Bonnie Lamer Blood of Half Gods

“I’m not moving from this spot for another sixteen minutes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“There is no convincing you?”

“Nope.”

“You leave me no choice.”

“What are you…” is all I get out before I am suddenly lifted from the nice, comfortable beach chair I was sitting on, and slung over Kallen’s shoulder. My book on Fairy history falls into the sand. “You had better not be doing what I think you’re doing.”

“I am sure I am not.”

“Then why are you walking towards the water?”

Kallen chuckles. “I am simply enjoying the briny air.”

“And it was necessary to pick me up like this to do that?” I ask dryly.

“No better way to enjoy it.”

“Kallen, I’m warning you, if I get wet…”

Ignoring me, he starts running. And, he does exactly what I thought he was going to do. I’m not just wet. I am completely submerged in the ocean. Oh, he is going to pay for this. Rising to the surface, I pull magic from the earth and fling it forward, causing a tidal wave that lifts him up about twenty feet in the air. His arms and legs are flailing as he flies towards the shore. Then towards the terrace of Isla’s house. Which, she happens to be standing on at the moment.

Letting go of my magic immediately, I am horrified that it is not in time for the water to stop. Isla’s tall, slender body and long black hair with streaks of gray are completely drenched as Kallen falls breathless at her feet. Kegan told me once that you can tell how mad Isla is by counting how many teeth are showing in her ‘mad’ smile. I think she must have borrowed someone else’s teeth, on top of her own, because there are a lot of teeth showing.

Biting my bottom lip, I sheepishly walk out of the ocean, past my beach chair and across the sand to the terrace. Each reluctant step bringing me that much closer to the very powerful, and incredibly angry, Fairy who is glowering at me the entire way. Mom and Tabitha have come outside, wondering what the crashing noise was. Mom has to cover her mouth with her translucent hand to hide her silent laughter. Tabitha, on the other hand, is never afraid to show her delight in my magical mishaps. Or, should I say, magical disasters. She is laughing outright.

When I reach the terrace, I look up at Isla with what I hope are doe eyes that emphasize my words, when I say, “Sorry.” Kallen has gotten up, and I notice he has moved several feet away from her. Coward. I glower at him, now. He just looks amused.

“I am going to assume,” Isla says through clenched teeth, “that the terrace behind me was on fire. I cannot fathom any other reason why you would think it necessary to fling half of the ocean towards the house.”

Half the ocean? That’s a bit of an exaggeration. It was like a rain drop compared to how much water there is in the ocean. Probably not a good time to mention that, though.

“It was a raging inferno,” Kegan says behind me, making me jump. “I saw the whole thing. I was about to pull half the ocean myself to put it out.” He does a good job of not letting his sincere expression falter when Isla’s eyes shift to him. There’s a little tightening around his mouth and eyes, but it’s barely noticeable.

“Indeed?” Isla drawls, her eyes narrowing.

Tabitha, mirth still dripping from her pores, says, “Oh, leave the girl alone. The terrace was due for a good cleaning. She just saved me a few hours of work.”

I love Tabitha. She can always be counted on for coming to my rescue when things like this happen. “I really am sorry,” I add. In an instant, Isla is dry again. She has a lot better control over her magic than I do mine. Turning on her heels, she walks back into the house without another word.

Tabitha shakes her head after her. “I swear, that Fairy needs to grow a sense of humor.”

“Perhaps you can sow one for her in your garden,” Kallen says with a grin. Tabitha reaches out and smacks him in the back of the head. “Ow, what was that for?”

“It was for whatever you did to make Xandra fling you into the air like a ragdoll. I am sure you were up to some sort of mischief.”

Rubbing the back of his head, Kallen tries for innocence. “I cannot believe you assume I had anything to do with this. I was simply enjoying the sea air when I was viciously attacked by a magically made tidal wave.”

“Uh huh, tell that to someone who does not know the things you and Kegan have done over the years.”

“Hey, how did I get dragged into this?” Kegan asks indignantly. “I was simply an innocent bystander.” Tabitha snorts and Kallen grins at his cousin over her shoulder.

I give Kegan a sweet smile. “Yes, you were. And you came to my defense. Unlike someone else I know.” I glare at Kallen again.

Kallen shrugs. “I love you, but such a reckless display of magic will have its consequences.”

