The Enchantress (Daughter of Darkness)

We spent the rest of the afternoon making love. It was just the way I wanted to end the day. Finally, I had to push Caleb out of the bed to go get cleaned up. He didn’t want to go, but I knew he would lose himself in his work once he was away from me. I got dressed and headed downstairs to fix him something to eat before he took off.


I decided on heating up some pasta primavera for him. I had made that for dinner the other night, it would work well now. I pulled it out and put it in the new microwave. I loved having a microwave at the house now. I had one at my old apartment. It was trashed along with everything else I owned when my place had been raided by hellhounds. Ken’s place had gotten hit worse than mine, so I really didn’t have room to complain. Insurance had replaced almost everything I owned, so I didn’t worry about it. I was just psyched that nobody got hurt, my stuff was all replaceable, people’s lives weren’t.


“Mmm, that smells good,” Caleb said, walking up behind me. I turned and faced him. He was dressed in a pair of loose fitting black jeans and a matching t-shirt. He had on his boots and was in the process of putting his belt on. He looked like he was ready to jump on his motorcycle and ride off into the sunset.


He looked great. I wanted to have another round in the bedroom, but I knew that he had to get on the road.


I fixed us both a plate and we sat down at the table. I stared at him, studying his face for answers as to how it was possible to love someone so much, yet be reluctant to commit to them. What was my problem?


“Hey!” Caleb said to me, I jumped a little because he surprised me. He smiled. “Don’t go getting yourself into any trouble while I’m gone.”


I smiled back. Every time he left me he said the same thing, and I gave my standard response. “Don’t you go getting yourself killed, while I’m here.”


“When should we tell everyone?” he asked. I knew whom in particular he had in mind. Pallo, he wanted me to tell Pallo that I had agreed to marry him, and I knew why. Caleb lived in constant fear that I’d leave him for Pallo. I tried to reassure him that he had my heart, but he wasn’t buying it.


“Soon, but I’ll pick the right time, not you,” I said to him, knowing that if I left it up to him, he’d write it in the sky.


He seemed pleased. I was too, come to think of it. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this excited. I leaned forward and kissed him softly. The doorbell rang. I pulled back from Caleb and glanced up at the clock above the stove. It was eight--that meant that the boys were here. Caleb rose from his seat and put his plate in the sink. I stood up, rinsed his plate to put it in the dishwasher that he had installed.
Men.
I heard James and Caradoc’s voices in the front hall. I wiped my hands on the dishtowel and headed out to see them.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw James standing there. His hair was bright blue, honest to God blue. Did I mention it was blue? My mouth fell open.


In typical James fashion, he started laughing. “You like it that much, huh?”


I didn’t know what to say. “It’s umm, different.” That was the best I could come up with. Cut a girl some slack, his hair was blue for crying out loud!


“That’s what I was going for. I brought some for you too,” he said, holding up a brown bag. I just stared at him. I had no plans to dye my hair blue. I didn’t know what to say. Turns out, I didn’t have to say a word. Caleb handled it for me.


“James?” he said sternly.


James looked at him and gave him a devilish grin. “I was just takin’ a piss, geesh, you two--party poopers. I swear sometimes that you’re older than I am.”


I had to refrain from making fun of the fact that a two hundred year old British vampire just used the term party pooper.


“I am older than you,” Caleb said dryly. I had been getting the impression that Caleb was becoming more and more annoyed with James lately. He was fine with James when he first starting coming over, but as of late he was coming off as being, well--jealous. That was silly. I had no interest in James that way. He was one of my closest friends.


I walked over to James and took the brown bag from his hand. There were several DVDs in it and two boxes of temporary hair dye. They were both pink, flaming flamingo pink to be exact. I pulled one of the boxes out and looked at the back of it. It said that it only lasted for a few hair washings, neat.


“Cool,” I said, and stared up at James, my eyes wide. “Let’s do it.”


Caleb shot me a look of astonishment. “You’re not serious Gwen? You’re not going to listen to this idiot are you? He’s not shut his gob once since he walked in the door.”


James perked up. “Hey, who you callin’ a gob?”


I glanced at James sideways. “It means mouth, and I think Caleb may be onto something!” James gave me a huffy look and then grinned from ear to ear.


“The very fact that you have to translate for the eejit should tell you not to let him go dying your hair.” Caleb looked past me, at James, and smiled. “Yes, I called you an idiot, just in case you needed it in dumbass terms.”


“It’s just temporary, Caleb, besides it’ll be cool. Maybe it will help me feel a little better, you know perk me up a bit.” I touched my hair and pulled it out in front of me. It hung all the way to the start of my rear end, and as of late was losing its luster. I did need a change, nothing permanent though--this was perfect.


Caleb pulled me aside, and looked down at me. “Gwen, are you sure you’re feeling alright? I mean, I don’t want to take off and come home and find you full of tattoos or something.”