Wicked Thing (C.O.A Series Book 2) (10 page)

Grey kicked the sand and mumbled, “You’re going to destroy her. She is a kind and loving person. This is wrong. Any way you look at it. It’s just wrong.”

Azariah smiled maternally at her pouting temperamental child and she gave him the explanation he needed to hear, “Our clan’s Oracle has assured us, there is only one way this group survives. Your trio would have been lost in that Testing if it were not for Lexy. I know deep down you see this to be the truth.”

This time when Grey glanced at her she didn’t look away. Lexy stared directly into his eyes and acknowledged him in a way she never had, “I wouldn’t be anywhere at all without you.”

Azariah grinned and added, “And this is why all Dragon’s must have a Handler. An attachment so powerful, that even in their darkest hour their love for that one person can lead them home. Kayn’s obvious choice for a Handler was altered and we’ve been forced to improvise. I believe this will work. Have faith that this trio will be victorious. They may be a little bit slow in the catching on department but if everything goes as planned our Oracle assures us they will survive this.”

For Lexy, Jenna’s premonition’s had always rung true.

After a few more minutes of conversation Azariah asked them to join hands. As the sun set once again with symbolic timing the sky above them exploded with crimson light. The four did as they were ordered, and stood side by side as their bodies were violently lurched upwards. Their necks and spines bent backwards as they were launched into oblivion. This only caused momentary discomfort and then there came the blinding strobing lights and the sensation of being confined within their rose quartz healing tombs. They spiralled the all too familiar stomach churning descent back to the land of the living. When the strobing lights stopped so did the spinning and for a moment everything was still….

Chapter 6
Shameless

T
his was the moment where Lexy always took a deep breath and awaited the sound of grinding stone on stone as the tombs opened. Her tomb shifted to the side and she smiled.

The second the scrapping started Lexy began to guess who would be waiting on the other side.
Would it be Orin or Arrianna?
When Arrianna’s head popped into view she smiled at her and climbed out of her rose quartz healing tomb. Arrianna appeared to be the only other member of their clan present to welcome them back to the land of the living.

Grey’s voice piped in, “Well, hello there gorgeous. Aren’t you an enchanting breath of fresh air.”

And her shamelessly flirtatious Handler was also back
. There was a time when talk like this directed at Arrianna would have upset her but she knew her best friend was more than happy in her relationship with Markus.

Arrianna directed her question at her, “All three clans are waiting out the Testing at that motel downtown. It’s actually been quite relaxing as long as you stay away from the pub downstairs. Triad’s been there for the last couple of nights.”

Lexy smiled at Arrianna. She was warning her without directing the statement towards her.
Tiberius would be a horrible idea with any serious intentions involved, but probably an extremely effective distraction.
She glanced behind her to make sure her Handler hadn’t read her thoughts. He wasn’t even paying attention. Lexy smiled as she strolled ahead of the group in the dimly lit crypt that they’d left from to deliver the three to their dark destinies.

The group rather nonchalantly, left the crypt and wandered out into the fresh air. Grey continued to chat with Arrianna as they made their way down the trail. Lexy watched the two of them and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them strolling side by side. The three of them had been inseparable before they went into the Testing, and for many years after but that was so long ago now. Time had changed them all and altered the way she looked at everything and everyone, but not the two of them. They had come into this new world and proven themselves to be survivors in the Testing together.
Perhaps, the three that went into the Testing would feel the same way about each other forty years down the road?

Arrianna’s voice sounded like music to her ears as she announced, “Your bags are in the back of the truck. I bet you’re all dying for a nice hot shower and some room service.”

