by Bonnie Lamer
I expect Xandra to get upset with my teasing but instead, she looks too sweet and innocent at the moment. “Yes, Kallen’s my hero. Weak little me could never have survived without his big, bad magic to protect me.”
Kegan laughs barely bothering to cover it up with a cough but Tabitha laughs outright and pounds me on the back. “Oh, I am going to like her just fine. Now, you boys run along and see if you can stay out of mischief for five minutes. I have seen the downstairs, and I am assuming you are eager to put everything as it was an hour ago - before the caretaker of this house decides that young men who act like animals should be sleeping with the animals tonight. I will assist this lovely young woman in preparing for a dip in the briny. She will be down shortly.” She literally shoos us out the door.
As we walk down the stairs, Kegan says, “So, you were about to tell me why such a powerful Fairy as Xandra was in the Cowan realm.”
“No, I was not,” I say irritated that I am not able to talk to Xandra about what happened before we were interrupted.
“What is the big secret?”
I shrug. “No secret, I simply do not care to discuss it with you.”
“Home for five minutes and you have once again become a petulant jackass. I believe that is a record.”
I cannot help but laugh. I am acting like an ass toward him simply because he finds Xandra as beautiful as I do. I guess I need to stop acting territorial and relax. “It is a long story. I will explain everything after we swim.”
“I will hold you to that,” Kegan says with a satisfied grin.
We walk into the living room and start picking up the pieces of furniture that were knocked over. Nothing is broken. Grandmother learned a long time ago that this room is our favorite for combat as there is so much to hide behind. Therefore, she stopped putting anything fragile in here.
When we are finished, I say, “I am going to check on Xandra. You should get us something to snack on while Tabitha is not guarding the kitchen.” Kegan grins and heads that way.
Walking up the stairs, I am imagining Xandra in a bathing suit. A tiny bathing suit. The more I think about it, the more I think we may not make it down to the shore. A grin is forming on my face when I am doused with a bucket of cold water. Actually, it is a bucket of black bikini. On me. My pecs are barely covered by little triangles of black material and the bottom is putting uncomfortable pressure in areas that prefer not to be so tightly restrained. And I cannot take it off with my magic. It is as if it is glued to my skin. I pull on it, trying to take it off without magic but it simply pulls my skin and tugs on my hair in places that should not be pulled and tugged. The more I try to take the damn thing off, the more it attaches itself to my skin. I try to cover it up, but it is like there is a force field around it that will not allow other magical things to get near it. I am getting mad now. I may be wearing a black bikini for the rest of my life considering who created it. Chances are not good that she will be able to reverse this without causing me great physical harm. All thoughts of a sexual nature have been pushed from my mind as I take the rest of the stairs three at a time with bikini panties digging into my groin and I storm into her room.
I expected Xandra to look at least somewhat repentant. No. She has to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Tabitha is even worse. Even though she is also dressed in the same bikini, she is in tears she is laughing so hard. She doubles over and slaps her hands on her knees. I do not think she is capable of standing upright at the moment. If she does not settle down soon, she will need medical care for heart failure. This is the first time in my life that I have wanted to smack her in the back of the head. I never would, of course. Though, give me a week in this bikini and I may be willing to do a lot of things I thought I never would. Like strangle Xandra.
Kegan walks into the room wearing – surprise – a black bikini. In the far reaches of my mind, I can see the humor in that. He looks as confused as I am angry. “Is this some strange punishment for our sword fight from earlier? We were in the process of making reparations,” he says to Tabitha.
Tabitha’s loud chortles of laughter keep her from responding. Her face is now an alarming color of red as her amusement is heightened by Kegan’s appearance. She wipes at her tears of hilarity and manages a shake of her head.
“Tabitha did not do this,” I growl.
Kegan looks at me like I am crazy. “If not Tabitha, then whom? Whoever did this obviously wields a great deal more magic than most, but I am assuming it was not you since you would not have put yourself in a bikini.”
“No, it was not him. Nor was it me or Tabitha. It was Xandra.” Grandmother strides into the room in her new black bikini. I am surprised that she is not spewing lava of anger from her mouth. Instead, she looks calm and collected. “Apparently, your first lesson in subtle magic has gone slightly awry,” she says to Xandra.
“Slightly awry?” Tabitha manages and then is lost to laughter again.
“I’m so sorry,” she says to me, not Grandmother. “I swear, I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Of course you did not,” Grandmother says. Then Grandmother turns to me and gives me a harsh look as if I have done something wrong for being annoyed about sporting a bikini I cannot remove. Turning back to Xandra, she says, “Now, we will need you to reverse this.”
Xandra is miserable when she says, “I’m not sure I can.”
Kegan, ever the suck up, says, “Grandmother, perhaps you or Kallen could assist in the process if Xandra needs time to rest after using so much magic?”
Grandmother gives him a tight smile. “If I was able to reverse this, I would not be strolling around the house in a black bikini. I suspect, neither would Kallen.”
