Sins of the Flesh (Half-Breed Series Book 2) (16 page)

The water lit up, as if the sun had suddenly risen, before reaching a painfully high temperature. I struggled against Irix’s hands, panicking. I was running out of air, my chest aching as I resisted the urge to inhale. What the fuck was going on? Irix held tight, shoving me further into his lap. My lungs burned. I scratched his legs, pounding on them with my hands, begging him to let me up. My thoughts scattered, blurring around the edges as my body screamed for oxygen. Just as I was about to lose my fight and suck in a lungful of water, Irix yanked me up.

I dragged amazing, wonderful, blessed air as fast as I could through my nose and mouth, gasping for several breaths before my brain kicked into gear. The air was searing hot, and what met my eyes when I opened them was a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. Charred lumps of black, that looked more like lava rock than ferns and silversword, had replaced the color. The tile deck and pathways had buckled and melted. The little chrome and slate table where I’d placed our champagne was a twisted lump, the glass melted, and the fruit gone. The hot tub water that had bubbled around my neck was barely to my waist. But worse of all was Irix. I reached up and touched his face — swollen beyond recognition, the sections that weren’t charcoal black were blistered bright red.

“Are you all right?” My words were raspy, and the deepest fear I ever had in my life clawed inside, trying to get out.

With a flash of light, he repaired his burned face and upper body. I couldn’t help but cry out with relief, tears in my eyes.

“I didn’t want to expend the energy fixing myself until I was sure you were okay.” His gaze wandered with concern over my body. “It was all I could do to keep the hot-tub water cool, to try and shield you as best as I could.”

I looked around again. It was as if someone had come through with a gigantic flamethrower. “What happened?”

“Fire. That’s what.” Irix continued to check me over, this time with his hands. Even after what had just happened, I couldn’t help but think how good his nimble fingers felt on my skin.

“Am I right in thinking this was a hit? Maybe payback for this afternoon?” The burned area was confined to a ten-foot radius around the hot tub, stopping abruptly at the ruins of our snacks.

“It seems pretty obvious that this one was intended to either take us out, or give us a warning.”

I stood, resting a hand on Irix’s shoulder for support. Everything was still a bit woozy after my near-drowning experience. “And I guess you’re going to tell me that we’re done, that I’m not safe, and we need to leave this alone?”

Irix reached up and rested his hand on top of mine. “You’re
not
safe. I don’t think you’ll ever be safe, but I’m not about to talk you into leaving this alone.”

“Huh?” Where was the Irix that wanted to wrap me up and cocoon me from every little thing? The Irix that constantly worried about me.

“Amber, I’m a demon, and I’m pissed. This thing, or whoever is behind it, attacked me, attacked my lover. Some demons are good at running; I’m not. And you’ve got skills. You’re stronger than I ever could have imagined one of your age could be. As long as you keep your strength up, your energy levels high, and you don’t do anything crazy-reckless, then I’m behind you all the way.”

I smiled. “A warning, huh? That means it’s scared. Whatever, or whoever it is, knows we’re a force to be reckoned with, and it needs us gone. Fuck it; let’s take this thing down.

Irix stood, curling my hand in his and squeezing tight. “That’s my girl. This thing wants a fight? We’ll show it what a demon and a half-elf can really do when they’re motivated.”

I was totally onboard with that. Now I just had to figure out what or who this damned thing was.

Chapter 14

R
emember all the up-down, up-down we did paddleboarding?”

I nodded, chest squashed against the surfboard as I eyed an approaching wave nervously. I was rethinking my tiny bikini, wondering how sexy I’d look flying backwards off a surfboard. Well, maybe if I lost the top, which was a distinct possibility, I could salvage the sexy factor.

“Amber, focus!”

I did. Sort of. It was hard to focus when Kai had abandoned her serviceable one-piece for a boy-short two-piece in a shade of turquoise that set off her tanned skin. She’d demonstrated proper surfing technique, hopping on her flying board like a Cirque de Solei gymnast. I blinked, trying to think about what I was about to do. Or not do.

“It’s the same as paddleboarding. Once you feel the wave pushing you forward, get up speed, jump into a crouch, then ease into a standing position. Knees soft. Got it?”

