“I imagine he was glad to have the help. We ought to do something about that.”
“Caleb’s still at the hospital, working with Lisa. MacDuff will survive until he’s able to get back here.” She paused. “Providing Caleb doesn’t find something else he wants to do.”
“Santara?”
“He hurt Lisa. Caleb loves her. Do the math.”
“I already have. I remember what Caleb did to Jelak after he killed his sister Maria.” Eve was silent. “MacDuff might have to do without Caleb.”
“So be it. He’s not irreplaceable.”
“He only thinks so.” Eve was laughing. “I believe we’ll have to show him he’s wrong. In fact, it’s already in the works.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I have go now. Joe is on the other line. I’ll have to break the news to him that you don’t need him to find Lisa. But I believe I can substitute something that will mollify him. Love you. Bye.” She hung up.
Jane was smiling bemusedly as put down her phone. Those last few sentences had been a bit cryptic, and Eve was seldom cryptic. She was always honest and aboveboard. Oh, well, not to worry. Eve had sounded cheerful enough. She would ask her what she meant when they next talked.
She got to her feet and moved down the hill to the campfire. She’d grab a cup of coffee and go back to the north bank and see if she could help again. As usual, the mist was calling her.
Cira was calling her.
We got Lisa back, Cira. Maybe you already know that. Do you care? She’s just as contrary and difficult as I thought. But she knows about love and sacrifice, and that might even the balance. I think it would for you.
The late-afternoon breeze was ruffling the surface of the lake and turning the mist into shifting phantom figures. Jane cradled her cup of coffee in her two hands and gazed into the mist, trying to see if one of them was Cira.
Her phone rang and she looked away from the lake to the ID.
Caleb.
She accessed the call. “Is she okay?”
“Fine. Healing fast and becoming more difficult with every passing minute,” he said. “She wants to see you. Can you come right away? If not, I’ll put up with her until you can. But I really need to get away from her before she—” He laughed. “She threw her pillow at me. I don’t believe she’s supposed to be able to do that in her condition. Perhaps she’s even better than I thought. Except for her foul temper.”
“But you want me to put up with it?”
“Fresh blood.”
“That’s between the two of you. I prefer to keep mine intact.”
“Are you coming?”
“Yes. You knew I would.”
“Yes, I did.” He chuckled. “I promise I’ll give her a lecture on how to treat guests.”
“Which will only antagonize her.”
“Exactly. But she has to learn how to handle it. She’s clearly not been properly taught by all those schools and tutors. Which she blames solely on me.”
“And probably rightly.”
“Possibly. I’ll see you when you get here.” He hung up.
She threw the remains of her coffee into the flames after pocketing her phone. Then she started up the hill to her tent to clean up. It appeared she wasn’t going to be spending the rest of the day with Cira, but with an equally challenging female. She was actually looking forward to it.
After all, anyone who would throw a pillow at Caleb couldn’t be all bad.
*
“At last,” Caleb drawled mockingly. “You took your time. Have you no sense of my suffering?”
“I thought you’d survive,” she said as she walked into the hospital room. “I had to clean up. I spent the morning down in the mist with Jock and MacDuff.”
“And Cira.”
“Yes, and Cira.” She looked at Lisa. “You look much better than when I left yesterday.” It was an understatement. Lisa’s eyes were bright and alert and she was only a little pale. “How do you feel?”
“I want to leave here.” She looked challengingly at Caleb. “I should know when I’m ready, shouldn’t I?”
“No,” he said. “I should know. And you’re not and you’ll leave here tomorrow after I find a safe place for you. Right now, I need to go and shower and change and make a few phone calls.” He turned to Jane. “I expect Lisa to be here when I come back.” He glanced at Lisa. “And I expect Jane to be happy with you and not telling me that you misbehaved.”
“Children misbehave.” Lisa met his eyes. “I’m not a child. She’ll have to take her chances.”
“No, you’ll have to take yours,” Jane said with a smile as she dropped down in a chair beside the bed. “Run along, Caleb. We can get along fine without you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he murmured. “Enjoy.…”
The next moment, he was gone.
“I really do need to get out of here, Jane,” Lisa said immediately. “You can see I’m doing well and I—”
“Don’t test the waters. I agree with Caleb. If I didn’t, we could talk about it.” Jane leaned back in her chair. “But what we could talk about is the real reason you want to leave here.”
“Because it’s sensible for me to do it when I don’t need to be here any longer. I’m a little weak, but I can take care of myself.”
“Caleb doesn’t think so. What does one more day matter?”
She grinned. “I get impatient. It’s my nature. So convince him to spring me from this place.”
Jane tilted her head and gazed at her. “Is that why you couldn’t do without my company, and I had to run, not walk, here? I thought it was a little strange. Caleb seemed to be all you needed or wanted.”
Lisa’s smile faded. “I did want to see you. I wanted to thank you. Seth wasn’t pleased with me that I used you and put you in danger. I told him I didn’t want to do it. I like you.”
“But you love your brother.”
“Yes,” she said jerkily. “I love Seth. I had to save him, no matter what.” She lifted her chin. “I can see why you wouldn’t understand.”
“I can understand. I just regret being in the middle of your problem.” She met Lisa’s eyes. “And I believe that if I’d been hurt or killed because I was trying to help you, you’d regret it, too. You try to be very tough, but you couldn’t feel as strongly as you do about Caleb if you didn’t have some empathy for people around you. Though you do try to hide it. I think if you made the wrong choices, it could devastate you.”
“It couldn’t be a wrong choice to save Seth,” she said flatly. “Who else will do it? Everyone else has someone to reach out to when they’re about to fall into a pit. Not Seth. There’s never been anyone there for him. Not even me. I was too young. He wouldn’t let me fight for him.” She gazed at Jane defiantly. “But I’m here now and he’s promised he’s not going to send me away. I’ll try never to involve you again, but you have to know that he has to come first.”
“I’m not arguing that point.” How could she? The passion and intensity of the girl was overwhelming. “Hopefully, you won’t need me again and the question will be moot.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. What if you need me?”
Jane blinked. “What?”
“Well, you helped me, didn’t you? I couldn’t not help you if you got in trouble.” She frowned. “Though I hope you don’t. It could be very inconvenient.”
Jane’s lips twitched. “Sorry. I’ll keep that in mind. But I usually can take care of myself.”
Lisa nodded. “And when you can’t, Seth would be there for you. His link with you is very strong.” She tilted her head curiously. “Do you sleep with him?”
“That’s not a question you should be asking. Very rude, Lisa.”
“Is that a yes?”
“No,” she said. “Our relationship is complicated. Caleb and I have known each for a long time and that’s probably the reason you could link with me.”
“I don’t think so.” She shrugged. “It would have to be stronger than that. I just thought that sex might be it. Seth probably sleeps with lots of women, and you’re beautiful.” She gazed at Jane appraisingly. “More. You have character. Seth would like that.”
“I hate to break it to you, but the decision wouldn’t rest solely with Caleb,” she said drily.