Ollie, Ollie Hex 'n Free (8 page)

He winked, his eyes darkening slightly. He went to the porch swing and sat, legs wide apart, arms stretched out across the back. Such a guy. “I think your store’s a good idea. If you need a silent partner, let me know.”

My mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”

He stared out at the grass growing up through the sand and the water stretched out in the distance beyond that. “While I stand by my opinion that this town is way too small for you to have any fun, I think the store could work. I can see the opportunity. Plus it could have other uses for me.”

“You know by silent partner we’re talking money, right?”

He laughed. “I am aware.”

“What will you call it?” Leslie asked.

“I haven’t thought about it. How about Kat-tastic!?” I flashed my hands on either side of my face. “Jazz hands.”

“We agreed you’d wait to leave,” Selene said, appearing at the bottom of the steps. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry you were singled out, but come back. Come home.”

I shook my head, still riding the emotional high from planning my future. “I am home.” Selene didn’t look convinced. “It’s okay—and they’re right. We don’t belong there and nothing is going to change that. This is our home.”

“You know I can’t accept that.” Selene got that stubborn look in her eye. “You guys will always belong wherever I am, and I won’t live somewhere that doesn’t accept that. Especially not now. You can’t leave. It isn’t safe.” She hugged both Leslie and me, then nudged Sy over on the porch swing. “Come back with me.”

“Frost is a good bounty hunter. If she has anything to go on, she’ll find her,” Sy said.

Selene glared at him.

He held up his hands. “If the girls want to be back here, which by the way I think is a great idea, you can’t make them come back with you.”

“And what happens if Jess shows up? I can’t stay here too. No offense.” She shot a glance at me and Leslie. “I know you’re witches, but right now Jess’s dark magic is way stronger than yours.”

“And yours,” I pointed out.

“Even if that were true, I have other options. I can transport, I can fight, and….” She shook her head. “You can’t move here until we find her.”

“I’m not coming back. Sebastian promised them we would leave. If we stay it will look bad for you and Cheney. I’m not going to be the reason you lose.”

“Who cares about the stupid election?” Selene threw up her arms. “I’m so sick of hearing about it and all the things I can or cannot do because of it.”

“Look, I don’t care where we stay,” Leslie said. “But I’m with Kat on the fact that I don’t want to be the reason you guys lose. You may be sick of all the politics, Selene, but from what I’ve seen, they need you. We’ll find a way to be okay here.”

“If you want, I can hang out here until she’s caught.” Sy raised an eyebrow at Selene, then at me and Leslie. “I don’t mind. We could have fun. It’ll be like a vacation for me. And if things get dicey, I’ll transport us out.”

“What about the Office?” I asked. “Have you hired someone recently?”

“Looking for a reason for me to leave already?” He pressed his hand against his chest. “Why am I always rejected?”

“Never,” I said, laughing. “I just don’t want to disrupt your life.”

Selene leaned forward as best she could and looked at each of us. “I’m not going to forbid you to date my friends, but just know if you hurt her, I know where you sleep.”

“I never sleep, cuz.” He put his arm around her. “You’re as big as a house.”

She elbowed him in the ribs. “Remind me. Why do I like you again?”

“A question we all ask ourselves at one point or another,” Cheney said, coming up the stairs with Sebastian following behind.

“I’ll get everyone a drink,” I said, going in the house, not even able to look at him.

Stewie meowed and purred, rubbing against my legs in the kitchen. I reached down and scratched his furry orange cheeks. “Too many elves out there, huh?”

He nuzzled my hand.

I straightened and there was Sebastian. “You’re like a cold I can’t get rid of.” I turned to wash my hands.

“Kat—” he started.

“Don’t. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It wasn’t personal. I love having the coven…and you there. You’re a breath of fresh air in the castle, but right now that isn’t what’s important. We need Selene and Cheney to be focused on the election. That can’t happen if they’re fighting a war on every front. We need the elves to return to a state of calm. That won’t happen so long as their lives keep getting threatened. Don’t be selfish. This is a temporary inconvenience.”

If my jaw clenched any harder my teeth would crumble. “Selfish? It’s selfish to want to be accepted for who I am? And I suppose it’s selfish to want the guy I’m really into—no, make that the guy I
was
really into
—
to acknowledge that he feels something, anything, in return, even just once. . . . It’s selfish to want to protect my friends.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows rose. “That is not what I meant.”

I shook my head. “No. Don’t retract. I think this was the first time you were actually honest with me. Thank you.” I took a deep breath. “You made your choice, Sebastian. You chose them. Stand by that. Only cowards backpedal.”

“Selene and Cheney? Of course I chose them. They are
my
friends just as Jessica is yours. Would you have me turn away from them and everything we have worked for?”

“You mean like you turned away from me…from the coven?”

His jaw tightened.

“Yeah, it’s not Selene and Cheney you chose. It was the
elves
. Cheney had a point today. Selene has always fought for and accepted all of us. You talk a good game, but when everything is on the line, you fold. You choose them and their fear instead of your high ideals.” I shook my head. “I can’t even blame you. You’re one of them. I just didn’t see it before. So, it’s fine. You choose the elves and I’ll choose the humans. Have a good life.”

