“Birthday present,” he said. “You’ll smell extra juicy by the time Rayner sees you again.” He yanked the tags off the bikini. “Let’s go hit the sand.”
I was definitely feeling flushed as Jie paid for all of our stuff. Excited, too. It was a little like the romance novels I used to hide under the floorboards, a secret that made a hot streak of forbidden desire race through me, so potently that it was hard to believe everyone couldn’t see it.
Silvus and Rayner were in the hotel room guarding the bones. Our room had a nice balcony and Silvus probably needed the rest. Now I glanced up at the hotel, sea breeze whipping my hair, and thought about Rayner meeting me for dinner later. There would definitely be no hiding my feelings tonight. And I still hardly knew what my feelings were, but my body was clear on the subject. My brain kept telling me these men were dangerous and dominating, but my body just knew that they were good at giving me so much pleasure that I forgot everything else.
Jie paid for everything. Alice begged him for a ukulele, so he bought her one too.
“But this is it,” he said. “You’re not supposed to be our responsibility. I don’t know why I keep buying you stuff.”
We headed for the beach that Jie heard was good for surfing with boards to rent. It was fairly busy but we still had room to find our own spot and there was a bar facing the beach. Jie bought us some cocktails. Then he squirted out a big glob of sunscreen and started covering me in it. “You look like trouble waiting to happen. Then, you can take care of Alice.”
“I’d rather have Waldemar do it,” Alice said. “Can’t you at least make him come have a cocktail with us?”
“Nothing is going to come out of it,” I said. “He’s made it pretty clear that he doesn’t like hanging out. I don’t think you’re going to be the one who turns him around.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“I just don’t want to make him mad. I need him.”
“You’re his witch!” Alice said, plucking on the ukulele. “He can’t be mad at you.”
“I’m sure he can,” I said. “He seems perpetually grumpy.”
“Grumpy isn’t mad,” Alice said. “I’ve met plenty of witches and familiars, and I tell you, they can’t get mad at their witch. It’s impossible. Wouldn’t it be nice to get to know a little more about him?”
“It’s true that he is a mystery…”
“I’ll be quiet and just play some background music.” She strummed a gentle tune.
I didn’t believe her. But I called Waldemar anyway. I was desperately curious to know more about him.
“Hmm,” Alice said. “There are humans around. He can’t just appear anywhere nearby. I bet he’ll be extra grumpy when he has to walk from the nearest secret spot.”
My eyes wandered to Thom and Jie, who were goofing off in the waves and splashing each other. I think they were daring each other to try surfing first. I had assumed they already knew how. How was I to know what skills normal people possessed? But clearly, they had no idea what they were doing. Jie pointed at another guy using his hands to paddle his board out to the waves. They watched him as he climbed atop the board and rose to his feet just in time to catch a wave and ride it back in.
Jie pointed at Thom’s board and Thom finally made the first move. As soon as he did, Jie started paddling after him like they were racing now. They were having a blast and seeing them in swim shorts wasn’t bad either. It was different than admiring than from the bedroom. Distance ogling, I thought, as my core heated.
Boy, the sermons were right about one thing. Once you become a bad girl, you can’t turn back. I watched them both try to catch the wave and fail spectacularly, immediately tumbling off the surfboards and scrambling just to cling to them as the wave dragged them both to the shore.
Jie pulled Thom up and I started thinking again about how close they were and wondering why the sight of them with their hands together was only making my anxious desire worse. Jie picked some seaweed off Thom’s back. And then Thom slung an arm around Jie’s shoulders and clapped his chest like, We’re going right back in.
Oh goodness.
“Can vampires drown?” I asked, trying to pretend I was more concerned than riveted.
“I don’t actually know,” Alice said. “They certainly could get mauled by a shark…”
Waldemar came striding over to us from the hotel. “Yes?” He looked around. “You seem safe.”
“I’m safe. I just wanted to…get to know you a little more. I mean, you knew my original family in the Netherlands, right?”
He looked at Alice, who abruptly dropped her eyes back to the ukulele. Then he sighed and sat down on the sand next to me. “Yes, I did.”
“What was it like? Did we know each other?”
“Your mother didn’t teach you to be a witch,” he said. “Your father was a human and mostly, she wished for you to have a human life. However, when you were sixteen she went back on her word a little. She wanted you to have a way to defend yourself if the French invaded or…anything else, you know. Back then you had to worry about all sorts of things. So she gave you a wand that had been in the family and taught you a few spells. Very simple ones. We met just once. We were introduced and you knew to summon me if you needed me, but you never did…although maybe you should have.”
“I see.”
“You seemed like a nice girl. I was actually fairly young back then, sixty or seventy or something like that. Your mother served us supper and we went over familiar-witch etiquette. Very properly, you understood that you were not to call me unless I was needed, and we were not friends.”
“Why not?”
“I am your connection to the magical world. I am your willing servant. And if we were friends, you would not be as willing to sacrifice me. I know that’s not how things are done in some circles now, but…that is how I will live out the rest of my life, and happily so.”
“I already have four protectors,” I said. “I’d rather have a friend.”
“It can’t be me. I must protect you.”
“What if I needed it?”
