Bewitching Exclusive Excerpt
Using his free arm, Ari made
sideways strokes. Kari watched him, studying the way he moved.
“It…doesn’t look so bad.”
“Ready to try on your own?”
Kari suppressed a shudder. “Maybe.”
Ari laughed. “It’s up to you. Just
let go of me; I’ll be right here.”
Kari released a slow breath as she
unwound herself from him. Keeping one hand on his bicep, she kicked her legs.
It was easy to stay afloat, she realized. She gave a few tentative strokes with
her free arm. Ari moved with her, his smile wide.
“See? No problem. You’re a natural,
even. Now…” Ari trailed off, his gaze wandering someplace above her head. Then
his eyes widened. “Guine, no!”
Before Kari could turn her head,
water engulfed her. It was there then gone, and Ari was right there; she clung
to him again, gasping. Her hair was plastered to her face, dripping water. Ari
brushed it away from her eyes.
“It’s alright, Kari, you’re okay.”
A burst of laughter made her ears
perk hard and fast. Kari twisted her head around to scowl at a shirtless Guine
as he stepped into the lake.
“What’s that look for?” He sneered.
“Afraid of a little water?”
She snarled. “If Ari weren’t here—”
“Yeah, I bet you’d love a good
thunderbolt right now. But guess what? No-can-do in the water!”
Guine splayed his fingers over the
lake’s unstable surface. “So, how’re you gonna win a water fight, Kari?”
Kari launched herself across the
water. Any fool could see she couldn’t swim—her technique was horrible. But her
splashing and kicking was enough to propel herself. Guine’s eyes widened and he
stepped back. His magic glittered; was he forming ice?
I’m going to break his jaw!
The water around her waist crackled
then hardened. Kari punched through it, heedless of the way her knuckles
throbbed.
Then she was on the human, tackling
him into the shallow depths. Water made volatile from their splashing seeped over
his face and into his mouth.
“K-Kari!” Guine sputtered before she
slammed her fist into his cheek.
“You…BASTARD!” she roared, raising
her other fist.
Ari grabbed her from behind and
hauled her off. Unbelievably, he was laughing.
Kari squirmed. “Let me go! He needs
to be punished!”
“Now, Guine, you know that was very
rude,” Ari said over her shoulder.
Guine sat up, his fingers raised to
heal the beginning of a bruise on his face. “It was,” he admitted. “I am sorry,
Kari.”
Kari’s struggles slowed. She
narrowed her eyes. “Are you?”
“’Course not.” Guine raised a
finger, releasing a shot of water into her face.
This time, Ari let her go. Kari ran
at Guine; he dove into the water, laughter irritatingly confident as he swam
away. She chased him, kicking her legs and swinging her arms, splashing water
more than actually moving in her attempts to catch up to him. All the while,
Ari lost himself to laughter.