by Jen L. Grey
His forehead creases and eyes flash. "No, this isn't..."
“Look, I love you and never plan to leave your side. Can we talk about this later when we don’t have prying eyes on us?” I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips against his.
At first, his body tenses, but after a few seconds of persistence, he gives in and pulls me into him. His fingers dig into my back, and I let out a moan.
"Dammit, this is when I wish we were back at one of our places." He growls and kisses down my neck.
My breathing picks up, and I slip my hand under his shirt feeling his lean, muscular stomach. "Tell me about it."
One of his hands roams down my back while the other hand grabs some of my hair, and he tugs. "As much as I hate to say this, we're kind of out in the open, and anyone could walk by. We probably should get going."
Ugh, he's right. What started out as a distraction somehow made a left-hand turn. "Fine, you're right. They are probably wondering where we are." I chuckle and force myself to take a step away, looking to the left and right. There is a row of what appear to be duplexes lined up on both sides of the road. It almost reminds me of the visits to New York City when I had jobs to work on with my parents. We're standing on the walkway between the two sets. They're made of some kind of muddy plaster. "Whoa, are all the houses like this?" It’s kind of interesting.
"Oh, yeah." He glances around at them and reaches out to touch Ria's house behind me. "Yeah, the whole way here, it was like this once the houses started coming into view. I guess you didn't notice since you were about to implode." His jaw twitches at the end.
This whole thing has to be hard on him. I can only imagine what it would be like for me if I were in his shoes. "Is it wet? It looks like mud." I reach out and touch the wall. It's cool, but there doesn't appear to be any excess water. Though, it does feel grainy as if there are minerals in it.
He reaches out and touches the wall too. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. However, it's dry, so I don't think that's it."
There's a lot we need to learn about this new world, and there's no time like the present. "We better get going before they send someone looking for us." I grab his hand and pull him down the walkway.
A laugh bubbles out of him, and he tugs me back. "You're going the wrong way." He arches an eyebrow and grins. "Do you really think you should be the one leading?"
That's a fair point. "Hey, let me just have this moment." It bothers me that I miss so much when my powers are taking over. If I want to survive this, I have to be aware even when I'm in pain. At least, I have Charlie and Dax here to help me, but that might not always be the case.
"I'll let you have any moment you need." He kisses my lips and gently brushes his fingers against my cheek. "But you're right. We do need to go. Let’s get to the market. But let me lead this time." He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in the opposite direction.
It only takes a few moments before we find our way there. The booths are still lined up, and everyone is manning their tables. There seem to be a few customers scattered around the area. Some look like us, and others, not so much. There is one person close to us, and he is thick and dark green and resembles an ogre. A few tables down, there is a woman with long white-blonde hair, who’s tall and willowy. Her height makes her stand out, but what makes me notice is her pointy ears.
I turn into Charlie and murmur, "Is that a Fae?" The elders told us that they were extinct, yet here is another one standing before me.
"It sure looks like it." He wraps his arm around me tighter and bites his bottom lip. "I wonder how much they taught us is wrong."
We walk over to the section where the Fae is standing. She flips her hair over her shoulder and looks at the merchant. "Can I take my usual, please?"
"Of course. I have it right here." The merchant reaches under the table and pulls out a big vial of water. "That will be one thousand."
The Fae pulls out some strange looking bills that are colorful and appear to be made of wood. "Here you go." She grabs the vial and walks off back toward the pier.
The merchant pulls out a leather bag and sticks the money inside it. She glances up to find us standing there. "Oh, are you the ones staying with Ria?"
Charlie glances at me from the corner of his eye and shakes his head ever so slightly. "We are and just got here today. We had to get out and visit all the sites."
That's one way of putting it. The market is buzzing even in the booths that don’t have any customers. There's this positive energy in the air, and it's nice. "I wasn't feeling well earlier, so I wanted to come back here and check out the market."
"Oh, I think we all knew that." She laughs out loud and reaches out to touch my arm. "We sure hope you're feeling better."
I'm sure they do. If they have any sense of self-preservation that is. "I'm feeling much better, thanks." I glance around her table and notice she has bottles lined up everywhere. "What are all of these for?"
"These, my dear, are spells to help the world survive desperate measures." She glances down at her table and smiles.
"What does that even mean?" Charlie's forehead is creased and the corners of his eyes wrinkled.
"I'm assuming that's how the Fae survived." This is the only thing that makes sense, and what does that mean for all of the other worlds we were taught about?
"She's exactly right." The merchant picks up a small bottle and holds it out to us. "This is water spelled to help one form survive. Have you ever wondered why there are times when some crops are bountiful while other farms struggle? This is the reason why."
That's interesting. But that's how they can look like this. Their city seems well-off, and they aren't in need of anything
"As fun as this conversation is, I'd like to know if there's somewhere nice Chris and I could spend some time together here." Charlie winks at me and rubs his fingers along my back.
"I know just the place. If you go back the way you came in and continue past Ria's, you'll come to the end of the island, and there is a boat ride that's available. It's small, and only the two of you would be on it, and it takes you on a tour of the most beautiful places here."
