CHAPTER 14
Kay
Elora made her way to the back of the plane and sat down in the recliner next to me. The smell of her food made me queasy. So I gripped the whiskey glass a little tighter and tried to let the conversation be a distraction. I wasn’t sure why she wanted to talk to me, but I reasoned that I would know in her own good time.
She asked all sorts of questions about my background and I found that talking about Katrina did distract me from thinking about flying.
Finally, after an hour of meandering, we got to the point.
“Do you know why he wants to talk to me?” she asked.
I shook my head. Honestly, I didn’t know and suspected that no one knew for sure. “Want my best guess?”
“Sure.”
“He saw you and was gripped by the bewitchment thing you’ve got going on.”
She gave me a look that could best be described as innocent confusion. Unless my instincts were deceiving me, I had to give her credit. At least she wasn’t deliberately turning my team inside out.
“You know. That thing.” I moved my head in the direction of Storm, then Ram, one at a time.
I watched her carefully. It took a couple of seconds before she caught up with the implication. When realization hit her features, which seemed to hide nothin’, a full-on blush changed her face to the same shade of pink as her weird, but gorgeous hair. I shouldn’t have laughed, but just couldn’t help myself.
She stood up, making it pretty clear that she took offense to my bringing up the pickle brewing. Or maybe it was my laughing at her. Either way, she had nothin’ more to say. Just took a pillow and a blanket out of an overhead compartment and left.
I felt a little bit bad about it. I mean Elora was nice enough and she’d taken the time to try to get to know me better. A nicety that, I admit, had not been returned.
But I didn’t like what was going on between Rammel and my partner. I’d have had to be blind to not see that no good was going to come from teammates setting their cap for the same woman. Hand of Odin! It was a mess in the making.
CHAPTER 15
Ram
‘Twas light when we arrived in Bucharest. As light as ‘twas goin’ to be, that is. The day was overcast, rainy, with poor visibility. Felt just like home in Ireland. Within minutes we knew the day had got more complicated when we learned that whisters were grounded.
Storm paced the tarmac talkin’ to Operations on the phone, lookin’ pissed. He looked pissed a lot these days. Unless he was talkin’ to Elora.
He snapped the phone shut and stomped towards us.
“We’re going to Brasov on the train and picking up cars there.” Right on cue a van pulled up and stopped next to where we were standin’ with our overnight bags.
Elora grabbed her bag out of the driver’s hands. “Just a minute,” she said, just before she started tearin’ through her rollin’ carry on to pull out a cowl neck sweater and a hoodie.
“Cold?” I asked.
She looked at me strangely as she was pullin’ the sweater over her head. “You’re not?”
I shrugged, rememberin’ what a proper New Forest winter felt like.
At least we got inside the van before it started rainin’.
As we drove through the narrow streets of the old part of the city, Elora was lookin’ out the window like she’d never traveled before. Oddly enough, her intense interest made me look at the scenery through new eyes, wonderin’ what it would seem like if ‘twas my first time in Bucharest.
The driver got us as close to the station as he could, but we were still goin’ to get wet. Elora took the hoodie and draped it over her head for cover and I could have kicked myself for no’ makin’ sure she had an umbrella. Some great caretaker protector I was provin’ to be.
Silently thankin’ Farnsworth for small favors, I was glad we had a first class compartment. Elora entered first and took a window seat. Just as I was about to throw down with Storm over who would be sittin’ next to the lady on the train, Kay practically threw both of us out of the way and took the prize seat for himself. ‘Twas out of character behavior for Kay, but I just took it as a side effect of hatin’ to fly as much as he did.
I stepped in after Kay and did, at least, manage to get the seat across from my girl. She snuggled under the hoodie like it was a blanket, even though I knew it had to be damp from the rain.
While she stared at the passin’ scenery, I stared at her, memorizin’ every tiny nuance of her expressions. At length she realized I was lookin’ at her while she was lookin’ at Romania. She raked her eyes over me, turnin’ the tables, but I did no’ mind a bit. On the contrary, I wanted her to look her fill and feel comfortable doin’ it. I knew I was attractive. Sooner or later she’d figure that out.
I was so relaxed, enjoyin’ lookin’ at my mate that I was half asleep. My third finger had found its way into a hole in the upholstered armrest. I was pushin’ in and pullin’ out with a rhythm some might say matched slow and deliberate copulation. I could no’ suppress a little smile, knowin’ that I was bein’ suggestive. I am an elf, you know.
I waited for her temper to spark, as it often did when I was bein’ vulgar. But she surprised me by quietly matchin’ the cadence of the pumpin’ of my finger with a mime of scissors cutting.
I laughed silently, feelin’ my abs contract, the pale shadow of pain lettin’ me know my rib still did no’ care so much for laughin’.
There was something in her reaction that I will never forget. She was smilin’ with a new gleam of interest I had no’ seen before. ‘Twas no’ a look of lust or affection or even the satisfaction of havin’ scored points on me. I would have to say ‘twas most like appreciation. At that point, I was hungry for scraps of indication that she was movin’ toward seein’ me as someone she wanted around.
