Fated, A Timeless Series Novella (A Timeless Series Companion Novel) (25 page)

Callon
stepped forward and
held Daniel’s shoulders, in an almost fatherly manner.

“Sometimes good intentions lead to the gravest mistakes,” he said.
“I’m guess
ing
you found the book?”

Daniel nodded.

“Whoa, what book?” I asked. I felt ashamed. Years and years I’d
spent
away from here, and now it was coming to haunt me. I knew nothing about our family’s power
s
.
Should anything happen to Callon, it would be me who’d have to lead the Consilador.
And I didn’t have the first clue about anything.
I’d been so naïve.

“
The enchantment isn’t an eternal spell,” Callon explained. “So e
very generation of our family ha
s
had to leave their imprint so it
’ll prosper for another generation.
”
He paused,
resting against the
stove
. “
It ta
k
es
the form of
a
trigger phrase, which we
record
on a parchment hidden in the
secret
library.
Dad
showed me once.
A
ll you
need
to do i
s recite the old words and then add a new one at the end. We’ve used that method to
protect these grounds since the manor was first built.” His eyes narrowed. “However, now Daniel
’s
tried to repair it
another way
,
the barrier’s
failed completely.”

“What?!” Daniel cried. “It’s not! I could still feel it, it’s just weaker…”

“No Daniel, it’s been destroyed,” Callon said.
Daniel kept shaking his head. He looked positively ill.
“But
don’t worry too much.
W
e can create a new one.”

“A new enchantment?” I repeated.
“Is that possible?”

Callon nodded.

“I’ll need to look up the exact details, but it needs all of a current generation of
O’Shea’s
to offer some of their power.
L
ucky for us
we’re the
last
ones left
.” He swallowed.
I knew he must have been thinking about his late sisters. “
It won’t be as powerful as the old one, but over time it will regain its former strength.
Either way
, it’ll be more than enough to shield Cheyenne.”

Daniel hung his head.
Callon sighed, and wrapped his arm around him.

“
Look,
drow
n
ing
yourself with blame won’t
solve anything
. I’m simply glad you had the sense to call us
,” he said.
Daniel nodded
, not making eye contact
.
“This won’t be a quick fix, though. I’ll need to do a lot of reading, and you two shouldn’t wander far. Once I’
ve clarified
the details, we’ll regroup and go through with it.
But don’t expect to be leaving here within the week.
”

I nodded, though inside I
was raging, half-tempted to
punch Daniel
in the face
.
This was the reason he’d called us back,
the reason I had to leave Cheyenne!
If he’d
left it to Callon
,
it would’ve taken two days
to repair
the
enchantment
, and I wouldn’t have to sit around here going mad with my feelings
.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I strode out. I needed to cool off.
Daniel
remained in the kitchen, staring at the floor as Callon headed for the
secret
library.
A pang of guilt gripped me, but I didn’t turn back.
Too many other emotions were distracting me.

Soon
I found myself upstairs,
staring across the landing.
Everything was so different, so unfamiliar.
I wandered the corridor, recognizing the odd painting
and my old room
, but it left me so uncomfortable.
This wasn’t home, I didn’t want to be here.
My home was back over the ocean, with Cheyenne.

I gripped my head.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Why
was
I so
desperate to be back in Idaho?
I’d hardly spent a couple of years there, yet it felt more like home than our own family estate.
Maybe the
long flight and worrying over Callon
had
worn
me
out
.
I needed to burn off this nervous energy
before it consumed me from the inside
.

Heading back down the stairs, I called out to Daniel.

Hey Daniel,
where’d you put the keys for the gym?

D
aniel didn’t answer right away.
Then suddenly he appeared next to me, though he didn’t look up.

They’re in the box in the
other
library
off the main entrance
.

I walked up to him and touched his shoulder.

We’ll fix the enchantment, don’
t worry.

Daniel sighed, jump
ing
away
before I could thank him
. He probably needed some time to himself.

After a quick trip to my room to change, I stoppe
d by the
main
library to get the key
. I
headed straight to the gym
, looking forward to some grueling exercise
.
Thankfully, the Campbell
’
s had done a good job upgrading the equipment.
I skipped over the treadmill and rowing machine, my eyes intent on the punch
ing
bag.
I had some frustrations to
beat out
.

I soon lost myself in the rhythm of jabs and hits.
The clock ticked quietly, counting the hours I spent punching and kicking the sandbag.
It wasn’t long before
s
weat poured over me,
soaking my clothes,
but it felt good.
It gave me something to focus on
, and time to sort out my thoughts
.

