The Collector 4: Eight Arms to Hold You

by Ally Blue

  Luke didn’t answer. Laying his head on Austin’s shoulder, he shut his eyes and conjured the mental image of the island from his dreams, the tall, black-eyed people who knew and loved him. I wonder if I’ll still dream of them.

  Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he couldn’t tell if they were tears of joy or sadness. Because he’d made his decision. It hurt something vital in him to know that his people still lived, somewhere in the vastness of the world’s oceans, and he would never be able to see them, to touch them and feel their minds intermingling with his. He would mourn the loss of his octopus form, and the soaring bliss of flying free through the water. However, in Austin, he’d found a love that filled every corner of his being. He wasn’t about to give that up for anything.

  Sitting up and opening his eyes, Luke met Dr. Martin’s sympathetic gaze. “I know what I want, sir. What do I do?”

  The Collector smiled. “Simply touch it. It will know your heart’s desire.”

  Luke nodded. Taking a deep breath, he set the black metal box on his lap and pressed his thumbs against the edge of the lid, pushing upward. After a moment of resistance, the lid sprang open, and Luke gasped.

  The object inside looked exactly as it had in his dreams ‑‑ pure, clear crystal, smooth and flawless, shining in the afternoon sun. Its eight limbs curled toward its mantle in perfect symmetry. Its huge obsidian eyes contained an almost sentient glitter.

  “Wow,” Austin breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

  Luke didn’t answer. The idol’s black eyes, shining with promises and secrets, pulled him like a magnet.

  “Go ahead, my boy,” The Collector said softly. “Touch it.”

  Slowly, reverently, Luke lifted the little octopus from its nest of sculpted black metal and held it in his cupped hands. The sunlight fell into it and emerged in a brilliant rainbow that stained Luke’s fingers blue and yellow and violet.

  I want to be with Austin, for the rest of our lives. Whatever that means, whatever it takes, I want it.

  The crystal grew warm in Luke’s palms. He felt a faint vibration thrill through it, then suddenly brilliant images exploded in his mind’s eye and he cried out.

  He was vaguely aware of Austin’s hands on his cheeks, Austin’s panic flooding into him through their psychic connection. He knew Phelan was leaning over him, demanding that he speak, he heard Dr. Martin advising them both to remain calm and wait. But he couldn’t answer. The idol played a rapid-fire slideshow of his lost past in his brain, and he was helpless to do anything but watch it.

  In his mind’s eye, he saw the years of his early childhood flash by, from his birth through the three short years with his family to the day he was taken by Carson Cordova. Names and faces burned themselves into his brain, along with scenes of the life Carson had stolen from him. He saw himself as a baby, sitting on his mother’s lap while she fed him bits of fruit and cooked fish, and he smiled through his tears.

  The barrage of images stopped as suddenly as it had started. Luke blinked away the blur of tears and gave Austin a weak smile.

  “Luke?” Austin stroked his face, brow furrowed in worry. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” He kissed Austin’s lips, then turned to address Dr. Martin. “It showed me my life before Carson Cordova. Why did it do that?”

  Dr. Martin shrugged. “I’m not sure. Perhaps to give you some comfort in your decision?”

  Luke considered that. “Maybe. I do feel ... more peaceful now. I’ve always wondered about my past. Now I know. And I know I won’t ever wonder about what I gave up to be with Austin.”

  Austin brushed a stray lock of hair out of Luke’s eyes. “So did it work? Did you get what you wanted?”

  “I think so.” Luke placed the idol gently back in the box and closed the lid. “Let me see.”

  Focusing his mind, Luke tried to shift his arm into a tentacle. He couldn’t do it. Even though he’d expected that ‑‑ had hoped for it, in fact ‑‑ it was still a shock. But when he thought of the man beside him, who’d become more vital to him than anything else in life, he knew he’d made the right decision.

  “It worked,” he said, smiling at Austin. He took Austin’s hand, winding their fingers together. “I’m human now. Just human. We can be together always.”

  Austin’s fingers traced the line of Luke’s jaw. A hint of sadness peeked out from behind the joy in Austin’s face. “You won’t ever be able to shift again. You won’t ever know your people. I’m sorry about that.”

  “I’m not.” Turning his head, Luke kissed Austin’s palm. “No gain without loss, Austin. That’s how it works. I don’t regret this.”

