by Mikea Howard
“So, you’ll take me ta my dressin’ room and wake me there?”
“That’s the plan.” Tim nodded. He suggested waking her outside of town, but she had items she couldn’t part with. Dottie insisted she pack her things before fleeing the scene. He didn’t know what could be so important, but in his brief time with her, he’d noted she could be passionate, not frivolous. If she considered it irreplaceable, he trusted it was.
He didn’t mention how if it put her life in danger, he’d fly them somewhere safer. Of course, he’d take her back for whatever she wanted as soon as he could. He didn’t think now was the best time for such a conversation.
Dottie sat back on her haunches, squinting at him. “I somehow think yer not sayin’ somethin’, but I’m trustin’ you, Tim.”
Rising to his feet, he reached down to pull her up. “I’m glad you trust me, Dottie.” Bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed her knuckles.
Stepping back, he added, “I’ll be back soon, please be ready.”
~ ~ ~
In the living realm, Tim closed his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose. Glancing at the mystery tree, he whispered, “Wish me luck.” He likely imagined the rustling leaves of its response.
Heading down the hill, he snuck into town. The fluttering in his chest indicated today would be different. He hadn’t been concerned while simply searching for Dottie’s body. He’d risked only himself on those trips, but now he’d have to carry precious cargo out.
Avoiding the rogues, he used his stolen key card to gain access, making his way to her room. Dottie’s chest rose and fell peacefully. Approaching her, he sighed in relief. They hadn’t bitten her yet. In addition to the lack of wounds marring her skin, she didn’t smell of Were.
Thank you, God and Goddess. I didn’t ruin her life.
Tim pulled gauze and tape from the drawer at her bedside before clamping the tubes running to her arm. He’d spied a nurse doing the same to another patient yesterday, and he’d closely observed in order to take care of his woman properly. Gently pulling the tape off her skin, he removed the contraption from her vein, pressing the cotton square over the hole. Applying pressure for a moment, he hoped long enough, he taped it down. Repeating the process on the other site, he looked around her accommodations.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the activity outside the room. When silence bounced back, Tim moved to the very same closet he’d hid in, hoping to find something more than a robe to put on her. While bright in color, a simple polka dot dress happened to be the least elaborate costume hanging inside. It buttoned up the front, making the task slightly quicker if he pulled it down over her head. Tim hoped she wouldn’t be too concerned about undergarments, because he didn’t have the inclination to bother.
As he fastened the last button, the loud clack of quick steps headed their way. Tim scooped her up and backed into the wall.
~ ~ ~
Dottie couldn’t pace before the tree any longer. She’d worn a path in the earth. Tim told her he’d be back soon. An eternity had passed since he left, or at least that’s what her panicked mind insisted.
She shook her fist at the monochrome sky. “This goddammed place and its never changin’ light. How am I supposed ta judge time?”
The twinkling laughter of a woman came from behind the grand oak, speaking in a melodious voice. “My cantankerous lover has done many things, but cursing the in-between is not one of them.”
The most beautiful woman stepped into view. Like Tim, she materialized in full Technicolor. Yet, her colors swirled in the same way as the tree.
Petite in stature, her long hair shifted from blue to white to green. She had an inner glow, like the fireflies Dottie used to catch as a little girl. Only on her, it never flickered off. The woman’s bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and berry colored lips popped on a palette of perfect pale skin. She wore an earth-toned wrap hanging over one shoulder, dragging along the ground as she approached.
Dottie dropped to her knees. How could she be anything but a deity?
What she intended as only an idle musing, slipped out of her mouth. “The consort of Tim’s horned god?”
The visitor gave a humored huff. “He’d like others to believe so, but in truth, he’s mine. I’m known by many names. Gaia, Mother of Earth, and my precocious beloved often calls me a goddess.” Winking, she extended her hand to Dottie. “Stand, dear, my children belong beside me, not below. I’d expect no less of you.”
When her fingers made contact with Gaia’s palm, tears sprang to Dottie’s eyes; symbols of joy, not sadness or pain. In the goddess’s presence, all of her past misery washed away by love and light. If she’d been a shifter like Tim, she’d defy gravity, spread her wings, and take to the skies, singing of the beauty in the world.
Surprised by the visit, she could only assume it meant Johnny, Violet, and the AG goons won. Regardless of the glow still pulsing inside, her stomach sank. Gaia came to take her to the final beyond before she could say goodbye to the man who’d made his way into her soul.
“Tim . . . Is he okay? Did he make it out alive?”
“Oh, you misunderstand.” She smiled. “I came to bring you a gift.” Pulling a strand of small pearls from the air, she pursed her lips. “Na-qui-si . . . that’s what he calls you?”
“Oh.” Dottie’s cheeks heated. Did she see all our time here together? Shifting her gaze to the ground, she cleared her throat. “Yes, he says it means meadowlark.”
“Relax, I don’t spy.” The goddess chuckled, a musical tinkling. “I check on everyone, here and there as I’m able.”
Gaia’s gentle hand cupped Dottie’s chin, lifting to bring her face up. The goddess’s eyes penetrated her own, searching her soul.
