by J G Jerome
Marissa says, “He stops in exactly the same place every time.”
A plan clicks in my brain. I mutter to my ladies, “As soon as he launches unload your clip in his start point. Be careful of anyone backstage.” I stand slowly. All my ladies all stand up too. I call out. “Stop!”
Interestingly, Yoren does. I look at the audience. “This isn’t a show. It’s a murder. Look at her. You can see her bones in her parted flesh. She’s dying.” I hear clutches open. I look to Valya to see her flushed. She’s getting off on this! I turn to Lorn. I wave a hand in Yoren’s direction. “Stop this farce where it stands, Lorn. Let us save her.” I hear two slides move as I talk.
He sneers, “You can’t save her, human. She is mine to dispose of how I please.” He nods to Yoren, and he explodes into motion, followed immediately by gunshots from behind me. I pull mine and put a bullet in the center of Reddy’s chest. I hear a shot from across the room and Lorn’s forehead blossoms in red as two slides lock back behind me. I hand Marissa my pistol as I launch towards the stage and up on the podium. I lean over Feliz as I’m hit by a truck. I land about ten feet away and roll up to my feet, hands up.
Yoren steps off the platform. I start walking toward him. I see six bullet holes. That’s a good start. He’s too fast for me to pull a weapon. ‘I guess we’ll go with Plan B.’
The elven guard sneers. “Your bullets aren’t enough to stop me.”
I channel my inner warrior. “I don’t need them to kill you. Just slow you down a little bit. You ready to die, boy?”
Yoren cants his head to the side in confusion as I get within six feet of him. Then he smiles and launches toward me. I do the last thing he expects.
Yoren arrives and throws a mighty punch, but I dropped as soon as he moved. He still manages to catch the top of my shoulder, but I manage to achieve my goal - I wrap my arms around his waist.
I launch forward, picking the elven man up and rush headlong to the pillar at the front of the stage in front of my ladies. Not wanting to mess this up, I wait for parts two and three until…
...THUD! I slam Yoren into the pillar. As his head droops, I head butt his nose, breaking it. As he gasps his surprise, I grasp his throat in one hand and the metal collar in the other before unleashing my powers. I try to pull his soul out, but it fights me like it’s chained to his body. I call an audible and flood the collar with entropy energy while sucking the life energy out of the elf. I see one glyph pop, then another, and a third before the collar comes off in my hand. I keep sucking the life out of Yoren. He has more than the zombie did in Walgreens, but it’s coming out easily enough. It won’t hurt his soul, but I can address that. I am just about to try again to pull his soul out when I am slammed in the back by another truck.
I fall to the ground and Yoren starts to fall over me, which is a happy thing. Yoren’s head takes the magically powered punch aimed at my face from Reddy. The sound of Yoren's skull rupturing is nauseating. Doesn’t matter because I have bigger problems. Reddy has my bullet in the center of his chest, but the fucker still just kicked my ass.
Reddy stands over me with tears, snot, and blood dripping down on me. He looks like he’s about to tear me into pieces. Suddenly five shots explode, and his chest erupts. He falls on me. He’s down, but not out. I wrap my legs around him in a guard position and circle my arms around his back to reach inside the back of his jacket to grasp his metal collar. I release the entropy energy into the collar and start sucking the life out of this one too. The collar comes off in my hand, and I pull his soul out and hold it.
I gasp, “Josie.” She bounds up the steps with her Taser flashlight in one hand and the bolt in the other. She catches his soul and pushes it into the bolt.
I point at Yoren with my chin as I push Reddy off of me and start crawling towards Feliz. “Him too. Put ‘em both in there together.”
She answers, “They will be damaged before very long.”
“Don’t care,” I respond.
I look at Valya and her servant sitting in their chairs. The slave looks shocked. Valya looks - joyous. That doesn’t make sense!
I crawl to my feet and stumble to Feliz’s side.
She mutters, “No more. Please. No more.”
I tell her, “Never again, Feliz.” I start pumping growth energy into her. I turn to Valya and beckon her up. Jack meets her at the end of her aisle and escorts her to me. Darcie goes to stand with Marissa. She gently takes my pistol from Marissa, and wraps her arms around her as Marissa’s sisters wrap them both in a group hug.
