Alaric's eyes, which had been misty, instantly became sharp. He slowly crouched down and hissed, "You rejected me?"

Callista shook her head quickly. She forced herself to make a sound even though her throat felt choked with fear. "No, I didn't. I'm not rejecting you. It's just... it's just, can you let me rest today and come back tomorrow?"

"It's the same thing!" snapped Alaric, suddenly gripping Callista's face, making the girl look up slightly. "I already came here, but you told me to come back tomorrow. Do you think I'm someone who can be ordered around?"

Callista shook her head slowly. The pain on her face prevented her from...