Calista was up now, her eyes bright, cheeks pink. She would be a whirlwind of activity for the next few days.
I stopped her before she could leave. “One more thing, Cal.” She met my eyes. “Tell me about Sir Baladar.”
Sorrow blossomed out of her, then it was gone just as suddenly. “What about him?” she said, sounding cautious.
“I asked him how you knew each other and he said you were the love of his life.”
Her shoulders hunched, and now there was no mistaking the pain on her face. “He did?” She forced out a strangled chuckle. “He’s always so honest, to a fault.”
I waited, but Calista just picked her cuticles, not speaking. After the last few days, and all the Kade stuff, I understood how hard it could be to talk about strong emotions.
“Calista? What happened?” My voice was softer now, and I stood, crossing around my large desk to stand before her.
She took in a deep breath and then met my eyes. “I was never the type to go out to parties or clubs or anything of that nature.”
I envisioned the younger Calista as a bookworm who played mecca chess and studied. “So when my roommate came home with a key to an exclusive party, I wasn’t interested at first. She finally convinced me, telling me that the key would expire the next day and that the party was so exclusive we may never be invited in our lifetime again.”
I nodded. That would have gotten my attention for sure. “So what happened at the party?”
Calista smiled. “Baladar happened.”
I noticed she didn’t refer to him as “sir.”
“He was greeting people at the door, handing out those magical drinks, which I of course refused, and, I don’t know ... there was this spark when we locked eyes. It was like … magic. That’s the only thing I can liken it to.”
I smiled, envisioning a young Calista falling in love. “Sounds like love.”
She chuckled, wistfulness in the tone. “I wasn’t prepared for him. He was so charming, so funny. He abandoned his own party and we talked for hours and hours.” She stared off into the distance and I could see why he’d fallen so quickly for her. Calista was strikingly beautiful, super smart, and sure of herself. “We were together for two years, but then work got in the way and we had to spend longer periods apart and it just didn’t work out. Duty calls, you know?”
My heart pinched. “Cal, was I the reason you guys finally broke up? My birth?”
Calista grasped my hand and squeezed hard. “Arianna, you and Winnie are the best thing that ever happened to me. I would not change one second of my life with you.”
For the second time today I felt my throat tighten and tears prick my eyes. She didn’t exactly answer my question, but I understood her meaning. Yes, my birth tore them apart, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Sometimes duty trumped love and that’s just the way it was. A good queen knew that.
Calista stood with a big smile and clutched her tablet. “Enough of this sad talk. You’re queen, and now on the verge of being mated. I couldn’t be any happier!” She winked and I laughed. I believed that. This was what made Calista happy. Seeing my success as a queen, it reflected her good teachings.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” I said to her, and she bowed lightly before leaving the room. I stared at the door for a long while, trying to convince myself that this was the right thing to do, that one day I’d look back and be happy I chose this path.
The next morning I showered, had breakfast, and was dressed early. Kade was meeting me this morning to help me try and fix the mecca, and after our awkward conversation yesterday, I was dreading seeing him. I had made such a fool out of myself. Crying and running off! Declaring I was taking a mate. It felt like I was in high school all over again. Kade knew his duty; he knew we couldn’t carry on with the flirting. He probably thought I was some crazy hormonal woman. Besides, probably after one night together we’d be over this attraction. Surely it was only this strong because our relationship was forbidden.
Right?
As I paced the secret library room that led to the mecca stone and tried to burn off my nerves, I startled at the light knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called out with an unsteady voice.
The door opened to reveal Blaine. “Your guest is here, Your Majesty.” He bowed deeply before letting Kade enter.
My legs felt weak as the huge bear entered, his molten eyes clashing with mine. He didn’t say a word, he just stared at me, waiting for me to make the first move. His eyes did do a quick perusal of me. I was far more casually dressed than usual. My hair was down, and I was wearing tight yoga pants and a loose shirt.
Blaine was still waiting behind Kade with the door slightly ajar.
“That will be all, Blaine. Thank you.” I gave my friend a brief smile, and he nodded before slowly backing out of the room and shutting the door.
“Thank you for coming,” I said to Kade, forcing strength into my voice. I needed to make up for my loss of composure yesterday.
He nodded. “Despite the fact I would rather not be in wolf territory right now, I also don’t want the Winter Court to rise up and wipe all of us out, so here I am.”
His coldness hurt, but I understood and respected his feelings on this. If I was going to declare that it was time for me to take a mate, I needed to own the fallout.
Breathing deeply, using my meditation techniques, I calmed my racing heart. “Well, let’s get right to it, then,” I said as I walked over to the bookshelf, pulling the book down to open the secret wall and reveal the crystal room.