by W. J. May
Brady gave him an incredulous look. “Damn.” He threw his bread on his plate. He glanced at Karis. “Did you know this?”
“I honestly didn’t think about it.” She felt sorry for him. So much had fallen on his lap in the last couple of weeks. She let the time differences between the worlds and Earth slip, and never thought to tell him. She was grateful Magnus didn’t tell him how old he’d be in Aridam years. That might not go over terribly well.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to restore your memories.” Magnus gave him a nod and raised his glass before taking a deep swallow.
“Yeah,” Brady spoke much quieter.
She gave his hand a quick squeeze. “Well I guess this means I’m not a cougar.”
He chuckled. “I liked being with an older woman.”
She gave him a playful slug in the shoulder.
Magnus scooted his chair away from the table. “Well, we’ve certainly enjoyed your stories this morning and are glad you’re finally home. It is hard to hear about my brother and sister-in-law, but I am glad you survived. I will show you to our guest room and let you get some rest. We can always talk later when you are refreshed.”
Karis smiled. A nap would be phenomenal, but time alone with Brady would feel even better. She rose from her chair and thanked Alexis, Magnus’s wife, for the meal. She was a quiet woman who stayed in the kitchen most of the time but seemed exceptionally excited to have guests.
Magnus walked them outside to a small building that looked almost as large as her house on the island. It was made of the same stone and rock combination as the main house they just left.
“You will find extra clothes for you to wear inside. By this afternoon, you will thank me. While we do have powers to help cool our homes, the outside does become sweltering.”
Brady clasped forearms with him then opened the door for Karis. “Thank you, Uncle.”
Karis ducked inside the little room. It was perfect. It had a bed and was cool enough to be comfortable. Even though the afternoon heat hadn’t yet hit, the air was still warm outside. She was used to the humidity of the island, but there was always a slight breeze. Here, there was no humidity and the sun felt like a hot glare.
She let out a discontented breath. The day’s events were catching up to her. Her heart sank as she realized she didn’t have the picture of her father with her anymore. One more thing lost in her life. She ran her finger over the fabric that covered the bed. “It feels like forever since we’ve slept.”
Brady came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, pressing her back close to his chest. She could feel the heat radiate from his body through her thin dress. A slight nudge lower down sent tingles throughout her body. “It feels like forever since the last time we kissed,” he whispered in her ear, causing a shiver to course down her spine.
“I agree.” She turned around to face him. All other thoughts and worries faded as he pressed his lips to hers.
“This is ridiculous.” Karis fumbled with the sheer black veil that matched the new outfit Magnus gifted her. She was unaccustomed to wearing pants, but they were comfortable, and she mused over how the flowing silk around her legs made her feel beautiful. The shirt, a long tunic with straps over her shoulders, was the same shade of black with silver trim. The flowing material went past her waist, down to her thighs. A small rope-like belt fit around under her chest, cinching the material together. It was the veil she frowned at. “Well, I’m not wearing it.” She threw it down on the bed.
Brady lay on his side on the bed, and propped his head up in his hand to watch her dress. His fully exposed chest looked like a work of art. His muscles were taut, his skin covered with a sheen from their earlier lovemaking. “I think you’re beautiful either way.”
She smirked. “You’re just saying that to get me back in bed.”
“Will it work?”
“Hardly. Magnus is expecting us. I’m afraid we used up all our resting time doing other things.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair out. It fell in waves along her back, reaching her waist.
Brady came up behind her and moved her tresses to make a trail of kisses down to her shoulder. “I love it when your hair is down,” he whispered against her neck.
She shivered and summoned all her inner strength to stand up. “You don’t play fair.” She didn’t look back, afraid she would cave in to the intense desire to lay back down with Brady.
“I’m a fighter, I don’t play. I just take what I want.” He came up and grabbed her from behind.
She giggled as he fell back on the bed with her. A knock outside the door stopped their actions. Karis jumped up from the bed. She tried to smooth down her wild hair with her hands while Brady gathered the blanket off the bed, and wrapped it around his middle. Karis tossed him the pants Magnus left for him. “Hurry, put these on.” She bit her cheek to keep from laughing at the sight of him hiding behind a blanket.
“Brady?” Magnus’s voice sounded from behind the door.
Karis cleared her throat. “We’ll be right out.”
As soon as Brady tied the fabric for his pants around his middle like a belt, he slipped on the long robe, letting it hang open. His chest was visible, as well as his tattoo and Syrenae marking. Karis tried hard not to stare. He was so handsome that she had a hard time believing he was hers.
The pants he wore were cream colored, and the same type worn by the other men of Aridam. They were light and flowing, keeping the skin from sweating in the heat but blocking the sun’s rays. His robe was the same, but was open with no sleeves and billowed out as he walked.
“Why is yours not black?” She gazed back down at her attire.
“I think you look hot. It suites you, gives you an aura of mysteriousness. It’s sexy.” He flashed her a devilish grin.
