by N. R. Larry
I raised an eyebrow.
“The portal in the house. The one that will allow us to contact the people still with us back home, doesn’t exist without consequence.” She stood and started pacing. “I’ve known about Dauphin Island for a while now. It exists on a plane where our two worlds almost converge, and the result is increased magical activity. Only, the surface isn’t as equipped to deal with magic as we are. They don’t yet accept it as a reality. Not all of them, anyway.”
I shrugged. “That, and we don’t really have a choice, right? We can’t keep squatting in apartments. We need a base.”
Zar nodded. “Yes, Jett. That as well.”
We shared another long silence, and in that silence, the voices in the hall seemed amplified. I looked to Zarya, whose ear was perked in the direction of the sound. Her eyes widened, but it was too late. The front door creaked open, and we all stood up as footsteps padded toward us.
The surface people took us in, their eyes wide with alarm.
They had dark skin and pinched expressions. One of them, the female, reached for something in what their women called a purse. “What in the hell—”
Zarya sighed and nodded at Conway. “Time to go.”
By now, I was immune to him, but I could tell Lowe was a little nervous. He stood straighter and braced himself for impact. I would have laughed at him, but it didn’t really seem like a good time.
Conway smiled and parted his lips, which were more feminine than anything else. The sound that came out of him was visible and bubbled in the air. The surface people went blank. The woman froze. The device she had been reaching for crashed to the ground. Her companion’s face went slack, and for a moment, it looked like he might pass out.
Zarya began to gather up everything I’d brought in from the meeting, and we took that as a cue to help. Only Conway didn’t pitch in, but he was occupied making sure the surface people didn’t summon the guards they called cops to try to take us away. Once we were loaded up with stuff, Zarya glanced up at me. “Well, how are we getting there?”
That made me smile, and I led them all outside and into the harsh sun that was beating down onto the parking lot. I gestured toward a large, coral pink van with an ocean scene painted on it. Zarya looked at it in disdain and Lowe kind of rolled his eyes.
“What is it?” Conway asked as I loaded all our things into the back.
I clapped and pulled the keys from my pocket. “Surface dude called it a van. When I saw the pictures on it, I knew it was a sign. We were meant to own this baby.” I smacked the roof of the vehicle, and then opened the passenger side door so that I could lift Zar in. “And we’re going to use something called driving to get there. I’ve been wanting to try this since we left home.”
It wasn’t smooth sailing. I’d seen people drive in videos and movies, and they made it look easy. I, on the other hand, made it look like a half-dim sea turtle trying to hunt a great white shark. It wasn’t natural. I managed to get us pulled over by the cop guards, who punished us with a piece of paper. The only good thing that came out of it was the fake ID passed his test.
Sooner or later, I managed to get us on the road at a steady pace while Lowe sat in the back telling us more about this place—specifically Alabama—that we were in. I understood it was America and it was the South, and the South was hot as hell, and the humidity would be a challenge for us. After a while it all sounded like blah, blah, blah, in my ears.
I glanced at Zarya, who was sitting in a way that reminded me of someone being zapped by a stingray. Her hands were clutching either side of her seat and her eyes were wide and directed ahead. I was starting to think she would never relax again.
I took one hand off the wheel and rested it on her thigh. She stared down at my hand like it was something she didn’t recognize, and I gave her a little squeeze, hoping to lighten her up. She started fiddling with the end of her braid.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, man, that’s all well and good. Why don’t you tell us what haunted means because that’s the first thing we’re going to have to deal with.”
Zar nodded, as if she gave the direction herself and I smiled. With all her fierceness, she came off as soft an unsure. It was almost brilliant, forcing people to underestimate her, a mistake that was usually their last.
“A haunting, according to askit.com, is something that remains in the consciousness. Something not easily forgotten.”
I stared at him in the rearview mirror. I would have asked where he got the laptop from, or how he was even on the internet, but he’d always had a way of getting things, and making things work when they shouldn’t.
“That’s pretty vague,” Conway said, playing with the end of his almost-white ponytail.
Lowe held up a finger. “Give me a moment.”
I glanced again at Zarya, and let my fingers sink deeper into her flesh. She began to loosen a little. Her eyes looked more natural and less like someone that had taken a hit of puffer blow. I knew I could have melted her into the seat if I wanted to, but my focus was on getting us to this house. I knew once we were there, I would see her old confidence return, and I craved seeing that look in her eyes.
As hard as it was to do, I pulled my hand away and wrapped it back around the wheel.
“Okay, here is something,” Lowe said.
I focused on his voice instead of her sweet flesh because I knew I was on edge. I’d have to have her, and soon. She could bring this Adaro to his knees. I had to work extra hard at not tearing the steering wheel off.
“On the surface, a haunted house is filled with what they call ghosts, and ghosts are disembodied souls. Dauphine Island is famous for these hauntings. They have blogs, eyewitness accounts, looks like they even make a little money off the lore, and something else called ghost tours.”
