"Just tired. I got a bit more sleep but had a ghostly visitor when I woke up."
He paled and scooted forward in the seat, wrapping both hands around his mug. "Becca? Did you lay her to rest?"
I shook my head. "My father."
"What?"
"Sitting at my table. Dropped by to say hi."
"That's amazing? You don't have to rescue him anymore?"
"He was a phantom. Not really real. He's still in Tartarus."
"What did he say?"
"Abandon all hope. Live my life. There was no way to rescue him, blah, blah, blah."
"You gonna listen?"
"Would you?"
He sighed and took a sip, thinking about it. "I don't know. Maybe."
"You just want me safe, too."
"Yep. I'm a bastard like that."
"You guys decide on something other than a damn cheeseburger?" Marge slipped up while we were talking and pulled out her order pad, shooting Chief a disgusted look.
"Cheeseburger," he said with a smile.
I swear she growled before looking at me.
"Tell Herb to surprise me."
"Oh, no." She rolled her eyes. "He's had twenty friggin' recipes he's had in his head, waiting for you to say those damn words. I'll alert the fire department." She huffed and wandered back to the window. "Herb! Fatty patty for Chief, and a Cauldron Special for Dot."
"It is time," he said and lifted his head, grinning at me through the window.
He hit the play button on the ancient boombox in the window and turned his hat around. The heavy beat of Eye of the Tiger filled the diner.
"Should we run?" Chief turned his head slowly and looked at me worriedly.
I couldn't stop myself. Hysterical laughter burst out of my chest and I sat there in the seat, wiping my eyes for a good three minutes before getting it under control. Every worry, doubt, and crappy feeling that had been weighing me down vanished with the gigglefits. Laughter truly was the best medicine.
Chief had sat back to watch the show, joining me in a few of my more raucous cackles. Sometime during my display, Nana and Mother had entered the diner, grimaced at my hysterics, and sat at a booth along the back wall, pretending not to know me. That just set me off more.
"You gonna live?"
"Yes. Just give me a minute." I rubbed my eyes with one hand and held up the other.
Where are you? Yuki's thought stifled my laughter.
Lunch with Chief. Diner. I sent to her. Everything okay?
The chime answered that question and she slipped into the booth beside me. "Thought you'd still be sleeping. I cleaned up your mess." She shot me an angry glare.
"Oh, shit. I forgot about the coffee."
"You feeling okay?" She put her hand on my forehead.
"Yes!" I pulled away from her cold hand. "Sheesh. Everybody is my mother."
"That would make the world a better place, Dear," Mother whispered from across the diner. I had forgotten about her bat ears. Which was hard to do, since in entirety, she was an old bat.
Ignoring her, I looked back at Yuki. "I got up and everybody was gone."
"Candsie went to work. Jaeren had elfly duties to attend to and went back to faerie last night. And Dar took Ellis to the bookstore. Said they were short on stock help."
"Candsie?"
"Candace and Josie. Candsie sounds better than Jondace."
"You shipped them?"
"They shipped themselves." She started giggling.
"Ellis? They're going to put him to work at the bookstore? In public?"
"Apparently, he's some kind of master wizard or some shit. He looked human when he walked out the door."
"Huh. Learn something new every day."
"He even did Dar. He doesn't have to wear that stupid hippie looking headband anymore."
"He did Dar?" I wiggled my eyebrows as the vision danced in my head.
Yuki rolled her eyes.
"So, what were you up to?"
"I got…hungry," Yuki answered embarrassedly.
"Oh, shit. Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because your blood is like doing shots of Everclear. No offense. Shea volunteered."
"I bet he tastes like Cinnabon."
"Nope. Chocolate."
"Are you two done?" Chief was several shades of green.
"What?" We asked in unison.
"I'm about to eat. The thought of drinking blood…"
"Now you know how I feel watching you scarf down cheeseburgers." Yuki stuck her tongue out at him.
"You're just jealous," he answered and stuck his tongue out back at her.
