“She okay?” Mallach asked.
Harm shrugged. “She looks really tired. She wants to see Rally right now.”
“Think that’s a good idea?” Mallach looked at Wolfram, who sighed.
“At this point you know her better than any of us. You can take her to his room, but warn her that he’s going to look checked out for a while.” Harm nodded. “Jean Mar, why don’t you go take a turn with Rally so Aodh can get some clothes?”
Turf laughed. “Good luck with that. What didn’t we already buy?”
Harm looked at Turf. “Don’t worry. If Aodh and I can’t get clothes, we’ll take yours.”
Jean Mar got up and gathered his match sticks.
Aodh had the TV on, but not so loud that Rally couldn’t rest and not so loud that he couldn’t hear the soft knock at the door.
His eyes landed on Harm first then flitted to Wednesday. It was the first time he’d gotten a good look at the witch Rally was willing to die for. Anybody could tell she was far from at her best, but even so, Aodh could see that she was a prize.
“Come in,” he said.
In the elevator Harm and Jean Mar had tried to prepare Wednesday for what she would see, but no one would have guessed that, given her reaction.
She rushed toward where Rally stared unseeing, unblinking at the ceiling and burst into sobs. “You idiots!” she said. “He’s not resting! He’s dead! Oh my gods! Can’t you see that he’s dead?”
Aodh looked at Harm and Jean Mar like they were idiots.
“Wednesday. I’m Rally’s friend, Aodh. Listen.” He put an arm around her. “He’s not dead. He’s recovering. Look. I’ll show you.”
He pulled her to the bed and put her hand to Rally’s neck. At first she tried to pull away, thinking they were part of some abominable death cult, but Aodh held her hand firmly until she felt something. She went stock still.
Her eyelids slid closed at the same time her lungs filled with relief. There it was. A heartbeat. Not even weak. Strong as a young athlete.
“See?” Aodh said. “He just has to be still until the tank is refilled.” She looked into Aodh’s eyes. “Because he used everything. How much do you know about warlocks?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not much, I guess.”
Aodh nodded. “Nobody wants to be powerless. Helpless. Paralyzed. Rally wouldn’t do this unless he had a very, very good reason.” He hoped she was understanding what he was getting at. “He was willing to use everything to keep you alive. Do you understand?”
As she nodded, big tears started again. She looked up at Harm. “Will you bring my bag in here, please?”
Harm looked at Aodh for direction. Aodh nodded.
“Jean Mar’s taking over for you,” Harm told Aodh.
Jean Mar took the chair Aodh had just vacated. “You both need to go get clothes before that little store closes,” he told Harm and Aodh. “We got you some boots. Wolfram has them. But before you take off, get somebody to bring Wednesday some food.” He looked over at Wednesday. “What do you want?”
“Hot. Soup. Frito pie.”
“Frito pie?” Aodh chuckled. “We’ll find something.”
Wednesday looked at Aodh. “Doesn’t he…?”
“Eat?” Aodh shook his head. “He doesn’t need anything but rest right now.”
When they were gone, Jean Mar picked up the TV remote.
Wednesday pulled her rolling bag up onto a leather bench and opened it. Taking a few things out, she said, “I’m taking a bath.”
Jean Mar nodded without looking away from the TV.
There wasn’t much about the hotel suite that could be called luxury, but the tub was a big oval with curled rim and looked like heaven. She filled it with water so hot the room steamed like a sauna and groaned as she lowered herself an inch at a time.
Lying in the tub with nothing other than the faint sounds of TV from the other room, she did some soul searching. And didn’t like the results.
She supposed that she must have been in shock when the rescue was mounted, because she didn’t remember it clearly. She did remember Rally’s constant murmurs of assurance that they would have a long happy, lust-filled life together. He tried to distract her from worry by describing sexual positions that he was eager for them to try and paid no attention when she told him to shut up, that they were going to die and never be found.
When the bath water began to cool, she found that, though tired, she was feeling more like herself. She used the moisturizer she’d brought then dried her hair with the hotel dryer and put on pale pink silk yoga pants and a matching sweatshirt.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Jean Mar looked over, “Food came.”
There was a tray on the table. She downed the lentil soup and took a few bites of the fish, which was a poor substitute for frito pie. “You have the rest,” she told Jean Mar. “I’m sleepy.”
Walking over to where Rally lay, she said, “Why didn’t you take off his boots and his coat?”
Jean Mar cocked his head. “Why would we?
“So he’d be more comfortable.”
The concept seemed foreign to Jean Mar, but he said, “It doesn’t make any difference to him.” When she put her hands on her hips, he added, “Would it make you feel better if his coat and boots were off?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then.” He tossed the remote aside and got up. “You’ll have to help.”
The boots were easy, but getting Rally’s coat off of his ‘dead’ weight was not. After a struggle Rally was rearranged in coffin-ready pose sans boots and coat. Wednesday had dragged the top covers out from under him while Jean Mar was there to help.
“How did you get us out of there?” she asked abruptly.
“You don’t remember?” She shook her head.
Jean Mar explained the basic mechanics of teleportation. When he was finished, she nodded and said, “You can go.”
