Page 28 of Rebel Spell
“The teammates vote on whether they’ll accept. I mean you can’t put down a string of consonants and some half-ass description. You need to put some thought into it. And honestly, we don’t even care who wins. It’s more fun just to mess around.”
We played the game, and Nova fit right in.
When she spelled outzalor, Sebastian prompted, “What in the world is that?”
“A snowy owl that lives in Canada.” She raised both hands as if it was common knowledge.
“Good one,” I praised. I built off her Z with Zong, a character from a Dr. Seuss book, which I sold as a “type of fishing boat.”
We continued making up nonsense words until all the tiles were used and Lucas won. Or cheated. Whatever. It didn’t matter. I had to admit it was fun with the four of us.
After the game ended, Sebastian and Lucas headed into work.
Nova glanced at the clock. “I should get back to house stuff.”
“I can give you a hand,” I offered. “I don’t have to go into work until later tonight.” Jeez, could I sound any more eager?
We tackled some boxes in the basement until she’d had enough for the day.
“We could watch a movie,” I suggested.
“Sure.” She tilted her head and gave me a warm smile that shot shivers of delight through my body. “I picked the movie last night, so it’s your turn.”
“I’m in the mood for something feel good, that’s easy.”
“What?”
“Anything by Monty Python.” Her blank expression showed no recognition, so I followed up with, “You’veneverseen Monty Python?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think so.”
I placed my hand on my forehead and sighed with melodrama. “She hasn’t seen Monty Python.” Turning back to her, I asked, “Dead Parrot? The Ministry of Silly Walks? The Spanish Inquisition?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.” With a sly grin, she added, “I must have been waiting for a hot vampire to introduce me to it.” Her eyes widened, and she clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, frick.”
It was too late. I heard it, and a lightness filled me. I pumped my chest out. “You think I’m hot?”
She shook her head. “Forget I said that. That came out way too flirty.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry, I think you’re pretty damn hot yourself.”
“Thanks.” Her cheeks darkened to a shade of pink, making my fangs itch to come out and play. Fortunately, I’d drank blood earlier. After the initial reaction to her scent, I made sure I was well fed before I saw her.
After searching through the options for Monty Python, I said, “Those are some great skits.” I scanned some more. “Oh, but the movies. So good.”
“Just pick one you like,” she said.
Longer would be better as it would give me an excuse to spend more time with her. “A movie.” I finally suggestedMonty Python and the Holy Grail.
I pressed play and settled back against the cushions, relaxing my shoulders so I wasn’t as stiff as a corpse in a coffin. I kept a respectable six inches or so between us, yet remained keenly aware of how close she was beneath the blanket and how good she smelled. Her fragrance reminded me of sunshine and roses after a summer rain. How could I not want to warm my face under the heat of the elusive sun, an experience I would no longer have?
As soon as she saw the actors clapping coconuts to simulate the sound of horses clopping, she turned to me with an amused expression. “This is ridiculous.”
I smiled. “It’s only the beginning.”
As the movie progressed, we chuckled as more silliness played out on screen. Somehow, we ended up leaning against each other, our thighs touching, and my leg burned with awareness.
When the Rabbitof Caerbannog took the stage, Nova didn’t just laugh, she leaned her head back and howled. She wrapped her arms around herself and tears flashed in the corners of her eyes. “A killer bunny?”
