Obsidian (Mystic Stones Series #1) (27 page)

“Now you’re in love with him and I’m left in the dust.”

“We’re family, I’ll always love you, but I love you like a brother. I’m sorry that’s all I feel, but it’s the truth. I don’t want to hurt you, Hiu.”

“I know. It’s not your fault. I just thought that maybe someday you would see me as more than a goofy guy that’s practically your brother,” Hiu explained.

“There’s someone out there for you. I’m not the one. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to waste your time on me. There’s someone out there who will love you and you’ll love her. You’re one of my best friends and I don’t want that to change. But, if you think it will be too painful to be around me, I will give you space. I can find somewhere else to go once we get to Hawaii.”

“No. No matter how much I hurt, I can’t let us split up. You’re still ohana, and I will put aside my feelings and be the man I know I am. It’s best that we all stick together,” Hiu said.

“Okay, if that’s what you want,” I replied.

“It is, and I suppose that Jesse seems like a nice enough guy. At least you aren’t with a vampire. If that were the case I’d be deeply offended that you’d rather be with a dead guy than me,” Hiu said with a little smile.

I hugged him. I hoped Hiu would be okay. I didn’t like to see him in pain and knowing I’d caused it made me feel even worse.

“If it doesn’t work out, don’t forget about me,” Hiu said, half joking and half serious.

“How could I forget about you?” I asked. Then the two of us went back out to the deck, where Moana, Alani, Nalani and Jesse were still talking. The sun was beginning to set. It was almost time to say goodnight to my knight in shining armor. Jesse looked up from the conversation as Hiu and I re-emerged. I’m sure he could tell our talk had gone better than the one he’d had with Latoria.

“Well, I’m sorry to leave you all, but it’s getting to be my bedtime,” Jesse said as he stood up from the table. The others said “goodnight” to him and he came to me. Hiu approached Jesse with his right hand out, ready to shake his hand. Jesse returned the gesture and they shook hands.

“I wanted to tell you guys that I’m gonna be supportive. But, as the only big brother that Ava has, I’m warning you not to hurt her. I realize you’re stronger than me—and immortal—but I will figure out something bad to do to you if you hurt her,” Hiu said. He had a joking expression on his face, but I knew he was serious.

“I promise you she’s in good hands,” Jesse replied.

Hiu gave a little salute and walked away, leaving Jesse and I alone for the first time since we announced our relationship.

“Wow, his mood turned around quickly,” Jesse commented.

“Well, we had a little talk. I guess he likes you and he thinks you’re the next best thing. If he can’t be with me, then he’s glad it’s you and not some jerk or vampire. He’s also the self-sacrificing type. He just wants me to be happy even if it means that he won’t get what he wants. He’s putting on a brave face. Inside he’s still hurting and it’s going to take time for him to heal,” I explained.

“That’s comforting. I wish Latoria were half as understanding as he was, but if she’s willing to sacrifice our friendship because I’ve chosen you then that’s her loss.”

I smiled and peered out at the setting sun, “You better get in there. Do you want me to put a movie in for you?”

“Sure, put in your favorite movie. You’re welcome to watch it with me.”

“I might just do that,” I said. “You get comfortable and I’ll be back.”

Jesse gave me a kiss and nodded, “I’ll be waiting,” he said with a smile.

I rushed off to get my copy of “Sherlock Holmes,” the 2009 version. It was kind of old, but I was nostalgic. I’d seen the older television series and read the book series when I was a young girl, and when the new movies came out, I had been a teenager. Sherlock Holmes was a classic character that always retained his personality no matter what.

Soon, I was back in Jesse’s cabin. I’d tried to hurry back to see him before he changed to stone, but unfortunately, he was already a perfect statue. He’d written a quick note that was left on the bed:

I thought you’d be more comfortable if I took the chair tonight.

Jesse

Knowing that he could hear and see me, I kissed his marble lips and said, “I hope you like older movies.”

I pushed play and buried myself in the blankets on his bed.

The next morning I woke just in time for Jesse to return to his human state. The sun came in through the small window in his cabin. The comfortable bed provided a haven while reality fell to chaos around me, so I opened up the covers and motioned for him to join me. Reality needed to wait a little longer for both of us. He smiled and jumped into bed with me.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.

“Good morning,” I answered.

Jesse snuggled up close to me. We looked each other in the eyes. He kissed my forehead and then my lips. I returned his kiss and smiled at him.

“I wish I could cuddle with you all night,” I said as I ran my fingers through his hair.

“Me too,” he confessed with a sigh.

I gave him another kiss to try to cheer him up. He scooped me in closer to him and pressed our bodies as close as we would go. Jesse kissed me with passion and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I wanted him even closer to me.

I rolled over so I could lay on his chest. Jesse put his arms around me and hugged me tight. We continued to kiss and more tension built up. I started to unbutton Jesse’s shirt. Then I sat up as he helped me take my shirt off and ran his hands back down my ribcage and rested them on my hips.

I leaned over him and started kissing his neck and muscular chest. I could feel he was ready. I rolled over onto my back and he followed. He kissed me from above now. He helped me pull off my shorts and then took off his own pants. I pulled him back on top of me.