I turn back to the small, destroyed woman on the pedestal. She is bleeding profusely - I’m sitting in a puddle of it. Her features look more delicate now, and her ears have pointed tops. Her hair is no longer blond, but rather a walnut brown. I look at the tattoo on her face with my second site, and see it’s actually a glyph. I feed the carved glyph entropy energy, and it slowly fades. Then I do the same with the ink in her skin. Finally, I heal the flesh on her face.
I gently reach up and fold the torn flesh back into place and keep pushing healing energy into her. Her eyes search for mine. She sighs, “What are you doing?”
“Trying to save you, little one.”
She is puzzled. “Why? Our house has always been an enemy of humans. You’ve been foiling our ambitions for millennia.”
I smile and stroke her cheek. “Regardless. No one deserves to be treated as you were. I have removed your brand. Does that mean you are free?”
She closes her eyes and smiles. I see a gentle nod. She opens her eyes again, “Until I am enslaved again.” She swallows hard as I continue to pump life back into her. I don’t feel like I’m making any progress.
I feel a small hand on my left shoulder and a larger one on my right. I hear Jack behind me. “Elves are notoriously hard to kill and harder to heal, Will.”
“Gotta try,” I tell him as I focus on the little person prone beside me.
“Why?” Valya asks.
I turn to look in her eyes. “Because you wouldn’t.” She flinches from the accusation. I look back to Feliz. “She did not deserve to be beaten to death. She did not deserve to be humiliated in front of your ancient enemies. She did not deserve to be a slave.”
Valya spits out, “Hypocrite! Your women are your property.”
I shake my head. “No, Your Grace. I keep releasing them, and they keep coming back. I’m as much their property as they are mine.” I watch the life force of Feliz fade despite my efforts. It’s almost like my growth energy is passing through her without stopping.
My mind races for something else I can try. Josie and Rebecca stand across the pedestal from me. Rebecca murmurs, “There’s almost nothing left, William.”
I lean down and murmur into Feliz’s ear. “I only have one more trick to try, Feliz. In case it fails, and you leave before I finish, I want to wish you ‘good journey’ into the afterlife.” I kiss her temple.
I stand up on my knees and create an eight-inch ball of each kind of energy. I focus my will, and slowly push the two balls together. I hear Valya gasp and step back.
I think to myself, ‘Gently now, William. She can’t take the blast of the first one. Life and death are the same - different sides of the same coin. Entropy and growth are both required for life. So let’s gently push them together. Gently! Now!’
The two balls slowly meld into one glowing ball of white energy. The air chills like every time I have tried this, but it’s colder due to having larger balls of energy involved. I gently start pushing the energy into the small elven woman. She gasps. Her body readily absorbs the energy.
Rebecca says, “Her aura brightened, Will. But it only held for an instant and then faded.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing!” I growl. “I’m improvising!” I pull up another couple of energy balls and do it again.
Josie says, “Will, I don’t think anyone has ever done anything close to what you’re doing.” Her breath frosts.
I hear a familiar voice say,
“Not as far as I know.” I look up to see Bernadette standing next to Josie in full dominatrix regalia. She looks sweaty and tired. I look down stage and see everyone standing next to the stage looking on.
Bernadette says, “Valya, you need to do some counseling of these people. Follow Clarice. She will get you set up.”
Valya walks off behind me. I look down at Feliz. She smiles up at me. “That felt nice. Like that warm feeling you get after making love. Not the one after fucking. The one after making love. I had that once.”
I can see that she is nearly gone. She says, “I don’t hate humans. I got in trouble for trying to comfort that lonely man sitting beside me. I rather like you.”
I smile down. “Thank you, Feliz. I wish I had known you better. I think I would have liked you, too.” I pause for a moment. “Would you like me to capture your soul and put you in a human body? Maybe build you a new body?”
She shakes her head minutely. “I’ve been alive for the equivalent of three hundred and twenty-three of your years. They have been filled with pain, fear, loneliness, and betrayal. I think I would rather go to the Summerlands. I will supposedly know only joy and love there.”
