Christmas Brew (Witches of New Orleans #2)

6. Pirates, Promises, and a Penis… （Don’t Ask）

CHAPTER 6

Pirates, Promises, and a Penis… (Don’t Ask)

H ecate meows, echoing through the glass room. She moves to my side, rubbing her furry chin against my shin.

“The goddess approves,” Bessie says, nodding toward my cat, “as does the raven.” On cue, Odin joins us, cawing loudly. He lands on my shoulder, spreading his wings wide to the side. “It is time for you to learn who you are.”

“What do I need to do?” I ask the old woman.

“Practice,” Zeke answers. “We’ll help.”

Looking my unwanted houseguests in the eye, I can’t hold back the snarkiness begging to escape. “I asked for help earlier and received none. Why is now different?”

“Because now you are ready,” Bessie answers. “Get some sleep. You won’t be any good without it.” She turns, moving toward the door. “We’ll begin tomorrow.” With that, she’s gone.

Zeke sighs loudly. “She’s always so dramatic. Tomorrow,” he says before disappearing behind the witch, followed by the familiars .

“Are you okay?” Drake asks once it’s just the two of us.

I shrug. “I don’t know. Either I’m too dumb to be scared or too scared to know I’m scared.” My forehead wrinkles at my words. I confused myself.

Drake holds out his arm, and I wrap mine through it. “May I escort you to your room, madame?”

“Why, yes. Thank you.” Zeke’s words from earlier echo through my mind as we move slowly upstairs. Is Drake smitten with me? I’ve definitely noticed him. How could I not? He’s gorgeous, kind, and brilliant. I never thought he’d be interested in me. I’m nothing special.

“We’re here,” he says, interrupting my thoughts.

I pull my arm away from his. “Thank you, Drake. For everything.” I look down the hall at the previously broken window thanks to Odin. “I couldn’t do anything around here without you.”

He smiles, making my stomach flitter slightly. “That’s not true. You’re more capable than you know.” He stares into my eyes longer than necessary before backing away. “Good night, Rose. I’m right downstairs if you need anything.”

I watch him walk away in the moonlight. It’s not until he’s out of sight that I move into the bedroom.

I don’t take the time to do anything except change from the coffee-covered jeans I’m wearing into a pair of sleep shorts. I collapse on the bed, halfway sliding under the covers. The moment my eyes close, I’m asleep.

“Witch,” someone says from a distance. “Witch.”

My eyes open, and I realize I’m no longer in my house. The faint light of the moon casts shadows, providing enough light to make out a few features. The smell of rotting flesh nearly overwhelms me, forcing me to cover my nose. Is this a dream, or am I back in the darkness?

“Witch,” a whisper echoes through my ears.

“Hello?” The sound of water lapping against solid wood floods my ears. A ship? Holy shit, I’m on a ship. I stand, feeling the movement of the waves. The smell of death fills my nose. “Lumos,” I whisper instinctively, casting dim light throughout the space. Horror fills me at the sight of the source of the smell. Bodies, in all stages of decay, are scattered throughout the room.

“Oh, my goddess!”

“Your goddess can’t help you here,” a voice says from the other side of the room.

“Where am I? Is this a dream?”

“You’re in the pits of hell,” the voice answers. “If you’re dreaming, then I’ve been dreaming for decades.”

“Who are you?” I ask the faceless voice.

“I was someone. Now…now, I’m nothing more than a monster.”

“Where are we?”

“In his ship.”

My stomach drops. I know without asking whose ship we’re in. “Where is he?”

“He’s here. There. Everywhere.”

“Are you a vampire?” I don’t want to know the answer.

“I think so. I was human once.”

I cast the light toward the weak voice. The woman standing in front of me takes my breath away. Patches of dark hair are all that remain on her head. Her eyes are sunken in, underlined with dark circles. Sharp teeth protrude from her mouth, and traces of blood cover her chin. Her body is emaciated, reminding me of pictures I’d rather forget.

“He’s coming,” she whispers. “Go before he finds you.”

“I don’t know how to go. I don’t know how I’m here,” I answer truthfully. A heavy chain bangs against the door. Like earlier, the crystal amulet around my neck begins to glow with heat, burning into my skin.