“Hot is right. Do you know how black attracts heat?”
He wiggled his brows playfully. “Do you know how it’s attracting me right now?”
She tipped her head back and sighed. It was a lost game. She slipped on the sandals and waited as Brady did the same.
Magnus waited for them outside. Karis blushed. How much did he hear of our playful banter? She bowed her head slightly so she wouldn’t have to look him directly in the eye.
“Magnus,” Brady said with confidence and reached out his hand.
Magnus accepted the gesture, and they clasped forearms in a greeting. “I hope you’re well rested.” He gave a playful wink to Karis, which made her blush even more.
Brady gave her a quick smile that made his eyes twinkle. “Yeah, we’re good.”
“Good, because we have some news.”
Karis snapped her head up. “What kind of news?” She reached up and wiped her brow. The sun was warm enough that she already began to sweat. The black didn’t seem as miserable as she thought it would be. Actually, she felt somewhat cooler under the clothes than the areas without them. Her mind flashed back to the veil she dismissed and groaned inwardly. That would’ve been helpful to know sooner, she mused over the hindsight.
Magnus led them to the main house. Karis stepped inside and relished the coolness. It wasn’t a large house, but it wasn’t the smallest she ever saw. All the furniture appeared to be handmade from wood and stone. Colorful pillows and throws adorned the long sitting areas. Sheer material hung over two small windows in the front room and danced as a breeze found its way into the house.
Further into the house, she saw that the dining hall and spare rooms branched off to private sleeping quarters. She was honored that she was allowed to have a private building to share with Brady.
Magnus sat down on a long bench with two large pillows and motioned for them to do the same. Karis was surprised at how fluffy and soft the seating was. The pillow she chose to sit on was a vibrant purple with gold trim and tassels. It was large enough for her to be able to sit cross-legged atop of it if she chose to, and still have extra room.
“So what’s this big news?” Brady asked as he
settled onto his own pillow next to Karis.
“We have news of an underground army. It is something we’ve known about for many years, but now it is becoming active. I think with Karis escaping news has gotten around quickly.”
Brady placed a fist to his palm. “Alright, now we’re talking.”
“What kind of army, Magnus?” Karis thought of her people and how rough things must undoubtedly be for them to come to together in something as dangerous as an underground military.
“They are part of the uprising against the King. They fight for you, for your return. Like I said, I think they might know you escaped, but not that you’re back in our worlds.”
“They fight for me?” She was honored, yet saddened by all who sacrificed so much for her.
“You are the true Queen of Shamike, every world outside of Earth knows this. Your people know this. You give them hope that life could be good again.”
She buried her face in her hands. “What if I fail?”
Brady reached over and patted her leg. “We will not fail.”
She looked over at him and marveled. It wasn’t long ago that he was a fighter on Earth, but now he looked comfortable and natural in this environment, as if he was born in it. He never faltered when he spoke of Shamike or Aridam as home, and he cared enough to fight with her.
“You’re right. We’ll fight till there is no fight left in us.” She just hoped it wouldn’t mean she was dead—or worse, Brady.
“Good, that’s settled. We’ll leave as soon as you can make a portal to transport you both. We can take one of the veiled ones, but it is imperative that no one knows you are in Shamike.”
Her mouth hung open. “I can’t do it. I don’t know how.”
Magnus gave her a half smile. “You can and you do. When you were little, your father used to bring you here to practice. The open desert was perfect for learning your powers. I watched from a distance. You would create small portals, but give up before the other end could open. I have faith that you can do it now.”
“You watched me? That was a long time ago. I haven’t had any training since then.” She tried to persuade him.
“You can do it. Shamike depends on you, we depend on you.” With that, he rose and left the room.
Karis sat in silence. How am I supposed to open a portal?
“Karis,” Brady interrupted her thoughts. “Maybe it’s like the necklace. You need me to open the communication pathway. Maybe I can help open the other end of the portal?”
“That’s a great idea.” She was quiet. Her mind turned fast as she remembered her training with her dad. Memories of windy funnels swept through her mind. Magnus was right. She could do it, but the other end never opened for her, no matter how hard she tried.
She took Brady’s hand and pulled him up with her. “Come on, let’s go find out.”
Brady rushed them out a way from the city with his newly found speed before setting Karis down. They walked out a little more together without speaking. The white sand squished under their weight with each step they took.
Karis stopped first and shielded her eyes as she looked around. “We should be far enough out to try.”
Brady raised his brow. “I don’t know. I can still see the tiny rooftops of the houses.”
She pushed his shoulder. “Hey, I just want to be safe.”
He held his arms up. “Okay, okay.”
“I need you to be good and concentrate. I’m out of practice and it could be bad.”
“Well then I guess we’d better run through it a couple times. I don’t want to get sucked up and float around between worlds with no way out.” He sounded serious, but she could hear the smile behind his words.