I bend down and kiss her lips gently. “Then safe journey, Feliz of House Valeran. May you find the joy you seek.”
I hold her hand as she closes her eyes. I hear Luis instruct everyone to grab their belongings. He tells them they will be questioned by a police officer on the way out the door.
I stay there holding Feliz’s hand for some time. Josie and Rebecca wrap their arms around me. Jack rests his hand on the back of my head like my dad used to do. Slowly, Feliz stops breathing. Just before she releases her last breath, her lips turn up into a happy smile. I kiss her hand and temple again before I slowly stand.
‘Damn! I’m going to hurt for a while.’
Rebecca tells me, “You’re healing rapidly, beloved. Your organs appear to have knit themselves together, but I’m sure they are still bruised. You are going to hurt for a couple of days.”
Josie gently turns her head toward Rebecca and then back to me. I look into her eyes as she smiles. “Unless you decide to heal yourself, or let me heal you.”
I pull them both into a hug as I breathe deeply, circulating growth energy through my body. I pull entropic energy out of my body, and into my well.
Josie murmurs. “That’s it, Will. Just like that. Good job, husband.”
I look over to Marissa, Audrey, Viktorija, and Darcie. I murmur, “Let’s go check on Marissa. She looks like she is in shock. Audrey could probably use some hugs, too.”
We walk towards the stairs, and I slowly pick up speed. I gingerly make my way down the two shallow steps, and Marissa meets me at the bottom.
I draw her to me and kiss her gently. She releases my mouth and pulls me tight. I manage not to groan from the pressure on my tender, abused body.
Marissa looks up at me with glistening eyes. “I was so worried I lost you when he slammed into your back and then punched at you. Then he just stood there. I let him have all my fear and anger.”
“And five bullets,” Audrey adds. “Tight shot group, too.”
I smile at Audrey as I kiss Marissa’s hairline. I agree with Audrey, “It was a tight shot group. From my side it looked like his chest just exploded outward from one spot.”
Marissa looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “I wanted to kill him, Will. Now I feel bad about taking his life.”
I shake my head gently. “You didn’t, Marissa. You slowed him down enough that I could. I killed him, and Josie bottled his soul. Yoren’s too.” I look over my shoulder at Josie, and she nods in response. I see Bernadette in the background. Vanessa, Serena, Cindy, Candice, and Michelle are all attending her as she peels out of her outfit. They gather her garments, wash her down with sponges and towels, and help her into a clean robe. She looks over at me watching and gives me a tired smile. I blow her a kiss and turn back to my ladies.
Jack jumps off the stage to wrap Darcie in a tight hug, murmuring quietly in her ear. Darcie wraps her arms around him as she nods and burrows into his embrace.
Audrey holds out my pistol to me. The slide is locked back, and the magazine is in her other hand.
I accept the weapon from her. A quick look in the chamber confirms it’s clear, so I release the slide and dry fire it. I accept the magazine and give it a quick look. Yep. Four rounds remaining. I seat the magazine and holster the weapon.
I tell my ladies, “Excuse me a moment, my lovelies.”
I walk towards Jack and Darcie. She is looking up at him with rapt eyes. “Sorry to interrupt, folks. I just wanted to thank you both for your help. Jack with the fight, and Darcie with helping Marissa afterward.”
Jack takes my offered hand and pulls me into a classic ‘man hug,’ complete with slaps on the back. He lets me go and tells me, “I’ll go into battle with you anytime, Will. That was ballsy as hell.”
I chuckle sadly, “Not as impressive as I hoped. I think those collars had healing powers in addition to speed and strength enhancements. I wasn’t expecting to get hit by a truck in the back after I already put one through where his aorta should have been.”
“Yeah. Part of the Church’s training includes elven anatomy. Based on where you shot him, your bullet probably went between two arteries, but I’m surprised it didn’t damage his spine more.”
I shrug. “Thus my comment on healing powers.” Darcie slides in for a delightfully tight hug. I tell them, “We’re headed to bed. I wish you both a great night. Maybe we can catch up tomorrow after breakfast.”
