Opposites (4)

Caleb stormed through the forest; winds whipping though the trees around him. Every animal within ten yards was nowhere to be seen.

"Kayli!" Caleb sighed and the winds died down. "You idiot."

Back at the cottage, Jay was necromancing Kayli, meaning he was making her believe false things. Kayli's insides burned, all memories of the night before forgotten. She winced as a whispered message was carried to her through the wind. She knew who it was, instantly.

"Kayli... get... away..."

"Hush..." Jay whispered, the tips of his hair on fire, but never singeing.

Kayli's anger died down at the whisper of Caleb's voice, but fired back up with the sound of Jay.

"Damn it!" Caleb shouted, the winds surging around him as fast as a hurricane. "She'll get us all killed!"

Soon realizing that destroying the trees were not going to help, Caleb surged a windstorm and carried it over to his home. All that mattered was getting Jay out of the house so Kayli could live peacefully and become a good role model for Grace.

Kayli 's anger lessened immensely as Caleb's storm reached the house, and Jay swore so loud that Kayli whirled around and slapped him straight across the face.

"You ass!" she hissed. "There is an innocent ten year old girl sitting behind you and you just had to go a swear like that?"

"Kayli, please, it was an accident!"

"OUT!" she yelled, and the winds died down almost instantly. "Now!"

Jay ran from the house, looking around to find Caleb. As he appeared out of the woods, Jay ran and grabbed Caleb by the neck, pinning him to a tree.

"Caleb, you innocent soul. Pining away for a girl who will never love you." Jay growled. "Why don't you learn your lesson and stay away?"

"The Council --" Caleb started.
"-- said nothing about be-friending your long-lost love!"

"Caleb!" squealed a voice from behind Jay.

"Hah!" Caleb muttered.

"Gracie! How wonderful to see you in the sunlight!" Jay smiled, dropping his prisoner. "I'll come and visit in a few days time, OK?"

Grace responded by kicking Jay in that place. "You bully!"

Caleb rose from the ground and scooped Grace up, telling Jay to back off. Seeing the ferocity in Caleb's voice, Jay disappeared in a burst of fire, scorching the ground where he was standing.

Kayli appeared in the doorway and smiled. "Grace!"

After carefully depositing Grace in Kayli's arms, Caleb disappeared down the hall into the bedroom leaving Kayli bewildered.

She placed Grace in the living room so she could play dolls and walked over to the bedroom. Leaning in the doorway, she watched Caleb weave air around in a mirror shape and call on Lily.

"What was the Council thinking? I bet this vision isn't true at all. With the way things are going, Grace will just end up like Kayli did, right?"

"Don't doubt the Council, and even if they are wrong, they must have had a reason for putting you and Kayli together."

"Damn it, Lily! Don't you get it? Kayli and I are so different, and we share nothing in common. Sometimes I even wonder if it was the right thing to say 'Hello' in the first place!" he pestered.

Kayli's heart sank as she overheard his conversation. She wondered if that was really him last night and not somebody else.

"So," said Lily kindly, trying to change the subject. "How was Jay's visit?"

"A usual. He tormented Kayli into believing that I was a devil and that I couldn't be trusted, so I sent a windstorm. Only, it made Jay incredibly angry because I could hear Kayli yelling at him. When he arrived outside he unfortunately spotted me and almost killed me on the spot. He spoke to me for a while until Grace went outside to play and saw us." Caleb snarled.

"Oh Caleb!" Kayli heard Lily squeak. "What'd he tell you?"

"He told me that I should give up trying to befriend Kayli and that I should back off."

Lily said nothing, sympathy all over her face.

Caleb nodded silently and whispered something that only Lily could hear and she said good-bye. After the wind mirror disappeared did Kayli notice Caleb's shoulders shaking. Kayli felt a tear trickle down her cheek, but quickly wiped it away.