Celtic Rose (15 page)

“
Are you all right, Kallisto?” Talus came up behind her.

She turned slowly to look at him. “William is wonderful; his thoughts are pure. He really does have feelings for me.” Kallisto paused. Talus’ face went blank of all emotion, but she could hear what he was thinking when she concentrated; it was like hearing her own thoughts, but it was stronger and had a masculine voice. His thoughts confirmed her worst fears; he believed she would send him away and stay with William. Talus averted his eyes and she saw the glint of tears in his eyes.

“
Talus, look at me,” she pleaded. He turned back at her with a look of sadness.

“
I could never feel this strongly for anyone but you. I want to be with you, Talus. I only wish there was a way to do that without hurting William. He has a tender heart, and I’m afraid of hurting him. Even though I don’t know him that well, I feel connected to him somehow; not in the way that I feel connected to you, but there is something there. I’d like to try and preserve that if there is any possible way.” She diverted her eyes, because she was afraid of what she might hear in his thoughts. Talus put his finger under her chin and raised her eyes back to his.

“
How do you do that?” he asked.

“
How do I do what?” She stared at him, confusion plain on her face.

“
How do you seem to know exactly what I am thinking? How did you know what Gabriel was thinking at the village?” He was the one confused then.

“
I really don’t know. We found out that my brother and I were able to do this when we were children, but we can only do it when we’re concentrating on the person whose thoughts we wish to hear or see in some cases.”

“
That could be a very bad thing.” He smiled mischievously. Kallisto’s face reddened; since she was concentrating she had seen a vision of what he thought would be bad for her to see or hear. She had many thoughts of being his lover, but the vision in his head made the dream seem more real. The blush had given her away.

“
See, that is exactly the type of thought I didn’t want you to see.” He laughed.

“
Well…I don’t mind seeing those thoughts in your mind.” Kallisto smiled encouragingly and closed the last few inches between them. They wrapped their arms around each other and he bent down to kiss her. Their lips touched for only a few seconds when they heard a loud hiss from above.

“
Now I see the reason for your reluctance to be my wife,” William spat. He started down the stairs, drawing his sword as he came. “How dare you dispatch my love for some peasant!” He was at the bottom of the stairs and making his way to Talus. Kallisto pushed Talus out of the way and placed herself firmly between them. She was panicked, glancing back and forth for an escape as William bore down on them. She stumbled through different explanations, trying to find something to say that would help the situation and not make it worse. She didn’t feel like she was betraying William since they weren’t married yet, but she did feel guilty because she cared for him, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

“
William, you must understand, this happened before I even knew you,” she pleaded.

“
I must do nothing. Why didn’t you tell me this the first night?” His rage turned to sadness.

“
I’m sorry, William. I didn’t know that I’d see him again. It was my duty as the princess to accept our betrothal with dignity. If I had even one thought that I might’ve seen him again, I would have told you.” She walked to William, but he stepped back. She stopped.

“
Do you feel anything for me at all?” His expression was blank, but his eyes pleaded with hers.

“
Yes, William, I do feel for you, but it’s not the same as what I feel for Talus. I truly...” William stopped her.

“
Talus?” His eyes narrowed on Talus as jealous anger filled his eyes. “As in the Scottish Prince Talus, of the House of Rathburn?” Staring at Talus, William’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the sword tighter.

“
Yes, it’s him.”

William dropped his sword and lunged for Talus, as if deciding hand-to-hand combat would better soothe his betrayal. Knowing what damage William was capable of inflicting, Kallisto dove between them, planting her hands firm against William’s chest in an attempt to hold him back. When her fingers brushed his bare chest through the open front of his shirt, he skidded to a stop and looked down at her hands. With their faces only inches apart, Kallisto heard his breath hiss in a shiver. “Tell me you don’t feel that.” Covering her hand with his palms, he closed his eyes as if enjoying the feeling.

“
That feeling is so much more than I have felt for anyone else. It is like a river’s current flowing through me and into you. Tell me that’s not love and I’ll leave.” He held her there and then opened his eyes, searching hers.

