“Um ... Spike?”
It was hard to get the words out because he wasn’t stopping.
I pushed on his chest a little, but it made no difference. He was pressing forward, pushing me deeper into the bed.
I turned my head to the side. “Spike! Stop! Get off me!”
He took me by the chin and forced me to look at him. I stared into his glowing red eyes, getting lost in the sensual madness I saw there. I felt the fight and anger leave my body. So he wanted a little kiss? Why didn’t I just give it to him?
We started making out passionately. I felt his hands drift lower as he reached under me and wrapped me in his arms, pulling me tighter against him. I wanted to see him shirtless, all his beautiful tattoos on display. Without even thinking about it, I reached for the bottom of his shirt, intending to lift it up and take it off him. He chuckled low in his throat, obviously happy about the direction my mind had taken.
I heard a sound off in the distance, but my mind was too far gone to recognize it.
Then there was a commotion.
I ignored it. Nothing was more important than drowning in this passion I was feeling.
Suddenly Spike was jerked off me. I opened my eyes in a daze, trying to process what was going on.
Chase had Spike in a bear hug next to my dresser and Jared was standing in between them and me, feet spread wide apart, looking like he was ready to kick some ass. His head swiveled back and forth between me and them, them and me.
I sat up slowly, trying to decide which was worse – the confusion or the humiliation. Both situations made me feel vulnerable – and therefore, pissed off.
“Take him outside,” growled Jared.
Chase jerked Spike along with him, Spike’s glowing red eyes never leaving mine. For some reason I wanted to follow him out of the room. I stopped feeling that way the instant Jared stepped in between us and I no longer had eye contact with Spike.
The door shut behind Spike and Chase, leaving Jared alone in the room with me.
I sat up and scooted back until I was sitting up against the wall at the head of my bed, pulling my knees to my chest. I cleared my throat but said nothing. I didn’t really know what to say.
“So, are you okay?”
“Um, yeah. I think. I’m not exactly sure what that was all about.” My face was burning red. Not that I really cared much what Jared thought of me, but I’m pretty sure he was thinking I was some kind of slut, taking any opportunity possible to get it on with Spike.
“Spike is an incubus, Jayne.”
“And?”
“And that means he spends a lot of his time burning up with sexual energy. Or figuring out ways to increase his energy using sex as the generator.”
I slowly nodded my head, kind of understanding and then again, kind of not.
“Did you invite him in here?”
“No. Why? Is he like a vampire? He can’t come in unless I invite him?”
Jared smiled. “No. He’s not like a vampire in that way. He can just come in. I’m just surprised he did is all.” Jared sat down at the foot of my bed, putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands loosely between his legs. “He is similar to a vampire in that he will suck the life out of a person if he’s not able to control his cravings.”
“What about a fae? Can he do it to a fae too?”
“Yes. But it’s harder. The fae have more life force so it would take longer. And we are generally stronger than humans and do not tempt as easily.” He looked up at me. “But you were. Tempted I mean.”
I looked at the ceiling, sighed, and then looked him in the eye. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?”
Jared smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “I call it like I see it.”
“Fine. I won’t lie. I think Spike is hot. Hotter than hot. One minute I was resting here on my bed, the next thing I know he’s all over me. At first I had no idea what was going on, then I saw his eyes all glowy and stuff and suddenly it didn’t seem like such a bad idea.”
Jared nodded slowly, thinking. He stood, walking towards the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to go deal with Spike.”
“What are you going to do? You’re not going to hurt him are you?”
“No. I’m going to have a little sit-down with him and Valentine. Spike needs to learn how to control himself so he doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“Spike wouldn’t hurt me, Jared, and you know it.”
Jared opened the door and hesitated in the entrance, turning to look at me. “Jayne, you’re lucky we were here to stop him.”
I felt fear rise up in me for the first time. “Why? What would have happened?”
“Even I don’t want to know the answer to that question,” he answered cryptically, stepping out and shutting the door behind him.
I let out a frustrated girl scream and threw my pillow at the door, which only made me feel a tiny bit better. Why were guys such a pain in the ass? Why couldn’t making out just be a simple, fun way to pass the time? Did this mean that any time I wanted to kiss Spike, I was taking my life into my hands? That was just stupid. What’s the use of having all these superpowers if you can’t have a simple make-out session and not die from it? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I got up from the bed to pick up my pillow, tossing it back on the bed. I went over to my dresser and opened the drawer. I noticed Netter had been in there. I now had a newly washed tunic to replace the one I had used as a nightgown, and sitting on top of the pile was some brand new eyeliner and mascara, exactly as I had described to him. And there was a blue razor. I picked up the eyeliner, smiling.
Well, I can’t make out with Spike, but I can get makeup on command. Not a perfect consolation, but it was better than nothing. I started to put the makeup in the back part of the drawer, when my hand touched something hard and smooth. I dropped the makeup and put my hand around the thing I had felt and pulled it out.
