Page 13 of The Last Wish (Lost Legacy #1)

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

CALLUM

S heena stiffens in my arms, then goes limp. Finding her in situations that leave her bloody and unconscious is getting really old.

I flex my foot, shifting gears and upping our pace. With the weather and terrain, I’m stretching both my senses and the engine to the limit. Obviously, I don’t want to wrap us around a tree, but she’s so cold. I can’t shake the feeling that I need to get us back to the house as quickly as possible.

We’re back in half the time it took me to find her. I whip the ATV to a stop by the porch and climb off with Sheena cradled in my arms. We’re both soaking wet, and the position is awkward, but she doesn’t stir at all, even as I juggle her in my arms to open the door.

I’m scared of the physical toll her magic took on her body. It doesn’t make sense. If I spend too much energy without consuming lust to replace it, I feel fatigued, maybe even a little nauseous. But I don’t think Sheena has used her power in years. The nosebleed, the fact that she collapsed like a rag doll—that’s not normal for any supernatural species I’ve ever heard of.

Maybe she's sick.

That thought sends a chill down my spine, and I tuck Sheena a little tighter into my chest. If she stays, she's going to have to tell us something tomorrow. I’m fucking over this secret drama.

Gideon is lying on the couch doing his best to appear uninterested. As I stomp past him, his nostrils flair. “Blood,” he shouts, lurching to his feet. I roll my eyes as he vaults over the couch with a growl.

“Yeah, she’s got a nosebleed,” I say, raising my eyebrows. “Her power output really drained her. Maybe that’s normal for her, maybe it’s not. I don’t know why you care, though. I thought you were done.”

Another angry sound escapes his throat. Gideon is as stubborn as they come, but he won’t like the thought that something might be wrong with her. Too bad I’ve known all his buttons since third grade.

“I’m taking her to my room.” I step around him. “I want to be close in case she wakes up and needs something."

His eyes flare golden, but he says nothing.

“If you don't want to deal with it,” I say, applying some strategic pressure with a blank look. “I can tell her you're not interested and help her pack up in the morning."

An enraged roar explodes behind me as I hide my grin and climb the stairs. Gideon doesn't follow me up, but that’s fine. I gave him plenty to think about.

I lay Sheena down on my bed. She looks good there, like she belongs, but I can't focus on that. My incubus may burn for her, but someone has to remain logical if we're going to untangle this mess tomorrow.

I slip her shoes off, clean the blood from her face, and swap her wet clothes out for some of my coziest sweats. If she still wants to leave tomorrow, I'll keep my promise and help her. Even if it hurts.

After a quick shower to shake off the cold, I throw on a pair of flannel pants and climb into bed beside her. Sheena’s hair lays in chaotic tangles across the pillow; it’s so wet it looks black in the darkness of the room. She looks innocent and peaceful in her sleep. The small smiles, the teasing smirks, and the frozen, fear-filled expressions all fade away, leaving behind a beautiful but exhausted woman.

She’s my filthiest fantasy and Gideon’s fated destiny. I have no right to want her, but I’m starting to fear that I no longer have a choice.

I wake up with Sheena wrapped in my arms, her back to my chest. From her shallow breathing and the rigid way she holds herself, she's already awake and no doubt feeling prickly about our bodies’ decision to cuddle up in our sleep.

“Good morning,” I manage to say. I’m determined not to let her overthinking screw us over right away. She turns her emerald eyes to me, and I’m relieved to see that they’re cautious but clear.

“You came to get me,” she whispers. It's a prompt, not a question. I think I’m starting to be able to read her tells. She still sounds wary, but some of the fear is gone from her voice.

“I did.” I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Things got out of control yesterday. We all need to talk. Figure this shit out.”

Sheena huffs at that, but I don't acknowledge her skepticism. I’m on a mission now, and nothing is going to get in my way.

“Why am I in here?” She looks around my room, unable to hide her curiosity as she checks out my space. I sit up, pushing back the covers. I’m only slightly irritated when she doesn’t seem to notice my naked chest at all.

