The Void Hunters (Realmwalker Book 2)

by Jonathan Franks

  The quiet one, the one with the white hair, did concern him. She was full of cold rage, pent-up for a long time, Thirin supposed. She seemed sure of herself and her survival skill, but she seemed slightly out of her element and like she was trying to cover for it with quiet bravado. He didn't think she was entirely comfortable away from her home Realm, wherever that was.

  Thirin noticed the column of white smoke from the settlement. “Shit,” he swore, and flew back at full speed.

  Slynn was leaning against the wall of their house. He saw Thirin and his face took on an amused expression. Thirin landed next to him, out of breath.

  “Lost track of time?” Slynn asked.

  Thirin nodded. “Sorry.”

  Slynn shrugged. “We still have some time. Gather our guests and let's head to the cave.”

  Thirin nodded and spread his wings.

  “Thirin,” Slynn caught him before he took off.

  Thirin turned and Slynn handed him a glass of water. Thirin smiled at him and drank it down quickly. “She said I'd be late, didn't she?”

  Slynn took the glass back and nodded. “She did, indeed. Off, now.”

  Thirin nodded and flew to the guesthouse. He knocked, but this time, he waited. Shae opened the door.

  “Come along now,” he said. “It's time for our new arrival.”

  chapter 31

  Thirin bowed and let himself out.

  “All right, Shae. Come on out,” Gen called.

  Shae opened the door and tiptoed out into the living room. “How'd you know I was listening?”

  “I can see your feet under the door. I can always see your feet under the door when you're listening.”

  Shae's mouth opened and her eyes widened. “Really? Every time?”

  Gen smiled and nodded. “Yup.”

  Shae covered her mouth and her face flushed bright red.

  “Don't worry about it,” Gen laughed. “I'm sure I'd listen, too.”

  “Listen to what?” Herron asked. He flitted into the living room and sat on a sofa.

  “Nothing,” Gen grinned.

  Shae looked suddenly at Herron, then at Gen. “I, um, okay.” She hurried back to her room and closed the door.

  Gen looked at the bedroom door, puzzled. “What's her deal?”

  “I was about to apologize about last night. I'm sorry. I overstepped my bounds and I said some things I didn't mean. My emotions got the better of me.”

  Gen crossed her arms. “I think you meant everything you said.”

  “At the time, maybe I did.”

  “Then you didn't say anything you didn't mean.”

  “I said some things I didn't mean to say.”

  “That,” Gen said, “I believe.”

  “I thought all night about what you said. I can see you're right. You are so much like her, and you're even more like her since you came here. I do see a lot of her in you. But you are different. You know you are. I know that Ivy would have been more cautious about her opinions here. She would have—”

  “She,” Gen interrupted, “would have asked your opinion and probably would have accepted that rather than offer her own.”

  Herron shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Well, what is your opinion? I'm not going to blindly accept it, but I'd like to hear it.”

  “I think we need to rescue The Caverns. Thousands of fairies lived in Firemoss. We can't just let them go.”

  “We?” Gen asked.

  “Some part of Slynn's plan involves you not being here. To me, that means that we need you here.”

  Gen nodded. “Thank you. The thing is,” she continued, “I don't think it's Slynn's plan. He's serious when he talks about his boss, whoever that is. My dad bought a car this spring and they kept sending the stupid sales guy over to haggle over the price. My dad threatened to walk out if he couldn't talk to someone who was actually authorized to make decisions, someone in charge. The difference there is that he held enough power to walk out and cancel the deal. But this feels just like that. Slynn's manager is giving him instructions and he's passing them down to us. I'm not sure he's authorized to make any decisions on his own.”

  “What are you saying?” Herron asked. “That we refuse to talk to him and only deal with his boss?”

  Gen's mouth twisted slightly to her left as she thought. “I'm not sure yet.”

  Shae opened her door and peeked into the living room. “You guys are done fighting now, right?”

  “We weren’t fighting,” Gen said. “Last night, we were fighting. Right now, we were apologizing. Right, Herron?”

  Herron nodded.

