Yield (23 page)

A feathery breeze traced across my nose.  I wiggled it around to stop the tickle, but it returned.  I opened one eye and heard a humming sound. 

“There you are.”

“What are you doing awake?  You
’re supposed to be holding me.”

“I will.  Just not in the bed right now.”

I rose up on my elbows stifling a yawn.  Without windows like I’d grown up with, I couldn’t tell the time of day from the time of night.  “Were you looking for Joshlin?  What time is it?”

“
Doesn’t matter.”

Does if it is before my time to wake up.  I need my beauty rest.

“Here, put this on.”  He pushed a pair of jeans and something red my direction.

I squinted my eyes and blinked back the blurriness.  “What shirt is that?”

“It’s new.”

I cleared my vision warring it with curiosity.  “From where?”

Ames shrugged.  “The store.”

Mr. Mystery wanted to play games.  Fine.

I stood up on my knees and stretched a yawn out knowing I had on a tank and my boy shorts with very little to imagine.  Just as I leaned my hands all the way up to the bed post, I heard the gasp.

“Ah, Emma.  You
’re playing with a fire that is on a very thin line of thread willing to break.  And I can’t let you do that.”

No, I didn
’t have the ability to make fire or anything else anymore.  My magic was gone.  And he was no fun. 

“And you are hiding where the shirt came from.”

I returned my arms and folded them over my chest. Oops.  No bra.  I was planning on marrying the guy anyway.

He swallowed and his voice came out really super raspy and deep, “I replaced the shirt that was ruined.”

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“Because I like red on you.”

Oh.  Noted.

“Well, are you going to watch me strip cuz
’ I can’t get ready if I don’t.”

I haven
’t a clue who I was anymore.  I was excited and weary of being so forward with a guy, but I knew without a doubt Ames loved me.  I knew he was probably used to girls throwing themselves at him and that bothered me until I realized he might have fallen for me because I didn’t lap up his hotness from the get go.  But I didn’t want to be the shy girl I was for so long with him.  I wanted to be everything...with him.  I wasn’t sure I could ever do this with anyone else and I wanted him to want me.  Even if I couldn’t read him right then, I’d known him long enough to know that was desire swimming in his eyes when I cat-stretched out my goods in front of him.  It was at least effective in getting the attention I wanted. 

“You don
’t have to do that to get my attention, Emma.”

Did he just read my mind?  I sulked and ducked under the covers in hiding.  Embarrassed and unsure again, I was regretting my audacious act.

“I didn’t mean I didn’t like it.  Emma.  You have got to be the most aggravating person I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, thanks for the compliment.”

He grunted and dragged his feet to the bed.  He sat down beside me. 

“Go away Ames if you don
’t want to see me.”

“Emma.  I can
’t seem to make you see.  I want you more than anything in this go—you know what I mean.”

“
No I don’t, Ames.”  I rolled away.  This isn’t how I pictured waking up.

I felt, not heard, him roll me over and pin me across the bed.  Clothes, boots, and all. 

“Emma Loggins.  I want to kiss you all over every single inch of your body and do it again and again.  I want to make every friggin’ guy in this realm and everywhere we go know that you are mine by the smile on your face when you wake up in my bed the morning after we are married and everyday after.  And I want you to be you when that happens.  Don’t think you have to make me want you.  It is engrained across my forehead and written all over every muscle in my body.  If you can’t tell that by now, then the day you say you’re officially mine I will show you.  Do you understand now?”

I wasn
’t going to answer with anything.  I was so amazed by this man.  I just didn’t want to let him go.  Anywhere. 

“If you say so,” I blinked my eyes unsure of how my face really looked.  I was trying hard not be embarrassed because he didn
’t seem to be by declaring it.

He chuckled into my mouth just before he kissed me.  It didn
’t last long because he hopped off the bed and left out of the room for me to change clothes.  I was one hundred percent back to being the old and new Emma without the magic.   I just needed him to tell me I could.

Dressed and ready, Ames knocked on the door.  When I greeted him eager to find out the reason for our early outing, I found him just as eager.  And a little nervous.

When he walked out into the black night of the courtyard, I inwardly frowned.  I thought maybe I was being dragged away from my bed because it was important and might tell us something, but he had an entire elaborate symphony planned.

Music was playing.  Some kind of classical. 

Ames led me to the middle and left me there.  He walked to the bench where his phone was hooked into a speaker section and pressed a button.  The next song started and I knew it wasn’t a coincidence.  There was little room for electronics at the realm, but Ames didn't go without them.

“You picked this for a reason.”

