by Anne Haley
"He wouldn’t even notice," Terra said, sounding glum.
"What’s that I detect?" Aylin stepped forward. "Disappointment?"
"Well, if you want me to be honest, maybe. Yeah." Terra nodded and her cheeks flushed slightly. "I know what a great guy he is, and I’ve seen the kind of girls he dates." She looked at El. "I am no where near up in that level, plus I’m just like a sister to him. Nothing more."
El put her hands on her hips. "Don’t do that. Don’t even think that some woman is better than you just because she looks different. He would be damn lucky to ever have a woman like you." She put her finger under Terra’s chin to tilt her head up. "You are amazing, and you need to see that for yourself."
Terra blushed and pulled away. "Thanks El."
Aylin felt tears sting her eyes at the kindness El was showing Terra. "Let’s go eat." She turned away from them before they could see her tears.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Blake and Owen sat at a corner table, across the restaurant from the three women. The room was split in half and one side was the large bar and game area; the other side was the main restaurant that surrounded a large dance floor. The restaurant had been built to look saloon style with its dark red walls, the western décor, and tiffany lamp style lights that hung overhead. The division was made clear by the small stairs that separated the bar from the restaurant. The women sat at a table on the edge of the dance floor, and the candles in the center of the table lit their faces. They were laughing and leaning close together to hear each other, and it looked as though there wasn’t a dull moment with them. They looked happy, and safe. "She looks different," Owen said.
"Who?" Blake frowned.
Owen turned around to face him. "Your sister."
"Oh. Sure. Yeah she does. Wonder what they did to her," Blake said, clearing his throat. He mentally kicked himself for not being more observant. But someone else held his attention.
"I suppose you’re having a hard time looking past Aylin, though," Owen added.
"Mind your own business," Blake retorted roughly.
"Yeah, I should. But you dragged me here, to spy on them. I mean this feels so wrong. Please, tell me why we are acting like stalkers when they are apparently having a good time." Owen crossed his arms.
"I’ll tell you when you tell me what kind of work you’ve been doing." Blake raised an eyebrow.
"Can’t. Confidential." Owen winked and put a finger to his lips. "Let’s just say I might have more Jones in me than we thought."
"Oh God, here we go." Blake rolled his eyes. "So you’re into archeology now?"
"Nah, not quite. More on the retrieving end, than the history part." Owen took a long drag of his beer.
Blake leaned in. "Owen, are you a thief?"
Owen frowned, his jaw dropped in insult. "Absolutely not. Well, not in the illegal way. I steal things back. Anyway, we aren’t here because of me. Why are we spying on your sister and her friends?"
At that moment Blake found his beer rather interesting to look at. "It’s nothing," he said as he picked at the corner of the beer label.
"You really think I don’t know that there is something going on?" Owen leaned his elbows on the table to look down at Blake. "You and Terra are acting weird lately and I’m thinking something happened when you went to go find her. What happened?"
"Owen, I-"
"What do you think you’re doing here?" Aylin said, standing in front of their table. Her hands were on her hips and she had an icy glare toward Blake that might have made a lesser man cower away.
"Having a drink with a friend," he said sheepishly and nodded to Owen.
"Owen." Aylin nodded at Owen, who looked utterly mortified. She assumed Blake probably manipulated the poor guy into coming. She leaned down to Blake. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Uh, sure." He nodded. "Be right back," he said to Owen and followed her to a vacant spot by the bar. "So, you’re mad."
"When I said that we would be fine tonight, I meant it," she hissed. "What happened this morning was-"
"It was scary, Aylin," Blake snapped. "One minute you’re walking and talking, the next your on the ground unconscious and I had no idea what was going on. What if I hadn’t been there? What would have happened?"
She saw in his eyes the absolute concern he held for her. There was anger too, but she could see past it. She wanted to ignore the nagging tug on her heart that it caused. "I am looking out for Terra tonight. And El. They’re safe with me," she said with a strong sense of protection toward the women. "I’m not letting them out of my sight."