Right now, room service and a nice long rest in a bed with a mattress sounded absolutely glorious. Then perhaps, she’d go and check out that pub downstairs.
Lexy exhaled as she climbed into the truck beside Grey and tried to stifle her thoughts of the one person her Handler definitely didn’t want to hear her inner commentary about. Lexy glanced at Grey and smiled innocently when he looked back at her. She sat in silence listening to the conversation that was going on between the others. A fly on the wall to their conversation as she battled the intrusive naughty thoughts of her evil nemesis each time they slipped into her mind. They pulled into the parking lot at the hotel. Grey hopped into the back of the truck and started to chuck their bags out to each person. Arrianna asked them to follow her to her room. They all followed her into the elevator knowing Markus probably had their room keys. The elevator opened and they strolled down the hall until Arrianna stopped at a room and knocked on the door, it opened to their makeshift leader’s smiling face.

Arrianna strolled into the room, stood at the side of her boyfriend and said, “Will we see you at dinner? If you guys are feeling up to it, text me and I’ll tell you where we are.”

“I’m sure you guys are all dying to get some rest.” Markus announced as he chucked a room key directly at Grey and added, “Here’s the key to your room. There isn’t a copy. I was only given one. You two will have to work that out if you split up later on and end up doing separate things. See you at dinner.” Before he shut the door he added, “Frost, if you’re ordering lunch the beef dip is all fatty and it kind of sucks here but the burgers are amazing.”

Frost strolled back towards the room and started to carry on a conversation with Markus as the three of them walked away.

Lily paused in front of a door a couple of rooms down and called after them, “See you guys at dinner,” and she went inside.

Lexy and Grey got into the elevator. Their room was one floor down. It always went without saying that they’d be sharing a room. The two of them waited for the elevator in silence and right as the door opened Grey exclaimed, “Well, now that they brought up a beef dip I want one.”

She smiled at him as they stepped into the elevator and said, “We can just order one from somewhere else.”

Just as the elevator started to slide shut behind them, Frost’s voice called out, “Hold the door!”

Lexy stepped into the elevators threshold, holding the doors open until he made it there. The doors slid closed in silence. They stepped out one floor down. Frost stayed behind.

He spoke just as the doors started to close, “See you later. Get some rest.”

They strolled down the hall until they found the number on their key. Grey unlocked the door, and held it open while Lexy strolled inside. She chucked her bag on the bed. Grey crawled under the covers, grabbed the remote and started listing off the pay per view movies. It was the middle of the afternoon on a beautiful day, but he had the right idea. A long stay in the in-between always left them feeling drained.

Lexy’s stomach grumbled and she suggested, “Let’s order lunch from somewhere, I’m starving.”

Grey smiled and sighed, “I could eat a beef dip. I don’t usually order those but it sounded good. Well, not from this hotel’s restaurant after Markus’s review, of course.”

Lexy grabbed the pile of takeout menus, slipped under the covers beside him and teased, “It sounded good to me too. It’s the power of suggestion.”

They bickered over what to order for a little while and once the feat was accomplished they bartered over which movie they were going to watch. He won by saying he’d massage her back until their order arrived. Usually in this situation it was the boy that wanted the action movie and the girl that was looking to watch a romantic one, but they were a different pair.

Lexy moved her hair to one side and chuckled, “Start on the left side my minion.”

Grey chuckled as he obediently kneaded her weary muscles with his magical hands. He was stoked to watch the Notebook for the tenth time and didn’t care if he had to win the argument by bribery. Lexy in turn didn’t care if he won it, knowing he was going to fall asleep as soon as he was finished his lunch and she’d be able to watch anything she wanted.

They would be in G-rated territory now for a couple of weeks at least with his memory freshly wiped. She sighed as his talented hands kneaded her shoulders and scolded herself when the urge to take his hands and move them elsewhere popped into her mind. There was a perfectly timed knock on the door as their meal arrived. The two of them ate lunch while they watched the sentimental movie and once their garbage was cleaned up they snuggled up under the covers together to watch the ending.

He leaned in, inhaled the scent of her hair and whispered, “Your hair still smells like the flowers from that bath.” He cuddled up to her and mumbled, “I just think you can do way better than him.”

Lexy couldn’t help herself as she softly replied, “Who do you think I should be with?”

He snuggled up to her and chuckled, “It can’t be me that would be creepy wouldn’t it? Could you imagine the drama that would cause?”