We synchronized with each other and moved to a rhythm known only to us. Jesse’s strong body filled two needs: the need to feel safe and the need for pleasure. The passion between us swelled, and when we let it go, our worlds collided like two stars in the galaxy.

After making love, Jesse and I collapsed on the bed and cuddled. My smile would not go away and Jesse’s smile remained as well. Jesse ran his fingers up and down my side. It tickled in certain spots, but I just wanted Jesse’s touch. I rested my head on his chest and my hand on his abs.

“I’ve never been so in tune with another human being,” I said.

“Nor have I,” Jesse replied.

“Do we have to get out of bed today?” I asked him. I turned my head so I could see his face.

“Not if you don’t want to, but they might come looking for us after a while.”

“We could just lock the door and tell them to go away,” I replied with a shrug.

Jesse smiled and kissed me. “What about food?”

“I am getting a little hungry. We should stock our room with supplies so we can hide away for days,” I replied as I sat up and leaned over to kiss him again. The two of us took our time getting dressed for the day and eventually headed out to greet everyone. Breakfast had long been over, but leftovers of French toast and eggs lingered on the table.

Nalani and Moana were the only ones in the galley.

“Aloha!” they both said as Jesse and I entered.

We both returned the greeting and started to eat. Nalani offered to make fresh food, but we declined. I was too hungry to wait.

“So, I’m going to pack up my stuff after I eat and you can take my room,” I said to Moana between bites.

“Thank you, that’s nice of you,” Moana replied. “Between us, Latoria is a little hard to be around now that you two are together.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Jesse replied with a little frown.

“Well, it’s not any of my business. I’d rather just stay out of it. Besides, there’s more going on than silly drama. We have to figure out how to stop the vampires from controlling everyone,” Moana added.

“Yes, we do. I’ve been thinking about what we are going to do. First, we need to find out when they are planning on going public. I know they want to make us all squirm and long for our technology to be back, but eventually they will reveal their plan. When they do that, the world will be even more chaotic than it is now,” I explained.

“They aren’t going to like us poking around. We are sure to have a few standoffs with them. We need to be prepared,” Jesse replied.

“The drudges are going to be thick. Unfortunately, Tom knew something I didn’t about sirens. Apparently, pearls in the ears of men will prevent me from using my voice as a weapon, but what he doesn’t know is I can control the ocean. I intend to keep that under wraps for as long as I can,” said Ava.

“Ah yes, I forgot about the pearl in the ear trick. Sorry, I didn’t tell you,” Jesse apologized.

“It’s okay. I don’t remember any songs that would help me anyway. It’s like I need a siren tutor or something,” I said as I put my head into my hands. There was so much I didn’t know about being a siren. Jesse’s stories had helped a little, but I sensed blank spaces that could only be filled by a siren who knew the secrets of our kind.

“Maybe we should try to find a siren who can teach you about who you are. It would be a great help and I’m sure you want to know everything you can about your heritage. Hawaii is bound to have another siren on its islands. It’s definitely an ideal place for sirens to live considering there’s no way to get away from the ocean,” Jesse replied.

“If we can find one, that would be wonderful, but it’s not a top priority. My main objective is to stop Psytech,” I answered.

“Okay, so we need to somehow get into Psytech and get some information about their plans and how they created the virus,” Moana chipped in.

The three of us continued to discuss possibilities of Psytech breakins and things of that nature. We made little to no progress and we eventually gave up the subject. Everything would be touch and go once we got back to Hawaii. Plans of where we would stay lacked solidity. We would stick with the boat, just in case we needed a fast getaway, but beyond that, we didn’t have a plan.

The next day came and went. Most of it was spent in silence as we prepared ourselves for what we would come up against in Hawaii. I practiced my affinity with the ocean more and started to play with different ideas I had. Hiu announced Perry had called him with news the other group had found a safe house and that Jesse’s friend from Las Vegas had made it to L.A. They said they would keep in touch. He also announced we would get to Hawaii around 2 p.m. the next day.

Jesse and I continued our romantic ventures. We built a strong connection with each other. It felt natural and real. I slept in Jesse’s cabin for the third night while he watched over me from his stone prison. Eventually, the morning of our arrival brought a dark cloud over all of us.

By eleven, the Big Island came into view on the horizon and the boat arrived in Hilo bay by one-thirty. There weren’t many boats docked upon our arrival. We were informed that most people with boats went out to catch fish for the islanders and no space for night docking was available.

Hiu paid for an hour of docking so he could check the other docks for space. Everyone else seemed glad to be on land, but a weary look settled on their faces as they kept an eye out for vampires.

We split into groups to gather supplies. Moana, Alani, and Nalani went to get food and water. They had to at least try even though food on the islands had become even scarcer in our absence. Most of the supplies available were produced on the island. Stories of ranchers starting to butcher their cattle for food peppered conversations. Fruit grown on the islands also helped, but produce growers were careful to only hand out so much. Rumors of people breaking onto plantations and stealing fruit soon reached my group.

Jesse and I were sent to find household items while Latoria stayed to watch the boat. She had the most important job. Another dockworker told the group that islanders trying to get to the mainland, where things weren’t as bad, were stealing boats. Jesse and I walked through town and noticed the same things we saw in LA; broken windows, abandoned stores, and cars that had been abandoned and then broken into.