Page 16 of Hex You

Khenti’s full lips curled up. “I appreciate felines. They do not make me sneeze like your friend Emily. And I think Xena is magnificent. She would be worshipped as a goddess in our Underworld.”

“Don’t let her hear you say—” Mercy began, but Xena’s voice came from the second-floor landing.

“Then I must visit your Underworld, Khenti kitten!”

“Come on, I’ll show you around before Xena corners you and starts asking you exactlyhowshe’d be worshipped.” Khenti’s hand in hers, Mercy led him to the back door.

From upstairs Xena’s words drifted after them. “I would prefer to be worshipped with plenty of tuna—and an occasional fat sparrow…”

Just a few steps outside the back door Khenti paused and drew in a deep breath. “Your world smells like green, growing things. I like it very much.”

“Thanks! You’re here at a good time. In the winter it’s cold and we get a bunch of snow, and the summer is hot and humid—really a mess. But right now, in the middle of spring when everything is fertile and healthy and stretched up toward the sun, it’s perfect.”

“What is this greenhouse of which Xena spoke?”

“Here, it’s this way.” Mercy gestured for him to follow her. She didn’t take his hand again, but they walked close enough beside each other that their arms occasionally touched. Mercy liked how comfortable she felt with him, and she loved that he actually listened to her and cared about what she had to say—and he was definitely off-the-charts hot, but when she thought about more—as in a relationship—she felt uneasy. She’d misjudged Kirk. She didn’t believe she was misjudging Khenti, but she hadn’t believed Kirk was an ass and had been totally wrong about that. Mercy liked Khenti—a lot, but she had to go slow. She had to be able to trust her judgment. She stopped in front of her mother’s last present to her. “This is my greenhouse. It’s my sanctuary. Come on in.” She opened the door and flipped on the light switch, but even before they were fully inside, the scent of flowers and tomato plants, ferns and fertile soil, filled her senses and worked on her nerves like a balm.

“This is wondrous!” Khenti walked slowly down the middle row of the glass house. “It reminds me a little of my mother’s growing chamber.”

“Yeah, only I’d have to multiply this several times to catch up with your mom’s chamber.”

Khenti stopped before a table filled with healthy tomato seedlings. “What are these interesting plants?”

“Tomatoes. They’ll be ready to plant in the garden outside at the end of this month.”

“Tomatoes?”

“You know, red, round fruit that are really more like a vegetable. They make great spaghetti sauce, but my fav is to slice them thick for tomato sandwiches on toasted bread with lots of mayo.” When he just shook his head, Mercy pulled her phone from her pocket and quickly googled tomatoes to show him a picture.

“We do not have that plant in my world,” said Khenti.

“OMGoddess! Seriously? I’m gonna tomato you up while you’re here!”

Khenti grinned. “Whatever that means I shall look forward to it because it makes you happy.” He touched her cheek gently. “I like it when you’re happy.”

Mercy covered his hand with hers. “Me, too. It’s good to be home.” Then, as she thought about the awkwardness with Hunter, her smile faded and her hand dropped from his cheek. “Weird, but good.”

“It will get better. And your sister’s powers are impressive.”

Mercy nodded. “They are. And she said she closed a gate, which is great news. Well, unless she has to have Amphitrite’s help to do it again, which is not great news.”

“Let us not worry about that until tomorrow. Tonight let us take joy in the fact that we are no longer in hell.”

“You’re absolutely right. We’re not in hell. We’re not going to die. And you’re here inmy worldnow—my filled-with-yummy-tomatoes world!” Mercy brushed her hand gently over the baby tomato plants so that their distinctive scent filled the air around them.

“And we’re alone.” Khenti turned from the tomato sprouts to face her.

“We are,” Mercy said.

“Thank you for saving us.” Khenti met and held her gaze.

“Hunter saved us.” She was unable to look away from his dark, expressive eyes.

“But only because you used your powers to reach from one world to another and call to her. You are amazing, Green Witch Mercy.” Slowly, gently, Khenti cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was a sweet question that Mercy allowed herself to answer with ayesas she deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Khenti held her as they explored the kiss, until they both were breathing hard. When Mercy pulled backjust a little Khenti relaxed his embrace so that she could easily step out of his arms.

“I need to take this part of our relationship slow,” said Mercy.