Page 30 of The Incubus's Angel
“Please just be careful,” Bodin sighs out.
The rest of us grab seats as Aurelius builds a pretty respectable fire in the middle of our semicircle. Passing around tangerines and beers and oysters, I can’t help but think how different it must be with the ladies tonight. Especially if they have Maisie’s skilled hands providing snacks.
Apparently not the only one with those thoughts, Viggo asks, “What do you think the girls are doing tonight?”
Beck answers, “Singing karaoke. Should we sing too?”
Bodin shakes his head. “That’s okay. Let’s just hang out and talk.”
“About what?” Beck asks.
Shrugging, Bodin sighs, “I don’t know. Does anyone have something interesting to tell us?”
“We can talk about Ren’s healthy glow,” Viggo suggests.
Finding my voice, I counter with, “Or we can sit back and enjoy the sound of the waves and the crackling of the fire.”
And we do just that. We sit in semicomfortable silence for a long time, well past sunset and into dusk, the first stars blinking into existence above us. We each drink a beer, have an oyster, and a tangerine, before lapping into silence again as night falls.
From behind us, a male voice asks, “What kind of sad gathering is this?” We all turn in unison to see Arran, the one creature on this island who might be a more scarce sighting than I am.
Bodin gets up and shakes the vampire’s hand. “The ladies are up in town celebrating… being a lady, I guess? We’re hanging out here and giving them some space to do just that.”
“And doing what exactly here?” Arran asks, staring at our little semicircle.
Beck motions at the chairs like the answer is obvious. “Sitting? Eating tangerines.”
“And oysters,” Viggo supplies helpfully.
Aurelius lifts his bottle. “And drinking beer.”
It’s like everyone is trying to defend our pitiful party.
“Why don’t you play any games? Do some kind of activity? Male folk aren’t meant to sit around and do nothing. Look, I built a whole castle with my own two hands. If I hadn’t done something with all my free time, I would’ve gone crazy.”
Beck leans forward in his chair. “We didn’t bring anything. Should I fetch a board game?”
Arran shakes his head and waves the suggestion away. “A board game? No. That won’t do. All we need to get started is a log.”
“A log?” we all ask at the same time, sure we must’ve heard him wrong.
Arran crosses his arms across his chest, looking more imposing than I’ve ever seen him. “For the first game, yes. Back where I’m from, we have these games for males to prove their virility. Of course, none of you are required to participate, but a little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Except if your pride is fragile.”
“I’m in,” Viggo says, jumping up from his chair.
“Me too.” Beck stands and pushes his hands into his pockets, looking completely nonchalant. But I see the way he’s sizing the other guys up. His competitive mode is definitely activated now.
Arran disappears from the spot before the rest of us even have the words out of our mouths, and returns with an actual ten-foot-long tree trunk. We pass it around to feel its weight and I’m sure it must be around one hundred pounds.
“I got us a small one to start with. We just chuck it toward a target and, depending on how close you got, we can throw a bigger one for the next round.”
Aurelius fluffs his antennae and puffs out his chest. “Some species have a muscular disposition that gives them an advantage. I hardly think that’s fair.”
Arran gives Aurelius a quick once-over. “Well, okay, pretty boy. If it makes you happy you can stand your skinny legs closer to the target. Bodin and I can stay back. We can stagger ourselves according to muscle size if you’d like?”
Aurelius’s smile is victorious, but I don’t think he’s aware that he was actually insulted. It looks like his brain got stuckon being called a pretty boy and he’s still preening from the compliment.
Beck raises a hand and after Arran nods at him he says, “Some of us don’t necessarily look strong, but are. I think I’d join you and Bodin at the farther-most marker.”
