All's Fair in Love & Magic

Chapter Six

All of the wolf skin shed away, revealing bare, human flesh, tanned from sun exposure. Goose bumps broke across the skin in reaction to the transformation. Blonde hair and well-toned muscles were piled in the middle of Kaius’ living room.

            Kaius grabbed the blanket from the couch and threw it over the naked Ephraim. Ephraim’s body began to float, the blanket hanging around him. He drifted over to the couch where the blanket folded around him and his body descended to the soft cushions.

            There was some time before Ephraim came to, allowing Kaius to gather her thoughts. When Ephraim came to and fled, how long would it be before she saw him again? Would she ever see him again? This was the last time he could make that transformation and come back… if he did this again….

            There was movement on the couch then. Ephraim woke up. His arms shifted and his head rolled.

            “Good morning, sunshine,” Kaius spat.

            Ephraim shot to a sitting position, keeping one hand on the blanket around his waist. He turned to see Kaius sitting against the couch he was on.

            Ephraim sighed. “Oh, Kaius!” His free hand smashed his face. He was already stressing.

            “What are you doing with yourself, Ephraim?” Kaius demanded. “How many of these monsters did we terminate in our day? Why do you do this?”

            Ephraim did not answer her right away, he did not know how to. How did he explain that every time he saw her, he relived everything that had happened with his wife? That every time he watched her move, he saw the end of the Wizards in the Great War? You just did not explain things like that to the woman you love—especially since she had no idea how you felt.

            “I won’t do it again,” Ephraim whispered. “I promise.”

            Kaius stood up, tears in her eyes. “I wish I could believe you.” She stormed from the house, slamming the door when she left.

            Ephraim sighed and threw the blanket off of him. He walked to Kaius’ room and opened the closet—in the back Kaius always stored clothes for him. He dressed quickly but as he turned to leave, the shadows on the wall began to shiver and stretch.

            Ephraim slammed the closet door shut, attempting to lock the shadows in. It did not work. The shadows found the crack under the door and entered the master bedroom. The shadows that were already in the room began to transform and take on the body of a man. A man Ephraim knew all too well: Jacob Kellogg.

            “Good day, Your Majesty,” the figure spoke. It was not Jacob in the flesh, just his shadows taking his form for whatever purposes he needed.

            “Don’t call me that,” the Wizard hissed.

            The shadow smiled. “My apologies.” Jacob bowed. “I only came to remind you that the Dream Walker is looking for you three. He chased after that Negative the other day. That boy sure is lucky he has that Star to protect him. The Walker is closing in on Kayla. She is defenseless. Maybe you can get Jennifer to protect Kayla. That Mord should be good for something.”

            “You’re not too fond of many of our allies, are you Shadow Master?”

            Jacob chuckled darkly. “I am fond enough with the Negative to be safe from the Dream Walker.” Jacob floated close to Ephraim. “How much longer are you going to play these games with Kaius? She won’t last long when you are always in her hea—”

            With a bit of Dark lightning, Ephraim destroyed the shadows in the room, cutting off Jacob’s rambling.

            Maybe it was time to find Kayla.