by Casey Wyatt
An unspoken command rippled through the worker priests. They stopped work and formed a second circle around our triangle. The priests chanted low and mournful. The two priestesses sang high and clear.
“The song of life and death,” Harmony said, “sung since the time of our births. Each object represents our bond to the Gods. Clay of earth for our zombie brethren, stone of blood for our vampire kin. And the breath of spirit for revenants. These are our offerings to the ancients.”
“Join me in honoring them.” Harmony closed her eyes, raised the offerings, then knelt on her designated triangle point. Louis and I followed suit. Electric jolts raced across my arms, through my torso and down to the ground.
Louis gasped and started to speak.
“Don’t talk or open your eyes,” Harmony’s voice was laced with power, similar to vampire compulsion, except different. The need to obey wasn’t present in the words. Instead a tranquil peace filled my heart and relaxed my body.
Heat scorched my wrist. The cuff had awakened. Harmony switched languages. The same weird language I heard in my dreams. The assembled throng sang with joy. The bracelet radiated energy.
“Open your eyes!” Harmony boomed, “Behold the glory of the Gods.”
A dome of light had formed over our heads, anchored by the stone perimeter wall. A million colors danced on the surface, swirling gracefully. Patterns formed and dissolved before I could recognize them. Moon glow filled the revenants' eyes and illuminated their bodies. Eerie, undead gods of light.
The song stopped on a high note. A single rune, larger than life, appeared on the dome’s zenith. It hardened into place, solidifying the roof into a beautiful glass-like bubble.
“Go with the Gods, my friends. Much thanks for your help.” Harmony lifted the red stones from my palms. With their weight gone, the lightness left my soul and my leaden body refused to move. Two priests caught me under the arms. Louis received similar treatment as his gifts were retrieved.
“Rest now. Tomorrow, if you wish, I will answer your questions,” Harmony said from a great distance. The moon glow remained in their eyes. Words failed. The curtain of sleep fell over me.
~ * * * ~
The lake glittered under the rising sun. Birds sang sweetly, glad to see the dawn. I floated naked in the cool waters, my hair fanned out in a red blanket. Drifting on my back, the blue sky seemed limitless and infinite.
Lazily, lake currents pulled me away from the shore. In the distance, the windows of my cottage glowed soft and yellow. Happy lights of hearth and home.
I could stay like this for hours. Joy permeated my entire being. If there was a heaven, this was it for me. For what seemed like hours, I drank in the vast sky, savoring the clouds and the occasional bird in flight.
With a contented sigh I looked back at my house. It was gone.
Replaced by rolling hills of red dirt, jagged rock and weak blue sky. Gritty sand blew into my face, stinging my eyes. Brackish black water surrounded me, forming a goopy clay. I thrashed my arms and legs. The dirty water sucked me down. Quick sand closed over me, clogging my throat and coating my eyes and nose.
Suffocating darkness pressed in on all sides. Trapped.
I screamed. At first, my body refused to move. Wild with fear, I thrashed on the bed.
“Cherry!” The thin metal door to my quarters screeched, then tore like paper. Ian clutched my shoulders and sat me upright.
Tremors shook my limbs. My lungs filled and expanded, thirsty for air I didn’t need. Between gasps, I tried to speak. “Trapped. Black mud…”
“Shhh . . . nothing will hurt you now,” Ian stroked my face and caressed my back until I regained control. “You’re safe.”
“I hate this place, Ian,” I whispered against his bare chest. Tribal tattoos in blue and black ink decorated his pecs and abs. Banded Celtic designs encircled each of his biceps. I didn’t recall seeing them before. Too distraught to care, I hugged him tightly until the cold fear washed away.
“I heard Harmony invited you to the Moon Ceremony. If she did this to you…” he growled.
“No. I was having weird dreams before this started.” I wiped my tears off Ian’s chest. “Something about the ceremony made them worse.” I forced a slight grin, swallowing the bitter ache lodged in my throat.
Ian smoothed back my hair, “Ah, I know the feeling. I used to miss my home, my family so much, my bones hurt.”
