Chapter 7
brODERICK
“I thought you were going to teach me in the lake.”
Ophelia stands next to me outside Haven’s Relaxation, a spa owned and run by monsters. Not that it means the place isn’t relaxing.
“I figured this would be a safer place to start. They have saltwater pools that are shallow enough to touch the bottom. And no wake from wind or boats.”
“That makes sense.” Ophelia stands taller, and I watch the start of a smile tug at her mouth. “And if I panic, I can calm down with a massage.”
I chuckle to cover my nerves. Only after Ophelia left my office yesterday did I consider how big of a deal this was. I’m in charge of teaching the firebird an important skill she’ll use during Galen’s Gauntlet.
A dangerous competition that not everyone walks away from without injury. When I checked in with Mor, she said Seamus won, but not without multiple broken bones.
Maybe I was hasty claiming Ophelia could participate. I still have no idea what she went through before landing in Folk Haven. And there’s always a touch of orange anxiety creeping through her aura.
Is she ready for this?
The blue-haired desk worker with a name tag that reads Titan (they/them) greets us warmly, and I lay down my credit card before Ophelia can even think of pulling out a payment.
“I can cover the cost,” she argues.
Like with her truck, I get the sense this means something to her, being the one to pay. But I also know Haven’s Relaxation falls on the more luxurious side—aka pricey.
“I was planning on buying a membership,” I explain to her and the desk worker. “Does that come with guest passes?”
“It does,” Titan says with a kind smile as they type in my info on their computer. “You can have a guest accompany you twice a year.”
“Great. I’ll use one today.” I turn to Ophelia. “You can treat me to dinner afterward to pay me back.”
Like a date. That’s a thought I keep to myself. As well as my preferred method of repayment—more lingering hugs.
Ophelia, appearing mollified, nods.
Another worker appears, this one tall and lean with a dark complexion and the scent of the forest clinging to their uniform.
They show us around the facilities and eventually leave us at the locker rooms. There’s no gender divide, just communal lockers and individual rooms for changing and showering.
I change fast, eager to start training. Wanting to assure myself Ophelia won’t get hurt.
When I step out of my little room, she’s still in hers, so I wait. My nerves jump and twitch, and not for the first time, I wish I could use my fear-soothing magic on myself. A relaxation enchantment would hit the spot right now.
If I had ingredients and a grimoire on hand, I probably could work a spell for myself. But my natural magic—the kind that comes to me with only a slight amount of effort—is the ability to soothe those around me. I can sense when fear and worry spike, a person’s aura filling with sickly orange.
If I want, I can twine my magic through their anxieties, dulling the sharp edges until they are calm again.
More than once, I’ve wanted to use the power on Ophelia. She always seems to have a tinge of orange around her.
But the woman has had magic forced on her before. I won’t be another person who spells her without permission.
But if I explain what I can do and she agrees to let me help … that is a different story.
“Are you ready?” Ophelia appears before me, seemingly out of nowhere since I was so lost in thought. Her ability to move stealthily will work in her favor during the Gauntlet.
I open my mouth to respond, but then I take her in, and I struggle for words. The sight of her undoes me.
The firebird doesn’t even have on a skimpy bikini, though that would also likely short-circuit my brain. Ophelia’s current outfit is entirely modest. A fluffy white robe, provided by the spa, engulfs her.
And she looks entirely too adorable, bundled up in the garment.
I can’t help thinking this is how Ophelia would look while wrapped up in a blanket. Snuggled on a couch.
I need to buy a couch for my place. And a fluffy blanket.
“You look very huggable,” I blurt.
Ophelia’s eyebrows pop up.
Then, a smile curves her luscious lips, and I don’t regret the blundering words.
“You said I could hug you anytime. Anywhere. For as long as I want?” Her voice ticks up on the last note in a question.
“Correct,” I croak, throat gone dry with hope.
“Just checking.”
Then, the temptress steps into my chest and wraps her arms around me. I hold her back, and she’s as soft as I imagined.
Even as I revel in the sensation, a part of me feels bad that I haven’t shared how much these embraces mean to me.
Ophelia probably thinks I’m some sort of selfless being, offering her comfort.
She might even have an idea that I’m attracted to her and that I derive pleasure from holding her because of that fact.
But there’s more. As I press my arms into the softness of her robe and feel the steady heat of her body beneath, I give in to the sudden urge to share.
“I never got hugs, growing up.”
Ophelia flinches. Then, she holds me tighter. “Not from your siblings?”
I let my fingers stroke the silky tresses of her cinnamon-scented hair that spills down her back. “No. I think it has to do with their magic. Getting close to people can be overwhelming for them.”
“Your parents?” Her question is hesitant.
“My parents …” I try to sound nonchalant. Aloof. But bitterness creeps in. “They weren’t the loving kind.”
Fingertips dig into the tense muscles of my back, and I realize Ophelia is gripping me.
The possession is intoxicating.
“My father wasn’t the loving kind either.” The firebird reveals a piece of her past. A hint to the life she had before her captivity.
I take the knowledge for what it is. A gift and an honor.
Ophelia doesn’t let go, only shifts her head so her chin rests on my chest, gazing straight up so I can meet her eyes.
“I cannot promise you anytime, anywhere, as long as you want,” she admits.
“Sometimes, I don’t want to be touched.” Ophelia strokes up and down my back, the soothing gesture threatening to melt me into a puddle.
“But I promise to hug you whenever the urge takes me. Because I … I want to be the loving kind.”
The sweet words rush through me like a wildfire, and I know that I will do anything I can to earn and keep this firebird’s trust.
To be worthy of her.