Star Blessed

Cutler

  Six months later- June  

MERIBELLA

Fireworks exploded behind her eyes as the fist connected with her jaw. Stumbling back, Meribella struggled to remain upright and just managed to avoid the next swing. Every part of her wanted to reach up and massage the throbbing injury, but she kept her hands raised as she dropped into a defensive stance.

"Come on B. I know you can do better than this," Thorne rolled her neck as she bounced on the balls of her feet, her body language clearly expressing her disregard for her opponent. "Where's your head at?"

"Barely attached to my neck after that hit," she responded.

The two women sparred for another thirty minutes. Meribella managed to make a comeback, but Thorne had been correct, she wasn't at her best. Removing the wrap from her hands, she shuffled over to the bench holding her bag and water. She lifted the bottle to her lips and drank deeply, letting her mind search for the source of her distraction.

"You ever gonna give me more explanation for that?" Thorne asked, pointing at the shimmer beneath the sweat covering Meribella's skin.

"Um, does it really matter?" she asked, striving to sound nonchalant. Shortly after relocating from Camden to Cutler, she'd sought someone to train her in self defense. Vivian recommended Thorne, a fellow witch, and the two had developed a deep friendship, something all too new to her.

Patting at the sweat covering her arms, she watched as the creamy hue of her skin lost the supernatural luster. Sweat didn't turn her into a glittery kaleidoscope like the ocean did because its chemical makeup was different, but it gave her a glow that caused most people to pause. Even the talisman couldn't hide it. Summers were always interesting and one of the reasons she preferred places with more moderate temperatures.

However, Thorne was well versed in the ways of the paranormal world, and while she didn't pry, she made it clear that she knew her newest client was more than human. So she copped to being part Fae, which wasn't a lie, and left it at that. But as their bond grew, the secret was beginning to become an issue.

Slipping a pearl ring back on her finger, the witch shrugged. "I guess not, but you know all my business by now. Just wonder why it's such a big secret. Half this town is Fae or witch."

But half this town isn't a handicapped Fae with a werewolf stalker, she wanted to say, but she kept the thought to herself. Because as the months passed, she was beginning to look at what happened in a new light. If she was honest, the alarms Raff set off had less to do with his impassioned pursuit and overprotectiveness, than it did with her own intimacy issues.

There was no denying that she'd been attracted to him, and she'd used his shifter nature as an excuse to flee, which made her the world's biggest hypocrite. Yet, what could she do now? Show up at his door and say, "Hey, I know you've thought I was dead for six months, but how about I take you up on that date?"

They gathered their things, Thorne switched the lights off, and they stepped out into the glorious May evening. The spring temps had been higher than usual, breaking into the sixties for several days in a row. All over the tiny town, people were stepping out in short sleeves, finding any excuse to bask in the unusual warmth.

For Meribella, it was no different. She itched to get to beach she discovered not far from the small cottage she was renting. Though the water was still frigid, the wetsuit she'd purchased kept her warm enough to swim with the added benefit of hiding her sparkle.

They walked through the town in comfortable silence, only speaking when someone called out to them in passing. A few people inquired about their general well being, but for the most part a wave and a smile counted as an acceptable response. For someone who'd been raised to stay in the shadows, the experience had been uncomfortable at first, but now she wondered how'd she lived her entire life so alone.