“Blackie!” I yelled in delight. My sharp stick of death. For some reason I was really happy to see it here in my room. Who brought you in here, you little devil? Maybe Netter. I tossed it from hand to hand, feeling its weight and balance. I was trying to remember what the hag in the woods, the one I had offed on the first day of the test, had called it. Something about Dark and Blackthorn? At the time I didn’t think about it, but now the words were like sirens going off in my head. Blackthorn? That’s my mother’s maiden name. Dardennes had asked me in the interview what my family names were, and he and Céline seemed particularly interested in the Blackthorn name from my mother’s side. So why were my family name and the word ‘Dark’ being used to describe my weapon of choice? Or, to be more accurate, my default weapon, since on the day we chose weapons, this sharp stick was the only weapon available by the time it was my turn to pick one. I should have been able to choose between a huge bowie knife and this stick, but that asshole little dwarf Niles had let Becky choose before me – which was totally unfair since we were going in order of size and she’s way smaller than me. If I had gone before her, I would have definitely taken the knife. I wonder if the knife would have killed the hag or the orc like Blackie had.
I shrugged to myself. The stick had done well by me, so I wasn’t complaining ... at least, not anymore. There was something about it; it felt like it was made for me. And when I had stabbed the hag with it, a beautiful, rich green glow had come from it that reminded me of the energy of The Green. During the fae test, when the orcs had gotten a taste of it, the green glow had radiated out of the stick and burned off all of the black orc blood, leaving it clean and unblemished. If I’ve learned one thing in my three days in this forest, it’s that nothing is as it seems. Blackie may look like nothing more than a dark, pointy stick – but it’s much more than that. It’s a hag ‘n orc killer. Fierce. Just like my little pomeranian doggy, badass Blackie, may his tiny soul rest in peace.
I sighed, putting the stick back where I found it. As I was closing the drawer, I heard a light tappi
ng at the door.
“Come in!” I wasn’t sure if I was hoping it was Spike again or praying that it wasn’t.
The door swung in and Finn stood in the doorway.
“Finn!” I said, rushing over to give him a hug. It was nice to see someone standing there who wasn’t going to try and suck the life out of me or drown me.
He held out his arms, taking me in and giving me a friendly squeeze.
“Hey girl. Whatcha been up to?”
I stepped back and laughed nervously. “Oh, nothing much. Giving Céline a stroke, learning how to breathe underwater, being attacked by a very sexy incubus. How ‘bout you? How’s your day going?”
Finn looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Wait. Back up the tractor a sec. Start with the stroke thing and then move forward from there, only real slow-like for us country folk. I’m an elf you know.” He smiled, obviously not so pissed off about his fate anymore.
“Do you have an hour? Because that’s about how long this is going to take.”
“Come on. You can tell me over lunch. I’m supposed to bring you down to the dining hall.”
“On whose orders?”
“Mr. Anton Dardennes.”
I said nothing, following him out and shutting the door behind me.
We got to the lunchroom, the same room where we had breakfast, and filled up some plates with food. I stuck to food groups I could recognize for this meal too. I was feeling braver, being a fae and all, but not brave enough to eat things that were still moving or things that looked like entrails or dung. And there was some stuff that certainly resembled that on the buffet today. I tried, not very successfully, to suppress a shudder.
I sat down at the table in between Finn and Becky.
“So, spill the beans. What’s all this about giving Céline a stroke? You really shocked her about somethin’, eh?”
“No. When I say ‘stroke’ I don’t mean ‘shock’. I mean stroke.”
Finn’s fork stopped halfway between his plate and his mouth. “I beg your pardon?”
I was eating a roll, but I just started talking anyway, food rolling around in my mouth. “Yeah. I showed her the tree hugging thing, and she just like, overloaded or something.”
“Well, that never happened to us, did it Finn?” verified Becky.
He shook his head.
“Yeah. Well. See ... I might have ... um ... given her a little more juice than I gave you guys.” I swallowed the hunk of bread with a guilty gulp.
Finn plunked his fork down on his plate and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, taking in a deep breath. Then he looked down at the table, shaking his head slowly. “Lordy, lordy, lordy ... Jayne, Jayne, Jayne ... what are we gonna do with you?” He started eating again, a smile on his face.
Becky’s eyes were bulging out of her head. “You did not.”
I felt a little chagrined. “I did.”
Becky’s mouth dropped open. She was speechless, her eyes reproachful.
“I didn’t do it on purpose! How was I supposed to know she couldn’t handle it? I thought these fae were supposed to be all badass and stuff.” I pushed my food around with my fork, my appetite suddenly gone. “Shit ... ” I was grouchy now. How had I become the bad guy in all this? I was just doing what Céline had asked me to do.
Finn leaned in closer, talking in a low tone. “Personally, I would have loved to see that. A very small piece of me is happy you got one over on her. But that’s only because I know she’s fine now. I just saw her a few minutes ago ... talking to Dardennes. Look ...” He nodded his head toward the door and stopped talking.
I looked up in the direction of his nod and saw Céline walking in with Dardennes. She was moving a little slower than normal, but she was moving. She had all her limbs and she was smiling at something he had said.
“You should go apologize,” whispered Becky.
“Screw that! I’m not apologizing. I was just doing what she told me to do.”
Becky sighed and gave me a look.
Damn, she sure was going to be a good mother some day. I scowled at her and growled, “Fine.”