"Oh, I trust you on that. What about you?" He narrowed his eyes on her. "Who’s looking out for you?"
"Blake." She closed her eyes.
He put his hands on her arms and when she opened her eyes he was at eye level with her. "Let me protect you. I just wanted to make sure you were safe." He could feel her icy edge melting away. "For some reason I care about you and what happens to you. All right?"
She opened her mouth, but closed it. She’d lost the fight in her with him. She didn’t know what it was like to have someone look out for her, it had always been the other way around.
Then she looked over at the table, and Owen watched them with curiosity. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing. He doesn’t know anything. I promise Aylin." His hands were still on her arms and through his touch she knew he told the truth.
Aylin sighed and stepped out of his reach. "Terra is going to be pissed at you," she smirked. "You two might as well join us."
"Ladies, look who I found lurking around the bar," Aylin said, sitting down next to El.
"Blake!" Terra practically screeched. "And Owen? Oh come on!" She was gripping the table, looking up at them.
"Party crashers," El accused. "There are a couple of chairs behind you." She pointed.
"I can’t believe you," Terra hissed across the table at her brother. "Way over the line." She snarled.
"Sorry Terra." Owen nudged her, sitting beside her. "I had no idea what was going on."
Terra frowned at him. "No, I don’t blame you."
Owen reached over and tugged lightly on a lock of her hair. "I like it."
Terra blushed and stuttered out a few incomprehensible syllables. "Thanks," she finally got out, her anger forgotten.
After a round of drinks the tension had disappeared and they were just a bunch of friends getting together on a cold autumn night, swapping childhood and teenage stories. The bar began filling up, and the music grew louder as the night grew dark. El swayed to the music in her seat and when she couldn’t sit still any longer she grabbed Aylin’s hand. "Come on. Dance with me." She pulled her out of the chair.
"They are something else," Owen said, and took a long pull from his beer.
"They’re great." Terra watched them with admiration. El swung her hips in a seductive manor and Terra figured that El didn’t even realize that most of the males watched her. Aylin floated around, moving gracefully with fun and energy. "I’m really lucky to have them."
When the music slowed down Blake was out of his chair, moving toward Aylin. "May I?" He held out his hand to her.
"Sure," she said breathless. He pulled her to him and she wrapped her arm around his neck while he held her other hand. He held her close, breathing in her hair that smelled of lavender and vanilla. "You know how to dance," she didn’t hide her surprise from her tone.
"It’s not my first time on a dance floor." He twirled her around in a circle and tugged her back into his arms when she laughed. "Why do I care for you so much, Aylin?" he asked.
She looked up at him and blinked. She couldn't ignore her heart racing. "I don’t know. Why can’t I stop thinking about you?"
"I think that’s why I’m part of this. Maybe that’s the difference from all the others before you. I can keep the Seanchai and you safe." He let go of her hand to brush the hair from her face.
"Let’s not talk about books and faerie tales tonight," she whispe
red. "Can we pretend for a while that we’re two normal people?" Aylin was proud of being who she was, but for once she had a desire to put all her worries aside.
"All right. Let’s get to know each other." He twirled her again, breaking the intense moment. She giggled, and caught sight of the table of their friends. They were laughing and enjoying each other. Owen looked so natural with the other two. The sight of him so close to Terra sent a tingle up her spine. Terra’s radiating current was spreading over to him. She pushed away the nagging thought to a far corner of her mind.
"Where do we start?" she asked, turning back to Blake.
"My favorite color is the color of your eyes." His face was so close to hers, and her head was tilted up toward his. She tried to swallow, but all moisture was gone from her mouth. His eyes drifted down to her mouth and her heart skittered. "My favorite movie by far is The Hulk." Amusement played in his eyes when they returned to her own.
She smiled and this time could swallow. "Of course." She pulled herself away just enough to get a sense of herself again.
"I like all kinds of food. I like to try new things, but I’m a sucker for the classics, like homemade chili and a slow cooked roast. I watch football when I can, I work for the lumber yard, and I once owned a dog named Rusty." He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her.
