Chapter 37

CAL POV

I quickly get dressed so that I can run after Theresa. Part of me feels bad for her having to see me on top of Mare in my room this morning, but then the other part thinks to hell with her. She lied about being pregnant, which she swears was a bad judgement on her part, but I don't believe that. There is something about her that has been getting to me. Something she is not telling me. And the fact that she lied that she was carrying my child, well that just makes it worse. I quickly put on my training pants, boots and t-shirt. Mare laughs at me, hopping on one leg trying to get my boots on, while having my shirt hanging off me not completely on. I give her the finger and she laughs even more, biting her finger. The sight makes me growl at her.

Seeing her in my bed, in just my t-shirt, her bare legs between the sheets makes me want to stay so bad. Like this. Forever. I push down the realisation of what day it is. What happens today. I don't want to think about it.

"I'll meet you at breakfast" I say, bending down to quickly kiss her before I run out. She grabs my face, kissing me hard, pulling me down.

"Ok baby" she says, smiling. I laugh and head out the door.

I make my way down the corridor, asking a few guards if they have seen where she went. They say no. I make my way around the castle, checking the usual places. Her room, the great hall, places where she would be. I cant find her though. As I run towards the dining room I catch Shade, Farley, Kilorn and Cameron heading to breakfast.

"Hey Cal, have you seen Mare?" Cameron asks. I laugh to myself, scratching my head. How awkward is this. Yeah guys, she is in my bed half naked. I smile wide thinking better than to say that.

"Yeah. She is on her way to breakfast" I say walking past them. "I'll meet you all there, just have to do something" I call behind my back.

"She wasn't in her room!" Kilorn adds, a question and a statement.

"That's because she was in his" Farley adds and I can see the grin even though I am not even looking at her. I just turn to smile at Farley, letting her know she is spot on.

"Oh great, too much information about my sister guys" Shade says, walking towards the dining hall.

"Gross" I hear Cameron say. "Get a room"

"They did" Farley says, following Shade. I laugh and run towards the exit of the castle. I could get used to it being like this. It feels like a family. Even though I doubt they see me as part of it, me being with Mare makes me part of her world. Her world consists of them as a family. Is it sad to put myself in there. I don't remember what it was like anymore. It feels like forever ago.

Maybe one day, this castle will be filled with a family of my own. I have imagined it before, but I will never tell Mare what I wished for or saw. I see Mare as my wife, my Queen. She would be her own type of Queen though. Not draped in jewels and riches, but probably in boots, pants and a singlet, her hair up. She would refuse to wear dresses and crowns and we would probably argue about that. I can imagine her as the Queen who would help farmers lift sacks of grain, feed the animals and she would take our kids out into the villages to help the farmers sell produce. She would probably buy it all as opposed to stealing.

I can see us with a big family. Red and silver children, maybe with special abilities. Maybe with my fire, or her lightning. Maybe a mix of both. They would probably have our dark hair, our dark eyes and hopefully her face. My daughters would be beautiful if they looked like their mother. I see them running all over the castle, with Mare running after them. They would probably only come in when they need food and head back outside to play. That would be Mare's children. And mine. Active and little rascals. The girls would probably fight with the boys, just like Mare fights with me.

And at night, when it gets dark and running the country gets too much, I would get to lay down beside her, and just being with her, hearing her breathe next to me would be enough. Enough to get me up the next day to do it all again. I have to save her. I want that life and I want it with her. I have to save her.

Mare POV

I head to breakfast after I find suitable clothes in my room. The guards eye me suspiciously when I walk out of Cal's room in my pyjamas and boots. I don't say anything, I just smile, confirming what they already know. Yes guys, Cal and I slept together, it isn't the first time. And yes guys, I am a red. Get used to it I want to say, but I don't know if I will ever be in this place again. I wouldn't mind waking up next to him. He makes it easy. I know any girl would want to wake up next to Cal. Not just because he is the king but because he is Cal. Cal is everything you would want in a man. Strong, handsome, kind, ruthless, jealous, romantic, protective etc. The list goes on.

I head to the dining hall and the minute I walk in, all eyes are on me. Farley smiles, but in a way that says I know what you have been doing. Cameron looks at me with judging eyes. Shade doesn't look at me. Kilorn looks at his plate. Oh crap. They know.

"How was your night Mare?" Farley asks, smiling as she takes a bite out of a piece of bread.

"Very good. How was yours?" I reply, smiling just as much.

"Oh not as full on as yours" she replies. I grin, hating her for doing this to me but loving her for trying to distract everyone from today.

We all sit and eat, laughing and teasing. Even Shade and Kilorn join in after a while. Cal then comes in and the mood changes. Not in a bad way, but in a way that I know the teasing will start again.

"Good Morning again everybody" he says and takes a seat in his usual place. I am sitting across from him as usual. He sits there, looking unaffected. He leans back in his chair, looking calm. He grins at me, and I go a bright shade of red. Again, the words hit me. I realise that the reason they know I was with Cal was because they all saw him this morning. Great. What did he say.

"Ok ok we get it" I chime in. "No need to make it even more awkward" Farley laughs and so does Cal.

"I was going to try and run with it as long as I can" Farley says, loving this. "But I will hold back for you Mare" she laughs. I stare her down. She is just on fire this morning.

"Are we going to talk about the note and the plan" Kilorn says, not sounding very amused with our jokes. I almost forget about today, almost. The mood in the room suddenly turns. Cal grabs his cup of water, takes a sip and slams it down in anger. Shade doesn't say anything, but I can see him trying to stay calm for my sake. Everyone is in a mood suddenly.

"The plan is, Cal and I are going to meet Maven at sunset. The note mentions where I last was free. That is the stilts" I nod, solemnly. Thinking back to it, the stilts, the day before I was sent to the castle, I had my freedom. Even though I was sad, angry and everything was happening, it was the day that I could move through the town and no one knew who I was. No one noticed. Now, everyone knows the lightning girl. "Cal will bring Gisa and Clara to Shade." I look at Shade "Shade you will be in our old house, waiting for Cal. When you get the girls, you teleport them to safety. Kilorn, Cameron and Farley will be in the plane, waiting". They all nod. Shade goes to say something but I stop him before he can. "Cal knows Maven, and Cal knows if Maven has a plan other than the one he says he has. Besides, I don't want him to know you are alive. I want Gisa and Clara safe first. Don't argue with me on it" he doesn't say anything, I can see he wants to, but he doesn't. Cal nods, satisfied with the fact that I am taking him. Farley looks worried, no doubt anticipating how it will be when she gets Clara back. If she will be ok. Hungry. I pray that she is ok. If they are not I will kill him.

The rest of the meal is silent. No one really says anything unless they need to. They all look at me in turns. They don't say anything, just look. I cant tell what they are thinking, and I would not rather know. Their expressions say enough.

Tomorrow, I will be having breakfast with the devil. Tonight, I will enter hell.