Blood of Half Gods (2 page)

Kallen groans and rolls over onto his back.  “I suspect she is not far behind him.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if she was standing outside the door with Kegan.  She’s sneaky like that.  And since she’s a ghost, she can just float right through the wall.  “Fine,” I grumble, sitting up.  “We’ll be right out,” I say, loud enough for Kegan to hear me.

“It will be best to talk to Grandmother before Dagda gets here,” Kallen says, as he stands up and stretches.  He looks so good when he does that.  With his six foot, six inch lean muscular body, black silky hair that is just a touch too long, and his green eyes that I can get lost in, I can’t help but want to pull him back to the bed.  I love him for more than his looks, but I definitely love his looks.  He catches me admiring him and he grins.  I roll my eyes, but I smile as I stand up as well.

Kegan has a simpering smile on his face when I open the door. He’s leaning against the hallway wall with his arms crossed over his chest.  “It is about time.  I thought I was going to have to fly in off the terrace.”  Like Kallen, Kegan’s animal form is a bird.

Kallen gives him a warning look.  “Not a wise idea if you want to keep your feathers.”

“Oh, stop arguing, you two.  We have to go talk to Isla.”

Kegan’s brows rise.  “Are you changing your mind about going?”

“I wish,” I grumble under my breath.  Louder, I say, “No, but apparently my magic has decided to do something else I don’t know how to control.”  Yes, that sounds whiny, but I’m having enough trouble managing what I knew I could do already.  Though, teleporting is kind of cool.  I wonder how many other Fairies can do it?

“Should we evacuate the house?” Kegan teases. 

It’s my turn to give him a warning look.  “No, but I could practice on you.”

 A look of actual fear crosses his face, which he quickly tries to shutter.  “I will pass on that, thank you.”

I shrug.  “Okay, but it’s pretty cool.”  He doesn’t look convinced.  “Fine, I’m going to find Isla, then.”  I turn around to walk down the stairs.  Kallen catches up to me, but I’m pretty sure that he punched Kegan in the arm on his way by him.  I can’t imagine any other reason that Kegan would have called him what he just called him.

It takes a few minutes to find Isla.  After searching the downstairs, we go to her office on the second floor.  I haven’t been in this room before, so I’m curious to see what it’s like.  I bet it tells a lot about a person by how they decorate their workplace.  I’m not sure what, but I bet it does.

When Kallen knocks, Isla invites us in with just the word, “Come,” likes she’s calling a dog.  No wonder Kallen doesn’t always have the greatest people skills.  Kallen opens the door and I walk in ahead of him.  The room is fairly stark – no unnecessary decorations.  Very much like Isla.  She has an oak desk, a comfortable chair she sits in, and two functional chairs on the other side of her desk.  There’s no other furniture.  The wall behind her is lined with books, but they are massive and old.  Not something that you would pick up to read on a rainy day.  Warm and inviting doesn’t quite describe the decor.  ‘I’m busy, what do you want’ is the description I’m going with.

As we approach her, I notice Isla’s eyes are keeping close tabs on me.  I don’t think she’s over the whole tidal wave on the terrace thing.  Okay, it’s only been about twenty minutes, but still, how long is she going to hold a grudge?

Kallen takes a seat on one of the chairs across from her desk and slings his leg over the arm.  I take the other chair, but I don’t think I have leg draping privileges yet.  I sit as prim and proper as I can.  I don’t think she’s buying it.

“Have you come to say you have changed your mind about the trip?” she asks us, leaning back in her chair.  Why does everyone think I’m going to back out?  Maybe it’s all the whining I’ve done about it over the last few days.

Kallen shakes his head and grins.  “Xandra has a new ability.”

“I am waiting breathlessly to find out what it is,” Isla says dryly.  Yup, still holding a grudge.

“She can teleport.”

Isla sits up straight in her chair.  I believe she’s stunned.  Huh, not sure if that’s a good sign or a bad sign.  “What do you mean, she can teleport.”

