by Bonnie Lamer
Zac’s lower lip comes out a bit. “Fine, maybe not the skunk part, but she does smell like rabbit farts.”
Xandra is horrified now. She is openly trying to smell various parts of her body to determine if he is telling the truth. I still believe it is an olfactory issue on Zac’s part, but I cannot resist the opportunity to tease her more. To Zac, I say, “You know, I have noticed that as well. I simply did not have your finesse for identifying the odd odor coming from your sister. Thank you for such an apt description. Ow!” Okay, I did not expect Xandra to kick me under the table. I believe she is wearing steel toed boots at the moment.
“Perhaps we should focus our attention on dinner once more?” Grandmother says, with a pitying look towards Xandra. We do our best, but there is still the odd giggle or snort here or there. I think if Tabitha holds her laughter in much longer, she will go into an apoplectic fit. When my hand strays to Xandra’s thigh again, it is firmly put back on mine.
When dinner is over, I try to weasel my way back into Xandra’s good graces. Even though my leg is developing a nasty bruise where she kicked me. Blocking her exit from the dining room when she tries to dash off, presumably to shower, I say, “With your parents’ permission, I thought we could bring your brother for a swim in the ocean.” Her response is a rather perfected glare as her arms clamp tightly over her chest.
“Yeah!” Zac shouts.
“I am not in the mood for swimming,” Xandra grinds out.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” her mother says but Xandra’s father comes to Zac’s rescue. “I think a little swim will be good for him. He seems fine and he’ll be in good hands.” Her mother still wants to say no but after a moment she relents.
Now, the only obstacle is Xandra. Zac does his best little brother pleading. “Please, Xandra? I promise I won’t say you’re stinky anymore. Besides, the ocean water will probably wash the stink right off from you.”
I turn and cough but Xandra’s still not buying it. A bit of magic steals my voice away so I am no longer capable of laughing out loud. That is not playing fair. But in the long run, it will probably keep me from getting into more trouble.
Looking down at Zac between narrowed lids, Xandra finally says, “Fine.”
Since I cannot say anything, I pick her up by her waist and plant a kiss on her lips in appreciation. Then, I sling her over my shoulder and carry her outside. A dazzling green bikini replaces her clothes as she pounds half-heartedly on my back to put her down between her own laughter. Zac scampers ahead of us and is in the water before we are even off the terrace steps.
I set Xandra down on the sand and point to my throat. Pretending to debate it in her mind for a moment, she finally gives me my voice back. “Thank you,” I say, giving her a swift kiss. “Now, I am going to discuss some safety rules with your brother before he gets himself in trouble.” I take off at a trot to the water to catch the little guy who can surprisingly swim like a fish. A little fish who might look awfully tasty to some bigger fish if he swims too far out.
After about an hour, Xandra’s mother insists that we get Zac out of the water and into some warm clothes. She has been wearing a mask of worry every second her son has been in the water and I do not think her nerves can take any more. With the pouting finesse of a young boy, Zac stomps up the stairs to take a shower and get ready for bed.
Xandra wants to check on Alita so I leave her to that while I take a shower to get some of the salt off from my body. Thoughts of Xandra’s body in her bikini, and out of it, keep me turning the faucet to colder and colder settings. I am becoming more and more driven to talk her into a right hand-fasting. Before my body self-combusts.
I am on my way to Xandra’s room when I hear voices coming from Alita’s. Xandra is still here and Kegan has joined them. He is expertly shuffling a deck of cards.
Stopping in the doorway, I say, “You should look at those cards closely before agreeing to play with him; my cousin cheats.”
Kegan grins. “Only when I am playing with you.”
“Will we have to listen to the two of you insulting each other if we play? If so, I believe I feel another headache coming on,” Alita says with a glint in her eye. It is good to see the color is back in her face and her charming teasing has returned.
Kegan puts his hand over his heart. “I give you my word. Though my cousin may try to aggravate me, I will ignore his childish attempts and be on my best behavior.” As he deals the cards, he says to me, “What a shame this is a card game for only three people.” I walk past him to sit next to Xandra and punch him hard in the shoulder on the way. He just laughs.
We eventually settle on a four player game and play partners. Xandra is my partner and it does not take her long to get up to speed on the game and start raking in points. We win almost every round. After a couple of hours though, Xandra can no longer keep her eyes open. Through a yawn, she says, “I think I’m done for the night. I’m ready for bed.”
Finally. “I believe I will turn in as well.”
“What a surprise,” Kegan murmurs under his breath. Ah, the sweet sound of jealousy. I give him a smug smile and take Xandra’s hand as we leave him and Alita to do whatever. Knowing Kegan, it will not be much.
When we have reached Xandra’s room, I close the door behind us and pull her close. “Any chance I can convince you to stay awake a little while longer?”
Coyly, she says, “Maybe. What did you have in mind, more cards?”
Oh, she thinks she is funny now. I swing her up into my arms, eliciting a small yelp from her, and carry her into her bathing room. “No, not cards.”
