Figured as much? I went back to the range where Ian and Pike were practicing. After a long week of the court on high alert and every noise setting everyone on edge, my two princes of the Seelie court were back in the range. And working together.
The girls and I hadn’t had a book club meeting since losing Lorah and not one of us mentioned it either. Sarah came to my room every morning after my bat having become accustomed to coffee and a biscuit in my bath area. Even Danella and Cyly joined us on the second day helping us to somewhat find laughter in the day.
Danella went back to reminding me daily in our girlish conversations of my virtuous need to remain chaste and ready for the groom. Harrumph!
“Maybe you’ve forgotten what it’s like,” I accused.
“Oh no dear, I remember all too well. If I could return to those days I would. That is why I will remain the “monkey on your back” as you so eloquently would put it. I never forget what it’s like and don’t want to.”
Maybe she was living vicariously through me in some small way, but I couldn’t discount that she had my best interest at heart.
Talking about anything and everything, I was surprised when the conversation came back to Pike. His past. His present. But not his future. We couldn’t predict it yet.
Girlfriends galore. Pike went through a few. When Tren got all flushed, I kind of felt bad for her. He was all kinds of bad news and she was too sweet for what I knew of Pike. I genuinely thought a lot of Pike, but he had a terrible temper and not a romantic bone in his body. Or at least not in the sense that made you giddy, just hot and bothered.
He caught us talking about him at breakfast the next morning. He zeroed in on Tren saying her newest human term I’d repeated from Caylie’s repertoire of sayings. Pike heard it loud and clear. Tren was staring, undressing him with her eyes when she whispered to me, “Heard he’s a Hot Piece of As—“
“Tren!” I popped her little mouth closed. Over the year, Tren had grown taller. She wasn’t quite human height, more like a pixie like teenager.
Pike was chuckling and shaking his head side to side. I disappeared fast and never, ever brought it up again.
Chapter Seven
answers- n. a thing said, written, or done to deal with or as a reaction to a question, statement, or situation.
Ian landed every arrow dead center while I beamed and clapped from behind him watching his hair curl damply against the back of his neck. Twice, he spun around in one giant leap and landed his lips on mine while the fifth arrow slammed into the target and stayed there longer than I wanted to show the public and I remained painfully aware of who had their eyes on us. Guessing he didn’t care, I melted into Ian a little more and returned the kiss. The second time, he spun me around and forced two giant leaps landing me on the wall in the shadows away from the watching crowd and continued the kiss. Delicious too!
“Hello my wife to be.” His lips twitched as if he fought a smile.
My skin prickled in a good way.
“Well hello to you too. That was quite a hello.”
“More to come.” He swung me back around landing me on my feet as they went in the air. My stomach dropped and I grabbed my head in dizziness.
“Oh, the affect I have on you.” He was so smug.
I popped his chest and followed his footing. He led the way while I kept my eyes downcast to avoid the staring eyes that hopefully, maybe didn’t know what we were doing. Yeah right!
I asked a question about arrows to sound inquisitive and hungry for knowledge just to get him to talk for awhile but only successfully put out the fiery ego fumes of others trying to interrupt. I went with it and learned much. I even understood the concept of different end pieces for each kind of bow within the first few seconds, but for the life of me his voice just lulled me to listen hopelessly watching his lips form the words. The lips that just kissed me.
Grunt! I heard it from behind me.
I was brought out of my Ian tunnel vision moment with angry animal sounds coming from behind.
Ignoring Pike’s glare, I sauntered up to the dagger range in an extremely just been kissed awesome mood. He couldn’t do anything now that I couldn’t block easily. He could just glare away. I laughed a soft laugh like I know I shouldn’t. But…oh well.
Knowing Pike, he would still find a way. And I feared that most. Dreaded it.
***
Pike was just as ornery at lunch. I still wasn’t used to him being in the court, much less coming to the table when we would leave it. I couldn’t not know, so I asked Ian days ago why he ate after us. Sometimes I could be so dense. Ian explained that Pike did surveillance while the court ate. I dumbly asked if that meant each meal. The answer was yes.
Today, he swept past me dodging Ian since he was up talking to a guard. I had to have my game on where Pike was concerned so when he brushed my shoulder with his hand sending a clear message as he lifted the charm hanging on my bracelet, I blew. Meet me!
No!
MEET ME!
NO! I jerked my hand free and blocked heavily. Are you kidding me?
He moved on before Ian returned, but not before a few table mates saw. Guess they aren’t able to talk for their help was purely absent with two Seelie princes present. They never do when it comes to Ian and Pike or it involved me outside of imminent danger.
Shaken up, I recomposed before Ian’s return but was saved by him waving at me that he’d be back. This was a wave that meant some sudden business came up that he has to attend to now, at this moment.
My thoughts returned to Pike whom I’ve ignored deep down as ever being fully important in my life. I fully decided now that I needed Pike for some unknown unearthly reason that most likely stemmed from the prophecy. I knew this. I’m pretty sure Ian knew this too. Stupid prophecy! Scratch that!