“Does it ever get better?” Losing the cottage and its contents severed the last tie with my former humanity. The few possessions I had, my sister Grace’s hand crocheted lace doilies, Edwin’s favorite tins soldier, my mother’s family bible that dated before the American Revolution, my Pa’s pipe, and dozens of books and photographs. Gone. Either destroyed in the fire or left behind in our mad dash to escape.
“Time eases the ache to a dull pain. You learn to move on. The past can’t hurt you as much.”
“The present sure can pack a punch.” It always came back to Thalia. The power grubbing wench.
“Indeed.” Ian eased back, tilting my head towards his. Soft lips brushed mine in a feather kiss. “Regretfully, we are needed in the common room.”
I blinked, confused.
“The committees you formed would like to make their report.” Ian’s eyes sparkled. “Lovely idea by the way. Highly creative. I would have told them to piss off and been done with it.”
“I thought it would keep them busy for a while,” I grumbled, mind filled with uncharitable thoughts. Like giving them dusting duty with toothbrushes. “At least longer than a day or two.”
Ian moved off the cot and extended a hand, which I gratefully took.
Calm thoughts filled my mind. I shot Ian a dark glare. “How long will the blood connection last?”
Ian shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.
“Well, wipe the shit eating grin off your face.” He didn’t have to enjoy it so much, did he?
~ * * * ~
The Improvement Committee’s suggestions bordered on ridiculous. Things like install hot water showers and carpeting – not gonna happen anytime soon. I had a plenty of WWJD (what would Jonathan do) moments. In the end, I praised them, even though their suggestions were idiotic and asked them to create detailed plans to make their ideas a reality. Cripes, I hoped it kept them busy for at least a week.
Next up, the Clingers on the Morale Committee, had more practical ideas, like storytelling nights, sing a-longs and card games. Turns out someone had thoughtfully packed books, sheet music, board games and cards in one of the cargo containers. Those suggestions were implemented immediately.
At the end of the meeting, I pulled aside Van, one of Fang Bang’s former bouncers. He had been an army chaplain and counselor in his human life. He agreed to set up a weekly support group. Other colonists had to be suffering from homesickness too.
Duty discharged, I escaped out into the Martian night. The stars glistened, sharp and clear. An incredible sight. Frigid breezes blew fine dust over the tops of my feet, but I didn’t care. Five minutes of peace and quiet were priceless. Thanks to Ian, the emotional overload of the family’s thoughts was reined in, but the general sense of unease in everyone concerned me. The colony wouldn’t survive long term if everyone went stir-crazy, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Sooner or later, Thalia would find us.
A dark shape dropped from the sky and landed in front of me.
I jumped back, ready to fight, then relaxed at the sight of my favorite rogue. “Don’t sneak up on me!”
“Fancy a flight, luv?” Ian scooped me up before I could refuse. The ground rushed away with blinding speed. A large backpack hung between Ian’s shoulder blades.
I clung to him like Velcro. “Ian don’t fly so high. I don’t like it.”
He dipped down. I yelped. “Not so fast either.”
“Sorry. It’s the change in gravity. Still don’t have the hang of it yet.”
“Why didn’t we fly before?”
“Are you
crazy? Do I look like Superman? Was I supposed to carry the cargo box with one hand and you with the other.” Ian laughed, the sound carried away by the rushing wind.
“Could you teach me to fly?” What was I saying? I hated heights. Yet, a small part of me relished the idea.
“Of course.” Ian chuckled. “You’ll have to learn to let go of me first.”
I relaxed my hold. Fingers unclamped, arms loosened. I trusted Ian not to drop me.
“No time like the present,” Ian said and let go.
The world rushed to meet me. Faster and faster I fell. Blood pounded in my temples and tears trailed into my hairline. The rapid air flow buffeted my skin, stuffing my cries back down my throat.
I screamed, arms flailing desperate to grab hold off Ian. “You bastard!”
Ian hovered over me, tantalizingly close. “Concentrate. Will yourself to fly.”
