"You might as well talk to me about this because I'm not going away," he said.
I stopped so abruptly that he went a couple of steps before he realized and had to turn around and come back. "There's nothing to talk about. I knew she was coming. I wasn't going to look for her unless I thought she was in immediate danger, but I saw her at the grocery store and I couldn't walk away without talking to her. She's staying at the South Congress Hotel. That's it. There's nothing else to talk about. I'm not going to stalk her or scare her any more than I already have. I won't even see her again unless she needs my help."
He studied me; his expression more serious than usual. "How will you know if she needs help? It's not like she can shoot you a text or call your cell."
"I'll know," I answered.
"But-"
"There's nothing else to talk about, Callum. She's terrified of vampires and witches. And even though she couldn't possibly know what I am, she was scared to death of me. I'm not going to fuck with her head the way Rhiannon did. Or the way Caleb did."
I turned to continue on my way to The Magic Bean, but Callum grabbed my arm with steel fingers.
"Wait, wait, wait. Did you say Caleb? Our Caleb? The man Rhiannon turned into an animavore? He knows her?"
Damn. Shit. Fuck. This was why I never told anyone anything. When you're privy to someone's deepest fears or darkest secrets, you learn to keep your mouth shut. People deserved basic privacy. I tried my best to control what I saw, to block someone's thoughts, but there were times I couldn't. With my abilities, I thought Ava understood why I remained silent because she had similar talents, but apparently I was wrong.
Callum tightened his grip on my arm. "Marcus, tell me what you know."
"Back when Caleb was under Rhiannon's..." I hesitated, searching for the right word. "When he was under her control, she used him to subdue people. She also used spells, but she preferred to cultivate their fear rather than waste her magic. I've been sharing dreams with this woman for months. I wouldn't even call them dreams. They're nightmares, and Rhiannon and Caleb are in all of them."
"But Caleb wouldn't hurt anyone," Callum argued.
"Now he wouldn't, but then he was newly made and had no idea how to control himself. Rhiannon let him feed on this woman nearly every day for a week. She knew what he was doing, and she could feel her life being drained away. She dreams about it nearly every night."
"Shit," Callum murmured.
"I'm connected to this woman, to her pain, but I can't help her. I shouldn't have approached her at all. She's absolutely terrified of supernatural creatures."
He cocked his head to one side as he studied me. "Then why did you talk to her in the store and follow her out?"
Because I couldn't help myself.
I didn't say the words, but they hovered on the tip of my tongue until I realized what he'd said.
"How long, exactly, have you been following me today?" I asked.
"Tone down the stare, dude. After my chat with Ava, I figured I needed to keep an eye on you."
"Why did you think I needed a babysitter?"
"Because I didn't want you to do anything stupid or that might draw attention to us." He paused. "Like following a human out of grocery store and standing on the sidewalk while you stared longingly at her hotel."
I grimaced. "She seemed upset at the store. I just wanted to make sure she made it somewhere safe."
"Uh-huh." Callum nodded, a slow up and down motion that, paired with his uttered agreement, effectively expressed his disbelief and dripped with sarcasm.
"I'm done talking to you about this," I said, slashing my hand through the air. "I know I have to stay away from her. I will stay away from her."
With that being said, I turned and continued on my way to The Magic Bean. I couldn't help but notice it was only a few short blocks from the hotel.
It didn't matter. I would stay away from the hotel. I would stay away from her.
It was for the best.
When I entered the store, Harrison Morris, the manager Ava had hired, looked up from the bakery display case he was polishing. Once he saw it was me, he just went back to his polishing without a word.
I didn't mind the dismissal. Harrison struck me as a wolf shifter that only spoke when he felt it was necessary.
Something I could relate to.
Before Ava and Macgrath had found each other again, Harrison had developed an emotional attachment to Ava. I believed that Macgrath would force him out after Rhiannon had been captured, but he hadn't. Probably because Ava wouldn't let him.
Or it could be the fact that Harrison had found another object of his affections. One that was even less likely to return them than Ava had been.
Arien, a witch who had served the Goddess for millennia, stood behind the bar, wiping down the wooden surface. Her willowy body was clad in a gauzy blue sundress that made her bright blue-green eyes seem even more brilliant. Her long black hair was twisted into a simple, thick braid that swung between her shoulder blades.
She smiled at me as I approached the counter.
"Greetings, Marcus. How are you?"
Her voice was low and a bit rough, as though years without use had damaged her vocal cords.
For several years before Rhiannon appeared in Austin, Arien had taken the shape of a cat and served as a guardian to Ava and Savannah. Neither woman had known what Arien truly was, but once she revealed her true identity, Ava insisted that she stay.
Now, Arien worked at The Magic Bean and lived in a rental home that Ava owned.
"I'm well, Arien. How are you?"
"I'm learning how to use the computer," she answered, her tone proud.
Arien had not only spent years as a cat, she was from a completely different realm, one that used magic instead of technology. Learning to utilize technology was an arduous process for her.
"That's great," Callum said, coming up to stand beside me. His hand landed on my shoulder. "Maybe you could teach Marcus here."
I noticed that Harrison's hand stopped moving and his back stiffened as Arien beamed at Callum before shifting her gaze to me.
"I'd be happy to help you learn once I'm proficient," she murmured.
I jabbed Callum in the gut with my elbow, pulling the blow just enough to make it annoying rather than painful. "I appreciate that, Arien, but Callum is exaggerating. I do know how to use the computer. I just prefer not to most of the time."
Arien frowned at me. "Why not? It's a wondrous thing. I'm discovering so much about humans and their mating practices."
I blinked, unable to think of a response.
Unfortunately, Callum beat me to it. "I'm sorry...what?"
Her eyes were wide, a thin ring of bright blue surrounding the jade green of her irises. "The mating practices of humans. How they procreate and have sex for pleasure."
"Uh-"
Arien didn't give him a chance to say anything as she continued, "Though sometimes those men call the women bitches and force them to perform oral sex on them until they gag. I don't think I would like that." She blinked several times, her gaze shifting between the three of us. "Do all men like to do things like that?"