Lola winced at the pain stabbing through her shoulder as she picked up the wooden tray. She sat it back down quickly. Rolling her shoulders before lifting it again.
“You’re still hurt?” Bodach asked as he caught the grimace marring her pretty features. He glared over at Merrow before stepping closer to her.
“It’s fine, I’ll ice it later.” She said turning to take the tray into the living room and to get away from the tension she felt between the two men.
“Let me,” Bodach said, stepping forward to take the tray from her hands. Lola released it as he pulled the tray closer to his broad chest.
“Thank you,” Lola said, looking up at him. She had never seen a person with crimson eyes before and she bit her lip, studying him. His eyes were larger than a normal person’s, his features almost delicate with a slightly squared jawline.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said, his lips tilting in a smirk as he caught her admiring glance. Something tightened low in her stomach, a blush rising in her cheeks at the way he said pleasure.
What type of spell were these creatures weaving?
Lola turned to look at Merrow, and he raised an eyebrow at her as he crossed his muscular arms across his chest. She moved away, all but running into the living room as Bodach sat the tray onto the coffee table in front of Lu.
“Merrow suggested mint tea,” Lola said, the words coming out faster than she meant them too.
“Aye,” he said, sitting beside Lu on her small couch, “Better than a tea of Earl Grey.”
“You drink tea made of flesh?” Puca said, his lip curling in disgust.
“It’s just named after him, not made from him. We’re not cannibals.” Lola said as she handed Puca one of the delicate teacups. “Well, I mean, some humans are. None around here that I know of, maybe the guy in 3B.”
Lu gave her look and she heald up her hands.
“I’m just kidding. I doubt Sam would let in any tenants like that.”
“Tis good to know, go halainn.” Puca said, breathing in the steam from his tea. A soft sigh of pleasure escaping his lips, making Lola’s eyes widen. She didn’t understand why her body was responding to them the way it was. Was it because they were fae? Was this some super secret power they possessed?
Lola grabbed a plush floor cushion and sat down, looking at the men that filled her small living room. She had the strange feeling of other-worldliness again as she took in their clothing. It was so out of place in her modern apartment. They stood out from her colorful aesthetic in their leather trousers that looked soft to the touch. Shirts that didn’t look soft though, she knew they were. Lola’s eyebrows scrunched together. How was she supposed to get them out of her apartment?
Where would they go?
They looked like they were headed to some LARP convention or something. She bit the inside of her cheek as she thought about the errand she was going to run for Erik tomorrow. What would she do with her new guests while she was busy?
Shaking her head as she looked about the room, she’d worry about that tomorrow. Maybe she could claim they were cousins or- who was she kidding, no one would believe that?
They looked like models off of the covers of the cheesy romance novels she liked to read. While she with her wild purple hair, piercings, and curvy figure would never be considered a traditional beauty. Mostly, she was fine with that. Something about the looks they cast her way had made her wish she had put more effort into her clothing choice and makeup today.
She sipped her tea, trying not to think about the way Bodach’s eyes were trailing up her body as he sat close to her. Her face flushed and she didn’t want to understand why.
“What are you?” He asked, his voice a low grumble as his eyes met hers.
“I, I don’t understand what you’re asking.” She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You are not a mere mortal, I can smell it on you,” Puca said from where he sat on the couch.
“Pretty sure I’ve been human my entire life,” Lola said with a frown. She didn’t have any family she could ask. Her parents had passed away when she was younger. Her grandmother had raised her until she too had passed away last summer. Lola felt a pang of loneliness. She was the last one left of her bloodline. Even if she had wanted to ask her Nana about this, she wouldn’t be able to.
“Aye, I smell it as well,” Merrow said, his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward to study her.
“Must be the hair,” Lu said before taking another pull from the wine bottle.
“Oh, that’s just dye.” Lola said, “I don’t like my natural color and I think this suits me better.”
“What is your natural color?” Puca asked, his lips tilting in a half-smile as he watched her with his golden eyes.
“Um, it’s strawberry blonde. So not really red, not really blonde.” She answered, running her fingers through her hair nervously. She wasn’t used to having so many eyes on her.
“I bet it looks like spun gold in the sunlight,” Puca mumbled as he thought about how she would look with her natural hair color spread on the ground. The sun shining through the trees, painting her pale flesh brighter as he watched her Merrow worshiping her. His head buried in between her thighs as she panted his name. He felt his cock twitch in response and he looked over at the other man with a knowing glance.
He knew he had said they wouldn’t lay with her, but something about Lola called to something in him. He had felt it the moment he had healed her, felt it when his magic had touched her. Dancing under his fingers, tasting him as his magic had tasted her. He knew he wanted to taste her as well. To see if she tasted as sweet as her magic, like honeysuckle flowers that perfumed the summer evenings in his childhood.
