Tender fingers caressed her back. “Selene, look at me.” She turned her face towards his. “Do you think so little of yourself to believe I would stand you up?” Her silence answered him. “Work delayed me or I’d have been here waiting. For the past few hours, I’ve counted every second till I could escape, hoping tonight, as I do every night, you’d show, and now here you are.” Kyler jumped up and reached a hand down to her. “Let’s take a swim. I’d like to see the creek make you smile for a change.”
Unable to deny her growing attraction to Kyler, Selene allowed him to draw her to her feet. Heat flamed her cheeks, and she looked away as she wobbled. “Perhaps I should just sit here.”
Firm fingers on her chin turned her head. “Do you trust me to keep you safe?”
The intensity of his gaze left her unable to form a coherent thought, but she nodded. A soft gasp escaped as he reached for the knot of her sarong. His fingers trailed across her chest, pushing the fabric aside before it fell to the ground. As if in a trance, her eyes followed his hands as they unfastened his pants and pushed them down.
A heartbeat passed before Selene covered her eyes. “Why are you naked?”
“Problem?” Kyler laughed as she peeked at him between her fingers. “It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.”
Had she? Selene refused to let her eyes drift downward. “If you mean the night I was suffering from potential heatstroke, then sorry to disappoint you, but I remember little about that night.”
Kyler laughed again. “Is that so? The perhaps you should refresh your memory.” He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “There’s nothing little about it.”
Need coiled through Selene’s body. Her nipples stood erect through her bikini top, and she squeezed her legs together against the tension building there. The pressure only made things worse. New wants and desires warred with fears and inexperience. As much as her body appeared to want to succumb to everything Kyler awakened in her, a lifetime of insecurity held her back. “Please—please don’t.”
Kyler removed her hands from her eyes, placing them on his chest. “I’m sorry. Something about you causes my restraint to flee whenever I am around you.” He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them.
“You test my restraint too. But my feelings frighten me, Kyler. Your presence is all consuming and when I’m around you, my ability to think clearly flees. I have already lost so much in my life, I can’t lose myself as well.”
“Selene, I would never ask anything of you, you cannot give, but know I don’t plan on being anything less than myself with you. Someone once said, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’, however many it takes, I can wait.”
Selene took a deep breath. Good grief. She hoped the journey reached a conclusion long before then.
“How about we get to know each other a little better before we hit the water?” He bent to wrap a towel around his waist and patted the ground beside him. “Hello, my name is Kyler, I’m a nature lover and I prefer animals to people,” He winked at her. “Present company excluded of course.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
“I have two brothers, and we moved back here a few months ago. Your turn.”
“Um...okay, I’m Selene—”
“Hi, Selene.” Kyler grinned.
She fought back a smile. “Anyhow, I’m an artist, and I too like animals. Um, what else? I’m an only child and I’ve lived here for four years now.”
Kyler leaned back on his hands. “See, in the space of two minutes we’ve increased our knowledge of each other exponentially. But let’s step things up a notch. Are you willing to undertake a more personal line of questioning?”
Here it came. Kyler was going to ask why she didn’t talk.
He must have sense something because a frown creased his brow. “Do you want to stop?”
Selene shook her head. Now, or later, the story wouldn’t change.
Kyler didn’t appear convinced, but he let it go. “Okay, so here’s my question. What is one thing you are secretly obsessed with? The one thing you cannot live without?”
“I—ah.” The unexpected question threw her. “If I had to admit to something, it would be... hot cross buns.”
He stared in disbelief. “Hot cross buns? That’s your secret obsession?”
“What? I go through like a packet a week between New Year and Easter, and then it takes until Christmas to work them off so I can start all over again.” He laughed and she swatted him. “Don’t laugh. I have a problem, all right?” She shook her head as he laughed again. “Fine, laughing boy, what’s your secret obsession?”
“Well since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you,” He stole a quick glance around, before leaning in close. “I’m obsessed with—” he paused for dramatic effect, “being naked.”
Heat flared on Selene’s cheeks and Kyler burst out laughing.
Walked right into that one.
To Kyler’s credit, he took pity on her. “All right, all right I’m done teasing for now. We’ve done the getting to know you bit, I vote we go for a swim while we still have an hour of sun.” Kyler jumped to his feet and tugged Selene to hers.
She barely had time to avert her eyes before he discarded his towel to stand there buck naked once more.
“Now, one of the simple pleasures I enjoy most is swimming naked. I wager you’d find it rather enjoyable, but for now, having you here with me is enough. Come on.”
It’s a swim Sel, nothing more. Once you’re in the water, you won’t even remember he’s naked. Yeah, like that would ever happen.
To avoid her being subjected to his bare butt, which she may or may not have enjoyed, Kyler walked backwards towards the water.
But as uncomfortable as she was that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious. Selene locked her eyes with his to prevent them from wandering. It worked perfectly until she stumbled. On autopilot, her eyes looked down to regain her footing, and there was no way to avoid getting an eyeful.
Kyler was right. Nothing little about it at all.
A hand under her chin forced her gaze upwards. “Hey, eyes up here, Missy.”