“Monopoly?” she asks.
I look down at her pretty face. “I do not know what that is, but I am sure it is not what I am thinking.”
She taps a finger against her chin and pretends to think of something else. In the meantime, I fill the bath with foamy bubbles. “Video games?” she asks.
I chuckle and walk down the steps into the bath. “I am afraid that is another reference from your realm that I do not understand. But perhaps we should do that instead of taking a nice warm bath together.” I turn my body to go back up the stairs.
“Don’t you dare carry me out of this room,” she growls. I chuckle. I knew she would see it my way.
I sit down on the underwater bench that follows the perimeter of the bath with Xandra firmly on my lap underneath the soapy foam I create. Scowling up at me, she says, “You know, taking a bath fully clothed is not very comfortable.”
I was hoping she would say that. “Is that better?” I ask, removing all of her clothes. Why did I make these bubbles again? I cannot see a thing. Feeling is not a problem though, which is why I am disappointed when she scurries off my lap.
“Very funny.” She says with pink cheeks. “I don’t find this any more comfortable.”
I feign insult and say, “I was simply trying to be helpful.”
“Uh huh, I think I have to have at least a bikini on if we want to keep things from going in certain directions.”
Who wants to keep things from going in certain directions? Her, obviously. I shake my head and reference her earlier behavior. “Oh, how fickle you are.”
That earns me a splash of bubbly water in the face. With deep regret, I make her a bikini. A very small bikini. “Better?”
“Much,” she says, making her way back to my lap.
This time, she straddles me and wraps her arms around my neck. This is not a good way to ensure good behavior on my part. Regardless, I put my arms around her waist and pull her even closer. “How much better?” I ask as my lips begin to work a path from behind her ear to her jaw. I feel goose bumps rise on her skin despite the warm water.
With hands on my cheeks, she guides my lips to hers. Her gentle kiss grows like wildfire and every part of my body is telling me how much I want her. When she presses her chest tightly against mine and reaches behind her back to untie the string holding her bikini together, I almost lose all self-control. She lean
s back just a little. Just enough for my hands to find her naked skin. She gasps in pleasure when I do and arches her back, offering the perfection of her body to me.
And now she is across the room. Neither my body nor my mind is happy about that. What the hell?
Chapter 12
Out loud, I say, “What the hell? How and why are you over there?”
With an apologetic look, she says over her shoulder, “I’ll explain later.” She tears open the bathing room door and disappears. I have no idea what happened, but I know it cannot be good for her to be acting like this.
Drying and dressing myself with magic as I chase out after her, I finally catch up. I grab her arm and stop her forward motion. “Xandra, what is going on?”
In a voice she has never used with me, she says, “Kallen, I need you to let go of me.” The steel in her voice tells me there is no time for explanations right now. I drop my hand from her arm and follow her into her brother’s room.
There, sprawled on the floor with blood oozing from his head, is Zac. His head has received some serious blunt force trauma. I do not even know if he is still alive. He is quite small to have lost that much blood.
Xandra rushes to his side, ignoring the large book lying next to him and begins to heal him. From the looks of things, his injuries are fresh. Very fresh. How did she know he was hurt? When I look closer at Zac, I can see the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. We are not too late.
Kneeling down next to her, I ask, “Xandra, what can I do? I have sent a message to Grandmother. Can I do more?”
She shakes her head as silent tears make paths down her pale cheeks. Zac is in her lap and the healing process has begun. Thank god she is able to do this. I do not believe Tabitha’s impressive healing powers would have stood a chance in this situation.
It is amazing to watch Xandra’s power at work as Zac’s head begins to heal. It is just a moment before the gaping point of impact is knitting itself back together. After that, it does not take long before he stirs in her arms. Xandra is so focused on what she is doing she is completely oblivious to the fact that a large audience has formed in the room, watching in awe as she works her magic.
When Zac opens his eyes, he and Xandra are rushed by two worried spirits. A group family hug takes place when Zac is able to open his eyes again. His face turns even paler as the cold of his parents seeps into his little body.
For the very first time, Xandra pays attention to the woman on the floor a short distance from her brother. Turning to Tabitha, she says, “Will you please look him over to be sure I’ve healed everything?” Her voice has an eerie calmness to it that I have to admit scares me a little. Not for myself, but for Alita. She is the other unconscious body in the room.
Blocking her path, I say, “Xandra, there has to be an explanation other than what the scene implies. Alita never would have done such a thing.”
“Kallen is correct,” Grandmother says from my side where she can help block Alita from Xandra.
There is no belief in Xandra’s eyes, only anger. With a gust of magic, she tosses Grandmother and me out of the way as if we are no more than a stray cat hair she is flicking from her shirt. We are surrounded by magical walls holding us in place. Situations like this are the only time that I resent the fact that Xandra is more powerful than me. I am now rendered useless in defending Alita and possibly saving her life.
