glance her way.
“Irix. He was pretty scary last night, and I get the feeling he’s not someone I’d want to mess with when he’s angry. I just want to know if he hit you like he threatened.” Kai glided up effortlessly on her board, her hands gripping the paddle like it was a weapon. “Because if he did—”
“He didn’t,” I cut her off, dropping to my knees so I could concentrate on our conversation without falling. “Yes, he’s intimidating when he’s angry, but he’s never hit me. Ever. And he never will.”
Kai raised her eyebrows.
“Where he’s from, how he grew up, violence is the answer to just about everything. Lots of them don’t survive to adulthood, and there aren’t social constraints about beating the crap out of each other — or even killing each other. He’s not that way with me, though. I know what he said last night at the fire, but that was just him being frightened about my safety.”
Water lapped over the edges of our boards as Kai stared intently at me. “I’m sorry he had that kind of childhood, but that isn’t an excuse. You swear he’s never hit you?”
I swear on all the souls I Own . It’s what a demon would have said, but I was only half succubus and would never Own a soul, even if I could. “I swear. He’s not that way with me, Kai. I swear it.”
She shook her head. “This isn’t a fairytale, Amber. You won’t tame the monstrous beast. No matter how much you try, your love won’t ever truly change someone.”
It was my turn to stare at her. How badly had that last relationship gone? From the bitterness in her voice, I got the feeling Irix wasn’t the only one with a hurtful past.
“I know,” I told her softly. “But you still have to try. You still have to love, even if there’s a chance it might go up in flames. You still have to risk your heart.”
She turned to look at the shore, her braid whipping over her shoulder. “Get on your feet. And move the board forward when you do. The faster you go, the more stable the board is.”
Conversation over. I gave a few long strokes with the paddle, braced my hands on the board, and jumped to a squat, slowly rising with the paddle like a kickstand in front of me. Once up, I angled the board parallel to the shore and moved it forward, bending my knees for balance. I’d taken a swim three times in the last twenty minutes. If the board hadn’t been tethered to my ankle, it would have been halfway to California by now.
“Turn. Turn, turn!”
A large swell hit. I jabbed the paddle into the surf and pushed. Too late. One edge of the board lifted. My feet slid, plunging me into the warm, salty water. All the balance in the world wouldn’t have saved me from that one. Heck, even Velcro feet wouldn’t have kept me on that board. If I could just manage to keep the thing pointed in the right direction, it would stop flipping me off the side.
I came up spitting water, clawing the drenched hair from my face.
“Need a break?”
I nodded, hating to admit it. Kai paddled toward me, her board like a leaf bobbing gently along the waves. I grabbed mine tight, using it to support my body weight as I rested. Funny how she was the one looking beautiful and exotic in her coral one-piece, where I was a half-drowned succubus-elf with wild blond hair that had escaped the confines of my braid long ago.
“You’re... improving.”
She was completely damning me with the faint praise. I raised an eyebrow, and she giggled.
“Okay, so you really suck. This might take a bit longer than I thought.”
“This might take a lifetime.” I laughed, sliding awkwardly back onto the board and struggling to keep it balanced as I knelt.
“So, I think we need to address the other elephant in the room and talk about what’s really going on with you and your hottie swinger boyfriend who has a temper but never hits you.”
I gripped the sides of the board on my hands and knees and risked a quick glance at Kai. She knelt on her own
“Irix. He was pretty scary last night, and I get the feeling he’s not someone I’d want to mess with when he’s angry. I just want to know if he hit you like he threatened.” Kai glided up effortlessly on her board, her hands gripping the paddle like it was a weapon. “Because if he did—”
“He didn’t,” I cut her off, dropping to my knees so I could concentrate on our conversation without falling. “Yes, he’s intimidating when he’s angry, but he’s never hit me. Ever. And he never will.”
Kai raised her eyebrows.
“Where he’s from, how he grew up, violence is the answer to just about everything. Lots of them don’t survive to adulthood, and there aren’t social constraints about beating the crap out of each other — or even killing each other. He’s not that way with me, though. I know what he said last night at the fire, but that was just him being frightened about my safety.”
Water lapped over the edges of our boards as Kai stared intently at me. “I’m sorry he had that kind of childhood, but that isn’t an excuse. You swear he’s never hit you?”
I swear on all the souls I Own . It’s what a demon would have said, but I was only half succubus and would never Own a soul, even if I could. “I swear. He’s not that way with me, Kai. I swear it.”
She shook her head. “This isn’t a fairytale, Amber. You won’t tame the monstrous beast. No matter how much you try, your love won’t ever truly change someone.”
It was my turn to stare at her. How badly had that last relationship gone? From the bitterness in her voice, I got the feeling Irix wasn’t the only one with a hurtful past.
“I know,” I told her softly. “But you still have to try. You still have to love, even if there’s a chance it might go up in flames. You still have to risk your heart.”
She turned to look at the shore, her braid whipping over her shoulder. “Get on your feet. And move the board forward when you do. The faster you go, the more stable the board is.”
Conversation over. I gave a few long strokes with the paddle, braced my hands on the board, and jumped to a squat, slowly rising with the paddle like a kickstand in front of me. Once up, I angled the board parallel to the shore and moved it forward, bending my knees for balance. I’d taken a swim three times in the last twenty minutes. If the board hadn’t been tethered to my ankle, it would have been halfway to California by now.
“Turn. Turn, turn!”
A large swell hit. I jabbed the paddle into the surf and pushed. Too late. One edge of the board lifted. My feet slid, plunging me into the warm, salty water. All the balance in the world wouldn’t have saved me from that one. Heck, even Velcro feet wouldn’t have kept me on that board. If I could just manage to keep the thing pointed in the right direction, it would stop flipping me off the side.
I came up spitting water, clawing the drenched hair from my face.
“Need a break?”
I nodded, hating to admit it. Kai paddled toward me, her board like a leaf bobbing gently along the waves. I grabbed mine tight, using it to support my body weight as I rested. Funny how she was the one looking beautiful and exotic in her coral one-piece, where I was a half-drowned succubus-elf with wild blond hair that had escaped the confines of my braid long ago.
“You’re... improving.”
She was completely damning me with the faint praise. I raised an eyebrow, and she giggled.
“Okay, so you really suck. This might take a bit longer than I thought.”
“This might take a lifetime.” I laughed, sliding awkwardly back onto the board and struggling to keep it balanced as I knelt.
“So, I think we need to address the other elephant in the room and talk about what’s really going on with you and your hottie swinger boyfriend who has a temper but never hits you.”
I gripped the sides of the board on my hands and knees and risked a quick glance at Kai. She knelt on her own
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