by S. E. Akers
“Thank you,” the bartender purred with a grin after he tallied my payment and pocketed the more than gracious twenty-percent tip I’d left.
“When did you get so free-handed with the funds?” Katie asked.
“What choice did I have? I’m just glad Bea gave me plenty of money.” And here I thought it was “too much”. But sadly, between our outing in New Orleans, the two cab rides, and now this pricey hooch purchase, my ample funds had dwindled down to a little over half of what I had.
“I would have felt compelled to go a different route,” Katie giggled.
“That’d be stealing, Katie. I can’t do that,” I protested.
“Again —You stole a boat!”
“Borrowed,” I corrected.
“You should’ve had him charge it to old, el Diablo Hayes’ room. Can you see him having to explain that Visa bill to the misses?”
Several minutes and one empty whiskey bottle later, I was finally starting to feel more at ease. All that remained now were some crazy-ass visions to start popping out of thin air.
“Seeing anything?” Katie asked.
“Nope,” I laughed sharply.
“Then why are you laughing?” she asked, giggling herself.
“I don’t know?” I chuckled harder. “I just am.”
The room started to spin. I shot up out of my seat and threw my arms out, trying to steady myself. “Shhh! Wait! I think one’s coming.”
A waiter passing by asked me directly, “What is coming, Señorita?”
I laughed even louder when I realized I’d said it out loud. I straightened his lopsided bowtie and gave the tip of his nose a poke with my finger. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
I brushed off his loco-look and focused on my surroundings. Nothing was happening. As I scanned the lounge, all I could see were blank stares coming at me from all directions.
“Anything?” Katie asked.
“Nothing!” I huffed. I grabbed my purse and weaved through the tables. “Maybe one would come, IF EVERYONE WASN’T STARING AT ME,” I announced to the nosey patrons as I clomped towards the door.
I staggered across the courtyard, totally rethinking my choice in shoes. One tragic misstep later, when my five-inch spike got caught in an uneven line of grout, my heel broke clean off. Luckily, I caught myself and hobbled over to the fountain.
“Are you peeing?” Katie quizzed.
“No,” I laughed as I pulled off my shoe. “That’s the fountain, ding-a-ling.” Sadly I eyed my poor, pitiful shoe. “Dammit,” I fussed as I sat down on the ledge. “I broke my heel!” I yanked off the other one and pitched it on the ground.
“Not the Jimmy Choos?” Katie gasped.
“Afraid so.” I stretched out my feet and wiggled my toes. “I’m Choo-less.”
“Well, I’mmm LEG-LESS,” Katie giggled, barely able to form her words.
“True,” I snickered, holding my chest. I took a deep breath. “You know, Katie…considering I was just running for my life from some crazy cult and a damn jungle cat tried to chew my butt off, I feel pretty…good. Is that weird?”
“No. I feel pretty good too,” my BFF added.
I shrugged my shoulders and swiveled around to soak my feet in the water. “I just wish a vision would come. Something… ANYTHING!”
“Even if it’s bad?” Katie asked.
I mulled over her question as I stared listlessly at the water. I really didn’t know what I wanted more. Good news would be a blessing, but I wouldn’t thumb my nose at a life-saving heads-up.
The ripples in the water seemed to be forming an image of something. Suddenly, a familiar face took form. I let out a gasp.
“What?” Katie asked.
“Ty,” I mumbled as I watched him wade through the water. “Ty’s here.” From out of nowhere, a vivid green vine started to curl around his body, coursing all the way up to his chest. With one quick coil, it had squeezed his neck and then tugged him violently under the surface. I sprang to my feet and tried to pull him out of the water, but I couldn’t. He kept slipping through my fingers. All I could do was watch him as he flailed about, bound in a knotty clump of vines and gasping for air. The next thing I knew, he was gone.
“He’s not here,” I mumbled.
“Where did he go?” Katie asked.
I trawled my hand through the water. “He wasn’t here,” I corrected.
The sound of a grating grunt whirled me around. “They have a pool,” Kara remarked crossly. “Two, in fact.” I waded over to the edge of the fountain.