I was missing Cheyenne;
that much was obvious.
She’d changed me
, reached deeper than anyone had before, and now she wouldn’t budge
from my heart
.
The freedom I’d always craved suddenly didn’t seem so appealing anymore.
I should’ve been happy to be home with my brothers, our family reunited after one-hundred and fifty years apart. Yet all I felt was a tight emptiness
, and it wasn’t because of Dad’s absence
.

Her smiling face came before me, and I snarled, punching the bag that
much
harder.
Why wouldn’t she leave me alone?
I could almost hear her laughing, teasing
me about th
inking too hard.
The memory of her scent that day
we embraced
lingered,
and I hit the bag so hard the chain snapped.

The sandbag bounced to the floor, and I bent double over my knees, panting.
Whoops, maybe I’d overdone it.
Wiping my sweat-soaked brow, I picked up the bag and rested it against the wall.
I’d fix it later.
My knuckles were raw and bruised, but I knew they’d heal up quick.
Suddenly tired, I trudged to the nearest bench and slumped down,
catching my breath
.

“That was some work-out, Colt,” a voice called. “Something on your mind?”

I glanced to the door. Callon was there, holding a book.

“Maybe,” I said, grabbing the towel on the bench and wiping my face.

Callon sat beside me, resting his chin on his hands.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

I started to chuckle.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

Callon bowed his head.

“Was I really that bad after Dad died?”

“Callon, you over-dosed on morphine,” I said stoutly. “
I didn’t even think it possible, given you’re Timeless, but when I saw you on the floor
, not breathing
…”
I shook my head.

“
I was in a very dark place
then,” Callon said
quietly
. “But t
hat’
s all in the past.
I didn’t come
here to relive
old memories, and I decided a long time ago
I wo
uld
n’t let them rule me
, either
.” He glanced to the ceiling. “
But enough about me. W
hat’s got you so wound up?
”

I sighed. I wasn’t sure how much I could actually admit, given the complexity of the situation.
I’d have to play safe for now.

“Don’t tell me it’s about a girl,” Callon smirked.

“
Kinda,” I said.

Callon
’s smile
dimmed
, and he
raised an eyebrow.

“Really?
” he murmured. “
That’s not
like you
at all
, you know.”

“
Alright
, will you stop with the jokes?
I have a heart too, you know.
” Even I was getting fed up with the teasing.
Nobody ever took me seriously, and it was starting to grate on my nerves.
“I’m stuck with my feelings and I don’t know what to do.”

“In what way?”

I
reached for my
water bottle
and took a swig
.

“
I’m not sure.
I’ve never been so confused before
, not like this
.
I mean, I’ve been in so many relationships, but I’ve always know
n
what I want
ed and where I stood. With this,
there’re
so many dark corners I don’t understand
, I don’t know where I’m going
.”

Callon nodded.

“I see.
So where before you could always see an end in sight,
or find a point where you could cut loose,
this time you can’t. You’re uncertain what the future might hold
, where your relationship
might lead
. And that scares you. Right?”

I blinked.

“Did you just read my mind?”

Callon laughed.

“No.
I’m just observant, is all. And
more
experienced.
”
He stood up
, folding his arms
. “
Everybody is afraid of the unknown.
S
ometimes
you just need the courage to
follow your heart
,
even if you can’t see what lies ahead
.
” His hazel eyes darkened slightly. “
But
remember, it
might lead you to a lot of trouble, too.
Whatever you decide, I’d b
e careful.”

He turned and left.
I watched him go, and swallowed.
I got th
e feeling he knew more than he
let on about my relationship with Cheyenne.
He’d warned me to keep my distance, in case the rumors about her parentage were tru
e. And I thought I’d be able to; I’d done it plenty of times before.

Ye
t somehow Cheyenne had seen through the charm, and had
uncovered
the real me.
She’d helped me find my loyalty, and my sense of responsibility.
I’d been fooling around for so long,
never
truly underst
anding
my purpose in life
or what I wished for
. I wasn’t the Consilador leader, nor
did I want to be a mere
soldier fighting blindly in our war.
Yet t
he weight that Callon had to
bear
terrified me, and so I’d
fled
,
hoping
I would
n’t have to face what he did
and he’d take away all the uncertainty
.
Like a little child wanting their parent’s comfort.