“You bet.”  His body picked up a swagger and his eyes dipped lower.  Stalking me like I was dinner yet he was the prey who placed me right in the center of the plate, he circled around me and rested in front.  Feeling like my edgy behavior back in the bedroom was nothing compared to the sexy beast pursuing me now, I relaxed my arms and waited for him to pounce.  How was I to know he woke me up at three in the morning for a romp in the grass?  I wanted my wedding night already.

“Will you dance with me?” he told, not asked since he was placing his hands on my hips and waiting for me to respond.

“Here?” I looked around for anyone seeing we were very much alone.  With no answer, he pulled me close and we swayed in the dark.  I could feel his legs move in closer with each slow beat till his thighs were braced against my own.  I leaned my head on his shoulder appreciating his taller stature and embracing the hard muscled hold allowing myself to embrace this and forget the world.  Drowning in the feel of him, I no longer felt like I was moving on my own volition.  I was a ball of nerves reacting to his every twitch, but I was total mush when he was this close.  It’s like his body was home to me.  When he was not touching me, I was simply waiting for him to return.

Magic or not, that hadn
’t changed.  I still felt every emotion when he was this close.  I could tell by the way his body was relaxed against mine, he was happy.

I have to tell Emma about the magic not being gone, but I’m waiting on the coven leader thing.  I left my grandmother on bad terms and didn’t promise to return.  I needed to think about what all she said and right now all I wanted to think about was getting Emma all the way mine before some other curse could start to work its way in between us.

Turns out that Wicker never lost Joshlin
’s trail.  He traced him all the way to the cave where I’d hid so many times.  Knowing he was aware of it too only made me angrier to be reminded.  He’d kept friggin’ tabs on me for years.

Well, Wicker took care of it.

“So where is Joshlin?” Emma said loudly so I could hear.

She
had
to ask.  Was she mind reading now?

“Safely put away.”

“Alive?” she stopped brushing her teeth in her bathroom and popped her head out the door.

Didn
’t she request (require) this of me?  “Yes.”

“
Just tell me, Ames.”

Sigh.  “He is in the locked cell below the main room.”

Her horrified face was not what I wanted.  No, I wanted him dead, but she wouldn’t have it.

“How did I not know it existed?  Is he being tortured?”  Now sitting on the bed next to me, I was this close to shutting her mouth with my own.  I was tired of talking about everyone else.  Just this once can she lead in with something about me!

“Depends on your definition.”  I wanted to let her stew on that, but it would bite me in the butt later.  “He is being fed and groomed enough to exist served by the half dozen girls he tortured for years.”

“And you call that justice?”

“Emma.  Moldy bread, stale water, and cold baths are not near enough justice for that filth of a man.”

“Ames.  That
’s cruel.”

Was she insane?  “And will you have me go back to the alternative I preferred?  Wicker preferred?”  Though Paul Wicker beat the friggin
’ tar out of him before I threw him in there. 

“What is that?” she asked actually in innocence.

“If you have to ask, you don’t know me at all.”

Her face fell.  She was hurt.  I couldn
’t do anything right by her.

“I just mean that you don
’t realize what you mean to me.  I would do anything to keep you safe and happy. 
Anything,
Emma.  Dammit.  I’m in love with you and refuse to let even you stop me from what has to be done to keep your hardheaded beautiful body and soul safe. Don’t ask me what you don’t want to know if you can’t understand that.  You are the only reason I am the man I am today.  I’m not sorry for wanting him dead and I’m not sorry for doing everything that led up to right now.  It was all worth it if I have you.”

Her face passive, she made her way closer to me. “That was all you had to say
, Ames.  Repeat the one part buried in the middle of all that.”

She lifted her arm and mine, then traced the back of my neck, pressing herself against me.  All thought left me.

“Do you remember?”

What?  All I could think about was kissing her and other things at the moment but her reactions to losing her powers frightened me.  She felt like she had to throw herself at me to make me want her.  Heck, not being able to read her would drive me insane, but I still can.  Her desire pikes so far up on the Richter scale when I simply look at her.  Her fear of losing me when I was the one unworthy of her was beyond any amount of care anyone had every shown towards me.  Most females attached only to looks.  Emma searched every day for something good in me even when I wanted to commit the most atrocious of sins.  She had no idea how desirable she was, magic or not.

“Ames.”

I was about to hush her with my mouth when the words hit me what she wanted to hear.

“I’m in love with you Emma Loggins and always will be,” I kissed the side of her mouth knowing she loved the anticipation.  “The way you consume my every thought is maddening, but I can’t live without it.”  I kissed the other side.  “I just want to devour you in one kiss and never wake up—

She...
she
stopped my gut spilling with her mouth.  But ultimately, it was the truth.