Tabitha attempts to reason with her. “Xandra, you must listen to them!” Xandra’s response is to take Tabitha’s voice away.
An eerie half smile touches Xandra’s lips as she stands over Alita. I feel the magic as it first floods Xandra’s body and her face turns to stone. With no emotion other than anger, she sends her magic out.
In the bravest act I have ever seen from Kegan, he shouts, “Xandra, NO!” He knocks her to the floor and then covers Alita’s body with his. With Xandra’s current state of mind, I do not believe this is anything more than a minor annoyance. She could fling him across the room with barely a thought.
In a voice made of pure titanium, she says, “Kegan, I don’t want to hurt you, but I am not going to let her get away with hurting my brother.”
Every second adds another brick around Xandra’s mind, making it blind to the obvious. I have to find a way to stop her before she does something she will regret forever. “Xandra, she could not have done this. Alita does not have a mean bone in her body. Please, before you do anything rash, wait until we hear her side of the story. If she truly did this, I will hold her still so you can torture her to your heart’s content.” She knows this last part is a lie, but she pulls back her magic nonetheless. Thank god. This tells me that she knows in her heart that Alita is as innocent as she appears in her unconscious state.
“Xandra,” Zac says quietly. “It wasn’t her.”
Xandra’s shoulders slump in relief and disappointment as her mind wraps around the truth. Alita is her best friend; I can tell how desperately she did not want it to be her. On the other hand, that means someone else in this house is responsible which is a daunting thought. “Then who?” she asks her brother. Zac is in the middle of avoiding Tabitha’s administrations and is only able to shrug his shoulders as he attempts to scramble out of her reach.
“Xandra, dear,” Grandmother’s voice cuts through the air. “If you do not mind, I would like to make sure that Alita is not also in need of medical attention.”
Guilt crawls onto Xandra’s face as she realizes that Alita may also be in need of healing. Immediately, she lets go of the magic holding Grandmother and me in place so Grandmother can rush to Alita’s side. Kegan unwraps himself from around her so that Grandmother can do what she needs to do. She begins to examine her, moving her limbs about, feeling her forehead. Then she smells her breath. That is not a good thing. She is checking for signs of poison.
Her eyes look defeated when she looks up. “It is zyleakia poisoning. It has progressed too far for an antitoxin.” When zyleakia poison is in the lungs, the breath of the victim has a very distinct, bitter smell. When it has reached this point, it is too late to recover from it.
Xandra is confused. “What is zyleakia?”
I put my hand on her shoulder and turn her towards me. “It is a vine with deep purple leaves that are lethal. Zyleakia is one of the poisons used in deadly Fairy darts.” Some Fairy darts are only meant to slow a foe down. Zyleakia would not be used in one of these.
Shaking my hand off, Xandra kneels next to Alita. Grandmother says, “Xandra, it is too…” but she holds her hand up to stop her.
I know what Xandra is going to do and I have no doubt that it is going to work. “Grandmother, I believe Xandra knows what she is doing.” After a second, Grandmother nods and then steps back from Alita.
Xandra’s magic shoots forward and Alita’s body is sent into convulsions from the onslaught. Kegan attempts to rush forward again, fearing that Alita is in danger, but I grip his arm tightly, keeping him from interfering. It is hard to watch as Xandra’s magic moves through Alita, burning the poison from her blood. At this point, I am not sure what will be harder for Alita to survive – the poison or the magic. But I know that Xandra will do her best to cause as little harm as possible.
I feel the poison in the air as Xandra’s magic pulls it from Alita’s body. It is not until I see the look of resignation on Xandra’s face that I realize the dilemma she is now facing. She could not destroy the poison inside of Alita because Alita’s body is not strong enough to have that much magic rush through her. She could only pull it out. And now, she has to put it somewhere so she can destroy it. She cannot possibly mean to do what I think she is considering. She does.
“Son of a…!” are the words that choke through her mouth as the poison enters her system.
Is she insane? We could have found another alternative. Why is she always so rash? She has no idea how strong this poison is. “Xandra, what have you done?” I shout as I try to catch her before she falls but I am not fast enough. She is now lying in a heap
on the floor.
“I’m in pain, not deaf,” she grumbles as an enormous amount of magic swirls through her body and begins to burn the poison in her veins. Her face is contorted in pain and if she did not look so miserable, I would kill her for doing this to herself.
I have no idea what to do for her. I reach out to touch her but she pulls away from me. My touch only increased the pain as her body is wracked with fiery blood. She definitely knows how to make me feel helpless. I would have gladly taken the poison inside of me instead of her being the one in pain.
In the blink of an eye, her Angel wings are on her back with a distinct black feather mixed in amongst the white ones. And for the second time tonight, she is not where she was half a second ago. I find myself being less and less shocked by her Angel powers.
Chapter 13
Kegan helps Alita to a sitting position when the shock of Xandra’s magic wears off. She is still a little green but she will be fine. Looking up at Xandra, she says, “I am sorry I could not do more to save him.”
