Playing the Witch's Game (Keepers of the Veil)

by Zoe Forward

  Overcome by the startling contrast of this weird set and the swirling emotions, she took Nikolai’s hand and allowed him to pull her to the wooden bench semicircle. The Alaskan couple threw her a supportive smile. The cutthroat couple stared at the two of them in surprise. She wanted to scream, What? Thought we’d die?

  Nikolai stumbled before he sat on the crude makeshift bench. His face paled.

  “Crap. Your injury is far worse than my feet ever were, isn’t it?” She’d covered her microphone to whisper to him. “You should’ve had Eli help you first.”

  “Had to take care of you.” Her heart swelled at the soft look he shot her.

  “Don’t you dare die. I need you to hold on until the meeting is over. I’ll get Eli to look at you.”

  One other couple stumbled in. Only four couples remained.

  An organizer stood in front of them. “Okay, people. We’re going to have you each do your entrance again, except Jen and Nick. I think we’ve got a memorable take of you two.”

  Could her face get any hotter?

  The organizer continued, “Then we’re going to do this meeting. Everyone up.” When none of the contestants moved, all probably equally exhausted and enjoying their solid, reasonably clean chair, the organizer screamed, “Now. Move.”

  They filmed entries and each reclaimed the makeshift log seats.

  Owen took position on a log stump in front of them and crossed his legs. Someone yelled they were starting and did a backward count. At the end of the count, Owen smiled. “I need all of you to stand up, grab a tiki torch and light it in the fire as a symbol of your survival. Then put it in a spot around the fire.” He pointed to several holes in the ground designed to hold the torches.

  None of the contestants moved; most glared at him.

  “Now,” Owen prompted.

  The Alaskan husband said, “We’re here. We were filmed walking through that archway three times. My wife’s got a five-inch cut on the underside of her foot that I’m sure is going septic. The world knows we survived. We don’t need to light some stupid-ass torch, which I’m sure you’re going to claim is to appease some weird local forest gods who mean nothing to us or you. You should be the one to light the torch as a way to plead forgiveness for cutting down a half mile of the forest to put up this ridiculous set.”

  “We’re going to cut that from the show,” Owen said. “Just do it.”

  Jen met Nikolai’s gaze, reading total agreement on the insanity of the move.

  The cutthroat couple stood with agitated exhalations and lit their torches. They shoved them into the support holes with a strength that translated loud and clear their thoughts on the ludicrous nature of the act.

  Owen glanced around at the others.

  “Will you kick us off right now if we refuse?” Nikolai asked in a neutral tone.

  Owen smiled a fake charming smile that brought out his dimples. “Humor me and do it.”

  Nikolai’s eyes filled with angst when they met hers. He whispered, “I’m not sure I can get off the bench. Might pass out.”

  Surrounded by expectant stares, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Put your arm around my shoulders. We’ll do it together.”

  They rose, so slowly, with him placing more weight on her than anticipated to leverage his way up. Fine tremors shook the arm he slung across her shoulders. The world had to see his agony. Her chest scorched with the need to scream for them to stop this farce. She needed Eli to help him. Now.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  He whispered into her ear. “Calm down. We’re not quitting. This is for Alexi and Serenity.”

  Had he read her mind? She gazed up at him, awed by the carefree expression plastered on his face. “You’re amazing, you know?”

  “I know.” He grinned. “In more ways than one.”

  “I plan to take advantage of the more ways in the future. So, let’s put the tiki lamp in its spot and get you through this.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and they walked across the set. Slow, but they made it. She shoved the lit lamp into the correct slot.

  They resumed their seats and listened to Owen spout some esoteric crap about the symbolism of the light. Then he said, “I wanted to take a second to say a big thank-you from Anna and me for all the well-wishers out there in the audience who sent congratulations on our engagement.” He waved at a jumbo screen, which flashed the image of a gorgeous blond with bee-stung puffy lips, feline eyes, and a tall, lithe frame.

  Engaged?

