Page 16

Chapter Eleven

Elena

I knew it was too good to be true. The lack of pain from the past few days came back with a vengeance.

I watched Tajah show a series of magic tricks to Luis for a few hours. Tajah's magic tricks captivated Luis the whole time. They started small, but grew bigger over time.

Tajah flickered the lights on and off at first, then moved Abuela’s crystals around the room. She even had Luis levitate, but I think none of it was as impressive as moving the plane across the sky while we were inside of it.

It took time for Luis to warm up to Tajah. Which was odd because Luis was always friendly with everyone he first met. When I excused myself to use the restroom, the awkwardness had vanished by the time I returned. By the time the afternoon wore on, they were thick as thieves.

Tajah brought up my ailments and said she would check her spell books for a numbing potion to help with my pain. I told her not to bother. While it may numb my pain, it wasn’t a cure.

Tajah still waved me off like it was not a problem for her to look. I didn’t have any hope for much of anything in return.

In a few years, I would be indefinitely confined to a wheelchair .

The door opened, and Abuela walked back in. She immediately came to sit beside me and rested her hand on my back. She could tell when I wasn’t feeling my best, despite the smile I put on my face for Luis. I didn’t want him to know I was in pain this afternoon.

Tajah's feminine hand wielded a sphere in the air, conjuring a luminous ball of vibrant purple light that hung weightlessly before her.

Luis, his eyes widening in awe, leaned closer, his breath catching in anticipation.

Beretta, a mischievous grin played on her lips, nudged Luis towards the enchanted ball.

He let out a high-pitched scream when he touched it.

In an instant, the ball erupted into a dazzling ball of lights, engulfing the entire space with a kaleidoscope of shimmering colors that danced and flickered, transforming the cabin surroundings into a rainbow of colors.

Had I not watched all the dazzling magic earlier, I would have been worried about Luis getting hurt. But, as I observed how they had treated and watched over Luis throughout the afternoon, I felt comfortable enough.

I had assumed they were part of the care team when they first arrived to relieve Anaki. Only to find out that they were there of their own accord to ask Abuela questions. Anaki only left to grab more clothes, and more likely, to get away from me.

Tajah took some of Abuela’s blood to test, to help find out more about our ancestors. She was very interested in why Abuela understood and wielded as much magic as she did.

Meanwhile, I felt like a terrible granddaughter because I didn’t have any idea she was using magic to keep us safe.

“I knew Abuela was special,” Luis said. “Abuela could always put me to sleep as a baby when I had colic and Mama couldn’t stand. Abuela said she used a magic song.”

Abuela laughed and shook her head.

Now I’m wondering if that was true .

The door creaked open, and Anaki strode in. My body instantly responded, especially since he didn’t have a shirt on.

Dios Mio, what the mierda is this man doing to me?

It was all I could do not to look at him. Just his presence alone would make my heart race. To show indifference to him was difficult, especially when he showed so much care to Luis.

Made my ovaries want to release all the eggs.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Do not go there.

He stepped deeper into the room, a bag in his hand. As he set it down, Luis went barreling toward him to give him a hug. “Anaki! I missed you!”

Anaki smiled. “I was only gone a couple of hours. I’m sure Beretta and Tajah kept you occupied.”

“The boy is mine now.” Tajah leaned back in her chair. “Magic is way cooler than dragons.”

Anaki scoffed. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

“She has shown me magic, and you haven’t shown me your dragon. Even Bear and Nadia have shown me their animals,” Luis confessed.

Anaki placed his hand on his heart. “You wound me. I’m still healing. Soon, I will shift, and you will be so jealous of me.”

And why did I find that idea so hot? When we saw Nadia’ and Bear’s animals, they were cute and fuzzy. Sure, they were dangerous, but a dragon? They were known to be fierce in legends.

I couldn’t see Anaki as fierce. He was everything light and happy.

I needed someone calm, sweet. Just like him.

He was everything I wanted but couldn’t have.

I bit my tongue. It wasn’t like he was into me anyway; he was just part of the care team. His flirting hadn’t gone unnoticed, but it was just part of his personality, that’s all.

Anaki patted Luis on the head. “Sorry to say, but you will have to deal with Tajah longer. I have to work tonight.”

