The Gift of Sky and Soil (Father Sky Book 1)

by Gillian Zane

  We were out in the open, in the middle of the garden. I knew we were exposed for any of our new guests to see us, but that didn’t deter me. It actually made things a little more exciting. I was soaking wet. I could feel it pooling in my underwear; my pussy on fire with the need of this joining.

  “Miley, you are so naughty,” Zeke moaned, holding back, pulling away from me slightly as the urge to come began to build inside of him. I could feel him. I could feel his need to come. I wanted to swallow him down, take all of him inside of me, a greedy girl that needed it all inside of her. I didn't want to share. I held on tight, and he came, his warm, salty come coating my mouth and throat. With his orgasm, our powers merged, coalescing over our bodies and the surrounding air. It was if we were an inferno about to explode.

  Zeke dropped to his knees in front of me, grabbing me by my hips and kissing me hard and long. He was still hard. He had never even wavered. It was like this all the time, like we were supposed to be fucking our brains out constantly. He spun me around and bent me over, yanking my shorts down, with my underwear and exposing my pussy to the warm summer air. His hand reached around and circling my clit. I bucked and whined, needing completion, needing to be full. He used my own wetness as a lubricant, coating my ass, before pressing his finger into the tight entry as he entered my pussy. Fucking me with his cock and his finger. My nipples brushed the tips of the grass as I leaned forward, pressing my ass into him, feeling complete. Feeling powerful.

  My orgasm took me by surprise, going from medium intensity to full-on earthquake in a few blinks. I cried out loudly, trying to pull away because the feeling was so intense, but he held on, continuing to pound into me. I couldn’t go over the edge anymore, it was too much. I couldn’t possibly feel anymore. Yet, as I felt there could be no more, that I would die from sensory overload, my threshold burst open, taking in even more, and it brought Zeke with me. We fell to the ground, our bodies spent, our minds lost in the emotions of it all. I didn’t have a body, there was nothing underneath me, I was the wind. I was the sky. I was power with Zeke at my side.

  37

  Miley and I had cleaned up with the garden hose and then went into the main house to take a proper shower, which of course, led to more shenanigans. At this rate, we were going to get nothing done, but I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Every time I touched her, it felt right, it felt like it was what I should be doing, and who was I to go against fate? We did our work. We tended the gardens, we worked on our powers, we trained Liam with his own budding powers, and then we would sneak away and work on our own because our powers grew stronger every time we joined.

  When we came down the stairs, Miley’s hand in mine, we were greeted with an amazing smell. Lily had been busy for the last couple of days. She had organized the pantries and basically, taken over the main kitchen. Her cooking wasn’t gourmet, but it was delicious. We were limited on our ingredients, but she managed to come up with some amazing creations. Now that we had added chickens to our homestead, she would have more variety. They talked about getting goats, even though I wasn’t too fond of goat milk. Not that I was that fond of milk straight from a cow. There was a huge difference in the milk you bought at the grocery store and what a cow produced.

  Milk was a priority, though, since the last couple of times we have checked the stores for milk there was nothing available. No gallons, no powdered, and no evaporated. Plenty of cereal, though. The slow descent into the apocalypse.

  Liam was setting the table when we walked into the kitchen, and Miley went to the counter and began to help Lily distribute the food. I grabbed a bottle of wine and four glasses, wondering if what we had here was going to be the last of our stash. The alcohol aisles had also been wiped out at the local grocery stores, and liquor stores were a thing of the past as you could only have a store that sold liquor if they also sold food. Some sold chips and garnishes at first, even resorting to making small plates that people could purchase, but they folded under the government pressure. Liquor and gun sales weren’t favorable under the new regime of government.

  “I haven’t had a glass of wine in forever,” Lily sighed when she sat at the table and took a sniff of her wine.

  “Well, first, a toast,” I said, holding my glass up. “To world domination.” Everyone started cracking up laughing, and the slight tension in the room that had been ever-present since Liam and Lily moved in, dissipated. We clinked glasses, and everyone took big sips of the good wine. Miley had splurged on this, mostly because only the expensive stuff was left, and also because it was good wine.