  Austin didn’t say anything, but his mind pulsed with a happiness that Luke could feel like a physical touch. A happiness that Luke shared. Apparently their psychic connection remained. Luke didn’t know why that was, but he was glad of it.

  Fabric rustled as The Collector stood and walked over to them. “I hope you will still agree to allow me to keep the idol in my vault.”

  “Of course.” Luke handed the box to Dr. Martin. He glanced up with a smile. “Thank you, sir. For everything.”

  Dr. Martin returned his smile, eyes shining. “My pleasure, my boy. Phelan and I will be leaving you now, to take the idol to my vault. Jonathan will be up shortly to escort you to your room.”

  With a slight bow, Dr. Martin made his way to the door and left, with Phelan at his heels, and Luke and Austin were alone.

  “I can’t believe I’m really human now,” Luke murmured. “I don’t have the words to tell you how that makes me feel.”

  Austin caressed Luke’s face. “You don’t need words.”

  It was true. Cupping Austin’s face in his hands, Luke brought their mouths together in a kiss that said it all.

  * * * * *

  Andrew Martin smiled as he shut the study door behind him. “I do enjoy seeing two people so in love, don’t you?”

  “Yes, sir.” Phelan shot him a keen glance as they descended the staircase together, headed for the basement vault where The Collector’s most precious treasures resided. “This one’s the fourth. Have you any clues as to the location of the next piece?”

  “Not yet.” Andrew smiled and took the arm Phelan offered him when his feet faltered on the stairs. “Give it time, my dear.”

  She was silent, her throat working, and Andrew knew what she was thinking. That he might not have much time left. He knew that, and accepted it. All he could do was continue his quest as best he could, and hope he would live long enough to see it completed.

  “Whatever time remains to me, I will devote to this venture. It will be the one truly good thing I’ve ever done.” He patted her hand. “Let’s not think of my illness right now, Audra. We’ve helped another couple find love with each other. Let us take joy in their happiness.”

  Phelan gave a brave smile that didn’t fool him for a second. “Yes, sir.”

  They made the remainder of the journey to the vault in silence. Phelan squeezed his hand and left him at the vault door. He smiled at her retreating back. She knew he sometimes preferred to do this alone, and she respected that wish.

  Andrew keyed in the lock code. A green light winked, and the door swung silently open. The lights flickered on overhead when he walked in. He crossed to the glass-front display case. Inside, other artifacts occupied three of the spaces. Fishing a key out of his pocket, he unlocked the case and opened the door.

  “One more piece of the puzzle,” he whispered as he lifted the crystal octopus from its case and tucked it into an empty space in the display. Four pieces found. How many more to go? He wished he knew.

  Closing and locking the display case, he stepped back and took a good look. The octopus sparkled in the lights. Its black eyes seemed to offer the redemption he craved.

  One step at a time, he told himself. You’ll get there.

  He’d found four of the items he’d made it his mission in life to recover. Four couples brought together in the process. Some days,
that was the only thing that kept him going.

  It was time to begin the search once again. Turning on his heel, he left the room and locked the door.

  Ally Blue

  Ally is a married mother of two, living in the mountains of North Carolina in the U.S.A. She is a registered nurse by trade and a writer of man-love by inclination. Her husband is a freelance artist, and their children have apparently inherited his artistic tendencies. Thankfully, they have also inherited his singing voice instead of Ally's, which her family will confirm can peel the paint off the walls.

  Ally wrote her first story -- a slash fanfic -- in the fall of 2003, after discovering the joys of reading male-on-male sex starring her favorite hotties, who shall remain nameless. She has since branched out into original character fiction, mostly male/male love stories. Her short stories have been published in the e-zines Forbidden Fruit and Ruthie's Club, and she won third place in the Torquere Press 'Melt' short fiction contest in the summer of 2004.

  In addition to writing, Ally enjoys traveling, collecting dragons, and trying to scare herself. Her favorite authors include Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Laurell K. Hamilton, and she is a rabid fan of horror movies.

  Ally adores music, particularly Radiohead, Placebo, and Beck. She plans to have her iPod surgically implanted as soon as someone invents a way to do that. Hopefully this will mean the end of playing CDs and her children can finally stop telling her to turn the volume down.

  Visit Ally on the Web at http://www.allyblue.com or you can email her ally@allyblue.com.