It sounded like he’d been summarily dismissed. He watched with amusement as she climbed into bed next to Rally, pulling the covers over them and snuggling into Rally’s lifeless body.
“I can’t, Wednesday,” Jean Mar said. “One of us has to be here to guard his body while he’s in this condition.”
“Okay,” she yawned. “Then turn the TV down.”
He chuckled, picked up the remote and hit mute.
Three hours later, Turf arrived. With a finger to his lips, Jean Mar pointed to where Wednesday was snoring softly, an arm and a leg thrown protectively over Rally. Turf grinned and followed Jean Mar out into the hall.
“Turn the sound off on your phone and play video games or something. Let her sleep,” Jean Mar said.
“Yep,” Turf agreed. “Everybody’s in the dining room. You’re gonna be surprised at the fancy spread they’ve got at this… outpost.”
“Good. I’m ready for real food. If she wakes up and wants something, call me.”
“I got this.”
“Okay.”
Wednesday slept through until morning, through three warlock shift changes. It took a few seconds for her to remember where she was and why she was wrapped around a deliciously warm and snuggly hard body.
She raised her head to look into Rally’s face. He wasn’t staring at the ceiling. He was looking straight at her with that signature maddening smirk on his face.
“You’re awake,” she said.
“Kiss me,” he said.
She looked over at the chair where Mallach was sleeping.
“Hey you!” she yelled at Mallach.
Mallach woke up looking alarmed. When his eyes landed on Wednesday, she said, “Get out.”
He started to protest, but a glance at Rally’s smile and twinkling eyes told him the worst was over. He looked questioningly at Rally, who gave him a tiny nod.
Chuckling, Mallach got to his feet. “Okay. Have fun.”
When the door closed behind Mallach, Wednesday said, “Can you move?”
“Not much. Kiss me anyway.”
Her mouth spread into a smile just inches away from his face. “I guess I can’t say no to a warlock who saved my life and used up all his juice.”
“I’ve still got juice.” Rally sounded defensive. “It’s just in reserve right now.”
“Reserve, huh. What are you saving it for?”
“You and me. Alone. In a place warm enough where we can sleep naked on top of the sheets.”
“Wimberley.”
“Savannah.”
“That’s where you’re from?”
He nodded. “I need kisses and I can’t move. Have mercy on me.”
She laughed silently, but her eyes drifted down to the perfect cut of his full lips and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to find out what his kiss felt like. Tentatively, she brushed her lips over his. To her surprise, that tiny contact caused a jerk of her clit. When she pressed a little, he responded in kind. She’d never felt anything nearly as erotic as the touch of the tip of his tongue between her lips. She gasped slightly and pulled back.
“How long until you’re, um…?”
“Ready for all those sexual positions we talked about?”
“We didn’t talk about sexual positions. You did.”
His eyes were dancing with the light of laughter even though he made no sound. “Soon.”
“Soon what?”
“Soon I won’t be so helpless and you won’t be able to tease me mercilessly.”
Her expression grew solemn. “Rally. I’m sorry. Really sorry… about this.”
“If this is what it took to make you love me, then I’m not sorry.”
“I didn’t say I love you.”
“You didn’t have to.”
She slumped against his body and said, “You’re infuriating,” in a tone that suggested she was the furthest thing from infuriated. She nuzzled his neck with her nose. “How long until you’re the fully functioning arrogant asshole I know?”
“Know and love.”
She smiled. “Duck.”
“If we’re talking fully functioning…?” He infused the word ‘fully’ with sexual innuendo. “Two days. Probably.”
“Are you gonna tell me how you knew I was here?”
“No. But I’ll give you a hint.”
“Go.”
“The person insisted that we name our firstborn Voldemort.”
Wednesday laughed then stopped suddenly. “You didn’t say yes, did you?”
Rally grinned. “Of course not. So. You want to skip the handfasting and go straight to talking baby names?”
She ignored that. “Are you hungry?” He shook his head. “Want to watch TV?”
“Not if there’s a choice between that and watching you.”
“Flatterer. Do you feel like talking?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I want to know everything about the warlock who saved my life. Tell me everything. How old are you? Were you born in Savannah? Do you have siblings? Why did you follow me into that hole?”
Rally took in as deep a breath as he could manage. “First, I don’t want to be known as ‘that warlock who saved your life’. I want to be known as that warlock who stole your heart.” He had to stop to take a semi-labored breath. “And it might be easier to listen than talk. I’ll tell you my stories tomorrow. Tell me yours today.”
“My stories,” she repeated thoughtfully. “Let’s start with where we are. Major, monumental, epic fuckups. Caused by being strong-headed, I guess.”
Rally sighed softly. “There’s nothing wrong with being strong-headed, Wednesday. Strong-headed people are the ones who get things done in the world.”
The fact that he was defending her, even from herself, made her heart melt. “Does it bother you for my head to be on your chest?”
“It’s the best feeling in the world.”
For the rest of the day Wednesday talked about growing up in Wimberley, about her friends, relatives, acquaintances, and how much it had always bothered her that she didn’t seem to have any outstanding magical gift. No specialty, like everyone else seemed to have.