Riiiiight. My thighs hurt enough from the endless burpees I’d been doing at the end of each lesson. Burpees on the ground are one thing, but on a moving, floating paddleboard they were another. And on a board being pushed out from under me? I was going for some serious swims this lesson, no doubt about it.

Kai sensed my skepticism. “Remember, the board is more stable when it’s moving forward. You can do it.”

I appreciated her confidence in me, misguided though it may be. The wave arrived. I paddled ahead of it, picking up speed as it caught up to me. Then I rode it in on my belly.

“Okay, that was nice. Try to get on your feet next time.”

I paddled back out and into the line-up — which consisted of four kids with boogie boards, and a teenager who was wiping out two seconds into each wave. I was in good company. Kai had told me all the experienced surfers were down shore a bit where the waves were bigger and there was less chance of them getting fin-chopped by some jake. I had no idea what that meant but got the impression it wasn’t a good thing.

“Go! Go! Go!”

I instinctively started paddling, feeling the water gather me up and rush me toward the shore. Jump to crouch. Balance. Balance. Balance. Ease to a tall squat. And off into the water.

To my credit, or stupidity, I didn’t bail. The board shot to the right, and I flew to the left. An incoming wave hit me, driving me down into the rough coral and sand below. Without the rash shirt, I was going to have some serious abrasions by the time this session was over.

I came up coughing and pushing hair from my face. My sinuses and throat stung with salty water. My ankle jerked sideways, pulled by the leg rope, as the board tried to make it to shore. Damn it all. I’d almost had it.

Kai rode up to me, hopping off her board as the wave petered out. She gave me a quick once-over and shook her head. “How can somebody who can grow a forest with one touch not be able to ride a wave? I’ve seen you tightrope walk the stairway handrail, climb a tree like a monkey, run like an Olympic sprinter. You are poetry in motion on land; why can’t you be the same on water?”

“I don’t know,” I sputtered. “It’s just not my element.”

Twisting her wrist, she splashed a handful of water into my face. “I don’t believe it. You’re half-elf. Fae. That’s sylphs, water nymphs, fairies, pixies, and a ton of others I didn’t read about in high school. There’s no stinking reason beyond your own pigheadedness that you can’t get this.”

I touched the water, really felt it. The molecular structure flew into my mind. Minerals, animals, and interesting coral formations clinging to the underwater volcanic rock were pictures in my mind. I felt them all.

“It moves, and the pattern is so long and complex that I can’t predict it in enough time to ride the wave.”

She tilted her head. “Oh, give me a break. Stop analyzing patterns and just feel.”

I contemplated that, the Zen method of surfing.

“When you have sex as part of your sucky-demon thing, you don’t analyze patterns and predict responses, do you?”

I snorted. “No. Well, I see their fantasies, what they want and need, but once we get into it, I just sort of go with whatever feels right.”

“You see their fantasies and….” Kai shook her head. “Never mind. You need to do the same with surfing. Just go with whatever feels right.”

I heaved myself back onto the board. “Clear my mind and all that shit?”

“Maybe a pint of vodka would help,” Kai muttered. “Yes, clear your mind and all that.”

I paddled out, trying to find my inner Buddha, and waited in line with the kids. My turn came. A decent wave, well positioned and heading strongly toward the shore, approached. I turned and gathered speed, letting the wave push me forward as I hopped to a crouch, arms spread like a featherless bird. I wiggled like a worm on a hook, the board swaying back and forth, but somehow I managed to make it more than two seconds before flying off.

I came to the surface, swept the wet hair back from my face and gave a resounding ‘woohoo!’

Kai came up beside me like a goddess, jumping off and giving me a high five. “Nice job. And how is it that you still look breathtaking with a bruised face, black eye, and surf rash?”

I tucked wet strands of my hair back into my braid. “Mad skills.”

She nodded. “I’ve held my tongue, but you know I need to ask: are those bruises from Irix?”

“No. They’re from someone else. I wish I had Irix’s fixing skills, then I wouldn’t have these stupid bruises. Or the aching legs.” I had no idea if that skill would ever manifest. Being only half a demon limited those abilities considerably.

“Well, I’m just glad
he
has them, and that he acted fast last night,” she commented reaching out to gently touch my cheek.

