Chapter 8

Clarissa

When Clarissa woke in the morning, she felt much stronger than she had the day before. She could not rescue her mother if she were lying in bed, right? She stood up and looked out the window. The sun was starting to wink at her from beyond the mountains.

She got up and went to the bathroom, where she cleaned up and readied for the day. She dressed in a simple brown cotton dress- her best traveling attire. As soon as she left the bathroom, she headed to the front door. 

She was determined to get her mom back and she would have to start in town. She could find some supplies and maybe a party to travel with there. Perhaps she could arrange a hunting party to find the rogue werecats and bring them to justice.

As her hand landed on the door knob, Stefan cleared his throat behind her. “Headed out already? I was making breakfast, well burning breakfast.” He joked.

“I do not have time for that! I have to figure out how to get to where my mom is.” She said steadily, readying herself for an argument. She was a grown woman and could make decisions for herself!

“Well, you wouldn’t make such a great detective. You should start looking for clues close to home first.” He teased her lightly.

She made a sour face. “Why? Do you have something more to share?”

“Certainly my little lady. Come eat. You will be grateful later. This is a journey we are embarking on and will not be over so soon. Food gives us the strength to go on.” 

Why did he have to lecture her so?

“Fine! But I expect to know what you do before the meal finishes.” She pouted. 

It was awful of him to come at her with such logic. As she entered the kitchen, she was greeted by the most wonderful smells. 

“What are you making?” She questioned.

He lifted an eyebrow in feigned curiosity. Then when he heard her stomach grumble, he grinned. Fine! She was hungry. Whatever! 

“Strips of meat and fat fried on the fire with some of your chickens’ eggs. It makes a great breakfast where I come from.”

As she took her first bite, she was surprised at the wonderful taste. The aroma had been divine but the way it tasted was out of this world. Clarissa realized her family would never have been able to afford this, even if they were the ones raising the animals that gave their life for it. 

“Well, go on.” She encouraged impatiently, as she devoured the food quickly.

“I do not know if you remember the cats that attacked before you fell.” He spoke absentmindedly, remembering the details from the other night. “You took down the two young ones.” His voice held a note of pride.

She nodded. She remembered but the memory did not make sense to her. 

“How?” She questioned.

“You tapped into your life force and were able to channel your energy into two separate attacks. Those were some powerful moves. How much practice and training have you had?” His voice held a fake note of disinterest.

“Training for what?” She asked, finishing the last bite of food on her plate. 

He went to add more and she shook her head. No, she was full. This was more than she had ever eaten in the morning.

“For the magic that you used.” He answered shortly. 

His eyes burnt into hers. It seemed as if he truly wanted to know.

“I have no training.” She admitted. His face flashed with disbelief before he nodded his head. “I didn’t even know I could do that.”

Nodding again, he sat back in his chair as if she had confirmed what he was thinking. 

“You are a powerful energy witch. I am proud to call you my wife.” 

The pride showed in his tone of voice. She shrugged. His admiration made her feel uncomfortable. Witch was a slang term for a woman that knew how to wield their magic. 

“But you need training. It is settled!” He said, standing. 

He emptied the table of their dishes with a flourish.

“What is settled? What are you talking about?” She demanded. 

He was leaving her out of plans that dealt directly with her. Why did he have to be so frustrating all the time!

“I will train you in the use of your magic.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he continued talking. “You do not want to pass out like that again. You need to learn to control it before it envelopes you. If you were in a bigger battle like you are undoubtedly planning, you must know how to handle yourself.”

He made too much sense to disagree with. 

“Alright. But you still have told me nothing about what you know.” Exasperated, she spoke impatiently.

“Ah… yes, sorry. I got distracted by your awesomeness!” He chuckled. She scowled at him. She hated being at the center of his jokes. “Well, you  left one for me to…” he paused. “Question.”

The sound of that sent chills up her spine. What method did he use to question it? She shuddered but decided to let him speak. 

“I had not discovered that they had your mother and who they were before last night. But last night, he told me what they were searching for.”

She watched him as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently yanked the necklace out from inside her shirt. She grabbed the pendant in her hand and shook her head. 

“This? It’s just a trinket my parents gave me when I was little. Why would they want this? It’s worthless.”

He stepped up in front of her and met her eyes with his. 

“They said it is a stolen relic and the key to something incredible.” He answered with a hint of awe in his tone. 

His breath fanned her face warmly, smelling like the incredible food he had served.

Stefan’s hard masculine chest mere inches from her as his body heat caressed her skin. Clarissa swallowed against the intimate discomfort that warmed her up from the middle. 

“I do not know what they are talking about.” She argued quietly. 

He nodded. “I understand.” He spoke softly, out of breath. “Well, they would easily give up your mother- send her home if we were to bring it to them.”

She glanced down at her hand and then looked at him again from under her lashes. 

“You mean if I give them this old worthless pendant, they will just let her go without a fight?”

He nodded. He lifted a hand to her cheek and gently stroked her skin. She swallowed back the lump that suddenly rose in her throat. 

“We can bring it to them, pick her up, and make sure she gets home safe.” He promised and then ended the thought in a self-satisfied tone, “all in time for the wedding. Then we can go back to my home, and you can meet my dad.”