“Is that Kara?” Katie laughed.
“Yep,” I confirmed aloud and crossed my arms. “It’s my bitchy little buddy.”
“Pull her in! Pull her in!” Katie begged.
Kara whipped out her iPhone and aimed it at me. “I can’t wait for Ms. Fitz to see this. Maybe she’ll send you home?”
“Go away,” I snapped.
“You need help… Seriously,” Kara insisted.
I scooped up some water and splashed her dress. “Shoo!”
“Haven’t you ruined enough of my clothes?” Kara grumbled and spun around.
Her stinky shredded jacket popped into my head. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed anyway?” Kara added smugly.
I stood there, madder than a hornet, as I watched her walk away. My fiery stare turned into fright when I saw something out of the corner of my eye following her. I jumped back. It was that black jaguar. I leapt out of the fountain and hurled myself at it, only to smack the terracotta tiles. Stunned, Kara whirled around and snapped another picture.
“This one will make a nice addition to the yearbook,” she cooed and then pranced off.
“What happened?” Katie asked.
“That jaguar,” I said as I looked around in all directions. “It was right here!” I revealed, still bewildered. “I guess it was a vision.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I replied as I rose to my feet, a little too quickly. Everything around me was spinning and my eyes started to blur as I reached down to collect my shoes. Just as I lifted myself back up, the iron statute of the female warrior in the fountain started to move. I stepped back and watched as the dark-armored figure sprang to life right before my very eyes. The next thing I knew, she had reared her arm back and hurled the spear she was holding. It sailed straight into my gut. I fell back on my butt and stared at the horrifying sight. Blood gushed out of the wound and flowed onto the ground around me while my insides started to burn. I screamed.
“What’s wrong?” Katie shrieked.
“There’s a spear in my…” I stopped.
“A SPEAR?” Katie gasped. “W—Where?”
“It’s gone,” I mumbled as I looked all around my uninjured body and then up at the perfectly still statue that was back in its original stance, clutching the spear in her hand. I hoisted myself up to my feet. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I announced after I felt my stomach land from its flip. “Maybe I should go back to the room now?”
“Awww… Already?” Katie whined.
I kicked the corner of the fountain. “This is what I HATE about Emerald Eyes!”
“They’re just visions,” Katie assured.
“Easy for you to say,” I snapped. “They feel so real.”
I hurried through the lobby with my stomach bound in knots. I punched the elevator button several times. The doors opened not a minute too soon. I waited as patiently as I could for all the people to get off, twitching nervously as they poked out. Just as the last guy had exited, I bolted inside. As the doors closed, the man stopped and turned around. I caught an alarming glimpse of Damiec as the doors shut. I took a deep breath as I slid down the back wall of the elevator. I stared at my reflection in the mirrored doors. Over and over, I repeated, “It’s just a vision. It’s just a vision,” trying to calm my frantic nerves.
My head started to pound. Soon, a loud grunt rattled my eardrums.
“I’m outside y
our room,” Tanner called out. “Answer. The. Door.”
“Tanner’s calling,” I said aloud. “He sounds pissy.”
“What did you do now?”
“I’m not in my room,” I replied in an intimidating and deep male voice. “Who knows? Maybe his date with ‘Legs’ didn’t go well?”
“What? Who’s ‘Legs’?” Katie asked.
“The woman he got into the cab with earlier,” I huffed.
“You didn’t mention that.”
“W—Well,” I stammered.
“Was she pretty?” Katie probed.
“Does it matter?”
“Not to me,” she teased.
As soon as the doors opened, I hopped up off the floor and rushed out. “I’m here! I’m here!” I insisted as I dug around in my purse for the keycard.
Tanner pointed to the suite. “Why aren’t you in there? Where have you been?”
“Downstairs.” My fumbling wasn’t producing any results, so I ditched my search and opted for a magical entry. When the “pop” of the bolt rang out, I started to push down on the lever, but decided to feel around on Tanner’s face, just to make sure he was real.
“What are you doing?” Tanner asked, looking utterly confused.
“Just checkin’,” I hummed as I flipped the lever and whisked open the door. “Voilà.” I could feel the heat coming from his stare, even over the cool crank of the A/C.
