Oh yeah. I did fucking awesome, by doing absolutely nothing at all. I'm clearly not Goddess material. They've got the wrong girl.
"You stopped it at least, and you stopped Crag," I hear behind me. Sounds like Vic followed us. I snuggle into Le's chest and close my eyes. Feeling like I've just ran a marathon.
"BABY, DINNER IS READY." Karl whispers in my ear. I wake up on the couch. Oh, I feel a bit better; power naps are awesome.
"Um, food. Gimme." We walk into the dining room and I'm shocked to see everyone there. Garrot and Le on one side of the table, Victor and William on the other. Karl leads me to the head of the table, closest to the windows. I sit, he pushes my chair in behind me and I look around the room. Everyone looks happy, chatting merrily with each other.
"Sweetheart, how was your nap?” Leyland asks, a grin on his face and a small glass of whisky in his hand. When did we get booze? I want.
"Good, thank you. I feel a little better. This looks yummy! Can I get one of those?" I point to his glass, he nods, gets up and walks into the kitchen. I don't know who did it but the table is laid out with all sorts of fish and salad, garlic bread and pizza. Ew, fish. No thanks. I lean over and grab a slice of pizza. Mmm, pepperoni. Leyland strides back in and hands me a glass, planting a kiss on my head, I smile up at him. My Le. He sits back down.
"You did good, my Queen. We will work on it again after we have eaten," Will tells me. A glass of clear liquid in his hand.
"Yeah you kick ass sexy," Garrot announces, he holds a glass bottle of cola. I smile and nod around my bite of food. I don't feel like I did very well. Will had to stop that Selkie from eating my face. So, yeah, not good.
"Chin up, babe. You'll get there. I believe in you, and if you don't? Well, I think I can come up with something to encourage you." Garrot slurs across the table to me. His cheeks are red, his curls sticking up in all directions.
"How many of those have you had, Gar?" I ask on a giggle. He looks bloody adorable.
"Enough. Hey, wanna come over to my side? Your side is boring." He teases. I down the last of my whisky and wiggle my way over to his seat. I stand there before him, a little buzzed from the alcohol. He looks up at me, a lopsided grin on his face. He hasn't shaved for a couple of days so he has a layer of scruff across his handsome face. There is fire in his eyes, I return that look as I spread my legs to either side of his and sit in his lap. "Youre so fucking beautiful, Ever." He runs hands over my hips, up my back, lifting my shirt with his thumbs, "hmm, you are so sexy."
I wiggle, a smile on my face. Fingers tickle down my spine, I turn slightly, Karl appears in my eyeline.
"Couldn't agree more." He whispers into my ear, his breath hot on my neck. Shivers dance across my skin. Another set of fingers caress the side of my face, I turn to kiss the palm of Leyland's hand.
"Time to leave, William. Take your goons with you." Karl growls as Garrot unhooks my bra. My t-shirt still covers my boobs but I lean into him anyway to hide myself. I bury my face into his chest as the sound of scraping chairs fill the room. I look up just in time for Victor to connect eyes with me as he walks out of the door. The connection sparks between us as he leaves with William. When the click of the front door reaches our ears, my clothes are whipped off faster than I can blink. Garrot stands, lifting me by my arse and sits me on the table. The three of them strip, standing in a line. I watch them, I feel how slick I'm getting as my eye feast on their bodies
We spend the evening exploring each other, drinking. Laughing. Just being normal.
WE PRACTICE IN THE damn field for hours after dinner. By the time tea time rolls around I can barely stand. And I still haven't been able to kill one of the creatures. It's frustrating and exhausting. I plop on the sofa and lay my head on a pillow, wallowing in self-pity. Le drapes himself on the couch next to me and turns on the iPod. The soothing sounds of UB40 fill the air. Ah, Ali, you and your red wine.
"Sweetheart, don't beat yourself up. You're doing fantastic." He tries to sound upbeat. When really, he's just as exhausted as I am. Yeah right. I feel like Ron Weasley, surrounded by powerful wizards while I'm fumbling around in the dark, just looking cute and shit.
"Umph, I'm sorry I'm letting everyone down. You're all learning your new abilities so fast and here I am barely able to stand on my own two feet." I mumble, feeling completely useless.
