Witch Fairy book 3 (14 page)

Alita’s hand covers her mouth as she gasps.  Kegan lets out a low whistle.  And my cheeks are getting redder by the second.  “You forgot about the times I took away your voice because I wanted you to stop talking.”  I hope the look on my face conveys the fact that I’m seconds away from doing that again.

Kegan snickers and takes another bite of his apple.  Swallowing, he says, “No wonder Kallen does not mind that you have Witch blood running through you.  You are about a thousand times more powerful than he is.  I bet you can kick his ass anytime you want.”

“Kegan, I will not have such talk in my kitchen,” Tabitha warns with a no nonsense look.  I don’t care how powerful I am, I don’t want to be on Tabitha’s bad side.  I’m guessing she’s a lot tougher than she looks.

“Sorry,” Kegan mumbles.

A smile creeps onto my face and I respond to his statement.  “Yes, I can.”  Kallen’s eyes narrow, but there’s not a lot he can say.  I can.

“Enough chatter, now,” Tabitha says as she distributes the sandwiches she whipped up.  Not with magic, just really fast hands.  “Eat your lunch and then skedaddle.  You are all going to be busy in the near future, so enjoy the beach and the sun while you can.”

Ugh, I hope all my training isn’t inside.  But, I guess it doesn’t make sense for me to train out in the open.  I don’t want my enemies to know what I don’t know.

The rest of lunch passes with very little conversation.  We’re all too busy eating Tabitha’s delicious sandwiches of what I think is turkey and some sort of sauce that vaguely tastes like cucumbers.  A weird combination, but really yummy.  When we’ve eaten all we possibly can, I ask, “What should we do now?”

Kallen gives me a look that tells me exactly what he wants to suggest.  Stupid blushes, I wish there was a spell that could prevent them.  A little color floods into Alita’s cheeks as well.  I wasn’t the only one to guess Kallen’s unspoken message.  “What
else
is there to do?”

Kegan chuckles.  “Sorry, cousin, Alita and I are your shadows ALL afternoon.”  Hmm, I guess Isla did put him up to following us around.

Alita looks uncomfortable.  “If you would rather be alone…”

I laugh.  “That’s not going to get you the chaperone of the year award.”

“I do not want to impose,” she says softly.

“It is not your company that we find objectionable, Alita.”  Kallen’s looking at Kegan when he says that.

Taking pity on her, I say, “How about you and I go looking for those coconuts you were after earlier.”  I nod my head towards Kegan and Kallen.  “They can work out their hostility without us.”

The beginning of a bright smile touches her lips.  “Okay.” 

She slips off her stool and I follow.  We walk out of the kitchen and it doesn’t take long for Kallen to be next to me.  “Like looking for coconuts, do you?”

“I adore it.”

“Uh huh.”  I don’t believe him at all.  Regardless, I slip my hand in his and follow Alita outside.

Chapter 10

We spend a pleasant afternoon enjoying the sunshine and sea shore as Tabitha suggested.  Alita’s sweet and funny, and I like her a lot.  Kallen and Kegan exchange barbs constantly, but it’s all in fun.  It’s obvious they care about each other.

Dinner is much more formal than lunch.  I have to try several times to dress myself appropriately with Tabitha’s help, and I finally get it on the sixth try.  Try number three was the one that really bothered Kallen.  It wasn’t the dress so much as the three inch heels that he got to him.  Kegan has a much better sense of humor about it.

Alita politely declines staying for dinner.  I think Isla may intimidate her.  Understandable.  I would imagine she intimidates a lot people.  I’m trying not to let her intimidate me, though.

After dinner, I’m beat.  It’s been a
really
long day.  I must look as tired as I feel because Isla suggests that I turn in early.  Alone.  Yup, she said that.

Kallen walks me to the stairs so he can kiss me goodnight.  Pulling me close, he pushes a strand of hair from my cheek.  “We have not talked about tomorrow.  Are you ready to meet Dagda?”

I shrug, trying to appear more nonchalant than I am.  The man does want me dead, after all.  “I’ve already met him, remember?”

“You do not have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend like you are not scared or angry.  I would be both if I was in your shoes.”  I doubt he’d be scared, but it’s a nice lie.  In truth, I’m more angry than scared; but knowing that half the population of this realm wants me dead has definitely put ‘fear for my life’ on my to do list.

