Calista - She is the main character (depicted on the cover), a human mage who wears heavy armor. She is spontaneous and easily gives in to her curiosity.

Aenaes - He is a healer, an elf and the first of the men Calista started traveling with. He is a ball of anxiety and overprotectiveness.

Vahlatok - He is an orc druid. He owns the horses that pull their carriage. He is nonchalant and levelheaded.

Glyph - He is a half-dragon warrior. He clashes with Calista a lot. He’s the smart twin.

Rune - He is a half-dragon warrior. He gets along with everybody. He is the dumb twin.

Wish- The fae creature that gave Calista her new psychic ability.

Syutae - A type of fae creature that grants wishes

 

Chapter 3: How We Met

“That’s it?” Calista asked. “It’s that simple?”

Wish nodded rapidly. “It is! And not only with your friends here. With any person you have charmed.” She smiled, amused. “Since you are quite gifted at that.”

Calista twiddled her thumbs. She shook her head slowly in disbelief. “I-I can hardly believe this. You mean to tell me that I have some sort of charm about me?”

“Not as if you intended to,” Wish answered. “I think it’s the way people bond. All of your charms seem to be rooted there.”

Calista was staring down at their feet while they walked. “If I may ask…what exactly did I do to help you? How did my energy or presence awaken you?”

Wish replied with a blank expression. “Why would you assume I knew that?” She twined her fingers coyly behind her back.

“We know some details about how magic works,” Calista reasoned. “Maybe this was one of those specific cases.” She stopped walking then Wish did as well. “And time will cease? I just use this new gift?”

“Think of it as a spell. You use magic already. It’s just a spell courtesy of our energies mixed together.” Wish tilted her head thoughtfully. “Thank you for letting me watch your new spell.”

“I’m glad to. To be honest, I agreed to that because I don’t think anything is going to happen because of the spell,” Calista muttered.

Wish grinned. She took Calista’s hand then took off running toward the camp. “Only one way to find out!”

***

Calista looked around at the partly packed campsite. The four men stopped packing their bags and the wagon. Calista skimmed their faces then she approached Aenaes. He looked at her through his disheveled purple hair. The spark of attraction and adoration for Calista ignited with their close proximity. He wore his anxiety on his face. Before the healer could stammer a question, Calista cupped his face with her hands. Aenaes held his breath.

In the mind’s eye of the elf she was taken back to when they first met. Calista watched the image of herself approach the wooden counter in the alchemist’s shop. Bottles and herbs lined the numerous free hanging shelves. Several planter boxes were beside the window with bunches of plants inside reaching toward the sunlight. From the other end of the counter Aenaes stood reading down his checklist. He brushed his intrusive fringe from his sight, then he caught sight of the young woman. He inadvertently overheard her conversation with the shopkeeper.

In an alchemy shop, Calista watched herself walk in and Aenaes instantly noticing her. The new perspective was odd since she was so task-oriented that she only took note of the shopkeeper and the bottled potions he peddled. “Hello,” Calista said. “I need glowing light oils if you have them.”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “No, I am afraid I am missing an ingredient.”

“Oh,” Calista said, disappointed.

“If you were able to retrieve what I need, I can brew a batch easily with the surplus of other ingredients I have on hand,” the alchemist offered.

“What are you missing? Is it local?” Calista replied.

“I am missing shade cap. It’s a mushroom. Purple cap, white stem. It grows nearby in caves and other damp places,” the shopkeeper answered. “Bring me some of that and I can make glowing light oil.”

“I would be happy to,” Calista replied. She bid farewell to the alchemist then made her way outside.

Nervously, Aenaes followed Calista. He ran after her, feeling emboldened by his attraction to her. “Um, ex-excuse me!” he stammered out the greeting. His stomach knotted up when Calista turned toward him. “I-I need to collect some ingredients, too. It’s difficult to do alone, so,” he dropped his gaze.

Calista looked at the purple-haired elf. She shrugged, “I could use the company, certainly.” Then she turned and continued on her way. “I’m Calista.”

Aenaes moved to catch up with her, “Aenaes. I’m a healer.”

“I’m a mage,” Calista explained.

Aenaes stole a glance at the attractive woman. His face was flooded by embarrassment and he could hardly believe he managed to speak with her, given how excitable and anxious he felt in her presence.

Calista stepped away from Aenaes. She looked into his eyes and she read the same look of infatuation in the present time that he had in the memory of their first meeting. Surprised to have one of her friends’ romantic attraction to her confirmed, she turned and looked around at the others. They were likewise concerned and they appeared to be awaiting an explanation from her.