"A little. Yeah." Yuki pouted.
"Sorry, Kid."
Yuki was lying. That wasn't all she had been up to. I felt it during their little banter session. "How's George?"
She blinked at me in surprise before her eyes narrowed. "You can smell him on me."
"Ew. He's your cousin!" Chief had missed the point.
"And gay, dumbass." Yuki snarled. "I went to the house to talk to him. To talk to them."
"Who's them?" He let the dumbass comment go.
"The other vampires. Amir and whoever was left at the house besides George." I didn't take my eyes off her. Wanting to gauge her reaction.
"Don't worry. Amir is still yours. As is George, which is the real reason I went over there. I mean, we are talking about his father, but he's too afraid to go against you."
"Smart boy," Chief answered.
"No. An honest one. He's pissed at his dad for trying to take over. He thinks Dot will really take care of the fatally anemic population of Cedar Falls. Not use them to turn a profit."
I felt the low rumble from her. She was angry at all of them. Her father, her uncle, and her mother.
June Abernathy had struck me as sweet and timid. Her husband was an asshole. Yuki was somewhere in between, inheriting the best of both parents. I didn't see June as an enemy, but I saw her as powerless against her husband's brother. Only time would tell, though.
"Here we go!" Marge set down a Coke and a burger in front of Chief, and a coffee in front of Yuki. She sighed before she hoisted the plate off the tray and set it in front of me with a Coke to wash it down.
I stared down at the plate. There was a tiny black iron cauldron filled with guacamole over a bed of French fries splashed with hot sauce. The effect was meant to make it look like it was sitting over burning wood, and he actually pulled it off. I could see Herb bent over the counter arranging each fry just right, too. The rest of the plate was taken up by a sandwich. I lifted the fluffy brioche top and inspected the contents. "What's in it?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
I poked at the neatly stacked meat. He had medium sliced fresh roasted turkey breast and put it on the bottom. That was covered with a layer of finely cut cucumber. On top of that, he had stacked frizzled onion straws and then, I dipped my finger to taste it, drizzled sage aioli over everything. Smacking my lips, I picked it up and took a bite. "Holy shit," I managed to stammer around the mouth full of food.
"That bad?" Marge shot me an apologetic look.
"No! It's fucking delicious. Tell him I said thank you!"
"Oh!" She bowed low and made a sweeping gesture with her hand. "I present to you, the Witchwich. Forgot that part." She rolled her eyes and turned toward the kitchen. Herb was practically hanging out of the window. "She likes it!"
The relief in the diner was real. Everybody seemed to start breathing again.
"Betcha the menu's gonna have a new sticker tomorrow." Yuki giggled.
Chapter 10
Ding dong.
I took my finger from the modern looking doorbell and waited, uneasily. Since Dar and Shea had started seeing each other outside of our relationship, it had always been my intention to make Shea's apartment their own little sanctum and not intrude.
However, after lunch at the diner, I'd stopped by the bookstore. The two of them had taken my comment about crashing at their place at face value
and had arranged dinner and planned on me spending the night. Chief had winked at me and told me to go. He didn't mind spending the night in my room without me, thanking me for letting him crash there. I even offered to ask Yuki to cuddle with him. He'd been less than pleased, even though I'd been joking. Yuki smacked me in the back of the head when he wasn't looking. I thought their whole damn rivalry thing was kind of cute. And fun to exploit for my own entertainment.
"You could have just shadow walked into the apartment," Shea said as he pulled the door open with his hands encased in oven mitts.
"That would be rude." I kissed him on the forehead as I walked inside the earthy apartment. Truth be told, I loved spending time there. His wood furnishings and taste in décor ranged from Middle Earth to elven assassin.
"Dinner is almost ready. Wine?"
"As long as it doesn't knock me on my ass."
"No promises, Lady." He let out a string of musical laughter and headed back to the kitchen. He was wearing a leather apron and had his hair tied back with a black ribbon. Even without the leather pants he was hot. Watching his ass in said leather pants, he was drool worthy. I had failed to get him in the habit of wearing jeans or sweatpants. While he would have looked magnificent in gray sweatpants, you wouldn't have been able to see every ripple of every muscle in his ass and legs as he walked.