As for myself, she was so much more than I’d ever expected. Made me think I must have done something right in this life.
When we got to Brasov, Storm grabbed Elora’s elbow and steered her to the first car before I’d even got off the train. He put her in the back seat, which left me ridin’ with Kay and the driver of the other car. I’d never realized what a sneaky bastard Storm could be.
CHAPTER 16
Storm
I didn’t know what game Rammel was playing. He could get any female he wanted. And had. The fact that he was going after the one girl I’d ever been serious about, well, it was seriously pissing me off. If it wasn’t for the fact that she seemed to like having him around, I would have throttled his little elf ass and thrown him off the back of the train.
They thought they were sly with their little pantomime games, but come on. I was sitting right there. I needed to get his highness alone and have a mano y mano talk.
“Are we eating?” she asked from the back seat.
I looked at my watch, realized I hadn’t changed the time since we landed, and tried to look back at her, but it was too cramped. Gods damn little European cars.
I looked at the driver instead. “We need to find a place for lunch before we leave town. Someplace with decent food, but we don’t have all day.”
“Hotel Bella Muzica,” he said.
I nodded, suppressing the compulsion to say, “Whatever,” which told me I was just cranky in general.
The place wasn’t busy because it was in between meals. “Whatever’s quick,” I told the waiter.
They brought us some kind of stew that I barely tasted because I was in a hurry. I hated rushing Elora, but we needed to get to the blasted Drac Unit before dark.
While the others were finishing, I went down the block to a market and bought the closest thing they had to snacks. Water. Bread. And chocolate for Elora.
When I came back, Ram and Kay were on the sidewalk.
“Where is she?” I said.
“Ladies,” answered Kay.
I finally got everybody back in the cars for the hard leg of the trip. It was painfully slow because of steep mountain roads with sh
eer drop-offs, but we made it just as the light failed altogether.
I was pulling luggage from the car when I heard Elora speaking French to the overseers and I had to wonder what all else I didn’t know about her.
We knew we were going to be expected to dress for dinner and, let me tell you, it’s not that easy to work a tux into overnight luggage. But Black Swan knights don’t say no when Sol Nemamiah tells us what to pack.
CHAPTER 17
Ram
I stepped into the room I’d been assigned for the night and started to close the door behind me, but ‘twas forced out of my hand.
“What the..?” I turned ‘round to see that Kay had followed me in and was closin’ the door behind us both.
“Don’t think I don’t see what’s going on, Rammel.” My eyes traveled to the closed door and back to Kay, waitin’ for him to say what was on his mind. “I’m not choosing sides - because I love you both like the brothers I never had - but Stormy’s gonna have other chances to find love. Am I right in understanding that you get just one? Am I right that you’re sure she’s the one?”
I did no’ know whether to be more shocked that Kay had guessed my predicament or that he was spoutin’ so many words at once, particularly in the form of an unsolicited opinion. He had my attention and I definitely wanted to see where he was goin’ with this line of questionin’.
“Guess there’s more goin’ on in that big head of yours than I give you credit for.”
“Whatever. Back to the point. Just how does it work, her being human and all?”
Well, there was the rub. I could be no less than honest. “Bugger if I know.”
“But it has happened before?”
“Aye. But ‘tis rare.”
“Well, that aside. You don’t have a fighting chance.” Kay leaned his back against the door and crossed his arms over his abs like he had no plans to be leavin’ anytime soon.
“Thanks for the very fine vote of confidence.”
“You want to hear me out or not?”
“Go on.”
“First, there’s a matter I’m afraid you’re not factoring in. She thinks she owes Storm her life. And she should think that because…well, she does. If it had been up to you and me, she’d probably be dead.”
Crap for breakfast. That was an ugly memory I did no’ want to have to confront. Again. But that did no’ diminish the truth of it. ‘Twas perhaps my worst moment and I deserved to have to live with it.
I sat down on the side of the bed and ran my hand through my hair. “Aye. ‘Tis true.”
“Did you see the record of her hearing?”
“Aye.”
“Then you know she has an over-developed sense of honor. For a woman. Women are usually about practicality - which is probably why the species has survived, but Elora’s different. This isn’t going to be about who’s cutest. And I’m not saying I would know, by the way, so don’t ask. If she thinks she owes it to Storm to be with him, she may feel like there’s no other choice.”
As that began to sink in, my stomach started to feel like lead. I had no’ realized there was more at play than attraction. Or that losin’ her was any kind of actual possibility. I mean, would Fate really pair me with someone who was no’ destined to be mine?
So much for havin’ done something right.
“Is there some advice buried somewhere in this breakin’ news?”
Kay stood up straight and took a couple of steps toward me. “I’m glad you asked. I saw the little episode on the train.” I made my face go deliberately blank. “The finger in the upholstery?” Okay. If he was goin’ to name it out loud, I had to grin just thinkin’ back on it. “Okay. See? There’s the problem right there. Elora’s not going to choose a guy with porn mud flaps.”
I could no’ have been more confused if he’d said Elora wouldn’t smoke fairy farts. “Porn mud flaps?”