Jack nods as Darcie releases me and hugs Jack again. He says, “Sounds good, Will. We have to leave in the afternoon. We have a thing with the neighbors in Peoria tomorrow afternoon. We’ll probably head back to Prescott after a late brunch on Sunday. You?”
“Here in the morning, Master Hiromatsu’s in the afternoon, then I’m flying out of town Sunday,” I explain. “Goodnight!”
I wave and walk back to my ladies. I tell them, “Let’s go to our room and get you out of those beautiful dresses, so we can do a little life affirmation.”
I get a more energetic response than I anticipated after all the drama tonight. It’s got to be close to midnight, too.
Viktorija instructs, “Take the backstage route, Will.” She slides past me on the steps, pausing long enough to brush a kiss on my cheek. “Follow me, sir.” She casts her eyes down as we all follow. It’s probably my imagination, but it looks like she’s putting a little ‘sumpin’-sumpin’’ in her hips as she walks away. Rebecca follows her. Viktorija looks demurely over her shoulder to ensure we’re following.
After Viktorija turns back to the front Rebecca stops and squats with her hands to her breasts. She mouths “Oh my God!” before she resumes following Viktorija, and we all chuckle. Marissa is under one arm, and Audrey is under the other. Josie takes the trail position.
Marissa says, “Right? Girlfriend has it going on!” She leans around my chest to address Audrey. “You tapping that?”
Audrey frowns prettily. “Sadly, no. I’m following Will’s model. Love her unconditionally and let her decide once she has fulfilled her obligations.” We pass Bernadette’s party as she finishes a quick brush of her hair.
We call, “Good night, Bernadette.”
She responds warmly, “Goodnight, darlings!”
Audrey picks up the previous conversation. “Fortunately, Erica is very good about distracting me from my disappointment.”
“I bet,” Marissa agrees. “I had a zombie girlfriend. If I hadn’t been looking for love, I would probably still be on that. She was very skilled.”
“Doesn’t hurt that she looks like a fashion model and is wickedly smart,” I comment.
“You’d do her,” I hear Josie comment from behind me.
I call back over my shoulder, “If my Amazon, my Warrior, my Kitten, and my Jewish Princess didn’t keep me worn out.”
Josie snorts. “As if.” They all laugh
.
I think we’re more than a little punch-drunk.
26
Resting and regrouping
Despite our best intentions, we strip, hit the showers, crawl into bed naked, and promptly pass out. Adrenaline crashes are a no-kidding powerful force, and we were all spiking on adrenaline from the time Yoren first struck Feliz until the death of Reddy the bodyguard.
I’m first in the shower because I just rolled my tux into a ball thinking I’ll get it cleaned when I’m back in Prescott. The ladies all hang their beautiful garments before joining me. As a result, I’m the first in the bed. I ‘rest my eyes’ as I wait for my ladies to join me. I wake up covered in women as the sun peeks in through the small gaps in the curtains.
Surprisingly, neither of the ones lying on my shoulders are part of my family. To my right, I see the lovely Bernadette. She is sleeping soundly tucked up tight to my chest with a little trail of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth onto my shoulder, and her hair is unbound in a cascade of loose chocolate brown curls. To my left I see Viktorija’s wave of blond hair mostly hiding her pretty face. Audrey is draped across me and Viktorija. Rebecca is laying between my legs with her head resting on the right half of my abdomen holding one of Bernadette’s legs. I can’t see Marissa or Josie. I hate to move for fear of waking any of the sleeping beauties.
I hear a little slurp followed by a quiet, “Go ahead, darling. Just come back. We need you.”
I kiss her forehead. “Of course, dear-heart,” I murmur softly. “I’ll not leave you, Bernadette. As long you need me, I’m here.”
Her eyes slowly open to look at me. “You be careful, William James. You say that to an old woman like me, I’ll count on it.” She’s not smiling. She’s very serious - slightly melancholy, too. She looks emotionally drained.
I respond just as seriously. “You can, Bernadette. Always. I think I can safely speak for all of my family. There are five of us that will always be there for you.” I nod to my left, “This one, too.” I give her a gentle smile. “I suspect there are many more, Darling. You need never be alone or stand alone, dear-heart.”