“I love this song.” She hummed. “You like being Guatimozin’s songbird.”
While it lacked the inflection of a question, Dottie answered, “Yes, very much.”
“Well then, I’m sure this will do.” The goddess kissed the white beads and handed the necklace to Dottie.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you,” she said, clutching them to her chest.
“Wait to wear them, until the right time.”
“When?”
“Not now.”
Dottie frowned. “Okay, but–”
“Shhh.” The goddess placed her index finger to her lips. “We’ll keep my visit our secret.” Turning to point at the tree, she said, “You too.”
Twirling back around and swaying her arms, Gaia sighed. “I do love this song.”
Dottie carefully pressed the gift into her pocket, staring at the goddess and tree, both in bright bold color, dancing in the silence. The trunk and branches rocked and waved, twinkling lights showering down and around it.
Her eyes grew wide in awe. Um, it rains glitter, too? Tilting her head, she listened for even a faint note of music, but nothing graced her ears.
“Your eagle will be here soon. Remember, not a word until you’re sure.”
“‘Til I’m sure ‘bout what?”
Laughter, like wind chimes, echoed as the goddess’s form faded.
Leaning her shoulder against the tree, Dottie elbowed its trunk. “Holy Moley, is Gaia always cryptic?” Rolling her eyes, she straightened, shuffling her feet across the earth. “Dillinger, now I’m talkin’ ta it too.” Returning to her pacing, she couldn’t help the smirk curling her lips.
Chapter 9
Tensing, pulse pounding, Tim clutched Dottie tight, staring at the door before them. The clack of hard soles ricocheting through the empty hall grew louder.
Gaia’s teats. Should I knock the goon out, or sneak through behind him? There’s only one set of feet approaching, but there will be more if the alarm is raised. Mind made up, he bent down to prop Dottie’s sleeping body in the corner behind the door, and
crouched before her, facing out.
When the Animal Gang rogue stepped in, Tim pressed the door closed behind him with one hand while wrapping his other arm around the werewolf’s neck, squeezing hard. His opponent struggled like a fish flapping out of water, unsuccessfully trying to pull the vise from his throat. The fight left the Were as Tim dragged him over to the empty bed. He hoisted him up and quickly threw the sheet over the unconscious man. At least it would keep anyone who checked through the door from noting Dottie’s absence. Every second helps.
Stooping down, he cradled his woman, pulling her to his chest. He crept out the door and rushed to the stairwell. Gliding up to the main level, he waited in the alcove. At least three people milled about on the floor. Tim could sneak through to the door undetected, if he wasn’t carrying an unconscious woman.
Sighing, he peeked out the door to obtain every rogue’s location. It would be close, and if even one of them changed course they wouldn’t make it out without a fight. He sent a quick prayer to the horned god, kissed his songbird’s forehead before squeezing her tight, and made a break for it.
Her body melded into his, as though a part of him, not hindering his stealth. Of course, she’s my soul mate, the other half of me. I should never have doubted it.
When he thought of letting her go, a sharp pain lanced his chest. My beautiful woman should do anything she wants, and I’ll protect and serve her without intruding her dreams. She is my heart and deserves the world.
Stepping out the door and sneaking between the buildings, Tim headed toward the spot in the fence he’d opened. Almost there, the camp’s air raid sirens went off, howling in the distance.
Gaia’s teats.
Shouts came from around the building he traveled toward. “The singer’s missin’! Send word ta everyone ta be on the lookout.”
“The payday woman?”
“Yep. There’ll be hell ta pay if we doan’ snatch that money. The boss is countin’ on it after the recent hits we took with the owl and havin’ ta evacuate one hideout, then losin’ our stock in Alaska.”
“Full moon! How far could she be? How long has she been gone? Did she walk out herself?”
“Dunno. Violet and Johnny were still talkin’ ‘bout it when I scrammed ta alert ya’ll.”
“All right, I’ll send out the word.”
Payday? Was she making enough money to support the Animal Gang with her shows? But what else did they seek from her?
Filing away the information, he ducked through the chain link, and made his way to town. Taking the alleys, he snuck into the theater’s back door and headed to the dressing room. The third door on the left, marked with a star, exactly like she’d described. A clicking tapped from the other side of the panel, but nothing living. He used the opportunity to sneak in.
Where her dressing table should have been–the place she kept all her trinkets and pictures–there only sat a desk. The mirror had been removed, and her fainting chair couldn’t be seen through stacks of paper.
The clacking came from a typewriter hammering away on a sheet of paper. No one pressed the keys though. Unsure what to do, he moved in to read what it said.
Tim spotted wires and tubes along with metal spikes attached to the typewriter and assumed it had to be a distance messenger, a DM. The roaming enforcer group had just started using it, but he’d never actually laid eyes on one.
The page had one line typed:
Find her now. Dead or alive. Failure is not an option.
He frowned, turning away and running for the exit. Panic filled his veins. He couldn’t wake her here, or anywhere in town. He’d never faced such an urgency to flee.
Voices called out for him to stop. He moved faster.
Bursting through the door, he shifted, grasping Dottie firmly in his talons as he flew over and out of Diamond Springs.