"You're joking, right?” Garrot says as he sits on the floor in front of me, face to face. “Ever, a few short months ago, you lived your life as a human. Now you're the Queen of the Seas, with powers beyond belief, and you're not sitting in a corner somewhere rocking back and forth. I'd say that's a win." He sounds impressed.
"Absolutely. It's not like we were any better when we got our powers," Le adds.
"What do you mean?" I ask, sitting up. I run my hand through Gar`s hair: it’s getting long.
"We weren't born with these gifts, sweetheart, we had to learn them when they came to us." Leyland explains with a soft smile.
Wait, what? They didn't just...I don't know, instinctively know how to do magic? I don’t know how it all works.
"It took me years before I could control my telekinesis enough to just lift an apple off the floor, let alone carry myself over the English channel," Garrot replies, shrugging his shoulders.
"Wow. I assumed you just—knew how to use them." I'm shocked: they practiced their new powers today and it seemed to come naturally to them.
"Nope. Le was faster than K and me. He seemed to pick it up right away. Karl struggled at first, but then overnight he was lifting boulders and opening small breaks in the dirt. Me? Let's just say a lot of shit got smashed. But we practiced and in the end we owned our powers." Garrot laughs as he talks, always so relaxed and honest.
Huh.
"Everly, are you feeling alright?" Leyland asks, a frown on his face. Now that he mentions it, I feel sick to my stomach.
"Tired. Can we watch a film and not move?" I lean my head against Leyland's shoulder.
"Absolutely. I'll get snacks. Here, you pick a movie," Leyland says as he passes me the remote and I turn on Netflix while he strides into the kitchen. Garrot gets up off the floor and sits next to me, his hand on my knee.
I start to look at the menu. Every time I blink, it’s harder to open them again. I must drift off at some point because the next time I open my eyes, I'm in bed between Karl and Garrot. What a fucked-up couple of days. It's still late; the room is dark, there’s a little moonlight streaming in through the window. My mind flashes back to the cliff.
Just as we are about to leave, my mother pulls me in for a hug. I go willingly if awkwardly, hugging her back with one arm. Unsure what to do. I'm twenty-three, but this is our first meeting.
"Daughter, you must practice. But be careful—you need to be protected at all times because..."
Nope. Don't want to think about it. I pull myself out of the memory. Instead, I look at Karl's handsome face. Cleanly shaven, his hair messy from sleep, I can't help but reach my hand out and run my fingers through the curls. So fucking handsome. I'm such a lucky bitch to have these three studs in my bed, and in my heart.
Chapter Seven
GARROT
The field is ripped to shreds within a few hours. Karl's powers have grown so much, he can now make anything grow from the ground with just a touch and a shot of power. Leyland can fly and according to Will, now he can rip all the love out of someone's heart, leaving them an empty shell. Of course we can't practice, but I'm sure he will have no problems applying it in the field. Everly tries over and over to kill the captive Selkies, but hasn't managed it yet. She's doing fucking amazing in my eyes. It took me years to use my power for even small things. I can now explode objects from the inside: hearts, limbs, rocks. It's bloody fascinating.
It's around 1 p.m and my dad has arrived. He runs across the field and throws his arms around me. It's quite a shock.
"What was that for, Dad?" I ask as he squeezes me.
"I'm so glad that not only are you aliv
e, but you're all fulfilling your destinies." He replies, a frog in his throat as he pulls away.
"Shit, Dad, I'm an emotional wreck right now. Chill with the love, eh?" I whisper. Not even reacting, he sits on the grass, I stand next to him, my hands in my pockets. While we both stare out onto the field, I let my mind wander a little.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm worried for us all. I don't want Everly knowing my heart's in pieces thinking she might die in a few weeks if we can't save her. Fuck the world. I need her to survive. Well, of course I want the world to live too, but what use is it living if Everly is gone? None.
"Sit with me, let me tell you about your mother." My dad says, looking up at me. He pats the ground next to him. I shoot my eyes to Everly. She's trying so fucking hard to be strong, but I can see she's starting to wobble on her legs.
