Page 39 of Magic & Secrets
Cocking an eyebrow, Calla pointed out, “Irritation is an emotion.”
“You know what I meant.”
Calla nodded before staring down at the ground and sniffling. Ill-equipped to deal with her emotions, I waited for her to explain herself. Finally, she lifted her chin and wiped her wet eyes.
“I wish you weren’t my mate. These feelings distract me from what matters. I need to learn my sisters’ fates and complete the mission.”
“Your mission is over, and your sisters are fine.”
“How can you be certain all the attackers from Haven Junction are dead? Also, you can’t possibly know the fates of my sisters or your packmates.”
“Why would we be alive and they wouldn’t be?” I asked, circling her. “Use your logic, Calla. We were the same distance from the explosion as they were. Whatever magic dropped us here did the same to them somewhere else.”
“We were dropped into a safe location. They might have found themselves in the middle of the ocean or a fiery volcano. Magic is unpredictable.”
“You’re working yourself into an emotional frenzy. This feels like self-sabotage. I can’t have that mentality on my team.”
“There’s no team. We’re here together because the magic recognized our mate bond.”
Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t believe she kept harping on something so clearly preposterous.
“Bane Shifters don’t have mates!” I hollered.
My voice echoed in the nearby forest. The Ghouls mimicked my words. Though I growled at them, they only tittered in response.
A pouty Calla watched me fail to intimidate the forest creatures. She wiped her eyes before again searching the area for supplies. I watched her climb into each massive machine. Finding a radio, she tried using it, only to be met with unending static on the other end.
“The nearest Murade base is too far away for them to hear you,” I said, walking around the clearing and stepping over bloodied tools and broken weapons.
“Humans are a curious species,” Calla said as she shoved a small blade into her pack. “They feel superior to all others, yet they treat their kind with so little care.”
“Quick breeding allows them to be reckless.”
“I guess, but the Murade dropped these people into hostile territory and left them to die.”
“Your sister claimed the Murade was focused on traveling the seas. If I know anything about the humans, they’re impulsive. They might have come up with this outpost idea one day, sent people here a week later, and have forgotten about the entire project by now.”
Calla stood on one of the excavators and studied the forest. “Pandorium is a magnificent beast. Its magic created regal creatures like the Elves, yet also hideous monsters like the Ghouls and Meiwia. Is there any sense behind it all? Or is ancient magic simply unleashed chaos?”
Dropping down from the excavator, Calla began walking in the direction we had been traveling.
Rather than follow her, I recognized the benefits of creating distance between Calla and me. Her beauty acted as a distraction, leaving me swooning when I needed to be alert.
Standing in the clearing, I let Calla create more distance. She followed a path cleared through the woods. I heard the skittering of the Ghouls keeping pace with her. If she were a true warrior, Calla could handle those vile flesh-eaters.
As she disappeared around a curve in the path, a creeping sensation brushed across my heart. I saw a flash of her dead and dismembered. The pack of Ghouls feasted on her beautiful body. Her lovely eyes were missing. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream. The image was so vivid in my mind.
Calla was driving me mad, and I didn’t trust her. However, the thought of her life ending forced my feet to move.
I caught up with Calla near an abandoned helicopter. She removed a pulse rifle from the troop compartment and examined the weapon.
“Careful with that thing.”
“I was trained on all human weapons,” Calla said as she checked the battery.
Grunting at her dismissive tone, I walked around the helicopter to find more bloodied clothing. A unit of the Murade’s soldiers should have been capable of taking on the Ghouls. Either they weren’t properly trained, or another creature factored into the battle.
“You don’t need all those,” I grumbled when Calla insisted on carrying a half dozen rifles with her. “I can handle whatever the Ghouls have in mind for us.”
