smiled in relief. Cal smiled too.
Greg cleared his throat. “Callan, why don’t you have a seat?”
“Yes sir.” Cal complied without taking his eyes away from Kali.
Blushing , she looked away and quickly took a seat. There were two spots open at the dinner table. Cal had a choice of either sitting next to Kali and across from Rozzy or next to Rozzy and across from Kali. He chose the latter.
Great. She was going to have to stare into his eyes all night. She took a deep breath, concentrated on serving herself as the food was passed to the left. Without looking, she knew Cal still watched her. At the moment there was nothing scary or eerie about his presence, but the perpetual staring made Kali quite uncomfortable. It didn’t help that everyone else at the table was silent.
Greg finally spoke. “Callan, the real food is in front of you.”
Kali’s face grew even hotter. She would have preferred the silence.
Lisa was quick to reprimand Greg. “Honey, don’t embarrass our children.”
“My apologies, Mr. Metts,” Cal said, recovering easily. “Your daughter is truly a rare beauty.” He squeezed Rozzy’s hand and looked at her for the first time since entering the kitchen. “They both are.”
Greg and Lisa alternately considered the three teenagers at their table. “Lisa, do you feel like we’re missing something here?”
Lisa nodded. “Oh yes. We’re definitely missing something.”
The food on Kali’s plate was untouched. She was afraid she’d choke if she tried to eat. The memory of Cal/Gabriel pressed against her naked body in the shower unexpectedly popped into her mind. Red eyes. A hand around her throat. Darkesong. Kali gasped.
Two screams shrieked over the dining table as Greg shouted. Opening her eyes, Kali saw she now stood several feet from the table and the place setting in front of Cal burned with grey fire.
Crapola.
Greg sprang into action, running to the pantry to retrieve the fire extinguisher. Cal remained as he was, calmly gazing at Kali through the blaze.
Her dad returned to the dining table shouting, “Kalista, get back!”
In a few seconds, the fire was gone but everyone was still freaked…everyone except for Cal. His lips pulled back into an odd smile. “Impressive,” he said.
Kali was almost too afraid to move. Two fires in one day…she had started two fires in one day with no idea how she’d done it. Greg took Kali by the shoulders, shaking her and asking repeatedly, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Greg.”
“That fire came out of nowhere.” Panic brightened Lisa’s eyes. “Greg, honey, the fire just came out of nowhere.”
“I know, baby. Stay calm.” Placing two hands against her cheeks, Greg turned Kali’s face away from the table so she would look at him. “Kalista, are you sure you’re alright?”
She nodded firmly, digging deep to convey confidence she didn’t feel. “I’m okay.”
“Okay.” Greg looked around the kitchen, visually examining the rest of his family. He jerked his chin at Cal. “How about you? Those flames got pretty close to you.”
“I was not harmed. “ At last, Cal stood up. “Perhaps you should move your family to another room. I will take care of this mess if you allow it.”
Kali closed her eyes again, slowly reopening them. The creepy feeling was back. Cal wasn’t being Cal. He didn’t even sound like Cal.
“That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.” Greg herded Lisa and Rozzy from the kitchen, but Kali hung back.
“Let me help Cal. I did this.”
Looking too bewildered to argue, Greg nodded. “Okay. If it’s what you want.” He started to follow Rozzy and Lisa into the living room but stopped. He looked back at Kali. “Fire, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said a little breathlessly.
“Yeah,” Greg repeated and smiled weakly. “Let’s not do that at the dinner table next time. Okay?”
“Okay.” As he started to leave again, Kali called his name. Greg regarded her with the air of a very
Greg cleared his throat. “Callan, why don’t you have a seat?”
“Yes sir.” Cal complied without taking his eyes away from Kali.
Blushing , she looked away and quickly took a seat. There were two spots open at the dinner table. Cal had a choice of either sitting next to Kali and across from Rozzy or next to Rozzy and across from Kali. He chose the latter.
Great. She was going to have to stare into his eyes all night. She took a deep breath, concentrated on serving herself as the food was passed to the left. Without looking, she knew Cal still watched her. At the moment there was nothing scary or eerie about his presence, but the perpetual staring made Kali quite uncomfortable. It didn’t help that everyone else at the table was silent.
Greg finally spoke. “Callan, the real food is in front of you.”
Kali’s face grew even hotter. She would have preferred the silence.
Lisa was quick to reprimand Greg. “Honey, don’t embarrass our children.”
“My apologies, Mr. Metts,” Cal said, recovering easily. “Your daughter is truly a rare beauty.” He squeezed Rozzy’s hand and looked at her for the first time since entering the kitchen. “They both are.”
Greg and Lisa alternately considered the three teenagers at their table. “Lisa, do you feel like we’re missing something here?”
Lisa nodded. “Oh yes. We’re definitely missing something.”
The food on Kali’s plate was untouched. She was afraid she’d choke if she tried to eat. The memory of Cal/Gabriel pressed against her naked body in the shower unexpectedly popped into her mind. Red eyes. A hand around her throat. Darkesong. Kali gasped.
Two screams shrieked over the dining table as Greg shouted. Opening her eyes, Kali saw she now stood several feet from the table and the place setting in front of Cal burned with grey fire.
Crapola.
Greg sprang into action, running to the pantry to retrieve the fire extinguisher. Cal remained as he was, calmly gazing at Kali through the blaze.
Her dad returned to the dining table shouting, “Kalista, get back!”
In a few seconds, the fire was gone but everyone was still freaked…everyone except for Cal. His lips pulled back into an odd smile. “Impressive,” he said.
Kali was almost too afraid to move. Two fires in one day…she had started two fires in one day with no idea how she’d done it. Greg took Kali by the shoulders, shaking her and asking repeatedly, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Greg.”
“That fire came out of nowhere.” Panic brightened Lisa’s eyes. “Greg, honey, the fire just came out of nowhere.”
“I know, baby. Stay calm.” Placing two hands against her cheeks, Greg turned Kali’s face away from the table so she would look at him. “Kalista, are you sure you’re alright?”
She nodded firmly, digging deep to convey confidence she didn’t feel. “I’m okay.”
“Okay.” Greg looked around the kitchen, visually examining the rest of his family. He jerked his chin at Cal. “How about you? Those flames got pretty close to you.”
“I was not harmed. “ At last, Cal stood up. “Perhaps you should move your family to another room. I will take care of this mess if you allow it.”
Kali closed her eyes again, slowly reopening them. The creepy feeling was back. Cal wasn’t being Cal. He didn’t even sound like Cal.
“That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.” Greg herded Lisa and Rozzy from the kitchen, but Kali hung back.
“Let me help Cal. I did this.”
Looking too bewildered to argue, Greg nodded. “Okay. If it’s what you want.” He started to follow Rozzy and Lisa into the living room but stopped. He looked back at Kali. “Fire, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said a little breathlessly.
“Yeah,” Greg repeated and smiled weakly. “Let’s not do that at the dinner table next time. Okay?”
“Okay.” As he started to leave again, Kali called his name. Greg regarded her with the air of a very
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