"Ever, bring that sexy arse over here." I yell so she can hear over the grunts. She's been sparring with Victor for the last hour. Credit where it's due, the big guy is taking it easy on her. But when she noticed, she went ape shit. Ever stomped her little foot on the floor and called him a "behemoth-looking motherfucker," which made us all clutch our guts with laughter.
She drops the sword on the ground and waddles her peachy butt over to me and Dad.
"Fucking shitty bitch, whooping my arse. I'll bloody show him, the sexy shit," she mumbles to herself. Dad and I laugh our arses off—she's so fucking cute when she's angry. But scary, too.
"Alan, how are you?" She asks as she approaches us. Gods, she's beautiful. Her hips are round, thick thighs and great tits. Her body is made for sinning.
"I'm good, my Queen." He replies respectfully. I raise a brow at him, knowing full well Ever won't like his formal greeting.
"Nope," she holds her little hand up, universal sign for Shut the fuck up, “None of this Queen shit. It's Ever or Everly. I'll even accept batshit crazy lady. Not Queen from you guys, please?" She puts on her stern face, the one I'm pretty sure would be her Queen face. I sink to the ground, leaning back on my arms, an open invitation for Everly to sit on my lap.
"Ok, Everly. Thank you for saving my son." He relents. I can see it kills him to call her by her real name, and not Queen.
She drops herself next to me, shit, I drag her onto me. Settling her arse between my legs, I wrap my arms around her waist, her legs propped over one of mine so that her back rests against my left leg she's facing my dad. Despite the exercise and the hot day, she smells amazing. I bury my face into her hair, taking in a big lungful of Everly.
"Hmm, my Everly." I don't mean to say it out loud, but when I look at my dad's face, he doesn't even react.
“I’ll always protect them.” Everly says with conviction. They carry on their conversation as I lose myself in being close to my woman. A thought pops into my mind, I interrupt them.
"Tell me about my mum, Dad." I say, before I actually start to cry. I seem to be way more emotional these days, maybe Ever is rubbing off on me.
"Ok, son. So, Asia and I met before she became a handmaiden to Venus. We were young and in love; things moved quickly. She actually had four boyfriends when I met her." My dad begins. Everly lets out a small gasp and I squeeze her tighter.
"So when the guys said it was normal for their culture to have multiple partners...?" She edges, apart from the three of us, she's never had the opportunity to talk with someone other.
"Oh, that's absolutely true, yes. She had six of us at one point, but she let three go shortly after we got together. Six months later, she got rid of the other guys, too." Dad's eyes take on a faraway look and I know he's no longer in the present. "She was a tiny little thing. Five foot two, plump and had the best a..." he clears his throat and blushes a little. Looks like both me and my Dad are arse men. "Anyway, she was a beautiful woman. Coveted by many in our village."
Everly shifts in my lap so she's leaning towards him.
"Why did she end up with just you?" Everly asks when Dad doesn't say anything for long moments.
"She got pregnant with Garrot." He answers simply. Ever's face blanches and I throw her a ‘You ok?’ look. She nods and puts a hand on my Dad's knee.
"Is that customary?" The smile she gives him wavers a little.
"Sometimes. It depends on the relationship. Your mother and I had talked about getting married just before she fell pregnant. She wanted to be married to just one man, and she chose me." He says proudly.
Wow. Would Everly do that if she ever got pregnant by one of us? Fucking hope not.
"She chose wisely, Alan," Everly says in a sincere tone.
Is she flirting with my Dad? Nah. Never Ever. I'm still getting used to loving someone this much, jealousy isn't something I'm used to dealing with.
"Thank you my Q—Everly." Good save, Dad.
"Did you marry her?" I ask.
"Yes, son, when she was round with child—you—we were married by a local vicar. On the beach." His eyes stare into the past again, no doubt replaying their wedding. "Anyway, like I said, your mum and Venus were saving slaves, but when they were ambushed and that girl was killed, your mother changed. She became paranoid. Even though Venus was very generous, and your mum didn't live like a slave; it didn't change the fact that she was indeed a slave. My lowly status didn't help her paranoia in any way, and your mum worried that you'd be taken from us and sold into slavery.”
"Break’s over, Ever. Get back to work." Will says as he saunters over to us.