“How did you get so…wet?” Tanner questioned.
“The fountain,” I replied as I headed into the bathroom. He was right on my heels, so I slammed the door before he could follow me inside. I stripped out of my clothes, not caring where they landed, and whipped on one of the fluffy white robes the hotel had provided. I emerged from the bathroom, dry, cozy, and a good five-pounds lighter.
Tanner eyed me suspiciously. “What happened tonight?” he asked.
I plopped down onto the sofa and threw my legs up on the ottoman. “When?”
He crossed his arms. “Let’s take it from the top. When I left you earlier.”
I’ll play. “Oooh, you mean from when I saw you getting into that Porsche.” The busted look on his face said it all. I arched my brow, pointedly. “Does she know why you’re being so secretive?”
Tanner let out a light laugh. “You were following me?”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I charged.
Tanner sat down beside me with a smile that stretched so wide his lips were practically stuck to his teeth. “She’s an old friend. What you saw was a favor…nothing more,” he added directly as he scooted closer.
“Yeah…I bet,” Katie grunted.
“Yeah,” I echoed, out loud.
“Shiloh…What’s wrong with you, really?” Tanner inquired as he studied my every move. A loud hiccup roared out of my mouth. I quickly turned my head.
“Nothing,” I insisted. Tanner guided my head towards him. His eyes flared with violet streaks of light not a second later.
“You’re drunk,” Tanner charged.
“No, I’m not,” I fired back. Tanner grabbed my hand and felt my wrist. His eyes widened.
“Yes, you are. Stinking drunk,” he affirmed.
I tried to shut everything else out so I could focus, but that was impossible. My head was whirling, the room was spinning, and all that came out of my mouth were random giggles. I guessed I should have felt ashamed or at the least, embarrassed. He looked pretty appalled. But I couldn’t stop laughing at him, the dashing Talisman whose seductive, amethyst-hued eyes were seeing nothing but red. I shot out another hiccup that could wake the dead and quickly covered my mouth.
I am… Completely and utterly drunk. That didn’t happen the last time?
“Why are you drunk?” Tanner probed with a dumfounded glare.
“I drank some Emerald Eyes,” I admitted with a boisterous laugh and gave the top of his leg a hard smack.
“Without an amethyst to counter the alcohol’s effects? Or even your moonstone to lessen it?” Tanner assessed.
Well, there’s my answer. “How could I?” I protested. “I have to ‘earn’ my amethyst and you have my moonstone.” Take that Tanner Grey.
“So it’s my fault?” he posed with a disbelieving laugh.
I nodded to him sweetly, eyes wide.
“What possessed you to drink Emerald Eyes in the first place?” Tanner demanded.
I rose up off the couch to a spinning room and pressed my hands to my head. “I don’t know. Maybe it was the painted-faced, pierced freak?” I replied.
“Painted-faced, pierced freak? Tonight? At the carnival?” Tanner posed.
“Or it could have been that black cat… I’m just glad the keys were in the daggone boat,” I added with a stout nod.
Tanner pulled me back down on the sofa. “Shiloh, you’re not making any sense. I can’t understand a thing you’re saying, and I can’t talk directly to Katie.”
“Nope. I’m pretty sure she’s lit, too!” I laughed.
Tanner rolled his eyes. “Of course she is. She’s feeding off the state you’re in.”
“I think she’s asleep. Katie? KATIE!” I yelled, out loud.
“You need to get rid of the poison flowing though your veins, then maybe that head of yours can form a coherent thought,” he cracked.
“Then it looks like I’ll get that amethyst after all,” I said triumphantly.
“No. You won’t. I’m afraid holding an amethyst against your skin won’t do.”
“It won’t?” I questioned.
“The toxin is already in your system…internally,” Tanner explained.
“Then how am I supposed to sober up?”
“Point of entry… Remember?” Tanner whispered. That sure brought my spinning room to a halt. My last “point-of-entry” escapade flashed through my head. Knowing exactly what he meant and what was involved, my lighthearted and aloof mood took a sharp turn — for the worse. Something I regarded so preciously, placed so high upon a pedestal, was YET AGAIN to be ruined with what was deemed a strictly functional and out-of-necessity “act”. I sprang to my feet.