“I moved Kallen and me from the bottom of the stairs to my room by wishing it to be true.”  My cheeks color as I remember why I wanted us there.

“Both of you?”  I nod my head.  “You did this simply by thinking of where you would rather be.”  I’m pretty sure she knows why I wanted us there, as well.  My cheeks are even redder, now.

“I have never heard of a Fairy being able to teleport,” Kallen says.  “I am assuming it is a rare personal ability.”  Every Fairy has a special type of magic that is not common amongst all Fairies. 

Isla is silent for a moment as she studies me.  I try hard not to squirm in my seat.  Finally, she says, “That is because it is not a Fairy trait.  It is Angels who are able to move about that way.”

Kallen sits up and leans forward with his elbows on his knees.  “So, her Angel magic is growing?”

“So it would seem,” Isla says.  She’s still looking at me, even though she’s talking to Kallen.  My hands want to move to my face to make sure there’s nothing on it.  I keep them still with sheer force of will.  Looking more closely, her eyes almost seem glazed over.  What’s that all about?

“What does that mean?” I ask.

With a barely noticeable shake or her head, her eyes focus on me again.  “I do not know.”  Okay, for someone who is supposed to have all the answers, especially since she gets visions of the future, she sure says that an awful lot about me.  Sometimes, I think she just doesn’t want to tell me.  Like now.

Kallen frowns.  “Have you had a vision?  Is this a bad thing?”  I was about to ask the same question.  Except about the vision part.  I don’t know how that works.

Again, it takes her a moment to answer.  “Fallen Angels do not retain the ability to teleport.  It is considered an unfair advantage over other magical and non-magical beings.”

I wrinkle my forehead as I think about what she said.  “Do you mean I’m not supposed to be able to do this?”

“Whether you are supposed to be able to do it or not, is not for me to say.  I am simply stating that it has never occurred in a situation such as this.”

Now, I really have frown lines on my forehead.  “Such as this?”

Isla looks as if she is trying to find the right words.  I haven’t known her long, but I’m pretty sure that’s a rarity for her.  “You are not an Angel living amongst other Angels in their realm.  You do not carry your wings with you at all times, which, I have been told is the Angels’ source of being able to teleport.  Yet, you possess a skill that only one such as that should have.  I am not sure that this is…” A pause.  I don’t like it when she pauses.  “I would suggest that this is a skill that you do not use unless you are in great need.  You do not want to encourage any…” Another pause.  Is she trying to give me a heart attack?  “…unwanted attention.”

Kallen looks as worried as I feel.  “What type of unwanted attention?”

She takes so long to answer, I am sure that she’s decided not to.  I didn’t realize I was holding my breath in anticipation until my fingers start turning numb, a sure sign they’re not getting enough oxygen.  Looking vaguely uncomfortable, Isla finally says, “Not all Angels who have fallen from their realm did so by choice.  Some were stripped of their wings and forced out.  Some learn from their mistakes and live out their time in the realm they are in, hoping that when the time comes, they will be allowed back into the Angel realm and their wings will be returned.  Others show no remorse over their actions, and create havoc wherever they go.  Their greatest wish being to return to the Angel realm to seek revenge.”

“Why are you telling us this, and what does that have to do with Xandra being able to teleport?  Grandmother, you looked like you were having a vision.”  Kallen has worry lines on his forehead and around his mouth.  Lines of frustration are climbing on top of those.

Another toxic pause.  “I believe I am scaring you.  That is not my intent.”

Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean she gets to stop now.  “But, there’s something else I should know, right?”

Isla sighs.  “Perhaps we should discuss this after your trip.”

“No way.  I’m not going anywhere if something bad is going to happen.”

Her brows pinch together.  “I did not say that anything bad is going to happen.  I believe you read more into my words than was there.”

“Grandmother, this is ridiculous.  What are you holding back?  What have you seen?”  I haven’t heard Kallen use such a sharp tone with Isla before.

And I don’t think she likes it.  Her face has turned sour, as if she is choking on a backtalk fur ball.  “If you would like information, I suggest you use a more respectful tone.”