  Gen turned to look at the door to Hope's bedroom. “And speaking of apologizing… She hasn't come out at all.” Gen looked at Shae. “All good if I go talk to her?”

  Shae nodded. “And breakfast is coming soon.”

  “Thanks.” Gen walked softly to the door and knocked. “Hope?”

  “It's okay. Come in,” Hope's voice was muffled.

  Gen opened the door. The room was dark. The curtains had been drawn to cover as much of the windows as possible and the bedspread was hung on top of that. Gen stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that Hope had dropped her pack on the floor. It lay on its side, still packed full and shut tight. Hope lay naked on the bed, on top of the sheets. Her clothes were piled in a heap on the floor at the side of the bed.

  “Are you okay?” Gen asked.

  “Yeah. I'm boiling. It's too hot here. And it was too bright. It took a long time to fall asleep.”

  “Me, too.”

  “You took the empty room?” Hope asked.

  Gen shook her head. “I slept on the sofa.”

  “You didn't have to.”

  “I figured you wanted to be alone.”

  “I didn't,” Hope said. “That guy got to me. He's right. I have felt weird lately. I don't remember whether I've been snappy. I'm sorry if I have been. I thought it was maybe that we have been on the road for so long, or that we just started to get comfortable in The Marsh and then we had to leave. Or that I was afraid of getting trapped in here. Or just that I'm not much of an explorer to begin with. I'm sorry if I've been annoyed with you. It was hard hearing it last night, when Slynn was talking about it, about my hum- about Jim influencing my moods. But after sleeping - well, not sleeping much - on it, I feel a little better because I know that I wasn't actually getting annoyed at you. I'm sorry.”

  “You don't have to be. Of course your mood would be affected if Jim was pissed off. Our moods, well, yours and Ivy’s, were influenced because of me and Jim back when we - I mean, you guys - first met.” Gen sat down on the bed and put her hand on Hope's stomach. “You're so warm,” Gen said.

  “I know. I just said I'm boiling hot in here!”

  Gen's mouth curved down and her brows tightened slightly.

  Hope sighed. “I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a little snappy.”

  “You want me to go?”

  Immediately, Hope said, “No.”

  “Okay.” Gen twisted around to lie down and snuggled close to Hope. She took a deep breath and let it out, relieved. Then she took another deep breath and said, “Mmm, you smell so good. I don't like sleeping without you.” She rocked back and forth on her hips to scoot closer to Hope. “And you're so warm.”

  “Your feet are freezing,” Hope whispered. Gen started to pull them away but Hope said, “No, keep them there. I'm dying of heat.” Gen twisted herself up and tucked her feet between Hope's calves.

  Gen purred, “Mmm, that's so much better.”

  Hope tightened her arm around Gen's shoulders and kissed her forehead. “I'm sorry. Next time we fight, don't let me go to bed alone, okay?”

  Gen shrugged her free shoulder. “We didn't really fight, though.”

  Hope smiled. “Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, next time we don't fight, don't let me to go to bed alone, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  They lay curled up together
in the dark. Eventually they heard a knock at the door and Shae talking to someone. The sound of dishes being put down on the table made Gen hungry. Hope's stomach growled softly, too.

  “We're like Pavlov's dogs,” Gen chuckled.

  “We're like what?”

  “Like Pav – There was this scientist who did experiments on behavior. Like he would ring a bell before he gave dogs their dinner, I think, and then every time he would ring the bell, whether he fed them or not, they would get hungry and salivate.”

  “Your world's a fucked up place.”

  “Hope!” Gen laughed and propped herself up on her elbow.

  Hope looked unapologetic. “Well, it is, isn't it?”

  “Of course it is, but watch your language!”

  Hope raised an eyebrow at Gen and smiled, shaking her head. “What is it with you and the swearing? You don't like it one bit.”

  Gen shrugged. “I guess I get it from my mom. She always yelled at us if we used harsh language. She used to say that if you were arguing or discussing something and you had to swear, you've already lost. She said it was only appropriate to use swear words if you hit your finger with a hammer.”

  Gen felt Hope trying not to laugh.

  “Stop that!”