Vahlatok frowned. “You look disturbed. What happened? What did you do?” the orc asked. He looked at the fae that called herself Wish. “If you brought any harm to Calista,” he worked himself into a huff, “I swear by the nature--”

Calista put her hand on Vahlatok’s shoulder, interrupting him. “I’m alright, Vahl,” she assured him.

“Then, what were you doing?” Vahlatok asked. When she rested her hands on his cheeks, the orc froze.

Similar happened where she was astral projected into Vahlatok’s memories. The first time he saw her she was asking a barkeep for information on stable owners and those who would accompany her on a trek. Vahlatok was at the bar when she took the stool beside him. The orc looked at her, greeted her, then called the bartender over to refill is mead.

While the barkeep refilled the orc’s mead, he glanced at Calista. “And what for you, miss?”

“Spiced wine and any information you can give me on those who offer passage to Briar Cliff,” Calista answered.

“One moment,” the barkeep said before disappearing into the adjacent room.

“Why are you going to Briar Cliff?” Vahlatok asked.

“I want armor made by the best, so I am going to Emberspeaker, the greatest armorer in the world,” Calista answered. She looked at the orc then raised an eyebrow. “Are you coincidentally heading that way for a fee?”

Vahlatok laughed. “No, I am going nowhere near Briar Cliff.” He caught the glimmer of disappointment in her expression. “Normally not,” he said.

Her expression became one of confusion. “What does that mean?”

Vahlatok fumbled with his drink. “I…I have two horses. My cart was destroyed during a storm, but they are strong, able to make such a trek if it’s needed.”

Calista smiled. “Wait, are you offering to go?”

Vahlatok’s heart thumped erratically in his ears. His mouth was dry. He looked at the petite woman beside him, then he nodded. “I-I am.”

Calista beamed. “Oh, that’s fantastic!”

Vahlatok’s face took on a deep red hue. “T-tomorrow,” he clarified.

Calista was then returned to the present. She was standing before the orc, cradling his face in her hands. The tenderness he showed her the first day they met was still in his eyes each time he looked at her.

“Calista?” Vahlatok frowned. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Calista whispered. Then she turned to the twins. They each wore a perplexed expression. She approached Rune who was closer to her. “I want to see something.” Calista looked up at the tall half-dragon.

“What are you doing?” Rune whispered.

“Calista? What is this?” Glyph asked.

Calista glanced briefly at Glyph before she delved into Rune’s memories.

“What are you looking at?” Rune asked. He shot his brother a concerned glance. Glyph had been quiet and watching something in the distance. “Glyph?” Rune called out again.

Glyph shook himself from his daydream. “There’s a young woman across the lake,” he whispered.

“Hmm?” Rune stepped past the shrubbery that obscured his view. He caught a glimpse of the long-haired woman, then smiled. “She’s pretty,” he reflexively remarked.

Glyph nodded, agreeing. “Was thinking.” Glyph stroked his beard, “With the recent wild animal attacks, she shouldn’t camp alone. Safety in numbers. Can sleep in shifts.”

Rune grinned. “Let’s invite her to camp with us,” he said, taking off running.

Glyph became tense. “Rune, we don’t know her so offering the warning may be best.” He turned to his brother to make certain the sentiment sunk in. When he realized Rune was running toward the bridge and out of earshot Glyph’s face became flushed. “Oh, no.” He picked up his axe and his bag and pursued his brother.

Calista stepped away from the twins. She gave them each an endearing smile, then she turned toward Wish. “That was certainly interesting.”

Wish flashed a devious grin. “You should keep going. The deeper you go, the more you will understand after all.”

Calista turned toward the twins once more. Fighting off the embarrassed feeling that threatened to rise in her, she rested her hands on Glyph’s cheeks. “What could it hurt?” she mused aloud.

“What could what hurt?” Glyph’s forehead wrinkled with worry for Calista. “Calista, what are you doing?”

“Seeing something,” came her enigmatic reply. As soon as she breached Glyph’s mind, she collapsed. Glyph kept her from falling to the ground unprotected. The others shouted her name then rushed to help. After Calista was safely tucked into her bedroll, Glyph approached the flittering fae creature. “You are going to tell us what you did to her,” he threatened.

“I didn’t do anything,” Wish replied.

Glyph wrapped his fingers around the fae creature’s tiny body. “I will crush you into a fine fae powder if you don’t talk.”

Wish struggled to free herself from the half-dragon’s grasp. After tiring herself out, she sighed, defeated. “She’s tired from using too much magic. That’s all.”

“It had better be,” Aenaes said firmly.