  The dinner was delicious. A fresh salad made completely from our garden; Lily had even made the citrus dressing from the tangerines. Meat was light, so all we had was a small chicken breast, with a side of beans and green beans. We were on the way to becoming vegetarians, unless we got our chicken population breeding.

  Conversation was animated, which I was happy to see. Lily and Liam had been kind of down since they had gotten here, introspective. I was worried I was giving away territorial vibes, so they might be feeling unwanted. I was also proud of myself for worrying about this, since before this I hadn’t been aware of other people’s feelings. Typical science nerd, the epitome of a hyper-focused, anti-social introvert.

  “Y’all grew up around here?” Miley asked Liam and Lily to make conversation.

  “We did — well, in New Orleans. When Liam joined the Army, our parents bought an RV and have been driving around the country, seeing all the sights. They said they had never had a moment to themselves since we were born, so they were going to be selfish,” Lily laughed and took a big sip of her wine.

  “We weren’t the easiest of kids,” Liam added.

  “Terrors, my aunt used to call us. Wouldn’t babysit.” Lily looked over at her brother.

  “How close in age are y’all?” I asked them.

  “Ninety-eight seconds, I’m the oldest,” Lily preened.

  “Twins, oh, didn’t know that.” I looked at them closely, not that they would be identical as female and male. Not that it added more to the equation, they were fraternal twins. Brother and sister, but it did have me thinking of why Liam would be changed by the pollen and not Lily. I had been waiting for Lily to show signs of sickness, dreading that moment. But, nothing. She wasn't affected or changed.

  “The only time we’ve been apart is when I was deployed, or training,” Liam said, giving a sad smile to his sister.

  “When he came back and told me about what happened in the clearing, and then with you guys. I don't know. I thought this was it, this would rip him from me. More war. More danger. I threw a fit. I didn’t want him coming here, risking his life again.” She had tears in her eyes and she wiped them away angrily. “We've gone through so much, so much to even make it this far.” Liam slipped and arm around his sister’s shoulders and she leaned into him.

  “But the thing is, when he told me about it, when he told me about the weird feeling that had drawn him to the clearing, I felt the same kind of pull, I knew this was real. Something was here, but I blew it off like he was imagining it. Was making excuses for my dogs.” This time she did let out a sob and Liam pulled her in closer.

  “It's alright, you were scared. It's okay,” he reassured her.

  “I thought I had talked him into staying, but then the fire.” And there went the mood of the room, from lively and animated to somber.

  “Lily, what do you mean you felt the pull? Do you still feel a pull?” Miley asked.

  “Yes, I feel something, like an urge to find something, but I’m staying put. I won't expose myself to that woman.”

  “Do you choose us, Lily? Do you choose to stay with us, support the father and oppose the mother?”

  “Of course, I do, well, as much as I can. I’m just—” The smell of the rain rushed through the house, a window banged open, and Lily made a startled scream.

  “Does that mean what I think it means?” Liam asked.

  “She was resisting the calling. Th
e mother was calling you, like she did with Liam. When you chose our side, well, you shouldn’t feel that pull anymore,” Miley smiled.

  “I don’t feel anything.” She touched Liam’s arm excitedly. “Does that mean I’m going to have powers too?”

  “You should, I figured as much. Whatever is inside Liam should be inside you as well, Lily, sibling genes, right?” I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

  “I wonder what it will be. Do you think it will be something to do with tech like you, Liam?” Lily prattled on excitedly. We finished our meal, and the topic turned to what we planned on doing tomorrow. We wanted to search for the mother’s plant, but were unsure if this was the right time.

  In the end, we had to make a decision. We had to act, even if it was just to see what the mother was doing, what kind of defenses she had up, and if she was protecting these plants like they were a part of her. If we acted quickly, before her own forces could organize, we could find out some valuable information.

