Adriel
Was I surprised when one of the bat servants told me Caleb had snuck out? Not really.
Did that change the fact that I was disappointed andenragedwith him when I found out? Absolutely not.
He cowered before me now, his big brown eyes wide with fear and guilt.
“Come with me,” I said in a cold, quiet voice.
Caleb didn’t resist as I took him by the arm. With a burst of speed, I half-dragged and half-carried him back to the cottage in the blink of an eye.
When we were safely back home, I whirled to him and demanded, “What do you think you were doing?”
Caleb averted his eyes, like a child who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I was - “
“Don’t bother, because I don’t want to hear it,” I interrupted. The anger inside me boiled over. I couldn’t remember the last time I was so frustrated. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t worth the danger you put yourself in. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”
“Yeah, I do,” Caleb mumbled. “Death and destruction, et cetera.”
“Is this a game to you?” I asked. “Because I’m not playing around.”
Caleb met my eyes now and to my surprise, there was a glint of defiance in them. “No, it’s not a game. This is my life.”
“And you’re putting it on thin ice.”
“No, I’m not!” Caleb cried. “Look, I made sure Margaret wasn’t around when I left the house, okay?”
“Did anyone else know of this stupid plan?” I demanded.
“No,” Caleb said. “If they did, do you think they’d let me leave?”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Couldn’t he see how irresponsible he was being? “I wonder why that is.”
For a moment Caleb’s eyes widened, as if realizing something. He frowned deeply. “I get what Pierce meant now. He was right.”
“What?” I asked. “What did Pierce tell you?”
Tears welled up in Caleb’s eyes. “He said you were the most immature of all.”
Without another word, Caleb turned and ran upstairs. I stood there in shock, unable to believe my eyes. He was the one acting childish, and yet he - and Pierce, apparently - thoughtIwas the immature one?
But in Caleb’s haste to leave, he forgot the plastic bag he’d been carrying. Curious, I looked inside to see a box of heat suppressants.
“Oh, dear,” I murmured.
Instantly, I felt a wave of guilt for yelling at Caleb. I picked up the box and made my way up the stairs with a sigh.
“Caleb? I asked, rapping my knuckles on his door. “You left your things downstairs. I have them here for you.”
There was a pause, then the soft sound of footsteps. Caleb opened the door, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry. Thanks.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry,” I said. “I see your leaving was a… time sensitive issue.”
Caleb nodded and took the box. “I’m, uh, gonna take one of these right now. Hang on.”
He hurried to the ensuite, downed a pill, and returned a moment later.
“So, yeah. That was why I had to go outside,” he finished.