“I’ll be okay.”

He smiles.  “Yes, you will.”  He leans down and gives me a sweet, lingering kiss.  Standing back up, he steps back.   “Good night, Xandra.  I will miss you this evening.” 

Guess that answers the question of whether or not he’s going to try to sneak into my room tonight.  “Good night.”

I make my way up the three staircases to my room, but, as tired as I am, I can’t crawl right into bed.  I need to unwind a little bit.  I wander out onto the terrace and the view of the sun setting over the ocean is beautiful.  The sky is shades of orange and pink that I’ve never seen before, and the way it sparkles against the water is amazing. 

Something else comes into my field of vision.  A paper flying in the wind.  Gently, it floats down towards me and I reach my hand out for it.  As soon as it’s in my grasp, the gown I wore to dinner becomes a beautiful, pale pink nightgown of the softest silk.  I smile as I read the note.

I wanted to make sure that the only one of us wearing a nightgown is you.  I am sure you look beautiful.  Sweet dreams

I laugh softly.  He really is a nice guy, no matter how much he teases me. 

Finally ready to turn in, I climb into the humongous bed and pull the covers over me.  The comforter has no traces of the blood from my leg wounds earlier.  Tabitha must have taken care of that.  Closing my eyes, I don’t have time to think another thought before I am deep asleep.

Sometime later, I wake up to find myself entangled in Kallen’s arms.  I guess it shows how tired I was that I didn’t wake up when he came in.  Or, I am so used to him sleeping with me now, his arm across my body is expected, not cause for alarm.  I don’t wake him, I just snuggle closer.  He pulls me tighter against him in his sleep and I doze back off.

Kallen’s shout of “Ow!” wakes me up.  Rolling over, I see him holding the back of his head and Tabitha standing with her hands on her hips next to the bed.  I’m guessing she gave him another smack to the head.

“If your grandmother found you in here, she would have a conniption.”

“We are sleeping, nothing more,” Kallen says, still rubbing his head.

“You are darn lucky I believe you.  Otherwise, we would have the hand-fasting set by this afternoon.  Now, you get on out of here.  Xandra has a big day, and she does not need the likes of you distracting her with your moon eyes and wagging puppy dog tail.”  I can’t help giggling, but I try really hard to stop when Tabitha turns her glare on me.

Kallen climbs out of the bed and gives Tabitha a wide berth as he goes around her.  I’m pretty sure he thinks she’s going to smack him again if he gets too close.  I think he’s right.  She glowers at him the entire time it takes him to walk to the door and leave.  I’m not glowering at him.  I’m enjoying the view of his bare, muscular back and broad shoulders and how good he looks in his pajama pants.

Turning back to me, Tabitha says, “I will give you half an hour to bathe and then I will be back to help you get ready.  Presentation will be important today.  You need to walk into that palace with your head held high like the princess you are.”  With that, she turns on her heel and leaves me sitting stock still on the bed for a moment.

Like the princess I am.  It has never hit me before that I truly am a princess in this realm.  I shake my head and snort.  I sure don’t feel like a princess.  Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stretch and yawn. I don’t know if I’m really ready for the day, and everything to come after, but I’m going to at least pretend I am.  Maybe if I pretend hard enough, I’ll believe it eventually.

I go into my bathing room, which is humid from the constantly running water; almost like a sauna.  Removing the nightgown Kallen made for me, which immediately disappears, I slip a toe into the Olympic size bath tub.  The temperature of the water is perfect.  Moving to the stairs - yes, there are stairs in my bathtub, I submerge myself in the water.  I could probably swim laps in here, it’s so big. 

I find shampoo and soap on a shelf along with a brand new loofa.  Conscious of the fact that I have a time limit, I force myself to forego the long, leisurely soak I’m dying for.  Instead, I wash my hair and my body, and am out of the tub in twenty minutes.  Okay, maybe I did linger a little longer than I meant to. 

Wrapping myself in the humongous towel Tabitha left for me, I walk back into my bedroom.  Where Kegan is.  I do a double take to make sure it’s not Kallen, because they do look a lot alike.  Nope, not Kallen. 

Hearing the door to my bathing room, he turns towards me where I’ve stopped in surprise.  His eyes take a long journey from my head to my toes, and then back up again.

“What are you doing in here?” I ask making sure the towel is firmly in place.