  Hope gave up the struggle and shook with laughter. Gen frowned at Hope, but watching her laugh was too much and Gen started laughing, too. Gen sat up and slid over Hope's hips, straddling her and looking down into Hope's eyes.

  “You're beautiful when you laugh,” Hope said.

  “Me?” Gen smiled innocently. “Nah, I'm beautiful all the time.”

  “Hah!” Hope flipped Gen over and rolled on top of her. She took Gen's wrists and pinned them against the bed over her head. Gen craned her neck as far forward and she could but Hope held her head back just far enough that Gen couldn't reach her lips.

  Gen glanced toward the door then back to Hope's eyes, then back to the door. She called out, “Yes?”

  “Oh, um,” Shae stammered. “Uh, I just wanted to say breakfast is here. And Thirin will be back soon to take us to the arrival so, you know, we'd better.. uh… eat.”

  Through the crack at the bottom of the door, Gen saw Shae's small feet tiptoe away and Gen laughed.

  “She likes to listen,” Hope teased.

  “You do make the absolute sexiest noises when you're excited.”

  Hope's eyebrow lifted slightly again and one corner of her mouth formed a sexy smile. She held her lower lip between her teeth and wrinkled her nose slightly. “Yeah. You make me that excited.” She leaned down and kissed Gen. Her lips were soft and eager. Gen parted her lips slightly to take in Hope's tongue, but Hope pulled back abruptly. Gen arched her back and struggled against Hope's grip in frustration.

  “I'm starving!” Hope got up and grabbed her clothes. “Let's go eat.”

  Gen groaned, disappointed.

  Hope dressed and opened the door. She winked back at Gen, still laying on the bed. “C'mon. You're hungry, too.”

  “I'm something, all right…”

  Gen got up and they ate. The pixies had provided them with an interesting mix of food: some sort of mushroom quiche, fried fatty meat that wasn't bacon but reminded Gen of bacon, and a crunchy kind of bread that seemed to somehow be all crust. It was tasty, if a little unusual in both texture and flavor.

  The fairies' mood was surprisingly jovial over breakfast. Gen felt like they were eating at any of the Walkers' residences they'd stayed at during their journey. They joked and laughed. At one point, Hope licked her thumb and wiped something off of the corner of Gen's mouth. They had all finished and put their dirty dishes on the dining table when there was a knock at the door.

  The mood suddenly became more somber. The laughing stopped and the smiles faded away. Shae walked slowly to the door and opened it.

  “Come along now,” Thirin said. “It's time for our new arrival.”

  Shae turned and looked at her friends, and they all followed Thirin to a rocky hillside. More petrified mushrooms, smaller than the others, dotted the area here. The rocks Gen originally thought were boulders were short, squat mushrooms long since turned to stone. They entered a large, dark cave. A light, gray mist hung in the air, preventing Gen from seeing the far wall of the cave. Slynn stood at attention, dark, slim, and elegant.

  Very in-charge, Gen thought.

  There were many more pixies on the right side of the cave than on the left, and Thirin left the fairies to the left, behind the pixies who were already standing there.

  “This is not the Realms,” Thirin said. His voice was hushed but his tone was crisp and serious. “Whatever you see here, you will not interfere. This is not your home. Things are done here the way they must be done.” He looked at each of the fairies. “Do you understand me?”

  They each nodded. Shae was about to ask a question but Thirin cut her off and swept his arm toward the pixies gathered in the cave. “If you interfere, they will kill you. Neither Slynn nor I will make any move to stop them. Do you understand me?”

  The fairies nodded again. Gen took Hope's hand.

  The mist became thicker and began to swirl around the center of the cave. The runes inscribed in the floor glowed and flashed brilliantly for a moment. Gen winced and shut her eyes. When she opened them and her vision cleared, the mist had thinned again and a figure stood naked in the center of the cave.

  She had shiny, leathery bat wings. Unlike the rest of the pixies Gen saw, this new arrival's skin was a pale gray in color. Her nails were black and, Gen thought, overly long. Her hair flowed long and loose down her back, shoulder-length, a green color that reminded Gen of dollar bills. The pixie looked emaciated and her gray skin was tight over long bones and knobby joints. Aside from her head, her body was entirely hairless. Her breasts were full with dark gray areolae and nipples that stood like pencil erases. Her large breasts were perky, contrasting with the slightly wasted look of the rest of her frame.

