Page 64 of Can you take it?

‘Have you given her sister the pendant yet?’ he asked. I knew he was feeling me out for information for his wife, but I felt her sharp presence.

‘Cal? Talk to me.’

‘What’s wrong?’ she said. ‘You feel terrible. What are all of these feelings coming through the bond?’

‘Cal, I have something to tell you that’s going to change how you think of me.’ The fact that I had been not only hiding that I was tied to her sister but that I was really starting to…like her needed to be discussed. I didn’t know how she would react, and honestly, I’d been kind of surprised she hadn’t figured out the tie thing earlier.

‘I have something to tell you,’ she volleyed.

‘Let me go first, please. When I tied myself to you, it was only able to happen because of your sister’s magic. Seelie royal fox shifters can only tie to Artemi as you know…’ I waited to feel if I would sense when it clicked for her. She remained silent and I was eager to continue. ‘Cal, I’m tied to Anna.’

‘What? How? Then how can we still talk through the tie?’

‘I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, it’s because I was using my magic when I tied to you and now that you possess my magic, there’s some residual connection that is letting us all talk where the tie once was. I don’t know; the Fates threw us a bone,’ I answered.

‘You are tied to Anna…my sister. Anna, who you think is an evil monster?’

I twisted my hands around a stick, breaking it as I leaned my head back against the tree. ‘I don’t think she’s a monster anymore… heathen, maybe’.

‘He just got aroused. Oh, disgusting, I felt it. He just got aroused talking about your sister,’ Mendax interjected like the snake that he was.

‘He did just get aroused! You did just get aroused! Aurelius!’ Cal screamed. ‘That’s my sister!’

My cheeks heated, growing a new shade of red the more I felt Cal and Mendax cringe. ‘All right, calm down.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘She is kind and gentle, fierce and brave all at once. Anyone would be attracted to her.’ I realized that even though this conversation was in my mind, my hands were moving and clenching as if I were talking to them in person. It had attracted the attention of Anna, who walked over.

‘What does she look like, Eli? Do we look anything alike?’ Cal asked.

Mendax’s presence boomed from the back of my head, causing me to flinch and thoroughly confuse Anna. ‘Why, Calypso? Curious if he still finds you attractive?’ Mendax said with a flare of jealous rage in his undertones.

“Can I sit?” Anna asked, gesturing to the ground next to me. Without waiting for my response, she sat down and folded her hands in her lap.

‘What does she look like?’ Cal asked again.

I let my eyes inspect all of her unabashedly. ‘Her skin is smooth and glowing with hair that is brown, but more like the brown of a pine cone. She has a tiny line that’s as thin as a piece of hair that stays between her brows when she squints so frequently around me. She has similar eyes to you, but they are shades darker blue. Her smile is--

“Why do you keep moving your mouth like that?” Anna asked.

I sucked my lips inside of my mouth not realizing that they had been moving. “I’m talking with Cal through the bond or tie…whatever it is. She wanted me to describe what you look like now.”

Her mouth fell open. “You’re talking to Caly right now?” She got to her knees and moved closer. “How is she? Tell her I’m here and that I say hi,” she said enthusiastically.

I remained silent as far as Anna could see. ‘She says hi, Cal. She’s in front of me right now.’

A snap of excitement ran through the bond. ‘Don’t get too excited, Caly,’ commanded Mendax.

My head smushed back, making the skin around my neck wrinkle. ‘Why was he talking to her like that?’

‘Oh my sun. Tell her I said hi, Cal said with excitement. Put your hand on her face. I want to feel her features as you feel them.’

“She says hi back,” I said to Anna. She smiled so wide, I could have counted all her teeth.

Anna grabbed my arm and moved so close she was almost on my lap. “I-I can’t believe I’m talking to Calypso,” she said in awe. “Is she saying anything?”

‘Do it! I want to feel her face!’ Cal’s voice commanded.

Somewhere in the distance, I felt Mendax titter—actually titter.

I decided to just go for it. I brushed a small section of pink and brown hair from her cheekbone and let my palm remain still on her face. “She wants me to feel your face so she can feel you—or at least feel how I feel you.”