He traveled over the tree, their tree, continuing on to a rocky outcropping with a shallow cave. Carefully settling Dottie down at the opening, he shifted to human. Tim wrapped her in his arms. With a humming chant, he closed his eyes and sent his soul to meet her in the in-between.
The spectacular smile Dottie greeted him with, faded once she got a load of him. He tried to keep his expression calm, but of course she read past it.
Tim groaned. Perching his fists on his hips, he paced the area. His annoyance with himself at running pressed the hardest, because he never ran . . . but with her at risk, he couldn’t help it. Even knowing Dottie to be strong and capable, he’d still allowed instinct to overrule logic.
Now he had to explain it to the woman he expected to trust him.
“I’ve no excuse.” Tim sighed. “I panicked, and brought us to a cave outside of town.”
“So, you’ll drop me in my body again . . . but I won’t wake where I expected?”
He nodded.
“Okay, and the problem is?”
He squinted at her. “I failed.”
“Close yer head, and doan’ say ‘nother thing. Zap me ta my body, and let me hug you in the real world. You didn’t let me down.” She sealed her lips over his.
Her kiss filled him with the strength he lacked while fleeing the town. He clasped his hands on her cheeks, sucking and nibbling her lips, pouring everything into her. When he pulled back, they rested, back in their bodies, side by side in the cave.
Dottie opened her eyes and lit up. “You did it, Tim. I’m back.” Laughing, she rolled away from him. “I knew you would,” she whispered as she met his eyes again.
He’d never delivered anyone out of the other realm in such a way, but when he met her gaze, he didn’t question it.
My soul mate.
~ ~ ~
Extending her arms, Dottie inspected her limbs. Never again would she take her physical form for granted. Wiggling fingers, rolling wrists, and bending elbows, she savored the ache in her joints.
Glad to no longer be tinted in hues of gray, she took in the mild olive tone to her skin. Her manager had insisted she avoid long periods in the sun to ensure she kept the porcelain coloring to make her stand out on stage. Due to her mixed background, she could tan a deep brown.
Memories of childhood summers spent on the South Carolina beaches with Grams and Gramps filled her mind. The warmth of the sun and water balanced out by the cool breeze.
The electricity of Tim’s touch startled her. His studied expression had one brow raised as he stroked her forearm. The mirrored silver she had grown used to no longer remained. His thumb ran one long, slow line along her flesh, as his focused, deep brown eyes opened wide, creasing his forehead.
Is he disappointed in how I really am?
Blinking, he cleared his throat and tapped the gauze in the crook of her arm. “I think you should leave the bandage on. I’m not a healer, but they had you hooked up to machines, and I removed needles before sneaking you out.”
Dottie’s insecurities sank further when he pulled away. Applesauce. He’s changed his mind ‘bout me. Am I different than he’d expected? Panic clawed at her. “When you found me, had they bit me yet? Am I . . . a Were now?”
Her hands flew to her neck, inspecting every inch for . . . something. She had no idea what.
Tim placed his palm on her shoulder. “No, Na-qui-si. You’re still human. We snuck you out of there in time.”
The tension in her muscles eased when he used her nickname. All hope wasn’t lost. The pang of disappointment in her stomach when he said she wouldn’t turn furry did confuse her though. Had she worried he wouldn’t want a human in the living realm? Perhaps the idea of having otherworldly abilities had grown on her.
Forcing a smile, she studied his chest, avoiding eye contact. “Oh, um . . . ducky.”
Pushing up into a sitting position, Dottie shook with the effort. How long had she lain in bed? Garnering he
r strength, she stood, drawing on a desire to be done with Johnny, Violet, and the Animal Gang. Her legs protested the weight of her body, threatening to buckle.
Tim shot up from the ground, wrapping his arms around her. “Maybe not quite yet. I’m as eager as you are, but we must devise a plan.” He eased her to a sitting position, then folding his legs, joined her.
Dottie clenched her jaw in frustration. “Fine, but only for a second. I gotta warm these stilts and hustle down ta the theater. I’m gettin’ my things, and then we’re bouncin’ outta this town.”
“About your stuff . . . I stopped by there after breaking you out. They cleared out your things.”
She’d spring to her feet if she could. Instead, she settled for slamming a fist against the dirt. “That no-good, cat stealin’, snake charmer Violet probably threw it all out, glad ta be rid of me.”
Tim patted her knee. “I don’t know, but I did find something interesting in your dressing room. Messages, stacked high, sat all over the place. A new one spat out of the teletype as I searched for your things.” His expression firmed. “The AG has every person searching for you, and they no longer require you be brought in, breathing.”
“Oh.” Dottie hadn’t expected such a complication.
“We won’t be able to just stroll into town. Even sneaking in will be difficult, as everyone will be on high alert.” He searched her face. “You’re sure you have no idea what they’re after? Some guards in the compound referred to you as their payday woman. Do you make very much money performing?”
“I did all right. They’d want me kickin’ and singin’ though, if the grift those con men were runnin’ took my paycheck.”
“Maybe something you have? Is there anything Johnny appeared particularly interested in?”