  She opened her eyes. The whites of her eyes looked exceptionally white in the gray face, and her irises sparkled in a pure gold color. She blinked and turned her head to look around.

  “Welcome,” Slynn said, “our new arrival.”

  The new pixie looked at Slynn and blinked again, then stood up straight to mimic Slynn's posture.

  “So lovely to have you among us,” he continued.

  The pixie nodded acknowledgement, but didn't speak.

  “I'm Slynn. I oversee this place.” He looked her up and down, critically. “Kneel.”

  She knelt immediately.

  Slynn stepped forward and placed his palm against her forehead. The new pixie jerked and arched her back in pain. She grimaced and clenched her eyes shut tightly. Her dark gray lips faded into a tight, thin line. Her breath has heavy and shaky. Clearly, she was in pain.

  Gen squeezed Hope's hand tighter. Shae took Hope’s other hand. Hope squeezed Shae's hand, too, and they continued to watch.

  The new arrival grunted in pain. Black blood seeped from one nostril and her face wrinkled tighter in pain. Tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. Slynn closed his eyes and the new arrival's groans of pain became a low howl. The grayness of her skin reddened, then darkened to a rich, chestnut color, then her frame back to fill out. The skin of her chest rippled slightly then became more muscular so her ribs were no longer visible. Her bony legs developed into shapely calves and muscular thighs, and her arms became toned and tight. Her muscles were visibly tense from the pain. Slynn opened his eyes and took his hand off of her head. She collapsed to her side, panting.

  Slynn bent to one knee in front of her. He took a white handkerchief from a pocket inside the breast of his robe and tenderly dabbed at the new arrival's nose, He carefully wiped the blood from her lips and chin. She blinked her eyes open again and her face relaxed. She looked up at Slynn and opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a pained croak.

  Slynn shook his head, “Ssh. Ssh.” He reached up and another pixie handed him a wooden cup.
He offered it to the new arrival, who took it and started to gulp. “No, no, slowly.” She tried to slow her gulping into large sips and spilled water down her chin. She finished and took a deep, steady breath, then another. “What are you called?”

  The new arrival considered for a moment. “Reffa,” she said. Her voice was silky smooth, slightly singsong, with a hint of an accent that Gen thought sounded vaguely Indian. “Ula Reffa.”

  Slynn stood and offered his hand to her. She took it and he helped her to her feet. She stood as straight as she had before. She was strikingly beautiful. Her cheekbones were sharp, leading the way to full, shapely lips and a proud chin. Another pixie draped a dressing gown over her. Slynn turned and stood next to her.

  “Join me in welcoming Ula Reffa to our home,” Slynn said. Gen was surprised that Slynn's voice sounded genuinely joyous.

  The pixies gathered in the cave clapped and cheered. They all swarmed forward to touch her head, shoulders, and wings. Her smile was wide. Gen was surprised to see that her incisors were slightly elongated and looked quite sharp.

  “Thank you,” Reffa said. “Thank you very much.”

  Thirin turned to the fairies and said, “That could have gone much worse. Nevertheless, your restraint is appreciated.”

  “Worse?” Shae gasped. “That was terrible!”

  Thirin shook his head. “No. It wasn't at all terrible. She's still alive.”

  chapter 32

  Anne sat down in front of the fire pit and reached for Wes's hand. “That was a little awkward.”

  Wes chuckled. “We've had worse. Remember what's-his-face's parents? The ones who wanted to meet us before prom?”

  Anne laughed. “Charlie! Oh, I forgot all about that. That was terrible!”

  Laura stepped outside and closed the screen door behind her. “What was terrible?” She sat down on Wes's other side. She leaned in toward her parents and whispered, “Are you talking about the Summers? Are we conspiring?”

  Anne laughed. “No. We were talking about Charlie. Charlie what's-his-name, whose parents wanted to meet us before you went to prom.”