Page 21 of The Calling of Caellaias
The inscription was written in the ancient language of Caellaias. I had no personal experience with the language, but I knew the royals were fluent in it. No amount of staring at it would magically decipher it for me. When I tried to focus on the identity of the being that sealed the ward, I could determine it was a shifter. Other than that, the glamour used to hide the inscription also muted the potency of the shifter's blood, at least to my senses; I couldn't tell what type of shifter had helped seal the ward.
When I was certain I couldn't glean any more information, I roamed the property to see if anything else was amiss. Grateful not to find anything else, I headed back to my clothes. I was tempted to return and accept Anevae's invitation to spend the night with her. But that was a bad idea. I needed to keep my space for the time being. I was already obsessed with her and didn't want to scare her off.
As I left her property, I was thankful for the ward. Being so close to the portal and not knowing anything about Caellaias, the ward protected her best. The portal wasn't easy to find by any means, but I'd seen lost beings come through it in the past. With the ward surrounding Anevae's home, she'd be more protected if a dangerous being came through. It made me feel more comfortable with her being alone.
Once I got to my cabin, I went inside and started getting ready for bed. The day had worn me out, and time couldn't pass fast enough before I saw Anevae again. I knew she needed to go to town for groceries the next day, and I was sure she would meet her sister while she was there.
Climbing into bed, Anevae was the only thing on my mind; I fell asleep with the memory of her skin touching mine.
Chapter thirteen
Anevae
Iwoke up the following morning and went to the kitchen only to realize I had eaten the last of the eggs the day before. Without those, I couldn't figure out a substantial breakfast, so I texted Eiri to see if she was up.
Hey, you up?
Sure am! What's up?
Do you have plans today?
Don't think so. I'm finally done unpacking,and my first interview is tomorrow, so I'm just relaxing. How about you?
I'm low on food, so I need to head into town today. Wanna grab breakfast and hit the store after?
Oooooooooh! Breakfast sounds amazing!
There's a cute little diner down the street called The Big Bacon Pancake. My neighbor told me they serve amazing breakfast!
We should try it! I'd love any chance I can get to spend time with my sister before she completely ditches me for her lame experiments.
I'm down!
Also, don't be a jerk because we chose two different career paths!
I love being outside. This job puts me the closest to the outdoors!
Anyway, I can meet you at the diner in thirty if I leave now. Send me the address. Thanks!
Sorry, sorry. You're right.
I'll sendyou the address shortly and get myself ready.
See you soonish!
On the way to my car, I saw the black fox in the tree line. Stopping dead in my tracks, I stared at it. Bright orange eyes intently watched me. When I reached for my phone to take a picture, it took off in the opposite direction. Having missed my chance, I hopped in my car and headed to town.
About thirty minutes later, I pulled up to a charming little diner boasting all-day breakfast and the best pancakes in town. I didn't imagine that was hard to beat as the town's population was only about two thousand people, and there were only about three diners throughout. As I parked, I saw Eiri waiting by the door.
Walking up, I smiled at her and gave her a big hug. “I know it's only been a few days, but I still have missed you a lot,” I whispered. Eiri and I hadn't been separated much growing up. Of course, we both went through our phases of wanting to be alone, but it never lasted long between us. We even went to the same college because we didn't want to be too far away from each other. While I loved my home in the woods, Eiri loved being near others, putting us a little further from each other than we were used to.
“Should we head inside? The hostess said there wouldn't be a wait when I checked in. The pancakes smelled AMAZING! I can't wait to try them,” Eiri said.
“I'm always ready for pancakes! Let's get in there!”
As we walked into the diner, the scent of cooking pancakes and real maple syrup hit me, making my mouth water instantly; I just hoped the pancakes tasted as delectable as they smelled. The hostess showed us to a booth against the row of large windows at the front of thediner. She placed a menu in front of each of us before letting us know our waitress would be right over, and then she walked away. Once the waitress had collected our orders, we finally settled into some quiet conversation.
“So, have you started your experiments yet? Or are you too busy spending time with your neighbor?” Eiri asked, a teasing smile on her face.