“Humans and
Sy
, apparently,” he muttered, turning toward the door.

“You don’t get to be jealous,” I yelled as the front door shut hard behind him. I yanked open the refrigerator. Empty. “Gah!” I slammed it.

The salty smell of the ocean hit me as I slammed the door behind me. Everyone carefully avoided my eyes, which probably meant they heard everything.

“I told you to give her some time,” Selene said as Kat shouted at me from the kitchen.

I narrowed my eyes. I hadn’t asked for her help. Katrina was being unreasonable. A week, even in a human life, wasn’t a great length of time. After that, I didn’t know what would happen. No one did.

“Her feelings are hurt,” Leslie said with a soft apologetic smile. “She won’t stay mad.”

I nodded and went to stand on the steps of the porch. Scanning the environment around the house, I pinpointed possible surveillance points. Would Jessica have anticipated that someone would return here? Probably. Which meant, she would have a spy or some other way planned to watch the house. There was something she wanted from the coven or she wouldn’t have come back. We weren’t pursuing her and she had no real cause to come after us or them. She’d attack them here. I had no doubt. We could use it to our advantage. The girls just needed to be as tempting as possible to draw her out, which meant they needed to be here seemingly alone.

“We can use this,” I told Cheney as quietly as possible. “We can draw her out.”

He scanned the area much the same way I just had and slowly nodded. “Sy intends to stay with the girls.”

Over my dead body.
“He’ll have to be called away.”

“It’ll have to be believable that we leave them alone.”

Katrina came out with a pitcher of water and several glasses, making a point of not looking at me. “It’ll be believable,” I said.

Cheney followed my gaze to Katrina. “Selene will be mad.”

“Just make sure she leaves.”

He barely nodded.

My eyes were glued to Katrina as I waited for the right, most strategic moment to make a scene. Her laughter bubbled up and she brushed her fingers against Sy’s arm in a way that made everything in me still. Three long steps and I was to her, ignoring how soft her skin was under my hand as I wrapped my fingers around her bicep. “We need to talk.” Dragging her along with me, I headed toward the beach. A few feet from the steps, I let her wrench herself from my grasp.

Her dark eyes flashed and burned. “What the hell is the matter with you? There’s nothing left to talk about.”

“I disagree.” I grabbed her shoulders and jammed my lips against hers. She stiffened and shoved me away. I had never seen her so angry as she pulled back her hand and hit me with a resounding slap that I rightfully deserved.

“I don’t care,” she hissed. “You don’t want me, Sebastian.”

“That doesn’t mean I want him to have you either,” I said, ignoring the fact that my words hit a little too close to the truth as I stalked toward her. “You don’t belong with us. All you do is hold Selene back.”

“Hey now,” Sy said, coming up. “I think you need to leave, Sebastian.”

“Stay out of it,” I said, never taking my eyes off of Katrina as she processed what I said. I leaned in close and spoke directly in her ear. “You were a fun distraction while it lasted, but have a little dignity. He’s toying with you. You’re nothing more than a novelty.”

She sucked in a sharp breath and I took a step back, “Leave,” she said, voice trembling and tears in her eyes. “Get out and don’t you dare come back.”

Guilt hardened in my stomach, but it’d be worth it when we caught Jessica. Then I would explain. I caught Sy’s fist coming at me out of the corner of my eye and leaned back enough that the blow glanced off of my jaw, jarring my teeth. Spinning to the left before he could get another hit in, I launched myself at him, just needing to get ahold of him for a second. He easily dodged, however, and countered with another heavy blow, this time landing it on my stomach before I could get out of the path. Sy was a better fighter than I had given him credit for. He may not have embraced Elvan society or served in the guard, but he had a natural, scrappy fighting sense that reminded me very much of Selene.

“Stop!” Leslie shouted at us.

“Like to pick on women, Sebastian?” Sy beckoned me forward. “Let’s see what you’re really made of, hero.”

A new surge of authentic anger crashed through me. It was irritating when he flirted with Katrina, but Sy never met a woman he wouldn’t hit on. But mocking my service in the guard? It was too much even for me. I fought in earnest now. He threw another punch. I blocked. My foot connected with his chest, knocking the larger elf back. I charged before he regained his balance, smashing my fist into his cheek. Sy retaliated with the punishing blows of someone who would clearly die before giving up in a fight.

Stars dotted my vision as skin above my eye split open and blood nearly blinded me. I lowered my shoulder, ramming it against him and delivering three sharp jabs to his kidney, while wrapping my other arm around him and transporting us back to the castle.

Sy broke free. “What the hell, man.” He started toward me again.

“Stop,” Selene said, taking him by the arm. “Apparently Sebastian had a plan.”

My lower lip felt about two times its normal size. I spit blood out of my mouth as a guard came up and spoke to Cheney.

“A plan for what?” Sy snapped, all of his usual easygoing nature gone.

“To capture Jessica once and for all,” I said. “She wants something from Selene or the coven. I don’t think she’ll pass up an opportunity to capture Katrina and Leslie if they are by themselves.”