“So let me get this straight, you’re a merman,” Lola said, looking at Merrow as he turned his head to the side, brushing his hair away from his high cheekbones. Letting her scattering of scales across the top of his cheeks, framing his eyes. She sat her teacup onto the coffee table and leaned forward to study them intently.“Aye,” he answered. “And you’re a leprechaun? I thought you guys were a lot smaller.” Lola asked, turning to face Lu as he finished his wine.“I can shrink if ye’d like,” he said with a slight slur as he sent a wink Lola’s way. She blushed, looking down before glancing over towards Bodach.“And you’re, well, a child thief?” Lola frowned, she didn’t really like that.“I like to think of it as a child rescuer. I rescue children from homes where they are not loved and take them to homes where they will be cherished.” Bodach said as he watched her with his red eyes, studying her in a way she’d never been looked at before. She looked at her hands before glancing back up
Lola looked up at Puca. Her cheeks flaming red, her wild purple hair a mess. He was right. She was tired even through the embarrassment she felt at falling on Lu and the way he had held her. She bit her lip as she turned away from the men and trudged down the hallway to her bedroom.“Let me know if you need anything,” she said over her shoulder.Lu’s body had been surprisingly muscular underneath her. She shook away the thought and opened the door to her bedroom. Reaching into the darkness, feeling the smooth white wall for the switch. Finally finding it, she flipped the switch on. Letting out a sigh of relief.Lola knew it was a silly fear for an adult to have. Being afraid of the dark, but that didn’t make it any less real for her. She closed the door behind her as she stepped into the softly lit room and fell face first onto her bed. Burying her face into the handmade quilt, her body sinking into the soft surface as she thought about the quilt beneath her. The one she and her gra
Lola rolled over onto her back as she scrubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She’d been having the strangest dream.In it, she had been trapped in a dark room. No way to get out, just endless darkness. The only sound was her ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of her heart as she desperately dragged her hands across the smooth walls. Trying to find any way out.She bit her lip as she looked around the bright sun-filled room and let out a deep breath. It was quiet and still. She wondered for a moment if she had imagined everything that had happened yesterday.A loud bang came from the kitchen and she sat up, eyes wide. Either someone was breaking in or there really were fae creatures in her apartment. She untangled herself from the warm bedding and her feet hit the floor. She grabbed the baseball bat from under her bed before opening the door.The polished wood and leather laces feeling comfortable in her hands as she brought the bat up. Ready to swing hard and fast at any intruder.
Lola placed a pan over the open flame with a bit of butter stepping over to the toaster she added bread to it. Moving back to the pan to give it a swirl. The steady thwack, thwack of Lu chopping the chives at the counter was soothing as she moved about the kitchen.The toast popped up and Lola grabbed it from the toaster, moving it between her hands as she grabbed a plate.“What magic is that?”“The toaster?” Lola asked.“Toaster.” Lu repeated, watching as Lola added more slices to the slim silver device and pressing the little lever.He did the next round, picking up the toasted bread and studying it closely. He grabbed two slices and add them to it, moving closer to watch as it went down and the coils inside of the device turning orange.Lola smiled to herself as she added the eggs to the pan before dumping the chives in. She stirred the eggs until they were fluffy. The smell making her mouth water, she glanced over at Lu, “Would you mind grabbing the plates with the toast for me?”W
Lola walked down the sidewalk, looking down as she touched her cheeks. Thinking about the kiss that almost happened with Merrow. She didn’t know if she had wanted him to kiss her or not when Lu had interrupted them. His bright eyes studying them intently before he raised a thick eyebrow at the merman. “Cleaning, aye?” He asked as he stepped into the kitchen breaking up the moment, Lola looked back up at Merrow as he studied her lips before stepping back. His sea-green eyes moving to her eyes as she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Lola couldn’t help but wonder what he would have done if they hadn’t been interrupted?“Aye, we are.” Merrow frowned as he looked over at Lu with a scowl. “I guess I’ll be heading out then,” Lola said stepping away from the handsome man, “If you get bored, you guys can watch some television. I’ve got Netflix.” She said missing their confused gazes as she headed into the living room.“Are you ready?” Bodach asked as he
“Would you like to come in with me?” Lola asked as she tucked her cellphone into her bag.“Nay,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the chimes beside the door. The thick iron bells clanging in the slight breeze.“I’ll be quick then.”“Take you’re time, I’ll be waiting for you.” Bodach said as he leaned against the porch railing. Looking out over the yard, he let out a sigh as the door closed behind him.***Lola stepped outside, the brown paper package clutched close to her chest. The redwood jewelry box wrapped up nice and safe. She glanced around the porch for Bodach. He had chosen to stay outside, Lola could understand that. If she had been trapped for as long as he had in that box she wouldn’t want to be indoors more than she had to either.Debating with herself about planning a picnic for the men, she wondered if they would like that? Maybe they could go for a hike on one of her favorite walking trails.Looking out onto the well-manicured lawn, she frowned. Bodach wasn’t th
Opening the door to her apartment, the cool air hit Lola in the face and she let out a soft sigh of pleasure as she walked in. Slipping off her shoes. Bodach stepped behind her, his body responding to the sound she made as his eyes moved along the exposed skin of her shoulders. He found himself wanting to hear that sound again. “Where shall I put this?” He asked, shifting the box in his hands. Bodach had a strange feeling about it, but didn’t want to say anything to alarm Lola until he was sure. “Oh, um. On the coffee table is fine.” Lola said over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen. She passed Lu, Puca, and Merrow smirking to herself as she caught sight or what they were watching with a roll of her eyes. “Really guys?” “Your scrying mirror seems to be broken.” Merrow glanced over to Lola as he spoke, his face flushing at being caught in this act of voyeurism.“The television?” Lola raised an eyebrow, “Seems to be working just fine to me.” “But these men, they’re all her
Walking down the sidewalk, Lola was lost in thought. Unaware of the four men that followed her. She turned down the street, stopping to wait at the crosswalk as she waited for the light to change.Shifting the box to her side as she clutched it with one arm. Smoothing her ponytail. Before all but skipping towards the antique shop as the light changed. An older gentleman with red hair and deep chocolate eyes held the door open for her. His toothy grin sent shivers down her spine.“Thank you,” she whispered as she hurried past him, unable to shake the eerie feeling he gave her.The bells twinkled above the door as Lola walked into Erik’s antique shop. It was quiet except for the whistling of the kettle. “Erik?” Lola called out as she stepped up to the cash register. Sitting the box down gently on the counter, she brushed her hands over her top, smoothing the material down. She couldn’t wait for Erik to see it. Walking out of the back room with his nose buried in a book. He moved towar