Kin was important too. The connections were there for all four of us. The scent. Increased thought patterns. Decreased thought patterns. Burning hands. Prophecies I knew about and most likely some I don’t. Burning question? What does it all mean? The magic was only getting stronger, affecting too many events everyday. I needed answers.
Chapter Eight
badger-v. ask someone repeatedly and annoyingly for something
Pike tried again at dinner, the range the next day, and at lunch a second time but this time, I didn’t escape. I had a plan though.
He brushed against me as I moved to sit at the noon meal in a repeat performance at precisely the same time the guard asked to talk to Ian. Now I wondered if Pike had planted the guard on a wild goose chase around the court since it happened yesterday and I noticed again this morning on the range.
I’m not crazy. You’re the insane, bipolar one. And I’m not deaf either. I hear things.
He acted like he was telling the guard something, but he also told me, So do I. Besides, I heard once from a good source that I was a Hot Piece of—
“PIKE!” I yelled in his face. I was so expecting a different response from him. I looked around frantic to see if anyone paid us any attention. It didn’t appear so.
I mouthed a NO before I could do or verbalize anything. I clung to his shirt and held on with the intention of forcing his antics to show in front of Ian, but it didn’t come across quite like the ideal plan I had in my head. He tried to move away from me before Ian saw. Who knows, maybe he was trying to save me from myself. And then again, perhaps not.
You’re not going anywhere buddy. Panic echoed through his blazing eyes as I balled my fist up tighter. The guard left n a hurry.
Stop badgering me.
Stop making eyes at me.
Stop trying to make eye contact with me.
Stop—
We both looked towards Ian and saw his confusion as to why I held Pike’s shirt to me. He said something to the guard without looking away and edged up beside Pike. How did he make me feel ten different emotions at a time and feel bad about it?
“Something the matter?” Ian asked with no feeling in his voice. Like he
wasn’t angry at all. Like he wasn’t plotting bad tidings. My face exemplified how unjust my feelings were to so said MEN!
Scrupulous Pike splayed both hands in the air and said, “Minding my own business when Grace here grabs me.” His wicked ways were never ending.
Ian looked at me for the answers. His glare wanted to believe or not believe but was too hard to read. So I went with not. He actually believed that …that…barbarian. “Ian, he’s lying. You would not want to know what he keeps saying to me.” I hated myself for letting him get me so worked up.
“What?” Pike looked at the people around at the table. Same people as always who never speak and always listen. “Did I say anything to her?”
I turned to Pike and said through my teeth very slowly and deliberately, “No matter how you try to rearrange it Pike, a circle can’t be bent to shape a square.” Insatiable idiot!
Every last one of them stinking shook their heads like I was the instigator. Supercilious men! Arg!
I stood, grunted, and stomped off dragging Ian with me. Very unbecoming of a queen, I know. All the while I was willing my mind to tell him the lascivious secrets Pike held, but refrained. When I told him about the specifics of his “get me alone” techniques, he was livid and willed him. Not to pop a fuse in front of me right now.
When we were far enough away from what I thought was hearing distance, I told Ian the rest of what Pike said to me while inner mind mingling. I hated to do it, but I wouldn’t let Pike lie about me. “Can you not assign him somewhere else?” I all but begged, heart pounding. No, I begged. When I’d just begun to feel comfortable around Pike like things would remain friendly with him, he backtracked on his motives.
“Grace, you misunderstand his relationship to me. He follows the current prince, but he walks freely. He only helps me, because it involves you.” A sad smile pulled up on the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Oh!
“Otherwise, he would not be here.”
His twisted, angry face changed all while he was sharing with me. I realized this wasn’t easy for him, yet I caused it. Like doesn't take orders. “Thank you.”
He suppressed a smile. “For what?”
Stroking his cheek lovingly I replied, “Telling me and not hiding it from me for my own good.” That earned me a huge amount of brownie points. Underneath his piercing gaze, I relaxed.
He kissed me, the kind I love. Slow and purposeful. A rose popped in front of me. Only one single faded to pink red rose, still red though. Where did that color come from for I hadn't see it in the court.
“I will talk with him. He is irrational sometimes, but his goal is clear.”
Ya think! “I think I know very well what his goal is, Ian.”
“Either he stops the attempted goo-goo eyes or I challenge him,” he surmised.
What did that mean? And did he say goo-goo eyes? I wanted to laugh but it was so not the appropriate time for it.
He frowned appearing apologetic and headed back in Pike’s direction. I never heard the outcome.
***
The range was still empty at night so I ventured there alone. I shot arrows, threw daggers, and attempted the sword at the dummy wall. That was funny really. I also tried my very best to avoid using magic to help my ego stay on a level that reminded me I wasn’t half as good without it. No problem there.
“You aiming to kill the dummy or make eyes at it?” He leaned in behind me pinning me to the wall with his legs. I was forced to hold the sword down by my feet and wait to be released feeling every hair on the nape of my neck rise up.
“Needed the practice to catch the eye of a hot guy I know.”
“Don’t give him what he wants; he only has one thing on his mind.” He took a bow, his bow. He stroked it soothingly in an enticing way that strangely affected me. I think he knew too. He often did the same thing when he was stressed so I couldn’t be sure since he seemed far from stressed right now.