  “Four wheelers would probably be the best way, ones that won’t get stuck in the mud and water of the swamps,” Liam suggested. “I would go in fast with those, check things out, see what kind of defenses she has in place.”

  “It could mean not all of us come back, though, like prodding a sleeping bear.” Miley looked over at me. I knew it would be us two going; we were the strongest. What would I do if something happened to her? This fight would be over before it started. But we had made a choice. We had to fight the fight, and it was a war. Wars came with death and sacrifice.

  “Tomorrow, we’ll go in tomorrow,” I said, and Miley nodded. She knew it was time.

  38

  The trees in the swampy woods seemed thicker and closer together since the last time we had been in here. The path had definitely been more defined. Now it was nothing more than a game trail. Zeke and I powered through the underbrush on two four-wheelers that I had purchased that morning, along with a trailer, a truck to pull them, and a slew of other supplies and gadgets. My Amex was still smoking in my pocket. I had never put more than a couple thousand on my credit card before, and this morning, I had bought five vehicles, running up a large bill, even though prices were slashed because of no one purchasing anything.

  With our new addition of Liam and his skills with technology, he had found a way around a lot of our money issues. He was like the ultimate hacker, and I tried not to think about the implications of what he was doing. He’d said most of it was workarounds that weren’t illegal or stealing. I was just going to have to stop overthinking it and let him do his thing. I had good money for a single woman, possibly enough money for supporting one other person for a couple of years, but my money would quickly run out with none coming in, and the fact that I would have to support an unknown number of people in the future was a bit daunting fiscally. And with the increase in activity from people who wanted us dead, like the man we noticed sneaking around the property last night, we were going to have to start erecting defenses, which was also going to cost a pretty penny.

  I shouldn’t be thinking about finances. I should be concentrating on the path.

  I glanced at Zeke, now covered in mud from the spray of the tires. It had rained last night, and the tires shot the mud around like a fountain. I didn’t look much better; I could feel it all over my face. Mud or not, I was actually having fun. I had forgotten how much of a blast it was to drive one of these things. I crashed through a set of palmettos and wild growing blackberries that scratched at my clothes and had to restrain myself from yelling in excitement. I had dressed for this, in thick jeans and boots, along with long-sleeves, even though it was over ninety degrees out.

  Zeke pointed, and I nodded. I recognized the area; this was around the point we met. The clearing was close.

  “Left,” Zeke called, and the trees seemed to move to make way for us, even though, I knew he couldn’t be that powerful.

  I gave the machine some gas, and it screamed and threw mud up in an arch behind me. This would have been an exhilarating experience if I wasn’t scared of what we were going to find at the end of our ride. Unlike last time, the place seemed to repel me, not draw me in. I wanted to turn around and run, but I knew it was just more mind games, which meant we were on the right track.

  There. Over there.

  Something watched us. I unconsciously slowed down. I could feel them. Eyes on me, eyes on Zeke. There were possibly three, but I was muddling them together. Probably more blocking of some kind. It was hard to narrow down their location. I heard a sound over the roar of the engines.

  The trees cleared, and I pulled up next to Zeke.

  “There’s something out here.”

  “I know,” he nodded. “It must mean we’re close. Slow down.” We glided to a stop, and he pulled out his phone, trying to get a GPS location on where exactly we were.

  “I can feel it, but something is blocking me from it. The other plants register it as a part of them but foreign. It’s the oddest feeling.”

  “It has to be her, it has to be.” I looked around, trying to feel what he was feeling, but I wasn’t connecting to any kind of plant life. I felt the other living creatures, including what watched us.

  A growl came from my left, and I turned frantically, knowing it was what I had sensed. It was an otherness I couldn’t place or relate to. Animal but not. Human but not. Both. More growling. Was there two of them, three? The growling sounded like it came from my right now.

  “What is it?”

  “Wolves, a pack. Must be the ones Liam encountered.” I said, breathlessly scared because they were more than wolves, and they wanted us dead.