“All this English you are making me speak.” He looked at the sea like he’d rather be there.
“English and Dutch are awfully similar, compared to some other languages,” Alice said. “When Rayner and Silvus speak it I feel like I could almost understand them.” She sighed. “Oh, well. He’s not my type after all.”
“I don’t want to be your type,” Waldemar said. “I’m a magical being.”
“I guess that’s good, ‘cause you’re not. It’s all right.”
“Yes,” Waldemar said. “It is all right.”
“So you never met Rayner, then?” I asked.
“No.”
“Can I ask something?” Alice said. “Just pure curiosity. I’m Alice, by the way.”
“You can ask…”
“Familiars are supposed to show up anytime their witch is in trouble?”
“Yes.”
“So how do you be a familiar to more than one witch at a time? What if they’re all in trouble?”
“In that case I can appear as two people,” Waldemar said. “Or…more.”
“What now! Two people at once? How do you think in two bodies at once?”
“It’s like playing the piano,” Waldemar said.
“Ah! I see.”
“It hasn’t happened in a long, long time,” Waldemar said. “And now Alissa is the only witch I serve.”
“It must have been exciting when it did happen,” Alice said, leaning in a little, head propped in her hands.
Waldemar cleared his throat. “She’s trying to goad me, but it won’t work.”
“Goad? Little old me? I just like hearing interesting stories,” Alice said. “It must have been such a fascinating world. Witches, and familiars, and…what else? Sailing ships?”
“I don’t care for those,” Waldemar said. “Once, I was nearly harpooned.”
“Harpooned?”
“Waldemar
can take the form of a whale,” I said.
“A whale! I thought familiars were always small. That’s impressive! You must have had all sorts of adventures.”
“A few…a long time ago.”
“You’re a real life adventurer. I bet you must have gotten some revenge on those men who tried to harpoon you with your magic and all.”
“Yes…” His eyes were turning inward and I thought, She is working him like hands kneading dough. Waldemar’s attempts to avoid flirting with her were quickly abandoned as he started to tell her about appearing on the deck of a whaling ship that night in the form of a man, appearing like a ghost, and terrifying the crew so badly with a display of horrifying illusions and waves conjured from nothing to rock the vessel that they sailed straight home. I wondered if it was true, knowing how quickly a story can stretch, but Alice kept encouraging him to tell her more.
I guess Waldemar doesn’t mind talking after all, to the right person…
I smiled as I dropped out of the conversation. I would rather watch Jie and Thom, anyway.
Thom had actually managed to stand up and shakily ride a wave to shore while all of Jie’s attempts were a disaster.
“What the hell!” Jie jabbed Thom when he got to his feet looking cocky. “How did you get that far? We should have signed up for lessons.”
“I don’t need ‘em.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Maybe you ought to try riding on your belly,” Thom said. “Instead of going straight for surfing god status.” Then he added, “Like me.”
“You weren’t even listening to the advice at the rental shop.”
“I never listen,” Thom said. “But I’ve just been watching what these other guys are doing.” He pointed down the shore at a few more experienced surfers.
As I was listening, I was also taking in the fact that my body was…reacting. My core was pulsing hot as I looked at their wet hair, their tanned muscles and the sand on their skin. They looked so alive and beautiful, in this beautiful place, where everything was painted in vibrant blues and greens and the air smelled of salt. I was so far from home that even though I knew we were being followed, and I should be scared, my troubles and my old world couldn’t help but recede into the distance.
Thom looked at me with a small, naughty smile and then he put an arm around Jie’s shoulders. “Let me show you, huh? I think you’re just holding the board too low.” His hand, touching Jie, had all the deep, quiet intimacy I knew they shared.
I couldn’t stop watching them. Their love for each other, the way they took care of each other—I could see it so clearly and it made me love them more than anything they could say to me.
I wet my lips, watching Thom show Jie that he needed to start off with a more balanced position, feet centered on the board.
I didn’t understand why it was having such a powerful effect on me to watch them just having fun together. I wished I was with them tonight. Between them.
Or if Rayner and Silvus were more like this…together, with me… They love each other too, I think—but they’re so restrained and solemn.
Jie caught the next wave and managed to stand in a low crouch before he wobbled and tumbled off the board. Thom offered him a hand again.
“That was a hell of a lot better,” Thom said. “But look at Alissa. Never seen quite that look on your face before, darlin’…not in this life.”
“What look?” I shut my gaping mouth and looked down.
Jie raked wet, windswept hair back off his face. “I guess we’re not doing a bad job as eye candy…even if I can’t surf.”
“You’re getting it.” Thom gave Jie a fond look.
“Do you guys ever kiss?” I blurted. Then I covered my mouth. I just said that out loud. What was my mouth thinking?
“You’d like that, would you?” Thom gave my mound a little stroke over my bathing suit. “I’m liking the results of Rayner’s present.”
Jie gave me his own secretive smile that told me he was in on it. Then Thom reached for Jie’s waist and Jie ran his fingers through Thom’s sandy brown hair, and Thom’s tongue slipped right into Jie’s mouth. Jie kissed back as aggressively, their mouths clashing physically the way they often did verbally—affectionate but competitive at the same time.