Excitement ran through me. He pressed his lips against the back of my neck, moving my hair aside. He stayed long enough to breathe his hot air and make my body dissolve like jelly.
“Well, that’s all I’m in it for so maybe we can skip the whole love thing and just—“
He turned me around and kissed me the slowest he’d ever done just to torture showing me just how much this was all about the love and not just the lust. That was all I really wanted. He snaked his arm around me after and pulled the sword from me keeping it in his left hand as he held his right around my waist.
“You should come to bed with me,” he breathed.
“You wish, buddy!” I teased him, his eyes were on the sword though.
“Practice with the other swords if you’re so adamant to do against my best wishes. Just not this one.”
“Why not?” I asked now curious.
“This is iron.”
Oh! My eyes automatically shot to his leg where he’d been burnt before. A thought hit me like a punch to the stomach. “Wait. If that’s a burn on your leg from iron when I was there, at the party, then where did the scar come from on your chest that you said came from saving me.” And why was the sword here anyway?
His eyes darkened even in the campfire light that was burning beside us to light the range, trapping me the way they did often like I was under his spell and couldn’t look away if I tried. “It will just upset you.”
No my freaking way! He didn’t just tell me I’m weak to him, did he?
“Yes Ian. Thanks for reminding me I am just a dang girl in your eyes.” A string of not ladylike curse words went across the marquee of my brain.
“Be reasonable,” he snipped out at me.
Oh.No.He.Didn’t. “Reasonable Ian. Reasonable caught a train to Canada. Meet her peeved counterpart who wants to snap boy parts off and sterilize them to spare the future generations of learning that equal doesn’t mean jack squat.”
He looked wounded by my words, not humored. “Forgive me for trying to spare your feelings, Grace. I joyfully took the sword to my ribs the day Kinsler attacked me after he tried to take you away from me in ninth grade. He didn’t like to lose.”
And still doesn’t.
The information he’d shared suddenly dawned on me. My hand went to my mouth. “Kin did that to you?” I was being such a dang girl. And Kin just lost any ground he'd made.
“And forgive me for liking that you are a female and worth sparing. The mutuality of them go together in my eyes. I love you damn it. Would you please let me do it the right way just some of the time?” He slammed the sword into the practice cart where the other swords were kept. He vented out the rest of his anger with his back to me by hitting the top of the railing with his fist. I successfully ruined the moment.
My hand still to my mouth apologetically, “I’m sorry. I can be so stupid sometimes. I react in all the wrong ways and you are absolutely right about wanting to care for my feelings. I want you to care for my feelings.”
“Then stop doubting me.” His eyes beseechingly joined the words while swinging around now to see me. His face was hopeful again.
“”I’ve...I never doubted you once Ian,” I was miffed by his thoughts and spooled out the words, “I think you’re the most amazing man I know.” I kind of wanted to just start kissing him or something to get him happy and smiling at me again, but decided against it.
He softened his stance and held his hands out meaning for me to return to them. “Then don’t question why I do what I do since every breath I take belongs to you.”
Who could come back to that?
Chapter Nine
gutsy- adj. showing courage, determination, and spirit
Pike stayed away from court again. My wandering thoughts went a little too imaginative as I pictured him heaving it up with the Nyms, rescuing his mom from the unknown place I knew nothing about, or with a girl. Why did I care?
Danella moved about me helping to get ready for the day. As a daily task I searched out answers from anyone
who would give them. I had questions about my parents I wanted to ask and she was just the one to solicit. My parent’s past just didn’t add up with the way the Fey did things. “Danella, why was my father allowed to stay with my mother in the human world?” Presumptuous as I may have sounded, I wanted to know.
She worked out what she would finally say by way of folding the towel twice, “The queen checked to be sure he was safe to live with her.”
“How?” This was news. And I wanted the truth, not a sugarcoated historical version that others would give me.
“She made sure his memory was fully erased so he’d not be killed. She wanted him safe regardless of who he was.”
Wow! Lazyra actually did something out of kindness. I’d ponder that later so I could ask more. “If we can start our book club back, will you join us Danella?” I asked as she piled my hair up into a heap and started to pin it.
“Why Miss Grace, I am not into books like you. Tren is.”
“Oh! Will you continue to join in the mornings at least?” I straightened and took a deep breath, disappointed to not fill the empty chair.
“Of course. I would love to.” Danella was like the cool mother who kept us in line most of the time and even joined in some of the time. She just knew so much!
When another week passed and no sign of an invasion, but word from Kin said only that the Nyms and Pike came to an agreement that would have them remain on speakable terms at best, I ventured to ask Sarah about returning our book club meetings and maybe inviting the guys for the end of the meetings for coffee. Her eyes didn’t spark with the mention of books, but it did when I mentioned Bane would be invited too.
She agreed to a short novel and long term coffee drinking. She managed a smile at the mention of Bane’s name one more time.
“You are so lame. Ian will see through your ways soon girl,” Cyly laughed at my pouty lip tale of getting my way with Ian, Pike, and Kin.
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