Teal Temptress

by Ellie Margot

  “You looked like you were losing control.”

  Riette considered lying but stopped herself. Lies would get them nowhere, not when they had their world to save.

  “I was. I still am, I think, but adding more firepower to the mix wouldn’t help that.”

  “Then you need to eat.”

  Riette laughed. Her surprise made it bubble out of her.

  Trinity laughed too, even though her face had looked like it had forgotten how. She started to look toward the area where Cassian stood with Mekhi, but she stopped herself.

  “It’s true. We haven’t eaten in ages, and that throws everything off.”

  “Maybe some Vitan root?” Riette suggested. She hadn’t felt the hunger before, but now it was a real thing. Suddenly, it seemed like it had been years since she had replenished, and she felt every moment of it.

  Guy walked up and offered her some from his bag. Riette took some and smiled gratefully. Then she noticed Guy’s cheek bulging with some himself.

  Trinity touched her arm. “Real food. Vitan is fine and good, but you need to eat. If you don’t have that settled, it would be hard for you to control everything else.” She looked around at the others. “That goes for everyone.”

  “I’m starving, doll face,” said Samantha. “And I know just the place.”

  Trinity stood taller, but Riette touched her shoulder to bring her attention back.

  “That would be great,” Riette said, keeping a rein on Trinity.

  Cassian nodded in agreement. “Thank you.”

  “What if she tries to poison us?” asked Mekhi. He looked at her. “No offense.”

  Samantha smiled. “What would be the fun in that?”

  Riette rolled her eyes. “She needs us too much for that.”

  Samantha took another look at Mekhi. “Some more than others.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Corin, holding Mekhi’s arm.

  “Stating facts,” said Samantha. “Why? Does that make you uncomfortable?”

  “If I didn’t think you’d get off on that, I might answer you,” said Mekhi.

  “You’d be surprised by what gets me off, ginger.”

  “He’s not interested,” said Corin, possessive.

  “Oh, I know that, sugar. I’m just making conversation.”

  “You must be out of practice,” said Mekhi.

  “You’re funny.”

  “And you, quite possibly, are the craziest bird in the cage.”

  “Mekhi,” warned Riette.

  Mekhi turned toward her. “What? She’s not offended.”

  Samantha nodded. “No, it’s refreshing. Normally, people are too scared of me to be honest with me.”

  “You mean scared of Damian,” Trinity added.

  Samantha looked at Damian, who still stood at double her size.

  “Oh no, darling. People who can just see the obvious are more afraid of him. People with their wits together, after a very short amount of time, realize I’m the one that should keep them up at night.” She looked at Trinity. “You’re not dumb enough to not be afraid of me, are you?”

  “I’ve seen worse,” said Trinity, not giving an inch.

  Riette waited for Samantha’s reaction, and when it came, some part of her expected it.

  The laughter that burst out of Samantha’s mouth shook her body with its waves. Damian seemed to smirk above her, but the expression was gone quickly. Cassian shared a look with Riette.

  “Let’s go,” said Samantha, turning. “Now I’m hungry.”

  Riette looked up at the quickly darkening sky as the others moved to follow their new blonde and troubling leader.

  The clouds formed quickly, like a witch’s brew that was at the beginning of coming together. The wisps of white came together and wrapped around themselves, swirling, and Riette wondered how much it mirrored the thoughts she could barely catch as they ran through her mind.

  They were in this together with Samantha now, and as much as she knew she should be afraid and as much as part of her was, some part of her felt relieved at the power Samantha would lend to their corner.

  Even as she realized their corner may not be big enough to support all of them.

  They started to walk out of the alleyway, following closely behind Samantha and the large shadow that was Damian behind her.

  The square they had left when they were running from Samantha was still full. It bubbled with activity from the large crowd of people working near the body of water they had come from.

  Mekhi slowed to a walk beside Riette and bumped his shoulder against her. “So we’re in bed with evil now, it seems.”

