Chapter 16

Callie flew at Blondie, grabbing a fistful of pale hair. She yanked the woman from Sam's unmoving body and flung her away. In the confines of the small room, she hit someone else, sending them both into the wall. They slid to the floor in a heap of tangled limbs. Blondie was on her feet in a second, her eyes glowing gold and her teeth snapping like a vicious dog's. Talon like fingers attached themselves in Callie's shoulder and tore at her flesh.

Callie turned her head and bit into the wrist attached to the offending talons, tearing her own pound of flesh. A pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind to pin her arms by her sides. Someone else grabbed Blondie to hold them apart.

"Let me go!" Callie hissed, struggling to free herself from the iron grip holding her captive.

"What the hell's gotten into you? She's not hurting him," asked the disgruntled voice of the man holding her.

"Get her out of here now!" Sidney chorused from the doorway. "Why the hell is she here anyway? Didn't you throw her out last night?"

Adie arrived and shoved her way into the crowded room. Her eyes flicked between Callie and the blonde, she could feel the animosity Callie felt toward the woman, because of their bond. She knew immediately that Callie was seeing a replay of her first heartbreak in college when she found her first lover with a blonde bimbo in a compromising position.

"Callie calm down," Adie soothed. "Deep breaths, slowly in...and out...in ....and out..."

Relaxing slowly, the tension easing because of Adie's words and mere presence, Callie replied, "Just keep her off him and I'll be fine."

The blonde shook off her restrainers grip. "I can walk on my own," she spat, shooting a glare in Callie's direction. Her eyes, having returned to their natural porcelain blue, were cold and piercing.

If looks could kill, Callie thought.

We'd all be dead, Sidney finished in Callie's mind as she led Blondie out of the room.

The arms around Callie relaxed their tight hold. She swung her head to see who had held her, only to find him gone. Rick was the closest and he was staring at Adie as though spellbound. She waved her hand in front of his face and he didn't blink. He just watched, mesmerized, as Adie flung herself in her sister's arms.

"Rosemary is dead. She died fighting off a load of demon creeps so we could get away," Adie whispered in Callie's ear. "The house burned to the ground with her inside."

Callie released her sister enough so she could pull Irene into the hug. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. If I hadn't come to your home, they would never have attacked and Rosemary would still be here. I am so, so sorry."

Irene brushed at a tear rolling down her cheek. "No, it's not your fault. The demon, whose name is not to be mentioned, is completely to blame for the attack." She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "Grandma was dying of lung cancer. The doctor gave her six months and that was nine months ago. It was expected. At least this way she went with a bang like she wanted, and I was spared from having to watch her suffer."

Callie and Adie exchanged a silent agreement. "You're coming to stay with us," they said.

"If you want to that is?" Callie added.

Irene nodded. "I'd like that. I've nowhere else to go. Grandma was all I had left."

Adie placed a glowing hand over Callie's injured shoulder to speed up the healing process. She noticed Rick staring at her and frowned at him. When he didn't react, she stuck her tongue out.

Sidney burst out laughing at the sight, having just come back inside from escorting Blondie out and putting her in a taxi home with the added compulsion to stay away this time. "Can we get started on Sam now?" she asked.

The three sprang apart and Rick, having physically shaken himself free of his trance, left the room with a beaming smile and beetroot-red face.

Adie set to work placing her hands over Sam's injuries and concentrated on calling for the healing earth energy she needed to heal Sam. The effect was not what she hoped for, however, as the injuries were slow to close, even using her maximum strength.

"Cal, come put your hands by mine and try this too, maybe we can speed it up a little."

Once again, Callie felt remorse for involving someone she cared for in her own troubles, only to see them hurt because of her. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks to drop off the end of her chin and splash into the wounds on Sam's chest. A faint glow formed under her hands, becoming stronger as Adie's hands moved closer.

Together they worked until darkness fell again. It left them exhausted. They were sleeping by the time Rick returned with a blanket for Callie. He lifted her off the cold floor to lay her next to Sam on the narrow bed. He then lifted Adie, as if she weighed nothing, and carried her further into the building , up two flights of stairs and down a long hallway. He came to a stop at a closed door and balanced her on one arm while he fished around in his pocket for the key to his room.