  “What. The. Hell?” Nikolai’s lower jaw hung open as he stared at the screen. “That’s…it can’t be. Anaïs?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “You know her?” Jen asked, wondering at the horror etched into Nikolai’s face.

  “We’ve been so fucking manipulated,” he mumbled.

  Behind her, the Alaskan woman said, “Who the fuck cares who he’s marrying?”

  Without a hint of apology in his gaze, Owen said, “Maybe we’ll have others to wish felicitations?” He waved at the jumbo screen near him as it replayed her total breakdown on “forever” with Nikolai.

  “Crap,” she mumbled.

  He whispered, “Candid camera, Angel. I’m the one who looks more the ass.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered back. “I just…it was a bad moment.”

  Owen cleared his throat to get their attention. “Nick? Anything you want to say?”

  Nikolai smiled. “Nope.”

  “What about you, Jen?” Owen asked.

  “No.” With false happiness she added, “Congratulations to you and…Anna.”

  “Why don’t we take a look at some of the highlights of the two of you since you are contenders for fan favorite.” Owen waved at the screen. A montage of their heated moments played.

  The moments of the two of them attacking each other, kissing, and arguing ended with a clip of Nick slapping his hand against the tree declaring she give him the green light to fuck her. Her face and neck were on fire. If she could crawl under the bench, she would. At least her mom wasn’t alive to see this. Her gaze darted off set to Shannon, who cocked an eyebrow with a wide smile. Shannon’s words about her parents’ epic PDA came back to her. Well, she’d just topped anything from her parents by tenfold. And on national, possibly international, television.

  Nikolai’s clasp on her hand tightened. She glanced up to meet his troubled gaze.

  “So…” Owen grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Anything to say, Nick?”

  “Jen looks great on camera, doesn’t she?” Nikolai said.

  She smiled up at him. “Thanks.”

  “But I must agree with you, that outfit sucks. I think you should complain to wardrobe.” He grinned.

  …

  Jen twisted open a bottled water and chugged. Sweet relief. She’d fidgeted through the rest of the yawn-fest meeting while her stomach growled nonstop. She viewed the two tables of various food items, detecting no malicious energy indicative of poison. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The decadent chocolate cookie thing had her name on it.

  Nikolai stumbled and bumped against her. He steadied himself using the table’s edge. His previously pale face now looked ashen. She placed a hand on his arm.

  Based on the pain reflecting in his gaze when it met hers, she suspected whatever happened underwater with the crocodile tore something vital. Something now life-threatening. How he’d made it so long was a miracle, but if they did nothing, he might die. Although it pissed her off he’d lied about the severity of his condition, she had to act. But do what?

  She glanced around, scouting Eli just off set. But she worried the cameras on them wouldn’t stop long enough to have Eli do his thing in private with Nikolai. Or they might not be allowed Eli as their doctor again. If they carted Nikolai to a hospital, there was a chance he wouldn’t make it and might die en route.

  He swayed.

  Big chance he wasn’t going to make it.

  “We can use your injury to get off, or I can try s
omething to help you. Do you want to keep going or get off this ride now?” she asked him quietly.

  Nikolai’s eyes roamed around sightlessly. “We must keep going. My brother…”

  Instinct screamed a resounding you’re not dying right now. “Hold on,” she whispered.

  She met Shannon’s gaze, who looked around her camera, worried. Loudly Jen said, “We need some dance music to pep up this feast.” She hoped Shannon understood her need to have an excuse to hug Nikolai tight and try a magical heal. Her mother had instructed when her destined man rested at the edge of death, the gods had given her the ability to save him. She’d watched her dad do it for her mother once. Her gut told her despite whatever reservations Nikolai may have about getting involved beyond easy sex, the fact that she could jump him to her alternate and their amazing chemistry…it all added up to him being the one for her. Convincing him of his destiny might be impossible. But right now, he couldn’t die. They’d sort through the conundrum of his lifestyle and how she fit into it later.

  A slow, grinding heavy bass song started from the distance. Perfect.

