“Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” I said dryly.
“There she is!” Sin exclaimed triumphantly as he pointed a spoon at me. “I knew you were still in there; somewhere beneath the mopey face, tangled hair, and BO.”
“I just needed a moment to catch my breath,” I huffed as I offered him the Rocky Road. “And thanks for being a gentleman and not mentioning my disheveled state.”
Sin chuckled as he added a scoop of Rocky Road to the Pistachio he'd already dished out then put both cartons back in the freezer. “Yeah, I get it. You lost a lot; it can take awhile to get over that.”
“Thank you, Sin. You kept me from losing even more”
He shut the freezer and looked at me for a long moment. “You're welcome, Vervain.”
“Let's go eat our strange ice cream and talk about ways to get my magic back,” I suggested. “I'm done moping.”
Sin grinned and waved a hand toward his living room. “After you, my nice-smelling lady.”
“Will you shut up about my odor already?” I grumbled.
“It was bad. Humans can get stinky.”
“Sin,” I growled.
“But you're better now. Did you use the Tom Ford body wash?” He inhaled deeply. “Oh, that's my favorite.”
“Sin!”
“All right already. I'm dropping it.” He chuckled. “Just remember; you can cry in the shower and then at least you'll be clean.”
“Put some ice cream in your mouth,” I snapped.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sin and I brainstormed for hours but neither of us could come up with a plan. All of my allies were lost to me, even the Jinn had left me to my new fate. All we had going for us were our smarts and Sin's magic... and neither was doing much good. Sin thought that we should find Marduk and try—once more—to burgle the Tablet of Destinies. I pointed out that Marduk would have wards in place, and I didn't have a way past them. I thought we should come up with a way to draw Marduk to me and then Sin could sneak up on Marduk and knock him out. Sin nixed that, saying that Marduk was too careful to allow himself to be caught unawares. Plus, how would we draw him out? We didn't have anything that Marduk wanted.
“I can't undo what Marduk did without the Tablet, and I can't get to the Tablet. So, where does that leave me?” I muttered.
“That's it!” Sin waved his hands in a negative motion as he stood. “We need to get out of here for a little while. Clear our heads.”
“Bahrain must be infested with Mesopotamians,” I pointed out. “The last thing I need right now is a run-in with one of them.”
“Who said anything about Bahrain?” He asked with a sexy smile as he held his hand out to me. “I was thinking of somewhere more tropical.”
“Hawaii?” I asked hopefully.
He blinked. “Sure, if that's where you want to go.”
“It is.” I took his hand. “It's the one home that I have left.”
“Climb aboard the Sin wagon, sweetheart.” Sin pulled me in against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. “Next stop; Hawaii.”
Tracing was so much more jarring without my magic to cushion me. I held onto Sin tightly as the Aether pulled us in then I became pure thought. For the seconds we moved through that magical realm, I knew peace. Then we reformed in the shade of a banyan tree, and heartache hit me again. I breathed through it and concentrated on my surroundings instead of the pain. The banyan's trailing roots hung in clumps from every stout branch, draping nearly to the ground and hiding our abrupt appearance from the eyes of passing tourists. Even its rippling, massive trunk provided shelter, nestling us within two extending sections. I let go of Sin, but he held on a little longer. When I glanced up, I found him staring at me with a soft expression.
My throat went dry with panic. Yes, Sin was becoming more attractive to me, but I was too broken from the loss of my family to jump into a new relationship right now. Even the thought of kissing Sin made my throat constrict and my stomach turn. My husbands and Viper may not love me anymore, but I still loved them. Fiercely. And they were under a spell; it wasn't their fault. So, if I started another relationship, I'd become the traitor they believed me to be.
But Sin was my only friend. All I had left. Would he abandon me too if I rejected him?
“Aw, Vervain, don't look at me like that.” Sin released me and stepped away. “My friendship doesn't come at a price. You know I want you—I have since I first laid eyes on you—but I don't want you like that. If we ever get together, it will be because it's what we both want.”
“Thanks, Sin,” I whispered in relief. “I should never have thought otherwise.”
“It's okay. Come on.” He took my hand and led me out of the banyan's embrace.
I was surprised to find that we were at the Honolulu Zoo, on the expanse of lawn before its entrance. The scent of saltwater and suntan lotion trailed over from Waikiki Beach, just across the street from us, while the sound of children and the hoot of baboons drifted over the Zoo walls. The combination brought tears to my eyes. When everything goes to hell, all I really want to do is go home. It felt good to be in Hawaii again; the place where it had all began.
Sin flagged down a cab. “How about afternoon tea?”
“That sounds amazing,” I agreed as I slid into the cab.
“The Moana Surfrider, please,” Sin said to the driver.
“You got it, bruddah,” the cabbie's local accent made me smile wider.
“This is just what I needed,” I said to Sin. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.” He winked at me.
I leaned against the door and stared out the open window at the crowds