What a load of horse shit. Who’d he think I was, Peter Pan? Dry, rocky ground grew closer. I was about to become a vampire pancake.
“Ian!” I held my hands out, desperate. “Help me!”
Ian gave me a tight smile and pulled back, out of reach. “Do it. It’s really very simple. Tick-tock.” He wagged his finger at me. The asshole.
I lunged toward him. He lurched back far enough so I had to follow. We played cat and mouse. He managed to evade my grasp each time.
After a moment, I realized something. I hadn’t slammed into solid ground yet. I quickly glanced down. The rocky surface was ant sized and far away.
“I’m not falling,” I said like the class dim wit.
“Right. Now straighten yourself. Bad form to fly cock-eyed.” Ian arranged his limbs into the classic Superman pose, a grin on his face the whole time.
I giggled, “Goofball.” I rolled over, stomach pointed downward, arms and legs splayed out like a sky diver. Wind flapped my red jumpsuit’s armpits and knees. Giddiness replaced fear. “I’m doing it!” Go me!
“Indeed you are. How about I show you some maneuvers?”
For the next half hour, Ian taught me to hover, start, stop, and not fly into things. It was awesome. “This is better than gifts at Christmas.”
“I aim to please.” Ian swooped underneath me and gathered me into his arms. “Enough for today. Flight is exhilarating, but it wears down your energy stores.”
I relaxed in his arms, then stiffened. “You won’t drop me again, right?”
After a laugh at my expense, Ian said, “I promise, Ms. Cordial, not to drop you. Unless you’re in need of a refresher.”
I punched his biceps. It was like smacking a rock. A well honed, muscular rock. Before I started caressing him like a drooling groupie, I changed topics. “Very funny. What’s in the backpack?”
“A surprise.”
“I would settle for a tub of hot water.”
“Sorry, not that exciting I’m afraid.” Ian slowed down and landed on a flat boulder surrounded by a sea of earth. “Found this little beauty earlier today.”
Okay, it was a flat rock. I didn’t see the attraction until Ian unloaded the contents of the backpack. He spread a tarp down, followed by a thick blanket. On top of that, he assembled a tent large enough for the two of us to stand in. Clean and dirt free. Yes!
“You like?” Ian zipped us inside another bundle in his hand. More blankets.
“I do.”
“Good,” His lips captured mine, fingers tangled in my hair. He broke free, “I’ve been waiting all damn day to do this.”
“Me too,” I growled, flashed fang and jumped into his arms, my legs straddling his hips. He caught me easily and held me firm, kissing me until my lips burned. We landed on the blankets below. Zippers were pulled. Bodies were bared, until our flesh touched, uninhibited by clothing. Ian rolled me onto my stomach, his firm weight along my back. Silken skin slid along my body. Shudders riveted me into place as Ian lightly scraped his fangs along my spine.
“Ian,” I moaned. The soft down of Ian’s pubes tickled between my ass cheeks as his erection slid along my slick cleft. Rather than plunging inside me, which I was ready to beg for, he massaged my shoulders and back, loosening my muscles to putty. His cock continued its gentle, yet insistent back and forth slide.
He backed a few inches away. “Please. . .” I groaned and I angled my backside up.
“So impatient,” his hair, feather light, dragged across the top of my buttocks. The pads of his fingertips caressed the two dimples on my lower back. “You are exquisite.” Soft air blew down, sending goose bumps over my flesh.
My entire body throbbed with need. The need for him to –
“Cherry?” Ian’s hands stopped moving, “Do you care for me?”
I peered over my shoulder. In the soft light, Ian’s face was smooth and placid, but the emotions riding inside my head told me different.
“Yes.” I rolled over onto my back and wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer by his hips. I reached forward and cupped his face in my hands. “I don’t know when it happened, but you matter to me. I…” faltered at the words, not ready to say the L-word yet. Fear choked it back. “I care deeply for you.”
Ian hid his disappointment well. He smiled like a big cat ready to pounce on his prey. “That’ll do for now.” He captured my bottom lip with his fangs, pierced it, suckling the blood before deepening the kiss.