"And what happened to Rusty?"
"Rusty lived to be seventeen, and was put down last year. I’m thinking I need a dog again. There is nothing like having a good dog. Best companion."
"Man’s best friend." She welcomed the second slow song. She wasn’t ready to part with him yet.
"Exactly. Your turn."
"Oh. Okay. My favorite color is also blue-"
"You wear it everyday," he added, his hand moved slowly over her back.
"Not everyday." She sighed. "I am also not a picky eater, but I try to eat healthy. I love fruits and vegetables. I own a floral shop that I inherited from my mother. I like working with flowers, it’s an easy way to brighten anyone’s day. I’ve never had a pet because my mom was allergic to animals."
"But you don’t live with her now."
"No, she passed away."
"So, why didn’t you ever get a pet?" he asked.
"I don’t know, I guess I’ve never thought about it. I supposed I could have gotten a cat." She shrugged.
"But then you would have one more thing to look after." He nodded and his understanding moved her. He knew her more than she thought. "Favorite movie?"
"Um, well at the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I don’t have a favorite movie, I read a lot. But I guess I favor old classics like Breakfast at Tiffany’s."
He laughed. "I find that to be very fitting for you. You are a very classy, elegant woman, just like Audrey Hepburn. You know, now that I think about it, if she had long black hair and skin the color of cream, you two would look so much alike. It must be the eyes," he said. "Well, you just keep getting more interesting by the minute. What else are you hiding from me?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"I find it surprising that you know what Audrey Hepburn looks like," Aylin teased.
Blake rolled his eyes dramatically. "Come on. Terra watched her movies all the time, and being a man I found Audrey to be…" He pursed his lips, grasping for the appropriate word. "Stunning."
Aylin laughed and he sent her spinning around again. The song came to an end and before Blake let her go he brought her hand to his lips. The press of his soft lips on her skin sent another skip in her heart.
When they went back to the table they decided it was time to go back to the hotel. "Where are you staying?" Aylin asked Blake.
"A few doors down from you," he said shamefully.
"I should be mad," Terra sighed. "You two are ruining our girls night." She playfully pushed Blake. "But this is fun."
"I agree." El smiled at Aylin. "I think this has been a very successful night."
Aylin shot her a glance that was meant to shut her up. "Yes, well, we should try to reschedule our girls night."
"Whatever," El lifted a shoulder carelessly and turned her attention to Owen, who was walking close to Terra. "Owen, what do you think of Terra’s little makeover?"
Owen looked down at Terra and smiled warmly. "I think she looks great. But who here doesn’t?" he said, after clearing his throat.
"Right," Terra said shortly and looked onto the lake. They only had a few blocks left to walk then she could curl up in bed and die.
El felt deflated. She had to try something else. Love was all around her, but it was so damn blind and stubborn. "Oh, shoot. Aylin, I think I left a bag in the car that had my overnight things in it. Would you mind fetching it?" She pulled Terra’s keys out of her purse and tossed them toward Aylin. Blake snatched them out of the air.
"I can walk you," he said.
Aylin looked pointedly at El. "I think you have all your bags and then some."
"Well, would you please check for me?" El batted her eyes sweetly and wrapped her arm around Terra’s elbow. "It would be really great," she said and turned her back on Aylin.
Blake and Aylin broke off from the group and walked toward the hotel parking lot. She opened the jeep’s trunk and found it to be empty, which had been exactly what she expected. "Imagine that," she mumbled and locked the vehicle. "Well, nothing there," she said to Blake and tucked the keys in her pocket.
He watched her walk around the vehicle toward him. He looked up at the hotel, then back to her. "Think they would mind if we took a little walk?"
Aylin took a deep breath. "I don’t think the storm is far off, but we have a little time." She took the hand he held out to her and tried to ignore the jump in her belly when he gave it a squeeze.
