by Reese Rivers
I grit my teeth at him calling me that once again glancing around quickly at all the servants in the room who must have heard him before giving him a pointed look.
“Not at all, vampire.”
I feel a small, petty flush of satisfaction at the way he flinches at me using that term before he also looks around the room at the servants with a scowl. I turn and look to Luca, Finn, and Cade.
“Are we meant to yell at each other for conversation?”
At their confused expressions, I sigh. “It’s just that we will be so far apart, speaking to each other will be difficult unless we yell.” I turn back to Sebastian. “Or is that the point?”
He looks down his nose at me in disdain but before he can say his cutting reply Luca gets to his feet and calls out.
“You are absolutely right.”
He waves a few attendants to the table and speaks to them in French.
I smile sweetly at him and back away from my chair so that the servants can rearrange the table. I can practically feel the death glare burning into my skin from Sebastian but don’t look his way again until we are all seated. Cade claims the chair beside me with Luca and Finn across from us and of course the Iceman himself at the head of the table. The waves of anger, resentment or whatever grumpy bug crawled up his ass wash over me throwing my anxiety through the roof so I seize the wine glass in front of me that has just been filled and down half of it. Within minutes I feel the warmth and mellowness fill me. This right here is the reason I don’t let myself drink. I always knew if I went down the alcohol numbing road to manage my pain I would drown in it. Now I’m a total lightweight with no tolerance.
The first course of soup comes and goes with me barely touching it at the tension smothering the table from Sebastian’s bad attitude. With a glass and a half of wine in me, I’m starting to not give two shits about the buzz kill sitting next to me so when Finn breaks the silence I send him a dazzling smile.
“Eden, you mentioned your age as twenty-nine which I find hard to believe. You look like a much younger maid.”
“That’s so sweet of you to say! I imagine where I come from, life isn’t as physically hard as it is here.”
His blue-green eyes dip down to my lips as a small smile tugs at his own.
“Well, surely a woman as beautiful as you must be wed. Will your husband not be frantic with worry at your disappearance?”
A laugh spills out of me at the idea of my ex, Troy, being worried about me. He would be delighted if I never came back. With the divorce not quite finalized, it would give him access to all my inheritance without a fight.
“Again, things are very different where I come from. Many women choose not to marry at all or wait until they are older so they can focus on their careers first. I was married but my husband and I are finalizing our divorce. It’s been two years since we were together.”
Sebastian scoffs. “And what does the church have to say about that?” He asks in the most judgmental tone possible causing me to fight back a snarl.
“Not one damn thing. The church no longer has a say in private matters for the majority of the general population in my country. They no longer have the power they do in this era. Church and State are completely separate.” I turn back to Finn and the others. “Women in my time are extremely independent. We work at whatever job we choose and make our own money. We have complete control over our own lives.” The wine is making me bold and the shock on their faces causes me to laugh again. “Brace yourselves, boys, we can also be soldiers in the military, choose not to have children and have sex with whoever we choose, married or not.” I have the biggest grin on my face at the shocked silence that causes so I hold my glass up and nod at the attendant. “More wine, please?”
Sebastian looks like he just sucked on a whole lemon his face is so sour but Luca leans forwards with a considering expression. “What of France? Do you know what happens here in the future?”
“Oh, of course! France is still a country but it’s not like it is now. After the Sun King dies…wait, should I be telling you guys this? Is it going to mess up history?”
Sebastian seems to be over his sulk with the change of subject and he waves my concerns away.
“We don’t involve ourselves in matters of state and politics often. Small intrigues such as the one we were dealing with help pass the time but there is always someone somewhere plotting to kill a King. I’m interested to hear what you have to say on the course of your history as entertainment but I don’t believe for a moment you are actually from the future. So please, entertain us with your exaggerated tales.”
I glare daggers at the infuriating man but just give him a sharp nod and turn back to the others.
“Your King lives until his seventies. After that, there’s two more Kings but the second one and his wife along with a bunch of other nobles have their heads cut off in the guillotine when the peasants revolt. History calls that the French revolution. There’s no more true Kings after that in France. There’s a small little man that goes to war with most of Europe at the beginning of the eighteen hundreds and crowns himself Emperor but even that doesn’t last.” I let them absorb that as I take a few bites of the next course, a beef pie of some kind, and ask for a glass of water to try and slow down on the wine. I struggle to remember anything else about France’s history but come up blank so I switch to other parts of the world.
“North America gets pretty busy in about a hundred years from now. They go to war with England twice to be their own country and eventually win. Then work on building more States for another bunch of decades before they have another war but this time it’s a Civil war to stop slavery. Slavery is abolished and then they get even busier building and expanding. I’m sure there are other things going on in the world but I’m just hitting the highlights for you guys. The eighteen hundreds are an explosion of industry. Um, steam engines, telegraphs, and electricity start to really change the world. The nineteen hundreds is probably the biggest century to change how the world lives. Two major world wars happen that drive technology forward at a never-before-seen pace. By nineteen sixty-nine we send men in a rocket into space to land on the moon. The day I got sucked through the mirror to here, there was a space ship already a year into its journey to Mars to set up the groundwork for a colony.”