"Where's Dar?" I was making conversation.
"In the shower. He just got home from work."
"You should have told me to come later."
"By the time he gets out of the shower, dinner should be done, Lady." He pulled off the oven mitts and pulled an ancient bottle of wine off the wine rack that looked like it had been grown from grape vines. Deftly cutting the wax from the top with the dagger he kept somewhere on him when he wasn't wearing the heavy cloak he fought in, he tucked it away and held his palm to the bottom of the bottle, whispering something too softly for me to hear. I watched in fascination as the cork wiggled itself out of the bottle and fell deftly into his hand.
"Telling you. You should get a job as a sommelier."
"And spend time away from my beloved books? I think not, Lady." He smiled at me and started pouring the amber liquid into three crystal glasses on the counter.
"What's this one?"
"Elven fire wine."
"Sounds spicy."
"Not at all." He grabbed two of the glasses, handed me one, and then lightly touched the rim of his glass to mine before taking a sip.
I brought the glass to my lips and inhaled. It smelled like summer. I could practically hear the waves of the lake as they gently lapped the shore. Laughter filled my ears as I took a sip. It went down smooth, settled in my belly, and then began to warm me from the inside out. "They should call it summer instead of fire."
"It is in reference to the warming effect. Elven travelers often brought this on cold voyages. I thought it fitting considering the weather and the meal."
"What are we having?'
"Seared venison loin astride roasted root vegetables and fondant potatoes with a port reduction."
"Deer, veggies, and taters?"
"Yes." He stared at me blankly.
"Well, if it's as good as it sounds, I'm sure I'll love it." I chuckled and pulled him in for a hug, careful not to spill our wine.
He pressed his face against my chest. "I have missed you."
"Missed you too, my Shea."
He looked up at me with one of those innocent smiles that made my heart melt and lady bits get squishy. Leaning in, I kissed him.
"I see the two of you are skipping to dessert."
Turning around, I grinned at the half-naked blue demon in the doorway to the bedroom. My squishy bits drooled. He was wearing nothing but a white towel and the contrast between it and his azure skin was mesmerizing. As was the bulge in the front of the towel.
"Let me throw on some pants," he said and blew me a seductive kiss.
"Not on my account, I hope." I wiggled my eyebrows at him.
He returned before I got my staring situation under control, wearing the gray sweatpants I'd been picturing on Shea. "Dar, we have a guest. You should wear something more appropriate. At least put on a shirt."
Dar frowned. What say you, Master? Would you like me to wear more, or divest Shea of some of his…
Divest away!
Dar laughed and walked over to Shea, untying the thong on the apron and taking it and his peasant shirt off. Shea rolled his eyes in protest.
"Master's orders," Dar whispered in his ear loudly enough for me to hear.
Shea looked at me shyly, his protests turning to a smile. "As our guest wishes."
Dar took the third glass of wine and motioned for the table, pulling out the seat on the end for me. "Thank you, sir."
When I sat, he reached down and grabbed the hem of my shirt, lifting it over my head after I set my glass down. "What are you doing?"
"If you wish us to be shirtless during dinner, we cannot allow our guest to stand out." He kissed my shoulder as I instinctually covered my breasts with an arm.
The only problem was, next to them, I felt inadequate.
One look from Dar as he sat next to me, quelled my inhibitions. I couldn't have pried his eyes from me with a two-by-four. "How was work?"
"Busy as usual."
"How did Ellis do?"
"Ask him yourself."
"That good?" I felt bad for him. To be thrust into working a mundane job with no experience must have been quite the culture shock.
"No, I mean ask him yourself. He should be here any moment."
Shea chuckled and set his and another glass of wine on the table. He had purposely not told me and only put out three glasses, the little shit. One thing was for certain, I was putting my shirt back on. I reached for the garment, but Dar stopped me with a hand.
