by Chloe Jacobs
She’d brought some snacks and water in a small backpack, and Isaac reached in for a bottle of water. He twisted off the cap and handed it to her. She took a big gulp and handed it back so he could have some.
They rested in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the rustle of the wind in the grass and trees. It reminded her a little of the glade that Isaac had built for them to visit in their dreams. She wondered if they would ever have the chance to share that again. It would involve magick, which was in seriously short supply.
He lay down beside her and gathered her close. She put her head on his shoulder and let out a deep sigh of contentment. “I could stay like this forever,” she said, closing her eyes. Her body relaxed into him, and her thoughts melted away. He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
She awoke sometime later, alone, but her cheek was still cushioned. Isaac had tucked his sweater under her head.
She wasn’t worried. They’d found a gurgling stream not far from here the first Saturday they hiked out. She found him there again, casually leaning against a large boulder and staring up at the sky with a contemplative look on his face.
“You are losing your hunter’s edge.” He turned to look over his shoulder as she approached. “I heard you coming minutes ago.”
She snorted and crossed her arms. “You heard me because I wanted you to. I’m not tracking down one of the Lost, after all. Just out for an afternoon stroll, hoping to run into my boyfriend.”
“Oh?” His expression perked up, and he straightened. “And what do you want him for?”
She smiled and stopped in front of him. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She took his hand and squeezed.
He dragged her to him and gazed into her eyes as if he would find answers written there. He traced her jaw with his finger, tipping her chin with his thumb until her lips parted, then he leaned down and covered her mouth with his, kissing her long and deep.
She gripped his arms and kissed him back. They were both breathing hard and heavy when he finally lifted his head, but there were still shadows in his eyes.
“What were you thinking about?” she asked. Her chest hurt because she knew exactly what he was thinking about.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now. I would rather enjoy the beautiful afternoon.”
“I have an idea,” she said. She tugged him to the water’s edge. “I bet you’ve never been swimming before. It would have been much too cold in Mylena.” She stepped away from him and lifted her hands to her shirt.
His gaze sharpened like a laser. She felt it all the way down her body as she bared more of her skin. When the shirt fell to the ground, she kicked off her shoes, and by the time her pants crumpled on top of the pile, he finally caught on and tugged his shirt up over his head.
As she stood before him in her bra and panties, she started second guessing herself. She became very aware that the bright sunshine highlighted every one of her flaws. Every jagged scar and puckered burn looked uglier when he looked at her. She was tall and gangly instead of small and dainty. She had big feet and rough, callused hands. The only thing that softened the effect was that a few weeks of regular meals had helped her fill out.
With a squeak, she turned and dove into the water, then gasped as the cold took her breath away.
When she surfaced and looked up at him, her mouth dropped open in awe. His bottoms hung dangerously low on his hips and his arms were crossed over his impossibly defined pecs. He chuckled down at her. “It can’t possibly be that cold,” he said. “Or does your blood thin in this warm climate already?”
“Come on in and see for yourself,” she goaded him, softly treading water. In truth, the water wasn’t really that cold now that she’d gotten used to it.
He dropped his workout pants just like that, and Oh. My. God.
But then he grinned and leaped into the water after her, right on top of her. She squealed and dove backward, bracing herself against the massive splash, then blinked and spun around in the water, looking for him. Where had he gone?
The waves settled to soft ripples, and he still hadn’t surfaced.
“Isaac?” she swept her arms through the dark water, calling him, but encountered nothing but slimy weeds. Another few seconds and she was in panic mode. She ducked her head beneath the surface and swam down as deep as she could, reaching out in front of her blindly.
Suddenly, a strong hand clamped around her ankle. She instinctively kicked and fought her way up for air, gasping as she reached the surface, but he didn’t let go, only shifted his grip to her thighs as he pulled her close and guided her legs around his waist.
“That was mean,” she gasped, very aware of every inch of him in physical contact with her.
His gaze dipped down to the tops of her breasts showing through the thin fabric of her bra, and his arms tightened around her. “I can’t seem to form thoughts at the moment,” he groaned, pressing a kiss to her mouth before scraping down the side of her neck. “But I’m fairly certain you would take the title for meanness if we were keeping score,” he murmured against her skin.
She broke out in goose bumps all the way down to her toes, and it had nothing to do with the chill in the water.
She held her breath as his kisses continued their determined descent. Every place his mouth touched buzzed with sensation, and she pressed against him, seeking more. His hoarse groan melted her insides. “We had better head back before your parents get worried,” he said softly through gritted teeth, like letting her go was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
She ducked her head into the curve of his neck and nodded, taking heaving gulps of air. If the time came to let him go, could she do it?
Chapter Ten
When they got back to her parents’ house, Siona was waiting for them outside on the front porch.
“Wyatt is missing,” she said.
Greta stopped and frowned. “You mean you didn’t talk to him today?”
She shook her head, worry lines pulling her features tight.
