The Ruins (An Avernus Island Tale)

by Jennifer Kohout

  “Oh?”

  Lincoln Steele raised one perfectly arched brow, and Julia wondered how many women had succumbed to that look.

  “She makes it sound more glamorous than it is.”

  Lincoln Steele listened with polite curiosity while Julia explained her purpose for being on Avernus.

  “No offense, Ms. Davenport, but what qualifies you to make such a determination?”

  His voice pleasant enough but with a hint of steel Julia suspected quelled many a businessmen in their expensive suits. “”

  Julia didn’t take offense. After seeing some of the other guests, she had more than a passing thought that she was out of her league on Avernus. “Five years working at the Museum of World History,” Julia said, for once grateful for the museum’s grandiose name. “And a degree in art history. Not to mention my father—”

  Steele’s eyes narrowed a second before his face cleared. “Henry Davenport is your father?”

  “You know my father?” Julia asked, surprised. Her father was a well-known archeologist in the world of antiquities, but Steele seemed as removed from that world as Julia was from the world of business.

  “I’ve read a few of his articles,” Lincoln said. “I was sorry to hear he’d be forced to retire.”

  “Thank you,” Julia said softly. Being here about to embark on the kind of exploration her father had lived for, she couldn’t help but think about the man that had helped shape her. “What about you, Mr. Steele, what brings you to Avernus?”

  Lincoln thought about the box he had received and wondered how to answer. After a moment, he settled on the truth. “If I knew that, Ms. Davenport, I just might tell you.”

  That night Julia dreamt of the minotaur.

  His breath was hot against the back of her neck, his hands urgent and eager as they traced the shape of her breasts, the slope of her hips. He cupped her; twin points of contact as the fingers of one hand plucked at her turgid nipple while the other delved between her thighs, stroked her clit.

  The blunt tip of his cock nudged her opening, and Julia spread her legs wider, lifted her ass. Mewing with need, she felt him slide inside slowly. The first inch was exquisite torture. Her body ready to receive him but the wide head of his cock stretched her almost to the point of pain.

  His fingers tightened on her hips, and she heard a low rumble from his chest. The animalness of that sound had her nipples tightening and a fresh wave of moisture eased his way deeper into her body. He pulled her back, slid her down his length slowly so that she appeared to be fucking him and not the other way around.

  Julia shivered, gasped as the steel length of him throbbed and pulsed within her most intimate, swollen flesh. Then she was begging, pleading with him to move, to fuck her in earnest.

  A laugh, a chuckle that was pure male satisfaction, and then he started to move.

  He took her from behind, a great, heaving beast that thrust deep and buried himself in her body. Braced on hands and knees, she urged him on, pushed back to meet each stroke until their skin was slick with sweat and the sound of their love making echoed off of the walls.

  Julia had just enough time to realize they were kneeling in the center of a enormous stone structure, the walls worn smooth with age, and then her orgasm slammed into her, great pulls of pleasure that started in her womb and rippled out to her limbs.

  He fucked her through her climax, mercilessly riding her until the last of the tremors passed. Only then, did he take his pleasure, lifting his head and roaring his release to the sky.

  THE RUINS

  Julia woke to the sound of the minotaur’s release echoing in her ears. It was full morning, the soft tropical light filtering in through the open windows. She watched the fan spinning lazily above the bed and enjoyed the anticipation of knowing today was the day.

  There was a notable dampness between her thighs as she got out of bed and headed for the shower. Her first wet dream had been a surprise, her orgasm powerful enough that it woke her from a deep sleep. Over time, she’d come to look forward to those mornings when she woke, her body satiated from a night of pleasure that was no less fulfilling for having taken place in the dark recesses of her mind.

  In dreams, there were no limits to what her mind could conjure.

  Julia showered quickly. Digging around in her luggage, she opted for a tank top and skort and matched it with a pair of sturdy hiking boots. The boots were old and scuffed, but they had been a gift from her father, and she couldn’t bring herself to replace them.

  Her pack was waiting by the door. Slinging it over one shoulder, she headed downstairs where Suri promised to have food and water waiting for her along with her ride.

  “All ready to go, I see,” Brad said. Taking her pack, he tossed it in the back of the jeep beside a smaller bag before climbing behind the wheel. “Here.”

  Julia accepted the paper bag. “What’s this?”

  “Ms. Black didn’t think you would want to wait to have breakfast,” Brad explained as they pulled away from the Big House.

  Julia dug into the bag, moaning in pleasure with the first bite of savory breakfast sandwich.

  Confident Brad knew where they were going, she enjoyed watching the scenery as it passed by. Much as Suri had said, the way to the ruins was a maze of twists and turns that led them inland before switching back on itself and taking them toward the water.

  The day promised to be warm and Julia was glad she had decided on the skort instead of the protective length of cargo pants. The boots would protect her feet and, more importantly, her ankles as she crawled over rocks, but it was a sure bet she’d come home tonight with more than one bruise.

  Fifteen minutes later, Brad pulled onto the nonexistent shoulder and cut the engine. “There’s a path to the beach through there,” he said and pointed at a barely discernible break in the trees. “Once you reach the beach, head north–you can’t miss the ruins.”