  She put her water on the table and pulled Nikolai toward her. “Dance with me.”

  “What?”

  “You’re going to have to trust me. This might…I don’t know what to expect, but go with it. Don’t pass out. Slow dance with me.”

  “I might fall over.” He gripped the side of the table. “I’m serious.”

  She buried one hand in his hair and pulled his head to hers and kissed him. With her opposite hand she cupped his ass and slammed his pelvis into hers. Then she pelvic-rolled, encouraging him to follow the song’s suggestive beat.

  He groaned and murmured, “If I didn’t think I was going to die, I’d have you right here.”

  She made circular motions along his back in the same fashion she’d observed her father doing when her mother had been on the edge of death. After a quick prayer to the goddess to help them, she concentrated on the bass pulse of the music. The two of them rocked together in what she hoped looked, to the world, like a very slow, raunchy grind.

  Her body tingled. Magic surged through her blood. Powerful magic. She feared this signaled a dimension-hop, but didn’t experience the normal air compression.

  His body jolted against her and he gasped. “What the hell?”

  “Shhh. No dying right now. Don’t freak.” She pulled him back into a deep, openmouthed kiss, pouring her soul into it. They tangled tongues. Their bodies rocked. She lost herself in the sensual beat and the magic stirring her to a sexual high. He groaned and pulled her as tight to him as possible. She was as close to orgasm as she’d ever been without any stimulation.

  The song ended, and they stopped moving. He abruptly broke off the kiss, pulled her head in to his neck. “Candid camera again, Angel.”

  “I hate the cameras.” She smiled against his chest. Vertigo spun her head when Nikolai shifted as if to move away. “Please stay still. Head spinning.” She glanced upward.

  Color now infused his cheeks. Good. The mysterious magic had worked. He no longer rested on the edge of death. This also proved he was her destined. Her chest bloomed with excitement. She finally found her guy. He was incredible. Brave. Loyal. And, not to forget, gorgeous and great in bed.

  Thank you, gods, for saving him, and for him. Convincing him they belonged together might be an uphill battle, but it was a battle she had no choice but to fight.

  Her heartbeat skittered into a sprint in response to the dilated arousal deep in Nikolai’s eyes.

  “Kiss me again,” she demanded.

  …

  “No can do, Angel. I’ll have you on this table and naked, audience be damned. At this rate, we’ll end up naked at some point on camera.” All the weakness from blood loss and slow internal death had disappeared. He felt fine. No, better than fine. Like he’d been overhauled and refurbished. Even his chronic left biceps pain, an injury he’d sustained last year after a nasty knife fight, had disappeared.

  He suspected Jen’s half-mast eyelids weren’t just a product of lust. She’d done some sort of energy share and now fought drowsiness. He trailed kisses up to her ear, and whispered, “What did you do to me?”

  She whispered back, “Never underestimate the power of music.”

  God, he wanted this woman. Each time he touched her she blew every one of his fantasies out of the water. Courageous, daring, sexy, and willing to give herself over in trust to him. And now to save his life. He didn’t know what the hell she’d done. He’d find out. But he didn’t deserve the glow in her gaze. Her soul was a bright star, pure and brilliant. Sure he was drawn to that brilliance like a moth to a flickering candle. He wanted to burn inside that purity. But his soul was steeped in the blood of too many deaths and too many times when he’d crossed the line into immoral.

  He leaned into her and whispered, “Protect yourself from me. I’m not worthy of that look.”

  “Yes you are.”

  “No one would agree.” Although he didn’t want to, he put a few feet of air between them.

  When he glanced around, everyone stared. Everyone. A few cameramen had slack jaws and the cameras had dropped. That, at least, was a positive. The attention, though…bad.

  Nikolai flashed a brilliant smile at their audience. “Guess we’re a showstopper. Again.”

  “I forgot I’m not supposed to dance in public. I guess this would be why,” she whispered.

  The wife of the Alaskan couple said, “Now I get why you won fan favorite. Are you always like this? I mean the montage they played for us was…” She fanned her face.