Oh—wow.
I was blushing, tempted to glance around and make sure we weren’t attracting too much attention from the other surfers, but I couldn’t take my eyes off this either. More than anything, I had an absolutely burning need to be kissed and touched myself. I wanted to be in the middle of that. My nipples were peaked, my clit throbbing so hard under the pressure of the clip that I wished one of them would just stick a hand down my bathing suit and relieve the tension already.
A little hilariously, I could hear Alice and Waldemar talking up a storm the whole time back on the beach chairs without apparently noticing any of this.
“This look…” Jie cupped a hand around my cheek. “I’m afraid Thom might have cheated to get it, but I’ll take it anyway. This is the look that got me to make love to you on that ship even though I was supposed to wait.”
“But we will wait today,” Thom said. “It’s Rayner’s birthday and he doesn’t take enough care for himself. I don’t want him going the way of poor Ulf. They aren’t that far apart in age.”
“Is that a concern?” I asked, alarmed by this thought.
“Not if we keep him young,” Thom said.
“But our rules only apply to sex and blood. I can kiss you,” Jie said. “Anytime.” His hand reached for my neck, the grit of sand and salt mingling as our bodies drew together, the wind whipping our hair. Even his lips tasted like sea salt, but past the lips, it was just Jie, and a hot hungry kiss that left me weak in the knees. I wanted more so badly that I squirmed a little.
“You smell fucking irresistible,” Jie whispered.
“Do you want to try surfing?” Thom asked.
“Me?”
“Why not? Women can surf.”
“Yeah—I would like to try.”
Jie handed me his board. “I’ll just watch,” he said. “Maybe build a sand castle.”
“Quitter,” Thom said.
“My skills lie elsewhere.”
Thom and I carried the boards into the waves. The water felt amazing, the fresh air and the push and pull of water making me feel alive head to toe. I wasn’t trying to prove anything and just wanted to have fun, so I tried it on my belly first, and although the first wave I tried sort of petered out without giving us much of a ride, it was still a thrill.
After a little while, Alice and Waldemar suddenly got up and walked up to us.
“Can we borrow those?” Alice asked. “Just for a minute?”
“Why do I get the feeling I won’t get this back for an hour?” Thom said. “What are you planning?”
“We’re just going to have a duel,” Waldemar said.
“A friendly competition,” Alice said. “Not a duel.”
“We shall see.”
We surrendered our boards. Alice and Waldemar both took one and started off into the waves. Then they started swimming farther out to meet a larger wave.
“Alice!” Jie yelled. “You’re not an aquatic animal! She’s going to get herself killed. And she already seems to have a death wish.”
“Let’s see what happens,” Thom said. “Alice is a pretty talented girl when she puts her—“ He cut off as a wave came bearing down on them and Alice tried to scrambled onto her board, only to flip it over onto herself, board and girl briefly flailing before disappearing. Waldemar was only clinging to his for dear life but when he saw her go under he abandoned his board and went in after her. Alice’s board popped up and both surfboards ended up coming toward us with no sign of their riders for a very long moment.
My mouth dropped open. “Do something!”
Thom put a hand on Jie’s shoulder as he barely started to move. “If whale boy can’t save her, then I don’t think we can do anything about it either.
”
Waldemar surfaced at that moment, holding her limp body in his arms. His usual coolness was replaced by concern as he rushed her to the shore and ran a hand over her. “She didn’t swallow any water. But I worry she could have hit her head…”
“Can I help heal her?”
“Of course.” We put our hands on her together. I couldn’t sense anything wrong with her, but Alice already had a very fragile energy. Her quest for an escape from her lonely life had taken a toll on her; I could feel that every time I touched her.
“I don’t sense anything amiss,” Waldemar said. “So perhaps she just fainted from the shock. She strikes me as a rather foolish girl.”
“Oh?” I said.
“Yes,” he insisted. I must have sounded too skeptical for his taste. “Very foolish.”
“You talked for a while. You made it pretty clear you don’t like talking.”
“I don’t.” Then he seemed like he wasn’t sure what to do. He looked at Alice, her body prone and pale, her blonde hair all tangled and sandy. It seemed like he didn’t want to leave her, but he didn’t want to show it.
“Waldemar, you could do us a huge favor and carry Alice back to the hotel room and make sure she’s okay when she wakes up,” I said. “Be careful not to let the hotel staff see you or they might worry and want to call an ambulance.”
“Ah—yes. I could evade them.” He got up to scoop up her ukulele and sunglasses in a bundle with her towel, which he tied over his arm. While his back was turned, Alice opened her eyes, winked at me, and then slipped back into a very convincing lack of consciousness.
“Not too foolish,” Jie said, watching Waldemar carry her off, her hands and feet dangling heavily.
I was glad Alice was here, because she had brought a little humanity to Waldemar. “No. I’m not sure Waldemar stands a chance.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alissa
While Silvus was recovering from his wounds, and Alice was pretending to recover from hers, Jie and Thom told Rayner to go celebrate his birthday.
“My birthday?” Rayner scoffed. “Since when do I want to celebrate my birthday?”
Love Me Madly Page 17
