“No, ma’am!” Malcolm chuckled and glanced at his father.
Reginald waved a hand towards the arch. “After you, son.” Malcolm passed through, and father followed an instant later. The trees whispered as the portal closed behind them, leaving the woods quiet once more.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Calli passed through her grandmother’s archway, feeling strangely peaceful despite being overcome by weariness. Her left arm throbbed, but the wound was starting to heal, thanks in part to the flood of natural magic that had coursed through her body while saving Malcolm. She turned back to see Malcolm and his father had followed her through the archway.
Malcolm. Her witch-locked warlock. She felt both soothed and giddy about this new and permanent connection between them, though she was far too tired to show it. After everything they’d just been through, it was too much to process right now. So she led Malcolm, his father, and Hades inside her home, and hoped to finally find some rest.
They reached the back porch and the door, which had somehow been repaired since her kidnapping. Sage burst through the doorway and launched herself down the steps. That explained the fixed door, at least.
“Calli! Thank God!” She barreled right into her, almost crushing Persephone between them. Behind her, Malcolm’s mother, and Jasper rushed to meet them.
“Malcolm!” Sarah grabbed both her son and husband into a tight group hug.
Calli watched the three of them, her heart aching that she didn’t belong there, at least not yet. Maybe someday…
Malcolm pulled free of his mother, then he held out a hand to Calli. She let him grasp her hand and gently reel her into his arms so all four were together.
“Mom, this is Callista Wynter. My…” A curious look came over Malcolm’s face, and Calli understood why. They weren’t married, and “partner” seemed inadequate. What term could possibly convey what they were to one another? In a very real sense, their lives were now one. Finally, he settled on, “My everything.”
Sarah’s eyes softened. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Callista.”
“Please, call me Calli.” Calli’s face heated with a blush. Sarah’s smile was so bright and welcoming.
“You all look exhausted. What happened out there? We saw some strange lights and flashes from here. Are you alright?”
Malcolm opened his mouth to answer, only to grasp what a monumental task that was. “We are now. We’ll explain once we can get some rest.”
“Well, it sounds like you need some hot cocoa? Get inside and I’ll take care of everything.” After a chorus of yeses for the hot cocoa, they all headed inside where Sarah made mugs for everyone.
Calli could tell Sarah needed to do something useful, and Calli wasn’t about to argue. Once she’d collected herself, she’d want to do the same, though in her case it would probably be baking pumpkin bread. She and Malcolm shuffled into the living room, only to have Sage and Jasper follow them with dozens of questions, while Reginald joined Sarah in the kitchen.
She collapsed on the couch with Persephone on her lap. Malcolm sat next to her, and she nuzzled her head against his shoulder, too tired to answer any of her friends’ questions. She realized how much she had missed Malcolm, missed the constant peace his presence brought to her home, to her life.
When the questions wouldn’t let up, Malcolm finally gave in. “All right, I’ll tell you what I know, just let Calli rest a bit, okay?” Malcolm then gave them a somewhat edited version of the events. Calli yawned and chimed in only to add details Malcolm didn’t know, such as Hades’s brave attempts to rescue her. The large dog, curled up in the tight space between Malcolm and the armrest, let out a weary sigh.
The voices of her friends around her were so soft that she began to forget what they were even talking about. Before she could stop herself, she’d drifted to sleep.
When she opened her eyes, Malcolm was carrying her up the stairs.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Late.” He stepped into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. The enchanted flowers that grew along the bed posts reached out to them, their petals preening in Malcolm’s presence.
“Where is everyone?”
“Sage went home. Jasper went back to his room at the inn. Persephone and Hades took over the couch downstairs.”
“And your parents?”
Malcolm grinned. “Dad found an old camping tent in your closet and pitched it in the backyard.”
That almost woke Calli up. “They shouldn’t have to do that. I have plenty of guest rooms…”
Her words trailed off as Malcolm shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. He needed it as an anchor point for his hotel spell. The space inside is a penthouse suite nice enough to rival the Plaza Hotel.”
“Really? I need to learn that one.” Calli yawned again and lounged back on the pillows, watching Malcolm take off his clothes. He dropped the bloody shirt onto the floor, the dark stain reminding her so clearly of what she’d almost lost. They both stared at it a moment before the shirt suddenly disintegrated in a skittering pattern of green and purple sparks. Shocked, Calli lifted her face up to his, knowing that had been his magic. She felt him cast the wordless spell through their bond.