It is Friday.

No more magic.

No more curse.

No more Joshlin.

I was tempted to ask if I could go down and visit Joshlin, see him for myself.  I knew he was like every criminal from the human world who deserved “jail time”.  I was just soft on the side that we are all criminals at heart.  And as illogical as that seems, I also knew released, Joshlin would try to cause more damage and might eventually really hurt someone close to me.  I couldn
’t take that chance.

Instead of committing the act of sticking my tongue out at Ames, I let the subject die and forced him to put an arm around me while we walked out to meet with the others.

The time had come for us to reveal where we went and what happened.  I’d forgotten all about the treaty till now.

“Ames,” Wicker found us first.  “You never answered the text about the treaty.”

My back stiffened even with the bit of news we held.  The unknown was still the unknown.

“Where is it?” Ames asked Wicker.

Under his arm came a rolled up, creased, and torn piece of brown paper that I only caught a glimpse of in transit via stolen goods from Joshlin.  I was beyond anxious.

“Can I see it?”
I asked timidly.

Wicker
’s eyes shot to mine and back to Ames.  Ames nodded to him.  It was an awfully telling nod. 

“What
’s up with your eyes?  I thought they were—

“Later.” Ames cut him off and he shut up fast. 

Opening it and handing it over, Wicker flipped around and whistled for everyone in the main room to leave. 

My hands shook and I had no idea why.  It
’s not like the document will mean anything if I refuse to comply.

Ames stood where he did as I read it.

I, King Warren Loggin, of the goblin realm hereby acknowledge the legality of separating the realms for the sake of peaceful relations and ownership towards fortunes of already and yet to be found gold. 

Upon the destruction of anything less than peace between kings, I hereby acknowledge the release of my daughter, Jem Loggin, to the betrothal of the current realm other than a descendant of the Cahn family for the appeasing of wrongdoing in order to rule in my stead.  If a suitable heir is not found, an appointed son of the Morrow family is readably willing to make the match for a suitable rule.  Under no circumstances may the suitor be a Cahn by a blood relation in an affect that would endanger her life. 

If by my own hand, I willingly take that of another’s realm, I forfeit my right to the throne. 

             
                                          King Warren Loggin

I ignore
d the whirlwind of emotions screaming in my head and asked the one question that begged to be answered.

“Why would he need to write this?”  I stare at the words.

“The way it is told to me by Brooks is that your father and mine were close for years.  The people of my realm were restless and accusatory towards your people and to break off from the other.  To be proactive, they decided to create a treaty.  Your father chose how to write it.  I’m guessing your mother intervened because of the curse and even concocted the idea of a treaty in the first place to be sure her daughter was safe from an early death.  She just combined it all in one.  This is all speculation and half real truth since I was only ten when they died.  I trust Brooks though.”

Yeah, a curse that I
’m still betting was never real.

“You say all this as if you already know what is on this,” I pointed my chin down.

“Wicker called me in the night.  He read it to me.”

And you surmised the rest of what you just told me.

“I think you are safe from any commitments made by your father.”

I know I drew my lips in at his uncertainty.  The word “think” was the only part jumping out at me. 

“It was written so you would be saved from endangerment and that is gone now.  If those people see you stand up and take action for what you want to do and not what a treaty commands, you’re just changing the treaty.  They would understand why your parents did it and that we solved it.”

I wanted to ask why he never said the part about what I wanted to do before this moment, but I knew in my heart he was waiting for my decision.  Even before the weight of the curse, and learning of Caydon
’s intention to follow the treaty through.  A treaty that was lost.  Why couldn’t they just make a new one up years ago?  Weren’t they in charge?

“You know, after all that has happened, why didn
’t Joshlin or Caydon just write their own?”

Ames
’ eyes downcast he said, “Because according to our laws, only a true heir can make one.”

All these stupid laws.  The country we live in had a few I
’d abolish if able.  Maybe I could here, being one of those glorious bound true heir’s and all. 

“Why didn
’t you?” I asked.

He nervously ran his hand through his dark tresses leaving a lilt of messy hair standing up.  “First, I didn
’t have reason to care until I met you.  I spent years avoiding it and would have never dreamed I’d find you. Second, I was always second to Joshlin in my younger years and it was just easier to carry on the charade even though everyone knew whose son I was.  Third, I wouldn’t know what to say.  I had no intentions of ever marrying anyone.”

A heart lifting silence followed. “Well, we can try now.  Maybe since there are two of us, they will conform.”

Ominously he said, “We will try.”

I wanted to ask why he seemed disbelieving on it.  I didn
’t think Caydon would disagree with the idea, but I had hope at least.