“That’s what’s wrong with me, Lee. It’s like I saw the sunshine and the rainbows in real life, experienced them, tasted them, and melted into them. And now I’m looking at a picture of them remembering what it was like and knowing I’ll never have it again.”
“Whoa. That’s intense,” Leah said, and Jane nodded her head. They waited in line to enter the bar. “Is this love?” she asked slowly.
“Love? I knew the man for such a short time, and actually we were separated for most of it. So, no, it can’t be love. But still, he showed me a different way of life, and I feel like I don’t know how to live in this life anymore.”
“What do you mean? Not…” Leah made a swiping motion across her neck.
“No, I don’t want to kill myself.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I’d hate to be the one with the responsibility of talking you off the ledge. My gosh, I love you to bits, Jane, but you’re scaring me here. What happened to this man? What’s his name? Give me something.”
Jane considered telling Leah everything, or at least something, but she couldn’t bring any words to her lips. His name stuck at her throat. The things he did to her and made her feel burned images in her mind that couldn’t be translated into speech. Finally she said, “I want to hear about you. Tell me about how you’re taking over the world.” It was an easy trick. Jane knew Leah loved talking about the real estate dynasty she’d inherited from her father recently.
“Oh, it’s such hard work, but so rewarding. I can’t tell you how good it feels to sell a $14 million oceanfront mansion that those jerks over at Barker Realty were vying for.”
Jane laughed. It was the old rivalry that Jane and Leah had made fun of all their lives. Leah’s dad was always competing with the Barker brothers and now Leah took up the torch after her dad stepped down.
“I think the one you have to watch out for is Mark Barker,” Jane said with a jab at her friend’s side.
“We went on one god-awful date like twelve years ago, and you still won’t let it go. As soon as he told me he was the son of one of the Barker brothers, I left for fear of what my dad would do. I wasn’t having a good time anyways. Case closed.”
“Speaking of cases,” Jane jumped topics, “I haven’t had any luck in finding a new position at a firm. Keep your ears open for me, in case something comes your way.” If anyone knew anything, it would pass through Leah early on. She had this knack of getting people to confide in her, which is probably why she made such a great businesswoman. People trusted her. Even Jane wanted to tell her friend the truth, but, between the loud music when they entered and the men stopping by to flirt with them, it turned into an entirely different sort of evening.
4
Axel
The endless nights taunted him. The midnight sun was a fake cheer to his days and nights, and Axel’s wrath left a trail of wounded family members and friends. Coren was afraid of his oldest brother after he heard him yelling at Genevieve one day. His mother stayed quiet most often when in his presence. Darick had resorted to one-word answers to steer clear of arguments, and everyone else practically avoided him.
Axel knew his mood was foul, and yet he couldn’t escape his responsibilities. The darkness surrounding him was on full display for the entire village as he sulked to and from his shift, to the army trainings, and to the many dinners and festivals he was forced to attend. He never realized just how social his people were. No one sat around watching TV on their own (not that there were TVs). There was always a picnic, a bonfire dance, or a performance of some kind. And to top it all off, Nayla kept coming around trying to cheer him up.
Many years ago, Nayla sang her mating song to him before the Night of Eternal Dark. When he sat in the crowd that night, watching all the other young men singing the silly songs, he knew he was breaking hearts. Not just Nayla’s, but a couple of other girls’ hearts, too. The last thing he was thinking of then was getting married, especially to a village girl. The tradition was for the prince heir to marry a human woman, and that’s what he would do. Little did he know then what a fucking mission wooing a human woman would turn out to be. They were complicated, fickle, and a disaster waiting to happen.
And now Nayla kept bringing him sweets and pies. While he wanted to shout to her that her efforts were wasted, he accepted the pies and instead gave them to the servants of his parents’ household. Undoubtedly, his sour disposition would scare the woman off, right? He hoped so, or he’d have to set her straight soon.
Axel was just about to come back around to the portal for his shift when messages flew in to his head. They were from Darick and his men, and he raced to the portal, unsure of what was happening. The only thing he could make out was that there was some danger. Imagine his surprise when Axel arrived at the tree to find that a man tied to a much smaller tree nearby. They all quieted down, except for the man.
“I’m not a threat!” He said to no one in particular.
“Where did he come from?” Axel demanded, looking to Darick.
“He says he was drawn here by the sound of the guns,” Darick replied. “He has no weapons.”
“Foolish,” Axel said. “Or a spy for King Siloh. Which is it?” he asked the man.
“I take it you’re the prince my father held for months in my room,” the man said.
The silence was palpable. The words made little sense at first, and then Axel shook his head and laughed. “Are you telling me you’re the son of the shitty king of the citadel? And that you’re not a threat? Foolish. I have my answer.” Axel’s laugh turned into a wild grin as he unsheathed his sword and brought its point to the man’s heart.
“Who are you?” Axel growled.
The man looked rightfully fearful. “Tamus, Prince heir and son of King Siloh of the citadel.”
“You say it as if I shouldn’t ram this straight into your heart.”
“I can see you’re not informed of my father’s hatred towards me. He disowned me years ago, and when I went back to demand my rightful place, I found a horror house. How could you allow him to do that? How could you give him that portal?”