“Maybe he had to go to work early and didn’t get a chance to let you know?” It didn’t sound like something he would do, but it was possible.
Siona’s hands clenched at her sides. “The last few times we conversed on the computer device, he seemed discontent.”
Greta had noticed it, too. She took Siona’s hand. “He’ll call later and explain, I’m sure of it.”
They went inside the house. Greta’s mom greeted them from the kitchen. She seemed to sense that something was up, because she said, “Why don’t you three hang out and relax while I finish getting dinner ready?”
Greta started toward the kitchen. “No, I can help.”
Her mother smiled and waved her back. “Turn on the TV and zone out. That’s what regular teens do, you know,” she teased. “Dinner’s going to be a little bit early because your father and I have to go out afterward, but I’m making your favorite.”
“My favorite?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs. Don’t you remember? You used to demand that I make it almost every night. Even when you got older, we had to have it at least once a week or you would pitch a fit.”
Greta grinned as one particular memory surfaced. “Didn’t I go on a hunger strike or something once? You promised to make spaghetti, but when I sat down at the table that night, I was blindsided with a plate of meatloaf and green beans?”
Her mom laughed. “You were only six and didn’t understand when I tried to explain that plans had to change because we didn’t have any pasta in the cupboard. You were so insulted you crossed your arms and glared at me all through the meal, refusing to eat a bite. Your father told you if you didn’t finish your dinner, you wouldn’t get any dessert, but you didn’t care about that.” She shook her head. “The both of you have always been equally stubborn.”
Isaac snorted. It was the first time he’d let his guard down in front of one of her parents and the real Isaac shone through. Not only did those amethyst eye
s of his sparkle, but he looked every inch the arrogant goblin king. Greta’s heart beat faster, and her mother looked up in surprise and seemed to do a double take, too.
“I am not surprised to hear that your daughter’s stubbornness began early in life,” he said in a deadpan voice, though his lips twitched with amusement. “It would have had to in order to become the monumental character flaw that it is today.”
Greta gasped and punched him in the arm. Eyes wide, she looked up at her mom. “He’s teasing, really,” she said quickly. “Isaac is the king of the lame jokes.”
Her mom chuckled and leaned in close to Siona. In a conspiratorial whisper, she said, “Are these two always like this?”
Siona grinned and nodded. “Their bickering provides endless hours of entertainment for all.”
Greta threw her hands up. “That’s it. I know a group attack when I see one. I’m out.”
But as she turned away, she noticed the genuine smile her mother gave Isaac, and a rush of warmth filled her. It was going to be a bad scene when she finally told her parents she had to leave again, but maybe if they knew she’d be with someone they approved of, they might not worry as much. It was probably wishful thinking, but wishful thinking was all she had.
That, and a sick, twisted connection to a power-hungry demon.
With the planetary alignment only two nights away now, her doubts about the portal were fading. She was more certain than ever that Agramon would come for her if he could. She knew because she knew him. It was horrible but true. Having him parked in her body, ripping away at her soul…it had connected them in a way that was almost more intimate than the bond she shared with Isaac.
If she was wrong, they would stay, and it would destroy Isaac. If she was right, they would leave, and it would destroy her family.
Neither eventuality relieved her mind, but she was getting used to shoving those worries aside instead of dealing with them. She did it again now to introduce Isaac and Siona to the wonders of television. One of the first channels she flicked to was showing a Buffy rerun. At first she thought it would be funny, but the more they watched, the more it felt like the story of her life in Mylena. Here was a girl who’d taken on the responsibility of saving her people from evil, and every day that she became stronger and more capable at the job, she also alienated herself from the ones she was fighting to save.
Do you really want to go back to that? To being shunned by everyone you meet, spending the rest of your life living among people who would never welcome you into their homes?
She tried telling herself it wouldn’t be like that this time, but even a few weeks in the human world couldn’t erase the four years of prejudice she’d experienced first-hand. That kind of hate wasn’t going to just disappear because Isaac decreed it to be so.
“It seems your world has as many monsters as mine,” he murmured in her ear. He was sitting next to her, and their fingers were laced together in her lap. She had given in ten minutes ago and rested her head on his arm.
“Those kinds of monsters aren’t real…here,” she said. “It’s all pretend, just to make the story interesting.”
He raised a brow. “Are your true lives so lacking in inspiration that your culture must come up with such diversions?”
She chuckled. “Not every world has an ancient demon locked in the basement to keep the people entertained.” As soon as the words passed her lips, she slapped a hand across her mouth. “God, I’m sorry,” she said. The people of Mylena were dying because of that demon. There was nothing entertaining about it.
He squeezed her hand and kissed her, letting her know that he understood how her sick mind and thoughtless mouth worked by now.
Siona looked over at them and excused herself, saying she needed some air. From the pinched look on her face she was uncomfortable being the third wheel, or more likely, she was worried about Wyatt.
