A Spell of Time (A Shade of Vampire #10)(30)

“Yeah, well, there will be plenty more nice days to come.”

He fell silent, and began pacing around the room again, this time moving back toward the window, to my relief. But then he stopped again.

“I could unground you, for a while…”

He held out his hand, cocking his head to one side.

I bit my lower lip, staring at him. My conscience was ordering me to tell him to beat it. But another side of me, a wilder side, the side that was fed up of being inside on this beautiful warm day, was telling me to take his hand.

Eventually, the latter won over.

I blew out, hoping that I wouldn’t regret this decision. Holding a finger to my lips and glaring at him, I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the music room. I led him into my own room.

“Wait here,” I said, and closed the door.

I found my grandfather in the living room with a book on his lap. He looked up as I entered.

“How’s the homework going, darling?”

“I’ve finished,” I said, letting out an exaggerated yawn. “I’m exhausted now. I’m going to have a nap, so please don’t let anyone come in my room. I’ll probably be sleeping for the next few hours…”

“I’ll make sure nobody disturbs you,” he said.

I returned to my room and placed my Do Not Disturb doorknob sign outside my door just as an extra precaution. Micah already had my window pulled open, expectation alive in his eyes.

“Well?” he said.

“Unground me.”

Chapter 25: Rose

Micah bent down to allow me to climb on to his back. I felt more secure around him in his human form. He was easier to cling to, at least. I locked my arms over his broad shoulders, my legs around his muscular waist. I closed my eyes as he swung himself out of the window. I gripped so hard I thought I might be strangling him as he leapt several feet over a sheer drop into the branches of a nearby tree.

“Where are we going?” I asked, gasping as he began leaping from branch to branch. His hands gripped my legs and held them in place.

He didn’t respond as he continued to leap down with furious speed.

“We can’t afford to bump into my parents,” I pressed.

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll make sure that we won’t.”

I was breathless by the time we reached the forest ground. I was expecting him to set me down on my feet. But he began racing through the trees.

“My parents are probably having their meeting in the Great Dome. So don’t go anywhere near there.”

I realized soon enough where he was taking me. We were headed for Sun Beach. He set me down on the sand as soon as we arrived. I cast my eyes around. Ben swam in the waters with some of his friends. I also saw some of my own girlfriends. Micah unbuttoned his shirt and, heading straight for the waters, dove in and began swimming about.

I dawdled over to the edge of the waters, wishing I’d brought my bikini. I would have to make do with just dipping my feet in the enticing ocean water.

Micah swam up to me. “Are you not coming in?”

Before I could answer, a familiar voice called out my name.

I turned to see Griffin walking over to me, wearing his swim shorts.

“Hey, I thought you were grounded?”

I looked at him sheepishly.

“I am… Micah helped me escape through the window.”

“Oh,” he said, his eyes falling on Micah who’d now stepped out of the water. “Well, are you going for a swim?”

“I would, but I left my bikini at home.”

“Bi-kini?” Micah wrinkled his nose as he looked down at me.

“Uh, it’s what girls go swimming in.” I pointed to a group of girls further along the beach. “Like what they’re wearing.”

“Tell me where it is, and I’ll get it for you,” Griff offered.

“Nah, don’t bother. I’ll just hike up my skirt—”

“Where is it?” Micah said, towering over me, his tone of voice more of a command than a question.

“Um, it’s in the bottom drawer of my big wardrobe. And if you’re going to bother getting it, you may as well bring a towel too. I have one hanging on the back of my chair, near my bed. Just don’t get caught by Aiden.”

He dashed off, leaving me standing alone with Griff. Griff turned his eyes toward the ocean.

“Griff, I…” I’d opened my mouth before considering the rest of my sentence. The look on his face was killing me. Disappointment. It was subtle, but I knew him well enough for it to be pronounced for me.

Unable to bear the silence, I caught his hand and pulled him into the water after me. I began wading into the waters, lifting my skirt up above my knees.

But we weren’t alone for long. Micah returned about ten minutes later, my towel over his bare shoulder, my bikini scrunched up in his large fist. I left Griff and took both from him.

“Aiden didn’t catch you, I hope?”

He shook his head.

I left the beach and found a quiet part of the forest to change. Returning to the waves, I laid my towel down on a dry patch of sand before wading back into the water. Griff had moved toward Ben and his group of friends, leaving Micah swimming alone in the waves.

My brother stood up, finally having noticed me.

“What are you doing here?” he called.