A Match Made in Hell - Calbrina

Chapter 3

"Is there a specific reason why we're walking to this place instead of just teleporting there?" Caliban asks, pausing when we get to the forest's entrance. "I'm not complaining, my lady. Just curious."

"It's not that long of a walk, and besides, based on your previous entrances and exits, you probably need the cardio." He huffs a laugh at that and I motion my head at him, continuing on the path. "Come on, the sooner we finish dealing with all this, the sooner we can come to an agreement. I'll even talk to you if you promise not to suck."

"Well, how could I say no to that, Princess?" He smiles at me and follows.

This is my opportunity to learn more about him, and see if marrying him would even be a good idea. "So, how old are you?"

"I'm not sure. As you know, time works differently in Hell. All I know is that I've spent a lot of time studying and training to rule." Caliban smiles a little then, "I did often find myself at the beach."

I turn my head to look at him. "The Shores of Sorrow. That's where we first met, you know."

"I remember, my Queen."

Satan, why does he always say things like that, I think to myself. It's as though he's trying to convey something in his words, but I can't manage to decipher what. As we pass through the woods, I take a moment to fully process the beauty of him. Sure, I knew he was generally good looking, and occasionally butterfly inducing, but I never let myself appreciate it before. Green eyes and dirty blonde hair that makes my hands flex with the sudden urge to run them through it. Surprisingly Caliban is wearing a t-shirt, but he's without one so often I know he's wonderfully toned underneath. His arms are at his sides, muscles apparent enough to show that he could easily pick me up.

Stop it, I think to myself. We've got a job to do, and all these feelings will have to wait.

"What kind of food do they have there?" I ask next. "After all, if I'm going to think about living there, I have to take everything into consideration."

"You could have anything you'd like, Princess, though you might have to tell the staff."

"Caliban, you do know you can call me by my name right?" I start to laugh when it dawns on me. "In fact, I don't think you've ever called me Sabrina before."

Before he has time to answer me, we arrive at the academy. Once we get to the entrance I start looking for Ambrose and instead find Prudence saying a prayer with Dorcas's petrified body. "Prudence, have you seen Ambrose? We need his help with something."

"Oh, wow, that didn't take long." Nick interrupts, while sitting on one of the staircases. Obviously he can't stay away from the spotlight for too long, so he gets up towards me. "Guess I was right."

"Right about what, Nick?"

"About you and your friend here. I knew it the night of the carnival."

"Caliban is helping me save Roz." I tell him, though at this point, my love life is none of his business.

"It's okay, Spellman, you don't have to lie to me."

And it's the condescension in his voice, the way he's talking to me as if he's just caught me in a lie, that makes my resolve crumble into dust.

"Lie to you? I have never once lied to you about anything, Nick. Unlike you, who lied to me constantly, when you weren't cheating on me."

I hear Prudence in the background saying, "She does have a point, Nicky," but I don't even care, focused on the pathetic excuse of a warlock in front of me.

"And I am sorry. I am truly sorry you went through what you did. Everyone on this planet owes you a debt they can never repay, but you're not a martyr, and you're not an innocent. And don't ever disrespect me again, or you can forget about us ever being friends."