Tabitha hits him in the back of the head again. “You are going to get yourself into more trouble than you handle, if you keep this up.” To me, she says, “You let that magic go. You need to run along inside and get ready now.”

I groan as I let my magic seep back down to the earth. I can’t believe I agreed to do this. When my family made the decision to move to the Fae realm, my biological father asked me to join him on a trip south to smooth things over with the giants. I don’t mind the reason for the trip as much as I mind spending that much time in Dagda’s company. We’ve made a little progress in our relationship – he’s agreed not to kill me, and I’ve agreed not to kill him. Or maim him. Or any of the other things I had thought of when he sent Fairy assassins after me. He still bothers the crap out of me, though. He’s arrogant and obnoxious, most of the time, and often says things that make me want to use magic on him. Which I do. The thought of being with him in a vehicle for the day and a half it’ll take to get to the giant’s village has given me a bad case of heat rash on my arms. Or I just have a heat rash. I’m not sure which. After all, I grew up in the mountains and am not used to this warm, sunny weather.

“Fine,” I grumble, annoyed I’m not getting my last sixteen minutes of free time reading on the beach.

I walk with leaden feet through the great living room off the terrace and then to the stairs that lead up three flights to my bedroom. As my foot touches the first one, a hand on my arm causes me to lose my balance and I fall into Kallen’s hard, muscled chest. He chuckles as I try to right myself and end up encircled in his arms. “That was quite a show of magic, my reckless little Witch Fairy. And the terrace provided a rather hard landing.”

“Aw, did I hurt you?” There is no concern in my voice whatsoever.

“Yes, I am injured for life. Or at least until you kiss the pain away.”

“Hmm, I don’t know. You did throw me in the ocean.”

“A much softer landing than mine.”

True. I hadn’t meant to fling him so far. Or crash him down on the terrace. Sliding my arms up around his neck, I say, “How about one kiss and we’ll see how it goes.”

He raises a brow. “See how it goes? How about I kiss you until my injuries no longer seem so great.”

I smile. I do like his negotiating skills. “That sounds like it will take a long time, and we have a carriage to catch.”

He growls and captures my lips with his. After a very long time, and a great kiss, he murmurs against my lips, “Carriage be damned. If I had my way, the only place you would be going is upstairs with me.”

A little shiver runs down my spine as the passion of his words hits me. I would like nothing better than that, myself. We’ve been trying hard to be good; neither of us is ready to be hand-fasted, which we would have to be if we make love. And I promised my mom we’d slow things down. Since we sleep in the same bed at night, it is getting harder and harder to remember those things.

“Mm, don’t say things like that when you know it’s not possible,” I whine.

“I believe we still have six minutes.”

I laugh. “I wish I could close my eyes like this,” I say, closing my eyes tightly, “and when I kiss you, we’d be in our room.” I find his lips with mine. I would love to have six minutes alone with him in my room, kissing like this and letting our hands explore each other. Hey, I really hate it when he ends a kiss abruptly.

I’m about to complain when he says, “Xandra…what did you do?”

I open my eyes to ask him what he’s talking about, but I don’t have to ask. “Did I do this?”

“I am certain it was not me.”

“But, I can’t do this.”

He raises a brow. “The evidence is to the contrary.”

My arms slowly slide back down to my sides as I turn and look around. Where there should be marble stairs, there is a bed, some chairs and a doorway leading to a terrace. We are in my bedroom. This is impossible.

I turn back to Kallen and he looks as dumbfounded as I feel. “How did I do this?” I ask, but I know he can’t answer that question.

He shakes his head. “You never cease to amaze me.” A slow smile spreads over his face. “I suppose we should talk to Grandmother about this. In about five minutes.”

He scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the bed. Five minutes doesn’t sound like nearly enough time, but I’ll take what I can get. Lying next to me on his side, Kallen smiles down at me. “You are amazing.” He dips his head and kisses me softly.

“I knew it,” I murmur against his lips, “you only love me for my magic.”

“Oh, trust me, there are many other reasons, as well. Shall I list them, or should I spend the next few minutes kissing you?”

That’s a difficult decision. I pull on his t-shirt to bring him closer, as I say, “Shut up and kiss me.” He has no problem complying with that.