I was about to ask what the hell a blog was when Zarya’s eyes widened, and she whispered, “The Kappa.”
The van went silent at her words.
“Poseidon’s balls,” Conway muttered.
“Are you sure, my priestess?” Lowe asked.
She nodded, and I tried not to roll my eyes. I didn’t want to show her any disrespect. “What are the Kappa?” I finally asked when none of them offered no further explanation.
“The Kappa are the ghosts of drowned surface people. These people die violently. Usually, they are women, and when their murders go unsolved their energy morphs into something…” She stopped playing with the end of her braid as she considered how to form the rest of her sentence. “Monstrous,” she finally decided. “Far stronger than humans… some of the most dangerous monsters I’ve ever read about.”
Again, a silence fell over the van. Slowly, I began to smile. All I heard was dangerous and monster. My heart pounded with excitement. “Finally, some real fun,” I said.
3
Zarya
I didn’t have the heart to scold him, after all, that’s what made Jett what he was. Nothing thrilled him more than the idea of going after bigger monsters than himself. Besides, there was no time to dwell on the task before us because soon, Jett was steering the overheated metal box away from the city and onto a high-rise bridge that connected the mainland to an island.
Eager, I sat up and pounded at the windows, wanting the glass out of my way. From behind me, Conway chuckled, leaned forward and cranked a black lever that was set into the door. Soon, the wind blew the hairs that had escaped my braid away from my face and I could smell it. The gulf. I leaned out the window and breathed it in. It was no Caspian, but I already felt more like myself, and less like an alien in a strange land.
The water was turquoise with a shade of emerald set below the surface that made my mouth water, and even the skies were clearer. The clouds seemed to thin out to share the air with flocks of birds in every color I could imagine, their songs carried on the wind, and for a moment, I felt like a little girl again.
“This is more like it,” Marlowe said from the back.
I leaned against the side of
the van and smiled. I had to agree. There seemed to be fewer people out here, and Jett was soon steering us along narrow roads. I took in the white, pale sand and noticed there were no traffic lights. The shops were small and as colorful as the birds, and children ran along the coast throwing objects I couldn’t name and filling the world with laughter.
Jett steered the van farther and farther onto the island, until the land constricted and flared back out. The van struggled up a series of dunes and toward a small section of beach upon which a house was perched.
The sight of it took my breath away.
He drove the van in a half circle, until we reached the back of the house. My heart thumped excitement through my blood, and I could tell they were having the same reaction to the view that I was.
“Holy shit,” Jett muttered, putting the van into park.
All I could do was nod.
The sun was setting, and its light glinted off the huge, picture windows set into the sides of the house. It was two stories and painted a foamy, green color. Pale white sand surrounded it and littered throughout that sand were shells and pebbles of every color. It seemed like the land decided to create a natural carpet. Live oaks were hugged in around the house, and birds jetted into and away from the trees. Waves whispered against the sand, washing up the occasional piece of slippery sea weed and algae.
I grinned. “It’s perfect.”
Inside was even better. We went our separate ways exploring. The walls seemed to take their inspiration from the sea. Everything was colorful and yet, nothing was too bright. The furniture was a simplistic, white wicker. It had two bedrooms, and the same number of bathrooms. I was pleased to note that the upstairs bath was bigger than the one in the stifled apartment we left behind. I knew from the reading I’d done on surface dwellings that it was a jacuzzi tub.
My absolute favorite part of this house—the part that made it bearable to be away from home—was the vault in the middle of the living room. At first glance it looked like a floor safe with a combination lock—nothing special. But, I could feel the magic vibrating underneath the metal. Light poured from the corners, and water rushed in my ears.
We all gathered around it.
“Is this really a portal?” Marlowe asked, tilting his head to the side as he inspected it.
I nodded and lowered myself to my knees so that I could run my hands across the metal.
“How is it even possible?” Marlowe asked, eyes wide with interest.
I shrugged off the guilt that I was still hiding things from them and shrugged. “Why question good fortune?” I finally asked.
“Open it,” Conway said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I stared down at the shiny surface, and then ran my fingers across the keypad, recalling the passcode that Sophie—my surface contact—had given me, and punched it in. There was a loud whoosh, followed by a low click.
I hesitated, half scared and half excited.
Jett, always unable to stop himself, reached for the handle and pulled the vault open. We all stared into the hollowed-out secret in the center of the house. A portal that led not only to the gulf, but to all the seven seas, given you knew the words that would take you there.
A little piece of home.
I reached out and let the foamy water rush across my skin. I began to glow. I closed my eyes and let my body relax. In that moment, everything felt like it might be okay. I felt like I might be able to pull this off. I didn’t feel lost in a world that I wasn’t supposed to be a part of.
“Of course, you can pull this off,” Jett muttered in an uncharacteristically soft voice.
The telepathy was back. That was a good sign. I tried to remain calm, not wanting to get ahead of myself. I dipped my other hand into the violent water and swiped it over my face. My hair started to expand, like a parched plant finally getting a taste of water. It would probably be back to my ankles if I went for a swim, but there was no time for that now.