  “You’re not coming with me?” Julia asked, surprised.

  Brad shook his head. “We had three people call in sick this morning.”

  “Oh,” Julia said, not unhappy. She preferred the freedom that came with exploring on her own.

  “I’ll be back to pick you up at four,” he said and handed her the smaller pack that contained food and water.

  Julia double checked to make sure she had everything, stowed the food and water in her larger pack, and strapped the entire thing to her back. She was eager to get started. She was only on the island for a few days, and she wanted to explore as much of the ruins as possible.

  “Take this,” Brad said and handed her a walkie-talkie. “It has more than enough range to reach the Big House. The operator will be monitoring it in case you get into trouble or decide you want to come back early.” Brad gave her a quick demonstration.

  Satisfied that she knew how to use it, Julia clipped it to her skort and slid on a pair of sunglasses. The last thing she did was tie her hair back into a ponytail and slap a hat on her head.

  “All set?” Brad asked.

  “I’m good,” she said and smiled. “Thanks for the ride.”

  Julia didn’t wait for Brad to leave. Stepping into the tress, the forest quickly swallowed her up as she made her way toward the beach.

  It was cool under the shade of the palm fronds, and the forest was alive with the sounds of several tropical species–none of which she recognized. There were beautiful flowers, their vibrant colors breaking up the rich greenery of the trees, and the ground gave off an earthy scent.

  It didn’t take long to make it to the beach. Stepping out from the tree line, her boots sinking slightly in the loose sand, Julia was smacked with the first real heat of the day.

  The temperature had risen significantly since she left the Big House. There was no breeze to clear away the humidity and Julia felt sweat break out at her temples. Grabbing a bottle of water from her back, she broke the seal and took a sip as she stared across the beach to the water.

  The waves rolled in slowly,
a languid end to the journey from parts unknown. Turning to the north, the ruins were easy to spot. She weighed the advantages of staying in the shade of the tree line against walking in loose sand. The sand closer to the water would be packed hard and easier to walk on, but there was no shade and the sun was hot.

  Opting for the shade, Julia set out. She noted a marker that signaled the path back to the road, but other wise this area appeared untouched by man.

  The ruins were further away than they first appeared and Julia was hot and sweaty by the time she reached the edge. Taking a moment to catch her breath and drink some water, she surveyed the small rocks and large boulders that had been broken down in the face of centuries of storms.

  Julia carefully picked her way through ruins that littered the beach, watching her step as she headed deeper into the ruins. The rocks grew in size until she was using her hands to help herself and scrambling over boulders. One formation, in particular, caught her eye, and she followed the line of what once was a wall. There wasn’t much of it left but the similar size and shape of the rocks gave her a good idea of how the wall had once looked.

  She spent the morning crawling over rocks, looking for anything that might tell her who had built this place and why. There wasn’t much left and by the time the sun was overhead, Julia was hot, tired, and more than a little disappointed.

  Stopping for lunch, she sat on a large boulder looking out at the water. Mel, or more likely Suri, had supplied her a lunch of crusty bread, creamy cheese, and cured meats. There was even wine, which she avoided given the heat.

  She ate half of everything, tucking the rest away for a snack later and finished off another bottle of water. Staring out at where the rocks disappeared into the sea, she couldn’t help but think this was a strange place to build.

  The wind off the sea would steadily wear away at everything in its path and the storms that were common to this region could effectively relocate a house–to another island. A natural curve in the island offered this strip of land a bit of protection and Julia imagined boats would find this a good place to drop anchor while their passengers explored the beach.

  Boats.

  Julia perked up, her eyes scanning what she could see of the island’s coast line. Yes! Boats. Standing, she followed the line of ruins from the water inland to where they disappeared at the tree line.

  If people had resided on Avernus it was possible they had traveled to other islands in the area by boat, and what she was sitting on was all that remained of a pier.

  Turning her back on the beach, Julia realized there could be more ruins further inland where it would make more sense to build housing structures. Securing her pack on her back, she crawled over rocks and headed for the forest were the round rocks of the beach were replaced by flat stones set into the ground.

  “A path,” Julia muttered and stepped onto it. The forest reclaimed this area long ago. She had to push her way through thick vegetation and large sections of the trail were missing. At one point, she wandered off the path and had to work her way back, retracing her steps.

  Suddenly, the forest opened up and Julia stepped out into the sun. Momentarily blinded by the bright light, it took her a moment to realize what she was seeing.

  “Holy shit,” she whispered. The ruins were huge, and most of them covered by thick foliage, but it was definitely the remains of a settlement.

  Nothing Mel had told her had prepared Julia for this.

  Julia didn’t waste time. It was already growing late, and she would need to start back soon if she was going to meet Brad. A thorough examination of this area would have to wait until tomorrow, but Julia couldn’t wait until then.

  Excitement pulled her in one direction, her feet picking out a path that was easy to walk without paying attention to where she stepped. Before long, she found herself in what had to be the city center.

  Like the center of a wheel, the remains of buildings rose up all around her. Narrow lanes shot off in all directions, and it was a toss up which one to follow first.