A guy I haven't seen before is standing by his side. Not very tall, maybe five feet six, cropped blonde hair, and blue eyes. William sees me looking at their linked hands. His eyebrows lift when I wink at him. Smirking like the cat who got the cream, Will says,
"I'd like you all to meet Mickey. Mickey, this is Everly, our Queen. That's one of her consorts, Garrot, and this is his dad, Alan."
Everly giggles and we all turn to her.
"Hello, Cyan. Nice to finally meet you." She lifts her hand and Mickey places a kiss to the back of it. Cyan? Will said his name was Mickey.
"Not now, Everly. Shhh," Will blurts, stage whispering. Ah. I remember now. When Will told Ever about his inner light being dark, she said the colour cyan was mixed in there. Huh. This must be the guy that Will is in denial about being in love with. Clearing his throat, Mickey finally talks.
"My Queen, it is an honour to serve you," he curtsies low. He turns to my dad and asks, "Do you, Alan, have a clan?" The look in his eyes freaks me out.
What's happening?
"No. I am free. Have been for a long time." Dad answers, a small smile on his lips.
"Hmm, that doesn't bother us, sweetness," Will replies.
What. The. Fuck? Are they propositioning my Dad?
"Alan, you do remind me so much of Elvis," Will says with more than a little flirting in his demeanor.
Oh boy, oh boy. How will Dad react to that?
"How many?" Dad asks.
How many what? My head jerks back and forth between them like I'm watching tennis.
"Four. But two are on a mission for my mother, and are not expected to return." Will answers quickly, his smile growing wider.
What's happening?
"Hm, I see. I have not—in a long time. I'm not sure it's for me anymore." Dad confesses.
Um, okay.
"Think it over, lover boy. I'd love to taste you." With that, Will and Mickey walk back onto the field. Everly suppresses a giggle with her hand.
"Dad...?" I spin to face him, completely confused by what just happened.
"What? I'm bisexual, son, did you not wonder why Frank and Trix were always at our house two years ago?" He shrugs his shoulders while watching the two very gay men walk away from us.
Well fuck me sideways. Dad's bi!
"We're all adults, son. It's not a sin to be with another man—I prefer the woman to be involved, too, of course. Makes for better bonds in a group, women are the glue that binds a group. I don't know if William has any females. Otherwise, I would have taken his offer." He answer
s, a challenge in his eyes.
Well, blow me away.
"Are you going to..?" Get it on with my girlfriend's brother?
"I might." He shrugs, "They're both good-looking fellas. Everly, do you know if they have a woman?" She just sits there open-mouthed, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips.
"You know Garrot likes..." I jerk my knees up making her jump, stopping her mid-sentence. She frowns at me, her lips still formed into the C word.
"Let's get back to it, shall we, babe? Lots to learn," I say before she tells my Dad I poked my cock into Leyland’s arsehole the other day. That's not something he needs to know. But it is interesting that we both like men. One man. Maybe two. Okay, three. I like three men and I'm not ashamed of it, either.
Everly giggles as I pull her to her feet and I drag her back to practicing on the field. Poor Ever puts so much energy into trying to kill the creatures that she's left barely being able to stand. Her arms hang at her sides like wet noodles and she weaves back and forth on legs made of jelly.
Karl
My watch says it's 6:30 a.m, but I can't sleep. My eyes flutter open and I look at my girl. Everly’s breathing is erratic and I know in my gut she's having a nightmare.
"Baby wake up, it's just a dream," I say, stroking her cheek with the back of my hand. Just as I'm about to pull it away, her hand whips up, grabbing mine at the same moment her eyes snap open.
"Shit Karl, fuck." She startles. Her eyes wide.
"What's wrong, baby?" concern laces my voice.
"Nothing. Nothing. Just scared me. What time is it?" Her voice is croaky with sleep.
"Six thirty. Want me to get you some water?"
"Um...pretty please with a cherry on top." She snuggles back into her pillow, her beautiful face relaxed. I plant a kiss to the tip of her nose, slide out of bed and pad to the ensuite. On my way back I notice the medicine cabinet on the wall is open. Hmm, we immortals don't take meds. I wonder what Ever keeps in here now? I pull open the door and a box falls out and lands in the sink. Before I can pick it up, Everly is suddenly standing behind me. I almost jump out of my skin.
The Everly Davis chronicles Page 23