Read Getting Lucky for Free Online

remains of their lunch.
    The last thing she saw as she made her way into the scrub were his shoulders and buttocks flexing as he bent and stretched to tidy up their picnic spot. When the greenery had obscured her over-the-shoulder peeping, she sighed and kept her eyes on the pathway. She had planned to roll him over after lunch and have her way with him on that soft sueded fabric, but some plans needed to be put aside until they were practical.
    The branches and trees parted suddenly and she stopped for a moment to take in the view. The pond was the product of three streams and some beavers. The surface appeared still but she sensed a wild current just beneath. The water was crystal clear and she wandered forward in a daze to wash the rapidly drying stickiness left by the juice. Westa was drip-drying her arm in the sun when an unwelcome voice broke the silence.
    "So my dear Lucky. We meet again.” Tamsin was rising from the pond and he was not alone. The golden elf was astride a beautiful white horse and they were both completely nude.
    "Have you been stalking me? Perv.” She turned to go back to Henry only to find the path blocked by a column of mist. “What the hell is all this?"
    Tamsin dismounted and walked across the water.
    His golden skin glistened in the sun. It was no doubt designed to be enticing, but Westa found it ridiculously theatrical.
    "Henry Inlough had his chance to seduce you, and no doubt used every charm at his disposal. This is my chance."
    "What the hell?” She began to back up rapidly, moving into the fog and keeping the power of her luck between them. She wasn't quite fast enough as he managed to grab her and pull her in for a searing kiss. She was sure he meant it to be searing, but she was only irritated at the pressure on her mouth as her teeth and lips were ground together.
    From off in the distance, she heard a roar of fury and it gave her the strength to bring a knee up to trip Tamsin into the low scrub next to them. She scrambled away from him and tried to lose herself in the heavy fog. She heard cursing and smiled, it seemed Tamsin had found the poison ivy.
    The pounding of hooves on turf grew closer until the mist swirled and parted. Armed, armoured and angry, Henry was heading directly toward Tamsin.
    The golden elf leapt to his feet and managed to get astride his horse in only a few seconds, but it still was almost too late.
    With his sword drawn, Henry bore down on the opponent who flickered for several seconds, then appeared in a co-ordinating set of armour that matched his hair. Where Henry's armour was battle worn and chipped, Tamsin was wearing the designer fashion fresh off the runway.
    Swords drawn, they collided and circled. Battle-tested armour against untried. Horses’ hooves tore up the turf, dark against light, as they wheeled and spun, scarring the earth in their wake.
    Westa admired the poetry of the conflict even as she flinched at every collision. It was noisy. Leather squealed as metal sang and chimed. The horses were blowing and the men hissing and cursing at every contact. It was far from the genteel depiction of legend.
    Tamsin was flickering. His armour was appearing and disappearing with the subtlety of a strobe light. With an anticlimactic pop it disappeared permanently and Tamsin panicked. He whirled his horse and galloped off into the mist that was evaporating as rapidly as he was.
    "Are you all right?” Henry prodded his horse to her.
    She calmed herself by stroking its nose. “Yeah, I am fine. He caught me by surprise is all.” The horse lipped her hand and she giggled. “Not that I am shocked or anything, but where did you get the horse?” It was snuffling at her hair and she squealed.
    "Get on, sweet. I will explain it as we ride. We can travel faster on Seerix than on the roads.” He held his hand out to her.
    She stepped up on his booted foot, then perched in front of him, sidesaddle.
    "You will need to be on more securely than that. Swing your leg