"Do not tell me you do not desire him, Master. I've been around when you were together."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "So?"
He leaned a little closer. "I could smell your desire." He rubbed my leg for emphasis.
"So? He's hot. If I bedded every guy I found hot…I'd have a bed full of guys," I finished lamely. If I were being honest with myself, I had. Except for Jaeren and Ellis. At least the guys weren't pushing Jaeren on me. I would have loved to know what their obsession was with Ellis, though.
"What gives?"
"Pardon?" Dar blinked in confusion.
"Ellis. You're not the only one pushing me at him. What is it?"
Dar sighed and looked at Shea who set a roasting pan on the glass topped table. "You tell her."
"Tell me what?" I was losing patience.
"Your power calls to him."
"My what?"
"He is a dark elf. Your power calls to him. Every one of us can see it but you."
"No. I can feel it. But I can also ignore it." I took another sip of wine, almost angrily, and let the burn add to the fire in my belly. "Besides, I already have a dark elf." I rubbed Shea's butt, which had a miraculous calming effect, I might add.
"I am only half. And I am your link to the shadows. Yuki is your link to the vampires. Dar is your link to the demons. You need Ellis as much as he needs you," Shea answered as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "He will be your link to the unseleighe sidhe."
"I'm not sleeping with Yuki!" There was no way in hell that would ever happen. I liked guys and she liked…anime.
"But you love her."
"Yes, but…"
"The link does not need to be sexual in nature. Love is enough," Dar said and lifted the lid from the pan, earning himself a swat on the hand from Shea.
"Wait!"
"But it smells so good."
It did. All thoughts of Yuki and Ellis flew out the fucking window as soon as Dar lifted the silver lid and a puff of steam filled the air around us. My mouth started watering even more. As if Shea and Dar weren't enough to make a person drool.
"He is ready," Shea said and walked to the corner of the room, disappe
aring into the shadows and returning a moment later with Ellis in tow.
"Greetings, everyone." He smiled at Dar and practically beamed at me.
I couldn't help from noticing his bulging pectoral muscles unencumbered by any sort of clothing. He was dressed identically to Shea. Leather pants and naked from the waist up. I forgot about the food in front of me. The meal that had just walked through the shadows looked way tastier.
"See?" Dar chuckled beside me.
"Fuck off." I mouthed the words out of the corner of my mouth, refusing to turn my head away from Ellis. Realizing I was staring, I shook my head and shot Dar a dirty look. "What about Jimmy, and Dennis, Chief and Jason?"
"What about them?"
"Uh…hello? Haven't even discussed this with them."
"I have."
"Have what?"
"Discussed the addition."
"You did?"
"I did."
"Don't you think you should have consulted me first?"
"To what avail? You would have balked and procrastinated. I made sure all of them were okay with it before I invited him to dinner. Now he is here. You are here. You can make a decision without worrying about what anybody else thinks. The ball is…in your court?"
"You're a mother fucking pimp." I pouted and crossed my arms.
"No. That would infer that you, my master, is a whore."
"No. I'm the john. He's the whore." I pointed at Ellis.
Ellis looked confused. "I'm a whore?"
"Metaphorically."
"Oh, good. For I have not lain with a woman. I did not see how that would be possible." Shea handed him a glass of wine as he sat.
"Shut the fuck up. You're a virgin?" I blinked at him. Several times. Maybe even a hundred.
"You saw the lack of females in my land? I have had many lovers, but none that were not male."
I looked at Dar.
He looked at me. And so help me, fucking goddess, he grinned.
"I suppose I could be a man whore," Ellis added thoughtfully, taking a sip of his wine and coughing.
"Are we going to eat?" I rubbed the bridge of my nose and focused on anything but the half-naked dark elf on the other side of the table. It was probably safer that way.
"Let me get the meat," Shea said and walked back into kitchen.
Seventh Seal: A Reverse Harem Tale (Lovin' the Coven Book 7) Page 9