Kegan looks at Xandra in shock. “You can create magic that Grandmother cannot reverse?” Xandra’s response is an uncomfortable shrug.
“Tabitha, if your mirth subsides sometime soon, we would all appreciate your assistance in guiding Xandra’s reversal magic.”
“Of course,” Tabitha says, still wiping tears from her eyes and gasping for oxygen between words. She gives a last look at me and Kegan and barely restrains herself from diving back into the ‘I am too amused to speak’ pool. Still grinning and shaking in silent laughter, she places her hands on Xandra’s temples and says, “Alright, dear, I need you to focus now. Though, I must admit that I have not had such fun in a very long time.”
“Tabitha, if we could move this along, I have a meeting at the palace in an hour.” Impatience seeps out of every one of Grandmother’s words. It appears her calmness is simply a ruse to make Xandra less nervous. I am not sure I could manage that at the moment.
“Fine, fine. Xandra, this is very simple. All you need to do is imagine the bathing wear disappearing from everyone but you. Return us all to our previous state of dress.”
Xandra pulls way too much magic and then flings it out at us making us all stagger backwards a couple of steps. Funny, I have never found getting dressed to be painful before today. Something else I have never done before today is wear a giant fig leaf. Like the stupid pictures in the books in the library at Xandra’s house. The Cowan version of a Fairy.
Her small ‘Oops’ is not at all comforting.
Kegan has converted to the amused camp headed by Tabitha. He is looking at Xandra with adoring appreciation for her power and how she looks in that bikini. My mood drops down another notch. Grandmother’s patience is also starting to fray around the edges.
“Perhaps it would be easier for you to simply imagine us sky-clad. Then we will attire ourselves as we see fit,” Grandmother says.
Xandra nods. She is embarrassed that she is causing this trouble and even more so that she now has to make us all naked. Not the scenario I was imagining as I came up the stairs. I would much rather be naked in her room without my grandmother, cousin and caretaker. But, here we all are. Naked in her room. I shake my head and dress myself in shorts and a t-shirt. Grandmother dresses and leaves the room without a backward glance.
Kegan, however, is taking his time deciding what he is going to wear. He seems amused that Xandra averts her eyes when faced with his nudity. I slap him hard on the chest and growl, “Clothes.” The expression on my face when he turns to look at me must give him an idea of how close he is to death. He puts on a pair of shorts, testing my patience as he leaves his chest bare. I do not miss the appreciative glance Xandra gives him before averting her eyes again.
“Um, do you guys want to go swimming now?” Xandra squeaks.
“I will leave you young ones to your day,” Tabitha says. “Xandra, we will try again later, and next time, we will try to find something to do that will not get Kallen’s feathers ruffled as they are now.” She gives me a pointed look and then laughs again as she shakes her head. This will be one of those stories she tells over and over when she wants to irritate me. And it will work.
“I am still up for it. Perhaps you and I can go on ahead and give my dear cousin here time to recover his temper. Though, that may take days. His tempers are quite persistent.” I am going to count to a thousand now before I tell him what I think of his idea. If I do it sooner, there will be physical action that comes with it.
“Do you want to go?” Xandra asks me.
Hmm, leave her to go swimming with my obviously infatuated cousin or enjoy the view of her in her bikini myself. “Yes.” The word comes out a little harsh as my emotions swing back and forth between lust and annoyance.
Xandra puts her hands on her hips. “I already said I was sorry; so could you please stop being a jerk about it? It’s not like I actually hurt you this time.”
Kegan has another laugh/cough moment before he says, “An injury to a man’s pride is sometimes more painful than an injury to his body. Shall we go now and let Kallen follow when he is ready?”
My voice has a distinct growl in it again. “I believe it would be more pleasant for Xandra to swim with the man she loves, not his cousin.”
“Not if he keeps being such a jerk,” Xandra grumbles in the charming way she says all of her thoughts out loud.
“Well said,” Kegan grins.
“Look, I’m going swimming. If either of you want to come with me, fine. If not, that’s fine, too.”
Kegan’s face sobers. “It is not safe to swim alone in the ocean. You do need to have someone with you.” At least he has something besides lust on his mind.
Xandra shrugs. “Right now, I’m willing to risk it.” Then she walks out of the room.
“Kegan, you are sorely testing my patience. I love her and I will not let you come between us.”
Kegan studies me a moment with his brow wrinkled. “You do love her. Huh.” Then with a smile, he says, “Come on, I am just trying to get your goat. I am not seriously interested in stealing her away from you.”
I snort. “As if you could.”
There is a grin on his face now. “Careful cousin, you know how neither of us hates to back down from a challenge.”
I raise a brow. “You would be wise to back down from this one.” I walk away and I hear him chuckle behind me.