He could hear her thoughts but couldn’t see the eye roll that comment had caused. Lexy turned around to give him the stink eye and he was out cold.
Of course he was…

She remained there in his arms, unable to sleep after that last comment. Once again he hadn’t meant to hurt her, but he’d given her the equivalent of a good gut punch.
He’d just made up her mind for her. It was time to find that distraction. First things first.
She snuck out of bed, padded across the beige industrial carpet into the bathroom, to brush her teeth and fix herself up a bit. Lexy applied her red lipstick, stared at her reflection for a moment and then glanced back at her Handler’s peacefully sleeping form.
She couldn’t allow herself to feel guilty. He wouldn’t. No, she couldn’t keep doing this with him. She had to get on with her life. Forty years loving someone that forgot each time they slept together was more than enough.
She crept past her sleeping Handler, grabbed the keys off of the counter and winced as they jingled and he stirred. Lexy remained frozen in place until she was sure she hadn’t woken him up, and then grabbed for the bag she’d kicked off of the bed. She always packed one pair of sexy heels because kick ass shoes were her only girly obsession. Lexy snuck out the door with barefeet and her heels in one of her hands without making a sound. Then she darted down the hall towards the elevator, slipping her heels on before she pressed the button. The door opened immediately. It was as though it had been sitting on her floor waiting for her, she stepped into the mirrored elevator with the sound of clicking heels and glanced at her reflection as she pressed the button for the lobby. She was having a good everything day. Her hair was perfectly waved crimson locks and just a little bit longer than she usually allowed it to grow. Her lips a brilliant shade of red against her ivory ever so slightly freckled face. She wore jeans and a fitted black tank top that were dressed up by the red heels she’d grabbed at the last moment. Lexy usually didn’t care about these things but she was on a mission this evening. She was looking for trouble. She stepped out into an empty lobby and strolled out of the sliding doors, her heels clicking on the pavement as she descended the cement stairs towards the pub. As she entered she noticed the brightly painted parrot on the window divider,
now the name of the pub made sense.
All eyes turned towards her and her breath caught in her chest as her own met with her diabolically naughty companion from the Summit. Tiberius, otherwise referred to as Trouble with a capitol T, appeared to be equally affected by her presence as their eyes locked. He smiled at her. She heard Frost call her name as he signalled her over to the table.
Shit.
Lexy walked over to the table and sat down.

Frost slid his beer towards her and said, “I’ll go and get another one.” He grinned at her, leaned over and added, “I’m quite surprised Grey let you out of his sight. After you took off at the Summit and didn’t know where you were, he was a hot mess. Did I already tell you this? I honestly can’t remember now.”

Frost was already drunk
. She took a sip of the beer and innocently glanced up and replied, “He’s having a nap. I decided to let him sleep.”

Just then, the waitress magically appeared with another drink and passed it to Frost. He beamed and chuckled, “I’ve compelled her to bring me a refill, whenever she notices that my hand is empty.” Frost grinned raised his glass in the air and toasted, “To the badass of the Summit.” They clinked their glasses.

He leaned in again and whispered, “Why don’t you just go over there? I know you want to. I won’t tell.”

She took another sip from her glass and felt out the situation, “Where is everyone else?”

Frost smiled at her and replied, “They went out for something to eat. I just wasn’t in the mood for a big crowd.”

Lexy knew who he was thinking about. “She’s stronger than you think.”

Frost stared into his glass and replied, “I know. I still plan to drown my sorrows until she makes it back out of there.”

Lexy took a sip of her beer and glanced across the room towards Tiberius and their gaze locked.
He would be a seriously messed up distraction, but it would be fun.
Her pulse raced as visions of their twisted time together at the Summit flickered through her mind. The fact that they’d always despised each other made the situation even more titillating. She licked her bottom lip and bit it without thinking about the visual cues she was giving him. It was going to be difficult to act like she didn’t want him every time the two clans ran into each other
. Maybe, if she just did this, the sense of urgency would go away.
Lexy turned away as Frost cleared his throat. He was grinning at her.