“Go now,” the vampire whispers.

I wrap my hand around the burning glow. Home, I think. In a heartbeat, I’m returned to my familiar bedroom at the bayou. My heart is pounding as I focus on the room around me, hoping to ground myself in reality.

A loud knock on my door makes me jump. “Rose,” Drake says from the other side. “Are you okay?”

Without wasting a moment, I open the door, wrapping my arms around his waist. “No. I’m not,” I whisper.

Strong arms surround me, holding me until the anxiety begins to melt away. I lose track of time before pulling back. “Do you want to talk about it?” Drake asks.

“I…I don’t know. It was a dream, I think. But it wasn’t a dream at the same time.” I sound like an idiot. How do I explain something I have no explanation for? “I was in his ship,” I whisper.

“The pirate’s ship?”

“Yeah. I was at the bottom of the ship, and…there were bodies everywhere. The smell of death surrounded me, and there was a girl.”

“A girl? Was she dead? ”

“She was a vampire. Does that count as being alive?” I pull him into my room, latching the door behind him.

“Did she talk to you?” he asks, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I nod. “She told me her name was Elsbeth, and she’d been in the hold of the ship for decades.” I rub the crystal around my neck. “The crystal warned me he was near.”

“How?”

“Like it did this morning. It got hot when he was close.”

Drake places a large hand on my shoulder. “If that was a dream, how would the crystal be able to respond?”

He’s right. Even in the few lucid dreams I’ve had throughout the years, none have ever felt so realistic. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.” My words are not meant as anything other than a request for companionship.

Drake nods, waiting for me to climb into the bed. “I’ll stay.” He moves toward an uncomfortable high-back chair in the corner by the fireplace.

"That’s not necessary. Come lie next to me. I promise to behave.”

He stares at me, questioning my words for several minutes, before following directions and climbing into the large bed next to me. On the edge of the bed, he turns toward me, cradling the pillow in his arms. I don’t ask permission, and I’m not sure where the boldness comes from, but I turn my back toward him and scoot closer to the man in my bed, assuming the little spoon position. Drake’s body is stiff, and the energy between us is awkward but still better than being alone.

“Is this okay?” I whisper .

“Yeah.” A few minutes later, he rests his arm on my hip. “I don’t know what to do with my hands.” He scoffs.

“You can leave it there.” I turn on my back, making eye contact with him. “I’m sorry to make it weird between us. I can slide over to my side if it’s easier.”

“No. It’s fine.”

“Thank you, Drake. I know I’ve said that before.” I take a deep breath, hoping to ease the tension between us. “Without you, this whole witch thing would have been a disaster.”

“You’re welcome.”

We stare at each other longer than necessary before I roll back to my side. The energy coming from him begins to relax slightly, which eases the tension between us. The rest of the night passes dreamlessly. No vampires. No pirate ships. Just sleep.

My eyes open to the bright sun shining through the window overlooking the swamp. It takes me a few minutes to realize what’s going on. I raise my head, realizing it’s propped on something much more solid than my pillow. My arm is draped over something smooth and hard, and my knee is…oh, my stars, I’m using Drake as a pillow. His breathing is deep and slow, telling me he’s still asleep—thank goodness.

I slowly inch away, trying not to wake the large man I’m taking advantage of. I manage to slide to the opposite side of the bed, pulling the covers tight around my body without him waking.

Staring at the man who shared my bed last night, the awkwardness is gone. Other than my body betraying me and using him as a pillow, I feel surprisingly relaxed .

“Why are you staring at me?” a sleepy voice says from the other side of my bed.

And…the awkwardness is back. “No reason.” I stretch, forcing my arms and legs straight. “How did you sleep?”

“Other than a strange dream, I slept well.”

I look back at my bedmate. “What kind of dream?”

Drake laughs. “It’s dumb.”

“Was it the pirate?”

“No, nothing like that.” He covers his face with his hand. “It’s embarrassing.” He sighs. “I dreamed I was a giant marshmallow, and someone kept squishing me. See, I told you it was dumb.”