“I came to wish you well for your meeting with Dagda.”  He’s not talking to my face.  That’s annoying.

“Don’t you knock?”

Finally meeting my eyes, he says, “I did knock.  You must not have heard me.”

“No, I didn’t.  So, you shouldn’t have assumed it was okay to come in.  I appreciate you coming to wish me well, but I’m not used to having someone in my room when all I’m wearing is a towel.  Will you please leave now?”

He inclines his head.  “Of course.”

He says that, but his eyes are on another journey and I don’t like where they’ve decided to set up camp.  “Kegan, I meant right now.”

With a smile that tells me he knew perfectly well that I meant now, he finally turns to leave.  Reaching the door, he stops and turns around.  “I am looking forward to our training this afternoon.  Feel free to dress as casual as you are right now.”

I’m going to throw something at him if he doesn’t leave.  And what’s up with him flirting with me?  Isn’t there some unwritten guy code that you don’t go after your cousin’s girlfriend?  “Kegan, get out before I remove you with my magic.”  With a chuckle, he finally leaves, closing the door behind him.  Training with him is going to be interesting if he keeps acting like this. 

I sigh, remembering the days when I thought it would be great to be a normal teenager and have guy troubles.  I was fascinated by the TV shows about ‘typical’ teenagers and their lives. It seemed so exciting with the constant drama and jealousy.  After all, I had to live vicariously through them.  Since there are no teenagers in a fifty mile radius of where I live, and I was homeschooled, I didn’t get out much.  Or at all. 

It turns out, my fascination was misplaced.  I don’t want drama in my relationship with Kallen; and I don’t want to make him jealous.  I’m going to have to let Kegan know that as soon as possible.  Besides, Alita has a crush on him, and I know there’s an unwritten code about going after a friend’s crush.

Sitting down on the bench in front of the dressing table, I begin to comb the snarls out of my hair.  During my bath, I was trying to figure out how I feel about seeing my biological father again.  Other than being nauseated that I carry the man’s genes, mostly what I feel is simply anger.  I’m angry that he tricked my mom into getting pregnant, even though she wouldn’t have met my dad or had me if he hadn’t.  Okay, I’m torn on that one.  But, I am angry that he wants me dead.  I don’t believe for one minute that has changed.  If he gets the chance, he’ll slaughter me like a cow, hang me on a hook and drain the last drop of blood out of me.  And, most of all, I’m angry that I’m here to save him.  If I have to have the man’s genes, why couldn’t I at least have gotten some of his conscience, or lack of conscience; then, I could just let the Pooka Fairies have him. 

If I’m being honest, I’m angry with Isla as well.  Who gave her the right to ask me to do this?  The Sheehogue Fairies are supposed to be stronger than the Pooka, so why don’t they stop them?  Then again, I remember what my grandma said.  The Sheehogue don’t like to get themselves involved in things that don’t affect them.  I slam the brush down on the dressing table out of frustration.  That means I’m in a realm where I don’t like half the people because they want me dead, and I don’t like the other half because they can’t be bothered to lift a finger to help anyone other than themselves.  And the Angels want me to make them all a big happy family.  Yeah, right now, I’m angry with the Angels, too.

I take a deep breath to get my blood pressure back down to normal.  Okay, I admit, I’m not being fair.  I do like some of the Fairies I’ve met.  I like Alita.  Then again, she’s half human.  I like Kegan, despite his little visit earlier.  Again, half human.  Um, I’m starting to see a trend here.

I close my eyes and take another deep breath.  I have to stop thinking about this because I’m starting to draw magic.  I agreed to do this and I’m not going back on my word.  But, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to resent every second spent in the protection of the man who’s only my father because of biology.

“I certainly hope you are not going to dress yourself with that much magic.  The entire realm will be wearing dresses and heels.”

I turn towards Tabitha and smile.  “Sorry, I’m still working through my feelings about all of this.”

“Of course you are, dear.  If I was in your shoes, I would go into that palace and tell that man to go to hell, and walk right on back out the door.”

That’s a good plan.  “Is that an option?”

She chuckles.  “If I had my way it would be.  Isla is a little more diplomatic than I am.”

“Lucky me.”

“Some would say so.”

My brows speed towards my hairline.  “Like who?”

Tabitha shrugs as she moves behind me and picks up the brush. “You are about to do something many can only dream about.”