"More like this much," I complained, spreading my arms as far apart as they would go while Emrys looked on with his normal grin.
Krista rescued the conversation again by asking Emrys about his childhood. It was interesting to hear his stories of his childhood. I couldn't help picturing him as a little boy playing stickball on the streets of Brooklyn or ice skating in Central Park. He talked about tagging along on job sites with his dad during the summer and collecting bottles with his friends so they could see a double matinee at the local theater. It all seemed so wholesome and simplistic. Although he was years removed from that time, he recalled it with amazing clarity. I felt envious that he could remember things more than sixty years old when I couldn't remember anything from a year ago.
After an hour of chatting, Krista finally ran out of questions for Emrys, and I could tell by her relaxed posture that she grudgingly approved.
"So, is the interrogation over?" I teased as she finally sat back.
"For now," she answered, smiling at me.
"So, can Emrys and I go for a walk on the beach?" I asked, hopping to my feet.
"Sure," she said, looking at Mark for his input.
"As long as you're back by eleven," he answered.
"Okay," I agreed, not sure where the curfew had come from, but at the moment, I just wanted to leave the oppressive living room behind.
"It was nice to meet you," Emrys said, seemingly sincere while standing to shake Krista's hand.
"Same here."
"Sir," Emrys said, holding his hand out to shake Mark's hand next.
He gave Haniel a curt nod before following me out the French doors.
"That was fun," I grumbled, pulling my shoes off so I could walk barefoot on the sand.
"It wasn't that bad. Your uncle kind of reminds me of my dad. I like that he's overprotective of you," he said, linking his fingers through mine.
"It's all nonsense. I mean, seriously, I could kick all of your butts at the same time."
"Sometimes there are other dangers besides the ones right in front of you. Being able to kick butt doesn't always protect you. Your relatives are wise beyond their years. If you wouldn't have told me their ages, I would have guessed them older."
"I think that has to do with the whole fiasco they went through when they were basically my age. Mark's father was one sick bastard," I said, wondering if he knew any of the history surrounding Krista and Mark.
"That's what I heard. He was a hot topic at the time. The fact that he destroyed The Light's greatest weapon seemed to be the talk of every realm for a while," he said as we stepped onto the night-cooled sand.
"Yeah, what he did changed a lot of things from what I'm gathering. The Guides and Protectors are still important, but Krista and Mark are definitely more powerful being Ascended. Anyway, I think all the crap with Mark's dad prematurely aged both of them. Krista's mom says Krista was always an old soul, but I think it's more deeply rooted. Of course, getting saddled with a teenage freak probably didn't help," I joked.
"You are pretty freaky," he teased. "Thinking you're all badass and stuff."
"Really?" I asked in a calculating voice.
"Yeah, I mean, look at how puny your arms are," he said, reaching over to give my arm a pinch.
My foot whipped out, catching him at the ankles in midstep. Unprepared for the attack, he lost his balance and was in the process of falling to the ground when he reached out for me. The momentum of his fall dragged me down with him before I could dig my feet in the sand. Together we tumbled to the ground.
I landed on top of Emrys, making him grunt from the impact.
"Told you I was badass," I said, bracing my hands on the sand so I could rise.
Emrys snaked his arms around, holding me in place. "If you wanted to get me on my back all you had to do was say so," he teased. "But, I think your uncle might not take too kindly to this," he added, making his point clear by tightening his hold on me.
"No, I'm thinking this borders on compromising positions," I started to chuckle until I realized that laughing while sprawled on top of him brought certain areas to life. My skin began to tingle as I took stock of how very male he was.
"Yeah, laughter is probably not the best idea, sweet stuff," he said, pulling me closer than I could have imagined possible. He raised his right hand and cupped the back of my neck.
"Don't sweat it, love, it's just like standing up and kissing," he crooned deftly, flipping me over so I was cradled beneath him.