Embarrassed, Selene dropped his hands and raced to dive beneath the surface. The water cooled her skin, but not the slow burn taking place inside. Kyler said he’d take a thousand steps, while he waited for her to catch up. She only hoped she didn’t spontaneously combust before she got there.
More than an hour had passed since the sun had taken leave of the day. Over the past couple of hours, they’d laughed, swum, and drunk the other bottle of wine. All their conversations had remained light, devoid of anything deep or revealing. One question, however, refused to go away. Not sure she wanted to know the answer, she’d refrained from asking, but the wine overrode her restraint.
“So, how do you do it?”
Kyler turned his head in her direction. “Do what?”
“How is it you hear me? Read my mind, or whatever you do?”
Seated in the shallows, Kyler leaned back on his hands and tilted his face to the sky. “I told you. Magick.”
“Kyler.”
“What? It’s true.”
“Fine. So that makes you what... a magician?” She squealed in Kyler’s head as he splashed her.
“Some parlour trick charlatan? Please.”
The distaste that flittered across his face, and the way his shoulders tightened should have warned her to back away, but she’d drunk too much to read the signs. “So a wizard then? Like that kid ... what’s his name? Oh, did you go to—KYLER.” She cried in surprise as he scooped her the from the ground and tossed her into the creek.
“Are you done?” Standing knee deep in the creek, he didn’t appear the least bit amused.
She wiped the water from her face. “Kyler, I was joking.”
“Do you see me laughing?”
Her hands lifted in apology. “Alright... I’m sorry.”
But he wasn’t done. Anger drove him further into the water. “Come on
, Selene, you’ve lived here what—three, four years now? Surely you’ve heard the stories?”
Faced with his ire she stood silent and still.
“No one’s shared with you the macabre history of this town... my family?
She didn’t answer.
No? Well, here it is... I’m a witch. Not a magician, or a wizard, a witch. There’s no wand or words like abracadabra and I certainly don’t do tricks that end in a puff of smoke. I practice natural magick, which FYI is spelt with ‘k’ at the end to distinguish it from the other kind. With my magick I can grow anything, pretty much anywhere, control the elements, oh, and talk to animals. So as humans are mostly animals, I talk to you the like I do them. Does that clear things up for you?”
Even at a distance, she saw his body shake with fury. It rolled towards her in tangible waves, and she’d been the one to cause it. She hated it when people gave her a hard time, called her freak, and here Kyler was opening up to her and she’d behaved the same way.
Hypocrite, thy name is Selene.
“Selene, I—” Kyler moved towards her halting as she took a corresponding step back. He fell to his knees and sank into the water. “I am so sorry. I had every intention of telling you who and what I was, but not like that.” He ducked his head. “This town—besides my brothers, this town took pretty much everything from me. In fact, being back here, it’s stirred up things I’d sworn I’d put to rest long ago. Though considering my behaviour just now, I guess I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
She and Kyler weren’t all that different. If she couldn’t show him some compassion, some understanding, then she was no better than those who shunned her for being... different. But did she believe him when he said he was a witch? Perhaps the better question was: did she have a reason not to?
With slow deliberate strides, she moved to stand in front of Kyler. “Show me.”
Lost in his own memories, he didn’t respond.
Selene touched his chin, till he lifted his face to hers. “Show me.”
Kyler rose and stepped back. “Are you sure?”
Such a loaded question. Without knowing what to expect, how could she even answer him? But she nodded.
“This is what my magick can do.” He dipped his hands, palms together into the water in front of him, then drew them apart. The still creek stirred, slowly at first, then moving faster. It rushed outwards away from his hands in opposite directions. It continued to retreat from them, the water level falling lower and lower until his arms stood out from his body. Together the two of them now stood on a portion of the empty creek bed with an eight-foot wall of water on either side.
Mesmerised, Selene mind raced to comprehend what her eyes were seeing. It wasn’t possible, and yet it was right here in front of her. She could always claim the alcohol was affecting her, but her mind couldn’t have conjured this if she’d tried.
As Kyler led her back to the bank, she trailed her fingers through the walls of water standing taller than their heads. Hands on her hips, he stood behind her, both facing the water. Careful to keep his body from touching her, he leaned forward. “Snap your fingers.”
Selene looked over her shoulder at him confused.
He thrust his chin towards the water. “Go on.”
Tremors rippled through Selene’s body as she turned back and raised her hand.
Snap.
Water tumbled into the void.
As it rushed towards them Selene jumped back, crashing into him. Kyler’s arms went around her to steady them both. Adrenalin coursed through her veins and she trembled against him, but wonder lit her eyes as she turned to face him.
“Magick.”
In the moonlight, the vulnerability written on Selene’s face touched something deep inside him. She reminded him of many of the animals he’d encountered over the years; wary, but curious at the same time. Kyler had developed and endless sense patience because of them. Time was the key to winning their trust and instinct told him, Selene was no different. He’d meant what he’d said. He’d wait, as long as it took.
Her innocence drew him, like a moth to the flame. Of all the people in the world, she’d entrusted it to him. Could he expect her to come to terms with who and what he was? His world? The right thing, the honourable thing to do, was to walk away, but he couldn’t. Selene had bewitched him from the moment he’d seen her and walking away was no longer an option. If it took the rest of his life, he’d do what it took to win her trust. Starting now.
