Fire and Fantasy: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban and Epic Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  “How could he count this as a betrayal? I’ve done nothing wrong to him.”

  “Yes, but you are keeping something from him when I can see he has been transparent with you.” Grabbing her hand, Lehela held it between her own. “Asa, all that is happening was meant to happen, you cannot fight against it. You must give in to it.”

  “This was all meant to be?”

  “Yes. I’ve had visions of this moment since the time that I was a child.”

  “What? How? What does this mean?”

  Lehela nodded to the doorway as Carter appeared. If Asa wanted to keep her secrets to herself, she would have to get her answers at a later time.

  “What do you know about Ares, about his involvement?” She swallowed her disappointment and hoped that she would have more time with Lehela later to discuss her ominous revelation. “How is it that he is back yet none of you felt his return?”

  “Ah, and that is where I will disappoint you child. My gifts do not allow for visions of the gods, for vast understanding as I am privy to of others. As far as I knew, as far as any of us knew, Ares was gone with all the others. It would appear that we all have been fooled.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” Carter rejoined them, placing the tray of tea on the table.

  “I suggest you wait.” Lehela poured herself a cup. The aroma of the herbs she used in the tea filled the air.

  “Wait?” Carter looked at her, confused. “We need to be proactive, we should be going after him. He could be close to getting into Oikos, and you suggest that we wait?”

  “Yes, wait for his next move. As it stands, we do not know where he is, or who he is. He could be literally anyone. What we do know, is that he has returned and that he knows who you are.” She glanced at Asa who dropped her gaze. Ares would know her, they both realized it. If Lehela, who had never met her in person knew the true woman beneath the mask, the man who had known her intimately would have no trouble recognizing her. “We have to assume that he has been around for a while, plotting his goal. We also have to assume that he is not alone. Carter, I suggest you gather whatever friends you have. Asa, you should do the same. When Ares comes, he will come strong. He will be prepared to fight.”

  “And there is nothing you can tell us about him to help?” Carter questioned, and looked to Asa who was quiet.

  “All I can say is that he has always had a weakness for beauty. Some things will never change.” Lehela followed his eyes to the silent woman at the table who finally spoke.

  “Aphrodite.” Asa lifted her head and sighed. A heavy sigh that worried Carter. Why was that so hard for her to say?

  “Yes.” Lehela understood Asa’s pain; she recognized the hidden defeat. Aphrodite was the reason her life had been taken from her. “She is to him as the heel to Achilles.”

  “So, you think we should play her against him? Sounds good, but we have no idea who she is either.”

  “Oh, she won’t be far from him.” Bitter tones rang as Asa spoke and Carter raised a brow.

  “You are correct. I can assure you that wherever he is, his love is close by.”

  “Great, it will be a lovely little reunion.” Asa stood from the table, ready to escape the conversation, but not sure where to go.

  “Reunion?” The suspicion in Carter’s question stopped her from moving.

  “Yes, you know, two loves together as one,” Lehela offered.

  “Right.” Carter accepted, but he knew something wasn’t right. Now, not only was Asa hiding something from him, but he had a feeling Lehela was as well.

  “Well, I have some errands to run. Feel free to hang around here … or not.” Lehela hopped up from the table. If either of them chose to give confirmation of their plans, she was uninterested in hearing it. She grabbed a pouch that hung by the entrance to her home, tossed the strap across her chest, and was gone out the door.

  “Come on, I want to show you something.” Lehela was long gone and no longer concerned with the two she’d left inside her home. To alleviate the awkwardness in the air, Carter offered something to shift the focus. He navigated his way through the halls with ease, though they seemed as a maze to Asa. “I spent so much time in this house when I was younger. Lehela was a real lifesaver for me. Especially after my mother passed. She let me call this place home.”

  “I’m glad you had her in your life.” She followed him through the tight halls to a back room. Laughter threatened to break free of her lips as they continued and the hall became a tighter fit, the available space becoming smaller while they progressed. She watched him walk angled so that his wide shoulders would fit.

  “Yeah, me too. She is truly an amazing woman.” He opened the door at the end of the hall and ducked through the entrance. This was not a place meant for visitors. Even Asa felt the need to shrink herself. This was a private place, that even looked too small for the woman who’d just left them.

  “Should we be here?” The room was dark, dust covered, and smelled of moisture, causing concern that they could be breathing in mold from the crates cluttering the space.

  “Yes, it’s fine. I spent so much of my youth here. It was a storage space, but after Lehela saw how much I liked it, she allowed me to make it my own.” He looked around the small space, now hunched over and unable to stand to his full height. “This is what I wanted you to see.”

  It the corner on the small stool used as a table was a book. The pages were weathered, torn, and faded, the ink barely visible.

  “What is it?” She squatted next to it as he carefully flipped the pages.

  “Drawings and stories. Some never told before.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, things that you won’t find in any Greek mythology book. Lehela, she lived it, and she recorded it. All of these books are filled with her stories, the history as it were from her perspective. I would read them over and over.”

  “This is amazing.” Asa ran her fingers across the pages, recognizing some of the stories of people who were never told.