“
I do feel that, William.” It felt as though small strands of hair were pulling out of her hand and flowing into him, or maybe going into her hand and coming from him–she couldn’t tell which. “I can’t tell you that it’s not love. I’m not sure what it is, but I know it is not the same feeling I have for Talus.” She tried to pull away, but he tightened his clutch and held her in place. Talus started forward but Gabriel stopped him.

“
Let her handle this. If you try to stop this, it will end in blood and death. She can end this peaceably,” Gabriel whispered, holding Talus back until he finally surrendered. They stood behind watching the event unfold. Kalan and Ramina were holding each other. Kallisto hadn’t even seen them move. Perhaps the excitement of the meeting made them nervous, or maybe Kalan was worried that, after William finished with Talus, he’d go after Ramina.

“
You can’t tell me that it’s not love, and you admit you don’t know what it might be?”

Kallisto nodded. “It may be love, William, but even if it is, it changes nothing. If it’s love then it’s different from what I feel for Talus.” She looked away, not wanting to see the hope in his eyes. She wondered what he was hoping for. Did he think her feelings would change and she’d forget Talus and go with him?

“
That settles it then. You do have feelings for me.” He smiled. Kallisto gaped at him with tears in her eyes.

“
How does that settle anything?” The tears flowed down her face. William wiped them away, still beaming.

“
All I needed was for you to acknowledge how you feel about me. I’ll stay.” He kissed her cheek. Her forehead creased with even more confusion.

“
What does that mean?” Kallisto’s voice was impatient. She looked to Gabriel and Talus, and then to Kalan and Ramina. They were just as confused as she was. All of their brows were creased, their eyes were wide, and they were frowning.

“
You want to be with Talus; I won’t stop you. Just knowing that you do feel for me helps, so I will stay with you no matter what. I do love you, Kallisto , and this feeling won’t allow me to leave. I’m here until I die, or at least until you send me away.” His smile was resolved and a little arrogant. Kallisto smiled back slightly, but she felt melancholy. She couldn’t tell William to leave, and if he wanted to stay there with her even though she wanted to be with someone else then she wasn’t going to deny him. She wasn’t sure she could do without him near her any more than he could. And so, their little entourage grew to six.

Kallisto woke to the sound of the heart monitor beeping. She could feel something on her shoulder and leg. She ran her fingers through the hair of the person on her leg. It had a slight curl to it and felt soft, but slightly stiff from the mousse he used to keep it from frizzing. She could tell by the way it felt that it was William. Happiness ran through her, the same feeling she’d experienced in the dream, as though something flowed through her and into William, forcing her toward him. He shuddered in his sleep and his eyelids fluttered open. With a start, he realized she was awake.

“Hey, sleepy head. How are you feeling?” William asked, grinning, but his eyes were tight around the edges. He was concerned.

“Fine. And you?” She kept her hand on his face, feeling the pull. It felt like a river flowing over her body as she floated, or thin strands of hair sliding through her pores.

“Apparently, you keep your word very well.” They laughed quietly, but the vibrations of their laughter woke Talus. He sat up and noticed their smiles; he looked pleased. Kallisto turned to gaze into his blissful face.

“See, I told you he couldn’t stay away,” Talus said smugly.

“So you did. Thank you,” she said and turned to William. “And thank you for keeping your promise.” William closed his eyes and bowed his head once in acknowledgment. They were all more confident in what they felt and were set at ease in the knowledge that it was, apparently, the way it was supposed to be. They didn’t speak of it again the rest of the time they were in the hospital. Kalan was released before Kallisto was because his head wound and cuts only needed to be watched for twenty-four hours, but he didn’t leave the hospital–he went to her room. After the dream they had, they weren’t going to take any chances since the visions, or whatever they were, seemed to show them aspects from their past lives. They needed to get back to Oklahoma so they could find out more about what it all meant and why it was happening, but, to Kallisto’s extreme vexation, she had to stay in the hospital another twenty-four hours; not due to her ribs, but due to the fact that the heart monitor went crazy. They were afraid that she might have heart problems and they wanted to keep an eye on her in case of a recurrence.