As I walk down the stairs I ponder my behavior. I thought I had prepared myself for the reaction of other men to Xandra. Considering my violent jealousy with simply introducing her to Kegan, I am not off to a good start. If I am not careful, I will end up pushing her away so I need to stop acting like a territorial ass and give her reasons to stay with me not leave me. Right after I pay her back for the whole bikini thing.
She is already on the beach when I reach her. Swinging her up off her feet, I throw her over my shoulder while I hold onto her legs. Her long, sexy legs. I find I like this view of them.
“Kallen, what are you doing?” she shouts over the noise of the waves.
“Exacting my revenge,” I say as I run the rest of the way to the water and when deep enough, I sending her flying. She is sputtering when she comes back up. I fold my arms over my chest and admire the view.
“You’re going to pay for that,” she says.
“I believe you are too small to throw me in the water,” I gloat.
Before I can react, she has pulled magic. A tidal wave of massive proportions rises above me and swallows me whole when it comes down. My turn to be the sputtering one. I am not one to give up easily, though. Diving after her as she retreats towards the shore, I pull us both underwater as she laughs. She slips out of my hold underwater and pushes up to the surface. Following her, I reach out and once again am able to toss her over my shoulder.
“Put me down,” she laughs, gently pounding her fists on my back.
“Certainly.” I throw her back underwater.
This time, I follow her. Pulling her to me, I capture her lips with mine as I bring us both to the surface. A deep groan escapes my throat when she wraps both her arms and her legs around me and deepens the kiss. I crush her against me wanting to feel every inch of her skin against mine.
Of course Kegan chooses now to come after us. “Are you trying to drown her or seduce her?”
“Ignore him,” I murmur against her lips. “He will go away eventually.”
Xandra giggles. “That’s not very nice.” It would be nice for me.
I shrug. “I never claimed to be nice.”
“True, but it would still be rude to ignore him.”
“Go away!” I call over the waves. “There, I am not ignoring him. Happy?”
She slaps my shoulder. “You’re terrible. Stop acting jealous of your cousin.”
I scowl. “And I suppose you would have no problem with a beautiful cousin of yours joining us?”
She grins. “I don’t have any cousins”. I toss her back into the water.
She comes up laughing. “Will you please stop doing that?”
“Doubtful.”
Turning to Kallen, she says, “Come on in, the water’s great.” I pick her up and throw her in the water again and she is still laughing.
This time, she does not come right back up. She swims away from me towards the shore. And towards Kegan. When she surfaces in front of him, he says with a wicked grin, “I believe you were right, it may have been safer for you to swim alone. Come to me for protection?”
I am close enough to hear her uncomfortable reply. “Um, actually, I thought I was going in the opposite direction.” I know I have a smug look on my face when I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her.
I can tell that Xandra feels awkward at the moment. Perhaps I should act a little less possessive. I try not to be annoyed when she moves out of my arms and says, “I’m starved. We didn’t have breakfast back home; do you think we could have brunch?”
“Of course,” I say, “we can see if Tabitha will let us raid the kitchen.”
Just to bother me, Kegan says, “Yes, I could use some food myself.”
“Great, let’s go.” Xandra starts walking towards the shore which gives me the perfect opportunity to punch Kallen in the arm. But with my attention focused so much on him, I am not paying close enough attention to Xandra. When I turn in her direction, she is being forced underwater by a stingray. A very distinctive sting ray. Damn it.
Xandra does not stay underwater for long. A whirlpool forms at the spot she went under with her lying at the center. On top of the whirlpool is the stingray. And she is about to be a dead stingray. Not that I would mind so much, but Xandra may be unhappy about me letting her kill a Fairy.
Xandra is lying in a waterless circle on the ocean floor and is gasping for breath as her magic swirls about her. As her breathing evens out, her magic turns the spinning water into a small hurricane. Before I can get to her or even shout above the storm, she flings the stingray to the shore. And then turns into her Fairy form. Well, she is definitely unconscious. I would not be surprised if she had a broken bone or two as well.
“Xandra,” I say when I am close enough for her to hear me. “She’s not the one you should be angry with.”
She whirls around and I think she is half a second away from using her
magic on me. “She attacked me, tried to drown me and made me bleed. Why, exactly, shouldn’t I be mad at her?” she demands. “Who is she? A friend of yours?”
Even if she was, I would not be stupid enough to say yes at the moment. Fortunately, I cannot stand her. That still does not mean that she should be held responsible for her sister’s brainwashing. I shake my head no. “She is a girl who has had the misfortune of growing up with a cruel sister.”
“That clears things right up, thanks.” I am tempted to look down to see if the sharp edges of her words have cut through my skin.
“Xandra, truly, she is but a child who has been led astray by a sister who feels scorned.” Kegan says earnestly. “Let her go. Please.”
She turns towards Kegan with hellfire in her eyes. “Tell me who she is.” From the look in Kegan’s eyes, he distinctly remembers what Xandra’s magic feels like.
