Free 1.5 True of Blood: Kallen's Tale by Bonnie Lamer

“You’re basically giving me to a stranger who for all you know could be a homicidal maniac who’s going to kill me as soon as we’re out of sight.”
    She walks into the kitchen and she does not see me leaning against the door frame on the far side of the kitchen as she stuffs things into a backpack.  “For what it’s worth, I a m not a homicidal maniac.” 
    She gives me a dirty look.  “Like you’d admit it if you were.”
    I cannot help but smile as I incline my head .  “I concede that point to you.”
    “Great,” she mumble s .  Finished stuffing things into the backpack, she walks in my direction, presumably to walk back into the living room.   I take a moment before I move away.  I cannot help it, irking her is just too much fun. 
    She flops down into the armchair and is in full out pout mode now.  You would think she was going to the guillotine, rather than a camping trip in the mountains.  We wait in an uncomfortable, for her, silence as we wait for her parents. 
    The Cowan who helped me into the house comes in carrying the necessary items for the blood oath.  Of course, Xandra has to be told how to do it.  She looks about as happy about that as I am.  Being ignorant is apparently not her choice.  Good to know. 
    After a small amount of drama, s he does what she needs to do, then hands me the knife and I repeat the process.  Without the drama .   I put my bloody finger in the bowl and mix it with Xandra’s.  A spark of magic shoots up my finger, then all the way to my shoulder.  I have never heard of that happening before.  I believe I will keep that little bit of information to myself.   But, I would like to know what just happened with our blood.
    The Witch asks me to speak the vow and I nod in acknowledgment .  I choose my words carefully .  “I swear by this blood that I will protect Xandra Illuminata Smith’s life as I protect my own.”   If I choose to do nothing to protect my own, I do not have to do anything to protect hers.  A handy little loophole, depending on the situation.   The Witch closes her eyes and says the binding words and then it is done.
    Great, I am a step closer to getting out of this house.  The less time I spend among Witches and Cowans, the happier I will be.  Unless, of course, that time is replaced by spending time with the Witch Fairy.   I am still reeling from the fact that I got myself into this.  I continue to blame it on my physical attraction to her.  My mind is much too rational to have let this happen willingly.
    “We should go while the sun is still high ,” I say , to speed up our departure .
    The Witch starts to give instructions to everyone except me.  Perhaps it is the ‘I do not plan to be any more helpful than this’ look I am sure is on my face.  Instead, I take a seat again on the couch and wait for the melodrama to pass as the tearful goodbyes are said.  She is going into the mountains for a few days.  It is not like she gave up her entire realm, family and friends for some misguided chivalrous act that was thrust upon her.
    When all is packed, the backpacks are quite heavy.  I watch in amusement as Xandra’s aunt tries to help her put the one she will be carrying on her back.  She nearly falls over twice.  Her face is scrunched up into a cute little pattern of determin ation, as she struggles to act nonchalant for my sake.  I would take pity on her and offer to carry both backpacks, but I am fresh out of pity at the moment.  Bitterness and resentment are taking up too much room, forcing any other emotions to huddle in a far corner of my mind in fear. 
    Finally, after what seems like hours, but was really only thirty minutes, Xandra and I walk outside.  I know I am going to seriously regret this whole thing.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 9
    I beg i n the journey dressed lightly, knowing my fast metabolism and the exercise will keep me warm for a while.  As the day wears on, the cold forces me to add layers