“No. Dat where ya wrong. What he wants is to terminate all humans and wipe them off the face of dis planet. If ya really know him, ya wouldn’t have asked me such a stupid request.”
“He was disconnected to the world, Madeem,” Jezz said in a soft voice, walking into the conversation and defending Gerald. “You know how overloading works, right? You lose all sense of yourself. And what helped bring him back was the fact that I looked like his little sister. He saved me from that prison. Without him, I wouldn’t be here right now. It was bad, Madeem… They had me tortured, beaten to near death, and forced to be a contestant in the Blood Games.”
My heart stopped. “Jezz?”
She closed her eyes, her voice serious. “I wouldn’t stand here and defend him if I wholeheartedly thought he was just a mindless monster. It wasn’t his fault. He was a victim, and I know his rap sheet. I know what he’s done to our people! The same thing happened to Recka! Except she didn’t fall into the hands of the dragon princess herself!”
Madeem’s face softened. “Jezz, I am so sorry…”
“I don’t need your apologies, Madeem. I need your understanding. By default, we are flawed creatures, but when pushed, we can do demonic things. I know it’s hard for you to see all the good he has done from this perspective, but you must believe me, he is a great asset to our ultimate goal, and shunning him so he can fall into the wrong hands is a disadvantage to Senterrians everywhere. So please, help him.”
Somehow, Jezz got to him, and we followed Madeem to his shop to collect his things. Then Jezz teleported him to the port, where Madeem was two seconds away from shitting bricks. He didn’t think Gerald was that gigantic. I mean, Madeem was pretty damn tall, taller than me. So seeing a grown man stare at him like that was like seeing a child meet his first creepy carnie clown.
I introduced Madeem to Red and Gerald, but Madeem was more preoccupied with Gerald’s towering height and intimidating frame. He had a missing arm, but the dude stood tall and unfazed, looking down at Madeem curiously. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it,” I said, before Madeem pulled my sleeve in.
“Nah, hero. Dis just gonna take me a minute. I need ya to bring me home,” he whispered over my shoulder, before Gerald jerked his hand for a handshake, Madeem answering back by stumbling backwards and falling on his ass.
Jezz giggled.
“Great, since we got time to burn, Jezz and I will go for a walk. The shore is nice, the breeze is calm—it’s the closest we’d get to having a mini vacation. What do you say?” I asked, turning to her with a warm smile.
She blushed. “I’d love a walk.”
CHAPTER SIXTY
7 Days Left…
We walked along the shoreline, Jezz mesmerized by the rhythm of the waves. The sound of rolling surf was like soothing background music as we strolled beneath a canopy of orange sky. While Jezz was focused on the ambiance of the beach, I was captivated by the sunset along the horizon. The sun illuminated the sand and made it sparkle like glitter. Everywhere we looked, multicolored shells lay scattered around in all shapes and sizes. Flocks of seagulls soared above us, cawing loudly as they circled overhead.
Jezz couldn’t resist, kicking off her shoes and running toward the tide. I joined her, pushing my boots aside to feel the warm sand between my toes.
The salty ocean was cold, the smell of seaweed filling my nose with each passing wave. Gazing out to sea, I noticed how hypnotizingly beautiful everything was - from the gentle lapping of water against sand to the beautiful girl swinging around joyously. Just being near Jezz made me feel at peace; her presence was like a calming balm for my soul. But I could tell that she needed this more than I did.
The tunic she changed into flirted with the cool breeze, the light fabric clinging to her curves. Her hair was wild and tangled, dancing around her face in the wind. She looked like a goddess as she stood with her arms outstretched, taking in the majestic view.
“This is beautiful, Silas,” she whispered, and took in a breath of salty air. “Simply, beautiful.”
“It is, but not as beautiful as you, Jezz.”
She pursed her lips cheekily. “So cheesy!”
We laughed.
She ran to me to grab my hand and led me to the water. We splashed, we played, and she dunked me a few times. Too bad for her, she was fun-sized, and I didn’t go easy on her when I tossed her into the waves.
When she emerged from the water she slapped me with her wet hair and I shoved her back down, Jezz bubbling in contagious giggles as I sprawled over her. She pressed two fingers on my forehead and I instantly felt different, below my belt feeling some side effects.
I looked at her lost. “What was that?”
She smiled. “My counter spell.”
I looked at myself through the reflection of her eyes, noticing I was back to looking human again.
“Huh, I was under the assumption that fae magic couldn’t counter my disguise…” Or maybe Rufian reversed the durability of the special plum I ate with the Grimoire…
“Counter spell has its good and bads, so a lot of fae don’t really take it. But you know me, I like to be different.”
I chuckled. “Were you tired of me being a fae?”
“No, I just like your human side better!”
“Guess it’s for the best.”
“I want to see your true face when you kiss me…”
She threw me off guard with that statement, making me snicker sheepishly. “Oh? So you think I’m going to kiss you?”
Her face went red. “You owe me a kiss. Remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. But it’s been so long, now, I’m a little nervous,” I teased.
She chuckled. “Just shut up and kiss me!” The girl knew what she wanted, and wasn’t about playing games. She grabbed me by my nape and reeled me into her lips, pressing them hard into mine. I was taken aback by her sudden aggressiveness but quickly found myself reciprocating the passion. Our tongues tangled together, Jezz tasting sweet like strawberries. I savored our first real kiss, and when I pulled away, I broke into a childish smile.
“Wow,” I whispered, “That was amazing.”
“Yeah, it was,” she sang. “You're a really good kisser, Silas.”
“So are you. I've been wanting to do that for so long.”