  Letting fate decide, Julia picked a path at random. She had just set her foot down when the ground beneath her opened up, and she fell.

  Her scream cut off as she landed hard on her hip. Her pack broke some of her fall but unable to absorb the full force of her impact.

  Instinct had her covering her head as the floor above continued to rain down. A sharp pain brought another cry from her lips as something smashed into her knee.

  It seemed an eternity before the world stopped falling. Coughing, her heart pounding, she waved a hand in front of her face, trying to clear the air of dust. Light poured in through the hole, enough so that she could see she was in trouble.

  Carefully picking herself up off the floor, Julia tried to put weight on her right knee and groaned. It wasn’t broken, but it couldn’t take all of her weight.

  Suddenly, the world tilted and Julia palmed the wall for support. The first rush of fear was over, leaving her giddy and her body full of adrenaline. She suffered through the initial shaky moments of shock and relief, eyes closed to her situation, until she got her heartbeat back under control.

  So stupid! Julia thought, but decided to leave further recriminations until later.

  Opening her eyes, Julia stared through the gaping hole over head. The ground had collapsed and dropped her into a subterranean structure. Looking around, she saw that she was in a hallway of some sort, the walls on either side were smooth and the ground beneath her feet was paved in hard stone.

  There was no way she could climb out, especially not with her knee. However, someone had built this place, which meant there had to be stairs leading up.

  Looking left then right, the path dark in either direction, Julia tried to decide which way to go. There were no writings on the walls, no decorations to indicate the way out. She’d gotten turned around in the fall and wasn’t even sure which way was north.

  Deciding anything was better than staying where she was, Julia took a tentative step to the right. Her knee protested the movement, but with the help of the wall, she managed to hobble several feet away from where she had fallen.

  The light coming in from behind her quickly began to fade. Julia kept going. Surely, she would find a way out or encounter another room soon. She couldn’t imagine anyone going through the time and expense to build a hallway that went no where.

  A few minutes later, the path veered left and the light was gone. Julia stopped and dug around in her pack, coming out with a flashlight. Thankfully undamaged, she clicked it on, grateful for the narrow beam of light.

  A few feet further in and the air seemed to thicken and grow stale. How long had it been since anyone had been down here? Hundreds, thousands of years? And what was its’ purpose?

  Growing alarmed, Julia stopped and shined the light back the way she came. The path seemed to keep going with no end in sight in either direction. Despite having just come from there, the way back looked almost identical to the path forward.

  Knowing there was nothing back there, Julia decided to press on.

  Ten minutes later, Julia was doubting her decision to go right instead of left. Fifteen minutes after that, she was second guessing her decision not to turn back. The path kept going, never changing. She lost all sense of direction and thought perhaps she had turned herself around, doubling back and retracing her steps.

  Shining her light to the ground, she confirmed that the path ahead was unmarked while behind her, her footprints were clear scuffs in the dust.

  Belatedly, she remembered the walkie-talkie. Stopping, she tucked the flashlight under her arm and unclipped the small communication device.

  The sound of breaking plastic echoed in the narrow passage and Julia felt it come apart in her hands. Looking down, she confirmed that the walkie-talkie had been broken in her fall.

  Damn! Now she had no way to call for help. Panic steadily growing, Julia picked up her pace, hobbling awkwardly.

  No one knew where she was. Even if they
thought to come look for her, they would start at the beach. It would be hours before they thought to look for her inland, if ever.

  Julia pushed back against her fear. “Focus, Jewels, find a way out.”

  Having come this far, Julia decided to keep going. She’d give this direction another ten minutes before turning back. She’d lose time retracing her steps, time she couldn’t afford. Better to keep going, she reasoned. This path had to go somewhere!

  Her knee was sore and swollen, and her hip throbbed painfully in time to her heartbeat. Every step was painful, and she decided that if she got out of this alive, she was going for that seaweed wrap.

  When, not if, Jewels. Remember the power of positive thinking.

  Julia snorted.

  When had she ever believed in the power of positive thinking? She did think karma was a bitch and found herself wondering what she’d done to deserve this. First Ted, and now this. Had she been a politician in a former life? A telemarketer?

  Preoccupied, it took a few minutes for Julia to notice the change. The path was steadily growing steeper, the walls wider and the quality of the air was changing, growing fresh.

  “Oh, thank God,” Julia muttered. She was still palming the wall, using it to take some of the weight off her knee, when the ceiling opened up. Fresh air swooped in and Julia nearly swooned.

  The light was different, too. Julia glanced up and saw that the stone ceiling had been replaced by the thick foliage of the forest. Trees grew tall and close together; the dense overgrowth hiding the entire structure from anyone flying overhead.

  The ground beneath her feet changed from smooth stone to packed sand and earth. Her boots kicked up dust and dirt as she kept going, renewed hope at finding a way out quickening her steps.

  Up ahead, she saw a cutout and hurried forward to get a closer look. Hopefully, it would offer some clue as to where she was and offer her a way out.

  Reaching the cutout, Julia stopped and stared.

  “Impossible,” she whispered. Raising a shaking hand, she brushed her fingers across the face of a creature she’d recently seen in her dreams.