Destiny Bewitched by Leia Shaw Page A

bring-your-own-sheets
establishment.
    A lantern, already lit,
sat on a small table with a kerosene refill. The floor was clay
bricks, like the rest of the place. The walls were made of what
looked like clay bricks. In the back corner, a pile of junk waited
to be pilfered. Ah,
just like home.
    Geo looked around then
said, “Not so bad, right?”
    “Mm. Cozy. Wonder if
they have room service.”
    He gave her a puzzled
look then shut the door behind them. After taking the blanket out
of his pack, he laid it on the mattress. The rest of his
belongings, he placed on the table. Samantha stood frozen in the
middle of the room, feeling lost. This was so surreal.
    Geo looked at her.
“What’s the matter, dove?”
    She shook her head.
“Nothing.” She placed her bag on the bed and rolled her head to
loosen her stiff neck.
    A pair of hands landed
on her shoulders and began kneading them gently. She started to
protest – it felt entirely too intimate – but Geo cut her off with
a firm shush. Then his fingers worked magic on her aching body. She
leaned back with a groan. Her muscles melted under his touch.
    Her eyes drifted shut.
“That feels so good.”
    “Later I’ll do your
whole body.”
    Her eyes snapped open.
“Um…”
    He chuckled and it
vibrated her body. “Don’t worry, matia mou , you have plenty of time to make
up a reason to get out of it.”
    She peered at him over
her shoulder. Was he joking?
    His lips lifted in a
smirk. “A reason I’ll completely ignore.”
    Her cheeks heated and
she turned back to stare at the blank wall, ignoring the tingling
sensation his hands awakened in her body.
    “What does matia mou mean?” she
asked to change the mood.
    “My eyes.”
    “Eyes?” How
strange.
    “A term of endearment.”
He moved his hands to the back of her neck and kneaded the muscles
there. “Like my sweet or my dear.”
    Goose bumps rose on her
arms. The only person who’d ever called her something like that was
her grandmother. “My sweetling,” she’d say, bending down to look
her in the eye. “You are so very strong for such a little girl.
Never forget there’s more to you than being a Blackthorn. We
Chapmans are made of hardy stuff too, you know.”
    Tears pricked her eyes.
Her grandma had passed on before she’d been able to say
goodbye.
    Geo stopped his massage
and patted her upper arm. “I’m going to see if I can’t trade
something to get you some new clothes.”
    She swiped her eyes
then spun around. “Really?”
    He grabbed his hunting
knife and slipped it into a sheath on his belt. Then he filled his
pockets with small odds and ends she couldn’t identify from the
table. “Yes, but I want you to stay here.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t want them to
get the idea that you might be up for trade.”
    “Me? What would –” Her
face paled. “Oh.”
    He looked her over with
a stony expression. “I mean it, Samantha. Do not leave the
room.”
    “I won’t. The idea of
being considered a piece of meat doesn’t appeal to me.” She crossed
her arms over her chest and shuddered.
    Geo nodded then took
something out of the front pocket of his pack. A bone? He placed it
in the corner of the room and whistled.
    In seconds, Erebus flew
from a shadow. She was glad to see he wasn’t carrying lifeless body
parts of any kind. Taking the bone from their meal last night in
his mouth, he plopped his big body down on the floor.
    Geo stooped and
scratched behind his ears. “Stay here for me, boy. I’ll be back
shortly.”
    Sam rolled her eyes.
“Is he here to protect me from what’s out there or make sure I
don’t leave?”
    Geo’s eyes twinkled
with humor. “Both.”
    She grunted irritably
and sat down on the bed. Geo left and she eyed the junk pile in the
corner, wondering what treasures she could find. Well, she was no
stranger to dumpster diving.
    Erebus watched her as
she walked to the corner. He gave a little growl when she went by
the door.
    “I’m not going
anywhere,” she told him.