  “Appears that way.”

  “And Cassian,” Mekhi whispered as he looked up ahead to where Cassian walked alongside Trinity. “The fuck was that?”

  “He wants to help us.”

  “By giving himself over to a psychopath?”

  “Maybe she’s not—”

  “Ri, she’s fucking nuts.” Mekhi steeled himself as he looked to where Corin was walking behind her brother.

  Riette’s face warmed with shame. She was an idiot for suggesting Samantha wasn’t all bad. Mekhi was the last one to sympathize.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

  Mekhi let out a sigh. He ran a hand through his red hair and down his face, blowing air behind it as it dragged.

  “She has to have some kind of angle for all of this shit. I just can’t figure out what it is.”

  “It has something to do with me.”

  “Yeah, I know that much.”

  “I think she’s going after Cassian to get to me and because she knows I can’t shake her if he’s tied to her.”

  “Forever.”

  Riette shuddered.

  Mekhi continued. “She might kill her.” He nodded his head toward Trinity. He stopped and looked at Riette, and she paused with him. “I just had a thought. We need to know what happens to Cassian if she gets killed.”

  “Mekhi, don’t think like that.”

  “I’m not saying we’d do it. But the chick’s got to have a lot of enemies. All of those shady fuckers with her when she had Corin? She didn’t need muscle without reason, Ri.”

  Riette thought back to the blood show that had gone down to get Corin again. She thought about the sheer amount of power she had had to use to make it out alive.

  “You’re right. Do you think it would hurt him?”

  Mekhi shrugged. “Fuck if I know.”

  They kept walking, but Guy joined them. Mekhi asked him about it.

  “He’d live,” Guy said.

  “You’re sure?” asked Riette. “We can’t have him fuck around with a time bomb if it would kill him too.”

  “I’m not saying he wouldn’t be an empty shell of himself,” said Guy. “It’s more of an emotional thing, and a power thing beyond that.” He looked toward the sky as he tried to find the words. “It’s like you’d be missing an arm or something. You’d live, but you’d be aware that you were without something, someone, that you at some point thought was important. Am I making sense?”

  “Eerily, yes,” said Mekhi, but a quiet fell over them as they saw Samantha and the others stop in front of a small restaurant ahead of them. It had outdoor seating and a few chairs with red coverings.

  There were some people there, but at quick glance, Riette didn’t see any Elves. She thought that she might be comforted if there were some others of their kind around, but she would have to find comfort elsewhere.

  “They have the best pizza in the world here,” said Samantha. A rapturous look came over her face briefly as she closed her eyes. “I know it looks a bit like shit, but trust me.”

  Riette thought about how young she had looked just then. She didn’t know how old she was. There seemed to be magic at play blurring the edges before she could make a definitive guess, but maybe Samantha was about their ages, give or take, and had just had a world of adventure that tried to age her early.

  “Pizza?
” Riette asked.

  “They’re new to anything outside of vegetables,” added Guy. He turned toward the others, paying special attention to Mekhi. “Pizza good.”

  “Shut up, fucker,” said Mekhi. “She asked what it was, not for you to be a shit about it.” It sounded harsher than Mekhi’s delivery made it.

  “It’s dough, bread, with sauce and whatever else you want on it. It’s good.” Guy’s words were emphasized by his hands.

  “It’s amazing,” said Trinity. She sounded a bit like herself, and Riette was surprised by the amount of relief she felt by hearing that. Maybe she had somehow put Cassian’s agreement out of her mind. It wasn’t as if it had happened yet anyway.

  “I’m sold,” said Cassian, forcing a small smile. He touched the small of Trinity’s back.

  Riette watched Samantha looking at him, and again, she was struck by what she saw on Samantha’s face. She looked genuinely interested in him.

