CHAPTER 32
~ Lightning Ridge ~
The next morning, soft sunlight filters through the farm house’s old, faded lace curtains to awaken Callie. She smiles at how comfortable she feels nestled between her beloved mates before the events of the previous night come rushing back to fill her with rage over Dysnomia’s vicious attack on their home and family. In the aftermath of the battle she had been somewhat overwrought to learn of the traitor among the Twin Ravens, and later relieved to find haven in this old farmhouse while the mates regroup and prepare to strike back at their enemy. The functional, if somewhat shabby, farmhouse was just fine to Callie’s way of thinking, but she could tell that her mates, especially Kazar, were not well pleased to house their mate and child in such an old, rather dilapidated home.
“Oh well, it’s only temporary,” she mutters quietly as she glances over at the bedside baby monitor when she hears Clara begin to stir in her crib. Callie scooches to the end of the bed to go check on their daughter. Discovering that the goddess Nox Fortuna had taken it upon herself to update and beautifully decorate a nursery in anticipation of the arrival of the dragon princess had been a very pleasant surprise. Padding across the scarred wooden floors to make her way to her daughter, Callie cannot help but to think this old farmhouse has a great deal of character and potential to make a lovely home. She can see why Kazar bought the old place to restore.
All thoughts of their temporary housing situation evaporate when Callie enters the newly decorated and fully furnished nursery to find Clara sitting up in her crib, eager to start a new day. The smiling baby happily reaches for her mama and Callie just knows this is going to be a wonderful day, despite the grimness of the previous night. “Good morning, little Miss Clara!” Callie coos playfully as she scoops her sweet baby girl into her arms. After good morning hugs and kisses, come the diaper change and setting out to find the kitchen and some breakfast. Last night, Callie had been awed by the kindness of the Lightning Ridge riders who had stocked the kitchen and refrigerator with basic staple items in the eventuality that they would need a safe house.
“Safe house?” Callie says softly as she settles her daughter in the brand new high chair next to the worn formica kitchen table and chairs. “That is a phrase that I never saw becoming a part of my daily life.”
When Clara begins babbling back at her mother and loudly banging on the high chair tray with her favorite teething ring, Callie cannot help but to marvel at how fast her daughter is maturing. “Mama and your Daddies need to get a handle on things before we miss out on your entire babyhood.” As though understanding her mother’s quandary and sadness, Clara tilts her head to the side as though reading Callie’s mood. Suddenly, a sweet smile lights up her cherubic face before she enthusiastically offers her beloved, slobber covered prize to her mother, all the while jabbering; “Ma, Ma, Ma.”
After giving her daughter raspberry kisses on her plump little cheeks, she thanks Clara for sharing her beloved teether and offers a biter biscuit in exchange, before setting out to find the baby cereal. Turning from the counter once she has the sticky mush prepared with fresh mashed banana, just to Clara’s preferences, and sippy cup filled with vanilla soy milk, she smiles as Kazar enters the sunny kitchen. “Good morning, Tata,” Callie chirps happily. The trio had recently decided to refer to Kazar as Tata and Nyle as Daidí for Clara’s benefit.
Kazar obviously took a shower before joining them in the kitchen. He is wearing nothing but a pair of old faded jeans, with the top button undone. She halts in her tracks because she thinks her vampire mate is positively edible. In fact, Callie is distracted by a droplet of water falling from the end of a wet lock to land upon his right pec. Licking her lips, she has a sudden desire to capture that droplet with her tongue. However, her hungry and impatient child has other plans. “Ma, Ma, Maaaah!”
“Good morning, my beautiful girls,” Kazar coos with a knowing gleam in his eyes. While the ancient vampire cannot read her mind, he certainly can read his young mate’s expressions and body language. He takes the bowl of baby food and sippy cup from Callie’s hands. “I want to feed her this morning. Make us some coffee, will you?”
