In Exchange for Magic

"She was a lot hotter than the last one," Ez explained. "And a better kisser."
"I don't think you're having visions Ez," I told him. "Seeing as the only girl you've kissed so far in all of your seventeen years is me."
He snorted.
"I would say they're more like... Fantasies," I teased. "Empty hopes!"

"Oh you're being-" he began, but choked on his words.

His eyes went wide and his gaze strayed from my eyes.

"What?" I demanded. "Is it bloodlust?"
"No... No..." he breathed. "Regular lust."

I quickly drew up the covers to cover my skimpy pajama ensemble. He giggled quietly until I gave him a good kick, which shut him up. I could still feel him shaking with silent laughter, though.

"You know," I told him. "I don't know which Ez I prefer. The mean one, or the horny one."
"Oh, the horny one, for sure," he whispered directly in my ear.
I flipped out and scrambled out of the bed. "I refuse to sleep on the same mattress as you!"

He sighed and rolled onto his back.

"You can refuse all you want, Sweet, but now I can see your legs and that's making it even worse."
"What is the matter with you?"
He shrugged and scratched his stomach. "Nothing. I'm just being honest."
"So... So... You just go and say how you feel? Right when you feel it?" I asked, hands on my hips.
"Yeah. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

I stood there for a second, speechless.

"Come on back into bed. My crazy lusty hormones are dead and I promise to be a good boy."

I sighed and did so. But something in the way that Ez seemed to try and sneakily scoot closer to me the second he thought I was asleep told me that those crazy lusty hormones of his were very much alive.

I woke up in the morning to the sounds of Ez pacing. The floorboards creaked under his feet.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" I grumbled.
"Yeah," he hissed quickly.
I rolled over in bed to face him. He was fully dressed in his elf gear, and he looked quite nervous.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" he shrieked. "What's wrong? Why, nothing is wrong! We're going to storm the Palace in a matter of hours, and I'm feeling particularly antsy about the whole thing... We're running late, and there's a good chance that we won't be home in time for my birthday! Everything is just peachy-keen!"
"Don't be a drama queen."
"You know... The whole thing seems silly now that I think about it... I mean, risking your life to get a book? I've got half the mind to turn back and drop all of it right now!"
"Ez!" I scoffed. "You're telling me that you're going to ignore all that we've been through to get here just because you've got butterflies? No. We're going."

He rubbed his forehead with his palm and sighed.

"Yeah... I know..."

His foot was tapping at lightning speed, and, upon closer inspection, I could see that his eyes were bright red. His fingers played absentmindedly with the hem of his shirt, and his gaze was darting around the room.

Frankly, Ez Sullivan looked a bit like a starving drug addict.

Oh. Right. Drugs. Me. Blood. Got it.

"Come here, Ez," I ordered and sat up in bed.
"Why?"
"Just come here."
He approached me with a look of confusion.
"Look, Rose. Whatever you're playing at, I'm not in the mood for-"

His eyes widened as I gripped his left ear and tugged him down to me, planting a quick kiss on his lips. He jumped, and I laughed as I pushed him away.

"There," I piped. "Feeling better?"

He stood at the side of the bed for a moment, looking bewildered and joyous at the same time. He slowly raised his fingers to touch his lips, and a smile broke out across them.

"No, actually, I'm still a little antsy. Can you please do it again?"
"Not a chance."
He laughed and picked up my dress from the floor.
"Put this on... I think we should get going."

I rolled my eyes. If it wasn't a kiss Ezekiel wanted, it was to see me in that skimpy dress.

-_-_-_-_-

"You know," I told Ez. "I'm worried about you."
"Why?" he asked.

We were elbowing our way through the throng of people trying to get into the Palace. Creatures were trying to sell us miniature statues of the magnificent castle, along with other expensive tourist-y gimmicks. We could just barely see the wrought-iron gates about a hundred yards off.

"Because I think you're building up an immunity to my blood. I mean... erm... Your drug."
He scratched the back of his head and thought about it. "Yes... I suppose you're right. I mean... Besides that little trick you pulled on me this morning, the last time we kissed was... Let's see... The day before yesterday."
"And you were already feeling like you needed a fix today!"
"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my birthday is getting closer," he suggested.

"Are you two lovely creatures interested in buying-"
"No thank you," Ez interrupted the stout woman trying to shove an autographed picture of Prince Jude in our faces. "We're in a hurry."

We pressed on, feeling like a pair of sardines in the sea of bodies that were milling around outside the castle. It wasn't until the early afternoon that we were able to make it inside the gates, past the dozing guards, and around towards a side entrance that I'd spotted.

"I think that this one leads into the kitchen," Ez told me. "It makes sense, because it's around towards the back of the Palace. The Library is the dead center of the Palace, so keep heading-"
"Keep heading away from any windows," I finished for him. "I know! We've been over this!"

I acted calm and collected, but the truth is that I was lashing out because I was dead nervous. My heart was flopping around in my chest like a drunken grasshopper.

Ez sighed and reached a hand out, as if to grasp my shoulder. He hesitated, and decided against it -- opting instead to act like he'd meant to shove his hand into his pocket. He took a deep breath, and then let it out dejectedly.

"I... Rose..."

He took his hand out of his pocket and took my hand. I smiled at him and squeezed his fingers, but he winced and wormed his hand from my grasp. He avoided my gaze.

"Uh. This... I'm really scared that this is the last time I'm going to see you, Rose."
"Don't be!" I encouraged. "I'll be fine! I promise!"
"You're not at liberty to say that," he said, his eyes still on the ground. "I just wanted to tell you... Erm... To be safe."

I scowled. "And?"
"And what?"
"Isn't there anything else you want to tell me?"
"Should there be?"
"No. Not if you don't want to say anything. Not if you don't want to tell me good luck, or please don't die or, I'll miss you!"
"Oh. Okay, yeah. All of those things."

I rolled my eyes. "Great. Thanks. Nice knowing you, Ez."

He caught my arm as I spun around towards the door to the castle.

"You women are crazy!" he laughed.
I huffed and ripped my arm away from him.
"Okay, Rose..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm going to have a go at this... But you know that I'm no good with words or, you know... Sentiment."
"Alright. I'm waiting."

He opened his mouth, but then closed it. He thought for a moment, and then started to say my name, but then stopped. He shook his head, giving up, and then just reached out and hugged me fiercely.

"Don't you dare die on me, Rose Collins," he whispered. "You are the only person I've got."

He let go of me, putting a thumb in the corner of his eye and blinking repeatedly.

"Now get out of here so that I can be thoroughly embarrassed at what I just said in peace!" he yelled, laughing.

I laughed too, and threw him a wink over my shoulder as I opened the door to the Palace.