A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Walk Into A Bar (Book 1 of The Last Witch Series) novel Chapter 16

I point to the floor and she follows my finger, noticing the water and then putting her hands to her face.

“Why… why’d you miss?” she asks Zev, who smiles in response.

“Because you’re a water nymph,” he responds in an oddly reassuring tone. “You control the water around your body, just like you can control men.”

At that, both AJ and I burst into laughter. Attract, seduce, allure, maybe. But control? If AJ could actually control men, her life would have been way different.

“I’ll give you the water gag,” she says, looking from Zev to me and then back to her assailant. “But I’ve got no power over men. If anything, it’s the other way around.”

“Do you live near the water?” Darius asks, a hint of annoyance in his voice at having to teach someone about why they could dodge his mind tricks.

“Yeah, dumbass, the ocean’s like five miles from here.”

“Can you see it from your home?” If Darius sounded annoyed earlier, he’s now fully vexed.

AJ thinks, though she knows the answer. “No, not… no. But why does that matter? Also, plenty of people have thrown beer in my face and it hasn’t, like, bounced off me.”

“You don’t have power over fluids, and just a minimal control over the water near your body,” Zev clarifies. “I also imagine you relinquished your power over men.”

“What? When? Why?” Her string of questions showcases how little either of us understand what’s being said.

“If you don’t believe in your own strength,” Darius cuts in, “you turn what should be a power into a weakness.”

It’s a very backhanded compliment, and I think AJ takes it as such. She might’ve let guys walk all over her up to this point in her life, but if she actually starts to believe in herself, she could put a stop to it now.

“But,” Darius continues, “a nymph in the house only complicates things further.” He steps toward her, mouth open, teeth sharpening with each step. “I’d like to know what everyone proposes we do.”

“How about this,” I say, putting my foot down before this conversation gets further out of hand. “This is my house and you three are the entire complication. So why don’t you go down to the bar, clean a little, talk things over, sit on the stools and try to look normal. With the power out and nothing to do at home, people will start showing up soon, and I’d love it if you refrained from killing anyone else today.”

I look at AJ, still weirded out by her not being human, but nevertheless taking a lot of comfort in her presence. I need a shot of Jameson and a cry on a shoulder, and I know she’ll help with both.

“AJ and I are going to have a quick talk and then we’ll join you,” I finish, trying not to leave room for any follow-up questions.

The Sexies seem content, or are at least eager to discuss the new situation. They move out of the apartment, with Darius being the last to go, his eyes lingering on AJ.

As soon as he closes the door, she turns to me with a twinkle in her eye I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. “Can you believe this shit? I’m not human!”

I don’t know why this makes her so ecstatic, but I guess it’s better than her being devastated.

“Are you sure, though?” I’m not ready to buy into all this, especially because we don’t know what any of it means. Can she breathe underwater? Talk to fish? Or just stay dry without an umbrella?

“I mean, not really,” AJ says, and I take solace in her at least being a little apprehensive. “But that water trick was something, and I’m riding a wave of dead-husband endorphins.”

Right. That’s still a thing. At some point, when we know what’s going on and, well, what she is, we’ll need to address the issue of the murdered and now officially missing John.

“What I do know,” AJ continues, “is that a sexy vampire tried to get in my head, and then a wicked hot werewolf sniffed my neck and told me I’m not human. Who am I to argue with those facts?”