I didn’t respond and he growled low in his throat - an animalistic sound. His hand moved from where it rested on the bed beside my head, to grip my chin in punishing fingers. Oh God, he really was mad. “Answer me.”
“I don’t care what you want, Calix, or what my duties are.” I felt tears mist in my eyes as I stared up at the man I thought I’d been falling for. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Calix was a monster. He was a cruel man without a heart. “You can punish me, you can hurt me or force me - I don’t care anymore.”
For a moment, he watched me. His blue eyes were dark - like the night sky - and then his lips moved into a terrifying grin on his face. “I thought you would say something like that.” He lifted himself from where he’d placed his body against mine before standing beside the bed. Reaching down, he grabbed my wrist in his hand before tugging me from the bed.
I found myself thanking small mercies that I hadn’t changed out of my clothing before going to bed. What I really couldn’t believe was that I had slept the entre day away. I wasn’t exactly certain of the time, but judging from the dark sky and twinkling stars outside, it was late - or early. Jeez, to sleep so long, I would have had to be truly exhausted.
My wayward thoughts disintegrated as Calix’s hand tightened on my wrist. I realized with a lurch of my heart, that he was leading me to the sitting area of the bedroom. Good God, what did he want from me now?
I hadn’t seen the man in six days and this was the homecoming attitude I received? After our last conversation, this was how he acted toward me? He hadn’t said anything about my father. He hadn’t told me anything, apart from the fact that my father murdered his parents. The man, who gave not only me life, but my two sisters, wasn’t a murderer. It didn’t make sense. How could a man who loved my mother, a woman with such a gentle and loving soul, be a killer? It just - the link between the two hadn’t connected in my mind, and I seriously doubted that it ever would.
Calix led me past the chair before pointing to the stretch of a couch. On the coffee table, facing the couch was a silver laptop. It was open, but the screen was black - sleeping.
“Sit.” Calix commanded.
I obeyed. Something in his tone told me not to argue with him right now. I was all for pushing my boundaries and hoping I irritated him enough to let me go, but I also had enough sense to know when I needed to just sit quietly like the good girl he wanted me to be. This was one of those times. I could literally feel his frustration toward me as though it were travelling on electric currents, zapping me head-on.
I stared up at Calix as he peered down at me. For a moment, he looked unsure, and then he spoke. “I would have preferred a kinder reunion with you, Nova, but again, you’ve forced me into a situation I don’t wish to be in.”
“What?” I whispered, feeling my racing heart rise in my throat until it sounded as though it were pounding between my ears. “I don’t understand?”
“Not yet, but you will.” He moved to sit beside me. I stared ahead as his large hand moved to make contact with the touchpad of the laptop. The screen glowed to life - and when I say life - I mean life.
On the screen, I saw my house. I saw Jaylah sitting on the front porch with a man - an officer of the law. They were looking for me. I felt relief pool in the pit of my belly as tears that refused to fall filled my eyes. I couldn’t hear what they were saying - I had a feeling that there was sound, but Calix hadn’t given me the luxury of hearing Jaylah’s voice.
Studying her face, I saw that she was tired. Her eyes were rimmed with dark shadows of a bruised purple and her shiny hair was pulled up in a messy bun, making it obvious that she hadn’t washed her hair in a couple days. In her thin hands, there was a cup of coffee despite the fact that it was night in Seattle as well as here in Alberta. It surprised me that Jaylah was drinking coffee, never mind that she was drinking coffee so late. She always had one cup in the morning, but never more. She claimed to be brilliant enough without caffeine - I had never claimed a superpower such as that.
Watching the screen intently, my breath hitched as the officer reached over to squeeze her hand. Her eyes flickered to the man and she smiled. It was a shy, sweet, hopeful, beautiful smile that I wished I were seeing in person - rather than over this screen.
She seemed comfortable with him - but I had never seen this man before. He was older than her, clearly, and that made me wonder, not for the first time, how old Calix was. I didn’t open my mouth or even turn to ask him, though. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen - from my little sister. I missed her so desperately, my heart ached and my stomach clenched uncomfortably.