Page 96 of Callista and the Elf

Itapped my finger against the table. Everything irritated me tonight. Music played too loud. Guyan’s smug face smiled too often. The goblets held spirits instead of lemonade.

No lemonade. And no Callista.

My heart had grown accustomed to her presence, and her absence gripped it like a vise, tightening it so every movement—every beat—was a battle. If I didn’t stay focused, I might forget to breathe.

Focus. I tapped my finger against the table again, in tune to the music. It was a lively two-step, and a handful of children squealed with excitement as they ran around couples navigating the dance floor.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The blood in my head pounded against my skull. My head did not usually hurt, but if my heart and lungs were screaming, it wasn’t too surprising that my head would also. Perhaps Ishould leave the party to Guyan and go to bed—

A commotion at the door on the far side of the Dining Hall distracted me from my aching heart and mind. The two soldiers at the door stepped outside into the corridor. A few seconds later, another guard joined them.

My heart lunged for the door as if it thought Callista stood in that corridor and called to it. An empty hope.

I glanced at Guyan. He was staring at me, and his brows worried together. “Aedan. You don’t look well. Should I call a healer?”

“No.” I stood up. There was no reason for me to stay here. “But I think I will retire early.” My heart pushed my whole body toward the door. Perhaps I would return to my room by way of the far side of the Dining Hall. Something was happening out there.

Guyan didn’t question me leaving until I headed toward the steps that would take me off the dais and onto the dance floor. “You’re taking the long way?”

“Indeed.”

The pounding on my head eased as dancers and partiers surrounded me on the floor. Ironic. I would have expected it to intensify as the noise and movement surrounded me, but by the time I reached the door, it didn’t hurt at all.

And I heard a voice that made my jaw fall while my heart doubled in time.

“I know you’re at capacity, but I don’t need to stay. I just need to talk to the king for a few minutes. If you don’t want us to go in, would you ask him to come out? I’m sure he’ll come speak with me.”

I released a wave of power and everyone turned to seeme standing outside the door frame. Three soldiers bowed. Callista’s brother and Lyam bowed. I had not seen Lyam in some time, but I could not think about him now. My eyes settled on Callista. She gripped her hands and held them close to her chest.

“Callista,” I whispered. She met my eyes, and in that one expression, I saw everything that mattered to me. Hope. Love. A fire that lit up the darkness that had been consuming me all night.

“Your Majesty,” one of the soldiers started, “she—”

I cut him off when I brushed past him and crushed Callista to my chest. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face into the space between my shoulder and chest. My heart tried to burst out of my ribs in an effort to hold onto hers. I pressed a kiss into the top of her hair and cradled her head.

Air flowed into my lungs easily for the first time since I’d watched her walk away from me. My mind flashed back to the moment I’d held her after that lonely dream, and my heart repeated itself.This.This is right.I wanted to hold her forever.

But her brother cleared his throat.

Ignoring him, I pulled back just enough to look into her bright blue eyes. “Callista.” I cradled her face and let my thumbs brush her cheeks. “You should not have come back. I do not think I will be able to let go of you again.”

She smiled and pulled back as well, resting her hands on my wrists.

It was a beautiful moment—one that I would have savored all night—until her brother spoke. “You’re making me think you took advantage of your position and her agreement.”

His arms folded across his chest, and his scowl covered his whole face. He looked perfectly human, but Iknew the mess his magic could make.

And I did not want to fight him. I might dislike him, but Callista loved him enough to risk her own life and safety to keep him alive. No. I wanted to win his approval. Callista had compared him to Koan so many times I’d lost track, and Koan had not needed much encouragement to grow up. A little responsibility and a little more respect than he deserved. Perhaps Alastor needed the same.

I took a deep breath. I wanted to strike him with flames for suggesting I had manipulated his sister at all, especially in front of my own soldiers, but he would rise to the fight. And I wanted to avoid that now.

I turned away from Callista, but shifted one of her hands into one of mine. I dipped my head in a polite—but not too polite—bow to her brother. “Alastor.” I needed to get used to saying his name without sneering.

Callista squeezed my hand, probably hoping I wasn’t going to torch her brother again. Maybe even trusting that I would not? That thought emboldened me, and I turned a small smile. “Alastor, I believe I owe you an apology.”

His brows shot up so quickly that I knew I’d surprised him. At the same time, I felt a warm happiness emanate from Callista. Those two reactions gave me all the motivation I needed to continue. “I attacked you without giving you a chance to explain what appeared to be an attack to me. I now suspect you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am sorry for the harm you experienced at my hand.”

---