  “It is.” Carter picked up another book sitting nearby and held it in his hands, a look of longing in his eyes.

  “Which is your favorite?” Curiosity took hold as she continued flipping the pages.

  “Calypso.” He took the book from her, completely unaware of the internal shock he’d caused with that one name, and turned to the page, easily remembering where to find his favorite tale. “The drawings here depict her in a way that is so different from any I have ever seen. She is strong, yet so soft, and the story is written from Lehela’s perspective. Calypso wasn’t out to kill, she wasn’t a monster stealing men from the sea. She was a young girl, a woman who needed love, and perhaps she sought it in the wrong places.”

  “That’s an interesting perspective.” Interesting was an understatement. This man had grown up thinking about her, reading about her, and seeing her in a way that no other person ever thought to. How could she ever tell him the truth? How could she ruin the image he had of her? She was no longer that young girl, soft and searching for love. She was jaded, angry, and most days questioned the validity of the emotion.

  “Are you okay?” Her pause lasted a beat too long.

  “Yeah, sorry.” She put the book down. “It’s just really nice, all of this. I don’t have a place like this, there is nowhere I can go back to for mementos of the past.”

  “Really?” Carter moved to sit across from her on the floor.

  “I’ve been on my own for so long. Sometimes I wonder if the things I remember are really memories or if it’s something I made up. This, having something you can hold onto, a physical representation of who you were and where you come from … it’s really nice.”

  “Yeah, I never thought of it like that.” He touched her hand which still lay atop the book she’d placed down. “I’m sorry, Asa.”

  In the moment of vulnerability, Asa considered telling him everything, revealing her truth to him. In that moment, she looked into his eyes and felt an urge to be herself, complet
ely. In that moment she felt fear, remembering who he reminded her of and how much that man had affected him. She pulled her hand away from him and pushed all those emotions back. She wasn’t ready, not yet.

  Asa clapped her hands. “So back home now?”

  “Unfortunately, no.” He managed to hide his disappointment. They were so close to having a real moment together and yet she pulled back once again.

  “No?”

  “Though it feels like we’ve been here only a couple of hours, it’s been about a day and a half back on Earth. We have to wait until morning to leave.”

  “So, we’re spending the night here?”

  “It’s just a few more hours, really.”

  “And where will we stay? Something tells me there isn’t a Holiday Inn we can check into.”

  “You’re right, there isn’t, but I do have a home here.” He shrugged. “Though I left, they kept it here intact. It’s protocol. Oikos is always home, whether you want it to be or not.”

  Eight

  “So, this is where you lived as a child?” She stood inside of the foyer of the small home. This was the replica of days of old that she had been expecting to find. Layers of dust covered worn furniture and weathered fabrics. Still, even under the years of neglect, she could feel the love that once filled the home.

  “This is the home I inherited. It was my mother’s. I didn’t grow up here, not after she passed. No one wanted it after she was gone, so it became my own.”

  “I’m sorry, Carter.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about. Not all of us will be remembered in high regard. I loved her, and for the time I had her, she was the best part of my life.” He looked around the room. “Regardless of what they say about her, it will never change the way I feel.”

  “It is good that you remember her that way.”

  “How do you remember your mother?” Carter turned his attention from a rocking chair that looked much smaller than he remembered, to the woman who tiptoed around the room as if trying not to break it.

  “I remember her well. She was fun, strong, and adventurous. Everything I never was, all the things I hope to be. Even in her last moments of life, I could see it in her eyes, that call to explore. She became ill when a poison infected the areas around us, and though she kept me safe, she became sick. I took care of her in her final days. I still remember the words she spoke to me. I replay them in my head every day, to be sure that I never forget.”

  “That must have been hard. Taking care of her as she passed. My mother was ill, too, but she had so many people around to take care of her. I was only allowed to see her on her good days at the end. I believe the last time I saw her, she put on her best show, but I could tell that she was not okay. I could see it. Even at a young age, when I hugged her, I knew that it was for the last time and I held on for as long as I could.”

  “I guess we have more in common than we thought.”

  “I knew it all along.” Carter smiled as he lit a candle, bringing light into the room. “Told you, I’m a patient man, I can wait.”

  “Right.” She laughed. “So, we’re holing up here?”

  “Yes, I have no desire to mingle with anyone here. If you want you can feel free to go out and explore.”

  “Without my guide? Not thank you.” She looked around. “I’m fine here, but something tells me you don’t have much in the way of food. Not sure about the refrigeration system here.”

  “Yes, you’re right.” He sighed realizing that the solace he wanted would be impossible to achieve.

  “So, either we starve until we make it back to Earth, or …”

  “Or we go out into town and face the annoying and speculating masses.”

  “Up to you.” Frowning, she rubbed her stomach. “Shh, calm down.” She spoke to her stomach and looked at Carter who rolled his eyes at her dramatics.

  “Fine, let’s go.”