I stood and glanced around. “Hard to believe this place is haunted.”
“Sophie says she will meet with us here tonight. To give us supplies we’ll need to get rid of the…” Jett’s dark eyes went to Marlowe. “Ghosts?”
Marlowe nodded, a teacher proud that his student had retained the lesson.
“We should prepare for her then. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can contact Violetta.” I glanced at Marlowe. “Will you go talk to the locals? Find out what you can about the Kappa? Anything that will help us.”
He nodded. “Of course, my priestess.”
I looked to Conway. “And you remember how the shopping is done? We should prepare a meal for Sophie.”
He nodded. “Of course, I don’t want your surface friends to think us savages.”
I smiled at him. Then, the two of them went off to do as I asked. I breathed a little easier.
“And, what would you have me do, my queen?” Jett asked as soon as we were alone.
I still hadn’t closed the vault. I couldn’t bring myself to shut myself off from the pull of the ocean so soon.
Usually, I’d have Jett do the bashing, but there wasn’t anything to bash yet. Besides, he had done more than his fair share today.
“We barely got to check out these… what are they called… bedrooms…” he said, a devilish grin on his face.
I grinned back. “True.”
He stepped over the hole in the floor, my big man, and cast those dark eyes down at me. I could tell where his thoughts were headed even before the ability to communicate without words had returned. I started to step away from him, trying to convince myself that now was not the time. There was too much at stake. I had an army to take back.
“And I am ready to serve you, my priestess.” He almost growled the words at me. “Point your weapon where you want it aimed.”
His dark eyes were charged with passion. He was my brute. The one that understood my love for the battle better than Marlow or Conway ever could. A sea witch was nothing without her sea beast.
I opened my mouth, ready to give him some order—to think of something that needed to be done, when his hand cupped around my neck, forcing my gaze up.
“These surface men,” he growled, “they have some interesting techniques when it comes to the flesh.”
I narrowed my eyes. He was never afraid to challenge me physically. “Yes, I heard you and Marlowe saw fit to show Conway internet porn?”
“Lots of good ideas in those videos,” he said, inching me closer to him.
My muscles began to tighten with need. His touch, coupled with the roar of the seas at my feet, made me forget about everything else but him and the violence pulsing in his blood. He hated to be denied. The danger of it made me shiver. It made me wet.
“Jett,” I said in a hoarse voice.
He stared down at me, his square jaw set and determined.
“We should probably check out the bedrooms,” I said, licking my bottom lip. “For… tactical reasons.”
He swept me up into his arms and carried me up the stairs faster than I would have thought possible. I knew he moved fast in the water, but it was nice to see that his physical talents remained in this world as well.
Pushing me against the wall, he set his lips against my ear and breathed me in. “I understand the king,” he said in a strained voice.
My heart thumped in response to him. I let my eyes close so that my body would feel what it wanted to feel. His full lips scorched against my neck. Roughly, he whipped my head to the side to whisper into my other ear.
“It must have driven him mad,” he went on, tearing at my clothing. The fabric ripped like it was held together by nothing stronger than air and fluttered to the floor. His hand slipped around me and cupped my ass. I grunted and pushed myself against him as hard as I could. He tightened his grip, exactly like I wanted him to.
I didn’t want this to be gentle.
I wanted him to take what was his.
“To not be able to touch you like this
…” He sank his teeth into my neck and moved his hand from my ass to my breast, running his thumb over my hard nipple. They both hardened for him. I could hardly breathe. Every inch of me began to ache for him.
He lowered himself in front of me and brushed his teeth against my nipple. I threw my head back. My core tightened, and I forgot I was a creature of dignity as I pumped my hips toward the heat of his body.
“I would start a war too, if I couldn’t touch you,” he grumbled. His teeth scraped against the insides of my thighs. His hands ripped at the rest of my clothing, leaving my body naked and trembling. “But, I can touch you, can’t I, my priestess?”
I was huffing by this point. I dug my hands into his long hair and pulled him away, staring down into his eyes. I ran a thumb across the scar over his right eyebrow. It was one of the many scars that marred his tight body.
“Demand it of me,” I begged him in a strained voice. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
He stood up straighter, towering over me. My Adaro. “Get on the bed,” he said in a rough voice. “On your hands and knees.”
I bowed to him, enjoying the game, and placed a finger coyly between my teeth. Then, I sauntered to the bed and crawled onto my knees, feeling the cool silk beneath me. I turned around to find a hungry expression on his face. With a grin, I waggled my ass in the air in front of him.
He chuckled and climbed on the bed behind me. I let out a moan, prepared for him to take me from behind. But instead of sliding inside of me, he massaged my ass with his hands, setting me even further on edge.
I turned around and frowned.
“Like I said, these surface men… They have ideas about the flesh that seemed… intriguing.”
I wanted to order him to give it to me. Hard. None of that playful bullshit, but that wasn’t the game. And it wasn’t always better when I let him take lead.