“Truck flaps with nudie silhouettes in a come-and-get-it pose? You’ve never seen that? Never mind. The point is she isn’t going to be won over by displays of vulgarity.”
“Vulgarity.” I repeated the word. My mouth was open gettin’ ready to protest. That was no’ how she saw me. We had fun together. Did we no’? But before I could defend myself, he went on.
“Yes. Vulgarity. And we both know you were raised better.” Mention of my upbringin’ was out of bounds and my teammates knew that. I considered punchin’ him and would have if I had no’ had the feelin’ I needed to hear what else he had to say. ”Knock knock in there. Anybody home? She. Is. Human. She’s not just going to wake up one morning and recognize you as her mate. You need to get yourself off autopilot and get your head in the game, or by Yuletide there may be some beautiful framed photos of you and me as best men at their wedding. Have you seen the way he looks at her? They may very well get to the altar before Trina and me.”
A vision of my Elora wearin’ one of those frothy white dresses, lookin’ up at Storm with adoration in her eyes had me on my feet and ready to take on all comers.
“That’s no’ funny, Kay!” But as I said it, I was replayin’ things she’d said to me. ‘That’s disgusting, Ram.’ “You’re in desperate need of finishing school.’ ‘ Blackie has better manners.’
Great Paddy’s prick on a stick. Kay was simply confirmin’ what she’d been sayin’ all along. Only I had no’ been listenin’.
“No shit? Even if you get her to want you, how are you going to motivate her to choose you over her sense of duty and obligation?”
I had no idea how to begin to answer that. I turned it over in my head a few times before sayin’, “Do you know?”
Kay’s expression softened a little, as did his tone. “You’ve got to start thinking like a human.” What? “Love.” Kay said, as if ‘twas a whole sentence.
“What about it?”
“You need to find out what romance looks like and sounds like to Elora. What are her fantasies? Does she believe in true love? You’d best stop sitting on your hands and be finding out if she believes in forever.”
How ironic that Kay would use that expression when “sitting on my hands” was exactly what I did sometimes to keep them to myself. I had the thought that it might be a sign, but dismissed it as coincidence. Just because I’m Irish does no’ mean I buy into every woo-woo bullshit superstition.
No’ exactly.
I was resistin’ the urge to direct my anger at Kay, but I was feelin’ anxious of a sudden and felt like I needed to be alone to think it through. I mean, what the fuck do I know about human romance?
“Great Paddy, Kay, what the fuck do I know about human romance?” I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. Again. “When elves recognize mates, we basically walk up and say, ‘Tis you and me. Let’s go.’ The whole thing is playful. No’...” I waved my hands around lookin’ for the right word. “..so bloody serious.”
“But you do love her.”
“Of course I love her. I love everything about her and do no’ even have a choice in the matter. I mean, no' that I would change it. Fuck! I can’t think straight.” Suddenly it occurred to me that I was takin’ advice from somebody who knew nothin’ about the subject matter. “But what would you be knowin’ about it anyway? You’ve been with the same girl since you were suckin’ pacifier.”
“That’s true. Just saying that, if I were you, with so much at stake, I believe I’d find a way to figure it out. Look. It all comes down to this. How bad do you want her?”
I was no’ enough of a poet to describe how badly I wanted her. There’s simply nothin’ I would no’ do to make her mine. I’d go on quest. Fight dragons… That’s when it hit me.
“She does believe in forever. All those stories she likes so much end with her sayin’ ‘and they lived happily ever after’.”
Kay smiled. “Well, there you go.” The big guy dropped his arms and left the room without another word, leavin’ me sittin’ on the bed in a room as old and drafty as the ruin where I grew up. I looked ‘round.
Okay. So the place where I grew up was no’ exactly a ruin, but the converted fortress felt crumbly even to me. I wondered what she was doin’, if she’d like to have company. So I walked across the hall and knocked softly on her door. I did no’ get an answer so I supposed she was either sleepin’ or bathing. I smiled imaginin’ the first and got hard imaginin’ the second.
I was downstairs sharin’ a before-dinner drink with Storm and Kay when Elora entered the room lookin’ like a million bucks. It did no’ escape my notice that every eye turned to watch her cross the room to where we stood near the fireplace.
By the look of her rosy complexion, I saw my second guess was right. She’d had a hot bath that lifted her color. ‘Twas a nice compliment to her hair.
Madame Relacque said something to her about buildin’ a too-early fire specifically to keep her warm.
“Thank you.” Elora smiled graciously. “Between that and some red wine, I believe I’ll be toasty.”
Madame Relacque looked confused. “Of course, you can offer a toast if you wish, my dear.”
I coughed into my hand to suppress my chuckle. Elora exchanged a look with me and managed better than I to keep a straight face.
“No. I don’t want to toast. I meant that I will be warmed by the fire and the wine.”
“Of course,” said our hostess as she handed Elora a glass of Dragasani poured by our host, who’d overheard the entire conversation. “This was vented by a Transylvanian winery, Nachbil. See if it’s to your liking.”
Knights of Black Swan, Books 7-9 (Knights of Black Swan Box Set Book 3) Page 46
