Call to Arms (War of the Fae: Book 2) (11 page)

I turned and moved through the water towards the figure standing on the shore.
 
It had been joined by another, smaller figure.
 
Becky.
 
My head was now above the surface and I could see her standing there with her great big smile and Dardennes looking slightly concerned.

I was soaked.
 
I slogged through and out of the muck of the lake, stopping in front of Dardennes.
 
There were so many things I could say to him at that moment, but I went with the first one on the tip of my tongue.

“What the fuck, Dardennes.
 
Are you trying to kill me or what?”

With a totally straight face he said, “Well if I am, I am doing a very poor job of it.”

Becky looked uncomfortably between him and me, not sure if either of us was kidding.
 
Eventually her curiosity won out over her concern.

“So?
 
What happened?
 
Was it awesome?
 
Did you see everyone?
 
Was Naida happy? ...
and
why are you so wet?”

I looked at her like she had totally lost her marbles.
 
“Why am I wet?
 
Are you totally insane?
 
I practically just drowned in this friggin’ lake!
 
I know you saw it, you sneaky, disappearing little punk.”

“Yeah, but look ... ” She ran and jumped into the lake and then came walking out, somehow still totally dry.
 
“I don’t get wet.
 
How come you did?”

“Well, I think it should be fairly obvious ... I ain’t no fucking water sprite.”

Dardennes barked out a laugh before he could compose himself.
 
“Yes,” he agreed, “as you have so aptly put it, you are not a water sprite.
 
But it is entirely clear that you
do
have an affinity to Water.
 
This is good news.
 
Come along so we can get you cleaned up.
 
Perhaps one day you will master the trick of dry swimming.”

I shot him a dirty look, but followed.
 
I couldn’t wait to take a hot shower and put on some clean clothes.
 
When I was in the lake, the water looked crystal clear, but looking down at my once white tunic now, I realized that the water must be enchanted or something to make it appear that way.
 
I was covered in all manner of ... muck.
 
Fish and sprite poop probably.
 
Ew.

“I’ll see you later, Jayne!” yelled Becky, heading back to the water.
 

I waved over my head without looking back.
 
I was having a hard time thinking about anything but getting clean and dry again.
 
I was trying to breathe through my mouth so I wouldn’t smell the awfulness that was wafting up from my clothes.

My walk back to the room was thankfully quiet.
 
Dardennes left me at my door with instructions to get cleaned up and wait for someone to escort me to lunch.

I took a long, hot shower and went to my room to rest.
 
I don’t know exactly when I fell asleep or how long I might have slept, but it seemed like only minutes went by before I felt myself being lightly touched on the shoulder and my bed sinking down a little as someone sat down next to me.
 
I opened my sleepy eyes to see Spike sitting there.
 
He leaned towards me, a small sexy smile on his face, his eyes glowing a deep but bright red.

“Spike?” I said sleepily.

His lips closed over mine.
 
They were warm, insistent.
 

I was too tired to think clearly about what was happening, so for a second I started to go with it.
 
Man, did he feel good.
 
And the kiss?
 
Holy shit.
 
I could feel my engines starting to rev up in a serious way.

But then reality started to creep into my foggy brain.
 
What was Spike doing here in my room?
 
Why was he kissing me?

“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.