I stood up and walked over to Céline, suddenly nervous. Okay, so maybe I had been a little rough on her.
“A-hem, Céline? Can I talk to you for a sec?”
She nodded at Dardennes, and he left her with me, nodding as he passed by.
I cleared my throat again. “Um, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for ... what happened earlier. I didn’t mean to ... ”
“Jayne. Stop. You have nothing to be sorry for.” She reached down and took my hands, looking me right in the eyes and smiling. “You showed me something beautiful. Something amazing. Something powerful. Don’t apologize for it.”
“Really? You’re not mad?”
“No. Just do me a favor ... Next time? Warn me.”
I smiled. “I’ll try. To be honest, I didn’t know that was going to happen. Not like that, anyway.”
She nodded understandingly. “I know. We will need to work on that. And we will. Now go eat with your friends. You and I will do some more work after lunch.”
I returned to the table where I had left Becky and Finn and started eating again, my appetite back in full force.
Chase came in and made a bee-line to the buffet, joining us after filling his plate.
“You okay, Jayne?” he asked, sitting down.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Finn looked from Chase to me. “Yeah, you were saying something about Spike?”
Chase frowned but looked down at his plate, spearing something that looked like goat entrails and stuffing it in his mouth. I worked on not gagging, but I wasn’t helping myself by staring at him. I couldn’t seem to help my fascination with his ability to eat everything and anything. I wondered if he’d eat a dwarf if it were on the menu.
“What happened with Spike?” asked Becky, now very curious. She nudged me with her elbow. “Eh? Eh? Tell us. Especially the juicy details, please.”
I sighed. “He came into my room and used his goo-goo, voodoo eyes to trick me into kissing him is all.”
Finn choked on whatever he was trying to swallow. He grabbed for his water glass as Chase thumped him on the back with one hand to try and help him breathe again. Chase continued to eat his breakfast entrails with the other hand.
Finn recovered and then looked at me. “He did what?!”
“Tell him, Chase. I’m not exactly sure what it was all about. And I’m also a little confused about how you and Jared ended up being there to save me too.”
Finn didn’t wait for Chase’s explanation. “Shee-it, you people have all the fun. You guys are givin’ people strokes and havin’ sex parties and doin’ rescues while I’m off gallivantin’ in the forest, shootin’ at some stupid dang targets.” He was disgusted once again with being an elf.
Chase put down his fork and slowly used his napkin to carefully wipe off his mouth. Then he began speaking. “Spike is an incubus. He was craving energy and he found some in Jayne. As an incubus, his particular mode of getting energy is through sexual type behavior. Jared and I found him in Jayne’s room, engaged in a ... compromising position with her that could have put her in danger. We intervened and neutralized the threat because that is what we do as daemons. End of story.”
We all sat there, just staring at him, our mouths hanging open. It was the longest group of connected sentences any of us had ever heard him say.
He looked at all of us and then shrugged. “I’m going back to the buffet. You guys want anything?”
We all shook our heads soundlessly.
Chase got up from the table and went to refill his plate at the buffet. Once he was gone, Becky said, “Who is that guy, and what has he done with our friend, Chase?”
“Man, you ain’t jokin’,” said Finn.
We all just stared at Chase’s back as he loaded up his plate again.
A minute later, he came back to the table with another gigantic helping of disgusting mystery meats. I tried
not to look at it as I finished with my salad and bread.
Everyone around us began standing up, heading towards the exit leading to the hallway of magical doors. Chase wolfed down his food in record time. It was like watching a starved animal eat.
“Are you sure you’re a daemon and not an ogre?” I asked, before I could stop myself.
Chase shrugged, not the least bit insulted as far as I could tell. “I’m a daemon with an ogre’s appetite I guess.”
“Come on, time to go to training again,” said Finn.
I stood. “I wonder where I’m supposed to go.”
“You’re going with me,” said Finn.
“I am?”
“Yeah. I got a message from Robin.”
“Who is Robin and when did you get a message from him?”
“Robin is the head of trainin’ for the green elves and I got the message just now.”
“Now? How is that possible?”
“What? Didn’t ya hear it?” Finn started laughing.
“No. Is that some sort of elf joke?”
“Yeah, actually it is. He did just send me the message, but he sent it here.” Finn tapped his temple.
“A telepathic message.”
“Yeah.”
“That is fucking cool.”
“Yeah, it is, ain’t it?”
“You know what’s not cool?”
“No, what?”
“Mocking handicapped people.”
“What’re you talkin’ about?”
“Well, you don’t see me sending or receiving telepathic messages, do you?”
“No.”
“Well there you go. Handicapped. Did you not hear me tell you earlier that I gave a silver elf a stroke? You may not want to mess with me.” I smiled at him evilly.
He smiled back holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Oh, ‘scuse me, Your Awesomeness. I swear, I will never mock your inabilities again.”
“Thank you. And so, for today, I have chosen not to give you a stroke. But don’t piss me off ‘cuz I’m a woman and I’m allowed to change my mind.”
Finn threw his arm across my shoulders as we walked out the door. “You’re alright, you know that, Jayne?”
“Yeah. I’ve been told that.”