“I didn't want you waking up in the middle of the night and bailing out the window again. I think you can agree we all deserve some answers.”

Sheena looks at me then, searching my face for a long moment. Her silence unnerves me, so I do my best to return the favor, hopping out of bed and stretching.

“No time like the present, I guess,” I say, faking a yawn. “Let's go find Gideon and hash this shit out. If you want to take off after, I'll give you the keys to our spare car. You can walk right out of the front door, no acrobatics required. I know you didn’t want to leave your boots behind.”

“You don't have to give me a car, Callum.” Sheena sits up. “Neither of you owe me anything. If you just drop me off near a main road, I’ll be fine.” She trails off at whatever look must be on my face.

Is she fucking for real with this shit?

“I told you last night I'd give you a car. I know life has taught you differently, but you can trust me.” She doesn’t argue, which is a small win. But I can't tell if she actually believes me or not.

I get dressed in silence, making no effort to hide my body from her. I would never use my powers to control her, but there's nothing wrong with giving her a little taste of what she’ll be leaving behind.

A tingle runs down my spine.

Lust. Sheena’s lust. I drink it in. Even this small taste of her desire is delicious. Our eyes lock. Her pride won't let her back down from me, so I put on a show, knowing she’s glued to my every move. I slowly pull up the zipper of my jeans. Her eyes stay frozen on my crotch.

“I can take them back off if you want,” I tease her, loving the blush that floods her pale cheeks.

She jumps out of bed, swaying slightly on her feet and grabbing the nearest bedpost. I’m prepared to help her, but her vertigo passes quickly. Irritation and embarrassment war for control on her face, but standing there in my room, wearing my baggy sweats, she’s what my dreams are made of.

I can’t believe how badly I want to beg her to stay.

I chuckle to cover my desperation. She storms from the room then, tossing her long, tangled hair over one shoulder. Good. I prefer her sassiness to her fear and apathy.

I trail behind her as she rounds the corner and barrels right into Gideon. He's shirtless, as usual. Instead of wrapping her up in a hug, he sets her back from him in a way he's never done before. Sheena’s face wilts, and she shifts her weight uncomfortably.

I’m clearly fighting an uphill battle here. The path forward is littered with obstacles for all three of us, but I don't know how to fix things if neither of them is willing to get out of their own way.

“Living room?” Gideon asks, ignoring Sheena completely by looking over the top of her head at me.

“Sounds good to me.” The chipper note I force into my voice is obviously fake, but no one calls me on it. Walking around them, I hand Sheena her phone as I pass her and lead our procession down the stairs. “Ciprian has been trying to get in touch with you. He's threatening to come up here if he doesn't hear back by lunch.”

“Okay. Thanks . . .” Sheena murmurs.

I sigh, tired of the eggshells we’re all stomping around on.

It might take a miracle to fix this.

SHEENA

My face is still burning from Callum's teasing. Why is he acting like we aren't teetering on the edge of disaster?

I scrape my hair into a rough bun on the top of my head as I walk down the stairs. The strands are coarse and twisted from the storm last night. It probably looks like a family of birds are nesting in it, but that doesn’t matter right now.

I don’t think I can fix this, and I’m not sure I should. Hell, the brief look I had of Gideon’s face outside of Callum’s room made that clear. I've been around ice cubes that were warmer.

In the living room, I perch on the edge of the couch while Gideon folds his massive body into a lounge chair. Callum the Oblivious slaps his thighs as takes a seat on the other end of the couch. He’s put several feet of space between us, so we’re all positioned in a rough triangle.

“I guess I'll kick things off,” Callum says, cutting into the tense silence. “Sheena, to start, can you tell us what we should do to avoid accidentally triggering your powers again? I don't want you to get hurt, or Gideon to end up floating off to space or something.” He’s making light of it, which is kind, I guess, but I can’t find any humor in the situation.

