that silence and separation would make me talk. The truth was, despite how handsome their leader was, the longer I was away from them, the longer I was alive.
When I opened my eyes, I picked up the fork and decided what the hell? If my fate was sealed, I might as well have a plate of delicious food before I go. I wasn't going to last forever not eating, and there was really nothing else to do. I was starving. I didn't know how long it had been since I had eaten. I didn't even know how long I'd been gone or where I even was. One thing I did know, I hadn't seen any huge mansions around El Granada recently, and definitely not rolling hills of long grasses that lead to lush forests. Wherever I was, it was not familiar to me.
Wherever I was, I had a feeling I was going to have to fight my way out.
Willa
As I pulled into the driveway, I smiled seeing Callie's car parked at the top. I was early, and I knew that it would bum her out considering I was going to get there before any of the other guests arrived. Sure, I knew she was throwing me a surprise party, but I wasn't going to ruin it for her. She rarely ever kept a secret, so I was pretty impressed by it. In fact, it showed me just how much she cared. I knew it had to have almost killed her to keep it from me.
As I stepped out of the car, I glanced at the gnomes in the front garden patch. They were all still situated the same way that I had left them last, which rarely ever happened considering they had a mind of their own. As I walked up the path though, I paused right before the steps glancing over at the last gnome in the line. He was knocked over, a chip out of the top of his hat. As soon as I noticed, a wave of dismay rolled over me, and I grasped my chest, trying to shake it off.
Slowly I looked up at the front door, finding it sitting wide open. That wasn't like Callie at all, especially if she was trying to hide a surprise from me. Carefully, I stepped in through the doorway and looked back and forth, but the place was empty. The negative emotions that lingered there pulsated through me and I walked to the bottom of the steps and looked up. "Callie? Are you up there?"
There was no answer. I reached in my back pocket and pulled out my phone, dialing Callie's number. However, as it began to ring, my ring tone echoed out from the kitchen. I hurried over and picked up the phone, looking at it, confused. There were multiple missed text messages from people who were coming to the party, and on the table next all the food was a half-drunk glass of wine.
If there was one thing I knew about Callie, she would never have left a half-drunk glass of wine sitting around, not long enough for to get warm when it was a blush wine. She wasn't a drunk or anything, but she definitely liked her wine. So did I.
I sniffed the glass of wine, smelling Callie's usual fluorescent scent on it. I closed my eyes, imagining her standing right there. I followed the emotions in the room, walking forward until I reached the front door. That's when I smelled it. That's when I sensed it.
"The Fae…"
I shut the front door and grabbed my phone again, sending out a mass text message. "Meet me at Callie's house. Pronto. This isn't a test."
I pressed send and shoved my phone back in my pocket, glancing around the house one last time before grabbing my keys and hurrying out, shutting the door behind me. I jumped in my car and quickly backed down the driveway and headed toward Callie's house just five houses down. All the lights were off in the house, and Mr. Hobbles was sitting in the window.
Rummaging around in my bag, I found the key at the bottom of my purse. We had always had keys to each other's place. We were like sisters, neither of us with much family left, and both of us with really simple wants for our lives. Callie had been the only human that had ever comforted me. I knew that part of being my friend meant that she didn't fully remember when she met me. To her, we've been friends our whole lives. For me, I met her before she went to High School. I was trying to fit in with the flow of people, and even though I was way older than any other high school student, nobody ever questioned it.
I unlocked the front door and walked inside, not feeling anything other than Callie's presence. As I shut the door, Bean and Mr. Hobbles came hurrying over to me. I bent down on one knee and patted each one of them, glancing around the house. Nothing there was out of place, and I felt no presence of any other beings. My heart started to race, and panic was beginning to flood me.
For all those years, ever since I left the Fae world, I had feared that they would find me. I had feared that they would force me to come back or that someone else would find me from one of the other groups that weren't necessarily friends with us. Never in my thoughts was the idea that Callie could get hurt too.
I plopped onto my butt, sitting cross legged with the cat in my lap and the dog under my arm. I held on to both of them tightly and shut my eyes, trying to see through them. It was hard though, my powers were rusty, and not nearly what they would be if I were in the Fae realm. Our powers were stifled in this world. Still, I tried harder and harder, letting the energy flow through me as I gripped on to Callie's cat and dog.
"Watch it!"
I froze, the voice unfamiliar to me. Very slowly I opened one eye and looked around, but there was nobody else in the house. I let out a deep breath, the energy pulling back inside of me. I released Bean and he shuffled over and plopped down next to Mr. Hobbles. As I stood up, the voice echoed again. "Now I have to fix it. I spent all day cleaning myself and now I have to fix it because she squeezed too hard."
"It's not like you have somebody to impress. Besides, it should take you less time because you have less legs."
There was a second voice, and they were having a conversation. I turned in a circle, looking all around me but there was nobody in the house. As I turned back toward the animals, I froze and slowly closed my eyes, realizing very quickly what I had just done. When I opened them, I found Mr. Hobbles and Bean staring up at me as if they were waiting for me to say something.
I slapped my hand to my forehead. "Please tell me it wasn't you two having a conversation right then."
Without pause, Mr. Hobbles spoke while simultaneously cleaning his belly. "Who else would it be? We're the only ones here. Hey…"
Mr. Hobbles paused, looking over at the dog. Bean was licking his balls and Mr. Hobbles rolled his eyes. "Jesus, man, have some manners."
Bean looked up. "Huh?"
Mr. Hobbles sighed exhaustedly as he turned back to me. "You can hear me. You can understand me?"
I slowly nodded my head. "I guess my magic was a little bit more powerful than I thought."
The cat sighed heavily and hurried over to me. "Thank God. I have something important to tell you."
I knelt down, listening intently. "Is it about Callie?"
The cat nodded. "It is. This is really important."
I leaned in closer.
Mr. Hobbles whispered to me. "I heard her on the phone... She's taking the mutt to have some sort of ball chopping ceremony. The extra money was going to be spent on extra tuna for me. It's your task to carry out now. The knives are in the second drawer down."
My head dropped and I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "I think I'm going insane. I really hope this wears off fast."
"You hope what wears off fast?"
I stood up and spun around, letting out a deep breath at finding Harry standing in the doorway. "Nothing."
He lifted a brow. "Who are you talking to? Is Callie here?"
I rubbed my temples as Bella, Esmeralda, and Cruz followed in behind him, all looking at me with worry. "I was talking to… It doesn't matter. And no, Callie isn't here. That's part of the reason why I called you guys here."
Esmeralda and Harry were regulars at the bookshop. Bella and Cruz both owned stores in town. They were my crew, the four who came with me when I had left the Fae to travel to the human realm, looking for a simpler life. They were, in essence, my protectors, but we were more of a team than anything else.
I glanced back as the cat and dog ran off to the other room. I hurried over, shutting Callie's door, using my senses to make sure we were alone. When I was sure that we were the only ones, I turned back to the others and lowered my voice. "The Fae and the witches have found us. They took Callie and I…"
Suddenly everything in the room started to spin and I grabbed my temples, trying to brace myself. Shutting my eyes tightly, I began to hear Callie's voice raising in strength in my mind. It started out muffled, wild colors flowing through my inner vision. As the voice became louder though, I could start to make out the scenery that was being shown to me.
"I don't know what's going on, Willa, but I'm trapped here. I'm trapped here and I don't know what to do. I wish you could help me…" Callie's voice faded off and the mansion set on rolling green hills, forests in the distance, with a large wrought iron gate surrounding it became distinctly clear in my mind.
I gasped and opened my eyes, reaching out and grabbing Harry's arm. "Pack a bag. It's a long flight to Rome."