“So your plan is to let them get caught. Great plan. I’m going back.”

“I don’t like it any more than you do, but hear him out,” Selene said.

“We aren’t going to let them be taken—unless you keep wasting time. I’ll go back and watch over them. When she shows up, we’ll capture her. But she has to believe that we really left them alone. That’s why I picked a fight.”

“So you think she’s watching?” Selene asked.

I nodded. “I do. She knew when you went home for Halloween. She knew when Cheney and I left for the debate. The only time she ever shows up is when the rest of us are gone. She’s keeping a very close eye on all of you.”

“Then what are we still doing here? Let’s go back,” she said.

“Not you,” Cheney finally spoke up. “Your magic doesn’t work on Jessica and you know it. It drained you last time you went up against her. Let Sebastian and Sy handle it. Besides Kalan is here. ”

Cheney didn’t say it, but it was clear what he thought that meant. Whatever Tahlik’s plot was, it was going to start tonight.

“At the risk of sounding immodest, I’d like to point out how many elves Jessica has killed. I don’t think she’s staying away because you guys are there. She’s holding back because she’s scared of me.” Selene pressed a hand to her stomach. She didn’t look happy, but she hadn’t refused to stay. “If you guys go, be careful. Get Kat and Leslie out of there and get back here. Let Frost capture her.”

“Nothing will happen to them while I’m there, I promise,” Sy told her.

“I’m going to have this baby and after I do, I’m doing whatever I want,” she grumbled as she stepped back. “Nothing better happen to them. I’m going to hold both of you to that.”

“Where are we watching from?” Sy asked.

“Transport into the attic. They probably won’t be up there. Then stay hidden in the house. I don’t know how Jessica is watching, but hopefully she won’t see you.” Selene came over to me and used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the blood from my eye. She shook her head as she cupped her hand over my brow and closed her eyes. Slowly the skin stitched itself back together. When she was satisfied, she did the same to my lip then went to Sy. He had a gash along his cheekbone and a bruise at the base of his jaw, but he waved her off.

“I’m fine. Chicks dig scars.” He winked at her and turned a steely glare to me. “We should go.”

I transported to the attic space at the house. My light elvish steps took me noiselessly to the door by the time Sy transported in. I cracked open the door and listened for the women. Their muffled voices carried up from the living room. I indicated for Sy to stay put and crept down the attic stairs and toward the other staircase where I could hear them better.

“All I’m saying is we’ve known Sebastian for a while now. Something else was going on. He isn’t like that,” Leslie said.

“Well, his actions say otherwise,” Katrina said.

“That may be, but feelings don’t lie. He felt guilty. I could feel it. I don’t know why he was being mean, but I don’t think he wanted to.”

“Maybe he felt guilty because he meant everything he was saying. No, I don’t think he wants to hurt me, but I also think he is done having me—us—there. But that’s fine. I don’t need him. None of us do. We lived perfectly happy lives for twenty-six years with no elves at all. He can take the branch shoved up his tight ass and twist for all I care.”

Sy smiled. “I knew I liked her,” he said so only I could hear.

I rolled my eyes. He couldn’t have just stayed in the attic. “Leslie’s an empath. Shut down all emotion or you’ll tip her off.”

The smiled faded from his face, replaced with stoic calm.

“You want some tea?” Leslie asked.

Katrina didn’t say anything for a long while, then she sighed. “Do you think Sy meant it when he offered me money to help start the store?”

“I don’t see why he’d offer if he didn’t.”

I slowly turned my head to the half-elf.

“An investment,” he said.

“Stay away from Kat,” I told him.

“Why? Do you want her back?”

Yes.
“No.”

“Then there’s no problem. Just because you can’t see past your own racial issues doesn’t mean I can’t. I like her. She’s fun.”

I struggled to keep my emotions in check and not hit him again. “She’s not like your other women. You can’t sleep with her and never see her again. She’s one of Selene’s best friends.”

“Thanks for the update,” he said.

“If you hurt her—”

“You mean like you did?”

I took a couple deep breaths. “I let her go. I never used her. I will come after you with everything I have. She deserves a happy life. You can’t give her that. You are locked into that bar, mind, body, and soul. Don’t think for a second I don’t know that. They own you.”

Sy’s silver eyes gleamed in the dark stairwell. “You’re coming dangerously close to getting on my bad side, Sebastian. That’s not a place you want to be.”

“I think someone else is here,” Leslie said. “Hello?”

“Could be Selene,” Katrina said. The floor squeaked as they moved in our direction.

“No. Maybe it’s Sy,” Leslie said. “Heeeelllooo.”

The door slammed open and wind gusted through the house, making it moan.

“My friends, did you miss me?” Jessica’s voice rang out from the front door.

“What’s your brilliant plan for capturing her?” Sy asked.

The problem was I hadn’t worked out that detail yet. Selene was right. Jessica had no problem killing elves. Our best chance was to take her off guard. “You go to the girls and make sure she doesn’t touch them. I’ll come around back and knock her out.”

“Then what?”

“Then we get her to the castle and into the dungeon before she wakes up.”

“That’s a shitty plan,” Sy said but he was already bounding down the staircase.