I think he’s going to argue, but he doesn’t.  In a much politer tone, spoken with insincere exaggeration of each word, Kallen says, “Will you please tell us what you are concerned about.”

She sighs.  “I am concerned that Xandra’s ability is different than the other Angels.”

Good lord, would she just spit it out, already?  “And?”

She sighs again.  “Did an Angel come to discuss your use of teleportation in a realm other than the Angel realm?”  I shake my head no and she continues.  “Then, the future has already changed from what I saw.”

“How would they know?” I ask.  I’m so confused.

“Angels can sense each other when they teleport.”

I think I know what she’s getting at.  “And you think that they can’t detect me?”  I’m still not sure why that’s important.

“Your blood is thinner, possibly not as easy to detect.  Or it is the fact that your wings are in the Angel realm, not on your back, and it is wings that the other Angels can detect.”

“Why does that matter?” 

She shrugs.  “I am not sure how, but I would be cautious.  Again, I suggest you use this new skill of yours only if necessary.”

She is one big buzz kill.  Being able to teleport is amazing, and I want to do it as much as possible, now that I know I can.  Then again, it could make me really lazy if I didn’t have to move at all to get from one place to another.  “Okay.”  No sense arguing with her about it if I’m not even going to be around her for a couple of weeks.  I groan inwardly as I remember just how long I’ll be gone.

“Dagda is here,” Kallen says, rising from his chair.  He must have sensed him.

“I would suggest that you keep this conversation between the three of us,” Isla says pointedly.

Implying that Dagda would try to use my new ability in some way to benefit him.  This, I agree with.  “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” I say. 

Isla rises from her chair and walks around the desk.  “I am glad we are in agreement.”  With a teasing glint in her eye, another rarity, she says, “But feel free to practice any of your other skills on him.  I believe he is overdue for a good soaking in salt water.”

Kallen laughs and kisses her on the cheek.  “I will encourage her in that way, myself.”

I smile at them both and shake my head.  “Aren’t you two supposed to be the voice of reason when it comes to my insane magic?”

Isla smiles at me as she walks towards the door.  A genuine smile.  “Sometimes, insanity can be just as powerful a weapon as sanity.  If used appropriately.  And sparingly.”

I laugh.  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

We follow her out the door and down the stairs.  With more trepidation than I care to mention, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to spend time with my scheming, egocentric, biological father.  Actually, he’s more like a sperm donor.  Eew, scratch that.  It brings to mind too many visuals that I would rather not think about.  I’ll stick with the biological father thing.

Chapter 3

Everyone has congregated in the usual spot – gathered around the kitchen island counter.  The kitchen is large enough that eight can sit around it comfortably.  Alita, who works for Dagda now, is sitting on one of the stools.  I’m glad she’s coming.  I don’t like to suffer alone.  Kegan’s on the stool next to her, and that’s why he’s coming, as well.  One more buffer between me and Dagda. 

My Mom and Dad are floating behind Alita.  They aren’t coming because the Giants are superstitious and they would freak out if they saw ghosts.  I thought Dagda was just making that up because he didn’t want them to go, but Isla backed him up on it.  Something she wouldn’t do if he was lying.  It was still difficult to get Mom and Dad to agree to stay here, though.  Right now, they appear to be plotting the extremely painful death of the Fairy who is casually leaning against the counter trying to see what Tabitha is cooking. 

Tabitha smacks Dagda’s hand with a spatula when he tries to steal a piece of bacon.  “You may be King,” she says, “but that will not stop you from losing a hand if you touch this bacon again.”  He laughs, but I’m pretty sure she means it.  It was only recently that I found out that Dagda was raised, for the most part, by Tabitha.  She’s not always happy with the way he turned out.

The tension in the air is as thick and sticky as honey.  I’m worried it’s going to get in my hair and I’ll have to cut it out.  Looking between Dagda and my parents, I rub my arms and say with a lame attempt at humor, “Brr, it’s pretty cold in here.”