Axel dropped his sword and took two steps back. “I did what I had to do to protect those I love.” Then he raised his eyes back to Tamus. “And your father will rue the day he made me make that choice.”
“We’re on the same side,” Tamus said, looking around at all the men.
“We can’t trust him,” Darick spoke up.
“Of course not.” Axel sheathed his sword. “Take him to the holding tree. I want two guards outside at all times.”
“I can help you. I know that place like the back of my hand. There’s nothing I want more than to bring down my father and that blood factory they are operating,” Tamus said as he was being dragged off.
“Don’t worry, you’ll come in handy,” Axel called to him.
“What do you think?” Darick spoke low as the rest of the men discussed amongst themselves, thoughts of target practice far away.
“I think the gods are smiling upon us now,” Axel said, that wild grin back. Darick eyed him suspiciously, but put his hand on his friend’s shoulder in solidarity.
5
Jane
Jane picked up her makeup off the bathroom counter and threw it in a drawer. That was the last of any mess. The cleaning lady had already been through the entire house, and it was spotless. Now all Jane had to do was give the keys to the realtor and leave for the day.
When she’d told Andrew that she’d been offered a position (at last!) and would move out by the end of the month (there was no way she could continue to hear the happy sounds of Andrew and Genevieve frolicking next door), he let her know the next day he put the house up for sale. Now she had to keep the place pristine for potential buyers and was at the mercy of Mark Barker’s schedule.
Yes, that’s right. Leah’s mortal enemy was Andrew’s realtor. But Andrew hadn’t known, and everything was all set up, so now Jane had to plan a way to bring it up to Leah gently. She was me
eting with her and some of their other friends for tennis and lunch at the country club.
When the doorbell rang, Jane tugged down on her tennis skirt, always feeling it was too revealing, even when she was out on the court. She opened the door to see a very handsome man wearing a suit with no tie, the top buttons of his shirt undone. His sleek black hair was combed back to reveal piercing blue eyes. Jane felt the heat rising in her cheeks as he smiled at her.
“Jane?” he said when she didn’t welcome him in.
“Hi… Yes, I’m Jane Townsend,” she said, extending her hand and remembering her manners.
He shook her hand firmly, “Mark Barker. I guess I'm selling your house today.”
“Oh, well not my house. My ex-fiancé’s.”
“Oh? Andrew didn’t mention that. What a fool he is, I’d say.”
Jane gave a small giggle and then stopped herself. “Thank you. It was mutual. Anyway, here are the keys, and this is my number if you have any concerns or questions, though I’m sure Andrew would be much more helpful.”
“I love it when a beautiful woman offers me her number. I’ll be sure to use it.”
“Oh, it’s not—I mean, that’s now why I—,” Jane stuttered.
He reached out and touched her arm. “I was joking.” She gave a smile and small sigh and then he said, “Well, only slightly. But let’s see how the sale goes first.” He gave her a wink, and she excused herself, bolting out the door and closing it behind her. The heat immediately enveloped her, and she felt suffocated.
Oh no, she thought. No more charming, handsome men for her. From now on it would only be dull and unattractive schleps. Far less trouble. She turned on the car, put the A/C on full blast, and sped out of the neighborhood, watching as her other nosy neighbors watched her drive off.
She was going to tell Leah, she really was. But they were on opposite teams in tennis, and it was impossible. And then lunch was such a happy occasion, with all of them swapping gossip and juicy stories. Jane didn’t want to rain on the nice afternoon out. So she returned to the house with a guilty conscience and a lost tennis match.
She entered, not knowing if she would see young, happy couples surveying the place, but when she reached the kitchen, Mark was sitting on the counter typing away on his phone.
“Did you win?” he asked first.
“No. Did you?” She hoped the answer was yes, that this would be the last time she ever saw him.
“Not yet. But I will. No offers today, but at least two very interested buyers gave me their information.”
Jane nodded. “OK, so will there be another open house meanwhile?”
“We can revisit that idea, but I don’t think it’s necessary. This is a great house in a great neighborhood. I’m sure the right offer will come around soon. But you seem very concerned about your ex-fiancé’s affairs.” He said it as a question.
“We’re still friends,” Jane responded, getting herself a glass of water. “Well, I guess you’re done here. Thanks so much.” She took a sip, hoping he understood that it was time for him to leave. His eyes smiled at her. She looked away and rummaged in the fridge to prepare dinner.
“I think you and I should get to know each other. After all, when a lovely lady like you is single, it won’t be long before she meets someone new. I’d be devastated if I didn’t at least ask you out.”
Jane’s heart gave several thumps before she said, “Ok.” She screamed at herself in her head. What was she doing? How could she even consider going out with anyone right now, especially her best friend’s nemesis?
“Great!” he said, sliding off the counter. “Dinner? In two hours?”
“Sure,” she said, facing him. It was as if she was slipping further into a dark hole.
“I’ll be back to pick you up.” He winked at her and let himself out. Jane sat on the floor right there in the kitchen. This is what I need! A rebound to rid myself of the constant thoughts of Axel, to rid myself of the guilt over Andrew. But she didn’t feel any better.