  Samantha wouldn’t have been the first girl that Riette had seen go loopy over Cassian, but knowing that Samantha had Damian and could still look at Cassian like that, even when she had stilled her face with her normal saccharine smile quickly after, still threw Riette off balance.

  Had Samantha liked him before? Maybe she genuinely wanted him, and this was a ruse to get him for herself. But where would that leave Damian? Why wouldn’t she trust that to solely be the case?

  They started to follow Samantha in, but Cassian paused. “Money. How are we going to pay for this?”

  “Now you’re worried about the bill?” Guy smirked. “I’ve been paying, bro. Don’t worry about it.”

  “No, I’m paying actually,” said Sam.

  Riette knew the others were as surprised as she was as she noted the expressions on their faces.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” Samantha said. “You act like I can’t be nice.”

  “Well, so far—” started Mekhi, but Corin silenced him again with her hand. He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “I’m actually richer than shit,” said Samantha.

  Riette tried to quiet her surprise, but she still found herself asking. “From what?”

  “Do you really want to know?” Samantha asked with an eager lift to her brow.

  “No. Not really.”

  “Pity.”

  They sat around a larger table in the back. Damian looked like he would easily break the small chair underneath him, but his expression didn’t change.

  Riette sat next to Samantha in the large circle. She had done it quickly to avoid the awkwardness of who would be put in the position and to avoid the discomfort Trinity would feel if Cassian had sat in her place.

  Mekhi sat by Damian, with Corin on his other side. Guy fell beside her, with Trinity next to him, and Cassian sat by Riette.

  It took a couple of tense moments to get to that point, and Riette was happy when it was all settled.

  They had let Guy and Samantha handle the ordering, and after only a few minutes, several of the best-smelling things Riette had ever encountered sat in front of them.

  Most of them were covered in vegetables, an Elf favorite, but Samantha and Damian’s were covered in the charred remains of several animals, from what Riette could see.

  She let her own hunger keep her from paying much attention, and she avoided eye contact with them to not lose the newly eaten pizza she had just enjoyed.

  “How far away are we from your land?” asked Cassian. His cold blue eyes were focused on Samantha.

  “It would take weeks if we’re walking,” she said. “Longer if you all are slow.”

  Mekhi groaned. Corin giggled at his reaction.

  “Too much for you, ginger?” Samantha asked.

  “Fuck yes,” he admitted easily. Looking at Riette, he added, “Can’t we call Mark?”

  “Absolutely not,” Riette said quickly.

  “Who’s Mark?” asked Samantha.

  “Why not?” asked Mekhi.

  “He’s not a taxi,” said Riette.

  “You’re quoting him now?” asked Guy, laughing.

  “No, it’s more like I don’t want to waste more of his time.”

  “He loves you,” said Corin.

  “Mark?” Samantha asked.

  “And I don’t want to abuse that,” said Riette, ignoring the dark mage’s confusion.

  “What good is it to have an Angel friend if you don’t use him?” asked Guy.

  “An Angel?” shrieked Samantha. “You are shitting me.”

  Riette watched Cassian tense across the table. She knew instantly that he didn’t want all of their intel to get out to Samantha. They wouldn’t have any bargaining power at that point. What they would be bargaining for was still unknown, but Riette knew something would arise.

  She forced herself to relax and face Samantha. Mark could handle himself. Most Angels could, and as uninformed as she knew the bet would be, she would still put her money on Mark in a head to head with Samantha.

  “Where did you collect him?” she asked, the awe apparent in her voice.

  “He would resent us saying that he was part of any collection,” said Riette, knowing that was true.

  “They’re friends,” said Cassian. He cleared his throat. “He liked her pretty instantly.”

  Samantha looked at Riette. “Boyfriend material?”

  Riette smirked. “He liked Mekhi, actually.”

  Samantha giggled. “Not a match, cherry?”

  “No, not a match,” said Corin. She crossed her hands over her chest.

  Damian leaned down and whispered something into Samantha’s ear. Riette watched his mouth move, and part of her sat in disbelief.