“It’s pretty simple,” I begin, staring at my hands. “No saying ‘I wish.’ That's the only catalyst I know of.” I look up, bracing myself. It’s the first time I’ve uttered that phrase out loud since I turned sixteen. I wait, terrified...

Callum just nods, meeting my eyes with a gentle look in his own. "From what I could tell, it hurt you when it activated. Was what happened yesterday a normal reaction?"

I blink in surprise.

He noticed that? My magic is excruciatingly painful, as if whatever compels me to grant wishes is peeled directly from my essence.

“Yes, it always hurts. Some times are worse than others, but it always leaves me weak,” I say, wringing my hands. I never thought I’d talk about this. I don't even like thinking about it.

“Are you some kind of mind-controlling demon?” Gideon demands, speaking for the first time. I cringe at the bite in his tone.

“I didn't control your mind,” I snap, allowing my anger to surface and protect me. “You’re the one who made the wish. It’s not like I had a choice.” I sit up straighter on the couch, daring him with a look to keep blaming this whole mess on me.

“So you're just going to act like you didn't run for the hills the second I told you how I felt?” He scoffs. It’s an ugly sound coming from his normally laughing mouth.

Unexpectedly, tears burn behind my eyes. I stand to leave.

“Of course. Things get hard and you run. Totally on brand,” Gideon says. He points behind him. “You might as well use the door this time. I’d hate to have to replace the gutter.”

Asshole.

Even if there’s an element of truth to his accusations, it’s not like I didn’t have reasons to leave. Before I can decide whether to fight back or run from the room, Callum steps in again.

“Cut the reactionary shit out—both of you. If you keep this up, we're not going to get anywhere.” Callum turns to me. “Sheena, why did you leave?”

I’m so on edge that I actually decide to answer. “I heard you yelling at Ciprian,” I say, meeting his stare. “I knew you were mad that I didn't tell you everything. Once you saw what I could do... It wasn't safe here anymore.” I look back and forth between the two of them. “Eventually, you’ll both get tired of me, and then you’ll either sell me out or use my powers for your gain?—”

Before I can finish, Gideon explodes, knocking the heavy chair over as he jumps to his feet.

“That’s bullshit,” he roars. “You’re my mate. I’d rather sell my fucking soul than betray you. I told you exactly how I felt in that kitchen, poured my damn heart out at your feet, and you left me. ”

I flinch back from the force of his accusations, stunned speechless.

He stomps out of the room, angling his face away from me, but it isn’t fast enough to hide all the hurt I see hiding beneath his anger.

The silence that follows drags on until I'm desperate and can’t take it anymore. “Am I wrong?” I ask Callum, afraid I already know the answer.

“Honestly, we all messed up.” He rakes a hand over his face, some of his forced, positive mask falling away. “I understand why you don't trust this world; it's only ever hurt you. I also get why you didn't tell us you have some super rare wishing power.”

He slides across the couch cushions, erasing the space between us and reaching out to take one of my hands in both of his. “I was mad at first, that's true,” Callum says. “I felt like you didn't tell us because you were plotting something. Then, after I realized Ciprian was involved, I freaked out. He and I... We have some issues to work through, but that isn’t your fault.”

I nod, relieved he's explaining the anger I overheard in their conversation.

“I know Gideon is upset right now, but we still want you to stay. I promise you—we will figure this out together, but there has to be trust.” He pauses, looking deep into my eyes. “If you get scared again, that's okay. Talk to us. Gideon won't be able to handle it if you leave again, and neither will I.”

Callum’s words are his own—no magic, no coercion. Just sincerity. Unable to hold back, I launch myself into his lap, pressing my lips to his. It’s practically an attack, but if he's surprised, he doesn't show it. His soft lips immediately respond, dancing gracefully against mine. I sink my hands into his hair, and we leisurely make out on the couch like teenagers. When I finally pull away for breath a few minutes later, I know exactly what to say.

“I'm sorry, Callum,” I whisper.

“Me too.”

He presses one last kiss to my lips, then helps me stand. We both know I have another apology to make.