  “Will they attack?”

  “They belong to her, that one that was on the porch with her. Remember? That is one of them. They’ll kill us if they reach us. I’ll confuse them, as fast as you can to my right,” I said as quietly as I could to not be overheard by the animals.

  “Now,” I hissed, sending mixed messages to the wolves. South. South. But we were really going north. The wolves, it was three of them, I could feel each one’s separate consciousness, headed South where I guided them. Zeke and I sped off in the opposite direction. It wouldn’t take long for them to realize what we had done; my control only went so far. They had their sense of smell and hearing, which surpassed anything we could do. On a flat surface, we could get the ATVs to go maybe 60 or 70 mph, but this was muddy terrain, and we were probably lucky to get it to 30mph. A wolf could run much faster than that.

  My heart raced as we pushed the four-wheelers to their limit on the terrain. I held on as tight as I could, not wanting to crash this damn thing from our reckless driving. The path cleared in front of us, though, the muddy path packed down better as we got to the more cultivated area. As the ATV found traction on the drier ground, three large beasts crashed out of the underbrush beside us, nipping at the back of the ATV. I maxed out the acceleration, not caring about crashing at this point. If I was taken off this machine, I was as good as dead.

  I had armed myself, and somehow with all the jostling and bouncing I managed to get my Glock in my hand, which of course I had to steer with. Then I had to get the safety off, and aim. Didn’t think this one through, figured I would have my feet on the ground if I had to draw. The beast got close, huffing and snuffling at my feet. I dropped my arm, did a half-assed aim with a quick glance, and fired. A howl of pain let me know I had hit something, but it wasn’t enough to take the thing out. I tried to connect with the other one, tried to force him to stop, but nothing, I was too erratic, I had to focus on steering.

  Our pace had quickened, and it was getting harder for the wolves to keep up. There were only two of them. I must have hit the other one better than I thought. It was still alive, I could feel that, but it was wounded. Two wolves. Two too many. When we got to the truck, we would be vulnerable. We couldn’t outrun a wolf, and we couldn’t defend ourselves from their bites. I could see the parking lot coming up fast, the trail had turned to shells. The wolves grunted and
whined as if they couldn’t wait to get a hold of us. Their anticipation was almost catching. My anxiety ramped up, but I focused it, using the energy to fuel my escape.

  When we hit the parking lot, I swung hard to the left with the ATV, putting it between me and the beasts. I did a quick dismount, using the machine as a blockade. I braced my arms on the seat, aimed, and fired. One. Two. Three. Four shots fired. The gun was small in my hand, the recoil next to nothing. I was a good shot, and three of the shots made contact even though the beasts were moving fast. One crumbled to the ground, the other kept coming even though I had hit it. It headed directly for Zeke.

  “Stop!” I yelled with as much force as I could muster, channeling my anxiety and fear into my words and order.

  The remaining wolf stopped in its tracks, shaking its head like a bug had gotten into his ear. It continued to growl, pissed and aware of what was going on.

  “You know what this is?” I held up the gun, and the wolf stepped back. Gun. I heard the word. It knew what it was. It had words. This was definitely more than a wolf. I looked to the other wolf I had shot and had to do a double-take because it wasn’t a wolf that lay there, but a man. He was completely naked and sitting up, clutching his right shoulder where I hit him; there was also a wound in his leg. These weren’t wolves; these were men who could change into wolves. Liam had told me this, but seeing it was another thing entirely. As I focused on the wolf growling at Zeke, I realized it wasn’t even a man. It was the mate of the hurt one. Female.

  “Holy shit,” Zeke’s voice carried to me when he saw the man as well. I rounded my ATV and walked up to the man on the ground. The female’s mate. I pressed the gun to his head in an aggressive gesture that I didn’t think I could follow-through with.

  “Change back.” I forced out all the power I could muster, and the wolf fell to its side and began to shake. “This is their power,” I said to Zeke, our eyes on the shifting wolf.