She held her hands out from her sides. Her fingers danced in wave-like motions, keeping the rhythm of the power surge she felt. Tingles traveled through her fingers and up her arms. Soon, her body sang with an intense energy. Wisps of silver vapors wafted around her and began to spin around her still form.
Brady stood off to the side. His eyes widened as the funnel of silver grew and enveloped Karis into its core. He held his hand up to shield his face from the sand and wind as the funnel picked up speed.
The funnel shot about a hundred feet straight into the air from the sand. He jumped back. “Karis!”
“Brady,” Karis cried out from the eye of the portal.
He looked around for a way to get through the silver spinning chaos. No openings or breaks. He tensed up and braced himself as he ran straight into it, but wasn’t quick enough to reach her. The wind picked him up and carried him up away from the ground.
The funnel lifted him about twenty feet before it died down. He landed hard on the sand, completely knocking the wind from his chest. He gasped and fought to regain the use of his lungs.
Karis ran to where the portal dropped him. “Brady, are you okay?” She knelt down beside him.
He wheezed as he continued to catch his breath. “That...was...harsh.”
“I’m sorry.”
He slowly stood up, but leaned over, his hands braced against his knees. “I thought I could reach you.”
“You didn’t use your powers?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I kinda forgot in the heat of the moment.”
“Well, you’re not exactly used to them. After living that many years without knowledge of them, it’s probably easier for your mind to block them out.”
He stood up straight and stretched. “That was killer.” He winked at her. “Next time, I’m either standing in the middle with you, or you’re on your own.”
“I’m so excited that I remembered how to do it. I had forgotten all about that part of my training with my dad. I don’t know why. I just know that it felt good.”
“So how am I supposed to help? I can run fast, not create portals.”
“Well, my thoughts are this... The communication gateway with my necklace doesn’t work unless I’m with you, touching you. The portal that took us to Perditus didn’t close until you entered with me. I think you might be a Channel. You have the ability to connect energies together, like a conductor.”
He jutted his chin out and crossed his arms over his chest. “So you really do need me.”
“Oh please, spare me your macho act.”
He tossed his arms in the air. “Hey, I’m just saying.”
She brushed the sand off her clothes that covered her from top to bottom and ignored him. “Maybe we should try again?”
He shielded his eyes from the glaring sun and scanned the horizon toward the town. “The city’s still standing so I guess I trust you.”
“Very funny.” She stretched her hand out for him to take.
He feigned a groan. “Well, since you need me.”
“Are you gonna be like this forever?”
“You’re already thinking of us in forever terms?” He wiggled his brows playfully.
“You’re impossible. Just concentrate so we can figure this out.”
“Fine. What do you want me to do?”
She held her hand out. “Hold my hand and try to focus on the portal.”
He took her hand and cocked his head slightly. “Yes, ma’am.”
Karis took a deep breath. “We can do it.” She lifted her free hand from her side as before and clenched her fist as if she grabbed a handful of air and pulled it upward. A swoosh of sand rose from the ground and swirled around them.
The wind picked up and bellowed in a deep harmonious cry. Karis could feel Brady’s hand warm against hers, and she knew that his body made a connection with her power. “Ready?” she cried out above the wind.
He nodded. His jaw was set tight, and he watched all around them with an alert stare.
Karis took her hand that held his and stretched it up over her head with her other one. A bright flash moved through the core of the portal. She looked up. The end of the funnel was nowhere to be seen. It worked.
She saw Brady’s face tighten even more and feared he might lo
se the connection. She threw her arms down. The sand dropped with them, plummeting to the ground in a poof of dust.
They no longer stood in the desert, but next to their small guest room outside of Magnus’s home. She smiled up at Brady. “We did it.”
He squeezed her hand. “That was awesome.”
“Marvelous.” Magnus came up behind them and clasped his hand over Brady’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen that happen since she was little.”
“It was intense, but you should’ve seen the first one.” Brady glanced at Karis and grinned. “She’s one heck of a woman.”
“Come on inside and have supper with us. We can talk about plans over fresh bread.”
Once inside the house, Karis automatically knew something was different. The air was stuffy and warmer than usual.
“We’ve been waiting for you.” A tall man with shoulder-length brown hair stood in the entrance to the dining hall. He bowed when he faced Karis. “Princess.” His voice was smooth with no accent.
Her heart stopped. Something about him was familiar. She recognized him but her memory seemed fogged. It was a strange feeling as she searched for how she knew him but it was like her memory was blocked.
He wore black pants much like the jeans of Earth that Brady missed so much, but they were made of a softer fabric that were not as stiff. His red shirt was a billowy tunic that was long and tucked into the waist of his pants and tied off with material. Black boots completed his look.
Brady leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Yo-ho and shiver me timbers, I believe we have a pirate abroad.”
She elbowed him, never taking her eyes off the visitor. “He’s not a pirate, he is from Shamike. That’s the way most men dress in my world.”
Brady scoffed. “It’s like freaking Arabian Nights here, and Pirates of the Caribbean there.”