Entrancing

Summary: When Sofia, Amber, and Calista all appear to be under the spell of an enchanting guitarist, Cedric, Desmond, and Angel team up to break the musical enchantment. However, things aren't always what they seem.

Disclaimer: I only own Angel. Any other OC that appears in this story belongs to MarionetteJ2X.

A/N: Calista's turn! :D All I can say is, poor Angel. Hahaha!

Chapter 3: Calista's Dilemma

Calista had left her uncle's tower of her own accord, singing some sort of nonsense to herself as she did. Concerned, Angel had followed her down the spiral staircase and outside, where the sky was already dark, and the stars had come out to play. He stood to the side and watched as his friend spun around in the grass, the wind sweeping by and rustling her long red robe and her hair as a result.

Angel trailed her, worried that her zoned-out state would cause her to get into trouble or hurt. The fact that her mind was clouded with thoughts of a musician who'd sung and played a song not only for her but also for the princesses both irked and troubled him. After all, whatever his intentions had been, he was unaware, but clearly Calista wasn't acting like herself. It wasn't like her to be so…caught up in the idea of fantasy. She was very level-headed and had both feet on the ground, and the fact that she'd all but shed that part of her personality sent his mind spiraling.

When it appeared that she was about to fall over an uneven part of the ground, Angel hurried over and grabbed her arm, pulling her to himself. He gently hugged her as they both breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you all right, Chante?"

Calista grinned up at her friend, her dark eyes still clouded by the same haze as the other girls. "Oh, Angel… You should have heard the music—the voice. It was magical and beautiful, and it awoke a sense of wonder within me."

"You do not even know this man," he responded somewhat crossly, frowning as she moved back from his embrace. "It is possible that he is dangerous. He could merely be using you and the princesses with his magical music. Please, Calista, do not succumb to such wicked wiles."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Angel," she laughed. "The guitarist only speaks to our souls through music… Isn't that lovely?"

"No, it is dangerous," he warned her. "Do you not realize what is happening here, Calista? The more I hear and see of this, the more I am convinced. Someone has put you under a spell or something and is making you…very unlike yourself." He folded his arms as she stood, smiling blankly at him. "And I will not allow this to continue. No one is going to take advantage of you."

"If you say so, Angel," she sighed, continuing to glide onward around the castle grounds as her friend followed her. "But with him and with his music, he's opened my eyes to a new world and a new sense of amazement."

"He is not real!" Angel hurried over to her, grasping her arm and glaring at the undeterred girl before him. "None of what he portrays is realistic, and you know that, deep inside. Every hum of his voice, every strum of the instrument, and every 'sense of amazement' you feel because of this man is not real."

"Then, what is?"

"Look around you!" He gestured around. "The sky, the stars, the castle, your friends and family…" He grasped her hands. "Me… I am real, Calista. And…" Seeing her dazed look, he sighed, knowing further explanation or elaboration right now would be fruitless. "…And I do not want you to get hurt."

"Such beautiful words from such a kind heart," she murmured, gently squeezing his hands. "You're almost as endearing as the guitarist." She smiled lazily before giggling. "Good night, Angel. Sweet dreams." With that, she hummed and wandered back toward the entrance of the castle.

Angel groaned in dismay. He couldn't return to his tribe tonight…not with his best friend acting like this. He followed her back to her room, where she shut the door and disappeared inside. Not knowing what else to do, he sat next to the girl's door and decided to guard it through the night—so that nothing would come to harm her.

And then, there was Cedric…

To be continued…

Next chapter: Sofia's Dilemma