I jump out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower. I’d imagine Bessie and Zeke will have something planned this morning.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” He slides out of bed, and my eyes betray me. The muscles in his arms are tight and powerful. “I’m going to head to my room.” He clears his throat, leaving me gobsmacked at the foot of my four-poster bed.

I take a cold shower, willing the thoughts from my mind. “Focus on the vampire and your powers,” I whisper into the water. Magically, the thoughts of Drake in compromising positions clear from my mind.

My phone buzzes as I slide into a clean pair of yoga pants and a French Quarter hoodie. Staring at the text, I don’t recognize the local number.

No one in the area has had any contact with or seen any of Kragen’s crew. CS J

Assuming CSJ is the lycanthrope I met at the bar yesterday, I slide my phone into my pocket without a response. I don’t know how he found my phone number, but I don’t question him. Partly because I don’t know what to say…partly because what good would it do? Downstairs, I walk into a full kitchen. Drake’s hair is still wet, and he’s pouring a cup of coffee.

“There she is,” Zeke says, toasting the air in front of him with a tiny souvenir cup. The cup is shaped like a penis with Ding-a-ling Hot Dogs stamped across the front. I resist the urge to laugh and do my best to ignore the imp.

“I made breakfast,” Bessie says, nodding toward the massive amount of food on the table. “I wasn’t sure what everyone would want, so I made a little bit of everything.”

“Thank you. It all looks wonderful.” My stomach growls on cue.

“Don’t thank me yet. We’ve got a lot of training to do.”

“Training?” I ask, biting into a juicy slice of bacon.

“You didn’t think your powers wouldn’t require training, did you?” Zeke asks.

“Of course not. I just wasn’t sure what training consists of.” Why do I feel like I’m being reprimanded every time Zeke speaks? “You know what, little man. I don’t like your tone. You’ve been one gigantic pain in my ass since meeting you.”

He sets the penis cup down. “Wow.” He stares at me longer than necessary. “I apologize, Rose. I can be a bit much for some people. My…harshness is more than some ca n handle, present company included.” He nods toward Bessie.

“Oh, for goddess’s sake. Cut the bullshit, imp. You’ve never apologized a day in your life. No one believes you now.” Bessie crosses her arms in front of her chest as she speaks. “By the way, why are you drinking from a dick?”

I can’t control the laughter that erupts from her words. Hearing a woman of her age use that language eases the tension I carried with me. Before long, Drake and eventually Bessie join the laughter.

“Laugh all you want, humans. I’ll be alive long after each of you is gone.” He holds his cup in the air. “Me and my penis cup are eternal.”

“Eat your fill. I’ll meet you in the gym,” Bessie says, leaving the three of us alone in the kitchen.

“We have a gym?” I ask Drake.

He scoffs. “It’s behind the garage.” He stands, carrying his dishes to the sink. “I’m going to work on the dock today. Let me know if you need anything.”

I watch him exit the room, not sure how to explain what I’m feeling. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m feeling. “Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” Zeke’s words turn my ears red. I move toward the sink, washing the few dishes inside.

“Tell me about the dream.” Zeke appears on the countertop next to me with a towel in his hands.

“What dream?”

“I may be small and drink from phallic-shaped cups, but I’m not dumb.” He picks up a plate, drying it carefully. “I heard you last night.” He points toward his slightly larger ears. “These aren’t just to make me handsome, you know.”

I hand him a small bowl. “I was on the ship.”

“Ship? Kragen’s ship?”

“Yeah. It felt so real.”

“That’s because it was.” He stacks the bowl on top of the larger ones. “What did you see?”

“A young woman. She was a vampire. And…and so much death.”

“Did you talk to anyone?”

“Other than the vampire girl, no.” I turn, facing the imp. “The crystal brought me home.”

“No, you brought you home.” He leaps from the countertop. “The crystal is what took you there.”

“Why would the crystal take me to Kragen’s ship?”

“I wouldn’t know, but if I had to guess, I would say it was trying to show you something.”

“All I saw was death,” I answer, remembering the putrid smell.

“Maybe the vampire is important.” Zeke shrugs. “You’ll find out. One thing I’ve learned over my time on this planet is that things eventually make sense. Maybe not right now, but eventually, it will.” He moves toward the sunroom. “Come one. Let’s go train with the bitch—I mean witch.”