There is a sound from the door to the safe room and I draw my knees up to my chest. Sekret shifts closer to me, feeling my unease. Faint words emanate through the door.

"Nadezhda eto son nayavu."

I swiftly unlock the door and fling it open. My grandmother's face is pale and drawn with exhaustion, but she gives me a warm smile.

"It's alright, Calli. They're gone."

I look behind her at Kai, my green eyes snagging on his. At first glance his expression appears relaxed. But if you you look again, his smile is tightlipped and there is some other emotion in his eyes. There is a spark of dread lingering there, for something that has yet to come. I give him a sharp look, twin to the ones my grandmother often uses. His smile twitches for a moment. Up or down, I'm not sure. I look back to my grandmother.

"I can go back up now?"

She laughs. "Yes, come on."

The hall is surprisingly clean. Too clean, in fact. Did they clean before they came to get me? A glance towards the door confirms it. The body is gone, along with the pool of blood that had been spreading around him.

"How bad was it?"

My grandmother's brow crinkles as she frowns. "What?"

"How bad was it, Babushka?"

She shifts nervously. "Calli . . ."

I place my hands on my hips and giver her a long stare. "Babushka. How bad was it?"

She doesn't respond, but Kai does. I shoot him a quick look of gratitude despite the turning of my stomach his words cause. "Bad enough that it would make most people queasy. I won't tell you more than that."

His look tells me that he won't argue about it. I wasn't going to try anyways. I just wanted to know something. I look back to my grandmother as something worrying flits across my mind.

"How long are we going to be safe for, Babushka? Will more come?"

Fear flashes across her face and she frowns. Deeply. "I don't know Calli, not completely. But if the message from the first man only went out to that group, then yes."

I nod. A chance at safety is better than none. My thoughts are interrupted when my grandmother speaks again.

"You're going home, Calli!"

"What, no!"

"Yes."

I scowl. "Why, Babushka?"

A tear slides down her cheek. "Because it's not safe here anymore for you. If they come back . . . They don't know where you live Calli, but they might know where I live now."

I start shaking my head at her. "I'm not leaving you, Babushka. I'm not."

She tenderly pulls me into a hug. "You're going to have to, Calli."

Kai cute in before I can repeat my protests, his smile still tinged with fear. "I could get some form of protection for her."

My grandmother frowns. "How?"

"A friend. She is skilled in that area and would provide assistance."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I would have done it anyways."

I'm frowning now in confusion. "Why?"

"Because I'm afraid that Anu still wants your soul, and I want to make sure he can't take it from you."

I pale. He still wants me? "Why?"

Kai sighs and his expression turns dark. "He thinks that he is entitled to your soul, despite the fact that I was allowed to save it." He hesitates. "Calli, I really do have to go now."

I give him a small smile and a shooing motion. I can still hear him laughing as he disappears into thin air.
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What do you think of this? What do you think the protection he gets for Calli will be? Tell me your thoughts!

Also guys, I think I'm going to roll this back to one chapter a week/weekend. I'll still try to write two, but it's really hard.

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.