With a chaste kiss planted on Kazar’s lips, Callie turns to find the coffee mugs and sugar before retrieving the half and half from the fridge. The pre-filled coffee pods are stored in a cute little three draw plastic case setting on the countertop. Callie idly sorts through the offerings in the top drawer, calling out the names to Kazar so that he can make his selection first. “Hmmm, let’s see… Kahlua, hazelnut, French vanilla, dark roast, breakfast blend. Oooh, Dunkin’!”
Kazar chuckles because he shares Callie’s addiction to specialty coffees. “Let me try the Dunkin’.”
Once the coffee is ready and Callie has prepared a damp cloth for cleaning up after Clara’s breakfast, she is about to join her lover and daughter at the tiny kitchen table when Clara begins to frantically flap her arms. And in just a moment, she begins squawking… no, she is making a cawing sound. Like a crow or a raven. Kazar and Callie look at each other in amazement, because at the very same moment, they had sensed the arrival of Morrígan, Blood, and Val. “Did she?” Callie whispers disbelievingly. “Did Clara just sense Morrígan’s arrival and tell us about it?”
“It appears that is a distinct possibility,” Kazar admits cautiously while offering Clara another bite of her cereal.
“How is this possible? She’s only… what? Four, five weeks?” Callie drags a hand down her face and sighs. “I’m such a bad mother. Most mothers know to the day exactly how old their baby is this early on, and yet I am absolutely clueless.”
“Most mothers are not morphing into a mythical creature while learning how to rule a vast kingdom of supernatural beings. And they certainly are not doing those things while under constant threat of attack by a maniacal goddess and her blood horde,” Kazar chastises sensibly before rising to his feet to lean in and kiss the tip of her nose. “Now, sit down. Drink your coffee while I go greet our guests at the front door.”
Once Kazar exits the kitchen, Callie glances over at the stove’s ancient electric clock to see that it is nearly eleven o’clock. Suddenly, she is hoping the arrival of the MC’s leader and two of the proxy trainers doesn’t mean there is another problem needing her immediate attention. Her concerns are instantly allayed when Kazar and the two women enter the kitchen chatting amiably.
After exchanging greetings with Morrígan and Val, she learns that Blood had to get back to Tulsa to deal with some issues facing the Twin Ravens. Deciding to relax for a moment longer, she watches them unload their burdens onto the kitchen countertops. “Susie Williams showed up at the MC this morning looking for you.” Valgullveig says quietly. “The poor girl had gone to your home for a visit and was frantic after seeing the damage.”
Callie can only sigh softly and cast an apologetic glance at her mate. She knows how much he loves that home and she is certain seeing it take so much damage must be discouraging. Once again, her mate practically reads her mind. “I could not give a fuck less about that damn house.” He leans down to kiss her passionately. Pulling back he looks into her eyes to say; “My female and my child are safe…here with me and Nyle. Nothing else matters, you got me, beautiful one?”
“Got it,” she replies with a radiant smile. “So…” Callie begins, turning her attention back to their guests. “What brings you to Lightning Ridge?”
“Training,” Morrígan says dryly.
“And food,” Val pipes up chirpily. She looks at another tote resting on the floor in a corner and smirks. “And a very special care package from a certain vivacious club girl soon to be a Doctor of Psychology.”
Kazar chuckles and lifts Clara from her high chair. “I think this one is wearing more of her breakfast than she ate.” He tickles the tummy of the adorable ginger haired baby for a moment and then says; “Eat breakfast. I’m going to give our princess here a bath.” He leans down to plant a chaste kiss on Callie’s forehead. Without waiting for a reply, he strolls out of the room with a happily babbling child upon his hip.
Val chuckles and picks up the thread of the conversation. “When Susie learned you were tucked away in a safe house, she set about preparing enough food to feed an army.” The vivacious blond goddess turns from the counter to beam at Callie. “She wanted to bring this feast to you herself, but Blood insisted it was safer that no one but us know where you are.”
Callie nods thoughtfully and takes a sip of now cool coffee. “Yeah, I guess it is best to be cautious.”
Val snorts dismissively and turns back to the counter. “My golden girl would never betray her high queen.”