“I should probably see if she’s okay.” Greta started to get up and go after her, but Isaac pulled her back. She landed with a splat on the leather sofa cushion and laughed.
He pushed her back so she was half-reclined and slipped his hand to the nape of her neck. She stopped laughing. Her pulse raced, and her whole body buzzed with anticipation.
“I can see how this thing you call watching television becomes infinitely more diverting when it is done with only two people,” he murmured. His lips grazed the corner of her mouth as he spoke, and she thought he was going to lean right in, but instead he pulled back to drop little kisses along her jaw and down the curve of her neck until she was covered in goose bumps and clutching both of his arms.
Their courtship in Mylena had been such a tumultuous and explosive whirlwind of emotion. She’d seen the manipulative Isaac and the ferocious Isaac. She’d seen the arrogant Isaac, the Lost Isaac, and the intense Isaac. She hadn’t seen much of this soft, teasing side of Isaac. It was the side she hoped he would be able to let out more often, but she could only see that happening if they stayed here. If they returned to Mylena, the battle with Agramon, the stress of ruling a kingdom, it might suffocate that part of him once and for all. In fact, this might be her last chance to see him like this.
His hand curved around her waist, warm against her skin as he inched beneath her blouse. “My parents might come in,” she whispered. But they were supposed to be going out after dinner…
He raised a brow. “And they would not approve?”
“Probably not,” she admitted, smoothing her palm up his arm to his shoulder. A smile pulled at her lips. Touching him so freely was as addicting as any drug. Once she started, she never wanted to stop.
“Then you should definitely tell them who I am, and that when you return to Mylena with me, I shall make you a queen.”
She spread her hand over his heart. “I don’t think it would matter, even if they believed it. Human parents are notoriously overprotective of their daughters’ virtue.”
His voice lowered. “You will tell them, though.”
“Yes, of course,” she said quickly. “Just as soon as the time is right.”
“And when is the time ever going to be more right than now?”
“Soon,” she promised, heart hammering.
He sat back. “The planetary alignment is upon us. There is no way for you to hold on to both of these worlds. You must decide once and for all whether you belong here with your family or in Mylena with me.”
“You know I made that decision a long time ago,” she reminded him, crossing her arms.
He paused. “If Mylena weren’t in danger, would your decision still be the same?”
She slammed both hands against his chest and jumped up from the sofa. “You think I agreed out of guilt?”
He got up, too, looming over her. “I think things have changed.”
Her stomach clenched. “What if they have? I was willing to live in a world where everyone wanted me dead, just to be with you. Are you saying that if the portal opened and I asked you to stay here with me, you wouldn’t do it?”
“Is that your decision, then?” His jaw was tight and his gaze was shuttered.
“I didn’t say that,” she growled.
His mouth thinned. “I think, in fact, that you did.” He walked away from her.
He got as far as the front door before she realized he was actually leaving the house. “Where are you going?”
He paused with one hand on the doorknob, shoulders straight back. “Go and enjoy your favorite meal with your family.”
And then he was gone.
She started to go after him but stopped herself after two steps toward the door.
“Jerk!” she said, spinning away.
Siona came back into the room. She gave the front door a meaningful look before putting her hands on her hips. “When I left, the two of you were cozier than a pair of ogres crowded into a nymph’s cottage. One of you opened your mouth to speak, didn’t you?”
“He’s the most frustrating…impossible…”
Siona grinned
. “He may be the goblin king, but he’s still just a boy.”
Greta’s mother appeared in the hallway. “Dinner’s ready,” she said, then glanced back and forth between them with a puzzled look. “What happened? Where did Isaac go?”
Greta threw up her hands in exasperation. “Are all boys so crazy?” she asked.
Siona nodded. “It must be so.” By her expression, Greta knew she was thinking about Wyatt.
Her mom laughed. “Oh girls, you’d better get used to it. Boys will tell you that we are the crazy ones, but everyone knows that when it comes to insecurity and the need for reassurance, they take the cake every single time.”
Siona cocked her head. “Why do the boys get to have cake for being so bothersome, but all I have is this ache in my chest?”
Greta’s mother put her arms around each of their shoulders. “Welcome to womanhood,” she said with a smile. “If you thought it was going to get easier from here, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
During dinner, Greta sat across from Drew. He was still wary around her—although shoveling garlic bread into his mouth currently took precedence over fear.
It was time. She needed to tell her parents the truth. Whether the portal opened or it didn’t, they needed to know where she’d been, what she’d done. They needed to know her heart.
And she needed to know if they could still look at her the same way.
She geared up the nerve. “You guys, there’s something that I wanted to—”
“Hey, wasn’t Isaac supposed to join us for dinner?” her father said at the same time.
Greta blushed, and her mother slid her a sympathetic look. Her father paused between forkfuls of spaghetti, knowing somehow that he was missing something. “Maybe it’s not a good night for us to go out,” he said.
Her mom’s face fell. “But we’ve had tickets to this ball for months, and I helped organize the event. It’s for charity.”