Chapter 7

“Finally, I’m free!” Kallisto shouted when the nurse wheeled her out the door. The young, short, blonde nurse giggled at her joy. Behind them Ramina carried the overnight bag she had packed for Kallisto’s stay. Kallisto heard her cackle and knew she’d be rolling her eyes and smirking. Talus and Kalan had gone to finish packing their belongings at the hotel. William waited out front for them, by the car. He’d heard her little outburst when she came out and was laughing a little harder than was necessary. After the last dream he’d been elated, more so than when they met only four days before. He’d been so ecstatic since he came back that it bubbled over into things that only deserved a little chuckle. It made Kallisto very glad to see him that way.

“Happy to be out, little one?” William said, still shaking with laughter. Kallisto gave him a glare for the ‘little one’ jab, but he could tell it was mock-rage. She couldn’t keep from grinning, even though she tried. They were both too delighted to even have one hint of true anger seep out at one another. Talus and Kalan trusted William to take care of Kallisto and Ramina without trying to steal them away. The amount of trust the dreams had gained for them in the matter of a few days was amazing.

When they finally tucked Kallisto safely into the backseat of the car, William drove them to the hotel to meet up with Talus and Kalan. Kallisto knew that the snake had been killed and she’d be safe with everyone there, but she still refused to go into the hotel. The owner had come to the hospital to apologize personally for the incident. He explained that the assailant was dressed as a delivery man and insisted the package had to be delivered into the room since she wasn’t present to receive it in person. The manager had allowed him up against his better judgment. They insisted on giving the money back that they had paid and allowed them to keep their stuff in the room for the duration of Kallisto’s stay in the hospital, free of charge. With the blood from the snake, Kalan, and Ramina all over the place and the broken window, they wouldn’t have been able to rent the room anyway. They didn’t mind waiting a couple more days before starting. The best compensation they’d offered had been the coupons for free stays at any of their hotels around the world. There were enough coupons for the entire year. They’d taken the deal gladly.

The guys came out of the hotel, interrupting Kallisto’s thoughts. They placed the luggage with theirs on the curb. When William and the girls got there they had unloaded their luggage until it was decided which vehicle they were taking. When they finished getting everything together, Kalan stood there a minute staring at the two cars.

“What’s on your mind, bro?” Talus tussled Kalan’s hair. Kalan smacked his hand away smiling, and glanced at Kallisto. She sat patiently waiting on a bench, staring at her reflection in the window of the hotel, still wrapped in bandages and a little pale with dark circles under her eyes.

“I really don’t think we should separate.” Kalan shifted his worried eyes to Talus.

“That’s fine. Kallisto can ride with you.” Talus gave her a longing gaze, and then turned back to Kalan with a smile. “I should be able to travel fifteen hours without her.” The only problem with Talus’ smile was that it didn’t reach his eyes. Kalan shook his head.

“When are you going to learn not to lie to us? Haven’t you learned anything from the dreams?” Kalan chuckled. “I didn’t just mean Kallisto and me–I meant all of us. She’s still too weak to be very far away from me. If the dreams have taught me anything it’s that we heal faster when we’re close to each other.” Kalan paused, directing his eyes in Kallisto’s direction again.

“That doesn’t explain the ‘all of us’ part.” Talus considered Kallisto again and his confusion turned to longing once more.

“See what I mean? You don’t want to be away from her, either. I don’t want to be away from Ramina, and that leaves William by himself, and I don’t think he could stand being very far from Kallisto either. They seem to have some type of connection between them.” He and Talus watched as William went to Kallisto’s side. William looked strange, almost sickly. He brushed a few strands of hair away from Kallisto’s face; as he did his skin touched hers, he shivered and it was as if the depression melted away. He seemed stronger, and if at all possible, happier.