I leave it there for now and take another sip of wine and wait for reactions. Sebastian and Luca both lean back in their chairs, thinking hard on what I’ve said but Finn and Cade have grins on their faces and the first thing Finn asks almost has me spitting out my wine.
“Let’s go back to what you said about women. You really choose whoever you want to have sex with? Outside of wedlock?”
When I nod my head slowly that it’s true his eyes heat up and then drop down to my elevated tits. He’s so damn cute and I’ve had enough to drink that I’m not even mad.
“Eyes up here, wolf boy. Just because I’m free to choose doesn’t mean I’m a sure thing for you. It is MY choice, not yours.”
The hungry look in his eyes has me wanting to wiggle in my seat as I feel my pussy clench with its own need. It has been so long since I was with a man or even wanted to be that I had begun to think my sex drive was dead. As if he knows exactly what I’m thinking, Finn flashes me a devilish smile from across the table that almost seals the deal when two dimples flash my way.
“Och, of course, what fun would it be if the lass wasn’t just as willing?”
I’m saved from answering him by Cade beside me when he rests a hand on my arm. “Do you work, then? You said women make their own money in your time.”
“Oh, yes, I mean, I did. I was an, uh, a healer I guess you would call it here. I would treat and stabilize people who were hurt until we could get them to the hospital and doctors.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “A noble calling, to help others. Do you not do that anymore?”
I look down at my plate not wanting to explain why I’m not an EMT anymore and just say. “I’m taking a break
from it right now.” Cade must sense that I don’t want to talk about it because he doesn’t follow up. We both lean back as a servant removes our plates and another sets bowls of candied fruit in front of us.
“So no husband and no work as you call it. Tell me, witch, what do you do to fill your days then?” Sebastian asks. I sigh. At least he said witch at a lower volume than he normally does.
“I inherited a very large property when my aunt passed away. I’ve been working on clearing it out. That’s where I found the mirror that brought me here. When I’m not working on the house I spend the rest of my time training to fight.”
His eyes dip down my body in consideration. “Hmm, we did witness your fighting skills. It was quite surprising. I’ve never seen a woman as skilled as you in battle. Tell me, is the time you claim to be from very dangerous that you need those skills?”
I stare down at the small bowl in front of me and toy with a sugary berry for a moment trying to think of a way to explain without going too deep into my issues.
Sighing in defeat I tell him, “Sometimes, yes. There are criminals just like I’m sure there are here that will take advantage when they think they can get away with it. My partner and I were attacked by a gang. He died and I barely survived. After that, I chose to do everything possible to never be a victim again. So I trained and learned to fight.”
I lift my eyes enough to see his face but the anger in his eyes has me looking quickly back down. I have no idea what I’ve said that pissed him off again.
Luca speaks from across from me. “You should join us in the morning, then. We usually spend a few hours sparring and working on our battle skills. I would be interested in learning some of the tactics we saw you use in the fight yesterday.”
A wide smile fills my face but my reply is cut short when Sebastian groans and shoves to his feet. “I’m retiring to the library. I find myself in need of stronger spirits.” With a sharp nod to the rest of us, he leaves the table and then the room.
I guess that means supper is over. I look down at the gorgeous gown I’ve barely gotten to wear in disappointment that I’ll be taking it off so soon. The other three get to their feet so I stand as well ready to ask to be escorted back to my room when Cade takes my hand and lifts it to his mouth. My knuckles feel singed from the heat of his lips as he places a gentle kiss on them.
With a teasing twinkle in his eyes he asks, “Tell me, Eden, would you be interested in playing a card game with us in the library?”
A smile of satisfaction tugs my lips up as I nod my head eagerly. Not only do I get to keep wearing this killer dress for a while longer but I’m positive my presence in the library will annoy the fuck out of Sebastian. Win, win!
Sebastian
I pour what will be the first of many drinks this evening and settle into my favorite chair with a thick book, glad to have some distance from the alluring witch. The picture she paints of the future is mind boggling and must be pure fantasy. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the world in my fourteen hundred plus years but the idea of the church giving up power to control rulers and women being allowed, encouraged even, to choose how they live their lives is utterly unbelievable.
I myself was once fiercely devoted to Christianity. I converted hundreds to the faith and still stayed true even after I was tied to a tree and shot full of arrows. The fact that I recovered and lived only cemented my fervor for the faith. It took being beaten by the Emperor’s guards and then thrown in a sewer to die to finally rock my faith.
When it was an ancient creature that intervened and saved me from death instead of the so-called Lord and Savior my faith was completely gutted. The bloodlust and depravity that overtook me in the first few years after the change had me knowing without a doubt that no God was gazing down on me. The savagery my maker and I committed together before I came to my senses and managed to escape her clutches stripped any belief and faith that remained. If there was truly a God, he would never allow such as myself to roam his earth.