“What?” Callie bleats and sets her mug down on the table with a loud clatter. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”
Val whips back around to stare at Callie with a definite Uh-oh expression upon her lovely face. “Uh, I’m not sure what you are talking about.” She darts her gaze away and nervously fidgets with the plastic container in her hands. “Uh… let me get this food on the table while it is still warm.”
“Bullshit,” Nyle barks knowingly from the entryway. His chuckle actually makes the centuries old goddess blush. “How in all the nine hells you ever managed to fool Nyx for all those centuries is a mystery to me, Viking goddess.” He laughs again. “I figured out Susie was special ages ago, cuz you are total shit at keeping that little secret.” He is scratching his lush beard lazily as he ambles toward Callie. He leans down to kiss her lips tenderly before he turns to nod at the Morrígan and face the blond goddess at the counter. “Now, what delicacies did our adorable Suzie Q prepare for us? I’m starving.”
He moves to get plates and cutlery for himself and the three women. “I’ve already eaten,” Morrígan says morosely.
“What crawled up your divine backside?” Nyle demands playfully.
“I’m not a fucking goddess,” Morrígan reminds the Celt with an almost playful glint in her eyes.
“Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”
“What our inarticulate wolf is saying, you have been regarded as a goddess for centuries and you are certainly powerful enough to be a goddess… You have always behaved as a goddess…” Val shrugs. “Sounds as though you are indeed… a duck.” She winks at the Irish Raven before carrying an armload of food containers to the table. “Now, let’s dig in and discuss our plans for today.”
Morrígan snorts but doesn’t bother to argue the point. “Callie needs training. Combat and magick.” She looks around the small kitchen and sniffs disdainfully. “This hovel is far too small to meet our needs. You should come back to the MC…”
“No,” Nyle says sharply, bringing his massive hand down on to the table hard enough to rattle the dishes on the table and nearby shelf. “One of my own brethren poses a threat to my mate and my child. There is no way in all the nine hells I am going to house my mates and our baby under the same roof with some fucking traitor!”
“Easy, my wolf,” Callie says gently as she covers the hand he had slammed against the table top. “No one but Blood and these two goddesses know where we are.” She smiles sweetly. “We are safe.”
Nyle snorts. “The officers of Nox Legion and their goddess know where you are as well…”
“Nox and her boys would never do anything to risk a woman or a child. Never,” Morrígan avows. “I’ve known Nox since I was a girl. We can trust her. We can trust the top three soldiers of her legion. I assure you.”
Nyle can only nod wordlessly as he begins scooping heaping servings of the tasty looking food onto Callie’s plate. When he is finally satisfied she has enough, he pushes the plate her way and mutters; “Eat, my wee dragon. You are gonna need your strength.” Callie opens her mouth to protest that she can’t possibly eat that much food, when she realizes it is just about the same amount of food she has been eating at every sitting since her transformation. With a mental shrug, she thanks her wolf and picks up her fork to dive in.
Once they have finished their meal, Callie makes a fresh cup of coffee and relaxes, or tries to do so, in the wobbly kitchen chair. Noticing her dilemma, Morrígan snorts derisively. “I told you, this place is a dump.”
“Not at all,” Callie defends easily. “I rather like this house. Like I said earlier, it has character. With a bit of TLC it could be a real show place. Even without a few fix ups, this place could be a real home for some very lucky family.” She grins like a kid who has just learned ice cream is on the menu for her supper. “I can’t wait to explore the acreage. My mother used to take me to visit a friend who lived on a farm when I was a kid. I always had a blast playing in the fresh air and sunshine.” Nyle reaches out and takes Callie’s free hand to bring it to his lips and plant a tender kiss upon her knuckles. She smiles lovingly at her mate and continues talking enthusiastically about her experiences down on the farm. “I especially loved it when Mom’s friend would let me help her care for the animals.” She looks toward the doorway and smiles wistfully. “I’d like to raise Clara on a farm like this one, or at least be able to bring her to one on weekends and holidays.”
“That’s all well and good,” Morrígan says dismissively. “But you need a gym. A large one. You need a secure place to learn fighting skills in your dragon skin. And you certainly need a large, open area to learn magick with Valgullveig.”
