Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

going to throw us all over the gym tonight,” Blythe said, wiping at her face with the hem of her shirt. “I think last week every bone in my body ached. He’s worse than Lissa and her martial arts training.”
    “Don’t forget her Pilates. And her weight training. And her Zumba classes,” Airiana added and threw herself onto her back on the floor, groaning. “I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Lissa can think of a million ways to do us all in.”
    Judith forced a laugh. It was becoming easier to feel the emotion she was trying to portray to her sisters. “Not like Levi.”
    Levi Hammond was married to Rikki, another sister, and Levi believed in preparing them all for any situation. They practiced self-defense moves over and over, and he was a very exacting teacher. Lately he’d been adding weapons training. Lissa, of course, already a third-degree black belt, was particularly fast at catching on, while Judith felt very out of her element. She could do martial arts katas, all those beautiful graceful forms, flowing across the room, every movement exact and elegant, but she just couldn’t seem to get some of the more practical self-defense moves down.
    Lissa was always unfailingly patient with her. Levi, less so. He was determined to ensure Judith could handle herself in any situation. She knew he was right, but that didn’t make her any better at self-defense. She busied herself pouring the boiling water into the teapot and slipped a cozy over it to allow it to steep.
    Blythe drank a full glass of water by the time the tea was ready, ignoring the other two laughing at her. The three women curled up close on thick, comfortable chairs, tucking legs up.
    “I have to say,” Judith confessed, “I was totally wrong about Levi. He’s crazy about Rikki and has been good for her. I’ve actually grown very fond of him.”
    “I didn’t expect to like him so much either,” Airiana admitted.
    Blythe shrugged her shoulders and looked at them over her teacup.
    “Oh no, you don’t,” Judith shook her head. “You don’t get to be silent on the subject of Levi. He’s with our beloved Rikki and I thought you said they were good for each other.
    “I think they are,” Blythe said. “He pushes her just a little to stretch her comfort zone, but he accepts her and seems to love her for who she is. They seem a perfect match.”
    “There’s a but in there,” Airiana pointed out.
    “No one really knows anyone,” Blythe said. “You have to take people at face value. What they say, how they act, but if they lie, if they don’t show all sides of themselves, you never know who you’re truly dealing with.”
    Judith ducked her head, pretending to take a sip of tea. Blythe always told the truth and this time she hit so close to the mark, Judith felt it like an arrow through her heart. There was a sudden silence and when she looked up, she realized both of her sisters were looking at her in alarm.
    “What is it, honey?” Blythe said. “I didn’t mean to stir up old ghosts. Perhaps mine were just a little too close today. I haven’t been able to sleep and I guess I’m feeling a little melancholy.”
    Judith took a deep breath and pulled back from that yawning precipice of despair and sorrow, knowing if she went over the edge, she’d take Blythe and Airiana with her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was thinking of Paul today and it’s just so close. The idea that Levi could hurt Rikki when we stood for him, when we’ve accepted him into our family—that’s just so horrible.” She hadn’t been sleeping lately. Was it possible she was affecting Blythe? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
    “But it happens,” Blythe said.
    Airiana put a comforting hand on Blythe’s shoulder. “Yes it does, Blythe. Sometimes, especially when we’re quite young, we trust the wrong people.”
    Judith nudged Airiana with her bare foot in an effort to lighten the mood. “Some of us are still quite young.”
    Airiana gave her a mock scowl. “I am not the baby of this family, Lexi is.”
    “You’re close,” Judith teased. “Not quite grown yet. Didn’t you get carded going into an R-rated movie last week?”
    Blythe burst out laughing as Airiana winced. “You can’t deny it, Airiana, and you’re never going to live that one down—at least not for a very long time.”
    Airiana joined the laughter as she shook her head at the absurdity. “Clearly the woman needed glasses.”
    “Who called