Sweet metallic odor filled the air, mingled with his fragment scent of mint and spring air. Ian lifted my torso so my breasts were flattened into his chest, my lips poised over the juncture between his neck and collarbone.
“Bite me,” he said with a deep throaty growl
Fangs extended, I readied to oblige, head dizzy with the need for sex and blood.
Thump. Tha-thump. I froze at the rhythmic sound.
Ian changed his grip so his right arm held me tight. With his left hand he pressed his palm against his right breast over his heart. His already pale face went alabaster. “Bollocks!”
Again the sound, in rapid succession. Thump, tha-thump, tha-thump.
“Christ! My heart is beating.” Tremors shook Ian’s body, but he still held me fast.
I placed my hands over his chest, waiting to feel it. The long dead heart beat twice more.
“Oh my God. What does this mean?” I asked.
Darkness passed over Ian’s face. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s—”
Bright light illuminated the entire tent. Engines screeched overhead. Violent gusts flattened the tent.
“What in the hell was that?” Ian propped the tent back up long enough for me to dress. As soon as he was clothed, we bolted off the rock and headed back to the colony as fast as Ian could fly.
~ * * * ~
I tried not to think the worst on the short trip back. Panic muddled my brain. Thalia had found us. We were dead!
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Ian consoled. “She doesn’t have our ship or know about the Veil.”
Parked on the outskirts of the camp’s perimeter was a small craft. The entire colony had it surrounded, high beam flashlights pointed at the open door. A man came out onto the gangway, hands over head in the classic surrender position.
“I surrender,” he said.
As soon as I heard the voice, I knew who it was. “Jay!”
Ian muttered a few curses, something about following directions and a bloody ship, before landing us at the foot of the walkway. Our sudden arrival from the sky above startled a few of the bystanders.
I flung my arms around Jay. “I thought I told you to stay on the ship!”
“You did. But you’re happy to see me aren’t you?”
I punched his arm. “You know damn well I missed you.”
Ian cleared his throat behind me. “Let’s take this discussion inside.”
Jay nodded. As soon as we cleared the gangway, it retreated, sealing the small shuttle up tight.
“The lot of you. Go back to what you were doing before.” Ian’s shout motivated the crowd back to their various domes.
I ushered Jay and Ian into my office. We barely fit.
“Jay. I don’t even know where to start.” I held up my hands. “The ship? My orders?”
“Why are you here?” Ian cut right to the chase. “Your sire gave you an order. And you’ve disobeyed it. She’ll to have publicly discipline you. Or did you not think of that?”
Jay flinched at the venom in Ian’s voice. “I panicked. When we lost touch with you, I asked . . . er . . . explored the ship and found the shuttle.”
Good. Ian didn’t seem to pick up on Jay’s near slip of the tongue. Kasia’s existence was still our secret.
“Dust storms happen constantly here,” I pointed out. With Ian in the room, Jay would never tell me the real reason for his arrival.
Jay bared his throat to me, “My blood is your blood.”
I nodded and he relaxed. Ian’s jaw was tight and his arms stiff by his side. I needed to separate them before Ian snapped. He was Jay’s maker, not me. Ian appeared to view Jay’s disobedience as a slight against him as well.
“How shall he be punished?” Ian demanded.
I thought on it a moment. “I have the perfect solution.”
Jay groaned. He knew what was coming. “Not decorating.”
Ian shot me a strange look.
“It’s the thing Jay hates most. Tomorrow morning, you will report to Nina. She is on the Morale Committee. They have decided to paint and decorate the common areas in something other than gray. You will be at their beck and call the rest of the week. Go find Louis. He’s my zombie assistant. He’ll find you quarters to stay in.”
Jay left, shoulders slumped in dejection. I would have to find time alone with him tomorrow.
“You have no idea how much he hates home improvement projects. Everyone in the family will understand he’s being punished.”
“I like how you think. Very devious.”
“Ian. About your heart…”