If it's anything like we came in from, it's not that beautiful—water farm after water farm.
"That sounds exactly like what we need." He glances at the table one last time and looks at me. "Are you ready to go? I think a boat is calling our name."
I want to argue with him, but what if I don't have a lot of time left. It might be the last opportunity I have to spend time with Charlie. "Sure, let's do this. It sounds like fun." And worst case, we’ll get a better sense of this world.
The lady beams and rearranges the bottles of water on her table. "You got yourself a good man there. Go spend some time with him."
Charlie and I leave the buzzing market behind and retrace our steps past Ria's.
It's not long before we come to the end of the walkway. It opens up into a wide beach. The water is similar to what I had seen back on earth when I pictured the artifact. It's a deep emerald, and the waves are crashing against the land.
"Wow, this is gorgeous." Charlie takes me forward. "Let's take off our shoes and walk on the sand."
It would be nice to just put my feet in the ocean even if it's just for a moment. I remove my socks and shoes and then dig my feet into the sand. However, it’s not grainy. What looks like white sand is actually soft and cushiony. "This is amazing."
He joins me, and as soon as his feet hit the sand, he takes in a deep breath. "I don't know what this stuff is, but I wish the sand on earth felt like this."
"Yeah, that would be really nice. It's almost as if were walking on clouds." I glance off to the right and see a small pier, not too far away, with the boat tied up to it. "Hey I think that's what she was talking about over there."
He glances off to the right and grins. "Let's go."
Hand in hand, we slowly make our way over to the boat. There's something nice about being with him, and we don't have these moments
often. A man ducks under the cover and steps out when we arrive.
He looks us over and then glances at the boat. "Are you guys wanting a ride?"
Charlie steps toward him and places something in his hand. "Are you available now?"
"There's no time like the present." The man opens his arm and motions us to enter the boat. "Please sit in the back, and we’ll get this ride going."
As I step into the boat, I discover it is even smaller than it looks from outside. There's just enough room for two people in the back with the driver sitting in the front.
"At least I have an excuse for getting so close to you." Charlie’s shoulders shake with laughter as his hands rub down my arms.
"You know you don't have to have an excuse for that." I turn into him and gaze up at his eyes.
The driver sits down and starts the engine. "As soon as you two get situated, we’ll be on our way."
We both sit down and get comfortable even though it's a tight squeeze. Charlie entwines his arm with mine, and I lay my head on his shoulder. The boat takes off, and soon we’re flying through the ocean with the wind blowing through my hair.
It's strange – back on Earth you can smell the salt in the ocean water, but not here. The two suns are setting, causing the clouds and sky to reflect various shades of purples, pinks, and blues.
It's breathtaking, and for once, my powers are... This is the first time I feel at peace inside since absorbing the three artifacts. Ever since that first day, there's been some kind of imbalance inside me, and it gets worse. Now I know why; I must have all four artifacts inside me to feel balanced, but today I feel just like my old self.
I close my eyes and enjoy the comfort of Charlie and the sweet breeze around me. This is the most relaxed I’ve felt sense Beth's death. "I could get used to the idea of living here. It's beautiful and peaceful."
Charlie kisses me on the forehead. "Me too. Either way, we have to figure something out. There's no way I will lose you."
Not sure what else to say, I remain silent. However, at least this amulet is working. I open my eyes and take in the view as we drive past beautiful islands full of flowers in various shades of oranges and yellows and greens. They’re small but beautiful islands. Not big enough for anyone to live on.
The tour takes about an hour, but Charlie and I get to spend some alone time together. When we pull back up at the pier, the man gets out and smiles. "Did you enjoy the trip?"
"We sure did." Charlie jumps out of the boat and reaches in to help me out.
We’ll need to do this again. "Thank you so much."
The suns are almost all the way down, and one moon is now beginning to rise in the sky. We head back the way we came walking on the cloud-like sand. The water looks even more beautiful with various shades of light blue mixing in with the usual emerald green color.
"What do you say we put our feet in the water?" Charlie gazes at the beautiful waves as they crash down.
That actually sounds like a great idea. Who knows how long it's been since I’ve done something like that just for fun? "I'll race you." I drop my shoes and socks and run toward the water.
"You know you won't win." Charlie soon catches up. "I told you that you wouldn’t be able to beat me."
I laugh loud when he catches up to me at the edge of the water. He grabs me by my waist and twirls me in the air, setting me down in the surf. I gaze into his eyes as he lowers his lips to touch mine.
Something connects to me—power pulses through and up my legs and into my core, tugging at the other three elements inside me. The longer I stay in the water, the stronger the connection gets.
His eyes widen, and he pulls back. "Chris, what's wrong?"
Jerking out of his arms, I stumble out of the water. As soon as I break free, the connection begins to fade. Holy shit. "The water is linked to the artifact. That's why they don't want me to take it. Their land will die since water is what fuels everything here." But I'm not gonna survive if I don't.