  As it had been, they hadn’t encountered many of the residents of Oikos—only a few people who popped their heads out of windows as they walked the quiet pathways that lead to his home. When they made it to the market, held in the back quarters closest to the farmlands, Asa saw the world come alive. Mostly women and children hustled around the open grounds, even late at night. Attire ranged from Grecian-styled dresses to modern day jeans and T-shirts. The modern attire was less frequent but she made note and wondered if it was a sign of internal corruption. She wanted Oikos to be a reflection of the past, not an adaptation. Still, she was happy to see life going on, in most terms simplistic.

  “What were you so afraid of? This seems fine.” Asa smiled at a small girl who skipped by and laughed as her mother called after her.

  “Yeah, right. Fine,” he huffed. “Let’s just get in and out of here as quickly as possible. Please.”

  “Sure, what do you recommend I get?” Smiling, she rubbed her stomach. “I’m starving, remember?”

  “The chowder is usually good and served year-round.”

  “Chowder, huh?”

  “Yep.” He smiled. “It’s my favorite.”

  “Sounds good. Lead the way.” She motioned for him to walk ahead of her and followed behind when he did.

  As expected, there were glaring eyes, pointing fingers, and murmurs. People who looked at the stranger … not Carter, Asa. Who was she? She could only imagine what speculations were being made about her appearance. She was there with a man who had decided, however long ago, that he no longer wanted to be a part of their world. Not only did he return, unannounced, but he returned with someone that was unknown to them. Someone who he indicated, that certain members of their population would realize, wasn’t an average human woman.

  “Just up here,” Carter stated as he led the way to the stand where a small blonde woman sat. She was older, and didn’t look to be immortal by the wrinkles at the corner of her mouth and eyes. Her aged face lit up as she smiled with recognition.

  “Carter, is that really you? I thought I would never see you again.” She spread her arms wide, ready to hug the man.

  “Yes, Fema, its me.” He embraced her and lifted her from the ground quickly before returning her safely down. “Trust me, it was my plan for you to be correct.”

  “Well, I am thrilled that I was wrong.” She smiled as she started making bowls of chowder for him. “The usual I assume.”

  “After all this time, you still remember?”

  “Of course! How could I forget my favorite customer’s order?” Every day, from the time that Carter’s mother fell ill, he would come to Fema’s stand. She would make him a bowl of chowder and warm a roll and he would sit and chat with her. Their interaction started as a distraction, something to keep his mind away from worrying of his mother, but in time, they both came to look forward to the meetings. When Fema’s husband died after an unfortunate farming accident, she was the one in need of the distraction and he happily provided it. When he told her that he planned to leave, it broke her heart though she promised him she understood and would never hold the decision against him. He was unhappy in Oikos and they shared an understanding that he likely never would be. She was far too old to leave and feared that going to Earth would mean a rapid death for her. That was what was told—once you reached a certain age in Oikos, returning to Earth would mean speeding up the clock and pushing you into a quick grave.

  “I’m still your favorite? Haven’t found a suitable replacement yet?”

  “Around here? Right. I only wish I could leave with you.” Asa stood close by smiling at their interaction. Fema nodded toward her. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Oh, sorry. Asa, this is Fema, Fema Asa. Asa is my friend from Earth. She is here with me just trying to find some information on how to solve a little problem,” he added the vague note.

  “Little? Right. You mean to tell me that you decided to come back here, a place you swore you would never visit, for a little problem? I’m no fool.” She shook her finger at him and then held her hand out to greet Asa. “It’s nice to meet you,
Asa. Thank you for whatever problem it is that you need to solve. I’ll take anything if it means I get to see this young man again.”

  “Happy to be of service.” Asa smiled, and when Fema held her hand longer than she thought necessary, a sense of nervousness registered within. Pulling her hand from the woman’s grasp, she backed away.

  “You’re going to love my chowder! I’ll pack up a few extra rolls for you. How long will you be around?” Fema exclaimed as Carter pretended not to notice the exchange between them.

  “Not long, Fema. Headed back as soon as night falls on Earth.”

  “Oh, so no friendly visits.”

  “Because I have so many friends here?” Carter shook his head. “I’m sorry, no.”

  “Well, that’s quite all right. I got to see your face. That’s good enough for me. I’m glad you’re doing okay.” Often, she thought of the young man and wondered what the years had done to him. It was reassuring to find him in good health.

  “Hey, freak!” The cocky tone was all Carter needed to hear to figure out who shouted out the insult and who it was directed to. From the slur of his voice, Aktis had become even more familiar with the spirits offered by the local tavern. The drinks of Oikos were much stronger than any found on Earth, and yet the moron slammed them back as if they were nothing more than water.

  “Aktis, nice to see you, too.” Carter turned around to the tall man who approached with his two lackeys at his side. “Ah, and the two Phils. Glad to see you all are still a trio.” Yes, both of his friends, those who had followed him by his side ever since they were young boys, were named Phil. Carter often joked that this was because of Aktis’ limited vocabulary and mental capacity. This way he didn’t have to learn more than one name.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Carter?” Everyone surrounding them fell silent. Aktis called all attention to them.

  “Just a quick visit then I will be on my way.”

  “Is that so? You were going to come home without saying hello? Now, is that nice?”