As I sip at my drink, I scoff at the notion that the church would lose so much power that women would be allowed to make such free choices as the witch had spoken about. I could almost see one day women being allowed to earn their own money and own property, possibly even being allowed to soldier but the rest? Choosing not to marry, divorce, and engage in premarital sexual intercourse without consequences? Ha! Even if the church did lose some of its power, mortal men would never allow such change that would threaten the power they wielded. No, the witch’s stories of time travel and the future show that she is mentally unbalanced, delusional even. I will watch her closely over the next few days, watch for the moment she shows her true purpose for being here and then deal with her accordingly.
My jaw tenses when I hear her sweet laugh come through the door followed closely by my brothers escorting her. When she spots me and sends a smile my way that is more teeth-baring challenge than smile I have to force myself to stay seated and not react. Her beauty is only exaggerated by the emerald green dress that displays her assets so temptingly. I have to force my fingers to unclench from around the glass in my hand less I shatter the crystal and wear the brandy it contains.
“Bas.”
Delusional or not, the physical need to touch and possess the witch and her beauty is like a fire burning under my skin.
“Sebastian?”
I want to thread my fingers into her wild red mane and yank her head back so that I could devour those defiant lips before moving down to her…
“Your Grace, Duc du Gaul!”
The exclamation breaks through my heated thoughts, causing me to snap my eyes from the witch to Finn - who has clearly been calling my name multiple times judging by the amused, knowing, grin plastered across his face. If that isn’t bad enough the other three are all staring at me with raised eyebrows.
“What?” I practically snarl in Finn’s direction.
“Och well, I was gonna ask if you wanted ta play cards with us but I think I changed my mind. You don’t seem to be in a playing mood!”
I wave his words away in dismissal and force myself to stop thinking about playing with the witch. Picking up my book, I attempt to read but find myself rereading the same line over and over again as my eyes keep wandering to the foursome playing cards around a low table between two couches. As Cade explains the rules of the game, the witch is forced to lean forwards over the table causing her breasts to practically fall out of her gown. I watch the wolves lean forward as well with their eyes glued to her chest and almost snort in disbelief when I see Luca’s dip down to the smooth, lovely orbs on display. My gaze tracks back to the witch’s face expecting to see a satisfied, coy expression that her charms are working but instead I see the heat of a blush staining her cheeks. A frown crosses my face as I watch her casually lean back and cup her chin so that her forearm covers a good portion of her cleavage. Every time I think I have a handle on this witch she does the opposite of what I think she will.
They finish explaining the game but the wolves bicker over who gets to be her partner in the game so Luca intervenes and takes the spot for himself. Once the cards are dealt, she leans over to pick them up but stops halfway.
“Hold on a second, guys. I need a little bit of space here to be comfortable.”
She pushes the low table closer to Luca and Finn, who are sitting on the couch across from her, and reaches down, gathers up the fabric of her skirt and removes her shoes, setting them to the side. Then she slides down off the couch until she’s sitting right on the rug-covered floor, rearranges her dress, and pulls the table back toward her, and picks up the cards she was dealt. A small smirk tugs at my lips. She’s solved the breasts spilling out issue but now they rest even with the table, almost more on display. Clever girl takes care of that when she rests her elbows on the table, crosses her arms, and holds up her hand of cards in front of her face completely blocking the tantalizing view from the men surrounding her. I hold back a chuckle when I spot the pout on both the wolves'
faces at her block.
The game starts slowly as they give the witch time to catch on to the rules but once she and Luca win three hands in a row, the wolves step up their play. I’ve completely given up on the pretense of reading my book and set it aside as I drain and pour another drink. Now that she’s fully committed to the game, the table talk cheating comes out in full force by the two pups.
“Cade, did you see the poor job the groundskeeper did on the flower beds? He left his tools laying out and I almost stepped on a spade!” Finn says in a bland voice. I see the witch shoot him a suspicious look but she continues playing and loses the hand with a frown.
“Why that’s terrible, cousin. If you had been hurt I surely would have beaten the man with a club.”
The witch gasps in outrage and glares with mock menace at the two with a shake of her head. The next hand is dealt out and before the pups have a chance to cheat, Luca leans towards her.
“May I say again how lovely you look tonight? The emeralds perfectly match your eyes.”
My forehead furrows at the compliment and I stiffen when I see her blush prettily again but he isn’t finished. Luca stares into her eyes like she’s the only woman in the world and I see her eyes turn soft and dreamy as he continues to speak.
“I believe next time I would like to see you draped in…diamonds.”
The table goes dead silent for a few beats as the witch blinks in surprise before throwing her head back and letting out a loud, genuine belly laugh while the wolves roar in outrage that he has honed in on their cheating ways.
I stare at the laughing woman, so real and without the current society’s constraints. Where most ladies would titter, giggle and demurely bat their eyes, she just enjoys the moment with what comes naturally. Her loud joyful laughter is refreshing and the sound of it moves into a space in my chest that has been empty for so long. Once she gets control of herself, she picks up her cards, scans them quickly, and then she does bat those sparkling green eyes at Luca.