10
"Come on, let's get away from the water." Charlie takes my hand and pulls me back.
"Hey, are you upset?" We just had a wonderful evening together, and I hate to end it this way.
He takes in a deep breath and turns to face me. "I thought this would be a great evening, and then I ended up putting you in danger."
Is he crazy? "That's the best time I've had in years. You didn't put my life in danger. If anything, we figured out part of the puzzle."
He runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head. "I came here to protect you."
"And you've done that. I wouldn't have survived the market without you." He's the reason I calmed down and didn't implode like I did back at the mansion.
"Let's head back to Ria's. You've been out here too long." He gives me a small smile and intertwines his fingers with mine.
We begin the trek back that way slowly. The silence is comfortable, and as we walk past the houses, we notice the lights are on.
"It looks like people are starting to make it back home." There are a few people now passing us on the walkway. They have carts filled with the things they were selling at the market.
"Bet that's the hardest thing. Finding a place to store all the merchandise." Charlie looks at each person.
The closer we get to Ria's, the more crowded the walkway becomes.
All of a sudden, a loud voice fills the air. "I'm sorry, you cracked the flask. There isn't anything I can do."
What the hell is going on? "Someone sounds like they are in trouble."
He nods his head and begin taking steps that way. "Yeah, let’s go check it out."
We break into a jog, following the voices, and soon we find a tall ogre-like man hovering over the market lady who was talking to us earlier.
His nostrils are flaring, and his green face even has a red hue to it. He's holding a weird contraption that reminds me of a hot vapor machine back on Earth. There is a bottle-like container on top that holds water. "I just need you to fix this. I can't afford a new one."
The lady’s eyes widen, and she throws both hands in the air. "I can't fix the fan inside. I'm sorry. The only thing you can do is buy a new spell."
"Then switch it out." He takes a menacing step toward her. "And do it now. I need to get back to my wife."
What's that spell that he needs so bad? He seems determined to get it, but I'm not sure he's going about it the right way.
"Sir?" Charlie steps forward and glances between the two. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"No." His tone is getting low, and his hands clench. "All I need her to do is to give me a new fan, and I'll be on my way."
"But the fans have a spell on them too. It costs me a lot of money and time to do." She straightens her shoulders and stares him in the eye. "You will have to pay for a brand-new one just like everyone else."
"That's impossible. I don't have the money for another spell. This took our savings." His body becomes tense, and his breathing becomes ragged. "I just need you to do this."
"Absolutely not. If I do this for one person, more will expect the same in return." Her eyes hardened, and she places her hands on her hips. "If you keep this up, you will not be welcome back here."
He growls and takes a step forward and grabs her, lifting her up by her shirt. "I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that there was an option."
Tide emerges from the dark shadows and steps in front of them. "We don't take threats kindly here. Why don't you get your stuff and move along?" He turns toward the merchant. “Are you okay, Melody?”
She shakes her head no and takes a deep breath.
There's something missing here. Some sort of explanation. Neither Tide nor the merchant is acting surprised by this man's actions.
"Why don't our two new visitors go back to their house?" Tide glances at us and motions in the direction of Ria’s house.
"Are you both scared for our audience?" The ogre taunts and takes a step toward me. "Maybe if I take something import
ant of yours, you'll finally help me with my request."
If somebody doesn't intervene soon, something bad is going to happen. "I don't think threatening them is the best way to go about it."
His stony eyes turn toward me. "I don't think I remember asking for anyone's opinion. I just need this fixed, and I'll be on my way. I don’t want to cause any problems." He turns back to them suddenly and throws her against the wall.
Her head hits with a loud thud, and she cries out in pain. Then, he’s holding her up in the air by her shoulders.
Dax appears and stands beside me. He crosses his arms, causing his muscles to bulge. "Looks like I got here just in time."
At this point, more backup is appreciated. I turn my attention back to the ogre. "Why don't you calm down, and we can talk through this."
"That's the thing. There is no talking through this." He focuses back on the lady, and he sneers. "There's only one resolution, and she will provide it to me." He places his hand around her throat, and she begins to squirm.
Is Tide not going to do anything? He appears to be a ruler of this world, yet he's letting one of his own merchants be hurt.
"Just... Let her down." Tide takes a few steps back and away from the ogre.
Nope, this isn’t going to happen. Not while I'm here. I take a few steps, but an arm catches me.
"Don't worry. I've got it." Dax grabs the ogre by his shoulder and yanks him back.
The ogre stumbles back and releases her, using both hands to catch the contraption that contains water. He spins around and faces Dax. "What the hell was that for?"
Charlie steps forward, blocking me from the ogre's view. "You don't need to threaten this lady."
What I've now learned is there is always more to the story than what meets the eye. Everyone assumed I did the council wrong, so couldn't this be the same thing?
"You'll pay for this." The merchant straightens and rubs her neck. "There's no chance in hell that I'll ever help you again."
"Don't ever come back on this world." Tide takes a few steps and places his fingers loosely through his belt loops. "You will not be allowed in the portal again."