  Mekhi watched the exchange. “He speaks, huh? Who’d’ve thunk it.”

  The smile left Samantha’s face. “Mind your own lane.”

  Mekhi swallowed. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Samantha waited a beat and didn’t speak. Damian sat back in his chair more, and although his skin, close in tone to Riette’s own, didn’t make it easily seen, Riette thought she saw the whisper of a blush on his cheeks.

  “We need to get a move on,” said Samantha. “The sooner we get underway, the sooner the marriage can happen.”

  “Marriage?” Trinity asked, her voice sounding like breaking glass.

  “It’s a figure of speech,” said Samantha. She looked almost apologetic. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Damian has my heart. I think that anyone who has eyes can see that.”

  “Then why would he let you—” Trinity started.

  “That’s the problem. You think anyone lets me do anything? Fuck no.” There wasn’t venom in her delivery though. “Besides, this is business. I get my pleasure elsewhere.”

  Riette was the only one who heard Trinity’s response as she softly said, “Then you’re in the wrong business.”

  Chapter 13

  They walked for miles after lunch. Samantha led the way with a confidence that Guy had never possessed in all their travels. She took some comfort in that, but at the same time, she dreaded the stop. There would be a finality in their next actions, in the union between Cassian and Samantha. Riette would let them walk for miles to put that off.

  The night started to whisper its colors in the edges of the sky. Riette noticed the colors as the air grew colder around them.

  Guy had spent most of the journey oscillating between trying to talk to Samantha and staying by Riette’s side. She was thankful for his company.

  Everyone else was in their natural pairs. Cassian walked with Trinity, giving her small touches of reassurance as they traveled, and Mekhi and Corin jostled each other from side to side with a lightness that none of the rest of them bothered to possess.

  “Does the day seem fucking bizarre to you too?” Guy asked, looking at the sky and the group in front of them.

  “It hasn’t been much weirder.”

  “It’s like when we saw that creature, the one that told us where to go to find Corin. The fucking vibe permeated eve
rything. The impending darkness. The moon sneaking out and moving across the sky.”

  “How poetic,” Riette joked. She shook her head. “I know what you mean. I keep waiting for Trinity to break down or for Cassian to change his mind.”

  “He’s stubborn like you.”

  Riette gave him a look. “What do you mean?”

  “When I first met you all, I didn’t get how he fit in with you two. Mekhi and you have a glow about you, an energy. Cassian seems to be on the opposite wavelength, but it’s in how you handle things. You and he are very much alike in how you see the world and how little you trust it.”

  “You calling us jaded?”

  “Green all the way through,” said Guy as a smile touched his lips.

  “Green means jealousy.”

  “Maybe it’s that too.”

  “Who would we be jealous of?”

  “People who can see the world beyond the shadows behind them?”

  Riette stopped walking before she noticed that happening. When she did notice, she kept her feet moving, one after the other, until she made it to where Guy stood watching her.

  “Did I break your brain or something?” Guy asked.

  “A little bit.”

  “Because I was right.”

  “I guess so.” Riette didn’t feel right in her own skin. Her skin was taut. Her eyes felt warm. It was a sensation she hadn’t gotten used to yet, and she doubted she ever would.

  Guy took her shoulder and stopped her again. “It’s a weird thing when I’m right.”

  “Yeah, maybe that’s it.”

  “No, zombie girl. You don’t say I’m right. You’re, frankly, freaking me the fuck out with all this agreeability.”

  “That’s not a word.”

  “Yes, it is, but see? That’s more like you. Mouthy, opinionated. Problematic. Overly aggressive when the situation doesn’t call for it.”

  “Guy, are you trying to make me feel better?”

  “It’s good to have a good look at yourself.”

  “Isn’t that supposed to be something that I initiate?”

  “I mean, typically.”

  Riette swallowed again and looked ahead toward the group. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to let it happen.”