He led her down the road and onto the walk on the pier. At the end of the pier was a small lighthouse that guided boats into the harbor after dark, but tonight it remained dark. There would be no ships coming in. The pier had old fashioned streetlights spread out, leaving spaces of dark shadows. Over the wall of the pier was the dark water of the canal, leading into the harbor. It was an eerie feeling looking out from the pier to the open space, hearing the waves crashing against the cement, but not being able to see the water in the dark night.
The wind was cold, sneaking its chill under her wool pea coat. Blake wrapped his arm around her and it relaxed her, warming her from inside out. "This didn’t turn out to be such a bad night, huh?" he asked.
"No, it’s not what I though it was going to be." She gave him a nudge.
"Did you really think I was going to sit back and let you all go off alone after this morning?" he frowned.
She stepped away from him and leaned against the cement wall and looked up at him. "Thank you. For being that concerned about me."
"Thank you, but…"
She sighed, knowing that he would read into her appreciation. "But you have to trust me to do my part in all of this."
"So we’re going to talk about books and faerie tales now?" She nodded slowly. "No. We’re not." He had seen the troubled shadows come over her eyes and he didn’t want to ruin the night with arguing with her again. She would only push him away. Instead, he held his hand out with the palm up.
After a moment a smile flickered on her lips. She pressed her hand into his and closed her eyes. She didn’t fight against it anymore. His heat traveled swiftly, shooting straight into her heart, sending it racing. One second before he moved she saw the image flash in her head what he wanted to do.
Blake took his other hand and cupped her cheek; his rough skin brushed hers delicately. She raised her head and his lips touched hers. For a man that had unlimited strength he was nothing but gentle with her. He tasted wonderful, like apple cider does after being frozen to the bone in the winter. His lips were soft and smooth on hers, and she prayed they could stay just like this. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. When he lifted his head and looked down at her she had a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Dancer and a good kisser. I bette
r hang on to you." She smiled.
"I think you should." He bent to kiss her again when he felt the first raindrop hit the back of his neck. "Time’s up." He grabbed her hand and they ran back to the hotel.
Blake walked her to the door and kissed her hand again, and then went to his own room. When he reached his door he turned toward her and raised an eyebrow. She felt her cheeks redden when she had been caught watching him. She smiled, said goodnight, and slipped inside her room.
She closed the door behind her and found Terra and El stretched out on one of the beds watching a movie. "Well?" Terra sat up, looking at her expectantly.
Aylin kept her face straight as she took off her jacket and hung it in the closet, taking her sweet time. "Did you two fight again?" El turned off the movie and sat up also. "Why do you two always have to fight?"
"We didn’t fight." Aylin sat down on the single chair and pulled off her boots. "We walked on the pier and he kissed me."
"He kissed you?" Terra was practically jumping on the bed. "This is great! I mean, it is great, right?" She looked at Aylin.
"I don’t know." She chewed on her lip. "It would be great if all this other stuff wasn’t going on. It’s something I wasn’t prepared for." She leaned back and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes.
"But he’s perfect Aylin! I mean, he already knows what you are, and you know what he is, so it’s like a match made in heaven." Terra threw her arms in the air. "What is there to think about?"
"Calm down, Terra." El put a hand on her leg. "Give her some time. She’ll come around to see that it’s right. It will just take her a little bit. It’s going to happen whether she likes it or not."
Aylin waited until they were in the jeep driving back to Lancaster Bay, with Blake and Owen right behind them in Blake’s truck, to tell them about the incident the previous morning. It left the three of them deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to protect themselves from such vicious attacks. They needed Blake to do more research in the Seanchai. Hopefully there would be some information on things that worked to fight against the coven.
They just needed more information. In reality, what Aylin knew from her mother hadn’t been anything they could really use against the witches. They couldn’t protect The Rune by building beautiful gardens around it with the palms of their hands, or burn them with their balls of lights. They needed something more powerful than any of that. There was the magic they could do with their minds with projections, but that was time consuming and took a lot of concentration. They needed something that could be used to guard them, and to attack the coven.