“Your outstanding gift is that you shine the brightest,” Rally said quietly. “Like a candle flame in the dark.”
Wednesday was sure that was the best compliment she’d ever received, by far, and it made her tear up. She wasn’t used to having someone think she was special.
The next day Rally did feel like talking. A lot. She found that a well-placed question here and there was good for another hour of being regaled with his adventures and exploits. He wasn’t up to walking, or even sitting up, but he was up to kissing - with tongue, lots of tongue - and, as it turned out, after one thing led to another, she learned that he liked getting hand jobs while completely immobile. Wednesday went to the bathroom and got a warm washcloth to clean up the evidence of that.
As she was finishing he said, “Take off your clothes.”
Her eyes flew to his. “What? No!”
“Why?” he said. “You’re that modest?”
“I’m not going to just take off my clothes and parade around.”
He smiled. “Come on. I’d do it for you. In fact, I kind of already have. You’ve seen mine…” He glanced downward. His jeans were still unzipped, his flaccid cock exposed from the sponge bath it had recently enjoyed.
“Here. Let me do you up.”
“No,” he laughed. “I don’t want you to do me up. I want you to do me.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m not being ridiculous.” His expression changed abruptly. “Wednesday, are you a virgin?”
“I, um, well…”
“Oh geez. You just made my cock hard again. Wait a minute, how’d you know how to give me a hand job?”
“Listening to people talk.”
“Wow. Witches sit around and talk about sex? In that kind of detail?”
“Some do,” she said.
“That is…” he chuckled, “so fucking hot.” His eyes slid to hers. “Don’t you want your own stories to tell?” She looked dubious. “Remember. I’m the warlock who saved your life.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be known as the warlock who saved my life.”
He shrugged. “Maybe I changed my mind.”
“What if you don’t like what you see?”
It was his turn to go from playful to serious. “Wednesday, that’s not a possibility. You think Fate would pair me with a female I don’t want to look at?”
“You really think Fate paired you with me?”
“Without a doubt.” He rejoiced when he saw hesitation. “Come on. Give me a thrill.”
That made her laugh a little. She glanced at the door, walked over and made triple sure that every possible lock was locked. “Your teleporting friends won’t just…”
“No.” He shook his head as much as he could, which wasn’t much. “They won’t.”
She stood by the bed where he could see her and pulled the sweatshirt over her head, telling herself that bra and panties was pretty much what people saw at the beach. She then pushed the yoga pants off and stepped out of them.
Rally gave a breathy whistle through his teeth, looking at the pink nipples peeking through the white lacey bra she wore. He was positive it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen and he felt himself actually lick his bottom lip in anticipation. Thinking about the fact that any second she was going to remove the barrier covering her tits made his cock twitch so noticeably that the movement drew her eye. She seemed fascinated by his body’s reaction.
“See what you do to me?” he said.
She took a deep breath, unhooked the bra and, closing her eyes, let the straps fall down her arms. She heard his sharp intake of breath and opened one eye.
“Wednesday. Look what you do to me.”
When she saw that his cock was swollen to bigger than it had been earlier, it gave her a sense of confidence about her body she’d never expected to feel. With a shyness she wasn’t accustomed to, she pushed the panties down and stood ne
xt to the bed, unsure what to do with herself next. Except that Rally’s penis had blossomed to a swell that looked impossible.
“What I wouldn’t give to be able to touch you,” he said. “Right now. Come get on the bed with me.”
She looked down at his cock again and suddenly felt an urge to lick. “Would you like me to try, you know, the other thing?”
“Other thing?” He looked so suddenly intense she was afraid she’d said something offensive. Then he said, “Whatever the ‘other thing’ is, I would love for you to try it.”
Wednesday crawled on the bed and bent her head in the direction of his crotch. He didn’t dare hope that the ‘other thing’ might be that thing, but when she took hold of him and ran the tip of her tongue over the mushroom head, he thought his eyes might have rolled back in his head.
“Holy sweet Marmaduke. Did that just happen?”
Wednesday confirmed by proceeding to pull, lick, suck, and tug like a professional. All the right places. All the right times. Until he thought he would explode.
“Wednesday…”
When she pulled her mouth away to answer, his semen spurted onto her bare chest like a fountain. She stared at the pearly white substance for a minute then grinned. “Was that good?”
He shook his head just a little. “Besides meeting you, that was the single most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She slapped at his stomach and said, “You’re lying,” before she started pulling on her clothes.
“Thank you,” he said. “I know it was a challenge for you to let me see you. Thank you for trusting me with that.” She looked embarrassed. So he changed the subject. “You never did tell me what you were going to do. Out there on the ice sheet.”
“It’s stupid.”
“Even if it is, I still want to know what you had in mind.”
“I had this crazy idea that I could… I don’t know. Send some healing energy to the place that was feeling the most upset. I’m doing up your jeans because you know that one of them is going to be by in a minute to check on you and bring food or whatever.”
“Why did you think you had healing energy to send?” he asked.
“See? I told you it was stupid.”
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