Jane picked up the phone and called Leah. Before her friend could even ask what was up, Jane told her everything about Barker Realty selling the house and how Mark was taking her to dinner. She held her breath as she waited for Leah’s response.
“Wow,” Leah whispered. “I mean, how could Andrew do this to me?”
“Lee, he doesn’t know about all of that.”
“Yes, but he knows I’m a realtor.”
“And my best friend. Maybe too awkward? Who knows? But what about the other thing?”
“The other thing is all up to you, babe. I wouldn’t touch him with a 10 foot pole, but if you want to… Good luck!”
“You’re not mad?” Jane asked.
“Why would I be mad that my best friend wants to go out with the one person in the world I hate more than anything?”
“Leah.” Jane tapped the phone expectantly.
“I’m not mad, really I’m not. I just don’t want you getting hurt. He has that bad boy reputation, you know. All I’m saying is don’t get too excited. Yes he’s got that dreamy look and all, but I don’t know if there’s much else that can be said about him.”
“Understood. Thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“Oh, you better,” Leah warned. They hung up, and Jane let out a long sigh. Then she jumped up and went to shower, feeling much more excited about going on her date.
6
Axel
Axel headed to the holding tree. He couldn’t remember it ever being used in his lifetime, but it was there in case trouble came around. Tamus was definitely trouble.
“Halloo!” a cheery voice broke into his thoughts. Axel turned to see Nayla. She was holding out a pie.
“Halloo. Thank you,” he said taking the pie but annoyed at her presence. His number one priority was to finish his business with King Siloh’s son.
“Did you like the pudding from the other night?” she asked him, her big, dark eyes begging for reassurance. He couldn’t give it to her.
“Very tasty,” he lied. “Again, thanks for the pie. And the pudding, but you know what? I have something important I have to get to.”
“Oh, OK. I’ll see you around. Is there anything in particular you’d like me to bake you? I love to make all sorts of treats.”
Axel raised the pie, “Yes, I can see that. But I think this will do for a while.” He continued on his way. As he entered the large tree and walked down to the cell, he realized he still had the pie in his hands. He slid it onto a large wooden table and had the guards bring Tamus to him, just as he had for days.
“Can we got on with it then? Do you trust me now?” Tamus asked before being shoved in a chair.
“Here. Eat that.” Axel pointed at the pie and paced the room.
“Well this looks tastier than the mush of vegetables and fish I’ve been fed. Don’t mind if I do.”
“Help yourself. But first, tell me again, how long were you away from the citadel?”
“Ten years.”
“Ten years you hadn’t seen your father. So ten years ago he wasn’t drinking human blood?”
“I don’t know, but I never saw it.”
“What about the extra powers? The ability to lift objects? Read minds that weren’t human?”
“When I came back was the first time I witnessed such things.” He dug into the pie with his hands, sucking on his fingers.
“Where were you?” Axel’s face showed slight disgust.
“I’ve told you countless times. The land of witches. I took refuge there.”
“How have I not heard of this land before?”
“It’s far? I don’t know. You people are way out here in the edge of the world.” Tamus consumed half the pie before saying, “You know, I think this pie is poisoned.” He pushed it away in fear.
“What?” Axel demanded.
“This pie. It tastes of something from that land I was telling you about. I was never good with the herbs, but there were witches crawling all ove
r that place. I remember tasting this once.”
“You didn’t die then.”
“No, but I’ve been sick a few times. Also cursed. If you were going to poison me, you could have killed me right off with your sword instead.”
“I did not intend to poison you, you idiot. A woman gave me this pie.” Axel ran his hand through his hair. Nayla was trying to poison him? What use could getting him sick have for her?
Tamus laughed. Axel looked at him, wondering what could be funny about this situation. Tamus explained, “Whoever that woman is, she was trying to get you into her bed. I remember now. Quite a few times I found myself in a woman’s bed after tasting food like this.”
“She tried to feed me enchanted food that would cast a seduction spell on me?” Axel asked incredulously. Tamus nodded. Axel swatted the rest of the pie to the floor.
“Too bad you won’t be finding yourself in anyone’s bed tonight,” Axel said.
“That is a shame. But perhaps you need my help more than I thought. It seems you have no idea what else is out there.” Tamus leaned forward.
“I’ve been through the portal many times.”
“That portal. Humans. That’s the least of it. That land I told you of—or realm or whatever you want to call it—has a portal to the human realm. Witches, as I explained. But there are other portals. Other types of enchantments.” Tamus looked altogether lost in his own memories. If this was true, everything that Axel knew was just a tiny piece in a much larger puzzle. He bolted from the holding tree to find his father.
7
Jane
Dinner was superb. Jane noticed that Mark had taken her to the swankiest restaurant by the beach, ordered the most expensive wine on the menu, and was behaving like a complete gentleman. He pulled her chair out and asked her questions about herself and her job. Mark was utterly charming with the smile and the slicked back hair and the rolled up sleeves on his long-sleeve grey button down shirt that revealed a pair of large forearms…
A Touch of Summer: Spellbound Series Book 2 (The Spellbound Series) Page 2