My ears perked up. He won’t be around?

I internally scoffed at myself. Why should I care? This is what I wanted, right? To stay as far away from him as possible? Who cares if he was the center of my fantasies with those gray sweatpants, those tight muscle shirts he wore, and how he doted on me even when I gave him the evil eye?

It was so hard to stay away from him, even if I wanted to touch him. Feel that warmth spread across my body and made my aches and pains go away.

Luis hung his head. “But we were going to play Uno tonight.”

Abuela chastised from her seat on the couch. “He has other jobs than watching us, Luis. Besides, you're going to hurt Tajah and Beretta’s feelings.”

Beretta let out a soft cry. She curled up her hand, resembling a kitten, to wipe away an imaginary tear. “I thought we had become friends. I was going to show you my panther.”

Luis’ eyes widened. “You’d show me your panther?”

Luis stepped away, his young squirrel brain taking him elsewhere.

Their conversation faded into the background while my panic rose.

Anaki wouldn’t be here tonight. I had comfort knowing he was close in just the few days I’ve known him. I wasn’t sure why. He had a way of calming me when no one else could.

Maybe it was because it was the first time I’ve had trust in a man. One that didn’t look so imposing and looked like I was a pebble in his shoe. One I didn’t have to prove my worth to.

He knew I had a son and a sickness I couldn’t control. A sister who was a pain in everyone’s ass and a grandmother who claims she is a witch.

He accepted me, but I couldn’t accept myself.

The conversations rose, and when I came back to my senses, I saw that Anaki no longer stood at the door. My eyes bulged and I rose to go to the kitchen. I acted as calmly as I could, since I didn't want to show my panic.

Was he gone? Did he leave already? I glanced out the window as I tried to see his fading figure. There wasn’t anything there, and then I felt the heat of a body behind me.

I knew who it was. The aches in my body faded away in an instant. His warm breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "Looking for me?"

I jumped in surprise anyway, spinning around to face him. His eyes bore into mine, a mischievous glint dancing within them. The proximity of his body sent a wave of warmth through me, and I struggled to maintain my composure.

"What are you doing?" I stammered, trying to sound nonchalant.

Anaki flashed a charming smile, his dimples deepening. "Couldn't stay away, could I? Especially when someone was missing me so much."

I rolled my eyes, attempting to mask the rapid beating of my heart at his words. "Don't flatter yourself. I just... noticed you were gone."

His gaze softened, a hint of understanding in his eyes. "You missed me," he stated simply.

Before I could protest further, Anaki closed the distance between us, his hand reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The tender gesture tugged at my heartstrings, and I found myself leaning into his touch despite my better judgment.

"I missed you, too," he confessed softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Earlier, and the past few days, you’ve been pushing me away.”

My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest as I searched his eyes for any sign of deceit. But all I found was sincerity and something more... something that mirrored the unspoken emotions swirling within me.

As if drawn by an invisible force, our faces inched closer until our lips were mere inches apart .

“You are part of a care team. You are here to keep us quiet. That’s all.” I managed to say.

Anaki chuckled, both hands landed on either side of my hips to pin me. There was no way out. His body was flush with mine, and I felt the large prominent thickness between his legs that had been the focus of all my fantasies.

How does it even fit in those jeans?

Anaki chuckled. “Don’t think I would call just anyone love , feed them, make sure they take their medicine, kiss their forehead when they are scared. Even a care team has limits, Mama.”

My heart raced.

“And you really think I was supposed to stay in the cabin all this time?” He shook his head. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “Nah, I was supposed to rotate. Take turns. But I just couldn’t stay away from you.”

My face turned six shades of red as I pushed him away, which did nothing to make him move. He stepped back and rubbed the back of his head. He was nervous, and I instantly felt my heart ache for doing what I did.

I was such a prick!

But Anaki smiled and nodded to the two bottles of medication on the counter. “Make sure you take those. You almost forgot last night.” He gave a knowing look.

I bit my lip and drank him in one last time. He was now wearing a black meshed shirt, and I could see his nipple rings through it. I felt myself become hot with pleasure, and I immediately put both hands to my face to try to rub the picture out of my head.

Why did he have to look so damn delicious? He was so tempting, and I don’t think I could handle much more of him without breaking.