When he finally managed to get the door open, he stepped through and kicked it shut behind him. For a moment he thought the noise would wake her, but she snuggled deeper into his embrace and sighed contentedly. He reluctantly laid her on his bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. The small, uncomfortable wooden chair by the bed would have to do for him to sleep in. He had no intention of leaving the beautiful creature sleeping soundly in his bed, even for a moment.

*****

Bright light streamed in through the window of the small room, catching the natural red highlights of Callie's hair. Sam bent his head and inhaled the smell of her. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before lying back down and pulling her closer to spoon his body to her back. She moaned in her sleep, snuggling deeper into his embrace before bolting upright and leaping from the bed with a look of disgust on her face.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, confused at her sudden movement. "I feel fine, you won't hurt me."

"You're nothing but a damn player!" she yelled, stomping from the room in search of better company.

Sam sat up in confusion. What the hell does she mean - player? he asked himself, getting up to jog after her, only to collide with Sidney as he left the room. She sprawled backwards, sliding on her ass several feet up the hallway until her back hit the wall.

"Oomph!" she squawked, the wind was knocked from her. "Hold up, where's the fire?" she demanded, picking herself up and brushing of her black jeans. She ran to catch up to him and skidded to a stop by his side. "Callie is well pissed with you. She was muttering pet names for you like jerk, asshole, player and several other not so pretty ones on her way out the front door."

Sam waved both his hands in front of him in defence. "I didn't do anything, I swear. I've only just woken up. She jumped out of bed, called me a player and ran off."

Sidney chuckled. She'd being doing that a lot since she'd met Callie. "I'll give you a hint, it starts with So and ends with phia. She'll be back in a few minutes, she just needs some air." She linked her arm through his. "Let's get you some breakfast."

"Tell me that mad cow wasn't here when I was out of it?" he pleaded, dragging a hand down his face in exasperation and rubbed the stubble on his chin.

Sidney nodded, trying to stifle a snigger at the memory and failing miserably. "Callie attacked her when she was draped all over you. She was whispering sweet nothings in your ear."

"Argh, I hate that woman." He sighed in frustration. "Has Callie told you what happened while I was away?"

"Not in words, no. I saw what I needed in her mind. She is one powerful little witch."

Callie sat on the wall outside the back entrance to the Seven Towers City Hospital, absentmindedly watching the cars come and go as she mulled over the past three weeks of her life. Visiting time brought even more people milling around and still she sat there, swinging her legs back and forth, paying no attention to what was going on around her. She was so lost in her own little world that she didn't hear Sam approach and almost jumped out of her skin when he spoke.

"Sidney filled me in on what happened with Sophia. You know I haven't been with her, or anyone else, since I met you," he tried to reason with her.

"Did you break it off with her?"

"We've never really been an item. It was more of a casual thing when I was in the area. For me it was anyway. According to Sidney, she hangs around here a lot waiting for me to show up."

"So how many other casual relationships do you have going on around the country?" she mumbled.

"They're all in the past now I have you," he coaxed, while reaching for her.

She jumped from the wall and brushed by him to head back inside. "I like you Sam, really I do. But I can't be in a relationship at the moment. There are too many things going on with my life. I don't even know who I am anymore, never mind the fact that there's a demon looking for mine and Adie's heads on a platter. I need to eat." She ran to the bank, nothing but a blur in the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun. I won't cry... I'm not crying... I do not feel sorry for myself. The wind is making my eyes sting and water, that's all, she thought, trying to fool herself. I just need to sort this damn demon thing out so everyone will be safe. Then I can get on with my life. If he's my soul mate, whatever that means, he'll wait for me. Simple.

She stopped just outside the door and straightened her shoulders. Once she finished drying the wet streaks from her face with the sleeve of her sweater, she took a deep breath to steel her resolve. Food first, then see what info we can dig up on the snake man.