  Nikolai said, “We’re not always like this. But there’s something about being out here in the jungle that seems to make us…” He glanced down and bit his lip against a chuckle. Jen’s face was bright red. “You know what, as delightful as this whole weird party is, I think we’ll head out to set up camp for the night. We’ll take our fan favorite advantage of leaving first.”

  “I wished the winner got shoes,” Jen muttered.

  “I’m beat after fighting a crocodile and nearly getting killed on that bridge. We’ve got a mountain to climb tomorrow.” He glanced up at the sky. “What do you think, four or five hours of daylight left?”

  She nodded.

  He drank down an entire water bottle in seconds. Then he snagged a sandwich and passed one to her. “Let’s go.”

  Almost through the arches to exit someone yelled, “Hold up.”

  Nikolai paused.

  A crew member jumped forward. “We need to change your trackers. They seem to be malfunctioning on both of you. According to them, you simply disappeared once in the past twenty-four hours.”

  Nikolai’s gaze met hers with a wry smile. “Okay. That sounds a little weird.” He exposed the ankle tracker. While the guy replaced it, Nikolai stared at the sky. “Looks as if we’re about to get wet again. I’m surprised this place isn’t a giant lake as much as it rains.”

  “It’s the rainy season,” the crew member said.

  Jen scrunched up her nose. Adorable. “Sleeping in the rain. Sounds romantic.”

  He needed answers from her on what happened. He’d get them, but not while on camera.

  Hours later, the fact that he still had no answers ate at him. He pulled Jen on top of him into the crappy makeshift bed of sticks beneath a canopy of oversize leaves, which did little to shield them from the rain. Water had pelted them for the past hour with a relentless soaking. His saturated state and agitation for answers from her made him brusque and irritable. “Take us to that other place.”

  “Spell first.” She murmured a protective spell designed to keep peekers out of their makeshift sleep area.

  Pressure squeezed his body. And then he was blind again.

  “What did you do to me?” he asked, his tone harsher than he’d intended, wishing he could see her reaction. He wanted to ensure she didn’t lie or evade.

  “What do you mean? We just shifted dimensions. The blindness is expec
ted.” Her voice was quiet, hesitant. She knew exactly to what he referred.

  “I mean when you used some sort of powerful magic on candid camera in front of at least thirty people and millions worldwide. You healed me? How?”

  “Oh, that…”

  “Yeah, that. Whatever you did freaked out Shannon and Eli. Did you see their faces?”

  She rolled to get off him, but he wrapped his arms around her, locking her against his now-uninjured side.

  “I did it because you were dying. You lied to me about being fine.”

  “I didn’t need you to risk exposure by doing something like that. What did you do?”

  She jerked, freeing herself from him. He could see her now, even if she was hazy. Her breathing came fast, agitated. She stood and crossed her arms. “I saved your life.”

  He managed an inelegant stand. “Maybe it was my time to die.”

  Her gaze, although squinty, blazed pissed-off. “If that’s what you believe, then next time, I’ll let you bleed out.”

  “What did you do?” He advanced on her. She backed up until she hit the wall.

  “Let me be more specific. How did you heal me? I know you don’t have magical healing powers. If so, your druids wouldn’t have bothered to send Eli. Unless…he’s only on this trip to protect Shannon.”

  She chewed on her lower lip, her eyes darting away. Whatever happened, she thought he wasn’t going to like the answer. “It’s complicated.”

  “Our whole fucking existence is complicated. Try me.”

  “We’re linked. I could only do that with…” Her gaze met his, filled with anxiety. “My destined, the guy I’ve been matched with by the gods.”

  Confirmation on the certainty of their link didn’t surprise him. Her affirmation relaxed him. “That’s an interesting addendum to the you’re-stuck-together-forever contract.”

  “You already know about you and me?”

  “I’ve been suspicious.”

  “You are so frigging annoying. Why all the mixed signals? You said you weren’t interested last year. You were very specific. And then hours ago you suggested this was short-term only.”