Chapter 46 — Sky

Fagua stared out of the window at the pool. It was weird because usually, she would be out there doing laps or simply soaking up the sun. She wouldn't be looking at it as if she was pining to swim but had been shut in here.

"A penny for your thoughts," I said, walking up behind her.

She jumped up as if I'd awoken her from a dream. Then she rushed into my arms.

"Hey, what’s up?" I was going to check the back room, but I could see that my girl wasn't happy. That wasn't good. "Here, here," I whispered as I hugged her lightly, and she squeezed me tightly, but not like before. I could feel that she was using every force inside of her. Yet, she felt so light. I didn't know what to think. I dismissed it, thinking that her trip with Husk had probably tired her out.

"Nothing." Her voice hitched.

She was so emotional and her gaze raced around the room. I hadn't seen her like this in weeks.

"Fagua." I smiled and pulled her closer. "Are you okay? I’ve never seen you like this."

She nodded, shook her head, then nodded again.

"You ate today?"

She shook her head again, and I was hoping some food would help. I took her hand. I was hungry too and did all the talking as I led her to the kitchen.

"We had to replace dice on table three. Turns out a kept kept swiping them." I was breaking the ice, talking about the boring stuff about what has gone down in the casino while she was gone.

I knew her well enough to know the vacant look on her face meant she wasn't listening, but while I gathered up the eggs and the fixings, the more I talked, hoping to get her attention.

"You know, I make a mean steak." Shit, I hadn't had that all week and it was my favorite meal. "Winter also joked that I was part lion rather than wolf because of it."

"I'll lay the table," she said with dread in her voice, as if she were going to make a human sacrifice.

"No. Leave it. We'll keep it simple and I'm not that hungry. How about an omelet instead?" I knew how Fagua liked her eggs and I could make one quickly. I wanted to have my girl back to her smiling, joking self.

She didn't need any more encouragement than that, as she slumped down in the kitchen chair.

"If you're going to be like that, I'm going to order some steak and then eat it alone in the movie theater room."

She shook her head. "No. Don't leave me. Husk might come back and then…"

"What? You'll have to be alone with him if I leave you?"

She shrugged once again and then I realized that the trip didn't go well, which annoyed me because Husk said that they were making progress. Since when did we lie to each other?

"I just can't connect with him," she said as she threw her hands up in the air. "One minute I think it's all in my head. I let go. I surrender myself to him, and then he does something that reminds me that's he Husk. The one who locked me up. I just can't let it go."

"I see." I take out some grated cheese and add it to the bubbling egg in the pan. I use the time to try to find the words to comfort her and wondering how much of a lie Husk told me and Winter.

Finishing our omelet, I set it in front of her with two forks. We share a plate because I hate doing dishes. I sat down next to her. "So, you never mated with him?"

She lifted her fork, as if she was pondering the question. I was frightened that our plans, and what we needed to do with her help, weren't an option. There was no way we could face off with her father and his pack without her. Even if she had convinced her mother to stand down, magic was too volatile not to have a witch in our corner.

"I know you're worried. It's all the pressure. It's just too much for me. I mean, Winter and you are like, let’s click our fingers and everything will fall into place."

She stuffed the contents of her fork into her mouth.

"If we thought it was that easy, then we wouldn't have told you to go away with him. The whole point was to take time away from me and Winter so you and Husk could have time alone together." I cut off a piece of the omelet, wrapping the cheesiness around my fork before taking a bite.

It made perfect sense, but seeing the stress lines on her face, she didn't return to the casino right away because she wanted to see Mayia, but because she didn't want to spend any more time with Husk.

"How about we finish eating and head to the black room together to sort out the mess? You can hang out as if you're my secret spy."

She sighed. "Yeah, but everyone knows me down there."

"What if you put on some kinda disguise to stop that," I whispered, as if I were playing a game, just so we could lighten her mood.

She nodded in agreement. "I could use my blonde wig; no one recognizes me in that."

I chuckled. "You got a deal. We'll do that."

And then we finished eating, without the pressure of talking about Husk, and not worrying about bringing SmallHeath down. I knew we would need to discuss it at some point, but for now she needed to relax because never had I seen her so restless.

****

"What the fuck?" I screamed out as I saw Fagua, who was wearing a short silver dress that emphasized every part of her body. My mind should have been on the job but it was too focused on admiring her body.

I pulled her away from the client as he wrapped his arm around her waist while she blew on the dice he was about to throw.

"You're supposed to be observing and maybe throwing a little bet, not acting as if you're the prize token on the floor."

Her eyes cast over me as she yanked her arm away.

"I'm having fun," she slurred. "Men want me for my body, not because I have powers or they need me to do something for them. They see what they like."

I cupped her face, wondering what the hell was going on with her. I'd never seen her behave and lash out like this.

Then she sobbed in my arms, like she did the night Husk locked her in the room.

"You think this is all we need you for?"

"It feels like it," she bit back.

I shook my head because I couldn't believe that she'd forgotten how precious she was to us.

"For a minute, I felt like me. Desired. Wanted. And not just some tool that could be used to wipe out my parents and everyone who stands with them. All my life, someone has wanted something from me. Winter wanted me to mate with him so that you wouldn't all die. You wanted me for the same thing. And now Husk wants me to help bring down my parents. It's just too much pressure," she said hotly.

I pressed my lips gently to her forehead. I didn't say anything, not a word. I wasn't going to tell her how much she meant to me. I was going to show her.

"Let's go upstairs and I'll give you a massage," I offered.

"You're not going to say anything?"

I chuckled. "My dear Fagua, you don't know us at all. Especially me. I just want to please you. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than making sure you're happy. Right now, you're not, and that worries me. Not because of the plans, but because I love you."

Her eyes grew wide. I'd drowned out the noise of the casino, as I felt it was just the two of us as we headed up to the suite, and I knew I would have to get my magic fingers back into action to convince her of what I'd said. I would convince her with my mouth, with my tongue, with everything I had. I would worship her. Even if all she wanted was a foot and back massage. I would do anything to prove how I felt about her.