I had told Kai about our hot tub attack. The resort staff had assumed some electrical malfunction had caused a fire and were relieved it had happened at night when no one was around. Even though we’d gotten out of there, streaking naked through the hotel, I’d wanted Kai to know. It was probably one more freaky nail in the coffin of our friendship, but I’d wanted to be honest with her. We were kind of in this fire-spirit thing together, and no matter how much it might widen the rift between us, she needed to know.

And she needed to know something else too. I had selfish reasons. I was hiding this one from Irix, but I seriously needed some girlfriend help.

“My injuries aren’t from the fire spirit or from Irix. Aside from my newly acquired surfing rash, they’re inflicted by another sex demon — a succubus who’s decided that she personally owns every man on Maui.”

I expected Kai to freak out, order me to keep surfing, or change the topic. I didn’t expect her to raise her hackles and bare her teeth like a rabid mastiff.

“Who? What? You’ve been getting beaten up by another
woman
?”

Crap, I sounded like such a pansy. “I’ve given as good as I’ve gotten. Well, maybe not the first time, but last night I grew a tree and catapulted her into a field.”

Kai raised an eyebrow. “So the first time she beats the snot out of you. Last night, you’re down but manage to prevail. What do you think is going to happen when you go out trolling for sex today? Huh?”

I’d been dreading that, trying not to think about it. There was more than a good chance Cleo would show up today, and this time a paltry coconut palm wouldn’t take her down. That trick was only good once.

“I’ll wind up with more bruises, possibly a broken bone or two.” I shrugged with fake nonchalance. “Sucks, but I’m not about to hide in my room and let her win.”

My speech was rewarded with a fist pump.

“Oh, heck yeah! Don’t let that two-bit ‘ho win. You need a wingman, or, rather, a wingwoman. I’ll come along, and we’ll see how cocky she’ll be against the two of us.”

I really didn’t know what to make of Kai’s sudden turnabout. It seems when it came to a catfight, the underdog side carried a lot of weight.

“Kai, she’s a succubus — a full demon. You’ve seen just a fraction of what Irix can do. She’s a big dog, and I’m a Chihuahua. I got the jump on her last time with a bit of luck. It won’t happen again, and, no offense, but a human sidekick isn’t going to sway the odds much in my favor.”

We had a little intense staring match. Kai smiled. “Get your cute butt out on the waves, and let me worry about it. I’ve got an idea. A little bit of shopping after our lesson and we’ll head out together. If things go the way I think, then Ms. I-Own-The-Island won’t even show up.”

I hesitated, just for effect. “Okay, kemosabe. Surf. Shop. Then we ride off into the sunset to pick up men.”

***

Shopping with Kai was fun. We grabbed a couple Italian ices, hit up a boutique where I scored a silk sarong with a leafy pattern. Kai picked up an odd assortment of items at the food mart.

“So, where’s the hunting today? Do you have a spot in mind, or will you let me suggest somewhere?”

My friend seemed oddly eager to bring it on with Cleo. I was worried about her, but underneath that, I was thrilled she was accepting me, freak that I was.

“I usually do my best work in bars. Everyone’s inhibitions are loosened, and there is a certain expectation of pickups. That’s where Cleo seems to be, though, so maybe I should try something else. I’m open to suggestions.”

Kai shot me a twisted smile. “Leave it up to me; I’ll find a place.”

Okay, there was an intriguing bit of mystery going on. “I’m in your capable hands.”

***

This was the weirdest pickup spot I’d ever been. I’d met men in bars, at the gym, at bowling alleys, even at libraries. I’d never picked up a sexual partner at a deserted beach.

Well, in all honesty, it wasn’t completely deserted. A few dedicated individuals were black silhouettes against the dazzling reflection of sunlight on the surf. I watched them with a twinge of envy as they effortlessly eased into a wave, slipping into the barrel then streaking ahead of the curl before cutting back. They made it all look so damned easy, easier than even Kai had. These guys were awesome, and I had an urge to seduce them, but they were already married to a more seductive woman than I could ever be — the ocean.

Rustling behind me. I spun around and saw Kai drop an armful of bags from the food mart and a huge, thick blanket.

“Picnic? What an awesome idea.” I helped her spread the blanket, using the rounded, surf-smoothed black lava rocks to hold down the edges. Out came bread, cheese, fruit, and a bottle of wine.