Telor 29
Like ants to honey. I knew Denny couldn’t resist showing up if we were right here on his turf. Destiny was far too curious of a creature to ignore something right in front of him. I just hoped that he was forthcoming with information, that he even had something for us, or this little excursion was for nothing. Given his lack of communication, it had crossed my mind that maybe I was wrong about his involvement. A half smile tilted the corner of my lips and I looked down at Lina. Well, maybe not nothing.
Catalina’s burning hot face was buried in my chest; she was using my open shirt to hide her embarrassment. I realized that I still had her back against the pole and her top bunched around her hips. Thank God for her leggings or Denny and his Weavers would have gotten an eyeful. Not that I much appreciated the longing in any of their eyes at the moment, regardless.
“Am I staying? Leaving?” Denny asked, cocking his head to the side. “Am I correct in thinking that this little production was to garner my attention?”
“Yeah, that’s correct.” With every ounce of strength I had, I put her down and started to close the remaining buttons on my shirt.
“Well played,” he said and started for the stairs. “We should probably do this somewhere more private. Wouldn’t want the Other World gossips to go spouting off any more information than they already have. Eh, Guide?”
If I didn’t need his help, I’d have punched him. Maybe this was a bad idea. I was keeping the worst of my suspicions to myself for a reason. I didn’t need Denny here to go telling her everything. But as fate would have it—pun intended, how very fitting— it was too late to leave. Especially without a shit ton of explanations.
Wordlessly, we followed him to the staircase. Catalina clutched my hand tightly. Her nervousness had turned to fear again. The gentlemen escorting us weren’t giving off you’re safe vibes either. What exactly did Denny do here that he required bodyguards, and when did he start taking buff, military-grade souls on as Weavers? Positioning myself between her and them on the way up the stairs, I wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Calm down, Cariad,” I whispered in her ear. “Everything is fine.”
“I know,” she said. Liar.
Ushering Catalina in front of me, I kept a firm hand on her waist as we ascended the steps with Denny and his guards.
The balcony was decorated similarly to the apartment. Clean lines, all black, white, and silver. Couches, chaise lounges, and glass-top tables were arranged around the room. Denny took a seat in the middle of a plush white sofa, while Lina and I took a seat together on an identical one across from him. Folding his fingers and tapping them against his mouth, Denny appraised us for a long moment before speaking.
“You’re even more amazing than I imagined,” he said.
“Care to elaborate?” I asked, wrapping my arms around Lina and pulling her close to me. She had been uncharacteristically quiet, and I knew it was because she was nervous and even scared. The high of our little dance earlier had faded, but it still seemed a little out of sorts for her to have not said anything yet.
“First, I want you guys to try something.” He moved so his elbows were resting on his knees. “Smell her hair.”
“Smell her hair?” I scoffed. That was a weird request. When Denny nodded, I obligingly ducked my head and buried my nose in her loose, wavy hair and inhaled a deep breath.
“Okay?” I asked him, confused as to what he hoped that would accomplish. “What was the point of that?”
“You did it wrong,” he said, agitated and growing impatient. Served him right. “Lina, sit on his lap.”
Denny waved his hand from her to my lap. A shy, sexy little smile quirked the side of her lips as she slid into my lap. She ducked her head, her eyes flashing to mine in silent question. I slid my arm around her waist and squeezed gently, reassuring her that it was okay. That I at least thought it was okay.
“Calm down,” I whispered, hopefully low enough for only her ears. The worried gleam of her eyes showed her apprehension.
With the arm around her waist, I pulled her closer, and pressed my lips to hers. A promise that we could do this. A small whimper escaped her as she kissed me back.
“We get it, you’re in love. Save the hormones for when you are behind closed doors, or at least, not behind my door.”
Again, I inhaled deeply. This time, I think I did it right.
It smelled like honey, lemon, and vanilla. A little bit like tea. Visions of climbing a large tree with big cream-colored flowers danced through my mind, and I saw a secret handshake and felt smooth bark under my skin. It made me feel young and free. Happy.
“What…?” I said to Denny over Catalina’s shoulder.
“What did you see?” he asked, eager.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “Whatever it was, I’ve never seen it before.”
“What did you see?” Catalina asked, speaking up for the first time.
“I can’t explain it. Your hair smelled like honey, vanilla, and lemon. But it reminded me of climbing a tree and having a secret handshake. Though, I can promise you I’ve never climbed a tree in my life, nor have I ever had a secret handshake with anyone.”
“Never climbed a tree?” she asked then giggled. “My hair smells like rosemary and mint. That smell was the tree. It’s a magnolia tree. Ollie and I used to climb it. And that’s where we made our secret handshake when I was six, I think.”
She explained my vision to me so calmly, too calmly, that it made me wonder.
“This has happened to you before? You’ve seen one of my memories?” I asked, and she nodded her head. “When? What did you see?”
“The day you brought me lunch.” She was all nerves, like I was going to get angry with what she told me. “Fancy your biscuits in the closet, love?”
“Ah, that makes sense.” I momentarily thought back to my childhood. “My mother was a seamstress, and I used to hang out with her at work after school. I played in the closet, pretending it was a fort. She would slide a plate of cookies to me.”
It was supposed to be a happy memory, and it shouldn’t have hurt me the way it did. It should have made me smile and remember what great parents I had. Except it didn’t. It left me bitter and angry. Angry that I was gone, and bitter that I’d never see them again. I rubbed the bracelet around my wrist as a means to calm myself. We had other things to worry about. I didn’t have the time or the luxury to worry about things that had already passed.