“Well, that’s PERFECT! Freakin’ perrrfect!” I ranted. I whirled around to face him. “So, you have to…” I struggled to say the words out loud, knowing the deed’s utilitarian function would piss me off even more. “Kiss me…to cleanse me, is that right?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if it was the tone in my voice or the scowl on my face that made his cheeky grin flatten out.
Tanner stood straight up. “It would appear that way,” he replied.
“You know,” I voiced as I glared at the ceiling, finger cocked. “I’ve never asked for much…Ever! Not money or designer clothes…or even expensive diamonds in the shape of a sword,” I announced. “But is it possible, dear Cosmos, or Fate…or whatever it is up there dealin’ out my cards, that for once… JUST ONCE, I could get a kiss, a real FIRST KISS that means something! Not just another no-frills, means to an end! Not to heal anyone or even make someone forget!” Frenzied, I paced the floor, only stopping to kick the foot of the bed. I spun around to face Tanner with a frazzled look in my eyes. “Just a real, heart-stopping, earth-moving, melt every cell in my body, freaking kiss from someone who craves it just as much as I do?!?” I implored, my voice roaring like thunder.
Tanner strode towards me, arms crossed and head cocked, patiently waiting out my childish tantrum. With a swift jerk, he had me locked in his hulking arms before I knew what was happening. The storm brewing in his eyes lulled my exaggerated breaths into aching pants on the spot.
“Finished?” Tanner inquired, but definitely not his typical, mentor-like tone. I remained frozen while his perfect mauve lips hovered inches from mine, taunting them into submission. The intoxicating aroma of spices that rose from his chest jolted my senses. With our bodies now entwined, my restless lips mirrored every unvented thought and feeling that surged from the depths of my soul. With the force of a predator, Tanner pressed his lips to mine. Every second of their tantalizing, intended tou
ch felt shamelessly provocative, yet vulnerable and soft. My emotions drifted into uncharted territory while his lips drizzled over mine like warm honey. I clenched my hands, fighting an overwhelming urge to claw his back with my diamond-hard nails. The sensation was so unfamiliar to me, but it felt surprisingly natural and uninhibited. I couldn’t even tell my own stone’s energy from his amethyst anymore. They both seem to have melded electrically into one. Tanner lowered me towards my bed as our contact broke, freeing his succulent hold from my lower lip tenderly. Still suspended in his arms, I looked into his eyes, hypnotized by the astonishing intensity of the purple hue’s amped-up glare. My head continued to swirl while my body felt like it was still floating blissfully on a weightless cloud. An awkward and breathless silence filled what little air there was between us.
“I still feel…um, drunk?” I revealed allusively, searching for a reason as to “why”, after I had supposedly been “healed”. Any reason that would justify and curtail my wanton thoughts, so my mind couldn’t run away from me and let my body give in to the lustful whim it was craving.
“Oh…” Tanner murmured and averted his stare for a moment. He gazed into my eyes willfully. “Sorry about that.” He then swiftly blew a quick puff of warm, moist air into my mouth (not even touching my lips) and dropped me onto the bed. While I lay there with the healing vapor tickling my throat, I felt him slip the moonstone ring back on my finger. With his duty complete, he rose from the bed and strode across the room.
“Sweet Dreams,” Tanner announced as he opened my door. “Little girl,” he added with a sly grin, before he stepped out into the hall.
As soon as the sharp “clank” of the deadbolt had settled, I knew I was finally alone…and free — free from anyone’s spying eyes that could catch me running my fingers delicately over my lips, tracing every inch of where his had touched and still feeling their sultry caress. My mind was alarmingly sober now, but my body couldn’t say the same.
Now that…was a kiss, I concluded with a heavenly grin as I melted into my sheets.
I could feel Katie rousing. I supposed she was now sober as well.
“Whatever the Hell just happened…please, please, please…do it again!” Katie begged as she let out a prolonged and assuredly, just as satisfied sigh.