“Well,” Nyle drawls lazily as he continues to caress Callie’s free hand. “Not only did Nox Fortuna set up an incredible nursery for our little Clara, she also had the MC boys set up a pretty bad-ass makeshift gym out in the old barn. It’s huge, with plenty of open space and enough basic equipment to help Callie train for battle. And it is just as heavily warded as the house. Hell, the whole property is warded.”
“We got through,” Val offers.
“Only because you were with Blood and did not have nefarious intentions.” Nyle leans over to scoop Callie up and plop her down on his lap. “I mean, you didn’t have nefarious intentions, did you?” He winks playfully at the Norse goddess before nuzzling Callie’s neck and causing her to giggle like a small girl.
Morrígan snorts. “Not unless you count delivering that care package from that deviant little blond.”
“Deviant?” Nyle perks up playfully and wags his eyebrows suggestively. “I adore deviant bl… uh, no I don’t. Forget I almost said that.” Callie laughs so hard at Nyle’s antics that she nearly falls out of his lap.
The frustrated red headed warrior rises to her feet and leans down with her hands on the table to glare into the face of the much younger Celtic wolf shifter. “You need to take this shit seriously, dog boy.”
“Fuck you very much,” Callie snaps angrily. “Nyle and Kazar take our safety seriously. But if you want me to survive this transition from timid human woman to kick-ass dragon queen, you need to back the fuck off for half a second and let me catch my breath! Nyle is trying to make sure that my life has a bit of balance. I for one, think that is a very good thing. If you don’t agree, then I guess you can always pass my training off to someone else.”
Kazar charges into the room looking for the fight. He comes up short at the sight of his Callie wagging her finger in the face of one of the most deadly and dangerous females in Immortal history. “What is going on here?” he demands immediately.
“Nuthin’,” Callie huffs. “The Irish Raven and the Ruby Queen are simply reaching an understanding.”
“Indeed,” Morrígan says with a smile on her lovely face before she plops down into her abandoned seat… only to have the old rickety chair collapse beneath her.
“Oooo,” Callie gasps and leaps from Nyle’s lap. Kazar leans against the old Frigidaire and smirks. No doubt, he thinks the haughty warrior mage just got a bit of comeuppance for her impatient, demanding behavior. He easily listened into their entire conversation while bathing, dressing, and then playing with their daughter in her pretty new room. He knew the Brythonic goddess’s attitude was getting on Callie’s nerves, but he had expected her to be too reserved to speak up. Surprise!
When Morrígan’s shoulders begin shaking, Callie kneels at her side to check on her. Surely, this haughty war goddess is not crying over taking a spill in a kitchen? But, it is immediately apparent that the Raven is laughing, not crying. “Fates above, I guess I had that one a comin’,” she drawls after a bit. She takes Callie’s hands into her own and the women rise to their feet. “Forgive me, Callie. I’m antsy with all these attacks and setbacks.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. After a moment she opens her eyes and meets Callie’s earnest gaze. “I am so, so damned close to completing a mission that I have dedicated so many centuries of my life to completing.” She sighs softly and says; “But that doesn’t give me the right to act like an ass in your home. Temporary safe house or not. This is your domain, and I should respect that.” She looks around and shrugs. “Besides, it truly is not a hovel. I’ve certainly lived in much, much worse for more years than I care to recall.”
Callie impulsively embraces the prickly warrior and says; “No worries. And if I haven’t told you, I am grateful for all that you have done. Truly.”
The Irish Raven simply laughs. “Dearie, not to sound like a bitch, but I do na wan your gratitude. I want your safety and success. I believe in you. You must succeed.”
“Fair enough,” Callie says with a sloppy grin on her pretty face.
Morrígan hugs her back with an answering smile before bending down to pick up the large duffel that Kazar had sat by her feet when she and Val first arrived. “I went by your place and gathered several sets of work out gear, shoes, and shorts and crap for hanging around the farm.” She eyeballs the oversized Twin Ravens tee she is wearing, knowing full well that it belongs to one of her mates, probably the big assed wolf shifter. “I’m quite sure you don’t want to practice using your sword arm wearing nothing but that shirt.”