4
“Yo, Kyler. Wait up.”
Hand on the door Kyler debated ignoring his brother. Selene was waiting, and he was late. “What’s up? I’m in a hurry.”
You’d have been forgiven if you thought you were seeing double, as Kyan strode towards him. Both stood 6’4” in height with olive skin and toned physiques. They each sported waves of short black hair, and a five o’clock shadow. Only one small difference set them apart; their eyes. Warm golden amber for Kyan, and bright emerald green for Kyler. But if two weren’t enough for you, Kyllian, with his piercing blue eyes, rounded out this family of three.
“You’re always in a hurry these days. We barely see you anymore. If you’re not at the reserve, you’re off splashing about in the creek. Tell me, brother, what is it that draws you there every evening?” He held still as Kyan’s eyes roamed over him. “Although judging by the tendrils of pink in your aura, perhaps I should ask whom?”
Kyler sidestepped his brother’s fishing. “Did you want something?”
“Just checking you’re still good to fly out Saturday? Big brother is insisting we both be there though he wouldn’t say why.”
Damn. The timing of this year’s trip sucked. Their annual trip, while not mandatory or anything, was one thing they normally did together. Kyler didn’t want to bail on his brothers, but he was making headway with Selene. “Perhaps for a few days,” he hedged. “I’m not sure how long I can be gone from the reserve.”
Kyan smirked, his eyes flickering over Kyler’s aura once more. “Right, the animals. However, will they survive without you?”
He opened the door. “Whatever.”
“If you’re torn, why not invite her along? Or is a him? I wouldn’t judge. The more the merrier.”
Kyler’s step faltered. Invite Selene to go with them and ruin everything? Not bloody likely. He glared back over his shoulder, and raced out the door, Kyan’s laughter chasing him into the night.
Oblivious to his approach, Selene continued to sketch, her skilled fingers moving across the page. As he watched her the day’s frustration melted away, bringing a smile to his face. While he might not be ready to admit it aloud, pretending he hadn’t fallen for Selene was pointless. Kyan had glimpsed the evidence in his aura already. The shy, little artist enchanted him. When her pencil paused, he sat behind her, sliding a leg on either side of hers, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Startled the pencil fell from her grasp. Through a veil of silver blonde hair, she smiled at him over her shoulder. “How long have you been there?”
He buried his face into her neck. “Not long enough. Sorry I’m late.” As she pushed the book from her lap, he gripped the edge. “May I?”
Selene chewed her bottom lip but didn’t resist as he folded back the cover, nor when he leaned over her shoulder to look.
“Your parents?” The question didn’t need asking. From the page, strangers stared up at him with eyes like those that had filled his dreams for weeks. “You look like her.”
“Really?” She traced her outline of her mother’s face.
“How long has it been?”
“Twenty years. This Easter, it will be twenty years since my parents died.”
“Brothers? Sisters?”
She gave the slightest shake of her head.
A familiar pain spiked in Kyler’s chest. “I also lost my parents at a young age, but I had my brothers to help me through it. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you to do it alone.”
; “I was in the car with them, the day they died. The rain was coming down so heavily, it was near impossible to see anything. Back then I was a curious child, always asking questions. The church we attended held an Easter egg hunt every year after the service, but that year they’d had to cancel due to the rain. So now, in addition to the rain, my dad had to deal with one disappointed daughter peppering him with questions the whole ride home.”
“Why did God let it rain on Easter when he knew were having an Easter egg hunt?
“How did Easter bunny know we’d be at church?”
“How did windscreen wipers work?”
“Who thought them up?”
“Each new question made me think of another and I continued to blurt them all out even though he asked me several times to be quiet, and that he’d answer all my questions when we got home. But quiet and I weren’t acquainted.”
“He turned to look at me and raised his voice. ‘Enough, Selly’. I still remember the shock of him doing that. For all the millions of questions I threw at him on a daily basis, he never lost his cool. Never.”
In his arms, Selene trembled, and he pulled her closer to his chest to warm her. As if his magick might chase away the chill of her memory.
“He’d looked away no longer than a few seconds. A few precious seconds, but that’s all it took to veer off the edge of the road. Dad must have panicked and over corrected because the car spun out of control. There wasn’t even time to scream before a loud bang, drowned out the sound of the rain.
“Afterwards I blamed myself. If hadn’t been talking, if I’d just been quiet, like he’d asked—so I was. Everyone said it was just the shock and I would speak again once I came to terms with things.” She laughed softly. “But I was a stubborn child. About a year later, I met Emme.”
Selene flipped the sketchbook over and opened the cover. Images of a young woman, at various ages, covered several pages. “Because of what I’d been through, and my refusal to resume speaking, they made me see a counsellor on a regular basis. One day, another girl was there, waiting with her parents. I’d seen her a couple of times before. From across the room, she waved to get my attention before she started awkwardly moving her hands. I had no idea what she was doing, but she did it again, and this time she spoke.”
A Paranormal Easter: 14 Paranormal & Fantasy Romance Novellas Page 28